and get their livings with their fingers that they may have wherewithal to relieve others in necessity Are not these holy and warrantable Labours by which a Husband provides for his Wife and Children Ti. This is a question which in my opinion may be resolv'd several ways First This Text had a particular regard to those times when the Apostles being dispersed far and wide for the Promulgation of the Gospel they were to cast themselves upon Providence for their support without being sollicitous for it themselves having neither leisure to get their living by their labour nor any thing to trust to for it beside Fishing But the World is now at another pass and we are all for Ease Another way of expounding it may be this Christ has not forbid Industry but Anxiety of thought such as commonly possesses those men that are hard put to 't for a Livelihood and set all other things apart only to attend this This is intimated by our Saviour himself when he says that one man cannot serve two Masters For he that wholly delivers himself up to any thing is a Servant to 't Now tho' the Propagation of the Gospel ought to be our Chief yet it is not our only Care. For he says First not Only seek the Kingdom of Heaven and these things shall be added unto you The word To morrow I take to be Hyperbolical and to signifie a time to come Uncertain it being the Custom of the World to be scraping and sollicitous for Posterity Eu. Your Interpretation we allow of But what is his meaning when he says Nè solliciti sitis Animae vestrae quid Edalis The Body is Cloath'd but the Soul does not Eat Ti. By Anima is meant Life which cannot subsist without Meat This does not hold in our Garments which are more for Modesty than Necessity For a Body may live without Cloaths but without Meat it is certain Death Eu. I do not well understand how to reconcile this Passage with that which follows Is not the Life more then Meat and the Body more then Raiment For if Life be so precious we should take the more Care of it Ti. This Argument does rather encrease our trouble then lessen it Eu. But this is none of our Saviours meaning Who by this Argument creates in us a stronger Confidence in the Father for if a bountiful Father hath given us gratis that which is more valuable he will by a stronger reason confer upon us that which is Cheaper He that has give us Life will certainly give us Food He that has given us Bodies will not deny us Cloaths So that upon the experience of his Divine Bounty there is no reason why we should afflict our selves with any Anxiety of Thought for things below What remains then but that using this World as if we used it not we transfer our whole study and application to the love of Heavenly things and rejecting the World and the Devil with all their Vanities and Impostures we chearfully serve God alone who will never forsake his Children But here 's no body takes any Fruit 'T is a Scripture Dinner you have had for there was little care beforehand to provide it Ti. We have sufficiently pamper'd our Carcasses Eu. I should be glad that ye had satisfi'd your Souls Ti. That 's done I assure ye in a larger measure Eu. Take away Boy and bring some Water Now if you please we 'll wash and conclude with a Hymn out of Chrysostome And Pray'e let me be your Chaplain Glory be to thee O God O Holy O King as thou hast given us Meat for our Bodies so replenish our Souls with Ioy and Gladness in thy Holy Spirit that we may be found acceptable in thy sight and not be confounded when thou shalt come to render unto every man according to his Works Boy Amen Ti. A Pious and a most pertinenent Hymn Eu. Of St. Chrysostoms Translation too Ti. Where is it to be found Eu. In his Fifty sixth Homily upon St. Matthew Ti. God willing I 'll read it before I sleep But tell me one thing why these three Atributes of Lord Holy and King Eu. Because all honour is due to our Master and principally in these three respects We call him Lord as the Redeemer of us from the Tyranny of the Devil with his Holy Blood and taking us to himself We stile him Holy as the Sanctifier of all men and not only forgiving us all our sins gratis but by the Holy Spirit cloathing us with his Righteousness that we might follow Holiness And then King as heirs to a Heavenly Kingdom from him who sits and reigns himself at the Right hand of God the Father And all this we owe to his gratuitous Bounty that we have Iesus Christ for our Lord and not Satan that we have Innocence and Sanctity instead of the Filth and Uncleanness of our Sins and for the Torments of Hell the Joys of Life everlasting Ti. 'T is a very Godly discourse Eu. This is your first Visit Gentlemen and I must not dismiss ye without Presents but plain ones and suitable to your Entertainment Bring 'em out here Boy These are all of a Price that is to say they are of no value 'T is all one to me now whether you will draw Lots or chuse You will not find it Heliogabulus's Lottery for one to draw 100 Horses and another as many Flies Here are four little Books two Clocks a Lamp and a Standish which I suppose you will like better then either Balsoms Dentifrices or Looking-glasses Ti. They are all so good that there 's no place for a Preference but rather distribute them your self They 'll come the welcomer where they fall Eu. In this little Book are the Proverbs of Solomon in Parchment It teaches Wisdom and the Gilding is a Symbold of it This must be yours Timotheus that according to the Doctrine of the Gospel to him that has Wisdom shall Wisdom be given Ti. I will make it my study to stand in less need of it Eu. This Clock must be yours Sophronius for I know you count your hours and husband your time It came out of the farther part of Dalmatia and that 's all the Commendation I 'll give it Soph. 'T is a good way of advising a Sluggard to be diligent Eu. You have in this Book the Gospel of St. Matthew I would recommend it to be set with Diamonds if a sincere and candid Breast were not more precious Lay it up there Theophilus and be still more and more suitable to your name Th. I will endeavour to make such use of it that you may not think it ill bestow'd Eu. St. Paul's Epistles your constant Companions Eulalius are in this Book You have them often in your mouth which would not be if they were not also in your heart Hereafter keep 'em in your hand and in your eye Eu. This is a Gift with good Counsel over and above which is of all Gifts the most
that was White and Shining like Damask and a very pretty Boy behind him with Wings which I took for his good Genius Po. Then he had no evil Genius with him Br. Yes the Franciscan told me he thought he had for there followed him a good way off certain Birds that were Black all over saving that when they spread their Wings they seemed to have a mixture of Feathers that were betwixt White and Carnation By their Colour and Cry one might have taken them for Pyes but that they were sixteen times as big and about the Size of Vultures They had Combs upon their Heads and a kind of Gorbelly'd Kites with Crooked Beaks and Tallons If there had been but three of them I should have taken them for Harpyes Po. And what did these Devils do Br. They kept their distance Chattering and Squalling at the Heroick Reuchlin and would certainly have set upon him if they durst Po. Why what hinder'd ' em Br. Reuchlin's turning upon 'em and making the Sign of the Cross at ' em Be gone says he ye cursed Fiends to a place that 's fitter for you You have work enough to do among Mortals but you have no Commission to meddle with me that am now listed in the Roll of Immortality The words were no sooner out of his Mouth says my Franciscan but these filthy Birds took their Flight and left such a Stink behind them that a Close-stool would have been Orange-flower-water to it and he swore that he would rather go to Hell than even snuff up such a Perfume again Po. A Curse upon these Pests Br. But hear what the Franciscan told me more While I was musing upon this St. Ierome says he was gotten close to the Bridge and saluted Reuchlin in these very Words God save thee my most Holy Companion I am commanded to conduct thee to the blessed Souls above as a Reward from the Divine Bounty of thy most pious Labours With that he took out a Garment and put it upon Reuchlin Tell me then said I in what Habit or Shape St. Ierome appear'd Was he so old as they Paint him Did he wear a Cowl or a Hat and the Dress of a Cardinal Or had he a Lyon for his Companion Nothing of all this said he but his Person was Comely and his Age was only such as carried Dignity with it without the Offence of any sort of Sluttery But what need had he there of a Lyon by his side as he is commonly Painted His Gown came down to his Heels as Transparent as Christal and of the same Fashion with that he gave to Reuchlin It was painted over with Tongues of three several Colours in imitation of the Ruby the Emerald and the Saphyre And beside the clearness of it the Order made it exceeding graceful Po. An intimation I suppose of the three Tongues that they profess'd Br. No doubt on 't for upon the very Borders of his Garments were the Characters of these three Languages in many Colours Po. Had Ierome no Company with him Br. No Company do ye say The whole Field swarm'd with Myriads of Angels that flew in the Air as thick as Atomes Pardon the meanness of the Comparison If they had not been as clear as the Glass there would have been no Heaven nor Earth to be seen Po. How glad am I now for poor Reuchlin But what followed Br. Ierome says he for Respects sake giving Reuchlin the Right hand and embracing him carry'd him into the Meadow and so up to the top of a Hill that was in the middle of it where they kiss'd and hugg'd one another again And now the Heavens open'd to a prodigious wideness and there appear'd a Glory so unutterable as made every thing else that pass'd for wonderful before to look Mean and Sordid Po. Cannot you give us some Representation of it Br. No How should I without seeing it But he that did see it assures me that the Tongue of Man is not able to express the very Dream of it And further that he would dye a thousand Deaths to see it over again tho it were but for one moment Po. Very good And how then Br. Out of this Overture there was let down a great Pillar of Fire which was both Transparent and very agreeable By the means of this Pillar Two Holy Souls embraced one another ascended to Heaven a Quire of Angels all the while accompanying them with so charming a Melody that the Franciscan says he is not able to think of the Delight of it without weeping And after this there followed an incomparable Perfume His Sleep or rather the Vision was no sooner over but he started up like a Mad-man and call'd for his Bridge and his Meadow without either speaking or thinking of any thing else and there was no perswading of him to believe that he was any longer in his Cell The Seniors of the Convent when they found the Story to be no Fable for 't is clear that Reuchlin dy'd at the very instant of this appearance to the Holy Man they unanimously gave Thanks to God that abundantly rewards good Men for their good Deeds Po. What have we more to do then but to enter this Holy Man's Name in the Kalender of our Saints Br. I should have taken care for that tho the Franciscan had seen nothing of all this And in Golden Letters too I 'll assure ye next to St. Ierome himself Po. And let me dye if I don't put him in my Book so too Br. And then I 'll set him in Gold in my little Chappel among the choicest of my Saints Po. If I had a Fortune to my Mind I 'd have him in Diamonds Br. He shall â—stand in my Library the very next to St. Ierome Po. And I 'll have him so in mine too Br. We live in an ungrateful World or else all People would do the same thing too that love Learning and Languages especially the Holy Tongues Po. Truly it is no more than he deserves But does it not a little stick in your Stomach that he 's not yet Canoniz'd by the Authority of the Bishop of Rome Br. I pray'e who Canoniz'd for that 's the word who Canoniz'd St. Ierome Paul the Virgin Mother Tell me whose Memory is more Sacred among all good Men those that by their eminent Piety and the Monuments of their Learning and good Life have entituled themselves to the Veneration of Posterity or Catherina Senensis for the purpose that was Sainted by Pius 2. in favour of the Order and City Po. You say true That 's the right Worship that 's paid voluntarily to the Merits of the Dead whose benefits will never be forgotten Br. And can you then deplore the Death of this Man If long Life be a Blessing he enjoy'd it he left immortal Monuments of his Virtue and by his good Works consecrated himself to Eternity He 's now in Heaven above the reach of misfortune and conversing with St. Ierome Po. But he
suffer'd a great deal tho in this Life Br. And yet St. Ierome suffer'd more 'T is a Blessing to be persecuted by wicked Men for being Good. Po. I confess it and St. Ierome suffered many Indignities from wicked Men for his Virtues Br. That which Satan did formerly by the Scribes and Pharisees against our Saviour he continues still to do by Pharisees against Good Men that have deserved well from the World by their Studies He does now reap the Fruit of the Seed that was Sow'd In the mean time it will be our part to preserve his memory Sacred to glorify him and to address to him in some such manner as follows Holy Soul be Propitious to Languages and to those that Cultivate and Refine them Favour Holy Tongues and destroy Evil Tongues that are infected with the Poyson of Hell. Po. I 'll do 't my self and perswade all my Friends to do 't I make no question but we shall find those that will employ their interest to get some little Form of Prayer according to Custom to perpetuate the Honour and Memory of this blessed Hero. Br. Do you mean that which they call a Collect Po. Yes Br. I have one ready that I provided before his Death Po. I pray'e let 's hear it Br. O God that art the Lover of Mankind and by thy chosen Servant John Reuchlin hast renewed to Mankind the Gift of Tongues by which thy Holy Spirit from above did formerly enable the Apostles for the Preaching of the Gospel Grant that all People may in all Tongues Preach the Glory of thy Son to the confounding of the Tongues of the false Apostles who being in Confederacy to uphold the wicked Tower of Babel endeavour to obscure thy Glory by advancing their own when to thee alone is due all Glory c. Po. A most Elegant and Holy Prayer And it shall be my daily one How happy was this Occasion to me that brought me to the knowledg of so Edifying and so Delightful a Story Br. May that Joy last long too and so Farewel THE FUNERAL COL XII In the differing Ends of Belearicus and Montius here is set forth the Vanity Pomp and Superstition of the Funerals of some Rich and Worldly Men With the Practices of too many of the Monks upon them in their Extremities As also how a Good Christian ought to demean himself when he comes to Dye MARCOLPHUS PHAEDRUS Ma. WHY 〈◊〉 go Matters Phaedrus Thou look'st methinks as if thou hadst been eaten and spew'd up again Ph. Why so I beseech ye Ma. So sad so sowre so ghastly so forlorn a Wight Thou hast not one bit of Phaedrus about thee Phaed. What can you expect better from one that has been so many days among the Sick the Dying and the Dead You might as well wonder to see a Black-Smith or a Chimney-Sweeper with a dirty Face Well Marcolphus Two such Losses are enough to put any Man out of Humour Ma. Have you buri'd any of your Friends then Ph. You knew George Balearicus Ma. Only his Name but I never saw his Face Ph. He 's one and Cornelius Montius the other my very particular Friend but he I suppose was wholly a Stranger to you Ma. It was never my Fortune yet to see any Man breathe his last Ph. But it has been mine too often if I might have had my wish Ma. Pray'e tell me is Death so Terrible as they make it Ph. The Way to 't is worse than the Thing it self for the Apprehension is the greatest part of the Evil. Beside that our Resignation to the Will of God makes all the Bitterness as well of Sickness as of Death casy to us There can be no great Sense of any thing in the Instant of the Souls leaving the Body For before it comes to that point the Faculty it self is become Dull and Stupid and commonly laid asleep Ma. What do we feel when we 're Born Ph. The Mother feels something however if we do not Ma. Why would not Providence let us go out of the World as smoothly as we came into 't Ph. Our Birth is made painful to the Mother to make the Child dearer to her and Death is made formidable to Mankind to deter us from laying violent Hands upon our Selves for if so many make away themselves as the case stands already what would they do if the dread of Death were taken away If a Servant or a Child were but corrected a Family-quarrel started a Sum of Money lost or any thing else went Cross Men would presently repair to Halters Swords Rivers Preciplces Poysons for their Relief It is the Terror of Death that makes us set the greater value upon Life especially considering that there 's no Redemption for the Dead are out of the reach of the Doctor Now so it is that we do not all either come into the World or go out of it alike Some dye sooner others later some one way some another A Lethargy takes a Man away without any Sense of Death as if he were Stung with an Asp he goes off in 's Sleep Or be it as it will There is no Death so Tormenting but that a Man may overcome it with Resolution Ma. Pray'e tell me which of your two Friends bore his Fate the most like a Christian Ph. Why truely in my Opinion George dy'd the more like a Man of Honour Ma. Is there any Sense of Ambition then when we come to that Point Ph. I never saw two People make such different Ends. If you 'll give it the Hearing I 'll tell you the Story and leave you to judge which was likest a Christian. Ma. Let 's have it I beseech ye for I have the greatest mind in the World to hear 't Ph. I 'll begin with my Friend George So soon as ever it could be certainly known that his Hour was drawing on the Physitians that had attended him throughout his Sickness gave to understand the Pains they had taken and that there was matter of Money in the Case but not a Word of the Despair they had of his Life Ma. How many Physitians might there be Ph. Sometimes Ten sometimes Twelve but never under Six Ma. Enow in all Conscience to have done the Business of a Man in perfect Health Ph. Their Money was no sooner paid but they privately hinted to some of his near Relations that his Death was at hand and advis'd them to take the best Care they could for the good of his Soul for his Body was past hope This was handsomely intimated by some of his particular Friends to George himself desiring him that he would remit the Business of his Life to Providence and turn his Thoughts now toward the Comforts of another World. Upon this News George cast many a soure Look at the Physitians taking it very heinously that they should now leave him in his distress They told him that Physitians were but Men not Gods and that they had done as much as Art could do to save