the Creed in protestation of his beliefe and that he dyed a member of the Catholik Apostolike RomaÌ„ Church presently he began the same and sayd it all through and which was much noted with the end of the Creed he ended his speach these being the last wordes that euer he spake cleerly and distinctly Vitam aeternam Amen in this life Et vitam aeternam Amen life life euerlasting Amen After which his voice so fayled that they could scant with all diligence vsed heare him yet he sayd very softly to himselfe in such manner as he was able Iesus Iesus Iesus and continued still in the same till the last gaspe which of such as beheld him was in a manner insensible without any violent motion of his body or contracting of his countenance any writâ—ing of his mouth any panges or gasps in so still quiet and peaceable fashion as it seemed a sleep rather then death rather a mylde and voluntary passage theÌ„ a matter of horrour or dread rather a Saint-like repose then a finall departure out of this life He left this world the seauenteeth day of September betweene six and seauen of the clocke in the morning wanting not three weeks of threescore and nynteene yeares for he was borne on the fourth of October being S. Francis day and dyed on the feast of the same Saint dedicated to his sacred woundes which miraculously he had receaued the solemnity of which feast the Cardinall much laboured with Paul the fifth to haue grauÌ„ted to the Religious of that Order with a speciall Office for that day His body soone after his departure by a secret way for auoyding the resort of people was conueyed in coach to the Church of the Fathers where he was to The deuotion reuerence shewed to hiâ— body be buried because as yet nothing was prepared for his exposing it was carryed into a priuate chamber of the house with expresse order of debarring as yet all accesse vnto it but there came so many to see and kisse the same and so great personages as the prohibition was soone recalled and leaue graunted vnto most to come All kneeled thereat as to the body of a Saint and with great deuotion kissed the same some commended his learning some his vertue all his mylde louing and most affable behauiour amongst the rest a great Prelate on his knees kissed the thumbe and two forefingers of his right hand which had written so much to the glory of God good of his Church and comfort of many no lesse then fifty tymes and another not inferiour to the former did the same after him which deuotion of people and Prelates continued vntill it was an houre within night and had done much longer but that the Popes Phisitian togeather with his brother a Surgeon came to open and enbalme the body who earnestly requested this office as a fauour at the Fathers hands saying that they should both of them grieue much in case any other should do it As soone as they began the same many were present with to wells handkerchiffs He is embalmed his bloud saued kept for reliques sponges and other linnen to saue the blod preserue it for Reliques and so Religiously industrious and diligent they were as nothing thereof was lost the Phisitian himselfe in lieu of reward cut away a little piece of the hinder part of his which he esteemeth as a peerles Iewell and inestimable treasure the other three Phisitians were already prouided for wheras in the beginning of his sicknes they prescribed that he should be let bloud another time to haue horseleeches applyed to dravv more at both of these tymes they came with cleane handkerchiffs and dipped or rather dyed them in the bloud which by them and others was so greedily taken as that no drop remayned the Phisitians were heerunto the more moued for that besides the common report and opinion of his vertue they saw in this sicknes such liuely proofe therof as none of them had euer seene the like in any before which they neuer cease to admire and commend whensoeuer any mention is made or occasion giuen theÌ„ to speake of his sicknes The next morning the Nobility Gentry of the Congregation of our B. Lady got his body into their Oratory or Chappell where being all assembled they sayd the Office of the dead for him two Gentlemen alwayes standing at his head to keep the multitude from kissing his beare face permitting them only his handes and feet He lay on a fayre hearsâ— vested like an Archbishop with his myter and pall in so gratious manner as I neuer saw a fayrer corse and the same was sayd by very many that saw him The Office being ended the narrownes of this place was not capable of so great concourse to auoid the incoÌ„uenience of such presse of people the more hast was made to carry him into the Church where being layd on a bed The wonderful deuotion of the people to his body when it was exposed in the Church prepared for the same there came to behold it or rather to reuerence and worship it as though not the dead body of Cardinall Bellarmyne newly departed but eyther the body of S. Augustine or S. Ambrose or S. Athanasius or some auncient Doctour Bishop or Patriarke had beene exposed and layed open to be honoured and I know not what more deuotion the people could haue vsed vnto their sacred reliques then now they did vnto the body of this Cardinall For they came not as ordinarily on such occasions they vse to doe to gaze see the pompe of the funeralls which heere was very litle not to pray for the party deceased not to enquire of his heires his testament his wealth his buriall or the like more curious then necessary matters but to see as they called him the Saint to pray vnto him to reuerence his body and that in such sort as if already he had beene canonized for that it was now placed higher then they were able to reach and compassed by some of the Popes Guard and Mace-bearers of the Cardinals that came to be present at the Dirige they wearyed them all with giuing their beades vnto them which the one on the top of their truncheons the other of their Masses lifted vp to touch his bare face and so many beades being giuen to touch and that so continually without any intermission all looked or rather feared that his face would haue been disfigured therewith for it was touched as most coniecture by more then twenty thousand payre of beades and there had beene no end of touching it had not the Fathers with help of the Popes Guarde after more theÌ„ three houres within night caryed it away perforce as presently shall be said and notwithstanding that the body lay aloft was well guarded with troncheous and halbardes yet were there of these pious theeues so cunning as that some of them cut away pieces of his
of this his desire he alleadged to be for that novv he had prepared himselâ—e and knew not for the tyme to come what in the rest of his life if it were prolonged might befall him for sayd he I haue knowne diuers who if at some tyme when they were wel disposed had departed this life had beene in very happy state who recouering their health fell after very far from that feruour and dyed so desperatly as in humane iudgement they may be rather thought the children of perdition then life Now therfore quoth he seeing I am ready why should I liue longer and expose my selfe to such an hazard Now nothing troubles my conscience for God his goodnesse be still thanked therfore hath so preserued me hitherto as that I doe not remember in the whole course of my liue euer to haue committed any scaÌ„dalous action which perhaps if I should life longer may befall me for weakenes of body drawes oftentymes with it weakenes of mind by which good men haue beene seene to haue relented from their former vigour and vertue This with more to this effect did he speake to expresse the cause why he desired the dissolution of his earthly tabernacle which was no other but that least through the frailty of body mind he should â—eerafter offend God whome hitherto in sanctitate iustitia omnibus diebus Luc. 1. vitae suae in holines and vertue all the dayes of his lire he had so carefully so continually serued and whome now he had rather dye then displease This his feruent desire grounded on the foresaid motiue was so imprinted in his hart and fixed therein so deeply as His disease is found to be mortall euen then when his violent ague bereaued him of his senses he was often heard to say Signore vorrei andare a casa mia quando sarà quel giorno che io venga al vostrâ— Regno c. O Lord I would gladly go to my howse when will that day be when I may come to thy Kingdome And the eleauenth day after his sicknes he sayd vnto all his Phisitians When shal I heare from you that happy newes that I must depart to another life when shall I be deliuered from this body of death They answered as before not so long as they could keep him aliue Well quoth he God sees my desire and how willing I am to come vnto him And indeed non est fraudatus desiderio suo God heard his prayer and that very night he was seene to yex or sob in such manner as a learned Phisitian watching with him held it for mortall and forthwith aduertised the Generall for so had the Cardinall before willed them when they shold perceaue him in euident danger who came early the next morning and seeing how matters went thought it best plainly to acquaint him with the truth and sayd vnto him My Lord I thinke that the end of this sicknes will be the end your life and by all likelyhoode you cannot escape long for the Phisitians now giue a very ill censure of your disease vpon some signes they haue seene and more and more discerne in you so as it seemes Almighty God will call you vnto him and you shall do well to make your selfe ready and dispose of what you haue the time is short and delayes are dangerous At this vnexpected but much desired message the good Cardinall replenished His great ioy at the newes of his death with inward ioy presently with cheerfull countenance and vndaunted courage brake forth into these wordes Buona nuoua buona nuoua ô che buona nuoua è questa that is good news good news oâ— what good newes are these Lo the security of an innocent mynde of a sincere seruant and Apostolicall man who ioyed in death wherat others doe tremble and made that his gaine which worldly meÌ„ esteeme their greatest losse but these graces are not bestowed but vpon such only as haue wholy bestowed themselues vpon God for such alone as S. Gregory saith conteÌ„platione quadam retributionis Gregor 24. in Iob. cap. 7. prope finem interâ—ae etiam priusquaÌ„ carne expoliantur hilarescunt dum vetustatis debitum soluunt noui iam muneris laetitia perfruuntur by the coÌ„templation of that which their soule receaues within doe before they leaue their bodyes become cheerfull eueÌ„ then whiles they are yielding to the dissolution of their old nature doe enioy the comfort of their new reward So he of the vertuous in generall which in this worthy man we see so particularly accomplished who still prayed with the Apostle and sayd Cupio dissolui esse cum Philip. 5. Christo I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ After this ioyfull exclamation turrning his speach vnto F. Generall as answering vnto that which he had suggested he sayd For disposing of my thinges I haue nothing left to dispose it grieueth me that I haue nothing to bestow vpon the Society for I feare much that in making you mine heyres as if I The pouerty of the Cardinall had something to leaue you I shall but charge you with new debts which for my sake you will be forced to discharge The Generall replyed that therein he should not trouble himselfe he had left the Society so much and so much honoured it with his name and immortall labours as it esteemed that treasure more then all the riches of the world Well theÌ„ said the Cardinall I came hither to bestow one whole yeare in preparing my selfe to dye but if it please not God that I bestow any more time heerin neyther truly shal it please me and therfore your message of death is most gratefull c. After this he caused one to reade vnto him the death of S. Charles Borromaeus as S. Charles Borromaeus desirous in his owne to imitate it which being ended he desired to receaue the SacrameÌ„ts of holy Church that as soone as might be least after he should be lesse able for indisposition both of body and minde to receaue them and to preuent also any suddayne accident that might in this weaknes take him away ere he had armed himselfe with this so necessary and soueraigne defence He receaueth the â— Sacrament with great denotion Forth with all thinges were made ready for receauing of the B. Sacrament of the Altar for his Viaticum which was ministred vnto him by the handes of the Generall and receaued with exceeding deuotion of the Cardinall for notwithstanding his extreme weaknes of body he would needs agayne as he had done before rise out of his bed and kneele on the ground to receaue it and so earnest he was to receaue it in this reuerent maÌ„ner as it was not possible without his great griefe and distast to hinder him The Generall perceauing his will so feruently bent on that deuotion wold not withstand him therein least the inward griefe might more afflict his mind then that
exteriour action endomage his body wherfore he receaued it kneeling on the ground with singular humility after some collection made according to his woÌ„t which endured for some while he began to talke with the Generall about his buriall and the manner of his funeralls which he did with so great peace of minde so familiarly as if in his health he had spokeÌ„ of going to dinner or some other light and ordinary matter Much he desired to be buryed like a Religious man all his discourse tended A true religious Spirit thereunto For first he requested to be buryed in the common vault vnder the grouÌ„d for so in Italy they vse to bury where others of that Order are ordinarily layed then that his funeralls might be plaine in such manner as iâ— he had dyed in the Society and had neuer been aduanced being very earnest that no pompe or splendour accustomed for other Cardinalls might be made for him that they would not open and enbalme his body but bury it entiere as they doe others and finally that his dead body presently after his death might be conueied secretly to the Fathers Church called the Casa professa there be interred none intermedling with the Exequies but the said Fathers as they vse to do for their own in such cases The Generall not to trouble him being in those tearmes made no semblance of any mislike howsoeuer he thought it not conuenient that all should passe in that order Wherefore conferring with the Pope therin some things were reuersed for his Holines would haue him buryed like a Cardinall but with meaner pomp he would haue him embalmed would haue the other Cardinalls to be present sending also his owne Quiristers thither in the rest he condescended to what he had determined as after shal be shewed The same day some six or seauen houres after his receauing he demaunded He is anneyled the other and last Sacrament of the sicke Extreme Vnction I meane which he requested the sooner to receaue because he would be sure he sayd not to be depriued of it or to take it when he should not know well what he did take he was now in his perfect senses and therfore might receaue it with deuotion as he did and answered Amen with great compunctioÌ„ of hart at ech seueral vnction and now with greater serenity of mynd then before he expected his last cal and coÌ„ming of our Lord to take him out of this vale of misery and bring him where he might see Bona Domini in terra Psal 370 viuentium the ioy of our Lord in the land of the liuing And for that some Sectaries of these dayes had bruted abroad that he had fauoured their cause of which he was the He maketh a Protestation of hiâ— Fayth destruction or had recalled some of his opinions he entreated Fa. Andraeas Eudaemon-Ioannes then present that he would testify in some writteÌ„ record that whatsoeuer he to wit the Cardinall had written or printed concerning matters of Fayth against the Heretikes and Heresyes of these tymes that now on his deathbed he did most resolutely auouch againe ratify and confirme the same caused this his attestation to be written and subscribed by diuers that were present as by his two Nephevvs certayne Fathers of the Society some of his owne seruants and I doubt not but the sayd Father out of the great loue and dutifull respect which he alwayes bare the Cardinall will very willingly discharge this debt in some work that he shall shortly set foorth if his health doe not hinder him as it hath done many others of his most commendable profitable endeauours Being thus armed for his last encounter and in great tranquillity and peace of mynd he began agayne to cast backe his eyes on his life past to see what therein might trouble his conscience or breed any feare in him at that straite account before God which now hourely he did expect to be called vnto and after See the teÌ„der conscience of this most holy and innocent Cardinall all his discussion search he said vnto Father Minutoli that no one thing so much troubled him of all that he had done in his life past as that he had left his Church Archbishopricke of Capua where by his continuall residence he might haue done more good to the honour and glory of God and good of those soules committed vnto his charge then in any other place that heere in Rome it seemed that he had lost his time and had done nothing of any weight or moment wheras yet he was well knowne to leese no tyme that he could well spare was imployed in all matters of most importance which concerned the whole Church the proper office of a Cardinall as the sayd Father told him which is not so much to attend to a particular member as to the common profit of the whole body for as Saint Leo Leo. epist will noteth publica praeferenda sunt proprijs ibi intelligenda est raâ—io vtiliatis vbi vigilat cura communis Moreouer sayd the Father you can haue no scruple in this matter which you did by commaund of the Pope whome you were bound by your rule to obey consequently your aboad not being of your seeking but his enforcing it cannot be imputed to you as a fault but contrarivvise is commendable as proceedinge from exact Obedience which you could not refuse Indeed sayd the Cardinall so the Bellarmin would not leaue his Church and keep the rents matter passed and I plainly signifyed vnto Paul the fifth that I could not in conscience not residing in the place keep the Archbishopricke in my handes therfore desired him in case he would haue me to remaine in Rome that I might altogeather renounce the Archbishopricke that men might not iustly charge me and with reason say He hath forsaken his wife and yet keepes her dowry and therfore leauing the one I renounced the other and yielded vp all entierly as well charge as profit into the Popes handes without euer making any mention of allowance for my selfe to be deducted from thence So he And yet he might haue substituted a Suffragan and kept at least two parts of three had he beene so disposed but he renounced all freely and wholy and after the renuntiation made sute to the Pope to allow him somwhat for his maintenance hauing now only left him the title of a Bishop without a Church the dignity of a Cardinall without any liuing and charge of seruantes without hauing so much rent as to pay his Cooke the Pope allowed him as he had in Capua allowed himselfe foure thousad crowns and for that one part of this summe was leuied by way of pension on the rents of the Church of Capua though it were done much against his will he neuer ceased til his death yearly out of his smal allowance to bestow something on the poore Monasteryes of that Citty
myter Great industry vsed to get reliques of the Cardinall that he wore others the tassells and knots of his Cardinalls hat others the skirts of his vestements others other things what ech could get with great deuotion he kissed the same lapping it vp in cleane linnen silke c. and two Prelates brought ech a short staff vnder his garment and when they came ouer against one the other at the lower end of the hearse where the hat lay at the Cardinalls feet they cast it off from theÌ„ce very dexterously with their staues into the bosome of one of their seruaunts ready at hand to receaue it who had conueyed it cleane away had not one of the Fathers by chance espyed him who by help of the Pops Guard recouered it out of his hands and carryed it into the Vestry In fine had not his body beene well guarded I thinke that neyther hat or myter or vestement or any thing else had beene left and perhaps the very body it selfe had been taken away deuiuided for pious spoile And although his body were thus exposed in more plaine and positiue manner with lesse splendour and maiesty then is accustomed for Cardinalls Great coÌ„course of Cardinals to his buriall yet were his Exequies in other respectes very honourable For contrary to that which both in his wil he had designed desired of the Generall on his death-bed to haue no Cardinals present ther at there came so many as more haue not beene seene at any buriall for excepting two or three for exceeding gâ—eat age sicknes or some other busines absent all the rest were there and stayed vntill the very end of the office which was performed by the General in his Cope and the Fathers of the Society and further there was such resort as none liuing euer saw more or perhaps so many at once in that Church When the Office was done to satisfy the importunate request of so many as desired it the body was taken downe layed on a Beare couered with blacke veluet and caryed to the Chappell of our Blessed Lady in the same Church not without a strong Guard where such as entred at one dore passing out at an other gaue way for more to satisfy their desires but it was not possible to satisfy all for though it remayned there vntill after three houres in the night as I sayd yet were the Fathers forced to send away many that were stil flocking thither much agaynst their wil and not without mayne force of the Guard and others that commaunded compelled them out of the Church and shut the dores to their no small regreet The multitude being excluded the body was put into a plaine coffin of wood and layed in the ordinary vault He is buryed in a common vault where others of the Society are wont to be buryed therein condescending to the Cardinalls desire who would needes lye with them in graue with whome he had liued whome he had loued and to whome for many years before his death he would haue returned and ledd agayne a Religious life vnder the common Rule vvith the resignation of his Cardinalls Hat and dignity if it might haue been permitted him as I haue been informed by one to whome he imparted his mynd and would haue vsed in the same and my selfe haue heard him very hartily to wish it But howsoeuer for some small tyme for long as I heare it shall not remayne in that place his body rest in a poore vault yet his soule yet vvere his other noble vertues so shrowded vnder the mantle of Humility as they could not be seene in their perfect nature and such as best knevv them had least list to speake them lest them vvordes might disclose vvhat the Cardinall vvould haue to be secret but novv hath that Glory ouertaken him vvhich he did still eschew beat backe vvith contempt of himselfe novv he vvho seemed amongst the Cardinalls to be inferiour to all is more honoured then any novv that the earthen pot of his mortall body is broken the shyning lamp of his vertues accompanyed vvith the trump and triumph of fame yield their light to the vvorld consound all malitious inuentions of the Madâ—anites Novv is the candle no more layed Iud. 7. vnder a bushell but set on a Candlesticke for all to behold novv is the mouth of detractors stopped that would vvith their lyes haue blemished his life and disgraced his death many yeares ere it hapned novv vvill they nill they truth shall trample falshood vnderfoot and the cleere beames of Bellarmynes vertue ouerbeare all slaunderous reports of malignant Sacramentaryes Let them forge infamous fictions let them print as they haue done most exorbitantlyes let malice maâ—cht with learning arme their pennes to write reproach yet shall all their force and fury fal to the ground his name be renowned for euer The warraÌ„t is sure that is signed with his promise who sayd by the Psalmist In memoria â—terâ—a erit iustus ab auditionemalâ— non Psal 111. timebit the memory of the iust shall remayne for euer he shall not feare any ill report and not only his life and death but as the Prophet foretold of Christ Erit sepulerum eius gloriosum euen his sepulcher shall be glorious for thither now Isa 11. come many to pray thereon dayly they cast fresh flowers thereof they speake that specially they respect it was common before to many but is now made famous by him alone The Habit as the Philosopher sayth is best knowne by his Priuation the darke night makes vs more to esteem and valew the cleere day and liberty is alwayes most gratefull after a long restraint so Bellarmines absence hath made his vertues more prized and the sense feeling which now all find in his want makes them vvith griefe to recall to mynde what a treasure they had whiles they did enioy him aliue The Cardinals haue lost the prime flower brightest starre of their Colledge the Bishops a liuely patterne of a true Pastour the Religious a perfect example of imitation the learned a renowned Doctoâ—r the poore a Father the afflicted a comforter the whole Church an ornament and to renew still his happy memory in their neuer dying affection many Cardinalls Prelates and others of great Nobility haue carefully sought and alwaies do seeke for something of his and so much is already gotten as besides his body little or nothing else is left One Cardinall got his bed another his Missall another his Diurnall Farnesius his Breâ—iary What others got eyther during his sicknes or since his death were to long to write they got his dublet hose stockings caps linnen wollen writings pictures shirts handkerchiffs and what else they could procure leauing him so destitute of all thinges as that the Fathers of the Society were forced after his death to cloath him of their owne and to borrow a square cap of an other Cardinall to put on his head