onely by them who under the shadow of a Deity that loves and does not punish impieties seek to shelter their consciences And is' t possible a Man of Valour though no Christian should not be asham'd to see himself prostrate at the foot of a God more wicked than wickedness it self And is' t possible he should not know these Incenses are consum'd in vain and so many and such chargeable Victims are to no other end but to waste our Wealth and Goods These are Gods which rob us though dead and though ador'd O blindness That God is not ours which seeks our perdition and that God is no God that knows not how to hinder his own Let us bestow our incenses where we have our hopes We hope not in impieties in wickednesses and eternal blasphemers of Gods name by whom they condemn'd will alwayes feel the punishment of their pride and rebellion I can answer you no otherwise but that you know us not if you threaten us And what wouldst thou have us to fear Shame And think'st thou that he 'll dye of shame who a Conquerour of the Devil and the World dyes serving and to serve his Creator What would'st thou have us fear Death A Christian hopes for death and fears it not Gods knife not Adrians affrights us A Christian hath his Country his faith hope treasures and glory in Heaven He is not a Countrey-man of this life Whosoever kils him does not drive him from the Earth but helps him to get sooner to Heaven whither he here a Pilgrim aspires O unhappy man that to live a few days would lose such a fortunate occasion of eternally beatifying himself But why nam'd I a few days If thou canst assure me of a moment of time for sacrificing to thy Gods I am ready to tell thee I will readily do it but if that cannot be so fading and uncertain is this our frail life why wouldst thou make me lose an eternal felicity for a very short moment of time for a moment uncertain for a moment which if certain would have howsoever more torment than life Friend we will dye even to fly this so troublesome life much more to serve our God that is so full of power And this life is too vile too uncertain and too dependant and we passionately desire once to dye to behold our most mercifull God to whose onely presence our souls do aspire and sigh Ah O my Sons shall we never attain to this happiness Shall we never get to tast it O most happy we if our God will be pleas'd to confer it on us And what shall we do in that blessed light which never is eclipsed In that inexhaustible and incomprehensible Sea of delights and consolations Will these petty disasters we suffer for his sake prove bitter or sweet profitable or sad Ah woe's me a frail and poor Creature who love not even so well my God but that the flesh makes me think of interest of pleasure and reward Be not scandaliz'd my sons let 's fight let 's suffer and dye for the onely love of God God alone be our object our reward and our interest Though he did not intend to reward us he deserves to be belov'd and how much for us hath he done Ah scourges ah thorns ah lances ah nails and ah cross ye know very well They spake here all together as expressing the consent of four valiant persons who animating one another as they fortify'd themselves so made the Spectators relent The Orator confounded and unable to compass his end returned to Adrian relating to him he had met with a Prison full of Constancy where he that expected to dye was more fearfull of the flowness than the sharpness of his Sword Adrian implacably incens'd with this last relation calling Placidus ingratefull sacrilegious and seditious and invoking particularly each God extoll'd and exaggerated the merit of his own piety That he had rather part with a Minister of state though usefull and glorious to the Empire than that Heaven should be sacrific'd to by his hand When he with exclamations complaints threats and injuries had sufficiently enflam'd and tormented himself the authority of the Devil his Counsellor prevailing at last he resolv'd to blot Placidus out of the book of life and ask'd by his will what death they should dye the Lions he reply'd should devour them who had for that purpose fasted three dayes together The innocent Christians were led to the Theater whither they went with a faith deserving a Theater The People who with tears resented their condition accompany'd and pitied them with a sorrow and compassion that cannot be express'd Every one was sorry for the Sons unhappy youth and every one for the Parents affliction Some thought the death of the young men was most worthy of pity because they were cut off in the flower of their age while others had a greater compassion for the Parents supposing their death to be the more pretious for by losing themselves and their Sons they lost and lamented more lives When the Theater was open'd and the persons condemned appear'd who more cheer'd up themselves in their dangers no eye was free from tears especially when they saw and heard Eustachius speak who kneeling in the midst of his beloved family cry'd aloud with his hands rear'd to Heaven Though all hell should be let loose much less a few Lyons he can have no feare that loves thee O Lord. Thou art too sweet and too dear O sweet and dear Love of our love Behold us at thy feer most ready and prepar'd for a sacrifice which is not so pure and immaculate as thou dost deserve is what four poor and miserable sinners can give thee With thy loving mercyes make it what thou would'st have it to be for thy glory What say ye dear Sons are ye glad of this occasion to shew your prompt obedience to our most gracious Father and God Take ye pleasure that he see he hath not given so much to you but that ye are ready to present and sacrifice more to him if it lay in your power Offer up to him and give him that life he so often hath bestow'd upon you preserv'd and made noble Which way will these Lyons come out Will they make peradventure to this place Come valorous Sons let us bend thither Ye are well acquainted with Lyons ye have conquer'd them formerly when ye were not old enough to distinguish them Will ye now be afraid of them when ye fight for Gods sake Ah dear husband his wife interrupting him began wrong not the valour of our Sons Ye O my Sons shall stand here together and I here before She will lead you out of this life who brought you into it Give prayses to God for the victory and bless and invoke him O holy thrice holy and a thousand times holy behold us at the sacrifice we so often have desir'd Accept O amorous accept most loving flame of our breasts this litte and last but
subdu'd the rebell he secured the Empire to the Emperour and remustering his souldiers renown'd by the victory and enricht with the booty resolv'd to retreat But 't would not be amisse to relate the affectionate charity with which he commiserating the unfortunate moderated the anger of the Conquerours restrain'd the rapacity of the Covetous and repressed the fierceness of the lustfull telling them with arguments but more efficaciously by his own example that victories are dishonour'd by acts of injustice and we make an ill return of Heavens favours when we do commit cruelties It would peradventure be convenient and perhaps not unprofitable to tell the love and tears he devoutly exprest for the multitude of graces from God but who can describe the conceptions of an Angel Graces he receiv'd and was thankfull for them and was thankfull because he receiv'd them and receiv'd them because he was thankfull He return'd them so affectionatly that oftentimes the graces losing the name of graces became the reward of his gratitude his zeal making him so deserving that the favours he receiv'd made him capable of deserving them afresh O most happy state of a Soul in love with God! The Army marched and marched in order every pace being regular in respect of their motion and conveniency of the stations The Van-guard Battalia and Reer-guard with the Baggage and Provisions in their place Light-Horsmen scowr'd the way though the Countrey was open and no danger of ambushes and the Precursors went for Forrage as the way was commodious In every thing they provided against the perils of a War and enjoy'd in every thing the delights of a Peace They marched in order not out of suspicion but discipline for their Arms serv'd onely for the character and not the defence of the Souldier At the end of some dayes Eustachius arriving in a pleasant and fruitfull part of Egypt resolved the Army should repose for some time which by reason of its hard and toylsome march was in no good condition During the sweetness of this rest the Souldiers allur'd by the pleasantness of the Countrey went recreating themselves in that Paradise of Egypt whose bosome still enamell'd with a Spring of standing Treasures invited them with pleasure and tranquillity to lye every where on the ground It happened on a time that two of them declining the heats at noon day were resting themselves in a shade of Palm-trees where a Garden lay conceal'd which for the delights of the Inhabitants was seated in the most remote part of the House They lay solitary on the grass and talking among themselves and because the conveniency of the place and the time unfit for business gave them the opportunity they passing from one to another discourse informed each other by turns of the state and condition of their fortunes A poor Woman that was spinning behind the hedge of the neighbouring Garden and refreshing her self in the shade heard all their discourse and things which not onely caus'd amazement in her heart but drew tears from her eyes She toss'd up and down disorder'd and much troubled resolves to change the climate to make use of the tidings she received by chance But how will she be able to do it since she is so unhappy that to call her a Woman of small fortune would detract from her calamity While these mental tumults lasted her minde gave her happily the General if she made it her suit would easily condiscend to her modest desires She who had her heart and her ears replenish'd with the celebrated piety of Eustachius embrac'd the suggestion and arriving at the place where she heard he was quarter'd continues her request for access and easily obtain'd it of him who never asham'd to have his actions seen retires to live more quietly and not to sin more secretly She found him sitting in the midst of his Champions the glory of that age where I might say he recreated himself if treating of a Hero it came not near impiety not to say he was at Councel She first prostrating her eyes and then kneeling rather owning the title of a noble and modest Maid than a mature and beggarly Egyptian spake to him in this manner You see my Lord a poor unhappy Creature who hath lost all that Heaven and Nature could give her Time and Fortune have robb'd me of my Youth my Parents Countrey Means Husband and Sonnes But Heaven be praised whose decrees should be alwayes held in reverence nothing else is left me but the dreggy part of my age which being vile infirm frail impotent and painfull begins now so to trouble me I am oblig'd to think of my Grave to prevent my being miserable even after death Rome was my Countrey whither naturall affection calls me the onely favour I have left me to beg for so wretched a Carcass I beseech you Noble Sir deny not my request that I may at your charitable charge once again see that soyl which though it gave me so unfortunate a birth deserves my love so well I never shall remember it but with tears and with sighs These few and sweet words which she utter'd with humility and a modesty expressing majestie the standers by mov'd with compassion commended extreamly Eustachius who never was more happy and contented than when he had occasion to exercise his piety approaching to her who continu'd yet kneeling reply'd Poor Woman thou shalt receive comfort Thy discretion bears thee witness thy birth is as thou say'st Rest satisfied I will take such order thou shalt be provided of all things in the journey and go along with us to the place thou desirest On the sudden the good Woman when she heard him say so as if she had been struck to the heart lifting up her eyes and fixing them on the countenance of the General being dismay'd amaz'd and pale with a certain distemper which some did interpret confusion and others astonishment stood still without motion Every one admiring the strangeness of the thing fell a guessing at the cause produced so sudden a passion But the pale and wan colour in her cheeks became quickly a fine red and as soon as her minde had obtain'd some peace to so many perturbations she endeavour'd with her tears to vent her great passion Eustachius more amaz'd than the rest and urging her to tell the sudden cause of so sensible a sorrow offer'd to assist her more abundantly if she needed or desir'd it The issue was thus when the Woman had calmed her passion and was confident of the Generals magnanimity she besought him at last that dismissing the Company he would suffer her for a short space of time to speak to him alone about business concerning her Eustachius condescended and all the standers by went away leaving her shut in and alone with the General who longing irresolute and wavering by reason of many doubts guess'd penetrating with his judgment what the Beggar would say who was not without a great mysterie so grievously and suddenly afflicted
wonderfull a scene have registred their Acts in the Annals of eterninity to present them to God as a pleasing sight to him who is in his own sphear when he shines among the flames of an enamour'd heart They supt but gaz'd more than they did eat the communication of their miseryes past refreshing them more than the delicatest meat though it had been drest by the skilfullest hand and with the rarest sauces in the world In the morning they went to the Army which rendevous'd together expected them waving with gladness acclamations and such joyfull applause that it plainly appeared the happiness alone of the Generall was the soul of that vast body considering his dignity but the heart if we consider their affections This day they were jocund and joviall and consumed the next in preparations to be gone the word being given through the Campe of their future dislodging Eustachius when the legions the baggage and prisoners were marcht away went directly to Rome in the midway to which he received advice that Trajan the just the valiant and couragious was dead which disturb'd in some sort the contentment of his heart Something should be said in the praise of his vertue if the name of Trajan had not been the greatest prayse the memorialls of that age could commemorate The Generall publisht the news to the Legions who wept not for his death for at the same time they heard of the succession of Adrian not was it lawfull or at least secure to weep when tears might maliciously be interpreted and said to be shed rather for the coronation of the one than the death of the other In those tyrannous times they lookt not nor spake without counsell and before they went abroad receiv'd information of the interests of the Prince to know what kind of Countenance they should wear through the City Eustachius arriving in Rome was receiv'd in that manner by the Emperour that he found no want of Trajan I relate not the ceremonyes at his meeting his prayses the concourses of people the Images Crowns and triumphall arches because in each place where vertue appears she draggs triumphs after her and he 's much more fortunate than valiant whose vertue can receive augmentation of glory by a triumph Adrian embraced commended and rewarded him augmenting his titles his riches and authority Adrian's whole discourse still concluded with the prudence the valour and fortune of Placidus Placidus was the Emperors right hand the apple of the eye of the Empire and a patterne for the Lords All lookt on him not only as a valiant Commander but a favorite He that of Placidus could dispose whose Genius was supposed predominant o're Adrians thought he could command the Prince Adrian made him often tell the story of his life and kist and hugg'd him often in his bosome and sometimes was so jealous and sometimes so delighted with him that he challenging a share in the fortunate successe of so raging a tempest said in the health of Placidus he ow'd his first triumph to the Gods Placidus dispatcht all affaires and calm'd and resolv'd all the Emperours cares and doubts But what wonder is' t that vertue should be lov'd and respected Placidus never went into the Royall Cabinet but learning and truth enterd with him necessary conditions for the Moses who is to be there to discourse with his God His Power never swell'd him at all and though in so short a space of time he attain'd to such greatness that his looks and command were held in the same veneration yet he more humble and more affable to all than before then onely shew'd his greatness when he had an opportunity to shew his magnanimity He had a heart of ashes and still thought upon his own vileness As the Bee that the wind should not carry him away he still carry'd in his hands the base stone of his condition He had not like Philotas need of shoes soal'd with lead to the end the winde of vanity should not raise him from the earth Death and the Cross were the Anchor and Mast which secured this Ship He knew well the feathers of birds that were offer'd up in holocausts were thrown on the dunghill and that the more the Syren of greatness allures the more needfull it is for Ulysses to be ty'd to the mast for his own preservation The greater his power was the more stil the followers or to speak better the fishers of Fortune extended their netts and toyl'd for his favour Every one believ'd he had stopt the rowling wheele of his fortune when he thought he was sure of his power Every one directed his motions to the splendour of this light which was reverenc'd by all as the North Star of this Heaven O with what ease do our eys deceive themselves Whither it be the nature of affection whose heat 's the less durable by being the more vehement or whither it be the nature of nature which having to every thing prescribed a mutation reduces that faster to the center which she hath with greater violence exalted to the summit Placidus had a fall Confide he in the favour of man who is a greater favourit more deserving and more necessary to his master than Placidus was to Adrian He fell but he fell into Paradise This is a fortunate precipice for he fell into the lap of eternall and incomprehensible felicity but yet t is a precipice for a terrible and dreadfull example of human mutability That a man for his vertue respected and for his condition most powerfull well spoken of by all desir'd by all Nations and victorious in all battailes whom his Countrey glory'd in the age he liv'd in honour'd and in whom the Prince said he was happy should set in an instant be examin'd by a hangman unjustly condemn'd and sentenc'd by that mouth which more than any other carest kist and made him renown'd is a thing so full of horrour that I hold the man mad who after so notorious an example will trust in his own prudence and think it sufficient to support him in the favour of man be he never so friendly or oblig'd The ancient Roman Emperors after any remarkable victory gave publiquely thanks to their Gods which they used to do with that pompe of apparrell and train of applauses that many times the altars had occasion to envy their bravery who offer'd Incense on them and still he was ador'd more devoutly that discharged the vow than he that had given the successe The pompe predesign'd for the glory of this sacrifice receiving the Period expected so long Adrian with bravery more becoming a magnificent oftentation than a devout and great gratitude repayred to the Temple to give the Gods thanks for the Empire so great and victory so glorious they propitiously had given him He went into the Temple attended and applauded by all his greatest Princes beginning his function with the accustomed piety of the fortunate who usually place all their devotion in the charge they are at