Pollio was walking up and downe the roome before his friends came considering his fine Glasses he began to thinke what a feare his Servants lived in by reason of those Glasses saying to himselfe that they were but brittle toyes and if any of them hapned to be broken it would disquiet him more then they were all worth saying further that if he brake them himself it would both prevent his being angry with his Servants and free them from a great deale of feare hereupon he gives the Cup boardâ—loath a twitch downe came all the â—â—lasses and were shattered to peeces This Story was related in a Sermon before King James by Doctor Burges of Ipswich and thus applyed Sir speaking to the King the Ceremonies of the Church of England are pretty specious things but very brittle and subject to breaking and your Majesty hath given strict charge to your Servants with severe threatnings that they break none of them your Subjects live in great feare of incurring your displeasure if by chance they should breake any of them and 't is likely you will be very angry if any of them be broken I most humbly beseech your Highnesse in the behalfe of your good Servants who feare to displease you that you would play the part of wise Pollio and breake these Glasses your selfe abolish these brittle Ceremonies your selfe that so your faithfull subjects may be freed from their continuall feare and the occasion of your Majesties displeasure removed King Iames was much taken with this handsome passage countenanc'd the Doctor and seemed inclinable to the motion till the Bishops about him had changed his minde which they did by buzzing into his head their old principle of no Ceremony no Bishop no Bishop no King and so cunningly did they play their Game that they had suddenly incensed the Kings minde so against him for that audacious passage in his Sermon as they termed it that the Doctor was clapt up in the Tower whence he could not be delivered till he past his promise to leave the Kingdome which accordingly he did and went over into Holland where he remained for many yeares preacher at the Hague The Churches security That Ship cannot be cast away wherein Christ is the Pilot the Scripture the Card his Crosse the maine Mast his Promises the Anchors his Spirit the Winde Jâ—ctatur nunquam mergitur ista ratis it may be â—ost but never shipwrack't No Jesuites in Hell A Jesuite preaching at the great Church in Padua towards the end of his Sermon he fell into a large commendation of the Order of the Jesuits exâ—olling it above all the Religious Orders that then were or ever had been in the world giving God thankes that he had the happinesse to be of that Order and in the close of his Discourse he told his Auditory that he would acquaint them with a Vision which he had lately seene The other night said he I dreamed that I was in Hel where me thought I saw Popes Emperours Kings Queens Cardinals Bishops Abbots Monks Fryers and some of all sorts of men both Ecclesiasticall and Secular but not one Jesuite amongst them all which made me to blesse God that ever I was borne to be of so blessed a Society which though it had sent so many thousands of that holy Order to the Grave yet never any of them went to Hell and so he concluded his Sermon with a fresh encomium of the Society of Jesuites The next Sunday after a Dominican Fryar preached in the same Church and he also towards the end of his Sermon fell upon the high praises of the Order of the Jesuits repeating much of the Jesuits Sermon the day before and bewayling himselfe that it was not his fortune to be of that holy Order whereof none ever went to Hell as the reverend Father had told them the day before at last he told the people that he also had seene a Vision and dreamed likewise one night that he was in Hell where he saw Popes Emperours Kings Cardinals and all sorts of Orders as the Jesuite had notably shewed them the day before but not a Jesuite said the Fryar could be seen amongst them all then thought I to â—y selfe O what a blessed Order is this O that I had been a Jesuite and not a Dominican and still I cast my eyes all over He but could not finde so much as a peece of a Jesuite there but store of all other religious Orders yea even of Dominicans my owne Order I saw great store at last me thought I beckned a little Devill to me and askt softly in his care whether there were any Jesuites in that place or no he answered That there were none there but that they were kept in a Hell by themselves which is a great roome under this where said the little Devill there be abundance of them and they come hither so fast that my master Lucifer scarce knowes where to bestow them and besides they are so unruly that if they were not kept by themselves every body would be soone weary of this place He further told me me thoughts that his master durst not let them have any Gunpowder for feare lest they should blow up this place A worthy example of gratitude Thomas Cromwell who was borne of meane Parentage became Earle of Essex and Lord Chancellour of England when he was a young man he had a desire to see the world his first adventure was into France whether he went as a Page to a Souldier to carry his Knap-sack but that Army being over-throwne Cromwell wandered up and downe till he came to Florence where his necessities made him beg up and downe the streets it hapned that one Francis Frescobald a Merchant of that City and one that had traded much in England meeting with this young tatter'd stripling and finding him to be an English youth he carried him home to his house and there bestowed a new suit of apparrell upon him entertaining him with all courtesie till he was minded to returne home into his Country when Frescobald perceived Cromwels desire to be going homewards he provided him a Horse which he bestowed upon him and sixteene Ducats of Gold in his purse Now it pleased God after a long time that as Cromwell was advanced to high preferment so Frescobald was brought low in his estate through many misfortunes and losses insomuch that he was forced to come over into England to get up some monies which some Merchants of this Nation were indebted to him being here and following his businesse in London it hapned that Cromwell who was then Lord Chancellor as he was riding in the street towards Court espied this Italian and guessing who he was by his habit he called him to him asking his name who answered that his name was Francis Frescobald Cromwell expressing much gladnesse to see him caused one of his Servants to carry him home to his house there to stay till his returne Frescobald all this while knowing not what this meant
knew if it were worth a halfe penny his Lordship would not part with it Remarkable Circumstances about the Kings death King Charles was beheaded in that very place where the first blood was shed in the beginning of our late troubles for a company of Citizens returning from Westminster where they had been quietly petitioning for Justice were set upon by some of the Court as they past by White-Hall in which tumult divers were hurt and one or more slaine just by the Banqueting-house in the place where the Scaffold stood on which he suffered 'T is further remarkable that he should end his dayes in a Tragedie at the Banqueting-house where he had seene and caused many a Comedy to be acted upon the Lords Day Men of publike spirits would not out-live their Countries prosperity When Titus had taken and sacked Jerusalem the Priests came to him and begged their Lives that mercifull Prince and darling of Mankinde caused them to be slaine as degewretches that would desire to out-live their Temple and Religion One good turne requires another Augustus Caesar being requested by an old Souldier of his to be present at the hearing of a cause he had Augustus answered That he would send one in his roome the Souldier replyed O Emperour I sent no Deputy to fight in thy quarrell at Philippi but went my selfe whereat Augustus blushing yeelded to his request The lively picture of our times When God raised up Luther Melancthon Zwinglius and divers other Worthies to be the Reformers of his Church At the same time the enemy of Mankinde raised up the Anabaptists to be the disturbers of his Church And the more active Luther and the rest were in labouring a Reformation according to the Gospel the more violent were Thomas Muntzer Storch Knipper Dolling and the rest of that Phanicall frenzie crue in raysing tumults and confusions and disgraceing those worthy instruments of God rayling upon them and upon whatsoever they did towards the worke of Reformation crying out that Luther was worse then the Pope and that he and his Party savoured nothing but the flesh and because these mad-headed Anabaptists could finde nothing in the written Word to defend their Errours and the tumults which they raised they fly to Revelations and Inspirations hereupon every Fish-monger begins to boast of the Spirit feigne revelations after the example of Storch and Muntzer and the Pulpit is open to every Cobler and Tinker they scoffed at the publick Sermons of the reformed inveighed against the Lutheran Faith as being voyd of good workes Muntzer the chiefe trumpet of these uproares proclaimes openly that he was raised up by the command of God for the punishment of wicked Princes and altering of politick Government his usuall subscriptions to his Letters was Thomas Muntzer the Servant of God against the ungodly Nine Pillars for the supporting of Faith David hath couched nine severall Arguments in one Verse for the strengthening of his faith in God as we may see Psal. 18. 2. 1 Jehovah 2 My Rock 3 My Fortresse 4 My Deliverer 5 My God 6 My strength 7 My Buckler 8 The Horne of my salvation 9 My high Towre The undaunted spirit of Ignatius Ignatius when he was in his enemies hands and ready to suffer Martyrdome he used this notable speech I care sayes he for nothing visible or invisible so I may get Christ let fire the Crosse the letting out of wilde beasts upon me breaking of my bones the tearing of my members the grinding of my whole body and the torments of the Devill come â—pon me so be it I may get Christ More Devils in the Country then in the City A Holy man travelling to a great and populous Towne spyed a great company of Devils in every field and about every house in the Country as he went but comming to the City he found only one Devill there who sate on the pinacle of the highest Church this Holy man conjuring him downe demanded of him the reason why there were so many Devils in the Country and but one in the City He answered That one was enough in the City because there was so much wickednesse in it that they were all his owne already and he only kept watch least there should be any alteration amongst them but in the Country the people were so poore industrious and honest that they were enforced to imploy their greatest numbers and paines to gaine them Confesse and be saved The Duke of Roan visiting his Common Goale demands of the first Prisoner he saw wherefore he lay there he answered for no offence that ever he had committed but upon malice the like answer made the second and the third and so all the rest but comming to the last he answered That he lay there for his offences of Felony and Murder expecting death as he had deserved The Duke liking his humble confession bade the Goaler take away that wicked fellow from those holy and innocent men saying He was enough to infect them all by which meanes he only escaped No matter by whom so Gods work be done Matthew Langi Arch-Bishop of Salzburg said 'T was true that many things were greatly amisse in the Church of Rome and that the whole Clergy stood in need of Reformation but that such a Rascally Monk as Martin Luther should be the Author of such a work was intollerable A good use of a wooden god Diagoras having something to boyle and wanting other fuell he tooke his wooden god Hercules saying It is now the time of Hercules that as thou hast served Euristheus in twelve Labours so thou shouldest serve me in the thirteenth and so threw him into the fire as a peece of wood Three good questions for every man to aske himselfe every night Seneca reports of one Sexius who every night when he should take his rest would ask himselfe three questions 1 What evill hast thou healed this day 2 What vice hast thou stood against 3 In what part art thou bettered 'T is not Blood but Faith that makes men noble Romanus the Martyr who was borne of Noble Parentage intreated his Persecutors that they would not favour him for his Nobility for it is not said he the blood of my Ancestors but my Christian Faith that makes me noble An EPITAPH upon Duke Hamilton HE that three Kingdoms made one flame Blasted their beauty burnt the frame Himselfe now here in ashes lyes A part of this great Sacrifice Here all of Hamilton remaines Save what the other world containes But Reader it is hard to tell VVhether that world be Heaven or Hell A Scotch-man enters Hell at 's birth And scapes it when he goes to earth Assur'd no worse a Hell can come Then that which he enjoy'd at home How did the Royall work-man botch This Duke halfe English and halfe Scotch A Scot an English Earldome fits As purple doth your Marmuzets Yet might he thus disguis'd no lesse Have slipt to Heaven in 's English dresse But that he in hope of
and the scandall of Religion The Learned Spanhemius saith truly of such kinde of men That they doe extreamly offend against the Divine providence of God against the tranquility of Common-wealths against the Liberty Quiet and Consciences of men and therefore ought to be banished out of all Common-wealths and Christian Societies To which may be added the Judgement of Saint Austin in his excellent Book De civitate Dei who saith That Christians ought chiefly to beware of such Astrologers as Prognosticate things that come to passe for when such Predictions fall out truly it is a signe that they which utter them are in confederacy with some evill Spirits by whose helpe they fore-tell future events and not by Art or any thing found in the Stars as they pretend The fruite of Covetousnesse When Baldwine King of Jerusalem besieged Askelon he promised the spoyle of that City to the Knights Templers whereof a part of his Army then consisted an assaultable breach being made the Templers first entered who conceiving they had enough to weeld the worke and master the place set a Guard at the breach that no more of their fellow Christians should come in to be sharers with them in the booty but their Covetousnesse cost them their lives for the Turkes contemning their few number put them all to the Sword yet at last the City was taken though with much difficulty A right Counsellor rare to finde Alphonsus King of Spaine comming very young to the Crowne some advised that seven Counsellors might be joyned to governe with him who should be men fearing God lovers of Justice free from filthy Lusts and such as would not take bribes to which Alphonsus replyed If you can finde out seven such men nay bring me but one so qualified and I will not only admit him to governe with me but shall willingly resigne the Kingdome it selfe to him Courtiers are usually Flatterers Aristippus the Philosopher seeing Diogenes washing of Herbs for his Dinner said If Diogenes knew how to make use of Kings he need not live upon raw Herbs as he doth to which Diogenes replyed That if Aristippus could content himselfe with Herbs he needed not to turne Spaniell or to flatter King Dionysius for a meals meate The peoples rage and Gods just hand against a wicked Tyrant Leander in his description of Italy saith That in Spoleto the chiefe City of Umbria there was a strange Tyrant who in the time of his prosperity contemned all men and forbare to injure none that came within his clawes esteeming himselfe sure enough for ever being called to account in this life and for the next he cared little but God upon the suddaine turned upside downe the wheele of his felicity and cast him into the peoples hands who tooke him and bound his naked body upon a planck in the Market-place with a Fire and Iron Tongs by him and then made Proclamation That seeing this man was not otherwise able to make satisfaction for the publique injuries he had done every private person injured by him should come in order and with the hot burning Tongs there ready should take off his Flesh so much as was correspondent to the injury received as indeed they did untill the miserable man gave up the Ghost A wonderfull Earth-quake In the yeare one thousand five hundred seventy one there hapned a most terrible Earth-quake in the County of Hereford neare the Towne of Kinaston which Master Cambden relates after this manner Upon the twelfth of March about six of the Clock in the evening the earth opened and a Mountaine with a Rock upon which it was sciuated after a hideous noyse and strange crash that it was heard by the Neighbours a great way off raised up it selfe as if it had awakened out of a profound sleep and forsaking his deep bed below mounted up into a higher place carrying with it the Trees which were rooted thereupon the Shepheards Tents and the flocks of Sheep feeding thereon some Trees were almost quite covered with earth as if they had but newly taken roâ—te there it left in the place from whence it departed an overture of forty foot wide and eighty ells long the whole field was about twenty Acres it over-threw a little Chappell neare unto it carried from the East into the West a Yew-tree which was planted in the Church-yard and with its violence drave up before it High-wayes with Shepherds Caves with Plants and Trees that were thereon it made Mountaines level and arable grounds mountainous as if then they had took their beginnings And thus from Saturday night untill munday noone following it rested not till at last as if it were then tyred with the long way and wearied with its weighty burden it setled and became quiet Great Theeves condemne little Theeves A poore Sea Captain brought before Great Alexander for Piracy confessed his fault and said Indeed I am a Pirate because I preyed upon some poore Fisher-men in a Cock-boat but if I had scoured the Seas as thou hast done and robb'd all the world with a Navie and an Army I had been no Pirate I had been and Emperour The foundations of Religion are not to be removed Almcrick King of Jerusalem demanded of William Arch-Bishop of Tyre how the Resurrection of the Body might be proved by reason hereat the good Bishop was much displeased as counting it a dangerous question where with one removeth a foundation stone in Divinity though with intent to lay it in the place againe But the King presently protested That he demanded it not out of any diffidence in himselfe about that Article but in case one should meet with a sturdy man who would not trust Faith on her single Bond except he have Reason joyned for security with her Hereupon the Arch-Bishop alleadged many strong arguments to prove it and both rested well satisfied Rich men should belp their poore Kindred in their calling but not take them from their profession When one being an Husband-man claimed Kindred of Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne and thereupon requested favour of him to bestow an Office upon him Cousen quoth the Bishop if your Cart be broken I le mend it if your Plow be old I le give you a new one and Seed to sow your Land but an Husband-man I found you and an Husband-man I le leave you A mannerly answer of a young Gentleman King Iames asking a young Gentleman what kin he was to such a Lord of the same name the Gentleman answered That his elder brother was his Cousen German Of one that preachâ—d well but lived ill It was said of one that was an excellent Preacher but a very bad liver That when he was out of the Pulpit it was pitty he should ever goe into it and when he was in the Pulpit it was pitty he should ever come out of it And of another of the same kinde it was said That they who did not know him would thinke he were in good earnest when they heard him