affairs of Christianitie in this flourishing Monarchy with prowesses and successes incomparable so likewise are we tied to her in an immortal obligation to have cast the first seeds of piety into the Court of our Kings that it might with the more authoritie enter into the souls of all their subjects The good Princess like to a pearl which cometh from the salt sea beheld her self involved almost from her birth in great acerbities and horrible confusions from whence she arose with so much lustre as she made of adversities the steps to the temple of glory She was daughter of Chilperick who contending for the scepter against Gombaut his elder brother King of Burgundy with more temeritie than reason sunk down to the ground and was forsaken by the people whom he had excited against this his brother who verily was a bad King But God who giveth Sovereigns leave to reign favouring a just cause even in the person of an evill man gave victorie to the elder He most truly made use of his fortune for having surprized his younger brother at the siege of a City he caused him to loose his head on a scaffold and not content with this murther extended his vengeance against the wife of the deceased by an act most unworthy For causing a stone to be tied to her neck she was thrown into the river and it was a great chance he had not inflicted the like upon two other virgins the lamentable remainders of this unfortunate marriage But beholding them as yet so young and innocent he thought their life could not be prejudicial to his estate and their death might be ignominious to his reputation Behold the reason why he contented himself to shut the one of them up in a Monastery and retained the other which was our Clotilda with himself that she might be bred in his Court. The holy maid entereth into the Palace of her Uncle as a sheep into a Lions den having no reason to repose much assurance in a man who still had the bloud of her father and mother in his hands Notwithstanding great is the power of virtue when it is enchaced in beautie For this cruel Basilisk who had an eye of bloud and poyson no sooner considered the praise-worthy parts of this Princess but that feeling himself dazeled with her aspect and his heart softened with the innocency of this poor orphan he instantly took compassion upon her who never inclined to it before He began to behold her with a pleasing countenance to endear her to wish and promise her much good But the good creature who could not think after so strange an affliction she was any more to pretend to greatness and pleasures of the world threw her self between the arms of the Cross that there she might find those of God and though in publick she stifeled the resentments of her sorrow with a discreet patience not resisting the storm nor striking her head against the rocks yet in the secrecy of her retirement she daily dissolved her self into tears and found no comfort but in the wounds of the worlds Saviour My God said she to him I adore your holy providence which drencheth me with gall and wormwood in an age wherein maidens of my qualitie accustom not to walk but on roses perhaps you know my pride hath need of such a counterpoise and you in all equitie have done that which your wisdom thought good Behold I have my eyes still all moistened with the bloud of my father and the bodie of my poor mother which being covered with so many waves cannot have over it one silly tear from the eyes of her daughter which fail not every night to pour forth streaming rivers My God Your name be blessed eternally I require nought else of you but the participation of your sufferings It is no reason I here should live without some light hurt seeing you wounded on all sides for my example Some have been pleased to wish me I should receive and take contentments in the hope of a better fortune where would they have me gather those pleasures I am yet upon the weeping shores of the river of Babylon I fix all my consolations and songs at the feet of your Cross promising to desire nothing more in the world but the performance of your holy will There is I know not what kind of charm in holy sadness which cannot be sufficiently expressed but such it is that a soul contristated for God when it is fallen into abysses wherein all the world reputes it lost findeth in the bottom of its heart lights and sweetnesses so great that there is not any comfort in the world to be compared with them Clotilda was already come to these terms and if for obedience she had not learned to leave God for God she had been softened with those tears by suffering her self voluntarily to slide into a lazy sorrow but considering that whilest she was in the house of this uncle an Arian heretick she was bound by God to instruct with her example all those who were to be spectatours of her actions she set her hand couragiously to the work and shewed her self so able of judgement in her carriage and so regular in all her deportments that her life became a picture of virtue which spake to all the world Although she were derived from the bloud of Kings she shewed to have no other nobility but that which springs from worthy Actions As her face was free from adulterate beauty so her soul was exempt from those affected authorities and disdains which ordinarily grow with great fortunes Her aspects were simple and dove-like her words discreet her actions sober her gestures measured her carriage honest her access affable her conversation full of sweetness and profit She was a virgin in mind and body living in marvellous purity of affections and amities which she fomented by the virtue of humility which the Ancients esteemed to be as the wall of the garden of charity God oftentimes suffering impurity of body to chastise the rebellion of the soul She was so humble of heart that she accounted her self as the meanest servant of the house not scorning at all to apply her self to inferiour offices which she notwithstanding performed with so much majesty that even in spinning with a distaff she seemed a Queen She was marvellously wise in her counsels prompt and agil in execution moderate in all good successes constant in bad ever equal to her self She spake little never slandered envied none did good to all the world not pretending her own interests expecting from God alone the character of her merit and the recompence of her charities She had no worldly thing in her person and as little regarded her attyres as the dust of the earth She knew almost but one street in the City where she dwelt which was the same that lead to the Church Sports and feasts were punishments to her and she was seldom found in the company of men unless it were
strong sally and willed him freely to answer one word upon which he would ground the whole proceeding to wit Whether he were not a Roman Catholick That is it Sir saith the Prince which I avow which I publish which I protest For verily it is a crime which maketh the Judges become pale and the offenders laugh The accusation whereof is a vow all great souls should profess and the pain is a felicitie which Martyrs have bought with their bloud I wish to die a hundred times if it might be done for the glorie of that goodly title so far is it too little with one mouth to confess the praises of God Command if you please that my bodie be hewed and cut in pieces for the profession of the Catholick faith and then I shall have as many mouthes as wounds to praise my Saviour and all those wounds shall be as gates of bloud to give passage to my soul to the place where it is expected by so good companie The father said thereupon he was become a fool and that no man hated life but he who had ill employed it The son replied The misuse had been in heresie of which he repented him And at that instant the Guard received commandment to re-convey him to prison where he was so comforted with the visitations of God that finding with much difficulty means to send a Letter to his dear Indegondis he wrote to her in this manner The sixteenth SECTION The Letter of Hermingildus to his dear wife Indegondis and his generous resolution MY holy Mistress from whom I have received the faith and true knowledge of God I write these lines unto you clothed with sackcloth and loaden with fetters in the bottom of a dark dungeon for the defence of that Religion which you have taught me If I did not know by experience the invincible force of your heart and the resolution you practise in affairs which concern the service of God I had concealed my estate from you that I might not contristrate objects sensible to nature But most dear wife you have a forehead too noble to blush at the disgrace of the Crucifix and a courage too well fortified to refuse taking part in the liveris of the Saviour of the world I protest upon mine honour ' I could never perswade my self there might be contentment to suffer that which I tolerate when your innocent mouth preached unto me the reward of suffering wherewith your bodie bad heretofore been gloriously covered But since my imprisonment I have felt consolations of God so tastfull that I cannot think it possible to relish in the world any other antipasts of Paradise You are not ignorant that my life and conversation which hath been so long time plunged in errour and vanitie deserved not these benefits but your most pure hands which you so often have lifted up before Altars for my salvation have obtained that for me which much transcended my merit and all my hopes The King my father hath been pleased to hear me and I have pleaded my cause in fetters with so great assistance from the Heavenly goodness that I justified my self in all charges objected against me and have put the matter into such a condition that I am no further accused as a thief and homicide but as a Catholick I speedily expect my sentence and do not think I am put into the state wherein I am to save my life but I undoubtedly believe this will be the last Letter you shall receive from my hand I earnestly beseech your loyal heart that as in this action which shall close up my days I intend to do nothing unworthie of you so on your part act nothing unworthie of me betraying the happiness of my death with tears which would be little honourable to the condition whereunto God hath called me I put into the hands of the Divine Providence both you and your little Hermingildus the onely pledge of our holy loves Be couragious my dearest love and after my death take the way of Constantinople to render your self at the Palace of the Emperour Tiberius who is a good Prince and most Catholick I recommend unto you my poor soul as for the bodie let that become of it which shall please my father If the alteration of times and affairs bring you back into Spain there to bold the rank you deserve my ashes will likewise rejoyce at the odour of your virtues I hope my death shall not be unprofitable and that God will make use of it for the good of the Kingdom You know how many times I have heard you say that you would have bought the salvation thereof with your bloud you have already in it employed one part it is my turn to perform the rest upon a scaffold For in what place soever you are I promise my self to be most particularly assisted by your holy prayers The good Princess received this Letter with the news of his death as we will presently tell you but in this space of time Râ—caredus the younger brother of Hermingildus extreamly afflicted that having been a mediatour of this counterfeit peace he saw it end in so deplorable a Tragedie hasteneth to cast himself at the feet of his father beseeching him with infinite abundance of tears and lamentations either to give him the stroke of death with his own hand or save the life of his brother The father replied He was a furious fellow and a traitour to his fortune and that be ought to suffer justice to be done which would give him a Crown That his brother well discovered himself an enemie to his father and the State since he would not for his sake renounce onely so much as a fantasie Religion that he was onely questioned upon this point and that if be could perswade him to reason he was readie to save his life Recaredus prepared himself strongly to gain him and asketh leave to go to the Prison which was allowed him The young Prince seeing his brother covered with sackcloth and bowed under fetters was so amazed at this spectacle that he stood a long time mute as a statue but in the end breaking silence with a deep sigh Ab brother saith he it is I who have betrayed you it is I who have covered you with this fatal sackcloth I who have bound and fettered you with these cruel chains made for ignominious slaves not for your innocencie Brother behold my poynard which I present you revenge your self upon my guiltie head I have been culpable enough in that I have produced from a good intention so bad effects Hermingildus beholding him with a peacefull eye answered Brother why do you afflict your self Fall well do I know your innocencie What innocencie replied the other if unadvisedly I be the cause of your death by my disasterous Embassage But good brother since you are reduced to this extremitie I beseech you forgo the name of Catholick or if that seem unworthie of your constancie dissemble for some time and
ignorant what answer to give unto the Emperour Ah Sir said she I see you are much hindered in a brave way if it onely rest in your wife that you be not great and happy I freely deprive my self of all yea of your company which is more precious to me then all the Empires of the world rather then prejudice your fortune For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know I love you better then my self And saying this she cut off her hair and voluntarily entred into a Monastery which the other was willing enough to suffer preferring ambition before love a matter very ordinary among great ones Out of all this it may be inferred that women are to be found very virtuous and most constant in their affections But the question I proposed in the second place if in case it so fall out whether amities may be fixed out of marriage between sex and sex is a passage very dangerous and worldlings must not think it strange if I look into it with much precantion It is Rodomanto of Pelagius Jerem in Pelagium a pleasant thing to hear how Pelagius the Arch-heretick talks in S. Jerome For he makes a Rhodomantade suteable to a spirit swoln up with pride and blinded within the opinion of his own worth There are saith he who shut themselves within cells and never see the face of any one woman yet suffer themselves to be enslamed with love and tormented with desires which may very well happen for they are miserable creatures who well deserve to be so handled As for me I freely professe I am daily environed with an host of women and feel not the least spark of concupiscence S. Basil S. Basil de Virginitaâ—e Inclination of sex to sex was of another opinion when he sheweth that a man who perpetually converseth with women and saith he feeleth not any touch thereof participateth not at all of humane nature but rather is some extraordinary prodigie For as he learnedly disputeth in the Book he composed of Virginity the body of a woman is as it were a section and a fragment of that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dangerous autractives in the conversation with women the first man which is the cause he naturally desireth her as a part taken from himself The palm hath not more inclination to the palm nor the iron to the adamant then one sex hath towards another When God created the mother of the living it is written he built as if the Scripture would say That woman is a house Aedificavit dominus costam quà m tulerat de Adam in mulierem Gen. 2. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Basil ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. paedag l. 3. wherein the heart of man lodgeth but too often Sole glances saith this great man are spirituall hands which cause wonderfull effects From thence the first battery of Concupiscence beginneth as saith Clemens Alexandrinus Adde that after the corruption of sinne we have in us an evil source of carnall desire which floweth from the bottome of our soul by our five senses as by so many conduit-pipes Nature is extremely subtil and busie and when one hath a hundred times together by strong hand chased it away a hundred times it returneth It insinuates it self it presseth forward with sweet violences with charming sweetnesses it insensibly spinneth the web and doth what it list Moreover it is seconded with a certain curiosity to know all that which is most pernicious to it It kicketh against the laws of honesty and modesty and thinks the forbiddance of an evil is the greatest of all torments It will know too much to be chaste and makes a snare to it self of proper science O God of purity how many do we now adayes see who to give entrance to a wicked curiosity through too free conversation receive as many wounds as they give glances and as many deaths as beauty shoots arrows against them Solomon who well knew the effect of this passion said Thy eyes shall see forreign women and thy heart shall Prov. 23. Oculi tui videbunt extraneas cor tuum loquetur perversa c. entertain a very evil discourse within thee Thou shalt be as one fast asleep in the midst of the waves of the sea or as a lazy plot who oppressed with drowsinesse hath forsaken the helm Thou wilt say It is true they struck me but I feel no pain of it They have drawn me this way and that way but I am not sensible of it when shall I be awakened to be again drunk with love and to return to my accustomed pleasures See how a senslesse soul talketh which having not well guarded its senses in the first assault delivereth the heart over as a prey and sinks into the bottome of Abysse But to rest within the limits of honest Modest amities with women should alwayes be handled with much precaution amities it is undoubted one cannot use too much precaution so subtil and penetrative are the stings thereof especially when it is sharpned by Beauty Bounty and Benefits Yea misery therein doth sometimes bear so sensible a part that a beautifull and virtuous woman being in her innocency afflicted shooteth Magnus amor est qui de misericordia venit 8. Cant. 6. arrows of victorious love into the heart of man And very well the Philosopher Seneca hath observed that love is great when it grows out of commiseration It is true which Cassidorus said in the book of Cassiod de amicitia Amity that one affection degenerateth insensibly into another Love in the beginning is wholly divine then it becometh humane being yet within the limits of reason From humane it passeth to naturall wherein Degeneration-amity it quickly feels the sting of nature and the first fervour of Concupiscence From naturall it becometh officious entertaining it self with discourses complements complacence offices and services From officious it most times becometh carnall and from carnall absolutely unchaste Iamblichus a Philosopher very curious saith that Observation of Iamblichus applied to the amities of women those who professed to consult with spirits by this divine operation as is pretended saw in the beginning obscurities spectres and night but persisting in their search they perceived the air by little and little waxed bright with a pleasing serenity and the apparitions became more lightsome It falleth out quite otherwise in the matter of Amities indiscreetly tied with women For at first those shevvs are fair and specious but the issues of them if one be not heedfull are black and hideous A soul vuhich feareth God might sometimes be very confident among such as make profession to be none of the honestest because it is prevented by some aversion which hindereth its perdition but virtue consorted by sweet disposition hath another manner of power for it insinuateth it self into the soul with admirations and satisfactions which attract the inclination before the consideration can be permitted to frame
of the Hypocondry the disturbances of the waking the stupidities of the Lethargie the fits of the falling sickness the faintness of the Phthisick the heavings of the passion of the heart the pangs of the collick the infections of the leprosie the venome of ulcers the malignity of the plague the putrefaction of the gangrene and all which is horrible in nature After all this it is made a God to whom Elogies Hymns Songs and victimes are offered Empire over the heart is given to it a soul not created but for him who hath saved it is subjected fetters are honoured and its Tyranny adored There are many millions of men in the world Disasters of evil love who would be most fortunate and flourishing if they knew how to avoid the mischievous power of this passion but having not used any consideration or endeavour they have abandoned their bodies to dishonour their reputation to infamy their estates to pillage and their lives to an infinity of disturbances and torments Hence it is that virgins of noble bloud are stolen away that families are desolated that parents are precipitated into their Tombs by ungratefull children that so many young widows are dishonoured in the world that so many miserable creatures after they have served for talk to a City die in an Hospitall that so many little innocents are made away by a death which preventeth their birth that so many Infants are thrown into life as froth of the sea exposed to poverty and vice by that condition which brought them forth Hence is it that chaste wedlocks are disturbed that poysons are mingled that Halters are noozed that swords are sharpned that Tragedies are begun under the Coverture of night and are ended in a full day-light upon a scaffold O God how happy might a soul be which would well consider all this and take what I am about to speak as a letter sent from heaven for the remedy of infinite many evils which in this passion environ our miserable life I invite hither every age each sex all conditions I entreat my Readers to peruse these lines with the same spirit wherewith I addresse them and although it befell me to treat of this subject in my other works notwithstanding never have I yet undertaken it with so much method vigour or force as at this present I will shew you the Essence the Causes the Symptomes and the effects of love as religiously as Vereenndiā periclitari malo quà m probationē l. 1. de anima c. 17. I can possibly supposing my self not bound to follow Tertullians opinion who though very chaste spared not to speak of this subject a little grosly saying for excuse that he had rather put himself upon the hazard of losing shame then a good argument I made you see in the beginning of this treatise that love considered in generall was properly an inclination to the good of Conformity which putteth on divers faces according to the sundry objects and wayes it pursues to arrive thither If it go directly towards God and reflect on a neighbour as his Image loving the one for himself and the other for his Authour this is charity If it diffuse it self upon divers creatures sensible and insensible which it pursueth for its pleasure and commodity it is an appetite and a simple affection as that which is towards hunting birds books pictures pearls and Tulips If it be applyed to humane creatures loving them withall integrity by a reciprocall well-wishing it is Amity If it regard the body for pleasures sake it is a love of venereall concupiscence which being immoderate even Tertull. in exhortatione ad castitatem Nec per aliud fit marita nisi per quod adultera in the intention of marriage fails not to be vitious which made Tertullian say that the same thing an Adulterer would do the married likewise did If it be chaste and guided within the Limits which the Law of God prescribeth it is conjugall love If it overflow to sensuall pleasures It is Luxury S. Denis saith It is not love but an idoll and a fall from true love And Plato Plato in convivio in his Banquet addeth that sober love is contentment of heart eyes and ears but when it will content it self by the other senses namely that of touching it is not love but a spirit of insolency a passion of a servile soul a rage of a triviall lust which maketh shew to love beauty but through its exorbitancy descended to the worst of deformities I know there are learned pens which here distinguish Division of Lone all love into two parts and say there is one of consideration and another of inclination They call it love of consideration when one is therein embarked with a full knowledge and a setled judgement love of inclination when one loveth not able to give any reason But I find this division is not exact enough insomuch as it confoundeth the Genus and Speeies and doth not clearly distinguish the members of this body since all love is nothing else but an inclination and since that which is made by consideration inclineth the loving to the thing loved Whence it appeareth that to mention a love of inclination is to say love is love without any further explication I had rather say there are two loves the one of Election which resulteth from Consideration and is formed when after one hath acknowledged a thing to be fair profitable and pleasing he out of reason affects it The other of humour when without consulting with reason one is suddenly surprized by some secret attractive in the thing loved without giving himself leasure to judge what it is and this properly is to love by humour and fantasie which is now adays the most ordinary love but not the best It is a kind Love of humour of love which quickly beginneth and which never ends slowly so full it is of inconstancy It seems to it self all its bands are silken although they be rough chains it will not take pains to consider them It thinks not it cherisheth the wound nor looks it back on the hand which gave it It is heedlessely engaged and signeth transactions without reading them that it may not be ashamed to abrogate what it made or to entertain that which kills it There are many miserable ones who daily marry upon the first sight and whose amities arise but from a glance which passeth away more swiftly then a shadow and then there must be a thousand repentances to redeem the pleasure of one moment It is ever better to preferre Election for though in the beginning it had not so much sweetnesse in the search it hath lesse sorrow in the possession But to enter farther into the knowledge of Carnall love it is good to penetrate the causes and effects thereof which will the more perspicuously enlighten us in the choice of remedies We see many people in the world who being tormented by this evil euen unto folly seek
of sorrow By a much stronger reason we have cause to say the same thing of all worldly hopes which desist not to deceive us till we be a-sleep but surprise us open-eyed Yet we shall do wrong to question them for they are innocent but we are culpable to make so ill use of reason as to run all our life-time after fancies One of the wisest men of antient times uttered a matter very remarkable related by D. John Chrysostome to wit that all man-kind is tyed with a great chain composed of two folds of An excellent passage of a wise man mentioned by Chrysost links which in great number all our life-time are multiplyed and interchangeably follow one another One is called joy and the other sorrow But besides this there are some saith this Wise-man who have fetters on their heels being tormented with harsh hopes which under the shadow of sweetnesse insult over them and hold them as long as they live in a painfull slavery There is a file addeth he called Reason which is very excellent to file our fetters but there are none but the most considerate who find it fools are enforced to languish all their life-time in this Martyrdome and as they have lived in the fervours of a feaver they also dye in illusion Then let us learn to make an eternall divorce from all those frivolous worldly hopes and to look on Jesus as a pole-star alwayes immoveable under whom all mobilities move What a shame is it to spend the better part of our age after smokes and phantastick semblances which pay us with nothing but griefs and not to hope in a strong God who supporteth the earth with Esto bracâ—ium nostruÌ„ in mane salus uostra in tempore tribulationis Isa 33. 2 Salutare tuum expectabo Domine Gen. 49. 18. three fingers of his power in a mercifull God who loveth us tenderly as the apple of his eye Shall we never learn to say Be our arms in the morning and our salvation in the day of Tribulation Let us not flatter our selves with these goodly semblances of honour of greatnesse of riches of pleasures which by heap present themselves to our imagination but let us say Lord I will expect the Saviour thou hast promised me Let us leave the men of the world who unbowell themselves like Spiders by drawing out their entrails to catch files but let us imitate those little silk-worms who cast forth precious threads whereof they make a rich bottome in which they sleep and come not forth but to take wings Fortissimum solatium habeamus qui confugimus ad tenendam spem quam sicut anchoram habemus aenimae tutam ac firmam incedentes usque ad interlora velaminis ubi praecurâ—or pro nobis introvit Jesus Heb. 6 19. and soar in the air Let us go and produce hopes which are as so many threads of gold that involve us here below in pretious repose and a certain expectation of Beatitude untill charity hath perfected our wings to take our flight to the City of peace where so many chosen souls stretch out an arm unto us Let us take a very strong comfort since we put our selves between the arms of hope which we hold as a firm and an assured anchor to stay all the disturbances of our mind going forward in our way till we passe the veil and enter into the Tabernacle of the Sanctuary whereinto Jesus our Precursor hath made his entry for our Salvation The eight Treatise Of DESPAIR § 1. It s Nature Composition and Effects HE who would set forth the picture of Despair me thinks should do well to represent The image of Despair hope in the manner of some bird variously diversified with curious-coloured feathers and endowed with a most melodious voyce that were pursued by a man with much eagrenesse but when he should think to touch her with his finger she should instantly vanish away in the air and leave in stead of her self a black and ugy Hobgoblin which should possesse all the passages both S. Thom. 1. 2. q. 4. art 40. Recessus vitalis à bono ob ejus difficultaté vel praeciusam futuritionem There are two sorts of Acts in this passion of the Pallace and Throne of this goodly Hope In this property behold what the definition of Despair meaneth which according to S. Thomas is a recesse from a good impossible or which one proposeth within himself he can never attain unto From whence it cometh that there are two acts which compose this miserable Passion the first whereof is a determinate judgment made upon the impossibility of the good that is sought whether it be lost or whether the means to arrive unto it be taken away or whether it be so difficult that the wit of man cannot purchase it at any price Thence followeth a second Act of grief and sadnesse to see it self driven back from the desired object without any hope of coming near unto it for which cause we may well represent the dismall spectre of Despair tumbling so many Courtiers with frivolous hope down the mountain into the bottome of a valley where some gnash their teeth stamp with their feet and pull themselves by the hair Some run to the sword to precipices and halters others lie flat on the ground drowned in their tears and drenched in dull sadnesse like people wholly senslesse and walking in the way of a Tomb as having almost nothing at all to do with the living But the thing most admirable is that there are some to be seen who being come to the extremity of miseries find themselves in an instant faln into a happinesse unexpected so that Despair seems to have been for them the source of all their hopes § 2. The Causes of Despair and the Condition of those who are most subject to this Passion THey who are of a Melancholick humour are infinitely disposed to the effects of this direfull passion For to say truth Melancholy is the Pit of the Abysse from whence issueth forth an infinite quantity of evil vapours which cause night in the most cheerfull brightnesse and make the most pleasing beauties of Nature to be beheld with affrightment They who are turmoiled herewith easily resigning themselves over to Despair are perpetually upon complaints and lamentations they see publick calamities coming afar off and like birds of an ill presage do prognostick nothing but disastres They have a singular inclination to believe the worst news to augment it in their imagination to amplifie it in their discourses and to affright the whole world if they could with pannick terrours and imaginary fears The lest mishap which befals their family is in their opinion a generall ruine Menaces are blows blows murthers the least sparks are Coles Theatres strewed with flowers are scaffolds covered with black for them and all the actions of men are nought but Tragedies Wise Plutarch said All little Courages were naturally full of Complaints They are like
Great troubles at Rome appeased by him 175 Pope Leo caused him to be crowned Emperour of Rome 176 The great cunning of men who go about to surprise Chastity 18 Advise to Ladies and Gentlewomen concerning Chastity 19 The honour the French bore to the virtue of Chastity 110 The conjugall Chastity of S. Lewis 111 Weak spirits are ordinarily Cholerick 87 Malicious and covert souls are ranked in the second region of anger which is bitter Choler ib. Choler and vengeance are prejudiciall 294 Chrysostom mentioneth an excellent presage of a wise man 65 The greatnesse and beauty of Clemency 143 The generous anger of Clotharius 117 The Essence of Compassion 99 Complacence stronger then fire and sword 18 Miseries of humane Condition 56 Such as have a clear Conscience are most bold 79 Contentments are rather in the will then in the pleasing objects 48 True contentment is in God 49 God possessing himself injoyeth his Contentment ib. Our Lord passed all his life in Contentments which were necessarily due to him to give us an example to wean our selves from them 50 Conversation and its contentments 13 Conversation must be moderated ib. Courage is not lessened by study 78 Men of obscure birth raised to great preferments by their courage 8â— Compassion of great Courages 99 The rare endowments that are required in a Courtier 219 The Court of Pharaoh is compared to the Helmet-flower 228 The horrour of cruelty 100 A man must take heed of being too Curious 46 The wisdome of Cushi the servant of David in the counsel of Absolon 149 D A Witty Fable of John Damascen 2 Daniel is chosen for one of Nebuchadonozars pages 247 His noble extraction and rare parts ib. He is in great hazard of his life 242 He consulteth with God ib. He is made Vice-Roy of all the Provinces of the Kingdome 243 He is sought unto to give the interpretation of the hand-writing upon the wall 246 He refuseth to worship Bell. 247 He killeth the Dragon ib. He is cast into the Lions Den. ib. He is taken from thence and his accusers put into his roome who are immediately devoured ib. The question upon the act of David is resolved 35 The qualities of David 139 His entrance into the Court. ib. He is pursued and escapes ib. The losse of David in banishment ib. His arrivall at Nob causeth great disasters to the Priests ib David saves himself in the caves of the desart whither his father and mother go to seek him 142 His piety towards them ib. Banished men repair unto David ib. The visite of Jonathan secret and very profitable for David ib. Nabals rudenesse towards David ib. The admirable generousnesse of David in pardoning his enemies ib. David goeth out of the Kingdome and retireth himself among strangers 143 David receives the news of Sauls overthrow 144 David cannot be excused for the treaty made with Abner 145 He is absolute King by the death of Ishbosheth the son of Saul ibid. The royall qualities of David ib. His zeal to religion ib. His valour and his warres ib. His justice and good husbandry ib. His vices ib. The blindnesse of David 146 Davids repentance ib. Punishment upon the house of David ib. The patience of David towards Shimel 148 His great humility and his humble words ib. Davids mildnesse very great 149 The last acts of Davids life 150 God hath made all creatures to have delectation 48 Four things compose the solid Delectation of man ib. The Essence of Delectation 49 Demetrius his oration 203 He is engaged in a war against the Macchabees 204 Whether it be good to have a Desire 39 An excellent picture of Desire ib. The world is replenished with Desiring souls ib. The exposition of the picture of Desire ib. The passion of curiosity a kind of Desire ib. Inconstancy followeth the multitude of Desires 41 Four sources of Desires 42 A reason against vain Desires drawn from divine tranquility ib. Another reason against vain Desires is the onely desire which Jesus had in secking the glory of his heavenly Father 43 Marvellous effects of Desire 112 The image of Despair 65 Three sorts of acts in Despair ib. Remedies against Despair 68 The admirable conversion of some who seemed desperate ib. The sight of our Saviour teacheth us to persevere in our good hopes and not to Despair 69 A great secret of life is to undergo Destiny 139 Why Devils love not God whom they know to be so amiable 48 Disorder is fatall to the Court of great ones 174 Doeg accuseth the high Priest being innocent 141 Means to use an efficacious remedy in Duels 36 E THe reign of Edward 316 His qualities and his death 317 Divers causes of the ruine of Egypt 229 The children of Israel depart out of Egypt 231 Eleazer a Jewish Captain died valiantly having first pierced the Elephant whereon he did suppose that Eupator did combat 202 Queen Eleanor an enemy to France 118 Elijah includeth the name God and the Sun in his name 248 He hideth himself at the brook Carith over against Jordan ib. He restoreth to life the dead child of the woman of Sarepta 249. He is known to be the Prophet of God by fire coming down from heaven which consumed his sacrifice 250 He flies into the Wildernesse and is sustained by an Angel which furnished him with a cruise of oyl and a cake baked ib. He travelleth fourty dayes in the strength of that sustenance 251 His vision ibid. He foretelleth to Ahab that the dogs should lick his blood in the same place where Naboth was slain 252 He is translated and took a new life without loosing that he had in the world 254 The labyrinth of the hypocrisie of Queen Elizabeth 299 The fury of Elizabeth 200 Elisha leaveth his Plough and Oxen and followeth Elijah 251 He is heir of Elijahs spirit 255 His speech to Joram ib. Elisha besieged in Dothan is guarded by an host of heavenly Angels 256 Elisha conducteth his enemies stricken with blindnesse to Samaria the chief city of the adverse partie ib. Joram threateneth to take off his head ib. He dieth 259 The estate of England 315 The picture of Envie 91 The definition of Envie ibid. Humane remedies against Envie 94 The hlessed though unequall in glory are not envious 96 The lamentable Envie of Ebroin against S. Leger 121 Envie never sleepeth 140 The horrible Envie of Saul ib. Envie is easily learned at the Court. ib. The Temple of Ephesus 154 The courteous meeting of Erasmus and Oporinus 72 Evilmeredech son of Nebuchadonezar took upon him the regincie of the Empire his father leaving his kingdome to graze with the beasts 245 The ignorance of our Evils is a stratagem of divine Providence 71 F THe nature of Fear and the bad effects of it 70 Two sorts of Fear naturall and morall 71 The causes of Fear ibid. Fear is a troublesome passion ibid. Fear of accidents in the world 72 Remedies against accidentall Fear ib. Fear of poverty causeth most strange boldnesse 73 The example of our Saviour ought to encourage us against Fear 74 Resolutions against Fear 75 We must Fear nothing in the world to the prejudice of our souls 81 Fidelity and its excellency 14 The mervellous effects of
vice which would have no force nor vigour at all if you did not give arms and weapons into its hand to sack and subjugate all the world First you commit a great sacriledge abusing authority Great sin through bad example which is a ray of the omnipotencie of God impressed on your foreheads to enlighten and sweetly incline your inferiours to duty and you make boast as if it came from your selves Thieves that you are of the treasure of God you have rifled the chief of his coffers which is that absolute power by which he is God you have taken from thence a pearl which himself afterwards ensigned into your hands which himself fixed upon your head to give you as it were a participation of his own essence and you unworthily retain it without making it tributary to its Creatour My God it is true that he who seeketh his own glory from thine ornaments is a Aug. Sol. 5. Qui de bono tuo gloriam sibi quaerit non tibi quaerit hic sur est latro very thief and a robber who endeavouring to filch Gods honour from him stealeth Paradise from himself What sacriledge I pray can you think comparable to this Secondly what an indignity it is to do that which the ill example of Great-ones operateth so to put vice into grace and virtue into neglect Think you Ill example the work of Antichrist not if proof be made unto you it is the work of Antichrist but that will suffice to make you detest it And what will Antichrist do To what will he bend and dispose all the sinews and arteries of his power but to set vice on the Altar and you will before-hand prepare a way for him All that which Jesus Christ hath said and done all that which he hath sweat for all that he endeavoured all that he hath wept all that he hath bled he hath done to blot out and extinguish with works with words with sweat with tears with bloud the work of sin And you forsooth will again erect the statues If sin coming from you were esteemed as sin it would always be unreasonable but less dangerous But now it happeneth not to be so reputed The sins Desinunt esse probri loco purpura flagitia which in a mean fortune would be thought sins when they are dressed up with a diadem or covered with a scarlet cloak become the virtues of the times which is a thing most abominable And by your ill example you are the cause of this illusion of mankind which holdeth vice for virtue and crime for trophie Observe what punishment a false coyner deserveth Advise with your self if idolatrie be the first and chief of all sins what would he merit who were not onely an Idolater but the authour and inventour of a new idolatrie And bad example doth it When you O Noblemen degenerate you impress sin with the stamp of virtue you place it upon the Altar you are the cause that a thousand and a thousand present oblations to it you make a stable for horses of the Temple of honour and you being by the world esteemed as little gods employ all this reputation to destroy the honour of the true God through the example of your wicked life You make a dung-hill of Heaven you Caenum de Caelo facitis errantes animos per abrupta praecipitia crudeli calamitate ducitis cum hominibus peccare volentibus facinorum viam de Deorum monstratis exemplis Julius Firm. Photius in bibliotheca cruelly and miserably dragging wandring souls through headlong precipices when to cause them to sin the more freely you shew them the examples of the pettie gods of the earth These are the words of Julius Firmicus What ingratitude will make Heaven blush and the earth to shake if not this If you well weigh this consideration it will never escape you to do an act of ill example or if passion should happen to be exorbitant at least you should imitate that bird which by antiquity was called Just because she hid her excrements which she knew to be very pernicious for fear it should infect men so you rather should bury your ill deportments in night and obscurity than expose them to publick view For the third reason consider what wickedness it is to thrust the knife into the throat not onely of a multitude that adores your fortune and glorieth in the imitation of your vices but also to pollute all posteritie with the authoritie of your crimes Every Age teacheth us we may do what hath been done and Admonetur omnis atos fieri posse quod aliquando factum est exempla fiunt que jam esse facinora destiterunt Cyprian ad Donat. Eccl. 1. Sicut aeramentum aerugina nèquitia Figure of ill example Exod. 21. crimes become examples saith the eloquent S. Cyprian Your sin is like much rust which cleaveth close to all your successours and how much the greater you are so much the more precipitation and malice it hath Say not you are personally culpable and no more that you are not to answer to God either for the sins of those who live with you or those that come after you Which is so much otherwise that the Scripture ordaineth who shall open a common cistern without shutting it again if it happen that cattel fall therein he was bound to repair this loss Your brother doth he not more nearly approach to God than a bullock or a horse You have opened to him the gulf of scandal and corruption he is fallen into your snares you shall give an account to God for a soul redeemed with the price of his bloud Although you have caused but one small spark of Exod. 22. fire to flie out if it happen to blast and burn the fruitful fields and destroy the corn of your neighbour you are bound by the law to make the possessour satisfaction A flashing sparkle of concupiscence which proceedeth from your eyes and afterwards enkindleth a great fire of vices and calamities shall be imputed unto you in the day of judgement And what satisfaction for such damage But on the contrary O Noblemen when you seriously embrace virtue you ravish and appease the most savage spirits by your authoritie Nothing resisteth this sweet violence Goodness born in the chariot of greatness hath darts so sharp and flaming that they make the flint-stones to melt The present times invite you the most distant admire you all posteritie blesseth you and God most gloriously crowneth you It is said when the Rainbowe in Heaven boweth Plin. lib. 12. cap. 24. Rainbowe upon flowers his crooked horns directly upon the flowers he imparteth to them a most celestial odour which infinitely reviveth their kind God hath fixed you in the sphear of greatness as heavenly arches you know from whence he hath extracted you and that no otherwise than the Rainbowe in Heaven you are but a petty vapour but this Sun hath guided you
the Roman People contrary to the command of Laws and honesty I declare him from this time forward unworthy both of the Common-wealth and my house The unfortunate son was so overwhelmed with melancholy upon this judgement given by his father that the next night he killed himself and the father esteeming him degenerate would not so much as honour his funerals with his presence Good God what severity what thunders what lightnings against the disobedience of sons among Pagans And you wicked sons in Christianity where the Law of love should oblige you to the duty which I prove unto you with an adamantine knot do you think all is permitted you And you fathers are not you most worthy of your unhappiness when you cherish by a negligent and soft indulgence the disobediences of your children which you should root up from their infancy and not suffer them to grow to the prejudice of your houses with so many bloudy tragedies as are daily seen in the mournful theater of the worlds Fili suscipe senium tam patris tui non contristes eum in vitâ illius si defecerint sensus veniam da non spernas eum in tuâ virtute Eccles 3. Qui timeâ— Deum honorat pareâ—tes quasi Dominis serviet iis qui segenuerunt miseries Let us conclude upon the fourth duty of children which is succour Son receive the old age of thy father and mother in thy bosom Take heed thou do not contristate them in any kind Beware thou scornest them not if they chance to fall into any debility of spirit Assist them with all thy might It followeth The child which feareth God never fails either in the honour or ayd he should yield to his parents nay more be shall serve them as a servant his Master We need not here seek out examples in holy Scripture or where the Law of nature is handled the more our proofs are taken from Infidels who had nothing at all but the light of reason so much the more clour and weight they have I will not make mention here of a Roman daughter (a) (a) (a) Fulgos l. 5. c. 3. who fed her father from her own breasts condemned to dye of hunger between four wals you may sufficiently see that often recorded in writing Yea under Peter of Castle there lived a man that never ceased weeping until he were put to death instead of his father who was to be executed I speak nothing now at all of that but cannot omit an example recounted in Bibliotheck of the great with Photius who telleth on a time there happened in Sicily as it hath often been seen an eruption of Aetna now called mount Gibel It is a hydeous thing and the very image of hell to behold a mountain which murmurs burns belches up flames and throws out its fiery entrails making all the world fly from it It happened then that in this horrible and violent breach of flames every one flying and carrying away all they had most precious with them two sons the one called Anapias the other Amphinomus carefull of the wealth and goods in their houses reflected on their father and mother both very old who could not save themselves from the fire by flight and where shall we said they find a more precious treasure than those who begat us The one took his father on his shoulder the other his mother and so made passage through the flames It is an admirable thing that God in consideration of this piety though Pagan did a miracle for the monuments of all antiquity witness the devouring flames stayd at this spectacle and the fire roasting and broyling all round about them the way onely through which these two good sons passed was tapistred with fresh verdure and called afterward by posterity the holy field in memory of this accident What may we answer to this what can we say when the virtues eâ—en of Pagans dart lightening-flashes of honesty and duty into our eyes What brasen or adamantine brow can covetous and caytive sons have who being rich and abounding in means deny necessary things to those who brought them into the world yea have the heart to see them struggle with extream misery whilst they offer a sacrifice of abomination to their burning avarice Wicked son wreched daughter know you what you do when you commit such a crime You hold the soul bloud and life of your progenitours in your coffers you burn them with a soft fire you consume them with a lingring and shameful death you are accountable before God for what they suffer And for whom is remorse of conscience For whom infamy For whom necessity For whom punishments in the other life but for such as in this manner abuse a treasure so recommended by God Take heed O children take heed of breaking this triple cord of the Law divine natural and civil which indissolubly tie you to the exercise of that piety which you have abjured Take heed of irreverence disobedience and ingratitude towards your parents expect not onely in the other life the unavoydable punishments of Gods Justice against such contumacy but in this present life know you shall be measured with the same measure you afforded others You know the history of the miserable father dragged by the hair with the hand of his son unto the threshold of his door where seeing himself unworthily used Hold son saith he it is enough the justice of God hath given me my due I committed the like outrage heretofore against my father thy Grand-father which thou at this instant actest upon me I dragged him hither and behold me hither haled Go no further O Justice O terrour O dreadful spectacle Great eye of God which never sleepest over the crimes of mortals O divine hand which ever bearest arms of vengeance hanging over the heads of rebellious children How terrible thou art who can but fear thee who will not heareafter tremble at the apprehension of thy judgements Children be pious live in the duty you have vowed and resigned to your progenitours and to all your superiours Live full of honour and glory in this world live in expectation of palms and crowns which you shall enjoy in the other world And you likewise fathers and mothers embrace charity towards your good children with all affection and if any forget their duty and afterward stretch out hands humbly to your obedience receive them into favour exercise mercy towards them as you desire should be done to you by God our common father But if you still groan under the ingratitude of wicked children and the fear of future evils wipe away your tears sweeten your acerbities season your bitterness with the comfort of a good conscience When you have done all you can and all you ought to do leave the success to God and say unto him My God who hast seen the cause of my afflictions to proceed from my self accept my good desires for the works of this evil child
standard of your warfare A shame likewise if you must be terrified by way of menaces to make you say your Breviary or if it be needfull to allure you thereunto by I know not what kind of worldly allurements these verily relish of the unworthiness of a childish spirit (g) (g) (g) Onus personale sacrificium laudis fructus labiorum Suarez de orat l. 4. c. 12. ex Clement 1. See you not that benefice draweth an office after it that no man should enlarge your conscience by soothing your neglect and extenuating the obligations you ought to have If you observe not therein that which you shall be advised by a sage and exact spiritual Father you may very well most dangerously wander We are in the Church saith S. Bernard (h) (h) (h) Seminemus hominibus honum exemplum per aperta opera Seminemus Angelis gaudium magnum per occulta suspiria Bern. serm 30. to sow joy and good example Joy for Angels by our devotions and the secret aspirations of our prayers example for men by our good works The mind in the judgement of Philo (i) (i) (i) Occidente sole anima in totum exonerata sensibus mole rerum sensibilium veritatem vestiget in Consistorio domestico Philo de vitâ supplicum should hold a little houshold Consistory where discharged from sense and the mass of sensible things it may study the knowledge of it self and the search of truth You should love your condition even from your tender age and live in the Sanctuary like a young Samuel The toyl of affairs and secular recreations is not for you Leave the onions of Aegypt to sensual souls your entertainments are in the society of Angels (k) (k) (k) Sobriam à turbis gravitatem seriam vitam singulare pondus dignitas sibi vendicat Sacerdotalis Quomodo potest observari à populo qui nihil habet secretum à populo Quid in tâ— miretur si sua in te recognoscit Ambr. Ep. ad Iren. Priestly dignity to which you aspire requireth a sober gravity alienated from the ordinary way a serious life weight and maturity How would you have the people honour you if you have nothing above them How should they admire you beholding vices and imperfections in your manners The fifth SECTION The second virtue of a Prelate which is Fortitude of spirit against avarice and riot THe second livery of your colours is the purple which adviseth you to have a strong and truly noble soul When there is occasion to defend the glory of God you must have the arm of God (a) (a) (a) Si habes brachium sicut Deus simiâ—â— voce tones circunda tibi decorem in sublime erigere Job 40. and the thundring voice of God not to gain respect by austere looks and affectations of severity which many times proceed from much infirmity of spirit The Councel of Aix saith (b) (b) (b) Meminisse oportet quia columba est in divinis Scripturis Ecclesia appellata qua non unguibus lacerat sed alia piè percutit Con. Aquisgran Con. 134. the Church is a dove which teareth no man with her tallans but is pleased sweetly to strike with her wings The true gravity of a Priest consisteth in manners not countenance (c) (c) (c) In constantiâ Sacerdos siâ— adamantinum signatorium Menâ— nostra siguram sui semper custodiens characteris universa que occurrerint sibi ad qualitatem sui status signet atque transformet ipse ocâ—o insigniri nullius incursibus possit Cassian Collat. 6. c. 12 It ought to be a seal of diamond firmly to preserve the characters of virtue and sign others by example This fortitude will come upon you by accustoming not to comply with any vice whatsoever There is not a worse slavery than to put your liberty into the hands of sin It is a long chain and hath many gordian knots cut them resolutely as did Alexander and conquer the Kingdom of your passions which is of more worth than the Persian or Indians Above all if you desire to rule avoid two rocks most dangerous for a Church-man whereof the one is the thirst ever to get a new the other laziness and profuseness in a living already acquired Think not to advance your state and increase the number of your benefices otherwise it were to seek out God for bread not for miracles It were for living to loose well-living so to become a bad merchant not a good Pastour What cause have you of disturbance A reasonable benefice is enough for you If you desire to have a shoe over-wide and not fit for your foot you deceive your self Say not you are poor there can be no poverty where you have God for inheritance and he whom God all-rich sufficeth not deserves to be perpetually poor This desire which men without ceasing have to be ever on increase much villifieth Ecclesiasticks It affords them as many dependences as they have pretensions It makes them servilely sooth the passions and vices of those Great-ones from whom they expect a recompence It robbeth them of the Kingdom of God to tie them to the chain of men who many times are more enthralled than galley-slaves It is a great shame to intrude wickedly hereinto to surprize an honour by the way of a dishonour Saints have obtained benefices by flying them and now we must run over the heads of a man and beast to overtake them That brave Architect Vitruvius thought it very strange that an Artisan presented himself to a great man to be employed in his own faculty and profession and thereupon spake a most remarkeable sentence (d) (d) (d) Vitruvius in praefat l. 6. Caeteri Architecti rogant ambiunt ut architectentur Mihi à Praeceptoribus est traditum rogatum non rogantum opertere suscipere curam quòd ingenuns color movetur pudore petendorum suspiciosum I see Architects who beg and under-hand sue to be employed As for my self I have learned of my Masters that we should not ask of any man but rather be intreated by others to use care and endeavour He must be blameless who blusheth not to require that which may be denied him What would this noble spirit have said had he seen Church-men to debase themselves not onely to supplications but to services most unworthy their quality to obtain cure of souls which others in solitary wildernesses have fled from through bryars and thorns among savage beasts You should imitate that worthy Grecian wrastler of whom Clemens Alexandrinus (e) (e) (e) Clem. Alex. strom l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An excellent passage of King Robert Glab Rudolphus l. 5. c. 1. Idem refert Juret ad ep 157. Yvonis Carn Quidam tribuunt Henrico Imper. speaketh who after long preparation going to combate stayed himself on the way and looking on a Statue of his god said unto it I have done my duty do you yours Become a good
heretofore ordained for the Vestals by the Common-wealth should at this present be summed up as the coyn of the Weal-publick As the Common-wealth is composed of particulars so hath it no more right over donatives than it hath on particular persons Your selves who govern all preserve for each one what appertains to him and would have justice extend it self further than your power Consult if you please with your magnificence and it will tell you that what you hitherto have given to so many particulars is no more a publick good for the gifts are no longer theirs who bestowed them and that which was in the beginning a benefit by custom and succession of time becomes an obligation It is to affright the consciences of your Majesties with panick fears to think to make you believe you give to our religion that which you cannot take from it without injustice I pray God the secret assistances of all Sects may favour your Clemencie and that this same which hath so long time ayded your Ancestours if it can no longer stand in credit with you may at least keep you in its protection We will on your Majesties behalf afford it all rights and it towards you shall continue ordinarie favours We demand nothing new in requiring the exercise He speaketh of Valentinian of a Religion which hath preserved the Empire for your father now with the Gods and which hath blessed his bed with lawfull heirs of his crown This good Prince being entered into the condition of the Gods immortal beholdeth from Heaven the tears of these poor Vestals and well sees customs cannot be violated which he with so much affection maintained but by the diminution of his authoritie Afford at least this contentment to your good brother received into this celestial companie as to see a decree corrected that was not his own Cover an act under oblivion which he had never suffered to pass had he foreseen the discontent of the Senate and for which the deputies were diverted which we sent unto him when he was alive for the fear his enemies had of his equitie It much importeth the publick to take away a foul blame from the ashes of a good Prince and justifie the passed by abolishment of the present The fifth SECTION The Oration of S. Ambrose against Symmachus MOST SACRED MAjESTIE ALthough your Minoritie gave us undoubted signs It is drawn from his reasons conceptions and as it were from all his own words of the strength of your spirit and constancie of your faith yet the rank I hold near to your person obligeth me to prevent the surprizes of a craftie discourse which creepeth amongst so many golden words as the serpent amongst the flowers It is ill the Governour Symmachus hath employed so fair a tongue on so foul a subject The deceit of his eloquence makes us suspect the weakness of his Gods for ever a bad cause seeketh that support in words which in truth it cannot find Such are the ordinarie proceedings of Pagans when they speak of their superstitions Their Orations resemble those ancient Temples of Aegypt which under golden Tents lodged Idols of Rats and Crocodiles But the Scripture teacheth us rather to live than talk and recommendeth the contempt of language to oblige us to soliditie of virtues That is the cause why most sacred Majestie after I have entreated you to take my discourse rather in the weight of reasons than number of words I will answer to three points which the Governour seemeth to comprize in his speech The first toucheth the Religion of Pagans The second the revenews of Vestals And the third the cause of the famin we have felt A singular refutation of Symmachus his strongest argument I understand in the first article it is Rome which speaketh with her eyes full of tears sighs at her heart demanding the exercise of Pagan superstitions because they are such saith the Governour which drave Hannibal from the walls and the Gauls from the Capitol It is to publish the infirmitie of false Gods to defend them in this manner and better we cannot refute Symmachus than by shewing him armed against himself For I ask if those Gods are the Protectours of this Empire why they so long time suffered Hannibal to triumph in the ruins of Italie Were their hands so short they could stretch them no further than their walls and Temples As for the Gauls what shall I say I much wonder how the governour doth mention it since it is in effect a thing most ridiculous to say that the enemies being in the heart of the Citie all these protecting Gods should stand idle in their Temples in such sort that all histories have published the people of Rome owed their preservation not to the Gods or sacrifices which nothing availed them but to the gagling of a goose which by good hap awakened the drowsie Centinels if it be not that Symmachus as he is inventive enough will say that Jupiter had then forsaken his burning Chariots and thunder-bolts to shut himself up in the throat of this gosling But as a lye is ever industrious to hurt it self did not Hannibal adore the Roman Gods If it be true that they always bear victorie in their hands why did not Hannibal surprize Rome with the assistance of those Gods Or why did not the Romans vanquish Hannibal in all their battels Why had both the one and the other oftentimes the worst On what side soever you turn you must see Gods conquered who cannot denie their impotencie if they avow not their nullitie It is not Rome then that speaketh in this manner as Symmachus makes it never gave she him this commission but she says by the mouthes of her brave Captains Romans what have I done to become a butcherie and Rome speaketh with Majestie to be imbrued with the bloud of so many creatures Victories abide not in the entrails of beasts but the arms of souldiers It is not the death of oxen hath made me subdue Monarchs but the valour of men Camillus by force of arms displayed my standards on the Capitol which your ceremonies suffered to be taken away Attilius exposed his life for the trial of his fidelitie safety of the Weal-publick Scipio Africanus found triumph not among the Altars of the Capitol but in the field of battel If you desire to see the goodly effects of your superstitions behold Nero who was the first that drew the sword of Caesars against the Christians behold Emperours monethly made and unmade like the moon behold those who were the most zealous in your ceremonies whereof some having shamefully enthraled the worlds Empire to forreigners the other promising themselves great victories under the favour of their Gods have found servitude Was not there then an Altar of Victorie in the Capitol From whence I pray proceeded so many sinister accidents if good hap be divinely destined to those who obey it I much repent me of these barbarous ceremonies
it were a prime virtue of your profession Believe me it is the worm which gnaweth all great actions the moth which eateth all the vigour of spirit the stain which defileth al the fairest ornaments of life the labyrinth which hindereth all generous designs the rock which wracketh all vessels the gulf which devoureth bodies and souls The wise Secretaries of nature have observed that Divers kinds of love all creatures which have the breath of fire have the tayl of a Dragon Nor likewise do we ever see carnal love vehemently enflamed but that it produceth some serpentine hydeous and disasterous issue I affirm fire penetrateth into the marrow of the total nature of the Universe but hath effects very different according to the subjects wherein it resideth It otherwise scorcheth in Heaven otherwise in hell otherwise in the bodies of beasts otherwise in sulphur and gun-powder and such like bodies able to receive its action It filleth the stars in Heaven with a flame full of lustre and honour It tormenteth the damned in hell it entertaineth the life of creatures it wasteth all bodies drie or oily to reduce them either into ashes or smoak Take my comparison and say with me there are lovers who burn as Heaven others as hell others as bodies well composed others as oyl and wood The first lovers have the ardours of Heaven who entertain chaste and spiritual love for things Divine These are pleasures which the jealous eye cannot espie the slanderous tongue cannot bite bad report is not accustomed to defame which equals have no cause to envie nor can Tyrants armed with horrour of so many torments find the means how to take it from Martyrs When we love God we find him every where we speak to him every where we serve him every where and every where we feel the services done to him have their recompence We talk to him as well in the whales belly as in the flaming furnace witness Jonas and the three children who found Chappels wholly built in the entrails of fishes and flames because the love of God the wisest architect of the world had framed such for them The second lovers burn as hell who live perpetually in stinking wicked and infamous concupiscences in dark extraordinary and desperate passions who are in sensuality as in an abyss fettered with a long chain of servitude never having any part of the air or light of the children of God The third are as bodies mixed who entertain conjugal honest and moderate amities such as are found in good marriages which are used according to God in all honour and sanctity Those of the fourth order enkindle one another as so many little bodies that daily minister fuel to the fire wasting spirit flesh and means in certain frivolous and giddly loves which after much use make men of vapour ashes and smoak You now adays shal find that affections purely conjugal are very rare and celestial loves much more but every where there are many men who burn like hell or pitch There are four sorts of love which have been great Four sorts of love enemies and still are to the reputation of a good souldier the one is the love of sensuality the other of fantasie the third of servitude and the fourth of fury On what side soever you turn your face assure your self Sir you shall find nothing beautifull in this ugly beast Love of sensuality which subsisteth onely in voluptousness Love of sensuality of body is a bruitish base and wandering love which is ever employed to spie out and trade for flesh having no other design but to satiate an unworthy concupiscence more unsatisfied than fire the abyss and hell If nature had created you some Mustapha to grow fat in a Seraglio that you had never heard speech of good or honour it were tollerable but to see a brave souldier well born and bred up to pass his life in laying snares for chastity to search out of both sexes such as make traffick of the sins of others to train up a wicked servant to be the messenger of your passions to promise swear forswear to seduce poor forsaken maids to cast them from necessity into disgrace and from disgrace into despair how can it be but abominable Think you the earth is made to be replenished with your sins and charities to be instituted to support your crimes It is idleness that serves as a store-house for your passions and it is your remisness which doth not so much as vouchsafe to seek out a remedy If you be resolved to lead such a life give up your sword for you dishonour it It is no reason that it alone should retain the virginity which all your other members have lost You cannot well serve two mistresses Venus and Bellona since they are so different And go not about to propose to your self that Sampson David and Caesar made them well accord together believe me when they came to be lascivious they ceased to be valiant It was neither with the looking-glass nor comb of Dalila that Sampson slew a thousand Philistines but with the jaw-bone of an Ass Whilest he preserved himself from women he was a sun and a thunder-blot a sun to enlighten his Nation a thunder-bolt to destroy the Philistines So soon as a woman had shaved him he of a sun became a coal of a thunder-bolt a vapour and of a man a lame jade who from the field of battel was sent to mill no longer having eyes but to deplore the disaster of his loves with tears of bloud When David in the list overthrew the Giant he had not then received the wound from Bath-sheba's eye But after he had seen her at the fountain his eyes ceased not to cast forth flouds and love dried up all his Laurels that they had very much ado to wax green again in the water of so many tears Hold it also for undoubted that Caesar being in the snows of the Gauls thought not of committing adulteries at Rome the business or war took from him all the taste of love and never did he submit to the imaginations of a beast till he retained no more designs worthy of a man Voluptuousness never acteth any thing great but hath destroyed all that is great And when God is pleased to overthrow Empires he chooseth souldiers who have chaste hands to chastise the effeminate So Arbaces vanquisheth Sardanapalus So Alexander who would not look upon Queens his prisoners but with an eye of chastity defeated the Persians bond-slaves to luxury So the Gothes gained the Empire of Rome as saith Salvianus God being willing to purge the earth which the Romans had defiled by the arms of a Nation more chaste than themselves it being reasonable that those should enjoy their goods who would have no share in their vices The love of fantasie is more sottish than malicious Love of fantasie or sordid There be Cavaliers who perswade themselves they are the bravest men of their Age
derived from frail honours of the world he had cause enough to rejoice on that day when he saw his two sons carried in Pomp through the Citie in a triumphant Chariot accompanied with the whole Senate and attended by an infinite concourse of people who ceased not to congratulate the father and the children as the of-spring of a race born for the good of the Common-wealth The same day he made in full Senate an oration of thanks-giving to Theodorick for the large liberalities extended towards his house which was delivered with such a grace that in conclusion they presented him a Crown as to the King of eloquence He likewise gave notable largesses to all the people and appeared in the great Court of the Circus siting in the middest of his two Consuls in presence of the whole Citie having his heart replenished with content and tears of joy in his eys for the affections which the people witnessed To crown all those blessings of fortune he had married a wife held one of the most accomplished Ladies under heaven For which is very rare she injoyed a great spirit a singular modesty and an excellent chastitie of whom Boetius sufficiently to praise her said in one word She was the image of her father Symmachus who had given her to him in a most chast and happie marriage Now this Symmachus called the pearl and precious ornament of the whole world was a Senatour who seemed to be composed of nothing but wisdom and virtue for which cause he then lived in much reputation and all this family of Boetius was in Ennodius in epist ad Boetitan l. 8. epist 1. Venae purpurarum Purpurae possessoris luce crescentes such sort esteemed that Ennodius writeth it was a vein of purple signifing thereby it contained therein all great dignities no otherwise than as veins inclose the bloud He notwithstanding addeth those purples increased by the lustre of Boetius who possessed them and after when Rome became the prize of those who subdued it it being no longer lawfull for Consuls to reap Palms in the fields of battels he equalled the ancient triumphs by the greatness of his judgement Gerebert an Authour who wrote of those times calleth this Boetius the father and light of his Countrie who managing the reins of the Empire in the qualitie of a Consul spared not to diffuse by the force of his abilitie in good letters all the lustre they had equalling them with the wits of Greece Tu Pater Patriae lumen Severine Boeti Gerebertur l. 2. Epigt Pithae Consulis officio rerum disponis babenas Infundis lumen studijs cedere nescis Graecorum ingenijs Boetius thou father and Countreys-light Disposest Consuls office common right Giv'st studies radiant lustre and no whit In any thing submit'st to Graecian wit Verily we may see by that which followeth in this historie the little assurance may be had either in men or favours If men be vessels who do nothing all their life time but play with the winds favours are waves of glass which fail not to shiver themselves against the rocks We would think the moon much greater than all the stars were it not that the shadow of the earth which we make use of to measure it causeth the contrarie to appear and we might have some opinion these great dignities of the world had much eminencie above all that which is here below were it not that they dayly fall into shadows and fantasms of nothing which well approve we have much illusion in our eys since these greatnesses have taken such estimation in our hearts Jealousie a bad daughter born of a good house which is that of love and honour divideth beds and Empires and hath ever eys so bleared that it cannot endure a ray of the virtue or prosperitie of another And for that cause the lustre which proceeded from the house of Boetius in such manner as day progresseth froÌ„ the gates of the East failed not at all to give suspicions to King Theodorick who seeing himself a stranger and ignorant among Romans and men of so great counsel being not able to derive any other recommendation to himself but what the sword gave him envied so many heavenly riches as were contributed to the happiness of his Empire The change which then succeeded at Constantinople greatly fortified his distrusts for it is written that Anastasius an Emperour who had done nothing in the throne but create schisms beholding the Laurels of Caesar wholly withered on his head had some distast both of life which he had passionately loved and of the scepter possessed with so much ambition It is certain that being one day in the Circus as he espied a furious sedition whispered against him he voluntarily laid down his Crown and let the people know by his Heraulds he was willing to be rid of the Empire which for some time appeased the most passionate notwithstanding being greatly hated and foreseeing he could not make much longer aboad in the world he began to reflect on his Successours desiring to transfer to the Throne one of his three Nephews whom he had bred up having no male issue to succeed him There was difficultie Zacharias Rhetor M. S. Sirmuâ—di in the choice and he having a soul very superstitious put that to lot which he could not resolve by reason for he caused three beds to be prepared in the royal chamber and made his Crown to be hanged within the Tester of one of these beds called the Realm being resolved to give it to him who by lot should place himself under it This done he sent for his Nephews and after he had magnificently entertained them commanded them to repose themselves each one chusing one of the beds prepared for them The eldest accommodated himself according to his fancie and hit upon nothing the second did the same He then expected the youngest should go directly to the crowned bed but he prayed the Emperour he might be permitted to lie with one of his brothers and by this means not any of the three took the way of the Empire which was so easie to be had that it was not above a pace distant Anastasius much amazed well saw God would transfer the Diadem from his race and it is also added that he likewise knew by revelation that it was Justine who should succeed for he having determined to kill him with Justinian heard a voice which spake in his heart and said He should take good heed to touch those two personages because they should do each one in their turn good services to God Afterward as this Justine being ever near the person of the Emperour one day by chance set his foot on the train of his robe the Emperour looking back Thou holdest me said he by the gown and shalt follow me but stay a while your time is not yet come which much amazed all there present who thought him to speak like a man distracted
so great a grief thereat that men women and children entered into his chamber covered with hair-cloth bewayling him and praying for his health He beholding them in the extremity of his pain wept bitterly bidding adieu to his family and people then remaining for the space of five days in extream dolour he yielded up his soul to serve as an eternall example to posterity of mans weakness and the inconstancy of humane things IV. MAXIM OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD. THE PROPHANE COURT THE HOLY COURT That our support should be from our selves without expectation of any thing from the providence of God That the foundation of humane life subsisteth in the providence of God IT is an unspeakeable comfort to have The belief of a providence is the sweetness of life the eyes of God for witness of our sufferings and when we in justice suffer with courage to know our patience is enlightened with those aspects which make them thrice happy The valourous Champions who contended in the Olympiack games the spectacle heretofore of the whole world in that proportion they felt their skin to smart their bloud to drop their bones crack were comforted to see upon one side the Judges of their combats sitting to consider their merit and on the other Crowns placed aloft before them the lustre whereof reflected into their eyes to charm their pains by the hope of glory From thence we derive an undoubted maxim that it is an unspeakable comfort to the faithfull who endure some incommodities rough and thorny to know there is an eye of Divine Providence which not onely seeth them but becoming a pledge for their travels promiseth to their perseverance assured recompence 2 I observe the admirable Providence of God in His goodness that being perpetually questioned by the diffident spirits of Libertines it ever subsisteth bearing in its bosom who would destroy it and which is more is established by the proofs wherewith they endeavour to ruin it I at this present lay aside the reasons which have so often been refuted I speak nothing at all of the consent of the wise of the heavens motions of the necessary dependence of creatures of the architecture of the universe of the order and end of every thing of miracles of predictions of spirits of examples and so many other arguments ordinarily used to prove Divine Providence I onely maintain one thing which perhaps will seem strange but is most undoubted that the same reasons whereof the wicked make trophey to evict this belief from the faithfull are arrows which recoil back upon themselves All that which makes them murmur and cry out Manifest proof of providence against the Government of a supream cause is that evils are seen in the world which would not be if a God all good all wise as we affirm took care of things temporal To which I answer we ought to believe a Providence since there is evil in the inferiour order of the world which we inhabit and the profit we derive from our evils endeth in the knowledge of the sovereign good For I ask from whence know we evil to be evil but by the existence of its contrary Had there never been health in the body we had never known what sickness were but when at any time we saw a man sound fresh and lusty who suddenly lost his appetite and sleep by reason of shakings and heats felt over all his body he is said to be sick because the order of the good constitution he before enjoyed is changed and overthrown Likewise when we see some evil to happen in the world we presently say it is ill because it is against the order of good and therefore the very wicked who complain cannot so do but by affirming and acknowledging an order from which this evil is wandered Now wheresoever there is order there is necessarily Providentia est ratio orainis terum ad finem direction and Providence since we see one cannot so much as tell unto four and reckon some number one after another without the help of reason You commit a sin and feel it instantly brings some remorse with it what teacheth you it is sin if not the Law I entered not into the knowledge of sin but by means Rom. 7. 7. Peccatum non cognoâ—â— nisi per lâ—gem Nam concupiscentiam nesciebam nisi lex decerit Non concupisces Psal 63. 8. of the Law For I knew not what concupisence was if the Law had not told me Thou shalt not covet said the Apostle Now what is law but an order and a sovereign reason engrafted in intellectual nature which commandeth and ordaineth things that ought to be done with express prohibition of their contraries What is it else but an eternal rule which guideth the world by the knowledge of do and not do an ordinance most holy which prescribeth all honest things and banisheth all vice From thence ensueth we cannot complain of the least disorder without confessing this eternal Providence Sagittae parvulorum factae sunt plaâ—ae â—orum iâ—â—â—rmatae sunt contra eos linguae eorum An answer made to complaints against Providence which establisheth all orders O the wonders of God! who causeth the arrows of those who invade his wisdom to return against such as shot them 3 Some complain there are things poore and abject in nature which are to no purpose because bruitish man will not know their use for fear he therein find his own ingratitude They would have God make the world all of gold as that Painter who unable to pencil the beautifull Hellen with so great diversity of parts and conformity of members filled his table with drapery which seemed rich but was little to the purpose Who seeth not the truth of that singular S. Tho. contr Gentes l. 3. c. 71. Perfecta benitas in rebus creatis non inveniretur nisi esset ordo bonitatis axiom of S. Thomas that never would there be perfect goodness in things created were there not some order and degrees in the same goodness All the grace and beauty of the world would be lost if the multitude and disproportion of so many things were taken away which by an admirable discrepance discord infinitely agreeing consent in the good of this great All In this it is wherein the musick of the great God consisteth you will disturb it This is his Table diversified with many colours and you will deface it This is his common-wealth divided into sundry offices and you will ruin it After this so laudable diversity is blamed the evils Evils of nature of nature are decried serpents poisons are exclaimed at and all other creatures thought mischievous Blind that you are who see not an evil well placed in the world is not an evil Fire which burneth straw makes gold and silver shine water which drowneth men daily gives life to fishes If you take his poyson from the serpent you bereave him wherewith to live
of the world Some hold all is done by Chance and that nothing but Fortune predominateth in the actions and affairs of the world others will subject all to the laws of fatal necessity the third put their whole confidence in carnal prudence which not unlike reeds takes away their support and leaves them remorse Happy he who amongst so many straights shelves and ship-wracks can hold the right way ever casting his eye towards Providence as his Pole-star and never loosing sight of it that he may never loose himself Let us now endeavour to ruin these three Companies of Chaldaeans by the arms of Scripture holy Fathers and Reason It is a pitiful thing to see a giddy soul which The misery of impiety seeketh God and will not find him making so many errours as paces so many stumbles as steps and as many sacriledges as there are creatures in the whole world The Prophet Esay complained in his time Esay 65. Qui â—onitis Fortunae mensam libatis super eam of those who dressed up Altars to Fortune and made Sacrifices to her But this Sect took with time so great encrease that it filled the whole earth For blind Gentilism beholding so many sundry accidents in the life of man the cause whereof they could not penetrate imagined there was a certain Deity blind unequal and furious which distributed all conditions and held good and bad luck as day and night in its hands This Idolatrie of Fortune Adorers of Fortune Plin. l. 2. c. 6. Toto mundo locis omnibus omnibusque horis omnium vocibus fortuna sola invocatur una nominatur una accusatur una agitur rea una cogitatuâ— huic omnia expensa huic omnia feruntur accepta in totâ ratione mortalium sola utramque paginam facit Fantasies of Ancients upon the names of Fortune was so general that Plinie durst say Fortune alone is invoked throughout the world in all places at all times in all languages none talk but of her she onely is praised she onely accused she gives all presents makes all expences and if you well weigh the great book of the accounts of our life you shall find Fortune filleth all the leaves of it The Romans who in arms overcame all other Nations do go beyond them in superstition not contenting themselves with one sole Fortune made many which had no other foundations of their Deities but Chymaeraes of brains bereaved of reason as S. Augustine sheweth us in his fourth book of the City of God One was called Fortune the first born because they held it was the beginning of all things the other was all covered over with duggs and was termed Mammosa in testimony of its fruitfulness One was called Fortune the strong the other feminine the other a virgin the other inconstant the other stable One was for certain days another for all times One for Emperours all of gold which they kept in their chambers as a relick and another for the people of wood or earth Lastly not so much as young men but adored a Aug. l. 4. de civit Dei c. 2. barbed Fortune that their first beard might grow in good fashion Good God! what ignorance what a cloud See we not how gross these superstitions are since the bloud of Jesus washed away the stain Notwithstanding the world is filled with slaves of Fortune who cease not to impute all prosperities and adversities of life to the hazard of chance 2. Now to decide this point we must know Fortune That Fortune is in the power of Providence is nought else but man himself when without thinking upon it he makes himself the accidental cause of an effect not pretended A man through despaire sought for a halter to Arist de causis Fortuna est causa per accidens in his quae per electionem alicujus gratiae fiunt hang himself and stirring the earth in an unusual place met with a treasure it was said to be fortune yet is this fortune nothing else but man who in searching gave occasion to this effect which followed though never by him intended In respect of man this chance is obsolutely casual in respect of the prime cause which is God it is a Providence Behold a man crushed under the ruins of a tree he expected not this tree should fall and therefore it is his fortune But God without whose dispose one sole leaf of a tree droppeth not off had foreseen this fall from all eternity which enforceth us to affirm that all fortunes of men are enclosed within the power of Providence It is a notable doctrine of a great Bishop of Paris A notable doctrine of who saith God Father of all essences begetteth and eternally speaketh his Son or his Eternall Word and William of Paris Gulielm Paris 1. part de univer part 3. c. 24. that in this Word he once said all he would do and all which should happen in such sort that there is not any accident order or mean in this great connexion of Ages enchained one within another can escape the vivacity of his eye and the extent of his Providence There it is he hath ordained all the blessings of nature grace and glory There it is he hath seen all the evils of offence yet willeth he not nor can he will they should be of him or by him as being unworthy his sanctity his glory and goodness But as for the fortunes and misfortunes of men banishments bands prisons maladies afflictions prosperities riches honours treasures glories and crowns he hath appointed them according to his divine pleasures to be instruments of good desires and glorious actions Wherefore let us never say good and ill haps of the world come by chance without Gods dispose To me saith the Great God in the holy Scriptures Meae sunt omnes ferae silosrum pulchritudo agri mecum est Mecum sunt divitiae gloria opes superbae justicia Per me Reges regnant legâ—â— conditores justâ— decernunt Si clanget tubs in civitate populus non expavescet si eriâ— malum in civitate quod Dominus non ficerit Psal 49. 10. Prov. 8. 18. Amos. 3. 9. belong all the beasts in the forrest and I behold the beauty of the fields disclosed from my bosome With me are riches glory pomps wealth which rest in the protection of my Justice It is by me Kings hold the rains of Empire in their hands and Law-makers open their lipâ—â—o pronounce Oracles The trumpet sounds in the midâ—â—â—f the City and the people tremble not knowing the cause of their misery But there is no evil of punishment in the City which I have not caused for most just reasons (a) (a) (a) Second squadron The second squadron of our Chaldaeans takeing a quite contrary way to this will bruitishly maintain all things are done by a fatal necessity which some attribute to stars others to divine prescience For as much as concerneth stars
raise an Altar against his preferring your ends to his prejudice what do you call it if not tyranny since it is to enterprize upon the goods of your Sovereign who hath not any thing indispensable from his laws no not so much as nothing it self Nay if you afforded God some honourable association Reason 2 though that were tyrannical it would be It is a great sacriledge to make a Divinity of proper interest more tolerable but you allow him a wicked petty interest of honour of gain for companion which you plant in your heart as on an Altar and daily present it the best part of the sacrifice It is to injury a superiour to compare an inferiour with him It is said the very feathers of the Eagle are so imperious Feathers of the Eagle imperious Plin. l. 1. c. 3. they will not mix with the plumage of other birds if they do they consume them with a dull file And think you to mingle God who is an incomparable Wisdom a riches inexhaustible a purity infinite with feeble pretensions which have frenzie for beginning misery for inheritance and impurity for ornament The most barbarous Tyrants as the Mezentiusses found out no greater cruelty than to tie a dead with a living body and you fasten thoughts of the world dead and languishing with God who is nothing but life This is not a simple tyranny but a sacriledge The Civil Law saith you must not appropriate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Authent Justinia Jus canonicum August ad Licentium your self sacred gold or silver nor transfer to prophane uses what hath been dedicated to God the like whereof is expressed in Laws Ecclesiastical According to which axioms S. Augustine said to Licentius if you had found a golden challice you would give it to the Church God hath granted you a spirit of gold and I may likewise say a heart of gold when he washed and regenerated you by the waters of Baptism and now so far are you from rendering to your Sovereign Master what is due to him that you make use of that heart as of a vessel of abomination to sacrifice your self to devils One Osea 5. Victimas declinâstis in profundum sacrificeth to love another to revenge a third to worldly vanity As for you behold you are altogether upon particular ends which take all the victims from God to throw them into the gulf of avarice A man who hath conceived this Maxim in his Lignuâ— offensionis est aurum sacrificantium Eccl. 31. 17. brain that his affairs must be dispatched at what rate soever hath nothing of God but for cremony he hath created a Temple to a little devil of silver who sits in the middle of his heart It is the object of all his thoughts the bayt of all his hopes and scope of his contentments there is his Tabernacle his Oracle his Propitiatory and all the marks of his Religion I wonder why in Ecclesiastes where the common Translation saith All obeyeth money another very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pecuniae obediunt omnia Pecuniae respondeÌ„t omnia Eccles 10. 19. ancient letter and derived from the Hebrew phrase hath Money rendereth all oracles for that is it which properly the word respondere signifieth But I cease to admire when I consider the course of the world for in truth I see money is like a familiar spirit such as heretofore Pagans and Sorcerers kept in secret places shut up in a casket or in some broken head or the body of a serpent when they became any thing irresolute they consulted with their Idol and the devil counterfeiting voices through wood and metal gave them answers Now adays the Devil money is in the coffer of the covetous as in a Chappel dedicated to his name and the Infidel if he have any business to perform in his family thinks not at all to take counsel of God upon it nor to appeal to conscience but refers all these enterprizes to the devil of silver who gives him forth crooked Oracles Shall I buy a Benefice for one of my sons who hath no propension to the Church but it must be provided in what sort soever The little devil answers Buy seeing you have money Shall I corrupt a faithless Judge whose soul I know to be saleable to gain an evil spirit Do so since you have money Shall I be revenged upon such a man whom I hate as death by suborning false witnesses and engaging them by strength of corruption in a bad cause Yea since money gives thee this power Shall I buy this Office whereof I am most incapable for never was I fit for any thing but to practise malice Yea since it is money which doth all Shall I take Naboth's vineyard by force and violence to build and enlarge my self further and further upon the lands of my neighbours without any limits of my purchases but the rules of my concupiscence Yea since thou mayest do it by force of money Shall I carry a port in my house-keeping which is onely fit for Lords sparing nothing from expence of the palate nor from bravery in such sort that my lackeys may daily jet up and down as well adorned as Altars on sundays Yea since thou hast the golden branch in thy hand Finally Parva loquor quidviâ— nummis praesentibut opta â—veniet clausum possidet arca Jovem Satyricon Pet. this is to say very little but if thou hast readie money desire all thou wilt it shall come to pass For thou hast Jupiter shut up in thy coffer said the Satyrist See you not much infidelity a great contempt of God plain Atheism Moreover that which likewise makes this manner of proceeding more detestable is Reason 3 that besides its Empire incompatible with God it insinuateth False pretext of interests with such subtilities and pretexts of religion as if it were most devout Black souls of sorcerers given over to all manner of execration make open war against God they say they are altogether for Beelzebub and keep the sabbath to yield him homage and have renounced all the functions of Christian piety in recompence whereof they raise mists in bright mornings by the power which the evil spirits gives them that hearbs and trees may die or such like for their witch-craft extends but to bodies But this furious passion of interests which now adays so powerfully swayeth besides that it sucketh the bloud and marrow of the people and bewitcheth souls which come near it with manifest contagion appears with semblances of religion and true Christianity although it be impossible to serve two Masters according to the words of the Saviour of the world and to accord the devil of proper interests with the Maxims of Jesus Enemies the most dangerous are ever the most covert it were better almost to fall absolutely into disorder than to be flesh and fish hot and cold to halt sometimes on Baal's side another while on the Temple of Solomon's part
the most prudent and politick Absolon close in his revenge of his time at the first dissembleth his resentment to make it seasonable appear he endevoureth to sweeten the acerbity of his soul by fair words adviseth her to be silent sheweth when all is done he is her brother and that she should not take such an injury to the heart Needs must the smoke of pleasure turn the course of things into flames and a momentarie contentment transmit sorrow and sadness over to posterity Behold Thamar lives in her brothers house quite disconsolate King David is enraged nor can be appeased and Absolon hides under the ashes of his dissimulation a fire not to be quenched but with the bloud of this caitive Two years passed and he spake neither well nor ill of this act that he might not by his speech betray the desire he had to avenge it In the end at the time of his sheep shearing in Balhazor he took occasion to invite all the Kings children to his house He invited the King likewise but he making excuse to charge him with so great a train he entreats that at the least his brother Ammon might be his guest He shrinks not back not upon the first denial he enforceth by the eagerness of importunitie where behold the miserable man goes with his brothers not knowing he must be the victim of a Sacrifice prepared by the Justice of heaven which hath ever undertaken the revenge of violated chastity See in the midst of a banquet when Ammon had taken in a little wine and was full of jollitie Absolon cries out kill and his servants Ammon slain following the direction he had given them fell upon him struck him and left him dead in the place The other brothers affrighted rose from the table got on horse-back and came to Sion where they satisfied the King who thought his whole family had been massacred They at their enterance cried out aloud they wept with their father who gave to the desolation of his house what remained of tears after those torrents which had heretofore dropped from his eyes and where his sins had happily made ship-wrack The murderer escapeth forsakes the Kingdom and David lanquisheth with sorrow for his absence being unable to endure that one death alone should bereave him of two of his children Lastly he comforted himself in it and admired the judgements of God upon his house who permitted that two of his sons were partakers in his crimes and had surmounted his adultery and homicide with an incest and a fratricide XIV MAXIM Of TRIBULATION THE PROPHANE COURT THE HOLY COURT That one must be evil to be happy since the Just are most afflicted That all is happie for the Just yea even tribulation IT is a wonderfull thing how the Prophane Court dares propose this maxim refuted by the experience of all Ages observations of all histories understandings of all people and common voice of nature Camerarius in his Problems wherein he pursueth the tracks of ordinarie life without search into other considerations more Divine makes a question why those who are addicted to Religion are alwayes most happy And on the contrarie from whence it is that the wicked are most unfortunate Affirming it to be observed throughout all histories Now this Authour who plainly sheweth in this Treatise he is none of the most Religious gently toucheth some reasons saying among other things there is some power which pleaseth to depress the wicked because ordinarily they are of a spirit fierce and insolent as if impiety alone were not sufficient for their infelicity The punishments of the wicked are so frequent in histories both Divine and humane that in so great an Ocean of examples which may take up more than fifty Ages scarcely can we produce one sole notable felicitie which felt not some great mishap That we many times may have cause to make use of S. Augustines and S. Eucherius argument who say that although God punish not a crime in this life he doth it to assure us there is a great tribunal and a puissant justice in the other world It were a thing superfluous at this time to oppose this maxim by effects which are so evident and whereof I think I have produced sufficient observations in preceeding Tomes I had rather here employ reason and shew all to be happy to the just yea tribulation That the Providence of GOD excellently appeareth in the afflictions of the Just MEn curious in their censures and distrustfull in their actions have never ceased in all times to argue with Divine providence about the afflictions of the Just but I with the assistance of heaven intend at this present to prove the eternal Wisdom maketh it self visibly appear by the same things wherewith many think to overthrow it Now I make it good by four reasons the first whereof shall shew worldly blessings cannot be great but by the experience of evils Secondly that tribulation is the noursing-mother of all virtues Thirdly that there is no spectacle more glorious among the works of God than an innocent afflicted for Justice and patient in affliction Fourthly that it is a proof of beatitude We then deliver in the beginning of this discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a notable maxim drawn out of Aeneas Gaza an ancient Authour inserted in the Bibliotheck of the Fathers Never do we sufficiently know the sweetness of good without the trial of evil Joseph mounted upon the triumphant Chariot of Pharao by prisons and fetters David to the throne of Saul by many persecutions And their great prosperities were much more sweet unto them because they were fore-gone by sharp afflictions We see the same in nature where the Sun is more resplendent after it's eclipse the sea more calm after a tempest and the air much brighter after a shower which made a great States-man say Storms Maris Coelique temperiem turbines tempestatesque commendant habet has vices conditio mortalium u◠adversa secundis adversis secunda nascantur Occultat utrorunque semina deus plerumque bonorum malorum causae sub diversâ specie latent Plin. in Panegyr Trajan and tempests contribute to the clearness of the heavens and the smoothness of the sea The condition of mortals hath this proper that adversities grow out of prosperities and prosperities from adversities God hideth from us the seeds both of the one and the other and many times the causes of blessings and evils are covered under one and the same appearance One may here object that if we must alwayes have evil to tast good we might infer the Angels were not sufficiently happy because they arrived at beatitude without passing through tribulations these being the flower-de-luces of God's garden which neither wrought nor took pains to be clothed with the robe of glorie we might conclude God himself had some defect in his felicitie since he alwayes hath a most accomplished beatitude with exclusion of all manner of evil I
c. Et hi carnem quidem maculant dominationem autem spernunt majestatem autom blasphemant Hi sunt in epulis suis macule c. as are utterly impudent in words and Libertines in actions of whom the great S. Jude made a lively description Certain men are crept in among us reprobate and impious spirits who apply all talents of grace and nature to lust and to deny him that made them to wit our Lord Jesus Christ Master and sole Monarch of the whole world Then he addeth they are such as defile their flesh and revolt against lawfull powers such as blaspheme the Divine Majesty They are gluttenous cruel and arrogant who onely think to satiate themselves by others hunger clouds without water tossed with turbulent winds autumntrees barren trees trees twice dead trees rooted out of the territory of the Church They are waves of an enraged sea which foam nothing but confusions wandering commets to which God reserveth a tempest of darkness The Causes of Libertinism well observed by the Apostle S. Jude 3. NOte that this great Apostle doth here touch Jud. Epist Job 20. four sources of infidelity which are in this very considerable The chief and original of this corruption is a bruitish lust which with much infamie overfloweth as well in pleasures of the throat as sensuality which he was willing to express by these words when he said The impious not onely act impurities Hi sunt in epulis suis macula but are the impurities themselves For the Libertines are true Borborites so were certain hereticks called as one would say bemired because they naturally delighted in uncleanness they are dissolute people who have no other God but their belly good cheer and unbridled lust from whence it cometh their understandings clouded with bodily pleasures thicken and become wholly unable for things divine The people heretofore beloved is puffed up with Incrassatus est dilectus reâ—alcitravit deâ—eliquit Deum factorem suum Deut. 31. fat hath kicked against and forsaken its Creatour said Moses Tertullian very well termeth gourmandize the palsey of the understanding for as a body is deprived of sense and motion by the corporal palsey which obstructeth the nerves so the spirit oppressed by sensuality is wholly darkened without any feeling of Religion or any motion to works which concern salvation To live in fat is to shut up the gate of wisdom Opimitâ—â— sapientiam impedit exilitas expedit paralisis mentem prodigit pâ—isis servat Tertul. de anima c. 20. There is a palsey of corporal pleasures which wasteth the spirit and a ptissick which preserves it Nay Oecumenius discovereth somewhat more mysterious unto us when interpreting the word maculae according to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith They are certain rocks hidden under the waves which surprize Saylours and cause hydeous shipwracks This very well agreeth to Libertines and one may call them according to another translation rough rocks bollow Confragosa in mari saxa cavernosaâ— rupes tenias stones and shelves which are the causes of so many falls They are in feasts as gulphs in the Ocean and overtake ere aware spirits already possessed with the vapours of wine and meats at which time they are most Bos ductus ad victimam agnus lasciviâ—â—s ignoram quod ad vincula stultus trahatur donec transfigat sagitta guttur ejus Prov. 7. 2â— open to sottish mirth Ah how many young men deceived by these impostures after they have made shipwrack of reason in a tavern have thereunto added the shipwrack of their faith He was led as an ox to the slaughter or as a skipping lamb not foreseeing his captivitie before the mortal arrow had transfixed his entrails saith the Wiseman The second cause of infidelity is a certain barrenness of wit of judgement discretion of Christian virtues and namely of humility of good works and worthy employments and consequently a swelling of presumption of imaginary ability of vanitie of idleness which is much supported by wicked nature effeminate education too free conversation access of evil company which render a man absolutely barren A matter excellently well signified by these words They are clouds without water such kind of trees as we see in Judea unfurnished Nubes sine â—qua of fruits in Autumn and despoiled of leaves twice dead that is to say quite rotten Faith will be manured by the exercises of piety by presence at Divine Service by keeping of fasts by alms and frequentation of Sacraments Now these wicked ones employed in sensual pleasures and evil company forsake all the characters of their Christianity which maketh them by little and little fall into a great forgetfulness of God into disdainfull pride insupportable neglects and into the maledictions uttered by our Saviours lips against the unfruitfull tree Of these is understood the decree of Heaven Earth Jer. 22. 29. Terra terra terra audi sermonem Domtni Haec dicit Dominus Scribe virum istum sterilem virum qui in diebus suis non prosterabitur Fluctus feri maris despumontes confusiones suas earth earth hearken to the word of God Our Lord hath said Write down this man as a man barren who shall never prosper during his life The third source is a tumult of enraged passions which are waves of the sea that vomit up their confusions for these kind of spirits are in perpetual disturbances nor hath the sea so many waves as they anxieties pride puffeth them ambition precipitateth them hatred gnaweth them delights conquer them choller burneth them fury transporteth them hardness of heart makes them untractable and impudence insupportable And being unable to restrain their passions within themselves they throw them abroad as the froath of waves and scum of confusions That is it which Saint Ambrose said Tunc videbitur ignominia tua adulterium hinnitus alienatio fornicationis tuae supra colles Ambr. l. de Abra. interpreting a passage of Jeremie Then is it thy ignominie thy adulterie thy neighing and strangeness of thy fornication shall be seen to all the world on the mountains Lastly the fourth root which rendereth their evil very desperate is a perpetual inconstancy excellently compated in the passage of the Apostle to flying fires formed in the air from exhalations of the earth This sort of men perhaps may have qualities which may give them some Iustre according to the world and make them appear as stars in the firmament of worldly honour causing some to reflect on them with admiration of their wit their eloquence and behaviour But they are to speak properly stars of earth and smoke like unto that S. John calleth the Apoc. 8. star of worm-wood which being not of the stars enchased by the hand of God in celestial globes but flying flames enkindled by some gross exhalations proceeding perhaps from a dung-hill fall back again Crinemque volantia sydera ducunt on earth from whence they came
and danger of passions may profit us whether they edifie us by their repentance or divert us by their disasters I conclude the HOLY COURT in this Volume which I esteem above the rest by reason of its utillty and writing of passions to cure them I wish in my self an incurable one which is to desire the progression of my Readers and to beseech God they may submit Sense to Reason Time to Eternity and the Creature to the Creatour THE FIRST TREATISE OF LOVE Sect. 1. Of the Necessity of Love Against those Philosophers who teach Indifferency saying We must not Love any thing THe Divine Providence which hath concluded our salvation All Happinesse included in love in Love very plainly shews us That the means to be quickly happy is to love Felicity and that the way we walk in to become singularly happy is to esteem as we ought the chief of Felicities We lose all our good hap for want of loving and our Love through the defect of well placing it which is the cause that we daily learning so many Arts forget what we should eternally practise if it be true we desire to be everlastingly happy I find the great Apostle of France S. Denis said well when he called God The Father of Vnions who S. Dion l. de Hierarch coelest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God the Father of unions draweth all to unity by the means of love ceaseth not to gather and rally together all the creatures into his heart which issued out of his heart He is That in the life of Intelligencies which the Sun is in the celestiall world but one immoveable Sun about which so many changes and agitations of all creatures circumvolve who groan and aim at this First beauty the true Center of Repose It concerneth us since we are made for it and that God hath given us Love which is to the soul That which wings are to Birds to carry us to it's fruition It is a riches which is onely ours and which would be infinitely profitable if we could tell how to employ it well but for want of well loving we apply the most precious thing which is Love to gain wretched Creatures as if one used a golden hook to fish for Frogs and a Sceptre to shake Hey This is it which causeth me to undertake in this discourse to speak of the well ordering of Love as the most assured way we can choose to arrive at Tranquility and to shew that we first of all most necessarily love to be happy in the world and that the most loving and tendrest hearts are ordinarily the best This age scant enough in goodnesse and fruitfull The Sect of Philosophers of Indifferency in malice hath of late brought forth a Sect of wits who term themselves the Philosophers of Indifferency and who make boast to be very insensible as well in the fear of the Divinity as in tendernesse towards the miseries of men To what purpose is it say they to addict ones self to the worship of a God whom we cannot sufficiently know And wherefore should we be solicitous for the afflictions of another which nothing concern us This is to make our selves eternally miserable and to be tormented with all manner of objects He who would live contented in the world must love nothing but himself entertein himself within himself and concerning himself and derive pleasure as a tribute out of all the creatures of the world but to take heed not to enter into the participation of their troubles and should we see all to be turned topsie turvey so it inconvenienceth not us in any thing to let time slide to catch good by the wings whilest we may and to let evil fall on the miserable These kind of people are so unnaturall that they laugh at all and mock at the miseries which others suffer If you tell them of a house burnt they say it is nothing and that it is but a fire of great wood If of an inundation of water that Fishes have a good time of it If of a warre or contagion that it is a good harvest for death and that there are too many bread-eaters If one say such a friend hath lost an eye they answer he is very happy because he shall see but half the bad times I do not think there is a vice in the whole world more btutish or contrary to nature then this obduratenesse which is the cause I would cast it under the feet of love and shew you that tendernesse towards God as a Father towards men as the lively Images of his Goodnesse is the principall foundation of all virtues Consider first that all the good order of life comes 1. Reason against the Indifferents from the knowledge of the First cause whereon all Creatures have their dependence as on the contrary the Disorder of all actions springeth from the ignorance of the submission we ow to the Increated Essence Now he who loveth none but himself and cares not but for his own Interests maketh himself as the chief end and the God of himself which sufficiently proveth it to be the most palpable folly and the greatest evil may be imagined in Nature It is a remarkable thing that among all Essences There is none but God which is for it self there is none but God alone who as he can know nothing out of himself nor love any thing but in himself so he doth nothing but for himself For in doing all for himself he doth all for us since we have no good which tendeth not to him as to its scope Monas geâ—uit monadem in se suum reflexit amorem S. Thom. 1. part q 32. a. t. 1. which subsisteth not in him as on its Basis which resteth not in him as in its Centre Thus did S. Thomas understand that notable saying of Mercury Trismegistus Vnity hath produced unity and hath reflected its love on it self It is not but for an Infinite Essence to do so but had the highest Angel in heaven the thought onely to behold himself and hence-forward to work for himself he would instantly be pulled out of heaven and would of a bright Sun become a sooty Coal What may one think then of a man who sayes in his heart I am born for my self and I have no other aim in the world but to satisfie my mind with all contentments nor shall the evils of another ever enter into my heart till Fire commix with Water and Heaven with Earth If I obtein my ends all shall go well Hearken how God speaketh in the Prophet Ezechiel to these wicked ones Behold I come to fall upon thee Ecce ego ad te draco magne qui tuba iâ— medio fluminum tuorum c. Ezec. 29. 3. oh thou great Dragon who lyest stretched out at length in the midst of thy Rivers and darest saey this stream is mine and I made my self Assure thee I will put a bridle upon thee and when I
Ecclesiam Ephes 5. 25. To seek by lawfull wayes ones petty accommodations is not a thing of it self to be alwayes condemned Servus vocarus â—es non fit tibi curae sed â— potes fieri liber magis utere 1 Cor. 7. 21. onely by the first Motives of Nature but also out of Election and Reason all that which is hurtful to the body and health No man saith the Apostle hateth his own flesh but cherisheth and entertaineth it as long as he can therein imitating the tendernesse of affection which Jesus Christ hath for his Church I adde that it is not also my intention to perswade that one should not seek in the care of his life things the most commodious so much as Justice and Reason will permit We must bear with servitude saith this fore-alledged Oracle if we be engaged in this condition but if one can become free I advise him rather to make choice of liberty Yet we are not ignorant but that there are many good men who by the power of virtue afflict their bodies and preferre contempt above all which the world esteemeth that they may conform themselves to the suffering of our Saviour But to rest within the limits of * * * One must take heed of being 〈◊〉 curious Civii life I say that although we may innocently use the blessings of God and put nature to its small pittances yet we must take heed of becoming too suspicious too nice and too apprehensive of those things which are not according to our appetites for otherwise there happen great disturbances and irksome confusions of mind which thrust the health of our soul into uncertainty First when a spirit is too much tied to its skin and It is a hard thing not to feel some incommodities life being so full of them too much bent to flie all the contrarieties of nature it is very beggarly and suppliant towards its body which is not done without much care For life being replenished with great and little incommodities from which Kings themselves cannot be wholly exempt If one apprehend them too much he must live like a man who would perpetually shut his eyes for fear of flies and imploy almost all his time which is so precious in the service of the flesh God himself permitteth it also Timor quem timebam evenit mihi quod verebar accidit Job 3. 25. Secondly God for punishment of this nicenesse will suffer that all we most fear shall happen to us a man many times falleth into mischiefs even by fearing them Death seems to be onely for cowards and when one seeks for liberty by unworthy wayes then he is involved in rhe greatest servitude Thirdly one is in danger to fall into much discouragement One puts himself upon the hazard to live alwayes in insupportable anxiety Debitores sumus non carâ—i ut socundum carnem viâ— vamus Rom. 8. Hier. in ep ad Aglas Non est de ficata in Deum secura confessio quotiâ— die eredent in Christum tollit Crucem suam negat scipsum Bern. ser 85. in Cant. Fuge ad illum qui adversatur per quem talis fias cui jam non adversetur and into sad despair when he sees himself slipped into matters troublesome and very vexing since he sought to avoid the lightest For which cause the Sages counsel us willingly to accustome our selves a little to evill and of our own accord to harden our selves to the end that when it shall come necessity may make that more supportable which we have already assayed by prudence We ow nothing to flesh to live according to flesh saith S. Paul and S. Hierome in the Epistle he wrote to Aglasius clearly giveth him to understand That the Profession of Christianity is not a Profession nice and lazy a true Christian every day beareth the Crosse and renounceth himself S. Bernard said as much in one of his Sermons upon the Canticles Fly saith he to your beloved persecutour that you may find the end of your persecutions in the accomplishment of his will It is a determination from heaven that we should see before our eyes so many great religious men and women most austere whom the divine Providence seems to propose unto us to extend and glorifie the Crosse of Jesus Christ and shew that all is possible to the love of God § 3. The Consideration of the indulgent favours of Jesus Christ towards Humane Nature is a powerfull remedy against the Humour of Disdain IF we be not yet throughly perswaded by these reasons The example of our Saviour serves for another strong remedy to sweeten our Aversions the example of our Saviour ought to make us ashamed For when we more nearly consider his life we find that he onely did not shew an Aversion from things despicable but chose the most abject and contrary to Nature I ask of you what attractive was there in humane nature to draw him from the highest parts of the heavens to its love What saw he in it but a brutish body a soul in the most inferiour order of Intelligencies all covered over with crimes wholly drenched in remedilesse miseries and yet laying aside those beautiful Angels who did shine as Aromatick lamps in his eternall Temple he came upon earth to seek for this lost creature prodigall of his substance a foe to his honour injurious to his glory and not content to reconcile it to Eras â—â—da confusione plena transivi perte vidi â—â— expandi amictum meum super te opeâ—uâ— Ignominram tuam Ezech. 16. Displicentes amati snmus ut fieret in nobis unde placeremus Concil Arausican Nee pereuntem perire patitur nec abaverso avertirur sed fugientem paternâ charitate insequitur revocat blanditur reâ—erso no◠〈…〉 ignoscit sed regnâ—â— promâ—â—it Fraâ—â—â— Abbâ—â— l. 5. de gratia The humours of the world are quite contrary to the designs of God Displicet avaris quòd non corpus aureum habuit displicet impudicis quia ex virgine natus est displicet superbis quòd contumelias â—apienter pertulit displicet delicatis quòd â—ruâ—iatus est displicet timidis quòd mortuus est ut non vitia sua videantur defendere unum in hoc dicunt sibi hoc displicere sed in filio Dei August de agone Christiano his father he espoused it and united it to himself with a band indissoluble putting it into the possession of all his greatnesse to surcharge himself with its miseries This is it which is so notably described by the Prophet Ezechiel when he sets before our eyes a miserable ungracious wretch cast forth upon the face of the earth wallowing in ordures abandoned to all sorts of injuries and scorns whom the Prince of glory looketh on with his eyes of mercy taketh him washeth clotheth adorneth and tyeth him to himself by the band of marriage We naturally have so much Aversion from persons misshapen nasty and infected
considerable is self-love which is ever bent upon the preservation of it self and the exclusion of all things offensive from whence it cometh that all the greatest lovers of themselves are the most fearfull and the most reserved in the least occasions of perill as are ordinarily persons rich full of ease and nice who resemble the fish that hath gold on his scales and is Aelian l. 12. de animal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most timorous creature of the sea The second wherein many particular causes meet is the evil to come namely when it is great near inevitable and that it tends to the privation of our being From thence arise a thousand spectres of terrour as are poverty outrages maladies thunder fire sword inundations violent deaths wild beasts and above all men powerfull cruell revengefull wicked especially when they are offended or that they have some interest in our ruine and that they can freely be revenged without any fear of laws or punishment Adde to these the envious corrivalls greedy heirs friends treacherous provoked or timorous mutinous quarrelsome violent and greedy The third motive of fear is the ignorance and little experience we have in the evils of the world for all that which is covert and hidden from us seems the more terrible as are solitudes abysses darknesses and persons disguised From thence cometh that women children and men bred in a soft and sedentary life are more timorous sith the knowledge of dangers whereof they are deprived is a great Mistresse of Fortitude The fourth source is coldnesse and consideration which is the cause that the wisest justly fear perils where hair-brain'd young-men fools and drunkards carelesly jeast and make sport and that was the cause why Sylla finding himself many times too considerate in the forefight of evils did endeavour to drown his apprehensions in wine The fifth is observed in a nature cold melancholick imaginative and distrustfull which sometimes happeneth to Hypocondriacks such as was that of the antient Artemon who caused a buckler continually to be carried over his head by two Lackeys fearing lest something falling from on high might hurt him or that of Pisander who feared to meet his own soul or that other frantick fellow who durst not walk for fear of breaking the world which he perswaded himself was wholly made of glasse The sixth lastly comes from an ill conscience For there Semper enim praesumit saeva perturbata conscientia Sap. 17. 11. Plutarch de sera numinis vindicta is not any thing so turmoiled so torn and so divided as a soul which hath alwayes before it the image of its own crimes This was it which made the Nero's and Domitians to tremble This which caused Apollodorus of whom Plutarch speaketh to have horrible visions so that it many times seemed to him in his nightly sleeps that the Scythians flaied him alive threw his chop'd members one after another into a boiling caldron and that he had nothing alive but his heart which said to him in the bottome of this caldron I am thy wicked heart It is I who am the source of all thy Disastres §. 2. Of the vexations of Fear its Differencies and Remedies WE may well say this passion is one of the most Fear a troublesome passion troublesome and vexing among all the motions of our mind because it is extremely ranging sith not content with the evils which are on the sea and land yea in Hell it forgeth new which have no subsistence but in the perplexity of an imagination quite confounded Besides this it more spiritually tormenteth us making our Judgement and Reason to contribute to our vexations and many times so long turmoileth us that it maketh us to fear half an age of time that which The ignorance of our evils is a stratagem of the divine Providence passeth in a moment For which cause I account it a loving clemency of God to hide from us the greatest part of the things which befall us the knowledge whereof would continually over-whelm our wretched life with sadnesse and affrightment and not give us leave nor leisure to breathe among the delicious objects of Nature If so many great and eminent personages who being mounted to the highest degrees of honour have been thrown down into abysses had continually beheld the change of their fortune and the bloudy ends of their life it is not credible but that the joyes of their triumphs would have been moistned with their tears and by a perpetuall fear of an inevitable necessity they would have lost all the moments of their felicity Now in some sort to remedy a plague so generall Three sorâ—â— of fear I find the troubles which come to us this way either are naturall timidities or fears of things very frequent in the condition of humane life or are affrightments upon some terrible and unusuall objects Forasmuch as concerneth timidities which we see in fearfull natures Timidity its causes and symptomes they proceed either from the disposition of body and melancholick humour or from the quantity of heart which is sometimes too great and hath little heat or from idlenesse and effeminacy of life or from a base birth and from a sedentary breeding or from small experience or from overmuch love of reputation and ease both of mind and body Some are timorous in conversation and fear to approach men of quality they dread the aspect of those whom they have not accustomed to see they quickly change colour they have no consequence in their speech no behaviour no discourse their words are broken the tone of their voyce is trembling and their countenance nothing confident which very often happeneth to young men timorously bred and little experienced Others fear all occasions of Ceremonies of pomp and splendour to see and to be seen and would willingly borrow the veil of night to cover themselves from them Others are very bad sollicitours of businesses daring not to say nor contradict any thing and if they must needs ask a question they do it so fearfully that in asking they shew how they should be denied There are who more fear to speak in publick then one would a battel which hath happened to many great wits as to Demosthenes Theophrastus and Cicero who protesteth Fearfull Oratours that being already of good years he still became pale and trembled in the beginning of his discourse which in my opinion proceeded from an excessive love of honour which these men seemed to hazard when they made Orations before Princes the Senate and people A block-head exposeth himself with much more confidence because he hath nothing to lose and is like a Pilot who steereth a ship fraught with hay But these were masters who guided vessels furnished with pearls such credit and authority they had purchased Aeschines Aelian l. 8. variae Hist a man well behaved a great talker and a huge flatterer triumphantly spake before King Philip and the Macedonians where poor
Eye Port and Habit suitable to warriours make it sufficiently appear it is a virtue wholly Military and if it regard good environed with perils we may thence conclude it is the proper profession of Boldnesse to hasten to the conquest of a good but of a good very difficult For it will not gather palms and crowns but in a field watred all over with sweats All those virtues which are by its sides ordinarily shew us such as are the boldest as are those who have their conscience most clear who are not offensive and therefore lesse fear to be offended who are underpropped by some great favour and namely the protection of heaven who are well disposed both in mind and body who have experience of other hazards from which they successfully have vindicated themselves and the good hap which hath alwayes accompanied them Those aiery fantasies which fly from Boldnesse are fears and affrighâ—s which are scattered by the first ray of its eyes § 2. The Diversity of Boldnesses LEt us now more enlarge our thoughts to consider the differences causes effects qualities and appurtenances of this Passion It is hard enough to make a sound judgement of a man truly bold so many illusions there are of Boldnesse which present themselves to our eyes and would have us make that to passe for virtue which is meer crime and stupidity There are sottish and bestiall Boldnesses which proceed from the ignorance of dangers and which consider not what is good or bad hurtfull or innocent perilous or safe in humane life This is it which makes such as know not what sea-matters are to laugh many times and to take delight to scoffe in occasions which cause pilots the most experienced to become pale This makes little children sport and dally upon the brink of a precipice that drunkards and fools go together by the ears hastening to sword and perill and that those who walk and are active in sleep to scramble upon house-roofs passe over rivers and precipitate themselves into accidents able to make the most hardy to tremble The tree of the knowledge of good and evil costs us very dear It setteth before our eyes all the extent of our hazards and miseries it draweth our evils at length it frames in our thought that which shall never happen in effect it armeth our knowledges against our selves and as Basilisks kill themselves by the reverberation of the mirrours they behold so very often we cause the death of our selves by the reflexion of our lights There are in the world who have Turkish opinions A prima deseendit origine mundi causarum series aâ—que omnia fatal laboranâ—si quid quam mutasse velis Lucan l. 6. and who believe a fatality in our lives thinking the hour of our death is fixed and that the heighth of rocks the descent of precipices squadrons bristled with swords desarts full of serpents flames issuing out of the bellies of scorched mountains all poysons and contagions hasten it not one sole moment and that on the other side brazen walls centinels full of terrour fortresses and castles flights and coverts cannot deferre it one silly instant This opinion is very contrary to reason because it maketh from life all discourse and discretion and were it true we need not eat nor drink make use of arms of garments of munitions of counsel of industry of punishment or of reward but to let all our actions loose in a generall defection which is wholly impertinenr and yet those Maximes help Generals of armies and are the cause that Turks throw themselves with a brutish Boldnesse into the most dreadfull dangers and suffer themselves to be killed like flies out of perswasion of this Destiny It is very true that God knows the number of our dayes and that he likewise by his Providence stayeth the course of our years but on the other part he obliging us to a reasonable preservation of our selves if it happen that out of some temerity meerly extravagant we run into an evident danger of death and that we therein persist well is our death according to Gods calculation but the cause is an effect of our folly and presumption for which God reserveth a chastisement in the other life So that such blind Boldnesses being in no sort laudable cannot have any place among actions of virtue There are others which are absolutely impudent and which deserve the title of shamelesnesse as are those bold askers who offer up armed supplications and will have demands the most disadvantageous to be assented unto as are those also of deceivers and imposters who readily lie to ensnare the goods of another They invent a thousand crafty tricks and guilefull impostures which they distribute piece-meal as seriously as if they were the most confessed truths of all the world Some who are men of no account make themselves noble and illustrions even to the pretending of their being descended from Demy-gods others feign riches in picture and sirname themselves from Baronies and Marquisates which are no more in being then Chymera's and flying stags others seem valiant like unto Rhodomonts and would willingly say in the tone of Romances That they have had brave Combats with Rowland Oliver and the Knight of the burning sword Others are bablers offensive and seem to be onely born to affront men of worth There you find throats stretched wide affected countenances dissolute tongues crooked fingeâ—s hands exercised in thefts and robberies There are likewise some who go up the gallows with a countenance as confident as if they had learn'd no other trade all their life time but the practice of this kind of punishment others blush not at any crime whatsoever living in a strange prostitution of renown and pursuing this course frame to themselves other diabolicall Boldnesses of cut-throats who out of an overflow of enraged furies dare attempt upon the sacred persons of Kings and Bishops esteeming nothing to be safe from their mischief nor impossible to their daring All these manners of proceeding are most abominable and in no sort deserve the title whereof we treat in this discourse wherein I intend to speak of generous Boldnesses which are necessary for humane life and wherein there are some Military others Civil others Holy and Religious § 3. Of laudable Boldnesse IS it not a wonder to behold that which is so illustrious in combats and is the inseparable companion of true valour to which so many valiant men have in all times made love sacrificing themselves in so many members to the honour thereof to be glorified with such crowns by its liberality It is it which enkindled a brand of fire in the heart of Alexander and gave him wings to flie into the thickest squadrons of his adversaries It which Cesar looked on boldly swimming Olathus in vita Attilae amidst the roaring waves fearlesse of the hail-shot of his enemies arrows It which sparkled with ardent flames in Attila's eyes when at the siege of Aquileia seeing himself all
Titanians O senslesse man canst thou not be bold but from the presumption of thy strength And hast thou not yet learned that the things which according to the opinion of the world are most strong are confounded by the weakest Lions have been fed upon by flies and wretched rust wasteth the hardest metals If we must be bold let it be in things honest let it be for virtue for verity for Gods cause Should the heavens Si tactus illabatur orbis impavidum serient ruinae Quadratum lapidem qua verteris stat Aug. in Psal 86. fall in thunder-claps upon our heads their ruines have not power to astonish a mind courageous Turn a square stone which way you will it never stands immoveable upon the solidity of its Basis said S. Augustine One would have me do an ill act and if I consent not thereto I am threatned with the losse of a suit of a ruine of my affairs and with poverty the worst scourge of all Let my enemies vomit forth all their rage on me they cannot make me poorer then I was when I was born I came not into the world glittering with precious stones and it was not gold which instead of bloud ran up and down my veins let poverty come against me with all the train of its terrours When I behold on the Crosse a God all naked who in his nakednesse We must fearnothing in the world to the prejudice of our soul giveth all things I say we should account it a glory to die poor for a God so despoiled They threaten me with banishment the Spirit of God teacheth me not to care what land be under my feet when my eyes are fixed on heaven and on the most blessed repose of the living which concludeth all evils in a beatitude infinite They threaten me with imprisonment fetters gibbets and death the terrible of terribles I expect not till it fall on me I look on it afar off with an eye strucken with the first rayes of felicity What can death take from me but a miserable carcasse subject to a thousand deaths but a life of pismires and flies And what can it bring unto me but a cessation from so many relapsing actions and from a wretched embroilment which every day endeth not but to begin again O how little are all things mortall with him who looks on a God immortall I will walk in the shades of death with a firm footing and a confident countenance since it cannot separate me from the source of Lives The eleventh Treatise Of SHAMEFACTNESSE § 1. The Decency of Shamefac'tnesse its Nature and Definition SHamefac'tnesse is a humane Passion more reasonable then the rest because being properly Shamefac'tnesse a very reasonable Passion A fear of Dishonour it makes distinction between that which is decent or undecent laudable or blame-worthy glorious or infamous which appertaineth to the Court-hall of Judgement and Reason It hath this priviledge that Its sources honour and conscience it takes its Origin from two very eminent sources which are Conscience and Honour seeing the things which cause shame in us are ordinarily vitious or naught in the common understanding of men Conscience which according to S. Thomas is a naturall habitude that exciteth us to good and maketh 1 Part. q. 80 us to disapprove evil insensibly stirreth in us shame so soon as any of our thoughts actions or words transgresse its laws Honour on the other side casts forth a ray from the circuit of its glory which visibly figureth The love of reputation is a strong spurre unto us the blemishes that darken its beauty The love of Reputation is powerfull It seems to be some Atome of Divinity which enters into hearts the most generous makes men very desirous to be well esteemed thinking by this means to lead a pleasing life in the minds of many which is much more prized then the life of bodies seeing there are some who daily sacrifice themselves for Punctillio's of Honour to bloudy deaths in the most exalted heighth of their prosperity This reputation pompously marchethe before Conquerours and causeth a million of Trumpets to be sounded to make them famous It cultivateth the verdant Laurels of great Captains It encourageth the most heartlesse souldiers to Combat It cherisheth the learned and sweetneth the toils of their pens It awakeneth arts It raiseth the most excellent Ladies as it were on the wing of Glory by singularpraises of their Chastity It entreth into places the most infamous as the ray of the Sun into a puddle and makes even those who have renounced Honour still to seek some rag of Renown to cover their reproach S. Augustine saith S August in Psal 19. Herostratus and others Non sum tantus ut sim contentus conscientia mea Ambr. l. 1. Offic. c. 48. men are so ready to make themselves to be known that those who cannot be known for their goodnesse make themselves many times to be talked of for their wickednesse as if they thought it were as good to be nothing as to see themselves deprived of the knowledge of the living S. Ambrose saith admirably well I am not so great a man as to be satisfied with my own Conscience I have this infirmity that I cannot endure the least stain of shame without washing it off This is the cause that the whole world endeavoureth to preserve for it self as much as it can an inviolable estimation among so many different opinions of judgements passions favours disgraces interests and revolutions of the world Manners saith S. Bernard have their colours and their odours which are good examples So soon as Reputation is wounded by the object of some dishonour the soul is moved all the bloud is stirred spreading it self over the face with a ruddinesse as if it proceeded from this wound It is a favour from heaven when we have our senses tender in this kind and I find the antient Oratour Demades spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demades right when he said Shamefac'tnesse was the Cittadel of Beauty and Virtue Likewise the Oracle of Doctours S. Augustine writeth that a more acceptable sacrifice we cannot give to devils then to offer them up Aug. Epist 202. our Shamefac'tnesse forsomuch as if that be once extinct there remains nothing but to expect a generall inundation of all wickednesse § 2. Divers kinds of Shamefac'tnesse NOw we must here observe that there are many kinds of Shamefac'tnesse one whereof is Holy Three kinds of shamefac'tnesse the other Humane and the other Evil. I say a holy Shamefac'tnesse as that which being a most faithfull companion of Chastity cannot endure the least thing Holy shamefac'tnesse contrary to this holy virtue but that it becomes much interessed therein This most evidently appeareth in so many good men in so many virtuous women and chaste virgins who cannot hear an unchaste word but that it fixeth a wound in their hearts Tertullian said Virginibus etiam ipsum
of devils to draw life drop after drop out of a miserable body But not speaking at this present of these extremities of Cruelty which arise out of Hell it is evident that the Hardnesse of heart and the harshnesse of a nature devoid of Compassion is a monster in humane nature All great souls have I know not what tincture of good nesse which rendreth them pliant to the afflictions of such as suffer It is a feeling which God hath poured into the masse of mankind and which he would have communicated by the prime men of the world to all posterity The tradition of the Hebrews holdeth that the Mildnesse of the first men Patriarch Noah recommendeth mildnesse even among beasts accounting it a capitall crime to tear off a member of a living beast And the most sage common-wealths Fab. Quintilian l 5. cap. 9. have walked in the same wayes since that of Athens condemned to death a young child who took delight to prick out the eyes of crows and having made them blind let them fly for his pastime It judged this heart was base and bloudy and practised its first apprentiship of crueltie upon birds to exercise it one day upon men The Carthaginians publickly condemned Plin. l. 8. c. 16. a very industrious Citizen for no other cause but for having made a lion tractable supposing that a man who had so great conversation among wild beasts would lose all he had humane in him and put on the manners of a tyrant What can those answer to this call of Nature who are ashamed to compassionate their neighbours seeing pity extends it self even to beasts They fear that by shewing compassion it may be thought their courage thereby is greatly effeminate and see not that to seem valiant they cease to be men Conquerours have wept over their Laurels as yet Compassion of great courages all verdant blaming the just rigour of their arms albeit they could not hate the glory Marcellus desired to quench the coals of the city Syracusa with his tears Titus seeing the city of Jerusalem all covered with dead bodies found his heart much softned therewith protesting it was an act of Heaven and not an effect of his own disposition There is some touch of Divinity in good natures and God hath alwayes been pleased that they who nearest approach to him should be the most humane The first Images of the Saviour of the world were ordinarily painted in the form of a Lamb and it was likewise a Lamb of God which represented him in Great Constantine's Font and which poured forth the water of Baptism to shew us that the fountains of his Bounty ran throughout the whole Church The holy Ghost hath never been seen Concil 6. in Teul can 82 Damasus in Pontifieibus qui est potius Anastafius Bibliothecarius in the form of an Eagle or of a Hawk but of a Dove to stamp on our manners the impressions of his bounty It is an insupportable thing when there is observed even among those who approach nearest to Altars and who consecrate the Lamb of God in their hands some to be of imperious spirits and wills inflexible who torment poor subjects and make them groan under Non dominantes in Cleris sed forma facti◠gregis ex animo 1 Pet. 5. 3. their Commands They resemble Semiramis who on her Banners bare a Dove which in its beak held a bloudy sword as meaning to say that under a vvomans face she had the courage and stem violence of tyrants So their name theircharacter and degree testifieth Revertamur ad populum nostrum à facie gladii columbae Hier. 46. 16 nought but mildnesse but their manners are full of rigour and acerbity which wound hearts even to bloud This happeneth to many out of a certain stupidity in such sort that it seems they entering into office at that instant drink of the water of forgetfulnesse which Rigour misbecometh persons Ecclesiasticall Its causes and differences in them blotteth out the memory of all they were to become that which they ought never to be They forget their inferiours are men who put their precious liberty to wit a good inestimable into their hands as a pledge and that they must very skilfully handle them there being not a creature in all nature more tender or more sensible then the King of creatures They consider not that the power of one man over another is a thing which is alwayes somewhat suspected by nature on what side soever it come and that it must be practised insensibly so that the flesh be rather cast into a slumber then irritated To others it comes from a most refined pride which being under the subjection of a superiour kept it self close in the interiour of the soul a serpent enchanted and fast asleep but so soon as he sees himself armed with a sword of authority he cuts with both edges not sparing any one as if the great mystery of making a dignity valuable were to encompasse it with all the ensignes of terrour Some are not Porta in Chao of a bad nature and do resemble the sea which is not by nature salt but the sunne stirreth up unto it vapours cold dry and terrestriall which being burnt by heat spread themselves on the superficies of the water and cause saltnesse so these lights of authority which environ a man raise smokes in him which being not wel tempered by prudence leave a bitter impression on manners communicating some haughtinesse to words and conversation It is gotten in others by a long assiduity of superiority which is the cause that beholding themselves perpetually with a head of gold and a breast of silver they consider not that being in some sort like to Nabuchodonozors statue they yet have feet of clay Others come thereunto by an indiscreet zeal and out of small experience of humane things who are no sooner raised unto some degree but they talk of reformation of correction of chastisements and to see them you would say they were so many Archimedes who seek for a place out of the world to set foot in of purpose to turn the world to psie-turvey Their power is not alwayes answerable to their purpose which makes them sad and dejected in their courage causing them to fall back to the other extremity from whence it cometh that they are one while harsh and another time gentle and by inequality in their manners thrust all into disorder That is it which Saint Gregory the great observed Gregor M. in epist ola ad Utbicum in Abbot Vrbicus saying that his Monastery was in distemper because he made himself unequall one while flattering some and another while reprehending the rest with immeasurable anger Lastly there are others who have a very good conscience and whose manners are rigid and they be not imprudent but they have such a desire to frame the whole world to their humour that out of the assiduity of their admonitions
wherein their spirits being poured out into an excessive voluptuousnesse the King himself being full of wine and impiety commanded that the magnificent vessels which his grandfather had taken in the Temple of Jerusalem should be brought upon their cupboard which was readily performed and he put them into the hands of his wanton Courtiers and immodest women who mocked at the mysteries of the true Religion That banqueting-house seem'd nothing now but a repair of Bacchanals where Gluttony Love Sport Jeasting exercised all their power and the lascivious devils were unchain'd to induce the ghests to all sort of intemperance when behold a Prodigy comes that changes the dissolute merriments of that Court into an horrible tragedy An hand of a man without the body appeared upon a wall whose fingers seem'd to move and to write unknown characters whereat the King was so affrighted that all his body trembled and his countenance appeared laden with pale colours of Death which spoiled all the sport and caused a great silence in the banqueting-hall Immediately recourse was had to the Sages and Diviners of Chaldea to reade and interpret that writing but they were found alwayes weak in such mysteries as these The Queen Mother had a good soul and retained alwayes some impression of the true Religion she remembred Daniel that was at that time banished from the Court and had in esteem ' his great wisdome and good conversation and thefore as soon as she had heard of the accident that had happened and the great trouble of mind the King her son was in she entred into the hall and spake to him very advantageously of Daniel assuring him that he was a personage that was fill'd with the Deity and that under the Reign of his Grandfather he had given admirable interpretation of hidden things which made him be loved of that great King who fail'd not to declare him the Prince of the Council of the Sages of Chaldea but that the insolences of Evilmerodach insufferable to all the world had driven him from the Court though not from Babylon in which yet he was and that he was the onely man capable to resolve him in so strange a businesse The King received this advice with much joy and commanded instantly that Daniel should be caused to come to him who was retired in his little solitude He is sought for he is found he is brought to his Majesty who entertained him very courteously and asked of him the Interpretation of the words written on the wall promising him that if he would tell him the truth he would give him the purple robe and the collar of the Order But Daniel expressed to him that all these presents moved him nothing and that he aimed at no other honour at the Court then that of his Master whose will and decrees he would declare He puts the King in mind of his Grandfather of the Greatnesse and of the Majesty of his Empire of the absolute power that he exercised over men and how his heart being lifted up against God he was reduced to a brutall life in which he remained the space of seven years till such time as his chastisement giving him wisdome had rendred to him his health and Sceptre After he had prepared the spirit of Belshazzar by a domestick example he told him with a generous freedome that that which he had known to happen to the person of that great King was sufficient to humble him and yet he had exalted himself against the Sovereign Monarch and had caused with much mirth of heart the consecrated Vessels of his Temple to be profaned when he caused his Gods of gold and silver to be praised to the roproach of the true God and that in revenge of so bad an action that hand which he had seen on the wall was sent from heaven and had written three horrible words which are Mene Tekel Pheres that is to say Count Weigh Divide the first signifies that God hath counted the dayes of his reign and hath put a period to them the second that he had been put in the balance of the Sovereign Judge and that he had not been found weight the third that his kingdome should be divided and given for a prey to the Medes and Persians It is a strange thing that Daniel having made so dolefull a prediction King Belshazzar entred not into wrath against him but on the contrary commanded that the purple and collar of gold should be given him which he had promised to the Interpreter of his vision But there will be lesse cause to wonder if we consider that it was a Maxim amongst the Babylonians not to be angry with the Diviners and Astrologers when they foretold any evil to come no more then with the shadow of a Sun-diall that shews the hour or the weather-cock that declares the wind And furthermore this young Prince hearing his Prophet speak with so much judgement and sanctity had him in esteem for a man of God which he ought not to offend and besides that by entreating him with courtesie he hoped that being a friend of the true Gods he might have as much power to turn away the scourge wherewith he was threatned as he had understanding to know it and forced of spirit to foretell it One might also marvel that Daniel who at the the beginning testified that he made small account of the riches and greatnesse of the Court for all that accepted of the purple of the chain and of the dignity of the third person in the kingdome that was presented to him But we ought to observe that sometimes it is an infirmity of spirit not to be able to endure honour when it comes by a Divine disposall and a secret of Providence over us This wise Courtier considered that being of his own nature so farre from all these things they came to seek him out in his solitude and that it was a sign of God that would have it so not for him but for the benefit of his Nation which was much more favourably used in matter of the exercise of their Religion when he was in favour besides that the virtue and moderation which he made glitter in all his actions even in his highest prosperities contrary to the ordinary manner of all those that were then at Court gave more glory to God then if he had been perpetually hidden in an obscure life It was an indiscretion in Belshazzar to expresse so much astonishment and to disclose that prediction by reason that there was a secret conspiracy against him which was plotted amidst those publike dissolutions and the conspiratours were the more animated to the execution of that enterprise when they knew that that Prodigy threatned him The same night they performed their wicked design and outrageously murdered him after he had reigned but nine moneths since his fathers death The principall men of the Kingdome that were of the conspiracy chose one of their complices named Nabonidus who is called in Scripture
for pretexts to cover their passions some saying It is a touch from heaven and an effect of their Horoscope which cannot be diverted Others Casus in culpam transit Velleius Pater culus complain they are bewitched and that they feel the power of magick Others cast all the blame upon devils who notwithstanding think not so much of them as they may imagine for love comes easily enough from naturall causes without going about to seek for it in the bottome of the Abysse I here remember what Pliny recounteth of one Cresin who manured a piece of ground which yielded him fruit in abundance while Plin. l. 18. c. 16. his neighbours lands were extreamly poor and barren for which cause he was accused to have enchanted them Otherwise said his accuser his inheritance could not raise such a revenue while others stand in so wretched a Condition But he pleading his cause did nothing else but bring forth a lusty daughter of his well Filiam validam bene curatam fed and well bred who took pains in his garden with strong carts and stout oxen vvhich ploughed his land and the vvhole equipage of his Tillage in very good order He then cryed out aloud before the Judges Behold the art magick and charms of Cresin vvilling to shew that we must not seek for hidden and extraordinary causes where ordinary are so evident So in the like case we may say it is a thing most ridiculous Haec sunt veneficia mea Quirites to see a body composed according to nature found and very strong which hath fire in the spirits and bloud in the veins which continually feeds high lies soft and perpetually converseth among women the most handsome to complain of celestiall influences or the sorseries of Venus Totall Nature especially since Interiour causes of love the corruption of sin conspireth to make love It sets Reason to sale if it carefully take not heed and insensibly draweth it to its side There is not almost a stone whereunder some scorpion lyeth not there is not a place where concupiscence spreadeth not out some net for us It fighteth against our selves makes use of our members as of the Instruments of its battels and the Organs of its wiles There is sedition within and warre without and never any repose but by the singular grace of God Tertullian writes the chastity Tertull. de Velandis Continentia majoris ardoris laboratior of men is the more painfull the fervour of concupiscence being the more fiery in their sex and one may justly say that such as persist all their life time in great resistances and notable victories are Martyrs of purity who having passed through fire and water hasten to a place of refreshment We have all one domestick enemy which is our own body that perpetually Rebellion of the flesh S. Climach de castita te grad 15. in fine Quomodo illum vinciam quam ut amem a natura suscepimus Est cooperator hostis adjutator atque adversarias auxiliator simul infidiator c. almost opposeth the dispositions of the spirit If I go about to fetter it saith S. John Climachus it gets out of my hands If I will judge it it grows into favour with me If I intend to punish it it flatters me If I will hate it Nature commandeth me to love it If I will fly from it it saith it is tyed to my soul for the whole time of my life If I will destroy it with one hand I repair it with another Is it too much cherished it the more violently assaults me Is it too much mortified it cannot almost creep watching withers it sleep on the other side fatteneth it whips torment it and dandlings corrupt it By treating it ill I endanger my life by pampering it I incurre death This sheweth how Saints fortified themselves with much precaution diligently observing the condition of Nature the causes of temptations and the maladies of the soul thereby the more successefully to practise the cure They who are most retired said the fore-alledged Authour fail not to feel domestick warres but such as indifferently expose themselves to objects are violently both within and without assaulted The beauty and handsomnesse of one sex is a sweet Beauty imperious Nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 49. Alii reddunt fetam alii pulchâ—it udinem ut sept naginta Interpretes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poison to the other which entreth in by the eyes and maketh strange havock And I wonder not at all that the Scripture compares it to a Panther a savage and cruel beast which with teeth teareth those she hath amuzed with the mirrour-like spots of her skin drawn to her by the sweet exhalation of her body It is more to be feared said an Ancient then the horns of the Bull the teeth of the Lion the gall of the Aspick yea then fire or flames and the holy Abbot of mount Sinai saith that had not God given woman shamefac'tnesse which is the scabbard wherein this sword is Climach de castreate kept there would be no salvation in the world The love of women caused Sampson's David's and Salomon's shipwracks It hath besotted Sages conquered the strong deceived the prudent corrupted saints humbled the mighty It hath walked on Sceptres The love of women dangerous parched the lawrels of victours thrown trouble into states schisme into Churches corruption among judges fury into arms It hath entered into places which seemed inaccessible but to spirits and lightnings And if beauty be so much to be dreaded when it hath no other companions how dangerous think we is it when it causeth to walk along with it pomp apparell attractives dalliances cunning wires liberty of conversation merriment Good chear Courting Idlenesse Night sollitude familiarity Need we to require any other charms then those to work the ruine of a soul Yet besides these open causes there are other secret ones to be found in the love of humour and fantasie which insensibly fetter a mind and suffer it not to find its chains A modern Authour hath of late written a treatise of the love of inclination wherein he speaks very pertinently of its originall and doth according to his saying Monsiur de la Chambre seem to draw it a second time out of its Chaos To understand his opinion we must presuppose that which S. Thomas saith That totall Nature loveth to present it self in the objects proposed unto it And as they continually proceed from all things coloured images S. Thom. l. 4. contra gentes c 11. The secret attractives of love and figures as it were wholly spirituall which make themselves to be seen as in looking-glasses and are received into the eies to contribute to the effect of sight so every body hath its projections and unperceivable influences as we find in the power of Amber and the Adamant which attract Iron and straw by the expiration they
tender age in this voyage conceiving that he ought not to spare any thing which the service of God might require The ardent love caused him to expose his Royall person not onely to wearinesse but to the most dangerous blows of battels There is a certain jealous strictnesse of judgement in the understanding of men which would not that any one person should be excellent in the degree of Sovereignty in two illustrious qualities The reputation of Arms took away the high title of eloquence from Julius Cesar and we may see that S. Lewis contented himself with his rare devotion without taking that high part that he deserved in valour But this is the truth that he was courageous heroicall and valiant above all those brave ones whom the opinion of men do often deifie without very much desert Together with all his devotion he seemed to have obliged himself to take up Arms against his enemies even from his tenderest infancy He made wars both by sea and land in Europe Asia and Africa He was set upon in his minority by the neighbouring Princes and by the greatest Lords of his State from which he freed himself both by wisedome and valour marching forth into the field with the assistance of God and good counsell of his Mother He disarmed Philip his Uncle by courtesie the English by force he vanquished the inconstancy of Theohald by his stedfastnesse and the self-conceitednesse of Peter de Drues by his patience After he had pacified his kingdome he undertook the Holy War by a pious generousnesse of heart in the which he shewed marvellous valiantnesse of his person Joinville that was present saith that he stoutly ventured himself into the hottest conflicts of the battalions and fought fiercely with his own hand scattering and overthrowing the Sarazens that opposed his enterprises They speak much of the valour of Attila that visiting a certain place was set upon by two souldiers that had a purpose to kill him and escaped both the one and the other by his valour and mention But S. Lowis on a day having gone aside from the Army was set upon by six whom he put to flight by a victorious resistance When they were in some doubt about going a shore in his first voyage to Africa he was the first that threw himself upon the Coast of the Enemies with his sword in his hand without any amazement although he was up to the neck in water When he was seen at the beginning of the battel arrayed in his Royall arms he appeared like a Sun to the whole Army but as soon as he began to enter into the fight he was like a lightning that made a wonderfull flashing upon the Infidels together with all the misfortune of the time wherewith he was overborn he took the great and famous City of Damiata in his first voyage he discomfited the Sarazens in two battels he fortified four great places in Syria he compell'd the Emmiers of Egypt to restore him his prisoners he provided for the safety of all the Christians that were remaining in Palestine In his second voyage he vanquished at the first onset the Africans which had antiently made Italy Greece and Spain to tremble and had so long time disputed for the Empire of the world with the Romans and if he had not been hindred by sicknesse he had forthwith made himself master of Thunis and Carthage Behold what this ardent love did by his hands But the love indefatigable the true and faithfull character of a great stoutnesse of courage caused him not to be amazed at any thing and that he continued with an invincible magnanimity under the most burthensome accidents that contraried his enterprises This love caused him to make tryall of another voyage after the sad accidents of the first this love caused that the seas filled with terrours the Lands with Ant-heaps of Sarazens formed into Batalions the air that seemed from every part to let fly arrows of pestilence the wayes which were full of toyles the wars of terrours and maslacres the encounters of evil successe and the champions of a million of divers kinds of death never altered the constancy of his invincible heart The very day of his captivity after he had lost a great battel which overthrew all his affairs when as he saw the wayes covered with the dead bodies of his servants when he saw the river Nilus smoaking and bubling up the French blood when as the arrows of the Sarazens did fly round about his head like the hail on a winters day when as he was taken and carried to the Aunt of the Sultan and that he heard the clamours of those outrageous mouths that he saw so many infernall faces that might shake a soul of the stoutest temper he remained still in a great tranquility of mind and asked his page for his book of prayers which being ready he began to perform the duty of his Orazons which he presented every day to God with as quiet a spirit as if he had been returned from taking a walk in his gardens The very day that he was seased upon by the pestilence he beheld death coming upon him with a settled countenance he disposed of the affairs of his kingdome and of his house with a great judgment gave very excellent instructions to the princes children comforted all his good servants strengthened himself with the Sacraments entred into extasies of divine love which drove out of his heart all the cares of this present life The poor Prince sooner failed of his life then he could fail of his constancy and faithfulnesse to his high virtue It is here O Providence that you cover with a canopy of the night and darknesse the great events of the affairs of the world it is here that we acknowledge your government This Prince so wise so humble so holy which deserved that the world should bend under his laws and to have constrained good fortune to fly no where but about his colours in the mean while was handled by you as it seems to many not like to an indulgent mother but as by a step-mother severe and rigorous Alas the Lands have often undertaken the yoke and the seas have spread their back with coverlids by a pleasing calmnesse under the arms and vessels of Pirates Was there none but this Monarch to whom all creatures ought to have served as a defence that could deserve to be so evil handled at your hands In the first of his expeditions he lost his liberty and in the second his life What is the meaning of this O Providence draw the courtain a little uncover your secrets and unceil our eyes to behold them She answereth that the generall truth hath revealed to us in the Gospel his judgements on this point when he said to the Jewes which were come to take him behold your hour and the power of darknesse It is true that by a certain order of God and for causes very reasonable well known to his Providence
the evil spirits have their reign and their time which good men are not able to hinder no more then the winter and the night and that the sovereign Creatour and Governour of all things hath limited their powers and their endurings by certain celestiall periods which being not yet come to an end do make all the endeavours which can be used to destroy them unprofitable This is the cause why there is not taken in hand with such eagrenesse as might be wars in the East and Africa nor that we should undertake great designs against the powers of darknesse if we cannot see by very evident conjectures that God directs us as by the hand Neverthelesse as he reveals not alwayes to his Saints the times and seasons of Empires it happens that those that with great zeal and very rationall prudence do embark themselves in generous designs to advance the glory of God should not justly alwayes be commended even in the default of good successe And I may very well say that the most glorious action of S. Lewis was his prison and his death For to kill the Sarazens to make mountains of dead bodies rivers of bloud to overthrow Cities all in a smoke this is that which Chamgy and Tamerlan have done But to do that which S. Lewis hath done it is it which hath no compare it is that which the Angels would do willingly if they could merit it by a mortall body God which had drawn him from his Kingdome with the faith of Abraham which had lead him through so many dangers with the guiding of Moses gave him in the end to seal up his great actions the patience of Job And to countreballance that which the world esteems mishap he would have him to govern a great Kingdome a long time with an high wisdome and profound peace an exact justice for the good and repose of his people and an uncredible sweetnesse of spirit which hath made him the most amiable of all Kings on the earth and a great Saint in Paradise by the consent of all mortals and the Universall approbation of the Church Queens and Ladies JUDITH HESTER IVDITH HESTER ROYNE EXpect nothing Feminine in this Woman all in her is Male all in her is Generous all in her is full of Prodigies Nature hath put nothing in her but the Sex she hath left to Virtue to make up the rest who after she had laboured a long time in this her Master-piece incorporated her self in her work Never was beauty better placed then upon this face which bears a mixture of Terrour and of Love Lovely in its Graces Terrible in its Valour What a Court-Lady is this that came thither for nothing but to draw the sword Her hand did much by destroying an 100000 men in one onely head but her eye did much more then her hand it was that that first triumphed over Holophernes and with a little ray of its flames burnt up a whole army O what a magnificent employment had Love in this act of hers and to say truth he consecrated his arrows never was he so innocent in his Combats never was he so glorious in his Triumphs Represent to your selves a Nabuchodonozor in the flower of his age in the vigour of his Conquests holding a secret Councel wherein he makes a resolution to subdue the World After a short conclusion of an affair so great he calls Holophernes and commands him to march towards the West with an Army of 100000 Foot and 12000 Horse All the Captains assemble themselves together and in all places souldiers swarm It seems that that brave Generall did nothing but give a stamp with his foot to procreate armed men Behold him already invironed with Legions all glittering with fire and flames his Army is on foot with an horrible Artillery of military Engines and a great preparation of Victuall and Ammunition It seemed that heaven looked upon this Host with affrightment and that the earth ecchoed at every step under the clattering of its Arms. The motions of it give terrour to the stoutest sort and confusion to the weaker before it marches Noyses Affrights and Threats after it Weepings Ruins and Desolations Holophernes is in the middle as a Gyant with an hundred arms which promises to himself to demolish smoaking Cities to-overthrow Mountains and to beat all Arms to powder with the lightning of his eyes Ambassadours of all Nations are seen waiting at his gate who present unto him Crowns who offer him Tapers and Incense desire peace and mercy of him and beseech him to grant them servitude But this supercilious Generall would march upon the heads of men and make himself a river of Bloud to water therewith his Palms Fame that publishing with an hundred mouthes the wasts that that Army made on all sides failed not to fly unto Jerusalem and to carry that sad newes unto the people of God Nothing was then heard but the sighs and groans of a scared people who beholding that furious Tempest coming afar off had neither heart nor arms to oppose themselves against it Their courages were dismaied their hands weak their tongues mute they had no other defence but their tears which they powred out in abundance to begin the funeralls of their dear Countrey Manasseh reigned at that time in Jerusalem seven hundred years before the Nativity of our Lord who seeing no expedient to divert this misery abandoned himself to silence and to darknesse But Joachim the High Priest executing a Captains office together with a Priests encouraged his poore people and wiped off their tears to make them see the first ray of hope which they conceived of their dear Liberty He dispatches Posts to all parts and commands the cities that were menaced with the marches of that army to contribute all that they were able of Money Iron Men and Victuals to beat back the common Enemy and above all to prepossesse themselves of the streights of the mountains to stop up the passages where a few men would be able to do much rather then to expect them in the champain where so great forces would swallow up all that could be opposed against them After this he commands publick prayers to be made where the Altar of God was covered with sackcloth and the Priests with hair-cloth all the people were at their supplications tears and fastings even the children prostrated themselves on the earth and cryed to implore the mercy of God This excellent High-Priest not being ignorant that with Piety we ought to move the hand contented not himself onely to weep before the Altar but visited in person the Cities and the Burghs comforting the afflicted stirring up the slack strengthening the weak and doing that which the infusion of the soul doth in the Body in giving life and vigour to all the members of the State The newes comes to Holophernes that the Jews prepared themselves to make resistance to his Army whereat he entred into great fits of choler and called the Princes of the