retro criminâ—â—â— venia c. in the Book he composed of games and sportive entertainments sheweth by lively and urgent reasons there is no game nor recreation in all the world can be compared to the soul of a Christian whose conscience is a portative Theater where incessantly are presented many admirable shews All which is powerfull and energetical to glad a well-composed soul and to entertain it in eternal delights is eminently found in the exercises of piety If the chief source of peace and alacrity be to be throughly reconciled to God is it not in this Angelical Devotion is it not in piety that an entire reconciliation is made with our Master that the stool the ring and shoes of hyacinth are put on to walk in the paths of his commandments If there be nothing so majestical so delicious so pleasing as the contemplation of truth whereon our soul liveth as the eye on colours the Bee on dew and the Phenix as it is said on the thinnest vapours of the air is it not here where after so many errours so many fantasies so many illusions which turmoyled our minde in the disturbances of the world we enjoy in purity and plenitude the consideration of the most noble Maxims of spiritual life If it be a sweet and sensible repose having obtained remission of sins of the life past to return into the peaceful harbour of a good conscience is not here the rock where so many waves are broken where so many little curs which cease not to bark in the bottom of a troubled conscience are appeased and where the soul becomes a calm sea beautified and curled with the rays of an enamoured and smiling Sun Finally if there be no greater pleasure in the world than to despise temporal pleasures and to temple under foot the vanities which Monarchs themselves have set over their heads where are they despised but in this school of virtue where mortification of passions is learned and the exercise of goodly and heroick actions which give the soul an antipast of Heaven in this mortal life and an enfranchisement from fear of death How can a devout soul which lives amongst so many helps so many remedies so many comforts give the least advantage to one black and cloudy thought of the world What can we find out able to contristrate us amongst such succours and lights O a thousand times happy soul which having chased away all these illusions of vanity beholdest with a clear serene eye the ever to be adored rays of this verity The ninth EXAMPLE upon the ninth MAXIM Of Solid Devotion SOlid Devotions resemble those rivers which run under the earth they steal from the eyes of the world to seek for the eyes of God they study solitudes and retirements they are wholly shut up within themselves and it often happens that those of whom we speak least on earth are the best known in Heaven I verily think among all the great examples which may be produced of piety in Courts there will not any one be found more sincere or more strong than that of S. Lewis as it appeareth by all the acts of his S. Lewis the true Table of the most solid Devotion life namely that which was written by his Confessour It is an easie matter to judge his was a most holy life because the most dis-interessed he having no other aim but to dissolve his person his Kingdom his wife and children into the will of God to make the world no longer to be ought else but a Temple of the Divinity The Divine providence drew him out of his Kingdom with an Abraham's faith gave him among so many lands and seas the conduct of a Moses and to set a seal on him of all his greatness caused him to end his life with the patience of Job We find many Princes who embraced piety one after one fashion another after another and who have covered great vices with great virtues but it is a very hard matter to find one either more universal in all actions of virtue or more free from blame in the point of innocencie than our S. Lewis David ows all he is more to pennance than to innocency Constantine the Great before he was a Christian saw himself most unhappily stained with the bloud of his allies Theodosius the elder was enflamed with choller which cost many people of Thessalonica their lives Arcadius persecuted S. Chrysostom at the solicitation of the Emperess his wife Honorius his brother who was very pious and innocent had nothing warlike in him and ever better knew what the white cock named Rama did in whom he took pleasure than the capital Citie of the world whereof he was Emperour Theodosius the younger entertained love or hatred according as his Eunuchs and women dictated Belisarius one of the bravest Captains which the earth ever bare had a very commendable souldier-like piety but did all at the will of Theodora the Emperess observing her passions even to the taking the Pope and putting him into prison by her command Narses who succeeded him did wonders and subdued Totila the most valorous King which ever reigned among the Goths he was very devout to the Blessed Virgin to whom he attributed all his victories but withal so insolent that to be revenged for a word of disdain which his Mistress the Emperess of Constantinople spake he gave Italie over as a prey to the Lombards Finally to conclude this Relation and to speak of that which more nearly concerneth us Charlemaigne was the greatest Emperour of the world in matter of religion valour policy liberalitie sweetness and affability but the love of women though expiated by sharp pennance set blemishes on this Sun which the memory of ensuing Ages hath much ado to wash off It is a strange thing that God chastised the sins of the father in his own daughters who had very little care of their honour through too free an education and indulgence of the Emperour who spared the punishment of his own sins in another There hath not been almost in all the Monarchies but one S. Lewis who was so like to virtue that if it upon one side appeared incarnate to mortal eyes and on the other shewed this great King there would have been much ado to know which were the copie and which the principal He had three things very recommendable in him religious wisdom in the brightest lustre of the world humility planted even upon the rubies and diamonds of the Royal Crown courage and valour invincible in a devotion incomparable Who would see a manifest token of his wisdom let him behold how his spirit in the greatest concussions of worldly accidents stood ever in the same posture without any whit forgoing the ordinary exercise of his piety One sole action of his life which was his taking in Aegypt made what I say well to appear This good King having lost a great battel which ruined all his affairs saw the wide fields covered with the
I say O God how little is the world Is it for this we deceive we swear and make a divorce between God and us But admit we were not interessed in this action must we not rest on the law of God who maketh life and ordaineth death by the juridical power of his wisdom ever to be adored by our wills though little penetrable to understanding Will you I pronounce an excellent saying of Tertullian The world is the Vterus naturae An excellent coÌ„ceit drawn from the words of Tertullian belly of Nature and men are in it as children in the mothers womb the birth of men are the world 's child-bearings death its lying in and deliveries Would you not die to hinder the world from bringing forth and unburdening it self by the way the Sovereign Master hath appointed it We have seen Tyrants of all sorts some invented exquisite torments and tryals others forbade eating and drinking some to weep some caused children to be taken from the teat to strangle them and cut their throats as Pharaoh and Herod But never was there any amongst them who forbade women with child to be delivered The world hath for a long space been big with you and would not you have it to be delivered at the time God's counsels have ordained Were it a handsom thing think you to see an infant presently to have teeth and articulate speech and yet if it might be would stay in the mothers womb using no other reason but that there is warm being Judge now and take the even ballance if the world be the belly of nature if this good mother bare us the time Gods providence appointed if she now seek her deliverie that we may be born in the land of the living in a quite other climate another life another light are not we very simple to withstand it as little infants who crie when they issue out of bloud and ordure at the sight of day-light yet would not return thither from whence they came 4. Behold the Providence of God in that which Providence in the death of the vicious Boet. l. 4. de consol Cum supplicis carent inesâ— illis aliquid alteriuâ— mali ipsâ— impunitâ—s S. Eucher in paraenesi concerneth death in the generality of all men Let us see in this second point the like providence towards the wicked the vicious rich and proud Great-ones who spit against Heaven We must first establish a most undoubted maxim that there is nothing so unhappy as impunity of men abandoned to vice which is the cause the paternal providence of God arresteth them by the means of death dictating unto them an excellent lesson of their equality with other men Mortals circumvolve in life and death as Heaven on the pole artick and antartick from east to west the same day which lengtheneth our life in the morning shorteneth it in the evening and all Ages walk that way not any one being permitted to return back again Our fore-fathers passed on we pass and our posteritie follows us in the like course you may say they are waves of the sea where one wave drives another and in the end all come to break against a rock What a rock is death There are above five thousand years that it never ceaseth to crush the heads of so many mortals and yet we know it not I remember to this purpose a notable tradition of the Hebrews related by Masius upon Josuah to wit Masius in Josuah Notable action of Noah that Noah in the universal deluge which opened the flood-gates of Heaven to shake the columns of the world and bury the earth in waters in stead of gold silver and all sort of treasure carried the bones of Adam into the Ark and distributing them among his sons said Take children behold the most precious inheritance your father can leave you you shall share lands and seas as God shall appoint but suffer not your selves to be intangled in these vanities which are more brittle than glass more light than smoke and much swifter than the winds My children all glideth away here below and there is nothing which eternally subsisteth Time it self which made us devours and consumeth us Learn this lesson from these dumb Doctours the relicks of your grand-father which will serve you for a refuge in your adversities a bridle in your prosperities and a mirrour at all times Moreover I affirm death serves for a perfect lesson of justice to the wicked which they were never willing throughly to understand for it putteth into equality all that which hazard passion and iniquity had so ill divided into so many objects Birth maketh men equal since they receive nought else from their mothers womb but ignorance sin debility and nakedness but after they come out of the hands of the midwife some are put into purple and gold others into rags and russets some enter upon huge patrimonies where they stand in money up to the throat practise almost nothing else throughout their whole life but to get by rapine with one hand and profusely spend with the other Some live basely and miserably necessitous A brave spirit able to govern a large Common-wealth is set to cart by the condition of his poverty Another becomes a servant to a coxcomb who hath not the hundreth part of his capacity It is the great Comedie of the world played in sundry fashions for most secret reasons known to Divine Providence would you have it last to eternity See you not Comedians having played Kings and beggars on the stage return to their own habit unless they day and night desire to persist in the same sport And what disproportion is there if after every one have played his part in the world according to the measure of time prescribed him by Providence he resume his own habit I also adde it is a kind of happiness for the wicked to die quickly because it is unfit to act that long which is very ill done And since they so desperately use life it is expedient not being good it be short that shortness of time may render the malice of it less hurtfull If examples of their like who soon die make them apprehensive of the same way and how seasonably to prepare for death it is a singular blessing for them But if persisting in contempt they be punished it is God's goodness his justice be understood and that it commandeth even in hell 5. But if at this present you reflect on the death of the Just which you should desire I say God's Providence there brightly appeareth in three principal things which are cessation from travels and worldly miseries the sweet tranquility of departure and fruition of crowns and rewards promised First you must imagine what holy Job said That The sweetnes of the death of the just Iob 3. Qui expectant mortem quasi effodientes thesaurum Tert. de pallio Homo pellitus orbi quasi metallo datur this life is to the just as
all the fair riches of the earth The ambitious perish as spiders who present wretched threeds and some little flies in them such are also the snares pursuits and businesses of the world But the Just forsake us like the silk-worm For this little creature had it understanding would be well pleased issuing forth of her prison to become a butterflie to see the goodly halle of great men Churches and Altars to smile under her works What a contentment to the conscience of a just man in death to consider the Churches adorned Altars covered poor fed sins resisted virtues crowned like so many pieces of tapistry by the work of his hands Hath he not cause to say I entered into the list I valiantly 1 Tim. 4. Bonum certamen certavâ— cursum consummavi in reliquo reposita est mihi corona justitiae Exhortation to such nice people as fear death fought I have well ended my race there remains nothing more for me but to wear the Crown of Justice which God keeps for me as a pledge 6. I yet come again to thee worldly man who so much fearest this last hour Learn from this discourse to fortifie thy self against these vain apprehensions of death which have more disturbance for thee than the Sea surges Is it not a goodly thing to see thee tremble at thy enterance into so beaten a path wherein so many millions have passed along before thee and the most timorous of the earth have finished their course as well as the rest without any contradiction All that which seemeth most uneasie in this passage is much sweetened by two considerations the first whereof is That God made it so common that there is no living creature exempt and the other That to dispose us to a great death we every night find in our sleep a little death Wilt thou then still doubt to set thy foot-steps firmly in the paths which the worlds Saviour with his holy Mother imprinted with their tracks After thou hast slept so many years and so long passed through the pettie miseries of death shalt thou never come to the great Why art thou so apprehensive of death Sickness and miseries of the world will one day perhaps make thee desire that which thou now most fearest Were it not better to do by election what must be suffered by necessity Hast thou so little profited in the world that thou hast not yet some friend some one dearly beloved who passed into the other life Needs must thou have very little affection in store for him if thou fearest the day which should draw thee near to his company What is it maketh all these apprehensions arise in thy mind Is it so ill with thee to forsake a world so treacherous so miserable so corrupt If thou hast been therin perpetually happy which is very rare couragiously set a seal upon thy felicity and be not weary of thy good hap which may easily be changed into a great misfortune Many have lived too long by one year others by one day which made them see what they feared more than death But if thou be afflicted and persecuted in this life why art thou not ashamed when God calleth thee to go out faintly from a place where thou canst not stay without calamitie Deplorest thou thy gold silver costly attire houses and riches Thou goest into a Countrey where thou no longer shalt need any of that They were remedies given thee for the necessities of life now that thy wounds shall be cured wouldest thou still wear the plaisters Bewailest thou loss of friends There are some who expect thee above which are better than the worldly more wise more assured and who will never afford thee ought but comfort Thou perhaps laments the habit of body and pangs of this passage It is not death then which makes thee wax pale but life thou so dearly lovedst It hath been told thee in the last agonies of death the body feeleth great disturbances that it turns here and there that one rubs the bed-cloths with his hands hath convulsions shuts fast the teeth choaketh words hath a trembling lower lip pale visage sharp nose troubled memory speech fumbling cold sweat the white of the eye sunk and the aspect totally changed What need we fear all that which perhaps will never happen to us How many are there who die very sweetly and almost not thinking of it You would say they are not there when it happens Caesar the Pretour died putting on his shoes Lucius Lepidius striking with his foot against a gate the Rhodian Embassadour having made an Oration before the Senate of Rome Anacreon drinking Torquatus eating a cake Cardinal Colonna tasting figs Xeuxes the Painter laughing at the Picture of an old woman he was to finish and lastly Augustus the Monarch performing a complement But if something must be endured think you the hand of God is stretched out to torment you above your force or shortened to comfort you He will give you a winter according to your wool as it is said sufferings according to the strength of your body and a crown for your patience You fear nothing say you of all that I mention but you dread Judgement Who can better order that than your self Had you been the most desperate sinner in the world if you take a strong resolution to make hereafter an exact and effectual conversion the arms of God are open to receive you He will provide for your passage doubt it not as he took care for your birth He will accompany you with his Angels he will hold you under the veil of his face under the shadow of his protection if he must purge you by justice he will crown you by his mercy The fifteenth EXAMPLE upon the fifteenth MAXIM The manner of dying well drawn from the Model of our LADIE ONe of the most important mysteries in the world is to die well It is never done but once and if one fail to perform it well he is lost without recovery It is the last lineament of the table of our life the last blaze of the torch extinguished the last lustre of the setting Sun the end of the race which gives a period to the course the great seal which signeth all our actions One may in death correct all the defects of an ill life and all the virtues of a good are defaced and polluted by an evil death The art of dying well being of so great consequence it seems God permitted the death of his Mother to teach us what ours ought to be The death of the Virgin Mary is the death of a Phenix which hath three conditions resolution disengagement and union I begin with resolution of conformity to the will 1. Quality of good death is the indifferency of time and manner of God which is the first quality should be had to die well That is to hold life in your hands as a loan borrowed from Heaven ever ready to restore it at the least
own tears and that in the same manner they are produced to beatitude by Plin. 21. 5. Lilium lachrymâ suâ seritur their proper afflictions but it is to see themselves in a state of power to loose the grace of God and to be able to be separated from the first of lives by an action of death That is it which made Job being on the dunghil like to the dunghil it self as on the throne of patience to deplore his condition and say Why hast Quare me posuisti contrarium tibi sum mihimetipsi gravis thou made me seeing I am contrary to thy divine Majesty That is it which renders me in supportable to my self Now there shall be in beatitude an impotencie of sin because in full sight of Sovereign good it will be impossible to propend to the least evil or least disorder without which there can be no sin Moreover as our knowledges are here wretched Excellency of beatifick science and starven there is not a man so knowing in the world who for one drop of knowledge hath not a tun of ignorance and who in the little he knoweth hath not ever many errours which stick to science as the worm to the tree or the moath to the cloath Now there above the ray of increated light which shall appear in full lustre will dissipate all the weakness of understanding all inconsiderations all faults and shall fill us with a most resplendent verity So that our In lumine tuo videbimus lumen soul shall be like to that Aegyptian pyramid which perpendicularly reflected on by the Sun cast no shadow Lastly we see our love is ill guided in this way-faring Beauty of beatifick love compared to the weakness of wordly love life it sticks upon so many frivolous objects which are foolish fires that often lead it into precipices It is taken by the eys with blessings which have nothing more certain in them than their loss blessings which we ever shall leave by death if they forsake not us by misfortune Being surprized it tumbleth therein and perpetually bendeth to all which feedeth its dolours and drives away content All it least can do is that thing it most desires all it seeks is many times the good it escheweth It looseth labour to run after a flitting phantasm and if it stay it is not but through despair not to overtake all which kils it But if it come to possess what it loves it is instantly turmoiled with its happiness and not having need to labour any more in desires it grows mouldly in proper fruition It is willing to be resisted to enkindle its flame and resistance thrusts it into rage as possession into distast That is it which maketh me say the earth being made for us we are not made for the earth and that we should seek the place where love suffers neither offence nor interruption I say offence for it hath an object which contents all the world and offendeth none I say interruption for if we cease to love in Paradise it must proceed from God or from our selves If it be by the commandment of God we cease to love we shall cease in loving and in ceasing we shall incessantly love since we shall cease through love This cessation cannot come from us for we shall love without obstacle and of necessitie that Sovereign good which for its infinities will not be beloved but in infinitum O what pleasure to have but one pleasure and what joy to derive all joys from their source Why say we not with S. Augustine O fountain of life O vein of living waters when shall I come to thy delights and eternal sweetness I here on earth sigh after thy beauties O holy Hierusalem in a land scorched with fervours of sensuality O when will it be that I shall come before the face of my God! Think you I shall see that fortunate day that day of comfort and triumphs that day which God hath made and which takes its eastern rise from his eys O bright day which hath no evening nor knows what the setting Sun is When do you think I shall hear that word Enter into the joys of thy Master enter into a joy inaccessible to sorrow wherein is all good with an eternal banishment of all evil There it is where youth waxed not old where life hath no limits where beauty decays not where love knoweth not what it is to be cold nor health to impair O dear Citie With weeping eyes we behold thee afar off we thy poor exiles but yet thy children redeemed with his bloud who makes thee happie by his aspects Stretch out thy arms unto us O mild Saviour cast an eye on us from the haven in these storms of life and give us leave to walk in so undoubted paths that we may come to the place where thou livest and reignest for ever The nineteenth EXAMPLE upon the nineteenth MAXIM Of the Pleasures of beatitude THe joys of Paradise are without example and as they are here above our experience so they pass beyond our imagination Yet well may we conceive raised bodies shall have some manner of contentment in the perfect use of their senses and beauty of objects which shall satiate them with everlasting delights When after a long winter which covered us in darkness and buried us in snow we behold a new world arise under the benign favour of the spring and consequently the golden days of summer we feel our heart dilate seasonably taking in some antipast of the repose of the blessed What sweetness is it to enjoy delights in a body sound and a spirit well purified What contentment to behold those goodly Palaces where is seen an admirable consort of art and nature so many Hals so well furnished within such rich hangings such most exquisite pictures such marbles such gildings and without mountains which make a natural theater tapistred without art to surpass all workmanship forrests which seem born with the world hedges and knots curiously cut alleys and mazes where both eyes and feet are lost rivers which creep along with silver purlings about gardens enameled with most fragant flowers cavernes replenished with a sacred horrour grots and fountains which gently gliding contend with the warble of birds and so many other spectacles which at first sight astonish spirits and never satiate All this is but a little atome I do not say of the essential pleasure of the blessed which is ineffable but of the sole content of the senses of a glorious bodie which may in some sort be expressed S. John to accommodate himself to the weakness Apoc. 21. and 22. of our understanding hath made a description of it in the Apocalyps where he depainteth this goodly Cittie of the blessed with singular curiosity It is a pretty thing to consider how Lucian an excellent wit though a bad man intruding into our mysteries hath set out in his idea's to the imitation of it the life of
highest of all to go to meet crosses and afflictions and to embrace them as liveries of Jesus Christ In Mercy it is a high degree to give away temporal things a higher to forgive injuries the highest to oblige them who persecute us It is a high degree to pitie all bodily afflictions a higher to be zealous for souls and highest to compassionate the torments of our Saviour in remembering his Passion In the virtue of Fortitude it is a high degree to overcome the world a higher to subdue the flesh the highest to vanquish your self In Temperance it is a high degree to moderate your eating drinking sleeping watching gaming recreation your tongue words and all gestures of your body a higher to regulate your affections and highest to purifie throughly your thoughts and imaginations In Justice it is a high degree to give unto your Neighbour that which belongeth to him a higher to exact an account of your self and highest to offer up to God all satisfaction which is his due In the virtue of Faith it is a high degree to be well instructed in all that you are to believe a higher to make profession of it in your good works and highest to ratifie when there is necessitie with the loss of goods and life In the virtue of Hope it is a high degree to have good apprehensions of Gods power a higher to repose all your affairs upon his holy providence a higher than that to pray to him and serve him incessantly with fervour and purity but highest of all to trust in him in our most desperate affairs Lastly for the virtue of Charitie which is the accomplishment of all the other you must know there are three kinds of it The first the beginning Charitie The second the proficient The third the perfect Beginning Charitie hath five degrees 1. Dislike of offences past 2. Good resolution of amendment 3. Relish of Gods Word 4. Readiness to good works 5. Compassion of the ill and joy at the prosperity of others Proficient Charity hath five degrees more 1 An extraordinary puritie of Conscience which is cleansed by very frequent examination 2. Weakness of concupiscence 3. Vigorous exercise of the faculties of the inward man For as good operations of the exteriour senses are signs of bodily health so holy occupations of the understanding memory and will are signs of a spiritual life 4. Ready observance of Gods law 5. Relishing knowledge of Heavenly Truth and Maxims Perfect Charity reckoneth also five other degrees 1. To love your enemies 2. To receive contentedly and to suffer all adversities couragiously 3. Not to have any worldly ends but to measure all things by the fear of God 4. To be dis-entangled from all love to creatures 5. To resign your own life to save your neighbours The fifth SECTION Of four Orders of those who aspire to Perfection NOw consider what virtues and in what degree you would practise for there are four sorts of those who aspire to perfection The first are very innocent but little valiant in exercise of virtues The second have besides innocency courage enough to employ themselves in worldly actions but they are very sparing towards God and do measure their perfections by a certain Ell which they will upon no terms exceed like the ox of Susis that drew his usual number of buckets of water out of the Well very willingly but could by no means be brought to go beyond his ordinary proportion The third order is of the Fervent who are innocent couragious and virtuous without restriction but they will not take charge of others supposing they are troubled enough with their own bodies wherein they may be often deceived The fourth rank comprehends those who having with much care profited themselves do charitably refresh the necessities of their neighbour when they are called to his aid thinking that to be good onely to ones self is to be in some sort evil Observe what God requires of you and emulate the most abundant graces But if the multiplicity of these degrees of virtue perplex your mind I will shew you a shorter and easier way to perfection The sixth SECTION A short way to Perfection used by the Ancients THe Ancients were accustomed to reduce all virtue to certain heads and some addicted themselves with so much fervour and perfection to the exercise of one single virtue as possessing that in a supream degree by one link onely they drew insensibly the whole chain of great actions One dedicated all his lifes study to government of the tongue another to abstinence another to meekness another to obedience So that at the death of a holy man named Orus as Pelagius relates it was found he had never lied never sworn never slandered never but upon necessity spoken So Phasius in Cassian said upon his death-bed that the Sun had never seen him take his refection for he fasted every day until sun set So John the Abbot professeth that the Sun had never seen him angry that he had never done his own will nor ever had taught others any thing which he had not first practised himself To arrive at this requires much fortitude of spirit If you desire things more imitable be assured you shall lead a good life if you endeavour continually to practise these three words To abstain To suffer To go forward in well doing as S. Luke saith in the Acts of the Apostles of the Son of God To abstain 1. By refraining from all unlawful things and sometimes even from lawful pleasures through virtue 2. By mortifying concupiscence anger desire of esteem and wealth 3. By well ordering your senses your will your judgement and obtaining always some victory over your self by the mastery of your passions To suffer 1. By enduring the burdens of life with patience esteeming your self happy to partake of our Saviours sufferings which are the noblest marks of your Christianity 2. By endeavouring to use a singular meekness in bearing with the oppressions and imperfections of others 3. By undergoing with advice some bodily austerities 4. By keeping your foot firm in the good you have already begun For as old Marcus the Hermit said The wolf and sheep never couple together nor did change and dislike ever make up a good virtue To go forward in well-doing By becoming serviceable and obliging to all the world every one according to his degree but above all having a catalogue of the works of mercy as well spiritual as temporal continually before your eye as a lesson wherein you must be seriously examined either for life or death eternal And for this purpose some Saints had these words in stead of all books in their Libraries Visito Poto Cibo Redimo Tego Colligo Condo Consule Castiga Solare Remitte Fer Ora. To Visit Quench thirst Feed Redeem Cloath Lodge Bury To Teach Counsel Correct Comfort Pardon Suffer Pray Mans best knowledge is how to oblige man the time will come when death shall strip us to the very bones and
I eat drink sleep when I do business when I am both in conversation and solitude Whither shall this poor soul go which thou hast thrown into a body so frail in a world so corrupt and amongst the assaults of so many pernicious enemies Open O Lord thine eyes for my guidance and compassionate my infirmities without thee I can do nothing and in thee I can do all that I ought Give me O Lord a piercing eye to see my danger and the wings of an Eagle to flie from it or the heart of a Lion to fight valiantly that I may never be wanting in my duty and fidelity to thee I ow all that I am or have to thy gracious favour and I will hope for my salvation not by any proportion of my own virtues which are weak and slender but by thy boundless liberalities which onely do crown all our good works The Gospel upon Munday the first week of Lent out of Saint Matthew 25. Of the Judgement-Day ANd when the Son of man shall come in his Majesty and all the Angels with him then shall be sit upon the seat of his Majesty And all Nations shall be gathered together before him and he shall separate them one from another as the Pastour separateth the sheep from the goats And shall set the sheep at his right hand but the goats at his left Then shall the King say to them that shall be at his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father possess you the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was hungred and you gave me to eat I was athirst and you gave me to drink I was a stranger and you took me in naked and you covered me sick and you visited me I was in prison and you came to me Then shall the just answer him saying Lord when did we see thee an hungred and fed thee athirst and gave thee drink and when did we see thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and covered thee or when did we see thee sick or in prison and came to thee And the King answering shall say to them Amen I say to you as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren you did it to me Then shall he say to them also that shall be at his left hand Get you away from me you cursed into fire everlasting which was prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was an hungred and you gave me not to eat I was athirst and you gave me not to drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and you covered me not sick and in prison and you did not visit me Then they also shall answer him saying Lord when did we see thee an hungred or athirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to thee Then shall he answer them saying Amen I say to you as long as you did it not to one of these lesser neither did you it to me And these shall go into punishment everlasting but the just into life everlasting Moralities 1. BEhold here a Gospel of great terrour where our spirit like the Dove of Noah is placed upon the great deluge of Gods wrath and knows not where to find footing Every thing is most dreadfull But what can be more terrible than the certainty of Gods judgement joyned with the great uncertainty of the hour of our death It is an unchangeable decree that we must all be presented before the high Tribunal of the living God to render a just account of all which our soul hath done while it was joyned with our body as we are taught by S. Paul We must make an account of our time spent of our thoughts words actions of that we have done and that we have omitted of life death and of the bloud of Jesus Christ and thereupon receive a judgement of everlasting life or death All men know that this must certainly be done but no man knows the hour or moment when it shall be So many clocks strike about us every day and yet none can let us know the hour of our death 2. O how great is the solitude of a Soul in her separation from so many great enticements of the world wherein many men live and in an instant to see nothing but the good or ill we have done on either side us what an astonishment will it be for a man suddenly to see all the actions of his life as upon a piece of Tapistree spred befor his eyes where his sins will appear like so many thorns so many serpents so many venemous beasts Where will then be that cozening vail of reputation and reason of state which as yet cover so many wicked actions The soul shall in that day of God be shewed naked to all the world and her own eyes will most vex her by witnessing so plainly what she hath done 3. O what a parting water is Gods judgement which in a moment shall separate the mettals so different O what a division will then be made of some men which now live upon earth Some shall be made clear and bright like the stars of heaven others like coals burning in hell O what a dreadfull change will it be to a damned soul at her separation from this life to live onely in the company of devils in that piercing sense of torments and eternal punishment It is a very troublesom thing to be tied with silken strings in a bed of Roses for the space of eight days together What may we think of a damned soul which must dwell in a bed of flames so long as there shall be a God 4. Make use of the time given you to work your salvation and live such a life as may end with a happy death and so obtain that favourable judgement which shall say Come O thou soul blessed of God my Father possess the kingdom which is prepared for thee from the beginning of the world There is no better means to avoid the rigour of Gods judgements than to fear them continually Imitate the tree mentioned in an Emblem which being designed to make a ship and finding it self wind-shaken as it grew upon the land said What will become of me in the sea If we be already moved in this world by the bare consideration of the punishment due to sin think what it will be in that vast sea and dreadfull Abyss of Gods judgements Aspirations O King of dreadfull Majesty who doest justly damn and undeservedly save souls save me O Fountain of Mercy Remember thy self sweet Jesus that I was the cause of that great journey which thou tookest from God to man and do not destroy me in that dreadfull day which must decide the Question of my life or death for all eternity Take care of my last end since thou art the cause of my beginning and the onely cause of all that I am O Father of bounties wouldest thou stop a mouth
feet praying him to forget what was past yet he caused his processe to be made in Parliament upon accusations which did more manifest the Passion of the King then any crime in the life of the Count. Notwithstanding the close practise was so great that he was condemned to death and although Lewis terrified by his own Conscience and the generall opinion would not have it to proceed any further yet he confined him to the Bastile where he had spent the rest of his dayes if he had not found means to save himself But whom would he spare who put away and deprived of Office his best servants for having hindered him during his sicknesse to come near unto a Window out of the care they had of his health This passion was a Devil in the heart of this Prince which made him odious to many and filled his whole life with disturbance and acerbity 10. A revengefull spirit spares nothing to please it Aymonius l. 5. c. 39. self and oft-times openeth precipices to fill them with death and ruine It is a strange thing that one sole Wicked revenge of an Abbot and of John Prochytas against the French Abbot of Saint German de Prez named Gaulin had almost ruined the whole Kingdome of France for having been bereaved of an Abbacy He many years revolved his revenge and after the death of Lewis le Begue under whom he had received the injury which he proposed to himself he went to Lewis the German whom he enflamed with so much cunning to the conquest of the Kingdome of France that he set a huge army on foot to surprize the heir of the Crown in the Confusion of his Affairs and the trouble was so great that needs must Lorraigne be cut off from the Kingdome of France to give it to this Conquerour So did John Prochytas the Sicilian who having been deprived of his estate by Charles of Anjou conceived a mortall enmity against the French which made him contrive that bloudy Tragedy of Sicilian Vespres This unfortunate man disguising himself in the habit of a Franciscan went to Peter of Arragon to shew him the means how to invade Sicily and seeing that he and his wife Queen Constance bent all their endeavour thereto he ceased not to stir up the Countrey where he had much credit and used so many engines that in the end he caused one of the most horrible massactes which was ever projected On an Easter-day in the time of Vespres the French had all their throats cut throughout the Island of Sicily No age sex condition nobility nor religious were spared The black spirit of the Abysle drew men from the Altar to runne to the sword which they indifferently thrust into the bosome of their guests nor were so many cryes and lamentations nor such images of death flying before their eyes able to wound their hearts with one sole touch of compassion which useth to move the most unnaturall Rage blown by the breath of the most cruell furies of Hell made them to open the bellies of women and to dig into their entrails to tear thence little Infants conceived of French bloud It caused the most secret sanctuaries of nature to be violated to put those to death who had not as yet the first taste of life Shall we not then say that the passion of revenge which hath taken root in a soul half damned is the most fatall instrument that Hell can invent to overthrow the Empire of Christianity 11. All these accidents well considered are sufficient to moderate the passions which make so much noyse among mankind But let us consider before we go off this stage that Anger and Revenge are not creatures invincible to Courtiers who yet retein som Character of Christianity Robert one of the greatest Kings that ever ware the Crown of France saw his two sonnes bandied against Glaber him when provoked by the practises of the Queen Great moderation in Saint King Robert their mother who ceased not to insult over them they ran to the field with some tumultuary troops and began to exercise acts of hostility which made them very guilty The father incensed by their rebellion and forcibly urged by the sting of the mothers revenge speedily prepares an army and entreth into Burgundy to surprise and chastise them Thereupon William Abbot of S. Benigne of Dion goeth to him and shews that these disorders were an effect of the divine Providence which we should rather appease by penance then irritate by anger that if his Majesty would call to mind he should find that his youth was not exempt from errours committed by the inconsideration of age and the practise of evil counsels that he ought not to revenge with sword and fire that which he had suffered in his own person and that as he would not any should enterprise upon his hereditary possession so it was fit not to meddle with that which was Gods who had reserved vengeance to himself This speech had such power that the good King was instantly appeased caused his children to come embraced them with paternall affection and received them into favour tying their reconciliation with an indissoluble knot What can one answer to the mildnesse of a King accompanied with so much power and wisdome but confesse that pardon is not a thing impossible since this great Prince upon the words of a religious man layes down arms and dissipateth all his anger as waves break at the foot of rocks 12. We must confesse that Regality was never Helgandus in vita Roberti Regis seen allyed to a spirit more mild and peaceable and that his actions should rather be matter of admiration then example He pardoned twelve murtherers who had a purpose to attempt upon his life after he had caused them to confesse and communicate saying it was not reasonable to condemn those whom the Church had absolved and to afflict death upon such as had received the bread of life But what would not he have done who surprising a rogue which had cut away half of his cloke furred with Ermins said mildely to him Save thy self and leave the rest for another who may have need of it 13. This mildnesse is very like to that of Henry the First afterward King of England who seeing his Fathers body to be stayed in open street upon the instant of his obsequies and this by a mean Citizen who complained the soil of the land where the dead which was William the Conquerour was to be interred was his Ancestours inheritance he was nothing at all moved but presently commanded his Treasurer to satisfie the Creditour and to prosecute the pomp of his Funerals 14. Lewis the Eleventh did a King-like act towards Generous act of Lewis the Eleventh the ashes of the fair Agnes who had possessed the heart of his father Charls the Seventh and had persecuted him the son in her life-time At her death she gave threescore thousand crowns for a foundation to
body of the King with those of his three children and hung them upon the walls of Bethshan where they were seen untill the time that certain valiant men of his party took them away by night and gave them buriall Such was the end of this unhappy Prince whom impiety disobedience love of himself and the jealousie of State accompanied with his ordinary ragings threw head-long into a gulf of calamities At the same time that this unhappy battell was David receives the news thereof fought David was pursuing the Amalekites which in his absence had sacked the town of Ziklag which was the place of his retireing that Achish the King of the Philistims had bestowed upon him He was so happy that he overtook those robbers loaden with their prey and took out of their hands his two wives Ahinoam and Abigail whom they had taken away As he came from this battell a young Amalekite presents himself and brings him the news of the death of Saul of Jonathan and of his other sons affirming that he himself had stood by at the death of the King and had helped him to dye by order which he had received from him cutting off the thread of his life and delivering him from those deadly pains that caused him to languish and for a proof hereof he shewed him his Crown and his bracelet which he presented to David hoping for a great reward from him But this virtuous and wise Prince aswell for conscience sake as his reputation took great heed of receiving or manifesting any joy at this accident but on the contrary being moved with extream grief he tore his garments and put all his court in mourning he wept he fasted he made funerall Orations for the honour of Saul and Jonathan and set forth lamentations which caused as great esteem of his virtue as they moved pity to his countrey Not content herewith he caused the Amalekite that brought him the news of the death of Saul to dye by Justice which he himself had helped to confirm according as he had avouched by obedience and by compassion not enduring that he should lay hands upon a King for to take away his life from him by any pretence whatsoever that he could alledge It seemed that after the death of this unhappy Prince David should forthwith have taken possession of all his estates but wisdome hindred him from proceeding herein so hastily They knew that he had not assisted at the the battell for to help his people that he had retired himself into the hands of the capitall enemies of Israel and many might very justly think that he had born arms for Achish which might diminish much the great opinion that they had of his virtue Further also although that Saul was not so much loved in his life-time yet his death might very well have defaced that blemish of hatred that many had conceived against him They considered that he had sacrificed himself with his three sons for the publick safety and had spared nothing for his countrey They had pity on the evil usage that the Philistims had done unto his body his former good actions in time past the dignity of a King his laborious life and tragicall death did quell all the envie that any could have at his fortunes Hence it was that Abner his chief Captain who was a man sufficiently upright would not lose any time but seeing there remained yet a son of Saul named Ishbosheth aged fourty years although he was but of little courage and as little understanding he made him presently to come into the Camp and caused him to be declared the true and lawfull successour of the estates of Saul not so much for the esteem that he had of his sufficiency or for the love that he bore him as intending to reign by him and over him All the people gave unto him the oath of Allegiance except the kindred of Juda from which David was sprung which gathered together in favour of him and crowned him King in Hebron where he reigned about seven years before he possessed the whole power of the Empire The Kingdome of Judah was then one body with The kingdome divided by the ambition of the favourites two heads the house of Saul and David clashing against each other not so much by the inclination of the Masters as by the ambition of the Favourites and Servants which would reign at their costs Abner was high and courageous Joab also the Joab and Abner do seek for the government chief Captain of David stern and violent which would gain the favour of his Master by devouring him in the which he did not succeed well for that the spirit of David was not so feeble as to comply with such behaviour and it was nothing but necessity which caused him to passe by many things These two chief Captains full of jealousie the one Their combat over the other meeting together at the Fish-pond of Gibeon with the chief of the Nobility Abner began first and demanded a combat under pretence of play unto whom Joab which had no need of a spur easily consented Presently one might see the young men of each side nimbly to bestir themselves whose fingers did itch to be at it and did not fail quickly to surprise one another The sport growing hot by little and little came to a full combat and at last to a battell where many remained upon the place Joabs party was the stronger and that for twenty which he lost he killed three hundred and sixty of Abners men who was constrained to retire himself But Azael the brother of Joab a nimble runner followed The death of Azael by his rashnesse him lively with his sword at every turn ready to wound him the other which had no desire to slay him being not ignorant that if it should come to that it would prove the seed of an irreconcileable enmity between him and Joab his brother prayed him twice to depart from him and to content himself with the spoil of some other without being ambitious of his Azael would not hearken unto him but desired to make himself famous by getting the better of the Captain of the Army At last he seeing him insolent unto that extremity turned back and struck him through with his Launce Joab and Abishai his two brethren incensed with that his slaughter followed Abner with all their force who saved himself upon a hill where a great squadron of the family of Banjamin encompassed him and cryed with a loud voice unto Joab saying shall the sword devour for ever and would he make of a sport so deadly a tragedy as if he were ignorant that it was dangerous to drive them to despair Joab caused a retrait to be sounded making a shew to do that for courtesie which he agreed to for necessity Abner laying aside his warlike humour fell in love The disagreeing of Abner and Ishbosheth with a Concubine of Saul named Rispah which was a
fashion and indeed somewhat too bitter according to her custom Joseph who was desirous to entertain the Queen in the good favour of his Master were it out of folly or drunkenness said Madame your mother Alexandra may tell you what pleaseth her But to give you a clear and ample testimony of King Herod your husband his love know that in case he happen to be put to death he hath commanded me to kill you not being able to abide in the other world without your company At these words the poor Ladies looked pale with horrour Out alas the frantick man said Alexandra in her heart what will he do living if after death he intend to destroy those who are yet alive In the mean time many bruits the dreams of the credulous were spred through Jerusalem that Herod was dead that Mark Anthony had caused him to be executed he being convicted of the murder of Aristobulus whether these rumours were divulged by Herods enemies or whether himself caused them to be secretly buzzed to try the face and disposition of the times The wise Mariamne seemed to believe nothing Alexandra grew passionate and bated like a hawk on the pearch entreating Joseph with all possible supplications he would remove them from Court and conduct them to the Court of Guard of the Roman Legions disposing them into the hands of Colonel Julius from thence to pass to Mark Anthony for she vehemently desired this Prince might see her daughter perswading herself that so soon as he should behold her he would be taken with her beauty and doe any thing in her favour These intentions being oblique were unhappy in the success and all Alexandras pursuits served her for no other purpose but to vent her passion In the end Herod returneth victorious with authenticke Return of Herod testimonies of his justification and Anthonies amity notwithstanding the endeavours of Cleopatra God reserving this parricide for a life like Cain attended with a death most dreadful His mother and sister fayled not presently upon his arrival to serve him up a dish of their own dressing and to tell him the design which Alexandra had to put herself into the power of the Romans Salome envious against Mariamne even to fury steeping her serpentine tongue in the gall of black slander accused her of some secret familiarity with Joseph whereupon Herod who was extreamly jealous thought in that very instant to ruin her and so drawing Mariamne aside he demanded of her from whence this correspondence grew which she had contracted with Joseph The most chaste Queen who never went out of the lists of patience shewed her self both with eye visage countenance word to be so penetrated with this cursed calumny that well the trayterous wretch perceived how far she was alienated from such thoughts and verily being ashamed to have uttered such words he asked pardon of her bemoaning with scalding tears his credulity giving her many thanks for her fidelity and making a thousand protestations of an everlasting affection The good Ladie who was displeased to behold such hypocrisie said covertly to him That truly it was an argument of love to his wife to desire her company in the other world He who understood by half a word presently perceived what she would say and entered into such desperate fury that he seemed as a mad man tearing his beard and hair of his head and crying out Joseph had betrayed him and that it was apparent he had great correspondence with Mariamne otherwise so enormous bruitishness would never have escaped any man as to reveal such a secret Thereupon he commandeth Joseph should be killed in the place to serve as a victim at his return not consenting to see him nor hear one sole word of his justification It was a great chance he had not at that time finished the sacrifice of his intemperate cruelty and that to satisfie his chymerical humour he had not put Mariamne to death But the irrefragable proofs of her innocency and the impatient ardours of his love withheld the stroke onely to make the sparkles of his choller flie further off he discharged it upon Alexandra shutting her up for a time keeping her a part from the Queen her daughter and doubtlesly resolving with himself it was in her shop where all these counsels plotted for his ruin were forged and fyled Certain time after Herod saw himself embarqued Troublesom affairs of Hâ—rod in another business which he thought to be at least as perillous as the former Mark Anthony who always had lent his shoulders to underprop him after he had for a long time stroven against the fortune of Augustus Caesar fell to the ground in the Actiack battel ending his hopes and life with a most mournfull catastrophe This accident struck the Tyrant more than one would think seeing his support ruined his affairs which he supposed to have been so well established in one night dissolved and that he had him for an enemy who was in a fair way to become Emperour of the world His friends and enemies judged him as a lost man He who already had escaped so many ship-wracks despaireth not at all in this extremity but resolves to seek out Caesar who was then at Rhodes and prostrate himself at his feet But before he set a step forward he did an act wholly barbarous and inhumane Hircanus the true and lawful King who by his Most lamentable death of Hircanus sweetness and facility had first raised Antipater and afterward saved Herod's life seating him in the Regal throne to the prejudice of his own allies was as yet alive worn even with decrepitness for he now was past eightie years of age The Tyrant fearing lest he being the onely remainder of the bloud Royal should again be re-established in the throne by the suppliant request of the people who much affected his innocency seeing him already upon the brink of his grave threw him head-long into it tearing out his soul with bruitish violence which he was ready to yield up to nature Some held this was meer crueltie without any colour of justice wherewith this diabolical Prince was wont to palliate his actions Others write that Hircanus days were shortened upon this occasion Alexandra being not able to put off her ambition Ambition of Alexandra causeth the death of her father but with her skin seeing Herod gone upon a voyage from which it was likely he should never return sollicites her father Hircanus shews him the time is come wherein God will yet again make his venerable age flourish in Royal purple The Tyrant is involved in snares from which he can never free himself Fortune knocketh at the gate of Hircanus to restore the Diadem which is due to him by birth-right and taken away by tyranny It onely remaineth that he a little help himself and his good hap will accomplish the rest Hircanus answereth her Daughter the time is come wherein I should rather think of my grave than a Regal
tollerations which were rather esteemed the feaver of times than men S. Ambrose entered into charge as is most probably thought about the end of the reign of this Valentinian and had not much occasion to intermedle with him yet from his enterance sheweth he would become a Lion For seeing in the State some practises in Magistrates which turned to the prejudice of the Church he with much freedom and generosity complained to the Emperour and though this Prince was one of the most absolute who had swayed the Scepter he was no whit offended but answered to S. â—mbrose It is a long time I have foreseen your nature Thood lib. 4. cap. 6. and the libertie you would use when a Myter was set on your head Yet notwithstanding did I never oppose your election and though I might exercise the resistance which the laws allow me without any other authoritie yet I gave my consent for the desire I have to behold a stout man in this charge Do what the laws of God appoint you the times are sick and need a good Physitian This so favourable beginning promised good effects The death of Valentinian the father for the future But this Prince lived not long after for having reigned about twelve years in a very harsh manner he being haughty and excessively cholerick it happened that hearing one day the Deputies of a Province in Bohemia who excused themselves upon certain incursions and roberies imputed unto them he entered into so violent and thundering distempers that they laid him on the bed of death for from the Councel-table he at that instant was carried into his chamber The veins of his body shrunk up his speech stopped his members were turmoiled with horrible convulsions and his face spread all over with purple spots In conclusion he was wasted with fervours of anger more daÌ„gerous than the dog-star which in few hours took him hence who under the sword of the Roman Empire had made so many Armies of Barbarians to tremble to teach us we have no greater enemies than our selves Valentinian left two sons the one by his first wife Severa which was Gratian The other by Justina which was Valentinian the Younger Let us see how S. Ambrose treated with them both The holy Bishop who had already exercised so much authority over the father retained it on the sons with so much the more priviledge as their age and the necessity of the affairs of the Church required Valentinian some years before his death foreseeing as it were what would happen declared his eldest son Gratian Successour of his Empire and from that time associated him to his dignity As he was a Prince very awfull and who among his sharp proceedings spared not to mingle many sweet attractives when he undertook an affair so he made himself appear in his latter days as a setting Sun in his Royal Throne and having made a most specious Oration to all his Captains and souldiers there then about him flattering and calling them companions by way of Court-ship he exhibited many large demonstrations of amity to them then taking his little son Gratian Gratian the son of Valentinian by the hand clad in an Imperial robe being then of fourteen or fifteen years of age he told them that this was his Heir whom they were one day to have for companion and who should with them tread under-foot the powers opposed against the Roman Empire adding he should equal his father in valour and in affection due to their good services but surpass him in sweetness having been made happy with a better education than himself This young youth as saith his history was beautifull as a star for his eyes sparkled like two lightening-flashes his face very amiable and complexion mingled with white and red When the souldiers beheld him in this habit they began softly to strike their targets and at that instant the trumpets sounded with a thousand acclamations to salute him This action was the cause that the sudden death of his father made him instantly Emperour with his uncle Valens who yet lived when for a singular tryal of friendship he divided his dignity with his brother the little Valentinian who was not yet above five or six years old being then left an orphan under the charge of his mother Justina Afterward the great necessities of the Empire made them likewise associate Theodosius to the Crown one of their fathers chiefest Captains The young Gratian who was endowed with an excellent disposition presently put himself under the wings of Saint Ambrose to direct him in affairs of his salvation and conscience which he esteemed the most important of all might concern him Our great Prelate entered so far into his soul that living and dying nothing was so sweet nor familiar in his mouth as the name of Bishop Ambrose And well to discover the apprehensions of this fair soul and the easie enterance it gave to all the forms of virtue proposed by this great Saint you must observe even in the judgement of Pagan Historians who never graced him above his merit that he was the most accomplished Prince for his age which ever bare the Diadem of Caesars And if a life so precious could have been redeemed with the bloud and tears of the faithfull it had replenished the Church with sanctity the Empire with glory and the whole world with wonders The beauty of body which he enjoyed contained a spirit wholly celestial enchased therein for it was full of generous viva city and as fire out of his sphere seeketh its nourishment in the conquests thereof so he lived by sciences and lights that they became tributary by his judgement and travel as well as men by his arms He laboured much in the matter of eloquence Excellent qualities of the Emperour Gratian. seeing it was then a study as it were absolutely necessary for Emperours to reign over people and that words were the cement which united wills and arms for the safety of the publick By good chance he had Ausonius for Master esteemed even in the judgement of Symmachus the most able man of his time most happy Master of an excellent schollar who made him change the school of Rhetorick for the purple of Consul-ship Gratian was naturally eloquent nor was it hard to manure so generous a nature When he pronounced some Oration he had early in his young years the majesty of his father conjoyned with an admirable modesty and a little a crimony which gave an edge to his actions The ordering and inflection of his voice were rarely proportioned He seemed eloquent in pleasing arguments grave in serious polite in laborious and when the subject required fervour and invective his mouth spake tempests This enforced no diminution upon his military exercises wherein he was infinitely dexterous whether he were to run wrastle or leap according to the custom of the Roman souldiers his agility made the world wonder or whether he were to manage a horse or handle
more than an ordinary souldier This seemed commendable in him but he was so desperately proud and cholerick that he would have all things carried according to his own counsels much offended with the least contradiction and accounting himself so necessary that nothing could be done without him On the other side the young Emperour who was jealous of his authority seeing that through his presumption he took too much upon him he in all occasion sought to depress him which the other ill digested but he continuing in this arrogant and harsh disposition Valentinian violently moved did resolve to be rid of him Behold why one day as Arbogastus approched to his Throne to do him reverence he looked awry on him and gave him a ticket by which he declared him a man disgraced and deprived of his charge He furious as a dog who byteth the stone thrown at him after he had read the ticket tore it in pieces in the presence of the Emperour through extream impudency and cried out aloud You gave me not the charge which I hold nor is it in your power to take it from me This he spake presuming of support from the souldiers whom he had ever esteemed From this day forward he ceased not to make his distasts appear and to bend his spirit to a mischievous revenge There was by misfortune at that time in the Court one named Eugenius who was accounted a wittie man but cold and timorous that heretofore had professed Rhetorick and acquired a good talent in speaking Arbogastus supposed his own boldness would make an excellent temper with the coldness of this man and having along time much confided in him he made him an overture to seize on the Empire which he at first refused But the other having promised him the death of Valentinian and his sword for defence gave consent to a most enormous assassinate All men were amazed that the poor Emperour in a fatal morning was found strangled by the conspiracy of Eugenius and Arbogastus aided by the Gentils who desired nothing but the liberty of Paganism This news brought a most sensible affliction upon Saint Ambrose for the Emperour was assured that the Bishop came to Vienna expresly to entreat his return into Italie which having understood he reckoned up the days and expected his arrival with unspeakable impatience But S. Ambrose who would not by importunity thrust himself into unnecessary affairs as he through charity was unwilling to be wanting in necessary having understood that the Emperour was daily upon his return deferred this voyage which had been most requisite to hinder Arbogastus over whom he had a great power Valentinian advertised of this delay wrote to him and earnestly pressed him to come adding he meant to receive Baptism at his hands for he was as yet but a Catechumen The good Prelate having received the Emperours letters speedily undertook the journey using all expedition when at his coming to the Alps he heard the deplorable death of the poor Prince which made him return back again and wash as he saith his own steps in his proper tears most bitterly every moment bemoaning the death of his dearest pupil The Providence of God was very manifest in his Manners of Valentinian Ambrosius de obitu Valent. death for Valentinian was drawn from Empires of the world in a time when he seemed now fully ripe for Heaven It is an admirable thing how the direction of S. Ambrose whom in his latter days he onely affected had metamorphosed him into another man In the beginning he was thought to be over-much delighted in tourneys and horse-races he so took away this opinion of him that he would hardly permit these sports in the great festival entertainments of the Empire The Gentiles who made observations on all his life had nothing to reproach in him but that he excessively delighted in the slaughter of savage beasts whom he caused to be taken and fed for his pleasure saying it diverted him from cares of the Empire He to satisfie all the world caused instantly all those creatures to be killed and disposed himself to attend the affairs of his Councel with so good judgement and so great resolution that he seemed a Daniel in the midst of the Assembly of Elders These envious people having watched him so far as to observe him at the table objected he anticipated the hour of his repast yet he so addicted himself to abstinence that he was seen in feasts rather seemingly than effectually to eat for sometimes in entertaining others he fasted tempering devotion and charity with a singular discretion Finally to give testimony of his infinite chastity it was told him there was in Rome a female Comedian endowed with a singular beauty having attractives which ravished all the Nobilitie This understood he deputeth one expresly to bring her to the Court but they being passionately in love with her corrupted the messenger so that he returned without doing any thing The Emperour rechargeth and commandeth that she with all expedition should be brought It was so done but she coming to the Court the most chaste Emperour would not so much as onely see her but instantly sent her back again saying That if he being in a condition which gave him the means to satisfie all his pleasures and in an Age which ordinarily useth to be very slippery in matter of vice and which is more not married abstained from unlawfull loves his subjects might well do somewhat by his example Never servant saith S. Ambrose was more in the power of his Master than the body of this Prince was under command of the soul nor ever Censor more diligently examined the actions of others than he his own Though all these dispositions infinitely much comforted the holy Prelate and namely the desire he expressed to receive Baptism two days before his death asking every instant if Bishop Ambrose were come notwithstanding his heart was transfixed to see him taken away in a time when he went about to make himself most necessary for all the world His death was generally bemoaned by all men and there was not any nay not his enemies which for him poured not out their tears It is said that Galla his sister wife of the Emperour Theodosius at the news of his death filled the Court with inconsolable lamentations and died in child-bed which came by excess of grief for which Theodosius was pitifully afflicted The other sisters of the Prince who were at Milan ceased not to dissolve into tears before the eyes of S. Ambrose who had no word more effectual to comfort them than the assurance that his faith and zeal had purified him and the demand he made of Baptism had consecrated him to the end they should no longer be in pain with the ease of his soul The good Bishop took a most particular care of his obsequies and burial where he made a Funeral Oration found yet among his Works In the end remembering his two pupils Go saith he O you most
strong sally and willed him freely to answer one word upon which he would ground the whole proceeding to wit Whether he were not a Roman Catholick That is it Sir saith the Prince which I avow which I publish which I protest For verily it is a crime which maketh the Judges become pale and the offenders laugh The accusation whereof is a vow all great souls should profess and the pain is a felicitie which Martyrs have bought with their bloud I wish to die a hundred times if it might be done for the glorie of that goodly title so far is it too little with one mouth to confess the praises of God Command if you please that my bodie be hewed and cut in pieces for the profession of the Catholick faith and then I shall have as many mouthes as wounds to praise my Saviour and all those wounds shall be as gates of bloud to give passage to my soul to the place where it is expected by so good companie The father said thereupon he was become a fool and that no man hated life but he who had ill employed it The son replied The misuse had been in heresie of which he repented him And at that instant the Guard received commandment to re-convey him to prison where he was so comforted with the visitations of God that finding with much difficulty means to send a Letter to his dear Indegondis he wrote to her in this manner The sixteenth SECTION The Letter of Hermingildus to his dear wife Indegondis and his generous resolution MY holy Mistress from whom I have received the faith and true knowledge of God I write these lines unto you clothed with sackcloth and loaden with fetters in the bottom of a dark dungeon for the defence of that Religion which you have taught me If I did not know by experience the invincible force of your heart and the resolution you practise in affairs which concern the service of God I had concealed my estate from you that I might not contristrate objects sensible to nature But most dear wife you have a forehead too noble to blush at the disgrace of the Crucifix and a courage too well fortified to refuse taking part in the liveris of the Saviour of the world I protest upon mine honour ' I could never perswade my self there might be contentment to suffer that which I tolerate when your innocent mouth preached unto me the reward of suffering wherewith your bodie bad heretofore been gloriously covered But since my imprisonment I have felt consolations of God so tastfull that I cannot think it possible to relish in the world any other antipasts of Paradise You are not ignorant that my life and conversation which hath been so long time plunged in errour and vanitie deserved not these benefits but your most pure hands which you so often have lifted up before Altars for my salvation have obtained that for me which much transcended my merit and all my hopes The King my father hath been pleased to hear me and I have pleaded my cause in fetters with so great assistance from the Heavenly goodness that I justified my self in all charges objected against me and have put the matter into such a condition that I am no further accused as a thief and homicide but as a Catholick I speedily expect my sentence and do not think I am put into the state wherein I am to save my life but I undoubtedly believe this will be the last Letter you shall receive from my hand I earnestly beseech your loyal heart that as in this action which shall close up my days I intend to do nothing unworthie of you so on your part act nothing unworthie of me betraying the happiness of my death with tears which would be little honourable to the condition whereunto God hath called me I put into the hands of the Divine Providence both you and your little Hermingildus the onely pledge of our holy loves Be couragious my dearest love and after my death take the way of Constantinople to render your self at the Palace of the Emperour Tiberius who is a good Prince and most Catholick I recommend unto you my poor soul as for the bodie let that become of it which shall please my father If the alteration of times and affairs bring you back into Spain there to bold the rank you deserve my ashes will likewise rejoyce at the odour of your virtues I hope my death shall not be unprofitable and that God will make use of it for the good of the Kingdom You know how many times I have heard you say that you would have bought the salvation thereof with your bloud you have already in it employed one part it is my turn to perform the rest upon a scaffold For in what place soever you are I promise my self to be most particularly assisted by your holy prayers The good Princess received this Letter with the news of his death as we will presently tell you but in this space of time Râ—caredus the younger brother of Hermingildus extreamly afflicted that having been a mediatour of this counterfeit peace he saw it end in so deplorable a Tragedie hasteneth to cast himself at the feet of his father beseeching him with infinite abundance of tears and lamentations either to give him the stroke of death with his own hand or save the life of his brother The father replied He was a furious fellow and a traitour to his fortune and that be ought to suffer justice to be done which would give him a Crown That his brother well discovered himself an enemie to his father and the State since he would not for his sake renounce onely so much as a fantasie Religion that he was onely questioned upon this point and that if be could perswade him to reason he was readie to save his life Recaredus prepared himself strongly to gain him and asketh leave to go to the Prison which was allowed him The young Prince seeing his brother covered with sackcloth and bowed under fetters was so amazed at this spectacle that he stood a long time mute as a statue but in the end breaking silence with a deep sigh Ab brother saith he it is I who have betrayed you it is I who have covered you with this fatal sackcloth I who have bound and fettered you with these cruel chains made for ignominious slaves not for your innocencie Brother behold my poynard which I present you revenge your self upon my guiltie head I have been culpable enough in that I have produced from a good intention so bad effects Hermingildus beholding him with a peacefull eye answered Brother why do you afflict your self Fall well do I know your innocencie What innocencie replied the other if unadvisedly I be the cause of your death by my disasterous Embassage But good brother since you are reduced to this extremitie I beseech you forgo the name of Catholick or if that seem unworthie of your constancie dissemble for some time and
1. dist 41. Manifest reason the will of God could not be unjust and that praedestination proceeded besides the grace of God by most secret merits which were discovered to this divine eye that discerneth all the actions of men 4. Is there a soul so replenished with contradiction which averreth not That what God doth in a certain time he determined to do it in his eternity Now Faith teacheth us he in that time by him determined rendereth life eternal to the just for reward of their merit as himself pronounceth in S. Matthew (c) (c) (c) Matth. 25. Answer to objections And therefore it is necessary to confess God before all Ages was resolved to give the Crown of glory not indifferently but in consideration of good life and laudable virtues And for this it is to no purpose to say the end of our intentions goeth before the means whereby some infer God first decreed beatitude which is the end then considered good works which are the address to this end For I answer when the end possesseth the place of salary as this here doth the merit is always presupposed before the recompence And although the Master of a Tourneament wisheth the prize to one of his favourites yet his first intention is he shall deserve it by his valour God taketh the like inclinations in this great list of salvation he wisheth all the world palms but willeth it to them who well know how to make use of the helps of his grace Thus the most ancient and gravest Fathers of the The doctrine of the most ancient Fathers concerning praedestination Church thought this sentence they agreed on before the impostures of Pelagians in the golden Age of the Church through a most purified ray And to this purpose Tertullian said (d) (d) (d) Tertul. de resur carnis Deus de suo optimus de nostro justus God who is very good of his own was ever just of ours And S. Hilarie said most perspicuously (e) (e) (e) Hilar. in Psal 64. Non res indiscreti judicii electio est sed ex delectu meriti discretio est That Election was not an effect of judgement indiscreet but that from the choice of merit proceeded the distinction made for glorie S. Epiphanius expressed the like opinion That there was no exception of persons in the proceeding of God but that it passed according to the merit or demerit of every one Behold what we may gather from the soundest tradition of the Church (f) (f) (f) The second point of reasons That God is glorified in that he hath our works for praedestination to glory But if we now weigh the second Article whereon we insist which is the glory of God it is an easie matter to see this opinion which appropriateth a certain fatality of divine decrees without other knowledge of cause agreeth not with this immense bounty of God nor the sincere will he hath to save all the world It is not suitable to his justice nor to his promises or menaces he makes to virtues or vices besides it tormenteth minds weakens the zeal of souls and throweth liberty and despair into manners Why should not a miserable reprobate have cause The complaint a Reprobate may make hereupon to say Ah my Lord where are the bowels of goodness and mercy which all pens testifie all voices proclaim and laws establish Is it then of honey for others and of worm-wood for me How cometh it to pass without any knowledge of merit you drew this man from the great mass of corruption to make him a son of your adoption a coheir of your glory and have left me as a black victim marked with a character of Death What importeth it me that in this first choice you made you did not condemn me without knowledge of cause to think no good for me was to think ill enough for me Was I then able to row against the torrent of your power Could I intrude into your Paradise which you have fitly disposed like the Halcyons nest whereunto nothing can enter but its own bird You have built your Palace of a certain number of chosen pieces in such sort that the account thereof being made and proportions valued one small grain might not be added to encrease the number What could I do in this dreadfull exclusion but accuse your bounty and deplore my unhappiness Behold what a reprobate soul may object and Aug. de verbo Apost ser 11. Si posset loquipecus dicere Deo quare istum fecisti hominem me peculem Answer to objections Glossa in Danielem it were bootless to answer that a bruit beast might complain in this fashion that God had not made it a man or the like might be alledged for infants who die without Baptism For as concerning beasts nothing is taken from them rather much given when from nothing being and life is afforded them with contentments of nature and as for little infants they endure no evil and are no more disturbed to be deprived of the sight of God than was Nebuchadnezzar for the Scepter of Babylon when he in his infancy was bred among shepheards thinking himself the son of a Peasant and wholly ignorant of his Royal extraction But to say A man who dies at the age of discretion and is delivered over to eternal flames was condemned by God without any other fore-sight of his works is it not a cruelty not worthy of ought but Calvinism as if a father might be excusable in marrying one daughter richly and cutting the others throat to set her on a pyle He who would judge wisely must flie the very shadow of an opinion so damnable and all which may seem to favour it 6. Now as concerning the Doctrine which establisheth The fruits of Gods glory derived from our Maxim Praedestination upon grace and prevision of good works it seems to stretch far towards the point of Gods greatest glory It discovereth us his science in attributing unto him an infinite survey over all the actions of Adams children before all Ages by which it seasonably fore-saw all that was to be done by all particulars in so great a revolution of times It in an instant affordeth us this most innocent knowledge seeing we learn by the same way that the prescience which God hath of our works is no more the cause of our happiness than my memory of the fireing of Rome which happened under Nero or than mine eye of the whiteness of snow and fresh verdure of meadows by its simple aspects Nothing happeneth because God fore-saw Qui non est praescius omnium futurorum non est Deus Aug. de civit Dei l. 5. c. 9. it but God fore-saw it because it should so happen by motion of our free-will and not by the laws of necessity Moreover the Justice of the great Master is very eminent in this action for we do not say he works at random and seeks to make boast
anima pueri ejus in viscera ejus Eccles 26. 23. Exaltavit vocem ejus de terra in prophetia Tob. 4. 11. of heaven Whom shall I believe touching the verities of God but God himself And verily behold the advise God giveth us to resolve us in doubtful cases which is to follow some great and powerfull authority that may draw our spirits with a strong hand out of so many labyrinths Without it saith S. Augustine there would neither be world rest light wisdom nor religion And if a decisive authority must be chosen where shall we find one more certain than that of a Man-God whose words were prophesies life sanctity actions miracles who by ways secret and incomprehensible advanced the Cross on Capitols and gave a new face to the whole world Now without speaking at this time of the Pentateuc where the Word with his own mouth drew reasons for the immortalitie of the soul against the Sadduces I might alledge the book of Kings where the soul of a little infant returneth into its body at the words of Elias I could produce the true soul of Samuel which returneth from Limbo and speaks to King Saul as the Wiseman rendereth this apparition undoubted which I will shew I might mention the book of Tobias which distinguisheth two places for souls in the other world one of darknes and the other of lights But let us hear Ecclesiastes since Infidels will make an arrow of it against us where after the propositions of the wicked rehearsed in this book to be refuted which must be well observed the Wiseman Eccles 12. 7. decideth and concludes That the body returneth into the earth from whence it came and the spirit to God who gave it Let us hear Wisdom where it is written That the soul of the Just are in the hands of God and Sap. 3. 1. shall not be touched with the torment of death Let us hear the Prophet Daniel who saith Daniel 12. 3. The true Sages shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and that such as instruct many to justice shall be as stars for ever Lastly let us hear our Saviour who speaketh to us clearly and intelligibly in the bloud of all Martyrs Fear not those who kill the bodie and cannot kill the Mat. 10. 28. soul Here will we hold this doctrine of the immortality from his own mouth more than from any other reason he caused us to make it an Article of faith he establisheth upon it all our beatitude why should we then argue and trie new conclusions after the decision of Gods Word 5. I knew well said the wicked man this second Court would condemn me but I am not yet satisfied After nature and faith I appeal to reason I Proofs drawn out of reason will enter into the bottom of my self to know some news of my self What a madness is it to appeal from the decrees of God to reason And yet was this wretch condemned likewise by this tribunal For asking his soul whither wilt thou go What will become of thee after the death of thy body Wilt thou not accompany it in death as thou didst during life I die replieth the soul It is as impossible the light of the Sun become night and fire ice as the soul of man which is the source of life and understanding should be subject to death For from whence should this death and corruption S. Thom. l. 2. contra Gentes c. 79. proceed If thou hast never so little reason thou well seest what the great S. Thomas and all the Sages of the world said A thing cannot die and be corrupted but by one of three ways either by action of its contrary so heat cold moisture and drought corrupt our bodies by their mutual counter-buffs and continual combates or by the want of subject which serves as a basis or foundation to it so the eye dieth when its organ is corrupted or by defect of the assistance of the cause which hath influence into it so the light faileth in the air when the Sun retireth In which of these three kinds wouldest thou corrupt Substantia intellectualis patitur tantum intelligibiliter qui motus potius est perfectivus quà m corruptivus S. Thom. l. 2. contra Gentes c. 55. me Should it be by the action of the contrary I am not subject to bodily impressions but to those onely of the mind which are rather to perfect than corrupt me I am not composed of elements I am not hot cold moist nor drie I admit no contrariety But when I (a) (a) (a) Anima parvo continetur corpore continetque res maximâ—s Aenesius platonicus comprehend in my understanding white black water fire life and death I accord all contraries Death saith (b) (b) (b) Lucr. l. 1. Mors coetum dissipat ollis Lucretius is onely made for the things which have a collection of parts and I am most simple Wilt thou rin me by defect of the body I am of a nature different from body It was sometime without me and I shall be a long time without it for I depend not on it but by accident and chance I take somewhat of it as an hostess in this life but I govern it as a mistress for eternity I make use of the organs of senses but I correct senses and when they tell me the Sun is but a foot broad I prove to them by lively reasons it is much greater than the globe of the earth If I borrow fantasies from imagination I make truths of them and in matter of understanding willing and judging which is my proper profession I have properly nothing to do with bodies as the Philosopher Arist l. 2. de anima l. 2. text 21. Aristotle hath well observed saying I could not be before body but I might remain after the death of body and be separated from it as things eternal from corruptible because I have an action dis-entangled from body which is contemplation All that which is idle perisheth in nature but I have no death because not idle I make it my profession to understand to will and to love which I now exercise in a body but which doth not absolutely depend on body I make use of my senses as of my windows when they shall be no more and that the panes of my prison shall be broken I shall not for all that loose sight but shall see the more easily Behold you not how even at this present I never am more knowing than when I sink into the bottom of my self and separate my self from commerce of sense For I am a Mistress said S. Augustine who see better by my own eyes than by those of my servant Wouldest thou destroy me by the want of an influent cause Needs must God fail if I should be so defective on that part since God having created a thing never reduceth the same to nothing Material creatures are corrupted by changing themselves into
fearfull maladie 135 His notorious cruelty even in his extreamest sickness ibid. His miserable death ibid. Hermingildus his retreat and conversion 325 His father's letter to him and his to his father 326 He is wickedly betrayed by Goizintha 328 His letter to his wife and his undaunted resolution 330 His death 331 His young son Hermingildus died not long after 332 A notable Observation upon the habit of a High-Priest 93 Hilarion of Costa a reverend Father 388 Hippocrates his desire how to cure the itch of ambition 56 House of the Moth. 25 House of Swallows ibid. A notable Doctrine of Hugo 61 Humility defined 468 Humiliation of Death 350 State of Humilitie 18 All the world teacheth us the lesson of Humilitie 56 The kingdom of Hypocrisie 11 Reasons against Hypocrisie ibid. Baseness of Hypocrisie ibid. Hypocrisie confuted in the great School of the world 42 Hypocrisie condemned by the Law of Heaven ibid. Deformity of Hypocrisie ibid. I JAcques de Vitry his pretty Observation 39 Idleness the business of some Great men 44 Abuse of an Idolatrous spirit 13 Jesus one and the same for Nobles and Plebeians 3 Excellent qualities of Jesus Christ 376 He is the Concurrence of all perfections ibid. Three Excellencies of Jesus in which all other are included ibid. His Sanctity Wisdom and Power 377 Practice of the love of Jesus reduced to three heads ibid. Miracles of the person of Jesus 442 Jesus entereth into his glory by his merit ibid. Suspension of actual glory in the body of our Saviour Jesus ibid. Imitation of Jesus Christ the abridgement of Wisdom 3 Images of Emperours how much reverenced 13 Impietie hath its misery 36 Impietie condemned in the Tribunal of Nature 420 Impietie chastised 451 Against Toleration of Impietie 452 Impuritie of life ariseth from three sources 85 Reasons against Inconstancie 40 Inconstancie of men 236 Indegondis transporteth the Catholick Faith into Spain 323 The persecutions of Indegondis 324 By her mediation there is a Treaty of peace between Levigildus and his son 327 The glory and greatness of that man who knows how to suffer Injuries 40 Observation of Isaiah 30. 8 406 Belief of Judgement most general 430 Judea in what condition before Herod came to the Crown 89 The causes of the corruption of Julian 373 The School of Julian ibid. How he became depraved 374 He is a Christian for policie and an Infidel in soul ibid. Prowess of Julian among the Gauls ibid. His subtility to invade the Empire ibid. His Embassage ibid. His remarkable punishment ibid. He had ill success with the qualities that Machiavel furnished him with 260 Jupiter painting goats in the Clouds what it meaneth 14 Justina an Arian requireth a Church in Milan 206 Justice and Mercy the two Arms of God 22 Necessity of Justice with its acts 89 Justice without favour very remarkable ibid. Justice of Belizarius and Aurelianus 226 Justice defined 468 K KNowledge of good and evil doth make the sin more foul 23 Knowledge of ones self very hard 69 No certain Knowledge of four things 440 L LAcedaemonians practice 381 LAdies excellent in pietie 388 Sordid Liberalitie of Emmanuel Comenus 91 Ignorance and bruitishness of Libertines 449 Arrogancy of Libertinism 450 The Table of Philo of the manners of Libertines ibid. Punishment of God upon Libertines ibid. Evil of a sleight Lie 145 Lying the key of vice 469 A Life led by opinion is ridiculous 8 Condition of this Life well described 65 Man must lead a Pilgrims Life in this world 72 Our Life is a Musick-book 84 Four sorts of Life 137 Opinion of the other Life 403 Life and Death the two poles of the World ibid. Divers kinds of Life ibid. Life was given to Cain for a punishment 414 Disturbances of Life 435 Divers wayes of humane Life according to Saint Gregorie ibid. The choice of conditions of Life is hazardous ibid. Miseries of this present Life 436 Of the Lilie with six leaves 72 Divers kinds of Love 228 229 Love turned into rage 244 The baseness of Love 375 Love of invisible things most penetrating ibid. Worldly Lovers being converted are the most servent in the Love of God illustrated by a comparison 379 Excellency of Love 399 Division of Love ibid. There is a possibility in man to love his enemies ibid. Effects of the Love of enemies in the Law of Nature 400 Loyalty of a wife to her husband 352 Lust ruineth Empires 154 Lust is a fire that burneth the garment of the soul 182 Luxurie the sin of the heel 195 Lycinius his condition 242 His end 242 Lycurgus his greatness 3 M MAgnanimitie 468 MAn a Stage-player upon the Theatre of the world 12 Three sorts of Man in every man 61 Character of the carnal and spiritual Man ibid. Of the nature and dignity of man what he hath been what he is and what he shall be 64 Man hath more non-essence than essence 350 Mans ingratitude towards God 346 Mutability of men ibid. Miseries of an indebted man 352 It is dangerous to disoblige pious and learned Men. 379 Diversitie of Men. 413 Monument of the Empress Marie 418 Five notable things in the mystery of the Mass 74 Mass a sacrifice ibid. Instructions for the Married 96 Mariamne's accusation and pitifull death 124 Martianus of whom a marvellous accident 150 His good success ibid. A great Massacre at Thessalonica 214 Maxims very dangerous used by Hereticks 183 Maxentius acteth a strange Tragedie 240 He is defeated by Constantine 241 Maximian the Baloon of Fortune 239 A remarkable speech of Maximus 79 Maximus overthrown and put to death 209 210 Meditation its definition 75 Necessity and easiness of Meditation ibid. What you must understand to Meditate well ibid. Practice and Form of Meditation consisteth in six-things 76 Seven ways to dilate ones self in Meditating in abundance upon sundry thoughts ibid. Modestie important 87 Modestie of a son of S. Lewis 418 Modestie defined 468 The actions of Modestie ibid. Marvellous contempt of money 227 Monica the mother of S. Augustine her qualities 193 Her death 198 A singular saying of Sir Thomas Moor. 90 Mother of Macchabees persecuted 348 N NAtures evils 355 NAtures voice 370 Nature delighteth in contrarieties 412 Nature the price of time 43 Nebucadnezzar nursed by a Goat 16 Nero his folly 12 Notable action of Noah 414 Nobility the first gift of God 4 Nobility not tied to bloud ibid. Against such as betray their Nobility 5 Nobility of Noah wherein ibid. Nobility of Eleazar and his excellent speech ibid. Priviledges of Nobility 8 Noble-men why ill educated 16 Nobility very much corrupted 17 Noble-mens particular obligation 20 Noble-men examples of great importance in the world 21 Noble-men appeal from the sentence of Labour 51 Disorders in corrupt Nobility 218 219 Novelty in Religion dangerous 31 Novelty ever suspected by the Wise 32 O OAths of Magistrates 90 OBedience defined 468 The qualities of an Officer 272 Onocratalus his instinct 417 Souls in the torrent of Opinion 37
Spina gratiam floris humanae speculum praefetens vitae quae suavitatem perfunctionis suae finitimis curaâ—si stimulis saepe compungit S. Ambr. l. 3. Hexameron Impatient of divers qualities not all the same liveries For the Kingdome of this Passion is an admirable Purgatory where punishments are divers and every one participates of them according to the quality of his apprehension and the diversity of objects Such saith S. Ambrose is the condition of our life Roses which before sin grew without thorns are afterward on all sides armed with sharp-pointed prickles to teach us that the most smiling fortunes take part in the cares and miseries of the condition of mortals I observe nice impatient ones who have been bred as it were between silk and cotton and who never beheld the miseries of the world but through shadows and clouds and therefore the use they have taken to be served from their childhood according to their humour causeth patience to be a matter very extraordinary with them So you see that upon the least occasion presented of suffering their weak spirit shrinks within it self and their tender flesh makes resistance These are they of whom the Prophet Baruch spake My nice ones have walked through hard and rough Delicati mei ambu laverunt vias difficiles Baruch 1. 26. wayes And of whom Seneca hath aptly said They are ulcers which are irritated when they are lightly touched or that you make but a shew to do it I on the other side observe suspicious Impatient ones who skirmish with flies and are tormented upon shadows of affronts which never were continually ruminating on some slight cold countenance not purposely shewed them or some word spoken meerly out of freedome of speech on the other side I see of them that are prompt and sharp whose bloud quickly comes into their faces whose eyes sparkle voice is shrill fashion turbulent and veins wholly bent upon revenge so that they do not long dispute with a yoke but break it and runne at randome where they oftentimes commit as many errours as they go steps I observe others who are more bitter then sharp in their Impatience and in this number I behold many wayward and prying old men who still have some accusations to make against the actions of youth I see many Courties discountenanced many entranced lovers many officers servants male and female dismissed many suitours rejected in their pursuits many envious who repine at the prosperity of their Neighbour on the other part I behold many persons afflicted in the world one with sicknesse another for the death of a friend one with contempt another with slander one with poverty another with deformity of body some with indispositions of mind and other temporall mishaps It is of this Sadnesse whereof the Wise-man speaketh when he saith that Even as the moth marreth a garment and a little worm gnaweth wood so Sadnesse insensibly eateth Prov. 25. Sicut tinea vestimento vermis ligno ita tristitia viri nocet cordi the heart of man Lastly I see many miserable creatures who cease not to find fault with their vocation and to complain of those who govern them to accuse the Age and seasons and oft-times to call God in question Some tell their evil to all the world like unto those sick persons who sought for remedies from all who passed by the gates of their Temples others hatch their discontent in the bottome of their heart and have much to doe that it be not seen in their faces others publickly drag their Crosse through Currents of water with murmures and imprecations of which the Scripture saith That the clamour and noise of Tumultus murmurationum non abscondetur Sap. 1. their exclamations openly brake forth Others cannot restin any place being weary of all manner of sports recreation and company others are vexed at themselves are dotish melancholick frightfull as if they had some evil spirit in their heart so much oppression of mind they feel they neglect all the offices of civill life yea and the functions of naturall life loth any longer to eat or drink as if they already were in their graves from thence proceed black fansies illusions despair and a thousand agitations of mind which cannot be sufficiently expressed It is Sadnesse which in Scripture is called a geuerall Plague Verily it is a lamentable thing to see how we are here Omnis plaga Eccl. 25. 17. handled by the unhappinesse of our passions I am not ignorant there are dolours so great and Sadnesses so deep that an extraordinary grace of God is necessary to free a soul from it which is touched with it and to set it at liberty but we must likewise say that we often betray our Repose and Conscience by suffering so many bad seeds to grow up in our hearts which we might kill with some resistance of virtue and some ordinary help of the grace of God § 2. Humane Remedies of Sadnesse and how that is to be cured which proceedeth from melancholy and pusillanimity WHilst the great Genius of Physick Hyppocrates drave away maladies by his precepts and almost snatched bodies out of the hands of death one Antiphon arose in Greece who envious of his glory promised to do upon souls what the other did on mortall members and proposed this sublime invention which Plutarch calleth the art of curing of all Sadnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in vita 10. Rhetorum where we may truly say he used more vanity promises and ostent of words then he wrought good effects Certainly it were to be wished that our age which is so abundant in miseries should likewise arise great comforts to sweeten the acerbities of the times to pour oil on the peoples yoke as the Scripture speaketh Isa 10. 27. to enter into the interiour of so many poor souls beaten down with Sadnesse and wasted with cares to draw them out of the shadow of death with the first raies of some felicity Another Helena were needfull to mingle the divine Drug of Nepenthe in the meats of so many afflicted persons who moisten their bread with their tears before they eat it For my part I think that to apply a remedy to Sadnesse there must a diligent consideration be had of its nature kind and quality for fear that going about to give it comfort the evil be not exasperated or that a medicine be unprofitably applyed There are Sadnesses which come from humour Four kinds of Sadnesses there are which proceed from pusillamity others are caused by scruples others by an infinite many of irksome objects which happen in the chances of humane life As for those which grow from Melancholick humour they are deep rooted as being the inheritances of Nature and the effects of Temperature They may notwithstanding be greatly moderated by prudence discretion and study which one may use in overcoming them It were not to be desired to cut off all manner of Melancholy
Titanians O senslesse man canst thou not be bold but from the presumption of thy strength And hast thou not yet learned that the things which according to the opinion of the world are most strong are confounded by the weakest Lions have been fed upon by flies and wretched rust wasteth the hardest metals If we must be bold let it be in things honest let it be for virtue for verity for Gods cause Should the heavens Si tactus illabatur orbis impavidum serient ruinae Quadratum lapidem qua verteris stat Aug. in Psal 86. fall in thunder-claps upon our heads their ruines have not power to astonish a mind courageous Turn a square stone which way you will it never stands immoveable upon the solidity of its Basis said S. Augustine One would have me do an ill act and if I consent not thereto I am threatned with the losse of a suit of a ruine of my affairs and with poverty the worst scourge of all Let my enemies vomit forth all their rage on me they cannot make me poorer then I was when I was born I came not into the world glittering with precious stones and it was not gold which instead of bloud ran up and down my veins let poverty come against me with all the train of its terrours When I behold on the Crosse a God all naked who in his nakednesse We must fearnothing in the world to the prejudice of our soul giveth all things I say we should account it a glory to die poor for a God so despoiled They threaten me with banishment the Spirit of God teacheth me not to care what land be under my feet when my eyes are fixed on heaven and on the most blessed repose of the living which concludeth all evils in a beatitude infinite They threaten me with imprisonment fetters gibbets and death the terrible of terribles I expect not till it fall on me I look on it afar off with an eye strucken with the first rayes of felicity What can death take from me but a miserable carcasse subject to a thousand deaths but a life of pismires and flies And what can it bring unto me but a cessation from so many relapsing actions and from a wretched embroilment which every day endeth not but to begin again O how little are all things mortall with him who looks on a God immortall I will walk in the shades of death with a firm footing and a confident countenance since it cannot separate me from the source of Lives The eleventh Treatise Of SHAMEFACTNESSE § 1. The Decency of Shamefac'tnesse its Nature and Definition SHamefac'tnesse is a humane Passion more reasonable then the rest because being properly Shamefac'tnesse a very reasonable Passion A fear of Dishonour it makes distinction between that which is decent or undecent laudable or blame-worthy glorious or infamous which appertaineth to the Court-hall of Judgement and Reason It hath this priviledge that Its sources honour and conscience it takes its Origin from two very eminent sources which are Conscience and Honour seeing the things which cause shame in us are ordinarily vitious or naught in the common understanding of men Conscience which according to S. Thomas is a naturall habitude that exciteth us to good and maketh 1 Part. q. 80 us to disapprove evil insensibly stirreth in us shame so soon as any of our thoughts actions or words transgresse its laws Honour on the other side casts forth a ray from the circuit of its glory which visibly figureth The love of reputation is a strong spurre unto us the blemishes that darken its beauty The love of Reputation is powerfull It seems to be some Atome of Divinity which enters into hearts the most generous makes men very desirous to be well esteemed thinking by this means to lead a pleasing life in the minds of many which is much more prized then the life of bodies seeing there are some who daily sacrifice themselves for Punctillio's of Honour to bloudy deaths in the most exalted heighth of their prosperity This reputation pompously marchethe before Conquerours and causeth a million of Trumpets to be sounded to make them famous It cultivateth the verdant Laurels of great Captains It encourageth the most heartlesse souldiers to Combat It cherisheth the learned and sweetneth the toils of their pens It awakeneth arts It raiseth the most excellent Ladies as it were on the wing of Glory by singularpraises of their Chastity It entreth into places the most infamous as the ray of the Sun into a puddle and makes even those who have renounced Honour still to seek some rag of Renown to cover their reproach S. Augustine saith S August in Psal 19. Herostratus and others Non sum tantus ut sim contentus conscientia mea Ambr. l. 1. Offic. c. 48. men are so ready to make themselves to be known that those who cannot be known for their goodnesse make themselves many times to be talked of for their wickednesse as if they thought it were as good to be nothing as to see themselves deprived of the knowledge of the living S. Ambrose saith admirably well I am not so great a man as to be satisfied with my own Conscience I have this infirmity that I cannot endure the least stain of shame without washing it off This is the cause that the whole world endeavoureth to preserve for it self as much as it can an inviolable estimation among so many different opinions of judgements passions favours disgraces interests and revolutions of the world Manners saith S. Bernard have their colours and their odours which are good examples So soon as Reputation is wounded by the object of some dishonour the soul is moved all the bloud is stirred spreading it self over the face with a ruddinesse as if it proceeded from this wound It is a favour from heaven when we have our senses tender in this kind and I find the antient Oratour Demades spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demades right when he said Shamefac'tnesse was the Cittadel of Beauty and Virtue Likewise the Oracle of Doctours S. Augustine writeth that a more acceptable sacrifice we cannot give to devils then to offer them up Aug. Epist 202. our Shamefac'tnesse forsomuch as if that be once extinct there remains nothing but to expect a generall inundation of all wickednesse § 2. Divers kinds of Shamefac'tnesse NOw we must here observe that there are many kinds of Shamefac'tnesse one whereof is Holy Three kinds of shamefac'tnesse the other Humane and the other Evil. I say a holy Shamefac'tnesse as that which being a most faithfull companion of Chastity cannot endure the least thing Holy shamefac'tnesse contrary to this holy virtue but that it becomes much interessed therein This most evidently appeareth in so many good men in so many virtuous women and chaste virgins who cannot hear an unchaste word but that it fixeth a wound in their hearts Tertullian said Virginibus etiam ipsum
their Colours and that it was enough if they did but shew themselves to conquer The Rebels tormented with the affrightments of their conscience and which had not such entertainment as they were promised first were put into disorder after to flight and then to a rout It seemed that on the one part there were men that came to kill and on the other sheep that came to be slain As soon as they were mingled the one amongst the other the sword on the one side made great Massacres on the other the falls and tumblings headlong carried them away in such manner that there remained twenty thousand upon the place Absolon taken with a great astonishment is left by all the world and betaking himself to flight gets The death of Absolon up upon a Mule It hapned that passing through a Forrest his head was catched and wreathed within the branches of a Tree insomuch that his carryer having left him he remained hanging between heaven and earth where he made a very fitting amends both to the justice of God and the goodnesse of his Father Joab had notice thereof who neverthelesse although David had forbidden it stroke him through with three Darts and when as yet he seemed to have life ten young souldiers of the Troups of Joab ran to make an end of him he feared so much that if he should return into favour and authority lest he should take vengeance upon him because he would not follow his party The body was interred in a pit under a great heap of stones for to convince the vanity of him which had caused a stately monument to be built for himself which he called Absolons hand Behold an horrible end of an evil sonne and a rebellious subject which is sufficient to make posterity afraid throughout the revolution of all ages While all this was doing David inclosed in a little Town expected the event of the battell and when as the Posts brought him the news of the Victory he shewed not so much rejoycing as fear asking every moment in what estate his sonne Absolon was which caused that divers durst not bring him the news of his death seeing the trouble of his mind At last Cushi uttered the word and said That they should desire Absolon's end to all the Kings enemies He understood well what he would say and was pierced with so violent a grief that he could not be comforted losing all courage and crying every moment Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon Oh that this favour had been done for me that I might have dyed for thee Every one cast down his eyes for pitty and the whole victory was turned into sorrow the Palms and Laurels were changed into Cypresse Joab alwayes bold and insolent towards his Master Joabs insolency instead of receiving reproches for his fault casts them upon David and thinks that the means to justifie himself was to speak the more stoutly He enters into the Chamber of his King and reproves him sharply saying to him That he would put to confusion all his good servants that had that day saved his life his house and all his estate That he was of a strange nature and seemed to have been made for nothing but to hate those that loved him and to love those that hated him That it was very clear that he bore no good affection to his Captains and good Souldiers and if they all had perished to save the life of one rebellious sonne he would have been very well satisfied Further he swore to him by the living God that if he did not rise and go forth to see and entertein those that returned from the battell that there should not remain one man onely with him before the morning which would prove a greater displeasure to him then ever he received in all his life He pressed him so vehemently that the King without daring to answer him one word rose up and did all that he would have him This great grief diminished by little and little and the rejoycings of those that came on every side to carry him back to Jerusalem in Triumph gave him no leasure to think upon his losse He endeavoured to draw to him again all those that had separated themselves pardoning all the world with an unspeakable meeknesse being ready even to give Joabs place to Davids mildenesse very great Amasa that was chief Captain for Absolon But Joab quickly hindred this and kild with his own hand him that they had purposed for his successour After that he began to pursue one Sheba a Captain of the Rebels who was retyred into Abela with some remainder of the mutinous and as he was about to besiege it and destroy the City for to take him a woman of discretion and great in credit amongst her people which had made composition with Joab caused him to be slain and threw his head over the walls to put an end to this whole bloodie warre After this re-establishment of his Estate David The last acts of Davids life reigned about eleven years in full peace in continuall exercises of Piety of Devotion of Justice and caused a generall Assembly of the States of his Realme where he made his sonne Solomon which he had chosen to be confirmed and encouraged him to build that great Temple which should be the marvell of the World whereof he shewed him the plat-form the beautifying and the orders in the Idea Two things do a little astonish those which do seek an exact sanctity in this Prince the first that he dyed having unto the last hour a maid of rare beauty by him and the other that he recommended to his son Solomon punishments and deaths by his Testament But there are that answer to those that may be offended with these actions That God hath permitted this to make us the better to relish and admire the perfections of his Evangelicall law whereof the Word Incarnate was made the Law-giver and bringet above all the excellencies of the presents and virtues of the Mosaicall law And that one ought not to expect from David the chastity of a Saint Lewis nor of a Casimire but that one ought to measure things according to the manner of the time according to the law and custome Neverthelesse I should rather say that the plurality of women was not an offence seeing that it was approved of God so that it caused not a weakning of the vigour of the spirits and mortifying their divine functions by too much commerce with the flesh David sinned not in causing the Shunamite to lye besides him seeing that she was in the place of a spouse and approched unto him not for the pleasure which his great age had totally extinguished but for the entertainment of his Royall person Lastly there are other actions that do set forth his virtue besides this which is more worthy of excuse then blame And forasmuch as he ordained by his testament the death of Joab and of Shimei this doth something
the evil spirits have their reign and their time which good men are not able to hinder no more then the winter and the night and that the sovereign Creatour and Governour of all things hath limited their powers and their endurings by certain celestiall periods which being not yet come to an end do make all the endeavours which can be used to destroy them unprofitable This is the cause why there is not taken in hand with such eagrenesse as might be wars in the East and Africa nor that we should undertake great designs against the powers of darknesse if we cannot see by very evident conjectures that God directs us as by the hand Neverthelesse as he reveals not alwayes to his Saints the times and seasons of Empires it happens that those that with great zeal and very rationall prudence do embark themselves in generous designs to advance the glory of God should not justly alwayes be commended even in the default of good successe And I may very well say that the most glorious action of S. Lewis was his prison and his death For to kill the Sarazens to make mountains of dead bodies rivers of bloud to overthrow Cities all in a smoke this is that which Chamgy and Tamerlan have done But to do that which S. Lewis hath done it is it which hath no compare it is that which the Angels would do willingly if they could merit it by a mortall body God which had drawn him from his Kingdome with the faith of Abraham which had lead him through so many dangers with the guiding of Moses gave him in the end to seal up his great actions the patience of Job And to countreballance that which the world esteems mishap he would have him to govern a great Kingdome a long time with an high wisdome and profound peace an exact justice for the good and repose of his people and an uncredible sweetnesse of spirit which hath made him the most amiable of all Kings on the earth and a great Saint in Paradise by the consent of all mortals and the Universall approbation of the Church Queens and Ladies JUDITH HESTER IVDITH HESTER ROYNE EXpect nothing Feminine in this Woman all in her is Male all in her is Generous all in her is full of Prodigies Nature hath put nothing in her but the Sex she hath left to Virtue to make up the rest who after she had laboured a long time in this her Master-piece incorporated her self in her work Never was beauty better placed then upon this face which bears a mixture of Terrour and of Love Lovely in its Graces Terrible in its Valour What a Court-Lady is this that came thither for nothing but to draw the sword Her hand did much by destroying an 100000 men in one onely head but her eye did much more then her hand it was that that first triumphed over Holophernes and with a little ray of its flames burnt up a whole army O what a magnificent employment had Love in this act of hers and to say truth he consecrated his arrows never was he so innocent in his Combats never was he so glorious in his Triumphs Represent to your selves a Nabuchodonozor in the flower of his age in the vigour of his Conquests holding a secret Councel wherein he makes a resolution to subdue the World After a short conclusion of an affair so great he calls Holophernes and commands him to march towards the West with an Army of 100000 Foot and 12000 Horse All the Captains assemble themselves together and in all places souldiers swarm It seems that that brave Generall did nothing but give a stamp with his foot to procreate armed men Behold him already invironed with Legions all glittering with fire and flames his Army is on foot with an horrible Artillery of military Engines and a great preparation of Victuall and Ammunition It seemed that heaven looked upon this Host with affrightment and that the earth ecchoed at every step under the clattering of its Arms. The motions of it give terrour to the stoutest sort and confusion to the weaker before it marches Noyses Affrights and Threats after it Weepings Ruins and Desolations Holophernes is in the middle as a Gyant with an hundred arms which promises to himself to demolish smoaking Cities to-overthrow Mountains and to beat all Arms to powder with the lightning of his eyes Ambassadours of all Nations are seen waiting at his gate who present unto him Crowns who offer him Tapers and Incense desire peace and mercy of him and beseech him to grant them servitude But this supercilious Generall would march upon the heads of men and make himself a river of Bloud to water therewith his Palms Fame that publishing with an hundred mouthes the wasts that that Army made on all sides failed not to fly unto Jerusalem and to carry that sad newes unto the people of God Nothing was then heard but the sighs and groans of a scared people who beholding that furious Tempest coming afar off had neither heart nor arms to oppose themselves against it Their courages were dismaied their hands weak their tongues mute they had no other defence but their tears which they powred out in abundance to begin the funeralls of their dear Countrey Manasseh reigned at that time in Jerusalem seven hundred years before the Nativity of our Lord who seeing no expedient to divert this misery abandoned himself to silence and to darknesse But Joachim the High Priest executing a Captains office together with a Priests encouraged his poore people and wiped off their tears to make them see the first ray of hope which they conceived of their dear Liberty He dispatches Posts to all parts and commands the cities that were menaced with the marches of that army to contribute all that they were able of Money Iron Men and Victuals to beat back the common Enemy and above all to prepossesse themselves of the streights of the mountains to stop up the passages where a few men would be able to do much rather then to expect them in the champain where so great forces would swallow up all that could be opposed against them After this he commands publick prayers to be made where the Altar of God was covered with sackcloth and the Priests with hair-cloth all the people were at their supplications tears and fastings even the children prostrated themselves on the earth and cryed to implore the mercy of God This excellent High-Priest not being ignorant that with Piety we ought to move the hand contented not himself onely to weep before the Altar but visited in person the Cities and the Burghs comforting the afflicted stirring up the slack strengthening the weak and doing that which the infusion of the soul doth in the Body in giving life and vigour to all the members of the State The newes comes to Holophernes that the Jews prepared themselves to make resistance to his Army whereat he entred into great fits of choler and called the Princes of the
Queen in Vashti's place putting the Crown upon her head Mordecai was ravished at this choice and walked every day from the first beginning that she was brought to Court before the Seraglio to hear news of her having recommended her to a certain Eunuch his confident that had of her a very particular care He sent her very opportunely necessary advice to teach her how to behave her self and above all he was so wise as to recommend to her not to declare the Nation whereof she was and to make no discovery that she had any relation to him which he judged to be to the purpose for fear lest Haman who was in so great favour and who hated naturally the Jews should ruine her before she had taken rooting in the Kings heart Behold a wonderfull sport of Providence which tooke a little stone with an intention to beat down a great Colossus and makes in one instant of an earthen pot a vessel of gold Men stand now amazed to think what wind drove this poor Jewesse to the crown of the chief Monarchy that was at that time in the whole world They think that sure it was a great chance but God knew that it was a great counsel digested from all eternity in his thoughts For if command is due according to Aristotle to persons that are most accomplished there was some foundation in the excellent qualities of Hester on which to set a Crown for beside the beauty of her body and the ingeniousnesse of her mind she had great gifts of virtues that rendred her lovely to all the world and might serve for models to all Ladies She was not a lump of flesh or a body without a soul nor a worldly woman that had no other Idol but her Beauty nor other Deities but Pleasure and Ambition as it happens ordinarily to most women who seeing themselves elevated to the top of the grandeurs of the age strangely corrupt their manners and dishonour their condition Hesters chief and principall virtue that made a most pure source of pleasures flow into the rest of her life was That she was devout and that being young of age frail of sex high of condition in a Court of an Infidel King amongst so many other Pagan women she never forgat God but observed punctually as farre as it was lawfull and possible for her the exercise of her Religion making her prayers with an incredible ardour and retaining a faith inviolable in the midst of the Empire of impiety She brought the King her husband to the worship of God and to the love of her people as farre as she could perceive any disposition in him She erected a Temple in her heart having not yet the power to build one in her Kingdome and directed all her Devotions to the sacrificing of her self She was also greatly to be commended for the little care she had of her Body against the nature of that sex which often preferres their flesh before God and all Paradise This appeared evidently at that season when she was to present her self to the King the second time since that in an occasion so important wherein all other women would have had an infinite care of their habit and attire she contented her self with so small a thing and yet in her naturall grace just as a rose adorned with its own leaves she obscured all other beauties even the most tricked and pranked Her art was to have no art at all to take what nature had given her and to render all to God Furthermore she brought to Court a great Humility and a perfect submission which she never quitted being as obedient to her uncle when she had the Crown upon her head as in her lowest age she hearkned to his advice she put it in execution she despised no body but her own self The habit of a Queen was to her a burden almost insupportable and she never found more joy then in her solitude There are few women that are born without self-wilfulnesse and without opinions that augment themselves with age and increase excessively in high conditions which makes us admire this woman in contemplating nearer her deportments and seeing how little she relied upon her own self but although she was endowed with a rare wit yet she hearkned to reason and without much ado yielded to good counsel which rendred her demeanour very happy and all her negotiations most advantageous Besides all this as God had chosen her for great things so he gave her the prudence of the Saints accompanied with a good judgement with docility with providence with discretion with circumspection and with expeditnesse in the execution of affairs To this prudence was joyned a courage and an incomparable generosity even to enterprise by a motive of virtue actions so dangerous that she could expect nothing from them that was lesse then death And for to crown all these virtues she possessed farther an illustrious patience taking every thing from the hand of God and suiting her self to his will in all the successes and events of the businesses of the world Behold the principall qualities that adomed this Princesse and that may be seen in those women that God hath gratified with his favours In the sequel of this story he makes us see the brave employment that he gave her in that Court of Ahasuerus to bruise the head of a great Serpent and to deliver her Nation from a gulf of great and horrible calamities Princes and great men would be happy if without dying by procuration they might live in person They are born often enough with most excellent qualities they are calm seas and killed with riches that might do good to all the world if the winds would but let them runne according to their own nature But as the Beauties of women are courted by many Lovers so high conditions have their flatterers that under a shadow of themselves Adorers make themselves Masters and under colour of Service exercise an Empire even over those that think they command the whole Universe Their name by this means serves for a Passeport to all mischeifs their Authority for a sanctuary to crimes their Taxes for tinder to concupiscense their Power for an instrument to revenge and for a scourge to mankind This may be manifestly seen in the sequele of this History where it is said That Ahasuerus exalted Haman above all the Princes and Nobles of his Kingdome and took the wickedst man of the earth to make of him the most puissant that Crimes might have as much assistance as this Monarch had power and riches His goodnesse was seduced in this point and his too easie spirit was gained by great appearances that stole him from himself and left him nothing but a meer apparition of Dignity This Haman which he thought at first to be a Persian an honest man an able and affectionate to his service was partly an Amalekite and partly also a Macedonian a sonne of the earth that had neither God nor conscience
to go to the conquest of an Empire accompanied onely with eight persons He failed not upon the way to write to the Senate of Rome making great excuses for his so sudden a departure renewing the offers of his services and the oaths of his fidelity with a protestation that he went not to trouble his Nephew but to oppose Lysias that was an insolent fellow and would bring under the subjection of his tyranny both the King and Kingdome he forgat not to charge him with the murder of Octavius a Roman Embassadour that had been newly slain adding that he would become the revenger of so cowardly a treachery The Romans seemed neither to be astonished nor angry at his going but attended the succsse of his affairs to make him answer He quickly got as farre as the city of Tyre and sent secretly Diodorus into Antioch to hear the reports and sound the spirits of men which he found very much disposed to a change Whereupon Demetrius declar'd himself and took the Diadem with a generall applause of the Tyrians that made a great faction for him Lysias with his Eupator found himself much surprised at the news and deliberated a long time whether he should go out of that narrow passage to meet and fight with him or intrench himself in the city of Antioch or expect him with sure footing This last advice seemed the more secure but it was lesse glorious suddenly to shut himself up upon the first brute of a sedition and as a fearfull creature to run into his hole to hide himself It was represented to him That the sovereign remedy against those tumults was to flie speedily to them whereas delay would serve for nothing but to augment the boldnesse of the insolent that ordinarily they were very much amated when they were set upon with vigour before their conspiracy was settled that many that were yet but half engaged would retire from them at the least rumour that the Majesty of Kings bore something of great and sacred that astonished the Rebels In fine that it appertained to the dignity of so high a Prince and to the prudence of a Minister of State to endure nothing base but to put themselves suddenly into the field to defend their honour and their Kingdome which are two things whose losse is irrecoverable Those that desired most the ruine of Lysias were the first to flatter him concerning Courage and Generosity wishing nothing more then to see him in the field This made him go out of Antioch to go meet Demetrius But he that had seen himself so well accompanied in prosperity found himself almost all alone in danger for he was betrayed and sold by his own souldiers who seized upon the young King and him to deliver them to Demetrius who was yet in a great uncertainty of successe and said to those that had elected him Companions I am your work and the question of my life of your honour of your goods and of all that a mortall man can fear or hope for is this day to be decided If ye persist in the good will ye bear to me I esteem my self sufficiently and sufficiently rich The Sceptre is nothing to me in comparison of the approbation of your judgements and of your choice which ought now to be verified by your courage and by your arms We march under the favour of the Gods of the Roman Empire against a tyrant that hath possessed himself of that young Prince and of the Crown to assassinate the one and rob the other It is time either to defend Justice by our bloud or to conquer the Empire by our sweat As he was upon these discourses the news came wholly to him that Lysias had been apprehended with his pupil by the consent of all the Legions and they were to be brought to him prisoners This grand word gave him joy mingled with some doubt which made him meditate how he should use his fortune He shewed that he had a very great sense of the honour that had been bestowed upon him but he desired not to see Lysias nor his Nephew as the Scripture assure us whether it was that his heart was mollified with some tendernesse by the compassion of his bloud or whether it was a wile of a Politician who would not seem to do that which he procured to be done that he might have lesse blame in that action and that he might the more easily justifie himself to the Roman Senate about the death of the young King The souldiers finished that which he had begun slew Lysias and laid their bloudy hands upon the person of poor Eupator without having any regard either to the innocency of his life or to the tendernesse of his age or to the character that he bore so true it is that ambition is filled with a contageous venome that spares nothing for the satiating of it self Demetrius saw himself King by a generall consent of all the orders of the Realm and had no more any thing to sear unlesse it was from the Romans the disstributers of Empires and of Glories And therefore he employed all his cares to appease them by great submissions and reasons that made them plainly see that it was more for the interest of their State to preserve then to destroy him He sent them for this purpose a solemne Embassage with great presents and and above all a Crown of an high price for a mark that he submitted his Royall dignity to their discretion Further yet to testifie how he embraced their loves and their revenges he caused Leptines and Isocrates the Gramarian to be put in chains that were accused to have had an hand in the murdering of Octavius their Embassadour and sent them away to Rome to receive the sentence of the Senate The Roman relished well all those references and confirmed the new King in his pretensions upon the protestations that he made that he was not stained with his Nephews bloud whom he said to have been taken away by the misfortune of a Sedition raised against him without having any means to save himself and if he had not made a search after the crime he excused himself by the generality of the culpable as being a thing ordinary enough that sins that have an infinite multitude of complices have not any punishment He was no sooner upon the Throne but he saw himself involved by mishap in a warre against the Maccabees Alcimus that was a disloyall Jew and a traitour to his Nation pricked forward by the ambition of the Pontificate and jealous even to rage of the great progresses of Judas failed not to prepossesse the spirit of the King who was a man of an easie belief to make black his adversary by most horrible calumnies and to interest all the Kingdomes of Syria to his ruine This forger of warres and battles obtain'd all that he did desire by detestable artifices and caused armies to go to the ruine and desolation of his Countrey Judas Maccabeus upon
when the Sun obtained the middle part of Virgo or Astraea for he was to govern the world with the moderation of Laws He ascended with Lyra being to make a harmony and consort of publick tranquillity And if Scorpio did at the same time shew forth his sting he threatned the Sarazens and promised the Idumean Palms to him that should be born so often dignified by the Valour of his Ancestours The heavenly habitations rejoyced at his birth and the whole world welcomed the new-born Babe with joy Now no man thought himself miserable at this happy birth now no man thought himself happy whom that birth did not make so Upon that day France wiped away all the foot of Warre and shined clearly with refulgent ensignes of Peace We had that day as many prosperities as bone-fires and as many bone-fires as there are starres O Lewis beloved of God whom he seemeth to have regenerated in his sonne that very moneth wherein he was born O Anne late indeed the mother of a sonne yet alwayes a fortunate mother in bringing forth a sonne not onely to her self nor so much to her self as to all France He hath much of his Father and much of his Mother and by this very confusion he maketh the image of them both more gratefull and more amiable This new Isaac will make thee laugh O France and whom thou canst scarce hear speaking hereafter thou shalt see comforting How many chains will those tender hands burst asunder How many prisons will they open How many obscurities will those little eyes enlighten How many monsters will the feet of this Infant subdue and trample on Be silent ye waves be silent ye tempests and rages of the sea at the beck of such a gentle Prince and restore unto the world that serenrty whereof you have deprived it Ye heavenly Powers lend him long unto the earth and whom you have made so healthfull to the Nation make him also lasting Ye Fates keep off your hands and touch not this child but to assist him Let him transcend the years and actions of his Ancestours and being born mortall may he apprehend nothing but what is immortall May he love and desire to be beloved ever fearing to be feared Let the oppressed find him a deliverer may the unjust feel him an avenger may his enemies know him to be of a warlike spirit and may his Subjects attest him to be of a peaceable mind This Nativity ravisheth all my senses which I foretell shall be the beginning of an eternall Peace unto us Look down from above O Lewis upon such a sonne Look upon him all ye Christian Kings as your little Nephew give rest to wearied things let arms be silent at the command of so great a Prince so potent an Oratour nor let the tumults of Warre rock this royall cradle To you again Great Princes I wholly turn my self by whatsoever is dear I ask by whatsoever is holy I beseech you give peace to them that beg it or must beg without it give tranquillity to the world sighing under so many feverish miseries Make it appear unto us that you chose rather to be the Pacificatours of the world then the Subverters of your own Kingdomes There is a story how in that fatall War between the English and the French continued with lasting contentions and horrible slaughters a pious Anachoret instigated thereunto by God came unto the Courts of the two Princes that he might compose these ferall discords between them But being slighted in the English Court and negligently repulsed this despised but not despicable Augur pronounced many direfull accidents that should befall that Nation But travelling to Charles of France and finding him to be a prince of a gentle wit and inclined to conditions of Peace he foretold that the Kingdome being recovered he should have the Dolphin to be his successour who as he was the child of many hearty desires so he should prove the instrument of many joyfull enterprises The prophecy is inpartpart fulfilled with a prosperous event so tenderly God loves the sons of Peace accumulated with affluence of all good things Whoe're he be let him beware that shall resist and strive against the peaceable wishes of all men some grievous hand will fall upon him and his from heaven he shall meet with unhappy events in all his undertakings his life shall be cer-tainly troublesome his death doubtfull Best and greatest Princes consider and think with your selves that what losse soever can be pretended to happen by this league of Peace whatsoever can detract from your Honour or your Empire is recompenced unto you in the most fortunate advantages of the whole Chri-stian world This is rich indeed this is magnificent this truly Royal and to be propagated to the memory of all Ages Remember that you are Christians and govern Christians be you propitious like Gods unto men if you desire that God should be propitious unto you Whatsoever you enjoy of life is slippery and uncertain and your Dignities are full of frailty it is your Justice that hath reference to your Felicity and it is your Virtue that links you to Eternity There is a great and conspicuous Tribunall that expects you there sits a Judge cloathed with purestlight to summon you unto whom the most secret things are revealed whom the most involved and disguised actions cannot deceive no can he be overcome by perversities Before him must appear the souls of Kings devested of body fortunes Empires and be they just or unjust they must be examined by a most clear light There you shall hear the Edicts of the supreme Deity and the King of kings thundering in your ears the groans of the oppressed shall cry against you the tears of the poor shall speak against you the tutelary Gods will plead for their Altars which you have broken down and all the heavenly Militia will rise together against the contumacious Endeavour ye pious and alwayes invincible Princes that those things which have been committed in prejudice of your wills by the uncontroulable licence of War may be corrected by your Equity that they may leave no aspersion upon your Reignes no stain upon Reputations no blot upon your Persons Bring to passe that Justice and Peace may meet in mutuall embracements let them be carried with triumphall pomp thorow your Kingdomes and thorow your Cities let them be born upon the shoulders of the whole world unto fixed and eternall seat that it perpetually may be lawfull for us to worship and reverence them at the monuments of your goodnesse and the pledges of our felicity Pax super Israel Dei. FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL TABLE Setting down the most observable Matters contained in the two last TOMES of the HOLY COURT ABiathar the high Priest deprived of his dignities by a violent action 152 The wisdome of Abigail 142 The insolence of Abner 144 He treateth with David 145 His death ibid. Absolon out of favour 147 His reconciliation by means of Joab ibid. Absolons