his hunger In the holy weeke he fed vpon nothing els but lupines a bitter kind of pease Out alas shal so great a Prince impose vpon himself such rigid lawes of fasting and yet we who in comparison of him haue strong and able bodies our bloud boiling and prone to lust so much abhorre abstinence that if our belly be not alwaies wel stuffed we straight dreame of death or sicknesse whereas hunger is the best remedy against al diseases §. V. In Italy the chiefest medicine for euery disease amongst the skilfullest phisitians is hunger and fasting These things stand with very good reason For the principal cause of al diseases is gormaÌ„dizing and excesse which is only best cured by abstinence Therefore as hunger cureth diseases of the body so it doth of the soule being a soueraigne Antidote against al the vices thereof Doe you not see how hunger breaâ—es the neck of a proud man The couetous is perswaded by hunger to draw forth is rusty treasure The angry pinched with want becomes gentle and tractable An idle man by hunger is pricked forward to worke He that auoides the mill auoides likewise the mealing of his clothes And whereas hunger is not so loathsome as superfluity that causeth surfets it drawes a glutton from his dainty viandes to frugality a luxurious man from obscene lust to be sober and continent Hunger maketh resistance against al vices but chiefly against luxury There haue been armyes saith Seneca Epist 17. that haue suffered extreame want of al things they haue liued on roots and herbs and by hunger haue endured that which is euen most loathsome to be spoken Al these things haue they suffered which you may maruel at onlie to subdue anothers kingdome and shal any one for deliuering his owne soule from the thraldome of carnal concupiscence think much to endure hunger Rusâ—us Aquileiensis relateth a thing worthy of memory Lib. 3. apud Râ—svâ—eid â— 62. There came a certaine person to visit a religious old man and said vnto him Father what shal I doe I am not able longer to endure so many obscene cogitations wherwith I am troubled they so fil my mind with abhominable impurityes To whom the old man answered I remember not that euer I haue been subiect to such vncleane thoughts The other tooke his answer in il part and iudged it almost impossible How said he can that be that you should neuer be infested with these troublesome cogitations The old man answered that from the time he had put on the habit of a Monke he had neuer eaten his fil of bread neuer drunke his fil of water neuer taken his fil of sleep By which meanes hauing neuer been satiated I rather desire sleep or meat and so am neuer tempted by carnal suggestions This yong man gaue eare and profited very much by this modest commendation of abstinence I inculcate my former saying and so make en end Hunger is a friend to virginity THE SEAVENTH ANTIDOTE against Incontinency Labours and the loue of exercise CHAP. VIII EDESIMVS You haue said enough of fasting PARTHENIVS More ought to haue been said but I imagine you conceaue how neere abstinence is allied to chastity But doe you remember our verses Lectio flagra preces confessio lympha labores Bookes prayers stripes confession labours fasting I haue expounded what the meaning of Lympha and fasting is Doubtles abstinence to lust is the same which water is to fire But let vs goe forward I wil demonstrate in few wordes that labour is as great a freind as idlenesse an enemy to chastity You may find some perhaps that wil not endure to be termed idle persons notwithstanding they labour in such sort that it may be doubted whether it be better to be idle then so employed They prattle and talke of nothing but vaine matters and this they cal discourse and serious conference they sport themselues walk vp and downe drinke read ouer no good bookes but only looke vpon them for curiosity they ouercome tediousnesse with idlenesse spend the day with a thowsand fopperyes and in doing al things doe nothing at al. And to vse Seneca's words Epist 15. they are men occupied between oyle and wine who spend the day according to their desire and thinke they haue laboured when they haue sweat soundly powr'd in as much drinke as they haue sweat forth humours O how much of our life slippeth away whil'st we are idle how much while we are ilimployed But I wil furnish you with other labours whereby you may defend your chastity You know Diana was fained to be a virgin because she hated idlenesse and exercised her selfe daily with her Nymphes in hunting Amongst this company of virgins the Nymph Salmacis was taxed for that whil'st the rest perpetually spent their time in labour she only very idly imployd either comb'd her haire burnish'd her face painted her cheekes prancked herself in her glasse laid in order the pleites of her garments or gathered flowers Not withstanding perswaded herself she did more then al the rest and that 〈◊〉 were more holy then she Ouid speakâ—… very elegantly of this Nymph Li 4. de Metam Sape suas illi faâ—… est dixisse sorores Salmaci vel iaculum vel pictas sâ—me pharetras Et tâ—a cum duris venatibus otia miscâ— Nec iaculum sumit nec pictas illa pharetras Nec sua cum duris venatibus otia misceâ— As fame reportes her sisters often said Salmace thy dart or painted quiuer take Mixe hunting-sports with rest thou slouthful maid But she nor dart nor painted quiuer tooke Nor for their hunting toile her â—ase forsooke These speeches must often be repeated to a yong man il imployed Why loyterest thou sluggard doe doe something vnfold thy paper take thy pen note exercise thy stile compose epistles make orations sing poemes Hast thou written another while take thy booke â—eâ—d commit it to memory Hast thou read pray sometimes treat with God meditate oâ— pious and sacred things Hast thou prayed recal thy self againe to reading or writing Nature hath bestowed nothing vpon mortal men without great labour By daily labour and long exercise al thinges are acquired Yet I wish you not alwaies to hang ouer your booke or writing There must be some intercourse for recreation of your mind but so that it may not too much dissolue but rather breath and recreâ—te a man Hast thou breathed returne to thy labours take againe thy pen paper and bookes and goe forward in thy businesse Heer we must obserue a circle in our course of life either â—o labour or else take some little breathing by desisting from labour yeâ— in tâ—king breath we must not be altogether idle but in idlenesse itself 〈◊〉 hâ—…d of idlenesse §. I. Vpon a time S. Anthony grew weary of the wildernes and as they write with great anguish of mind cryed out I desire to be saued but mine owne cogitations are against me Whil'st he was thus
this respect lying vpon the ground rough clothing and haire-cloth are best These sharp garments in times past euen in the old law were very much vsed not only amongst the people but likewise Kings and princes themselues Achab Dauid Ioram wore these rough garments next their shin 3. Reg. 21.27 Psalm 34.13 4. Reg. 6.30 Iudith that starre of the Hebrewes by wearing haire-cloth made her chastity and modesty more remarkable and secure In the new law nothing is more vsual amongst holy men and women then haire-shirts people of al ages orders states conditions and sexes euen til this day weare them to tame and afflict their flesh There haue been those who for twenty thirty yea foure-score yeares together day and night with these haire-clothes haue kept vnder al rebellion of the flesh S. Lupus bishop of Troys who was wont to sleep vpon the ground and for the space of twenty yeares neuer suffered himselfe to come in any bed spent euery other night in prayers and vigils couered himselfe with one only coat wore continually haire-cloth and had diuers to imitate him The like did S. Maximus Bishop of Rhegium and others Abraham the Eremite who was his fathers sole heyre reserued to himselfe nothing of his ample patrimony but a haire-shirt a bed made of a matte and a woodden cup. He wore his garments of haire-cloth and neuer changed them for the space of fifty yeares S. Amatus Abbot would admit no other mattresse then one of haire-cloth on which he lay in his last sicknes dyed vpon the same The Earle Elzearius vnder a silken stomacher wore another of haire-cloth I he same Earle at euery verse of the fiftieh psalme called the Miserere with a little iron chaine gaue three strokes on his breast Wel knowne is the haire-cloth of the Emperour Charles the Great Francis Borgias Duke of Gandia euen at such time as he was at his owne liberty out of Religion armed himselfe with haire-cloth when he went to visit any woman S. Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury wearing a hairy garment downe to his knees said How shal I be able to keep vnder so many others if I be not able to keep myne owne body in subiection S. Edmond who did succeed in the same seate wore a haire shirt out of Lent and in Lent one of iron To this his mother accustomed him from a very child who alwaies sent him with his linens to Paris a little new shirt of haire perswading him to weare it twice or thrice euery weeke EDESIMVS Giue me leaue to aske you but one question Who I pray you wore the first haire-cloth PARTHENIVS Marry that did Adam the first man together with his wife They sewed together figge-tree leaues and made themselues aprons Gen. 3.7 These leaues are rough and nothing pleasing to them that are naked So such haire-cloth as was gathered from the tree had its beginning from Paradise Iacob did the like who beholding his sonnes bloudy coate rending his clothes put on haire-cloth Gen. 37.34 Many others haue imitated them who with rough and hairy clothing fought against their flesh It is an ordinary canticle in the Church Sancta Caecilia cilicio membra domabat Deum gemitibus exorabat S. Cicely tamed her body with haire-cloth with sighs she prayed vnto God Neither had her very nuptial day power to pul off from her this rough habit 'T is true she glittered with golden garments but secretly with her haire-cloth punished her body and whil'st her wedding songs were singing she was recommending her virginity to God Not inferiour to her was Editba the King of England's daughter who piously to dissemble the asperity of the haire-cloth she wore day and night adorned her selfe outwardly in a princely manner S. Ethelwold beholding her in that Queene-like attire with a bended brow said Not so my daughter you must not thinke to goe thus to heauen Your celestial Spouse regardes not this gorgious attire She answered modestly Holy father this is that which comforts me my God respects my hart and not my apparel By which this holy man perceaued that a vertuous mind must not alwaies be censured by the outward garment I omit Radigund the wife of King Clotarius and Cunegund the wife of Henry the Emperour whereof this later would not only sleepe but dye in haire-cloth §. IIII. This was the practise of al the Saints continually to afflict and chastize their bodies Al were very ingenious in this point this was their only care lest vnder the pretence of necessity there might creep in voluptuous superfluity This was the cause of their long watchings their hard lodgings and lyings on the ground perpetual hunger harsh and vnsauory meats bitter drinkes and rough clothing which they endured with inuincible patience That they might not delude their soules they played and iested with their bodies My flesh said they wouldst thou sleep wel thou may'st but this bed is too hard for thee do it therfore either standing or sitting whether thou wilt or if thou had'st rather take thy rest lying behold there a stone an excellent cushion Would'st thou dine or suppe This likewise mai'st thou doe behold heere are herbes see heere are very good rootes not without sawee ashes vineger and salt oyle for thee is nothing so good O my body art thou thirsty Behold a christal streame of water perhaps somewhat warme least the cold rawnesse afflict thy stomack Thus sharply checking their bodyes they brought them into subiection They maintayned stoutly these continual battels against their flesh for they knew wel enough when the enemy was within their owne walles it was a very dangerous warfare Therefore euery one of them laboured to subdue their body which is a close and reserued enemy so saith Nazimzen Greg. Naz. de paâ—p cura or a deceitful freind with prayers labours fastes hunger haire-cloth and other innumerable rigours Out of a religious tyranny against themselues they obserued that of Caligula Sicferi vt sentiat se mori So to be strucken that he may euen feele himselfe die They after this manner entreated their body that it might remember itselfe to be not a Lord but a seruant Thus they exercised their flesh that the medicine might worke effectually against the mallady curing carnal pleasure with sensible paine But we delicate milk-sops certainly such are we in comparison of them we Carpet-knights ayme at this only to dye sweetly We carefully auoid that which delights not the flesh And why spare we this asse not he but our soule is the Athenian or cittizen of heauen Shal we with such obsequious flatteryes cherish this wormes meat to our owne destructioÌ„ Doe we not know that there is not a more dangerous plague to worke our ruine then a domestical enemy Boeth lib. 3. de consolat philos 'T is our flesh doth beleagre vs our most capital enemy We haue daily yea euen hourely experiments thereof Our flesh couets against the spirit our spirit desires things opposit to the
voice Vici I haue ouercome and questionles the conquerours of nations are but wickedly ambitious Thou art that wise man who though burned tormented and put into Phalaris Bul mayst notwithstanding say Quam suaue est hoc quam hoc non curo beatus sum Very sweet is this little doe I care for it happy am I. These voices haue been heard in the very shop of pleasure itself why therefore should they not obtaine credit with them that honour vertue Seneca saith very wel although a body in dowed with a good conscience should perish yet the fire shal be pleasing vnto it by which so great confidence shal appeare Laetius est quoties magno sibi constat honestum And honesty deare bought brings greater ioy That Christian Doctour S. Ambrose confirmeth this A wise man saith he is not broken with the griefes of his body but remaineth blessed euen amogst miseryes themselues And so likewise didest thou o Benedict nay doubtles thou hadst not remained Blessed if thou hadst not contemned that beatitude which the body falsly pretendeth to uselfe thou hast ouercome the sinne in punishing it O you brambles no man hath lesse cause to be ashamed of you then Benedict You may rather be said to make Venus blush be ashamed it was she that came to sow brambles and was ouercome in the brambles She brought flames from Mount Ida to Mount Cassmo but with flames she was driuen away The mind of Benedict was fired with pleasures but this fire was quenched with fire of bryars and stinging netties Better was it for those thornes freely to ransack his veines then that lust entring into his bowels should suck the very marrow from his bones §. V. Theocritus faineth that wanton Cupid stung with a bee returned weeping to his mother Venus and often cryed out I am slaine mother I am vndone But more truly may I say al the Cupids how many soeuer insulted ouer Benedict departed from their conquerour with teares in their eyes deploring their disastre And this is called to this day the Bulwarke of Thistles wherin this holy man disarmed both himselfe and his enemy offered a tast of his bloud to this thorny thicket triumphed ouer Venus and quenched the impure fire of concupiscence Thus that braue souldier by wounding his body cured his soule not so much auoiding as changing his flames and preseruing the spirit trampled vpon his flesh for had he been indulgent to the one he had proued a tyrant to the other With wounds he preuented wounds and with flames extinguished flames He exposed his body to be torne by angry briars that he might preserue his soule from blasting And had he not inflicted wounds on his body there had been deeper gashes made in his soule and this he could not haue cured vnles he had first wounded the other A maruelous kind of healing by impairing the health and a new kind of gaining by suffering some losse Although truly heer was no losse vnles it were of durt mixed with bloud to wit of his body And can there be any losse of this body which as witnesseth Solon when it is borne is nothing but putrefaction whilst it liueth a beast in constitution and when it dieth no other then wormes meat Can it I say be any losse to punish this that is no better then a beast or beasts meats How smal a thing is this or rather nothing in respect of the victory obtained thereby He ouercometh twice that ouercometh himselfe And I adde moreouer there can not be a more pleasing nor more profitable victory then that a man obtaineth ouer himselfe Innumerable men haue had Vassals vnder their dominion but very few haue held themselues in subiection Boast not Sceâ—ola the burning of thy right hand get thee gone thou wouldest neuer haue been such an actoâ—r hadst not thou had such spectatours Benedict Nicetas a thousand others in the presence of heauen in the fight of God alone desired not but abandoned al applause so much the more worthy of glory as they lesse desired it Paâ—k hence you Mâ—…ij and Lucretiaes who laid violent hands on yourselues after you were violated but these Champions of ours fought couragiously to preserue their chastity I wil not heer dispute what right a man hath to take from himselfe that life he neuer gaue Benedict Nicetas and others preserued their liues or to say more truly mortifyed their members by a liuing death that they might auoid the death of their soules being so much the more famous then others as they were more valiant They wrastled with themselues making good vse of those thornes and corporal punishments it seemed to them too much slouth to purchase that with sweat which they might atchieue with bloud They did truly couet Pulchram per vulner a worrem By wounds a seemly death A death I say not of body but of impure lust a death of al vices They discouered not to vs a pleasant way to heauen strawed with roses or such as might be paced with euen footing but such as was sharp and thorny with briars and brambles neither did they only shew it vs but went and arriued by this way to their iourneys end which most men desire but wil not follow them For they by cherishing the body suffer it to grow strong and the soule to starue Wheras this is to be cherished that restrained And as the rapier that is growne dul and blunt with long vse wearing is sharpned which a stone so our body is oftentimes to be pricked forward whither of itself it desireth not to goe Verily it is a shameful thing for a Princes followers as Tacitus saith not to be equal to him in vertue Doe we admire this fact of Benedict or Nicete we may likewise imitate it for no man as blessed Iob affirmes shal sooner be dismissed from this warfare then out of this life That blind God is an vnquiet boy yea disquiet itselfe notwithstanding he striketh those that are quiet and blind or at least maketh them blind by strâ—king His impious shaft touched Benedict but killed him not He suffered an infamous repulse and his weapon returned back to him blunted yea euen broken and insteed of victory he reaped shame confusion who would haue put the like vpon Benedict But it is too hard saist thou to leape into briars and brambles to cloth a mans selfe in thornes and draw bloud Wouldest thou haue easier remedy Then heare me doe but warily fly from this enemy and thou hast vanquished him THE BATTEL OF NICETAS and his victory described in heroical verse CHAP. II. EDESIMVS Verily most illustrious was this victory that S. Benedict abtained ouer himselfe but more admirable is it for a man to ouercome who is bound hand and foote as Nicetas was S. Benedict when he began to fight that battel was at liberty not bound Besides youthful bloud was not so hot and boyling in his veynes neither did any woman lay enticing hands vpon him or with her
those things which are fleshly and drawes the mind to deadly pleasures by plausible enticements But it belongs vnto vs with the great loue of Christ to quench the ardour of this delightâ— and with the bridle of hunger to restraine youthful concupiscence forcing it rather to seeke after meat then lust and to carry it's rider the spirit with so much the more moderate and wel-gouerned pace Daniel spent sixe whole dayes in fasting without any harme amongst seauen hungry lyons as if he had liued amongst so many lambes Dan. 14.30 And as S. Basil sayth he taught euen the Lions themselues to fast Doe you wonder at this sayth S. Chrysostome aske fasting from whence this vertue proceedeth Therefore S. Peter gaue vs no other lesson against the roaring Lion of hel then Watch and be sober Therfore that most holy Hebrew King saith Peter 5.8 Ps 68.13 I haue clothed my soule with fasting A pretious garment for the soule answereth S. Ambrose De Elia. c. 4. is fasting He that fasteth not as a naked and disarmed man lyeth open to be wounded Adam had neuer been put to shame with his nakednesse had he couered himselfe with fasting Noe fasting remained in security whilst others perished but ignorant of the strength of wine he dranke and so became a laughing-stocke to his owne sonne Loe being sober escaped burning but drunke committed incest Whilest Sampson fasted he ouercame Lions slew a thowsand in the warres carried away the gates of the city as if they had been but a feather vanquished breake through al remaining inuincible but when he was once taken with the enticements of wine and a woman he fel into the power of his enemyes lost his strength eyes life and al his perfections Dauid was not ignorant of this and therefore prepared for the combate and lest lying open to the spoile he should be wounded or slayne by his enemies he with the robe of fasting inuested and armed himself I haue clothed my soule in fasting said he Would'st thou defend and preserue thy chastity Inuest thy self with fasting thou shalt ouercome by abstinence We must often iterate that saying of S. Ambrose Serm. de Quadrag Hunger is a freind to virginity an enemy to lasciuiousnesse but saturity wasteth a mans chastity and prouokes to Luxurie For this cause that most holy Bishop calleth fasting the destruction of vices the safest remedy the foundation of chastity And according to S. Augustine fasting purgeth the mind raiseth the vnderstanding subiecteth the flesh to the spirit disperses the clouds of concupiscence extinguishes the ardours of lust and enkindles the fire of chastity Doe you heare these discourses and as yet stand out against abstinence I wil euen ouerwhelme you with number of testimonies S. Athanasius saith Serm. de ieiun See what fasting doth It puts the diuels to flight expels euil cogitations purgeth the soule and healeth the body Peter of Ranenâ—… likewise Wâ—… know that fasting is the castle of God the fortresse of Christ the ensigne of chastity and the trophey of sanctity It is most apparant and without al controuersy that abstinence is a thing very profitable both to a mans chastity and health For it takes away whatsoeuer is hurtful and superfluous in the body cleeres the head and disposeth the mind to wholesome and profitable cogitations And this was the cause why Salomon resolued to curb and defraud his proper appetite I haue thought sayd he in my hart to withdraw my flesh from wine that I might transferre my mind to wisdome and auoid folly So Enâ—s Hâ—noch Mathâ—salem Noe were no lesse remarkable for wisdome then abstinence So the Nazareans and Rechabites are commended alike for wisdome and abstinence Indith as wise as chast defended her beauty and chastity with haire-cloth and fasting To what end should I reckon vp those terrestrial Angels so many thowsand Heremits whose whole life was nothing els but a practise of godly wisdome and abstinence Assuredly a tempetate sober and discreet soule wil be both continent and wise §. IV. The idolaters themselues were not ignorant of this The ancient Persians if we credit Xenophon were wont to feed vpon nothing but bread and Cresses yet at that time flourished with diuers kinds of vertues and were Lords of the world for the space of two hundred yeares from Cyrus to Darius who drowned in wine and voluptuous banquets lost his life together with his Empire Cheredemâ—s affirmeth that the ancient Aegyptian Priests alwayes abstained from flesh egges wine and milke that they might extinguish the ardour of their lust and apply themselues to diuine affaires with more attention and purity The Essent amongst the Iewes both from wine and flesh debarred themselues Socrates iudged delicacies the greatest plague mankind could be subiect to therefore he often exhorted those that were addicted to vertue to be abstinent and for that respect being asked why he alone would so much differ from others answered that others liu'd to eate but he would eate to liue But let vs omit these ancient examples Farre more illustrious are those of later times And you know my course wel enough I meane not to make a catalogue but wil only number a few of the better sort I haue alwayes held it a difficult matter to abstaine or sit hungry in the midst of good cheare Hannibal that terrour of the Romanes dranke least when he thirsted most And to inure himself to thirst would sometimes lookâ— but not so much as tast of the water he dallied with his thirst as Siliâ—s saith and hauing only beheld departed from the fountaine This was very much But I number not Hannibal amongst the great ones I admire others who farre exceed him That great seruant of God Daniel the seauen and fiftieth Arch-bishop of Mâ—nâ—s the one and fortieth Electour who dyed in the yeare of Christ 1582. a man doubtles great in al things but in this surpassing many others he was punctual in his fasts The phisitians and sundry others perswaded him for that he neuer eate any fish to haue flesh serued in to his table and besides the Pope had dispensed with him Notwithstanding being nothing indulgent to himselfe when he sate with a boord furnished after a court-like and exquisite manner he contented himselfe with egges and a little messe of pottage S. Ambrose Bishop of Milane for diuers yeares together neuer eate any dinner making but only one meele aday Nicol. Seâ—ar l. 5. Hist. MoguÌ„t S. Carolus Boromeus Cardinal the worthy Successour of S. Ambrose in so high a dignity a man very nicely bred and daintily brought vp notwithstanding so accustomed himself to fasting that he liued only with bread and water al the last yeares of his life excepting festiual dayes wherein he tooke different meats but none plausible to his appetite for from flesh fish egges and wine he alwayes abstained Throughout the lent he likewise forbare to eat bread but with beanes and figges alone rather mitigated then satisfied