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A48411
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The Life of Boetius recommended to the author of the life of Julian
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1683
(1683)
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Wing L2024; ESTC R20135
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33,660
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110
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THE LIFE OF BOETIUS Recommended to the AUTHOR OF THE Life of Iulian Flebilis heu mestos cogor inire modos Boet. Consol. Phil. lib. 1. LONDON Printed and are to be sold by W. Davis in Amen-Corner near Pater Noster-Row MDCLXXXIII TO THE READER THo' Loyal Heraclitus who understands wit as well as any and has show'd it also to the cost of many a Seditious and wretched Fop thought some months ago with his Friend Mr. Earnest that telling of stories is a dull sort of mirth Yet I know he cannot but grant that the alternate way is to use Mr. Bays's happy expression extremely Obliging and Civil and Civility we see is a Virtue has been highly esteem'd and with the nicest exactness practic'd by the Pacqueteers Mercuries and rest of the SOBER and Obedient Authors of the Times Meeting therefore t'other day with IVLIAN's SQUIRE who to honour Christianity in general and to shew also in particular His and his Parties Principles of Obedieâ—ce gave me the Recital of his Master's LIFE and Adventures I could not methought without an unpardonable Rudeness and Ingratitude omit longer the telling of my Story which happened in a Town which this Godly Prince once govern'd and about an Age or two after his Religious and pious End The Squires Account is God be thanked now public enough and evinces still further the Inâ—atâ—ation and Folly of the Cabal even as to the very thing they so earnestly design for without a particular and Divine Iudgment how can it be conceiv'd that they who seem'd to idolize Oates and Bedloe as men of Probity and the true Saviours of the Nation should still strive by odious Reflections and their other vain Insinuations to draw His Royal Highness within the Verge of the Plot tho' contrary to the Oaths even of these two Witnesses Must not this Procedure therefore bring afresh into mens minds the business of DON JOHN and PRESTON the married Priest with the other Contradictions which are laid to the Doctor 's charge by the Papists out of every Printed Tryal Will not this too give them a new occasion to tell us how Bedloe swore at his Examination before the Secretaries of State That he knew nothing of the Plot as also thaâ— not having matter enough for a Charge against Whitebread and Fenwic in one Tryal he swears them both Guilty in the next of the highest Treasons imaginable Nor will these Popish Whipsters fail again to rub up our Memory with the 2000 l. offer'd him for his meer help to carry away â—ir E. Goâ—frey's Body and then flop us in the mouth with their Remarks and twit us thatâ— according to his own Testimony there were besides those who were said to do the â—hing as many otâ—er persons then in the Room when the Iesuits show'd him the Corps as could have in a night convey'd it and more Bodies than one to the design'd place or station Thus do these phrantic Scriblers give fresh cause of discourse and consequently pull down what they would fain set up and in their own terms blacken and defame the very Iustice of the Nation But what wonder is there of it when now by woful experience we see no Witness Iury Court Iudge Parliament Law or Magistrate can be so Sacred that will not be presently blasphemed if they sute not with their Gust and Humour This is the Treatise I mean that of JULIAN which is so particularly recommended to us by CARE a wretch that has not only croak'd and disgoâ—gâ—d the utmost Venom which his feeble and macerated Maw could distill against so many of the best of the Gentry and so many of the greatest of the Peers but against the present Heir to the Crown nay against the vâ—ry K in ship it self This is also the Book which CURTIS so often advertizes us of and vindicates too a Villain that durst to the amazement even of the Anarchical Factious bid a POX on His Highness in his public Mercury or Intelligence Since then the Subversion of the Goâ—ernment is evidently meant by their endeavoâ—â—ing to brand and lay aside this Illustrâ—ous Prince for when once Kinâ—ship as has been often â—appily hinted becomes Elective why may not the nâ—xt VOTE upon any new Freak besides a long Train of other Mischiefs be for a new Line or even down-right for a Democracy and Commonwealth I say since this is the Intrigue and the word Pâ—pâ—â—y thâ— Inâ—antation to bewitch the Inconsiderate I doubt not but all good men will now look upon this Mormâ— or fâ—ightful Represeâ—tation with the same Contempt that the â—ovâ—rs of the Machine do themsâ—lvâ—sâ— For besides the Laws which secure the Establishâ—d Religion there are not we know as appears by the survey made some â—ew years sinâ—e â—bove Twenty Thâ—usand Papists or thereaboâ—ts of all Sexes and â—izes in the Kingdâ—m So that if those who are â—it to fight were even â—ogether and in Arms Fifteen hundred Disciplin'd Soldiâ—rs would cut them all to pieces Theâ—e impudent and Sedious Desigâ—s upon pretence of Popery brings therefore to the reâ—embrance of many the Loyalty of the Popish Party during This and the late King's Misfortunes which makes it to be often question'd whether they are generally such Traytors as some would have them thought nor does it add a little to the doubt when they find in the present Pursuit the deepest-mouth'd Hounds to be the Reâ—icidâ—s â— and those that without Palâ—â—ations and Goodmoâ—rows strike at the Root and Life of the Monarchy For my own part I intend by no means the Deâ—ence of the Popish Religion and beseeâ—h God to let the whole Crew see all the Errours of it but if Retaliation and Iustice to our fore-mention'd Historiographer prove by chance serviceable to their Temporal Concerns much good may do them for no honest man tho' never so scrupulous will desist from prosecuting a Burâ—lary because the Iews or Pagan â— who live among us may chance to sleep the quieter and safer for it And who but a new-preâ—ending Patriot will countenance Ryots and the breach of the Peace that the Matrons and Virgins of Whetstones-Park may be the surer forsoothâ— to be disâ—urb'd in Easter and Whitsun-weeks All that I have here further to acquaint the Reader with is That had there not been already so many smart and excellent Reflections on this Prostigate and APOâ—TATE Wriâ—er yet I should never have troubled my â—â—lf with any further dâ—â—â—eâ—â—ion of his idle and malicious Lucubrations than the thus giving hâ—m Story for Story wiâ—h a Comment THE LIFE OF Boetius THE Calamities which Italy that Beautiful and Fertil part of the Vniverse Suffer'd in the Fifth Century from the Incarnation were so great and so many that the Antient Historians look'd upon them as unparallel'd and certainly they had some Reason to think so it having been the Theatre on which all that even their Poets could fanâ—y Dismal by the Ravage and Inhumanity of several Barbarous People was
ready for Death as having long expected and desir'd that happy day So that being carried not long after to the place of Execution and behaving himself there with the wonted Gallantry of a Roman and the real Piety of a Christian he had his Head sever'd from his shouldeâ—s Thus fell Boetius Glorious in Heaven and Honour'd here on Earth by all that ever read his story as appears by the Dystic and Epigraphie on his Tomb which Martianus has with other Verses in his praise recommended to Posterity Ecce Boethus adest in Caelo magnus omni Perspectus mundo mirus habendus homo Lo here entomb'd does Great Boetius lie Great when on Earth now Greater in the Sky Nor did the Ancients stile him otherwise than a Martyr as being not only put to death Vnjustly that is to say in the Scripture phrase Propter Iustitiam for Righteousness-sake as also in Odium Fidei upon the account of the hatred his Enemies bore to his Religion but becauâ—e he suffer'd when they once offer'd him his life for that grand Commandment Thou shalt not bear False Witness against thy Neeghhour Let us then now conclude with the Wise man's saying The thing that hath been is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done and THERE IS NO NEW THING UNDER THE SUN THe story of Boetius being ended we will now consider a little the silly malice of our Narrative-monger or Dwarf in wit Dwarfs every body knows are still great Tale-tellers in the moâ—t Classic and Authentic Records of Chivalry I say we will a little consider his silly malice having acted here the part of some Witnesses since the landing of Brute who to serve as they thought a prsent turn swear not only what clashes and interferes with several branches of their former Evidence but what plainly ruins their whole project and design Thus does this happy Writer make by his foolish Illation a Rod for himself and friends For were His R. Highness a Papist and therefore to be prosecuted for deserting the Religion of His late Ancestors now established by Law How can this same Writer I say with his Apostate Brethren avoid ruine and destruction also unless by the vile and damnable practice they use even that of the Simonians Adamites and other Old Troublers of Christian unity who in former times complied as the Spanish and Portugal Iews still do with all Laws entrenching on their Advantage though never so opposite to their real Proâ—ession and Belief Besides this Doctriâ—e highly vindicates the Papists in the beginning of the Reformation and even the worst of their Actions here in England and what continually they are hitten in the teeth with I mean Qu. Maries Tragical and Bloudy Scene For if every body that peacably and modestly differs from the Religion of a Nation out of conscience must be presently deem'd a Iulian and one that deserves not to breathe why should the Squire and his turbulent Tribe blame the proceedure of that unhappy Princess who only according to Law Punish't those that had in the Popish Dialect Apostatiz'd from the Religion of their Ancestors and from a Religion too warranted and authoriz'd as the Queen verily thought even by God and his Holy Word But our Author is not contented with collaterally blanching and defending in this manner Popery but quotes even the Preamble of an Act then made which says That the Protestants did out of their Malicious Stomacks Pray against the Queen's Majesty That God would turn her Heart from Idolatry to the true Faith or shorten her days or take her quickly out of the Way A Prayer as the Act further urges never heard of or read to have been us'd by any good Christian against any Prince tho a Pagan or an Infidel Now what can Papists say more for themselves Nay do's not their Apologist urge this very unruly proceedure of the â—roâ—â—stants as the Cause among such other pieces of Zeal that made the Queen so severe and consequently recal that Toleration which she had granted during the two first years of her Reign Nor has our Religious ESQVIRE any other inference from this Villainous Citation but to tell us to this effect That the Popish Parliament was blinded and mistaken The Primitâ—ve Christians not being for If 's and And 's but for IVLIAN's downright Destruction So that first here is a Scandal and a Lie too cast upon Christianity in general for no Man â—ver publickly Pray'd for the Emperours Death but only repeated the Psalms against Idols and Idol-makers desiring God to Iudge his own Cause to remember his Vine the Wild Boar c. as all sorts of Iews and â—hristians do when they suffer Persecution and Trouble And secondly Here is a vindication of Bonner and the Laws then in being so that he willfully Stab's FOX under the fifth Rib and with one â—uff Blow's up his friend CARE and all his Works For whereas a Papist when prest with that Bloodshed used Commonly to say to his Antagonists Pray Sirs break not my head with Stories of Coâ—ks and Bulls I aâ—prove not the Transactions you mention were all true that is Writen Now we shall have the very same Papist after reading our wise SQUIRâ— make this pert addiâ—ion to his former Harangue But Gentlemen If you will have me further speak I refer my self to the Tale-Teller and the worst of his Gang and let them tell you whither any Magistrate in England would spare me or any good Man pity my Sufferings Should I Pray to God To make the King a Papist or else to take him presently out of the World In the same manner has Old Hickeringili that Babe of Grace that Neophyte or young Convert in the very last Leaf of his Black Nonconformist to have it the more in view and remember'd belsh't out the ranckestand most dangerous Notion that ever Popery vented against the Protestant Religion just as if F. Parsons or some other Notable Iesuit had had the guidance of his very Pen. His words are these Well this I 'll say for the Pope and a fig for him for we ought to give the Devil his due much more the Arch-Bishop of all Bishops the Pope I say give him his due he builds the fabric of his Ecclesiastical policy rationally if the foundation were true But Protestants do not that confess Themselves and their Churches fallible and fâ—â—il as does the Church of England in her 19 th Article Now what is the plain English of all this Is not his intention first to make all our Prelates Penâ—ioners to the Pope and Birds of a feather So that by still adding to the Odium and the annual Procession of the Bishops with his Holyness's Pageant was design'd for it he hopes the True Protestants will be no longer contented with the bare wounding my Lord of Chichester's Coach-horses as they have done but burn the whole Hierarchy when their Head the ARCH-BISHOP