refute not what is said but only answer that he was ignorant of your other faults or else he would never have published those alone These are the speeches of a wise man but an undiscreete no sooner heares himselfe defamed but he presently cries out I will use these lying knaves in their kinde doe they presume to divulge this of me I will make every veine of their heart repent those villanous words I le brand them with that mark of infamy which they deserve Ah deare Christian Certainely thou never learnedst this in the School of Patience It is reported that Aldegund a Virgin descended from royall parents and from her tender yeares addicted to all manner of vertues hearing that she was much to the offence of some of her friends slandered by certaine idle prating companions beganne somewhat to be perplexed in minde But straightwares an Angel was sent to comfort her whospake thus unto her Art thou troubled at the envious pratling of those that beare thee ill will why regardest thou the vaine and foolish speeches of men why reflectest thou upon earth or earthly things thy spouse and judge is in heaven art thou ready to shed thy blood for Christ learne first to disgest slanderous and contumelious words patience overcomes all Ever after Saint Aldegund armed her selfe with so much patience that of her owne accord she begged of her spouse she might be roughly intreated My good Jesus said she I am now well acquainted with thy manner of proceeding I know thou writ chastise every childe thou receivest scourge then severely thy unworthy handmaid purge and chastise me with injuries griefes and diseases it will be most pleasing to me to suffer that thereby I may avoid everlasting punishment her spouse condescended unto her prayers For shortly after a gangrene seazed upon her brest which after wards spread it selfe all over her body And this was sufficient matter to exercise her patience all the dares of her life after Let us therefore learne to beare these scourges of the tongue with Spartan yea with Christian courage Scarcely will he beare blowes for Christs sake who hath not as yet learned to disgest so much as words Let every one say to himselfe Our Lord is my helper I will not feare what Aug loco 〈…〉 vide qâ—aeso que dicturi 〈◊〉 in sine paâ—t 2. de 〈…〉 â—lâ—gellâ— man can doe unto me Saint Augustine confirming this Doctrine saith If thou beest exempted from suffering stripes thou art not admitted into the number of children Sect. V. A Sacke BY a Sacke is deciphered a heape of mischieves out of which neverthelesse either time or death delivers the prisoner The Sacke amongst the Japonians Vide Nicolai Tiâ—gauâ—ii triumphus apud Iaponas mihi p. 138. 199. is a horrible torment not unknowne to Christians they that are condemned to this are tyed in a sacke up to the necke where they stand day and night without any food expos'd to the stormes and tempests of the raine and windes Thus being oppres'd with hunger thirst cold heat and want of sleepe this miserable wretch findes in one torment as many vexations as an helpelesse state can inflict The sacke is a frequent punishment in the Shoole of Patience for sometimes the calamities are so many which oppresse a man and lye so heavy upon him that he seemes bound hand and foot in a sacke or set in a barrell like Regulus M. Attilius Regulus that most rare example of patience and fidelity that glory of the first Punicke Warre according to his pledged faith presented himselfe to his enemies who cutting off his eye lids put him into a wodden chest strucke through on all sides with very sharpe nailes which transfixed his wearied body so that on what side soever he sought to rest he leaned on a wound his eyes deprived of their lids were condemned to perpetuall watching and his whole body to sharpe and lingring torments till by these meanes they cruelly murdered this most valiant man A horrible kâ—nde of torture and which indeed may be called an epitome of hell And each of us now and then seems to himselfe a Regulus for we are son etimes in such dâ—stresse and misery that we conceive our selves inclosed in his restlesse â—ub goaâ—ed on all sides with sharpe nailes and which is worse seeme to be destitute of all comfort round about environ'd with a sea of calamities griefes and sorrowes They write of Zoerardus an anchoret that he combated against sleepe in this manner He fixed many nailes within a hollow tree especially where he was wont to leane his backe or sides Moreover he fastned over his head a large iron ring and great stones round about it so that which way soever he nodded his weary head he found a sharpe remembrance to awaken him a straite and narrow house I confesse but an excellent symbole of manifold misery Thus are we sometimes environed with miseries that which way soever we bend our eyes or minde nothing occurres but that which torments us When Micheas had prophesied contrary to the humour of king Achab he thus wickedly commanded Cast that man in prison and feede him with the bread of tribulation and the water of distresse Micheas was well acquainted with the sacke for hee was not onely condemned of falshood but haled to prison derided and afflicted with hunger This is to bee shut up in a sacke That most holy king David wearing this sacke as it had been his daily garment I have said quoth he to my selfe my soule is troubled and albeit I endevour with cheerefull thoughts to reduce her to her wonted alacrity yet she returnes againe to her selfe and falleth into her formerg iefes depth calleth on depth showers rush upon me out of all quarters one overtakes another and all light on me calamity drawes on calamity All thy high things and thy waves have passed over me All the world bands against me I am never at rest warre begets warre every where danger and enemies vexations losses and ruines every where great occasion of misery Behold this kingly Prophet even shut up in a sacke The holiest men of all are sometimes put into this sacke for they are not onely sensible of the evils themselves but they observe the dangers they consider the damages of the soule they are not ignorant of the deceipts of the gostly enemy what a matter it is to fill from Gods grace and to have him their enemy when therefore they are destitute of divine comforts they feare least peradventure they are excluded also from his favours By this meanes they are in a sacke and perplexed with manifold griefes For that cause likewise king Dâ—vid confesseth thus with teares O God thou hast repelled us and destroyed us Thou hast shewed hard matters to thy people thou hast given us the wine of compunction to drinke O my Lord thou givest us to drinke out of thy cellar bitter wormewood wine an exceeding bitter potion Much like these are the words
diseases poverty and other injuries An excellent discourse And surely vertue without an adversary withereth away Even the grave and wise opinion of Quintus Metellus delivered in the Senate sheweth this Metellus after the taking of Carthage said in open Senate that he knew not whether the victory had broght more good or evil to the people of Rome for as it had profited by restoring peace so it would be no small prejudice by removing Hanniball For by his passage into Italy the vertue Valer. li. 1. c. 2. post initium and valour of the people of Rome was awakened and being freed of so sharp an adversary it was to be feared they would fall asleep again he thought it therefore as great a mischief to have the edge of their ancient valour rebated as if their houses were burnt their fields wasted and treasure exhausted This then may be the Oracle of Oracles That Vertue without an adversary decayes and pines away without a crosse Patience falls asleep All hail therefore thou most pretious crosse that rub'st off the rust of vices that settest before us the mirrour wherein we may learn to know our selves that bringest us upon the stage to act the part of patience thou that crownest us not with navall obsidionall civicke murall or castrensall but with heavenly crownes thou that dost furnish us with all manner of vertue and never leavest us till thou bringest us unto God Transfix me therefore O my deare Lord burn me cut me pull me in pieces in this world so thou spare me for all eternity And when heerafter we shall be presented with this bitter cup and asked whether we be able to drink it grant we may couragiously answer we can through thy divine help and assistance not our own for the servant is not greater then his Lord and Master While Joab that warlike Captain takes up his lodging under a tent covered with skins Urias is ashamed to lye at his own house in a bed of Down It would be a thing infinitely odious to see delicate members decked with roses and bracelets perfumed with civet balsamum under a head imbrewed with bloud and pierced with thornes We ought therefore to be most assured that Almighty God for a thousand reasons may exercise and even hardly handle his scholars in this schoole with all manner of cares griefes and afflictions These are like the strokes which instruct fashion shâ—pe and square us for immortall beatitude This is our way to life everlasting Wherefore as saith S. Augustine Aug. to 10. de verb. Dom. Ser. 23. c. 3. let not stripes dismay us that the joy of resurrection may comfort us CHAP. III. Why some Scholars are more afflicted in this School then others IT is an old complaint of Scholars in Schools and of inhabitants in Cities that some are châ—stised and preseâ—â— more then others some favourably others roughâ—y used the Crowes pardoned and Doves punished This seemeth not to go well since Citizens should live indifferently after one sort yet for the most part the contumacious disobedient and rebellious are more friendly intreated and bounteously rewarded then good and vertuous persons Many and those very holy men have complained heerof Why saith Jeremy the Prophet doth the way of the impious prosper Why is it well with all that transgresse and do wickedly Job making the like complaint saith Why then do the impious live Why are they advanced and strengthened with riches And the Prophet Habacuc much after the same manner Why saith he lookest not thou upon them that do unjust things and holdest thy peace when the impious devoureth him that is more just then himselfe Into the same complaints likewise fell the most holy King David saying My feet were almost moved my steps almost slipped because I have had zeal upon the wicked seeing the peace of sinners And I said Then have I justified my heart without cause In vain do we esteem of vertue if wickednesse be more powerfull and vice honoured with ampler rewards then vertue Whosoever thou art look round about the world and thou shalt see them dye here and there upon whose life and health the safety of very many depended and those suffered to live and prosper for whom it had been better they had never been born thou shalt see strong and healthfull men â—ob and spoil and harmlesse creatures miserably afflicted with diseases Many wicked men advanced to prime dignities and the honester sort grievously oppressed with poverty who can ever sufficiently wonder at this Nay who is there that would not be moved with with indignation to see vice flourish every where and vertue commended but not advanced Even Saint Augustine Aug. lib. 10. de Civ cap. 2. himselfe saith We know not by what judgement of God this good man is poore or that evill man rich Sect. I. IT seemeth very difficult for humane reason to apprehend why wicked men prosper so much in their way and why on the other side innocent Abel is slain before others in the family of Adam obedient Joseph in the house of Jacob thrown into a pit sold to strangers and cast in prison Zealous Elias oppressed with hunger and driven into banishment devout Daniel condemned to the Lions patient Job scourged by the Divel righteous S. John Baptist at Herods command dragged to prison S. Peter so servent in the love of his master hurried to execution and crucified under Nero. Peruse holy Scriptures from the first of Genesis to the last of the Apocalypse and thou shalt scarcely finde any thing more frequent then the calamities of just men Look back O you mortals upon all precedent ages read sacred and prophane histories and you shall finde all filled with good mens tears At Athens Socrates the wise Phocion the good Aristides the just Mithridrates the victorious suffer undeservedly Aristides banishment the other death At Rome Marcus Cato that exemplary wise man tâ—at lively mirrour of vertue is pulled haled thrust spit upon turned out of his Pretorship carried to prison and there like Socrates put to death Rutilius and Camillus are compelled to live in banishment Pompey and Cicero put to death by their own servants The ends of good Seâ— l. de tranquil c. â—5 pâ—st â—nit men are oftentimes very miserable Will any man then be vertuous since vertue is so ill rewarded Saint John Baptist groans in chains whilst Herod licentiously revells and dances Poore Lazarus dies for hunger whilst his executioner the rich glutton cloathed in purple for many dayes together sumptuously feasteth Many are the troubles of just men What doth God all this while Is he or doth he seeme to be asleep He that numbreth all the hairs of our head takes account even of the Sparrows and least birds of the aire keeps a reckoning of every lease upon the trees without whose consent not so much as one of them falls to the ground can he I say behold so many injuries and tolerâ—te them with patience How doth
about with goat skins on their backes and leather thonges in their hands scourging whensoever they mene the women of their owne accord were wont to meete them and offer the palmes of their hands to be strucken supposing thereby they should Alex ab Alex l. 4. â—â—ier gâ—â—â—al â—â—tio have facility in child birth This the Romans used to doe in the moneth of February But we are daily afflicted sometimes one sometimes another yea even the most innocent and just are not exempted In this case it behooves us to endure all with patience sith somtimes we cannot withstand them though wee would But these scourges taken patiently dispose us to a happy death It is a matter of great consequence when a man knowes he hath been ill spoken of to beare it with equanimity And therefore Saint Bernard who was most ready to endure like scourges said Bern in epist In my judgement there is no fitter medicine for the woundes of my soule then reproches and contumelies There is no reason then why I should be displeased thereat who am a wretched man worthy of all despite and reproach Senc de bâ—aâ— vite cap. 55. What Seneca said to the Romans let every man say to his detractours Rage and â—oare as much as you will exercise your mischievous tongues by calumniating good men you shall sooner breake your teeth then bite them The fourth comfort is that the detractions and calumnies of wicked persons nothing hinder the examination of any mans cause at the tribunal of God but rather further it That was a worthy speech of St. Hierome Amongst Christians saith hee that man is miserable who effereth injury not he who suffereth it As Christ our Saviour declareth Blessed are you when men speake evill of you and persecute you and speake all the worst they can against you belying you for my sake rejoyce and exult for your reward is very great in heaven Saint Peter following this word of our Lord If you be reproched saith he for the name of Christ you shall be blessed This is that whereby you are made like to Christ and become Angels That wise woman of Thecua indevouring to extoll and magnifie with the greatest praise the King of Hebrews said My Lord the King is like the Angell of God neither benediction nor malediction can move him Saint Gregory doth very well instruct and arme every one against these tongue-scourges When we are praysed saith he or dispraised we should alwaies have recourse to our owne conscience and if we find not therein the good that is spoken of us with great sorrow and solicitude let us procure to have it on the other side if we find not therein the evill which men object we ought very much to rejoyce For what is it for men to commend us if our owne conscience accuse us or how little should our griefe be though all men accuse us while our owne conscience tells us we are innocent But some will say it grieves me more then may be imagined to be so rashly slandered and belied unjustly Let it grieve thee a Gods name But what then to grieve for Christ the kingdome of Heaven should be a Christians chiefest comfort Art thou greeved to heare these things spoken of thee let it rather trouble thee if they be true if thy owne conscience accuse thee for then thy conversation makes thee an obloquy to the world But let him whom his own conscience defends and assures him that whatsoever aspersions malevolent people cast upon him are vaine and false let him I say not bee contristated whatsoever it be which others spâ—ake against him For why should they grieve him when they hurt him not But sâ—y they should hurt him God without doubt will recompence ten fold this damage how great so ever it be He that hath offended indeed and given just occasion of speech let him accuse himselfe if he be ill reported of but the just man shall be withâ—ut fear as couragious as a Lyon Baltasâ—r King of Babylon sitting amongst thousands of his noble men at a royall banquet saw a hand writing upon the wall over against him wherewith he was so terrified that he waxed pale and beganne to tremble in every joynt of him What cause I beseech you was there of so great feare He saw a hand What hand A mans Did the King so much feare a mans hand if he had seene the threatning pawes of a Lyon Beare or Dragon there had been just cause of feare But why should the right hand of one poore man terrifie so migh yâ—a Monarch at whose only beâ—ke an hundred wings of horsemen would have flowne to have succour'd him was there any sword or weapon brandisht by this terrible hand none but only a writing pen should a stout man I will not say a King be appaled at the wagging of a pen If Joabs triple Lance or the fiery two-edg'd sword of a Cherubim had menaced him there had beene some cause of feare But perhaps it was the writing that terrified him this he understood not and therfore called others to expound it Why then feared he one single hand one pen one writing which he understood not Behold how often the like happens among us There comes a mischievous detractour and with his tongue writes as it were upon the wall these or the like words Let none give credit to this man he is not the man he seemes to be and these vices are usuall with him he hath a faire outside but inwardly he is not the man you take him for This kinde of writing sometimes so terrifies us that we take it for one of the greatest punishments that may be and to desire and yet not to be able to revenge this wrong seemes more grievous then death it selfe But why O Christians doe these detracting words so much trouble you upon so light a wrong turne you all your patience into fury This is the property of the Scorpion provoke him not by touching he never darts forth his poysnous sting but if you once touch him instantly he stings you with his taile Thus many are silent if you doe not vex them but touch them once and they spit fire that blastes and consumes all it lights upon In this case the wisest course is to turne a deafe eare to all detractions you may take example from the holiest men David the best of Kings was wickedly standered by many but I said he as if I had beene deafe gave no eare to them And albeit secret tale-carriers sometimes creepe to you and say this he talkes of you in publike as if you were deafe give no eare to it To goe about to confute all these injurious speechâ—s were to take paines to disturbe your selfe For commonly the more a man strives to supresse these reports the more they are divulged Epictetus very wisely admonishing us Epict. Ench. cap 48. saith if any one shall tell thee that a certaine man speaketh ill of thee
mali miseris succurrere disco I learn by harms to succour miseries Aeschilus the Poet saith wisely that every one is ready to condole and sigh for company with those that are in misery but this griefe never toucheth them to the quick To this we may annex that saying of Sophocles They only grieve at others afflictions who have felt the like themselves Sect. II. FRom hence we may well conclude that whomsoever we see severe sharp unmercifull or cruell hath doubtlesse never been put to extremities himselfe he knowes neither humanity nor civill demeanour and is so farre from combating that he hath never so much as seen the lists but hath spent his time in case and delicacies and by this means is become so inhumane and mercilesse For this cause God admonisheth his people that they should not wrong aliens nor strangers because they themselves had been of the like condition Thou shalt not molest a stranger nor afflict him for you your selves were likewise strangers in the land of Egypt Let your owne experience tell you how miserable a state it is to be a stranger a captive surcharged with labour and loaded with stripes Saint Leo is of opinion that Saint Peter a chiefe Apostle was suffered to fall so grievously that he might so much the more tenderly commiserate sinners and that a remedy by repentance might be followed in him Hereupon the master of the family was much offended with his servant for that being himselfe greatly indebted but a little before and owing more then he was worth nevertheles would not have the least commiseration of his fellow servant that was indebted to him Oughtest not thou also to have mercy upon thy fellow servant Hence came it that Saint Paul also greatly comforting us said For we have not a high Priest that cannot take compassion on our infirmities but tempted in all things Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace that we may â—obtain mercy Whereupon he ought in all things to be like unto us his brethren that he might become a mercifull and faithfull high Priest before God For this cause God sends afflictions to many that they may learn to commiserate and relieve others more readily You shall hear many blame themselves in this respect I thought that sick person counterfetted I never took compassion of that poor mans estate I never pittied such an one that was in sorrow and affliction I laughed at another who wept and bewailed the death of his friends Justly therefore am I now visited with sicknesse surcharged with poverty tears and sorrows by this means I shall learn hereafter to take compassion of others The Prophet Hieremy taxeth the Moabites for their lewd conditions after this sort Moab was fertile in her youth and rested in her dregs she was not powred out of one vessell into another He compareth the Moabites to wine which being long mixed with dregs becomes musty unsavory It is a saying amongst the Spaniards This wine as yet is but new come from the mother it hath not taken the pains to passe from one hogs-head to another So the Moabites living rich and wealthy in a fertile countrey were unacqâ—ainted with that which hunger and penury would have taught them Moab was fertile in her youth and rested in her dregs For the Moabites being neer neighbours to the Sodomites became luxurious with plenty bred up with wealth and vices despised all the wholsome lessons they might have learned in chaste poverty Moab was tunned out of the vessell of justice into that of temperance chastity and mercy In a word they had never been Scholers in the School of Patience onely trained up in eating drinking â—earing sporting and intoxicated with all maner of delights that drink wine in bowls and are anointed with the best ointment and they suffered nothing upon the contrition of Joseph They are hard-hearted mercilesse and ready upon every occasion to be fired with impatience See how much it availeth to learn manners and to be instructed in the School of Patience that which much profiteth the scholer himself many others they learn here to resent and compassionate their neighbours miseries Sect. III. Abstinence likewise and temperance are taught in the School of Patience We perswade our selves whilst we possesse many things that we cannot be without them but being deprived of them we our selves marvell with how little difficulty we spare them Take for example a merchant who whiles he is rich goes like himself magnificently attended but being grown poor and needy begins to finde how easie it is to go without a train A traveller being benighted and forced for want of an inne to take up his lodging under some tree in the field and for supper to content himself with one poor farthings worth of bread is compelled at last to confesse that he knew not til this time how to sup for lesse then two pence A tradesman who formerly was wealthy and fared daintily sometimes through negligence in his trade breaks and becomes a banquerupt and is content at last to sit down to a dinner of cabbidge or carrets and for want of supper either fasts or contents himself with a messe of homely water gruell By this means he poor man wondering at himself sayes I never thought I could have lived so frugally A Carrier in like manner who was wont to ride in time of his prosperity is by his unthriftinesse and drinking forced to go on foot and sayes God be thanked who hath once more brought me to my feet I knew not before what footmanship I had Thus God dealeth with many by wholesome want reducing them to the golden mean of temperance Neverthelesse you shall finde some so obstinate and blinded in their opinion that one will not stick to say My stomack will by no means indure fasting Another that his weak body requires more sleep then ordinary This man that he cannot possibly lead his life without company And another without wine and strong bear thinks he is like a fish without water But when poverty or some other calamity bereaves them of their companions or sleep and turns their wine into waer then experience teacheth how easie a thing it is to watch to give the belly no more then his due to observe fasting dayes and take their leave both of wine and companie Calamity is the Mistris of temperance By poverty we learn sobriety and frugality which often comes too late when all is wasted and consumed I my self have known many persons of quality whom the prison hath taught to dine for six pence and sometimes for lesse whose tables heretofore have been loaden with dainties Give ear to a strange yea wonderfull strange story which makes very sit for this purpose Pecchius an inhabitant on this side the Alps a man of great courage and industry incurred the displeasure of a certain Noble man of great power and wealth And being one day riding upon the way was by a train taken
I say amisse That most holy King David sayes even as much for when the wicked Shimier reproached him with words nay even cast stones at him and some of the Kings train were of mind to have cut off his head the King gave expresse charge to all his followers in â—his manner Let him alone that he may curse for our Lord hath commanded him to curse David and who is he that dare say Why hath he so done Did therfore Shimei commit no sin in doing this yea doubtlesse a most heynous one observe a while and the truth will easily appeare When David the wisest of Kings saw this wretch Shimei all alone and unarmed and yet heard him calumniate him resolutely and without feare he presently was of opinion that the first beginning or fundamentall cause of that injury proceeded not from Shemei but from God who had ordained the slanderous and malicious speech of so wicked a man to chastise and punish him By what means therefore did God command him this Be advised and understand the matter as it is There are two things to be considered in sin The first is the naturall motion of the body or will or of them both jointly together the other is the transgression it selfe of the law For example One brother slanders another a citizen kills a citizen a souldier sets an house of fire a thiefe steals a thousand crownes In these acts the motion of the tongue the deadly stroke the setting fire to the house the taking away of the money are done by Gods help and assistance for they are all naturall actions which cannot be done without Gods help And this is the first thing which ought to be considered in every sin which without doubt is by this meanes furthered by God himselfe But the other is the very nature it selfe of sin as when this naturall action is imployed contrary to reason against conscience and the law of God this God neither willeth nor commandeth neverthelesse he directeth the perverse will of this man or that sin and transgression of his lawes to the punishment admonition correction or increasing the patience of another man Therefore of doing the thing God is the authour and when it is ill done he is a provident director So God assisted Shimei to utter his words to cast durt and stones for these were no other then naturall motions but for so much as Shimei shewed a malicious will against his Prince thereunto God concurred not but neverthelesse directed it to a very good end that by these calumnies the sins of David might be punished his patience and humility exercised And this may be seen and obserued in all sins and in all injuries whatsoever The evill of sin God tolerates and the evill of punishment he orders and directs to a good end to increase patience and to punish sin Thus he permits famine war plagues deluges burning thefts injuries injustices and enormous crimes and withall so disposeth them that even by these evills he manifesteth to the world more and more his goodnesse his justice his power and his glory After this manner God is the Authour of all evils as they are punishments of which Doctrine we produce truth it self for a witnesse God being highly offended with the Jews said I will gather evills upon them and glut my arrows with them Lo I will bring upon them evills out of which they shall not be able to escape Behold God even loads with evills God wounds us with his arrows And we childishly are angry with his arrows and darts we never mark what arm it is that shoots and darts them So the Painter when his picture is not to his minde quarrels with his pencill the Serivener with his pen the Carpenter with his ax the Potter with his clay so we accuse those that malice and slander us as authours of our evills but we are infinitely deceived it is not the pencill but the Painter the pen but the Scrivener who are the authours of the writing or picture Job was in this respect of a better opinion when he said The hand of our Lord had touched him It was neither the Caldeans nor the Sabeans nor any other enemy whatsoever but the hand of God that hath overthrown me Sect. V. HAve we any doubt of this It is the testimony of the wise man Good things and evill life and death poverty and honesty come from God This the Prophet Micheas clearly confirms where he saith That evill is descended from the Lord into the gate of Hierusalem And that he might make them more cautelous whom he admonished Behold quoth he I purpose evill upon this family The like affirmeth the Prophet Amos And where finally shall there be evill which our Lord hath not done And that we may exactly acknowledge all these evills of punishment and innumerable kindes of affliction to come from the Divine will of God let us call to remembrance he woften he hath by little contemptible creatures discomfited his enemies in far more glorious manner then he could with great puissant armies Thus Almighty God is wont to suppresse humane pride thus he sends poor abject worms mice bats flies lice and such like sordid creatures to vanquish not the scum or dregs of the people but to triumph over Kings Princes Emperours Thus he draws forth as it were whole armies of gnats flies frogs wasps and locusts and with these troops overthrows whole nations and countreys The Book of Wisdom declareth Thou hast sent wasps fore-runners of thine hoste that by little and little they might destroy them The Book of Kings witnesseth 〈◊〉 â—uch And the towns and fields 〈…〉 forth in the midst of that countâ—â—â— and there came forth mice and there was confusion of great death in the city Genebrard relateth of a King who for poisoning of his nephews committed to his charge was together with his wife devoured by mice Conies undermined a city in Spain and moles a city in Macedonia as Plinie witnesseth When Sapor King of the Persians a man greedily thirsting after the bloud of Christians belieged the city of Nisibis James Nisibita their Bishop brought down upon them by his prayers not an army of souldiers but of flies and gnats from heaven These little creatures more powerfully then the vast army of Xerâ—es impugned the enemy for when the horses and elephants felt themselves continually stung and vexed by those little vermins in their ears snowâ—â— and nostrils they became mad aâ—d furious brake their bridles and ran headlong away insomuch that the King knowing not what to do nor â—â—ither to turn him left all and withdraw himself from the enterprise The lâ—ke successe had Charles king of Sicilie and Puilip king of France when they tooke Gerunda a City in Spain where the outrage impiety of the souldiers spared neither Churches nor Sepulchres c. But when they broke up the tombe of St. Narcissus a huge swarm of flies issued out of it and made such a slaughter amongst