Lordship have any such apprehension you may repeat as much and as often as you please for I only advised you of it before as thinking perhaps you might have don it by errour The errour says he was mâ—ne and a grievous error it was to â—ffend those so many waies who did ever stand in my dâ—fence But however that be in this respect as in some others I shall dy contented in that I can never satisfie my self with confessing my faults to you dear Father Which now by the goodnesse of God are as well known by me as heretofore they were little esteem'd and are now as bitterly lamented as heretofore they gave me gust though it were a false one I (m) The man did even melt between grief and love wish O thou most sweet Saviour of my Soul I had as well a thousand tongues that so I might fully cenfesse them a a thousand eyes that so I might bitterly bewail them and a thousand hearts that so eternally I migh detest them And that this grief for my sins committed against God might so break my heart as the instrument of Justice will take my head for those I have committed concerning men I do good Father by the goodnesse of God know what a sinner I am As a sinner I lament my self and as a sinner I will dy but a sinner all humbled and contrite and with my tears I will make my Funerals then suffer me to perform them after mine own fashion And here even I not (n) I cannot blame him being able to contain my self from weeping was observ'd by him who said thus Most happy Funerals are therefore these of mine which are solemnized by the servants of God Yet this part belongs not to you but only as being a Father to my Soul Who knows but that by these mutual tears and this exchange of tendernesse my impure conscience may indeed be cleansed Thus both of us being silent for a while he then proceeded Well my good Father it is now high time that by the (o) This authority was given to his true Church by Iesus Christ and in his name by his power 't is exercised Authority which God has given you to loose and bind men on earth you loose me from so many chains of sin which hang upon me To the end that as you have taught me I may say Auditui meo dabis gaudium laetitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata And first I besceech you you give me Absolution and then I may perform my Penance Though indeed what Penance carrying proproportion to my sinns is your Reverence able to impose At this he cast himself at my feet and bowed his head to my knee where I had laid my left hand and he all bathed it with tears and kissed it and expected the Penance Absolution Which I gave him fully in form of a p This is a ful remission of all Canonical Penances requir'd by the ancient discipline of the Church Plenary Iubiley according to the most ample priviledge (q) By the Popes granted to those of the Congregation of the (r) It is called a congregation of M sericordia because it is so great a wo k of charity and mercy wherein they imploy themselves Misericordia Being absolv'd and having don his Penance with incredible affection of mind he sate down again by my direction and then the rest camâ— and encircled him after the accustomed manner I then spake first to him after this sort Most Illustrious Lord Troilo our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ whom here we have present did by dying upon the Crosse give remedy in his person this night to three things among many others He (s) An application fâ—ll of life and comfort dyed in the flower and vigour of his youth that your Lordship might not have too much indulgence and compassion of your own tender youth and so might say O but why is my life taken away in so tender years And this is the first He dyed and he dyed of a violent death that to your Lordship it might not seem insupportable to dy upon necessity and so you might say O but why is the flower of my years cut off by a violent hand and this is the second He dyed of the most reproachful death which in those times was inflicted that it might not seem strange to your Lordship to dy by the hand of Justice and so you might say O but why died not I in my cradle or at least by some other natural accident Nay if your Lordship will accept this death in so tender years you offer him the best part of your time By dying a violent death you may make that which is necessary to be voluntary and by dying a dishonorable death taking it as a Penance for your sins you may avoid the shame of that last terrible day And so much the better you may accept it because you are not to dy in publique upon the Bridg as the ordinary Gustom bears but (t) It is there accounted of less dishonor to be put privatly to death They who dy privatly dy within the Castle they who publickly at the foot of the Bridg. privatly here below in the Court as is wont to be used towards your Peers I added also some other considerations and so ended my speech To which the Baron who was ever ready made this answer And (u) How wise the grace of God is able to make a very yong man upon a sâ—ddain I O Father for as much as coneerns the first dy willingly in this fresh age of mine because thus I shall be sure not to offend my Lord any more And from this instant I offer him my years my age and my life and a hundred years and a hundred ages and a hundred lives As for the second I will make a vertue of necessity and being to dy per force and according to reason I will dy willingly that so I may yield willingly to force and willingly give satisfaction to reason But as for the third I could wish for a more ignominious death And be you pleased to know that to have dyed in publique would have given me I know not what increase of consolation and gust For so I might have hoped by (x) Because publick sinns require publick satisfaction publique Penance to have made a better amends for my publique crimes And God knows I take no contentment to receive the favor of dying privatly But yet however if the determination which is made be such I resist it not Our Lord will accept the promptitude of my will Hereupon the Proveditore took up the speech and said Let your Lordship accommodate it self to the will and providence of God who has not only one way of ariving to save our Souls nor one only means of drawing them to him He leads one by one means and others by another It imports not that (y) Many of Gods judgments are secret but they
time being run out For the (l) In those Countries there rings a bell every morning noon and night when all men recite three short prayers in remembrance of the Incarnation of Christ our Lord. This they do whereever they be when the bell rings though it be in the streets and there they salute one other with a wish of the good day or night Ave Maria bell did sound Upon the hearing whereof we all recited that Prayer and he said it also upon his knees Then saluting all the company he sate down and was silent And whilest he held his peace we spake among our selves with astonishment at many things we had observed in him and they were these He did never sweat nor ever complain'd of any thing He never placed himself with any shew of weariness upon his chair nor ever shew'd any unquietness He never wept but whilst he was making his Confession nor ever sought to ease himself in the course of Nature He never had any thirst nor ever fainted He was never sleepy nor ever over-wrought with sorrow He was ever fresh and strong though in that night he had bin so many and very many times upon his knees He ever answer'd readily and with a lively voice His memory never failed or so much as wavered He was handsomly and modestly apparell'd He (m) A strange image of perfection was this young Noble man spake not so much as an inconsiderate word He never expressed a desire of any thing He had at certain times and upon certain occasions a discharged and smiling countenance He did compleatly give every man those titles of respect which were his due without failing so much as once as to one of Râ—verence to another of Honour to another of You. He declared most currently his last Will which was a sheet of paper long He was not taken by passionate tenderness but only upon the speech of the Lady his Mother He spake most honourably and Christianly of the Prince and Judges and even of those who prosecuted the cause against him All which particulars or the most part of them happen otherwise in others who fall into the like condition So that all those old experienced Confortatori of that Congregation of the Mâ—sericordia were amazed to see how abundantly the grace of God had wrought upon that Soul in the space of a few hours When this most devout Noble man had thus held his peace and we had been discoursing among our selves of the things aforesaid he calling me towards him who yet was standing not far off spake to me in this manner Dear Father let us make our last Reconciliation with God And then he made a short recapitulation of all his faults and began (n) A happy soul to be so speedily and so intirely purified to accuse himself of things so extreamly small as gave occasion and matter to this Soul of mine even till this day wherein I write and will till the hour of my death both to be comforted and confounded Being upon the end of his Confession he fell into a most ardent weeping in such sort as that bowing down his head towards my hand I was not able to endure the heat of his breath And when I said to him Troilo my Son Cast a bridle upon those tears of yours do not exasperate your own wound it is now enough and again enough you have wept enough you will have time to weep yet again when you come to lay your Head upon the block for (o) He was to suffer death for his misde eds but he was to bear it patiently and willingly for the love of Christ Christ His answer was this I have already told you Father and now I tell you once again I weep for my sins not for my death And when your Reverence shall have given me Absolution and I have perform'd the Penance you will impose which only deserves to be accompanied with tears you shall find I will weep no more And just so it hapned for wiping his face when I had absolved him and I having acquainted him with some necessities of mine own to the end he might give me (p) By his holy prayers in heaven assistance in the sight of our Lord he remain'd with eyes as full of serenity and void of tears as if in all his life he had never wept But then having rais'd himself it was thought fit by all the Company that certain Psalms should be repeated whereof I with the Confortatorâ— were to ponder some of the verses till such time as his hour should arrive Whereupon he said It is now broad day and there cannot be much time remaining Our (q) Great Piety and gratitude Lord be blessed for making me pass through this night so happily and so holily I thank you dear Father and you Gentlemen for your so great favor The good God reward you for it And here all of us recommending our selves again to his prayers we also again began the Psalms At this time the Executioner came in and no man had the heart to tell my Lord of it but he perceiving there was a preass of people gently turn'd his face about and as soon as he had set eye upon him he was not troubled with it at all but (r) Undauored holy courage arm'd himself only with the sign of the Holy Cross and making a countenance to me who stood close by him he rose and said Well the hour is come Gentlemen let us go and that cheerfully And they all answering thus Yea let it be done cheerfully Signor Troilo cheerfully for the love of Jesus He turn'd towards the Executioner who kneeling down at his feet to ask his pardon Do yâ—ur office said he in the name of God for so He will have it Your Lordship said he is to unbutton the Coller of your doublet And he being as ready on the one side as he was modest on the other with his own hands began to unbutton It is not enough said the chief Executionâ—r the doublet must be put off But the rest of those Officers of Justice were not willing he should put it off Yet the generous Noble man said That however he would do it if they thought it fit For said he it shall not greatly trouble me and if you have a mind to it I will strip my self from head to foot for the love of God Already therefore he was beginning to unty himself but it sufficed that he was unbutton'd to the shoulders Then one of the Confortatori putting him in mind of Non crubescam c. and the Officer coming to tie his arms in such a fashion as that when he should be arrived at the block his body might not have much leave to move In the name of God saith he bind hoth my arms and my hands too if your will be such For (s) This man had true faith in Christ our Lord and his sacred Passion who in contemplation and imitation thereof
such as are ignoble With us no indignity is ever done to a Noble man of m such as Barons are and all above them Title by binding his hands or arms or the like and that custom I commend as full of Honour but in many other places they bear no such respect in regard of the experience which they have found and the fear which still they are in of insolencies But for as much as concernes the comfort of criminals in the preparation of their souls towards the death of their bodyes I cannot but note it as a point of charity and piety most n It is the greatest charity to help men to dye well remarkable that in very many of the good Towns of Italy and Spayn there are certain Companies or Confraternities of Gentlemen well born and bred who put this obligation of duty upon themselves to visit the prisons especially in the night precedent to any execution And together with Religious persons and Ghostly Fathers they watch and pray and exhort and comfort the poorest criminals of the Country with the same industry and charity which is here afforded to this Noble man And they all acompany them to their death and somtimes discharge their dying hearts of care either by undertaking to pay som of their debts or by assisting the poor wife and children which are left behind or by obliging themselves to get o S. Monica upon the point of her death desired St. Austin her Son to pray for her soul at the Altar when she should be dead so he did Vid. Conf. l. 9. cap. 11. 13. Masses celebrated for their souls And in conformity of these good endeavours we see men dy in those parts with another manner of disposition towards God than usually they have with us Where it is a lamentable thing to see many of so prophane stupidity that after lives most lewdly led they go either drunk or dancing to the Gallowes As if they were but to die in a Play or as if after this life there were no immortality of the Soul or else at least no account to be rendred I say not of idle words which yet must be done but of most wicked deeds whereof many of them are guilty The example we have here in hand will yield all the Readers of it in general a good lesson of Humilitie Patience Curtesie Magnanimitie Obedience and Charitie And p All sorts of people may profit by the good lessons here deliver'd it may serve for an instruction not only to such as die by the hand of humane Justice but to all those also who are to die by the hand of God as we all shall be sure enough to do That so we may the better take heed of sin which is to be so bitterly bewailed and the more deeply we are fal'n into it the more instantly we must implore the mercy and goodness of Almighty God and dispose our selvs to the doing of Penance that so by his favour we may secure our souls from the danger of being plung'd into that lake of eternal pain This lesson I say may reach to al Readers in general But particular Readers may take out particular lessons for themselvs The Mother wil admonish Mothers to be incessantly careful for their Children the Son will conjure children from being insolent or disobedient towards their Parents and the q These are they who comfort the Delinquents in their death Confortatori will exhort all men to shew charity to their distressed neighbors And I beseech our Lord Jesus to grant such graces both to them and me as divine Majesty knowes to be most needful for us T. M. THE HISTORY OF THE CONVERSION and DEATH Of the Most ILLUSTRIOUS LORD SIGNOR TROILO SAVELLI Who was beheaded in Rome in the Castle Sant Angelo on the 18. of April 1592. THE Writing the lives or deaths of others if they be full of extraordinary accidents does usually make the Readers wonder if they be dolorous they cause compassion if prosperous men grow thereby into a desire if adverse into a fear But this death which now I am about to deliver does-so imbrace the accidents of all these kinds that whoever shall read it as he ought will (a) The power which this discourse will have over many affections all at once easily perceive his mind to be filled at once with all those affections And though what I write be in fine no more then a meer Relation of a Noble mans death yet perhaps it may serve for a guide and example of men through the whole course of their lives I will nakedly therefore declare the progresse and period of this accident as in the night when it hapned I went observing it pace by pace to the comfort of mine own Soul For (b) This Relation is purposely written in a natural and plain manner here all affectation and ornament of speech would but prophane the majesty of the thing and no endeavor or strife of wit would ever arrive to the expression of it I will direct it only to those who if perhaps they have not personal and proper experience of the admirable effects of Gods grace at least they will either have believed them of others or read of them in good books or heard them often delivered by Preachers For as to such who are meer strangers thereunto these things will seem incredible Though even by such they may yet be thought the more probable when at length they shall understand that at the instance of his excellent Mother one of the Fathers (c) These are the good Priests of the Oratory instituted by that great servant of God B. Philip Neraeus of the Chiesa nova had with most diligent and devout charitie exercised his life for the space of a month in spiritual things whose conversion and death I have undertaken to describe and whatsoever effect it may have more or lesse I will be sure to write it for the benefit of souls and upon no other motive It was then upon the 17. of April at (d) This might be about eleven of the clock at night after our account four hours of the night of that Friday when the news was brought to the Lord Troilo Savelli of his death by an inferior Officer Who coming to that chamber where the Noble man was at his rest sayd to him in this manner Your Lordship may be pleased to rise and apparel your self Whereunto he answer'd This indeed is an hour which has a little of the unseasonable but yet whither wilt thou conduct me The fellow told him That place was to be made ready for new Prisoners so devising this excuse that he might not fright him all at once I beleeve saies the young Lord what thou hast told me but I confesse thou madest me half afraid and then sitting up in his bed he said Let us apparel our self in the name of God Having begun to put on his cloaths as he was
the guiding of it under God is in your hand and therefore dispose of it for this only is now in my power to give you I then by way of answer said Give your self my Lord to JESVS I do so said he and he said it instantly And I again Give your self wholly to him He said I do Consecrate your self he still said I do Make your self said I entirely his But how saith he O Father shall I make my self entirely his if I be unworthy and perhaps his (e) As all grievous sinners are if they do not throughly repent which no man can be sure he hath sufficiently done though he may have great hope of it enemy But in the mean time whilst the Will was writing he that wrote it put us in mind it was to be publickly read that so it might be closed up with a due (f) A Testam nt is not valid there if it have not seven witnesses at least number of witnesses And whilst this was in doing that is whilst the Notary was reading it three things of some consideration did occur The first that when he read how he recommended his soul to God My body says he drawing near me according to his custom I dispose not of for now it is no longer mine It once was mine and I would it had not been so but (g) He acknowledges the providence and justice of God in all things it is more than reason that I having had so great care of it in my life time for my punishment should not be suffer'd to have any power over it now in my death Let them therefore do with it what they will for I sacrifice it to God whatsoever it is Father will not such an Oâ—lation as this do me good It will said I without doubt it will and what (h) For he that gives his body shews in good earnest that he has already given his soul more acceptable oblation can be made to our Lord than that of the body The second That when the Legacies were read it being observ'd by the manner of expressing one of them that he deliver'd himself as faulty in a certain thing wherein indeed he was not so and therefore the Will was to be redressed as I desired which served not only as before for securing his conscience but for the saving also of his honour Upon this putting off his Montiera or cap O Father saith he and he did it half smiling are you now taking care of my reputation and of the puntillios of Honour and of that smoak or vanity of the world Let my soul be saved and let all the vain Honour perish which I either had or might have had Do you not remember that which even (i) This is not mentioned here before For he said many other things which are not mentioned in this short Relation now you said Mihi mundus (k) The world is crucified to me and I to it crucifixus est ego mundo In a word let not the Soul be touched but let my Honor be blasted according to that accoumpt which the blind world is wont to make of Honour that it may serve as a part of the punishment which is due to me The Third that at the same instant his hat was brought him and one of his people being desirous to take his Montiera from off his head what are you doing saith he They answerd they would give him his hat But he bad them let it alone saying it imported not and he added with a soft voyce Look here a while they would fain honor this head of mine which I am to lose within few hours for my sinns The Will being then read and closed up he threw himself as it were upon me with a most modest kind of sweetnes and said Father I am already reconciled but I would fain make a general Confession of my whole life to your Reverence And though since I came into prison I did the same in effect at the instance of my Lady-Mother yet know I had then no light or feeling of my sinns in respect of that I now discover in my heart It being One thing dear Father for a man to confesse himself when be is in the sight of death and another to do it not thinking of death or at least but considering it as afar off And so calling for a (l) There are litle bookes of addresse whereby men are taught how to confesse their sins exactly little book which he had obove in the prison shewing the way how to confesse ones exactly well which his good MOTHER had brought him som dayes before he began his Confession Wherein my Lord God knowes that as it is lawful for me by that ample authority himself gave me to declare as much thereof as I should think fit so if I were able to expresse it I say not that Rome would be astonished at it but all Italy would be so For if I speak of the exact manner he held for as much as concern'd the particular descending even to idle words and any other (m) Confession is no such cursory or superficial thing as they who know it not conceive and say such peccadillo methought I was hearing som well exercis'd Religious man In the explicating of circumstances and the unfolding of intricate and intangled cases it was as if he had been some profound Divine In relating the determinate number and the various kinds of his sins he made proof of one who had a most fresh and happy memory This rare Gentleman pawsing now and then between the Confession of his sins and suffering certain tears to fall quietly upon my knees would be wiping them away and that being don he would often say with sighs O Father how (n) He had great reason to say so good has our Lord been to me Let him now be blessed as often and yet more often than I have offended him in my former life Whilst he was accusing himself of his faults he would express them in certain few but those all lively and most pious words and in som particular eases so dearly tender that in his countenance one might see evident signs how his very heart was even rent within So that between (o) He pawsed sometimes both to rest himself and to recall his sins more freshly to his memory for though it were interrupted it was all but one Confession till Absolution was given the times of his Confession the Confortatori doubting left perhaps he might incline to faint would be asking him if he needed not somwhat to restore and comfort himself To which he answer'd speaking privately and more than once to me This (p) An admirable Conâ—râ—tion only comfort or restorative I would desire That my very heart might burst for grief and satisfaction might so be (q) To the justâ—ce of God his sorrow being dignified by the death and passion of Jesus Christ our Lord. given for my sins if perhaps
are all just his Judgments are hidden from us but it suffices that they are just Who can tell if your Lordship should have dy'd in any other sort then this whether or no you should have been saved I am he saith the Baron who can tell you that for I should have tumbled headlong into Hell Do you not know how God has proceeded with me It is just as a Hunts-man would do when he would take a wild beast which he would have brought to his hand whole and sound not torn by the teeth or paws of dogs nor strucken by the bowe nor bruized by nets or snares He arivs this beast somtimes one way somtimes another but never lets slip the dogs nor shoots the arrow nor spreads the net or Toyl upon the ground or sets the snare but at the most with some outcries or els by throwing som stones he rowseth him and addresseth him towards the place designed and so long he drives the beast by several waies that at last he brings him thither where he would have him The Huntes-man knowes this well and did long expect him there and he takes him and enjoys him all sound and safe I am (z) Note how wittily and piously he makes this application to himself he O my Good Jesus who have been this beast hunted hither and thither but thou hadst a mind to have me safe thou hadst a mind to have me sound And so thou didst not permit I should be torn with dogs nor pierced by arrow nor taken by nets or Toyles or snares when thou deliveredst me out of so many dangers of death in which though very young I have found my self and wherein if I had died without fail I had perished for all eternity Thou didst only throw stones at me and cry out after me when by so many admonitions and inspirations thou didst solicite me And now I repent me that I was so deaf to them But what mervail if I were deaf who after a sort was (a) By sinne dead And thus has thy goodnes conducted me to this strait pass without my knowing it that so I may be forced to leap into thy lap For whither am I able to turn my self more securely then to my dear Jesus Yea and though it were in my power I would not turn any way but to Thee It is true I am forced but yet I am content withall One of the Confortatori then replied It is enough Signor Troilo So great and so liberal is the goodness of God that he accepts all and he does it with delight And one of the Chiesa nuova said That though our Lord received a Precept or Commandment that he should dy neverthelesse it is affirm'd and very true that he died voluntarily And having accompanied this speech of his with divers choice examples one of our Fathers concluded that discourse with shewing by what means that which was necessary (b) That punishment which is imposed by necessity may be made voluntary by a voluntary acceptation of it might grow to be voluntary by a voluntary acceptatation of it and that so much more it would be meritorious as it should more willingly be imbraced Then teach me said the Baron how I may make this enforced death truly voluntary Whereupon certain devout and apt waies how to do it being declared by the Governour of the Congregation of the Confortatori and imbraced by the Baron I said Perhaps Signor Troilo we weary you too much How can you weary me said he These discourses make the night short to me and my disastre fortunate And here all were silent a while when he rising up for he was sitting said That he would speak with the father And drawing neer me the (c) Whom the penitent did accompany therein Confortatori said the Confiteor and that being ended I desire saith he if it please you Father to call again to mind some of the things aforesaid both for the better repeting of them and for the addition of some others Which I refusing out of the assurance I had that it was not necessary he said And is it possible dear Father that you will not give me this last contentment Will you not permit at least that I may satisfie my self with confessing the offences I have committed against God And besides dâ—es not your Reverence remember that we must speak together of (d) The Father it seems had made him som such promise before Penance I answered Let that Penance be to dy and to dy well Then teach me that said he And I thus to him Offer now this death of yours to God with your whole hart in penance for the sins you have committed I do said he offer it with my heart and with my mouth and it grievs me as our Lord knows that I have not this night a thousand heads that in this one of mine they might be all cut off and a thousand lives that they might all be lost Nay (e) How much he gives to God and how little he thinks it to be and yet how faithfully he acknowledges it all to be of God I confesse and know that even that penance would yet fall short but since more I cannot more I know not what to do and since more I have not I can give no more and even the doing and giving this little I acknowledge to proceed from the hand of God I told him by way of reply that it was wel and that he should stil be doing so And when sayd I you are laying your head upon the block say thus in your heart O Lord by this act of mine I protest to do penance for my sins as if I had a thousand heads and thousand lives and I acknowledge and confesse it is all too little But I doubt Signor Troilo whether then you wil be able to remember this for at that time perhaps you wil be as it were not your self It is no trifle to look death in the face take my word for that The magnanimous Lord made this answer I wil not presume so much upon my self but (f) He can never faile who putteth all confidence in God and none in himself hope wel and confide greatly in God that he wil not let it slip out of my memory And if by any accident you should perceiv I were unworthy so great a grace doe me the favor to bring me in mind of it for you shall find me ready to put it in execution In the mean while I beseech your Reverence tell me som what els towards this end of mine and that quickly for the time has wings I bad him leave the care of that to me For I will said I go intimating from time to time whatsoever you are to think upon and whatsoever shal be sit for you to say even til your last breath And (g) He exhorts him to a great devotion to his good Angel very now you shall begin to make a strait friendship with
without more dispute they put the Book into his hand and kneeling even by me against a form he began the Litanies to which we answering Ora pro eo Pray for him there o It must needs be an object of great compassion was not a man among us who accompanied not the words of his mouth with the tears of his eyes And especially when with incredible affection and devotion he repeated these words A mala morte A potestate diaboli A poenis inferni libera me Domine Deliver me O Lord from an evil death from the power of the divel and from the torments of hell But p Nothing but only his sins could move him to tears he O admirable repose of mind did not shed one tear Nay my self being in tears who held the candle by him and not being able to represse them he jogd me with his elbow and made other signs to them that so giving over their weeping they might answer him And speaking of it to me afterward he said There wanted little of their making him also weep for company When the Litanies were ended he said turning to me Father say you the Prayers over me that follow And then he taking the candle out of my hand and giveing me the Book I said those Prayers over him which are wont to be said over such as are in their last agony Commendo q These aâ—e as admirable and effectuous prayers as any are used in the whole of the holy Church and I wish all the Readers of this to procure to see read them te omnipotenti Deo c. And that other which follows Deus misericors Deus clemens c. And at the end of these he said with a loud voice the Pater Noster the Ave Maria the Credo and the Salve Regina and so return'd to his seat the others making the accustomed circle about him And so one with representing some sentence of Holy Scripture another some example another some other spiritual Consideration we alwaies kept him alive and quick and even all kindled in devotion till such time as the hour of celebrating Masse approached Then the Noble Man said thus If these r This rigor is us'd in those parts for the great insolencies which have somtimes bin acted in the like extremities by Delinquents Manicles are put upon me to give me pain or punishment let the will of my Prince be done who is pleased to have it so but if the meaning be but to make me sure in vain is he tyed without who is bound s Because his heart was more chain'd by the love of God then his hands could be by a load of Iron within Upon which words all of us being full t They had great reason of tendernesse and in particular one of those Confortatori who shewed himself through the whole night a most compassionate Gentleman in service of this Noble Man caused the Keys to be instantly given him and so took the Manicles off which yet the Baron would needs u An humble natural and most Noble Soul kisse and kissing them he sighed and so held his peace When he had been silent a while and having made a sign that he desired to confesse again and when he had blessed himself with the sign of the Crâ—sse Father x He is much solicitous by the memory of his disobedience to his Mother said he I who have given so many disgusts and so bitter ones to my most dear Lady and Mother through the whole course of my life what comfort does your Reverence think I might be able to give her in my death ' By dying well said I and in a holy manner To which he answer'd thus How shall the unfortunate woman come to know it I told him I would relate it to her by word of mouth and in fine I would write it for her and I will not only notifie it said I to her but to any other whom it may import to know it It is enough said he and he reached his hands out to me that I might give him one of mine and withall my word And so he kissed it often and holding it between both his he continued to speak after this manner I could wish dear Father that in my place your Reverence would often visit and comfort my Lady-Mother after my death And when you shall see her first I desire you will ask forgivnesse of her in my name a thousand and a thousand times as here I have done both now and the other day since I came to prison And especially beg pardon of her for such and such a particular offence and then say to her thus Your Troilus who is dead begs that blessing from your most afflicted Ladiship which being alive he neither deserv'd nor had time to ask He further recommends the care of his Soul to your Ladiship He praies he beseeches he conjures your Ladiship to grant him this his last and now only suit that having put your Soul in peace you will not so much as resent or call to mind and much lesse procure to y If she thought the adverse parâ—ies whom he had wronged had prosecuted him with too much eagerness revenge your self for any injury but that you will remit the whole and your self withal to the Eternal Providence of God Put her in mind that it is the part of a Roman and Christian heart after a generous manner to pardon offences And giving her all comfort do you assure her that I have particularly reversed all those irreverent words I have formerly used towards her and remembred all those most sweet dear benefits I have received from her and all those Maternal favours which she has vouchsafed me And above all let her know the inestimable contentment I have to think of the z This was a Mother not only of her sons body but of his soul also Christian love she has expressed to me in this last passage without ever reflecting upon those offences and great demerits of mine Say to her moreover that I dy her son and a son who is most profoundly penitent for all the ill words and deeds I have ever uttered and perform'd against her and that in the other world I will by Gods grace be as grateful to her as I have been ungrateful here Relate to her my last passage in most particular manner and oblige her liberally to reward all my followers who have been in prison upon my account Of whom I do with all the very bowels of my heart ask pardon for the pain and peril wherein to I did so idly and absurdly cast them And assure her in a word that if for nothing else yet even for the very disgusts I have given her I shall dy content finding a kind of joy in my heart that I thus perform this penance which I have so well deserved And so I dying in such sort as your Reverence may be pleased to