things have beene There done in former times and that hundreds of yeares since Tell him that some have beene There who have endured strange things and seene stranger some of them Really others onely in Imagination And least there might be any Discovery such a course may be taken with him that long fasting as thirty or fifteene or but nine dayes together with little sleepe and much labour in rounding and surrounding before he shall enter into the place may make the matter sure For it is not to be doubted but Reason will thereby be weakened the phantasie awakened and they themselves likely cast into a deepe sleepe when principally they must be told that all their dreames are reall and then the worke is done For that I may use the words of a Iesuite in this verie point A man of indifferent judgement may soone suspect that in the drift and strength of imagination a Contemplative person would happily suppose the sight of many strange things which he never saw onely for the divulging it it will the better take if it be first reported abroad amongst strangers for if they be as they are easiely to be deceived such as are neerest home will soone be caught Then be sure that the ground-worke and if it may bee Presidents also of such Reports bee as Ancient as may be For besides the honour afforded Antiquitie there will none be able to disprove thee if the matter be but cleanely carryed For effecting of all which there cannot be wanting those who are their own crafts-masters both for Cunning in framing and confidence in imposing them on others for truth and how great cause they have if profit be respected to labour hard in this golden-mine cannot be unknowne to any that shall consider the great benefit thence arising which seeming little yet comming through so many hands doth amount insensibly to great summes and that whether wee take notice but of the poore fraught and transportation of each Pilgrime into this Island for which each one payeth for the most part eight pence and what this may in time make up can hardly be imagined Yet if there were no more at one time in the Island than what Sir William Stewart lately found there foure hundred seventie and one Persons it would amount to fifteene pounds foureteene shillings in one day But what then shall wee say to that if that be true which D. Roth. the now Popish Bishop of Ossory reporteth of it and as he thinketh on very good ground There is one of very good credit yet alive saith he who did averre in the word of a Priest that hee had seene fifteene hundred persons altogether aâ— onâ— time in the Island which maketh up fiftie pounds in a day but as I will not question this mans credit by the it may be supposed impossibilitie of such a throng in so small a roome as halfe an Acre of ground so will I not make this to be such an estimate as should hold out constantly It is sufficient what he doth there inferre If therefore there were in that place such a number of Pilgrimes at one time what shall we thinke of one whole age specially when the accesse thereunto was more free than now it is by reason of the Protestant Colonies round about And how great then shall wee thinke the gaines to bee that would be from the Concourse of people yet is this but the least part and but the Peâ—ce of this treasurie Eight-pence is but a poore allowance for so many attending priests to bee relieved withall Ecclesiasticall Convents both in Ireland and beyond the Seas must besides the former partake of their bounty if they will share in their Prayers All which no man can thinke would bee made up of small matters nor being put altogether would make up sleight summes So that all things considered it is not so much to be wondred if these so advantageous Silver shrines should finde so many Demetriusses both at home and abroad who have magnified it as a thing descended from Heaven and to be of a divine institution All of them as it were joyned in one packe and made together in one tale in setting forth the merite of this Pilgrimage set forth by the most strange Relations thereof that is possible to be met withall From this Combination I need not doubt to call it so it is that among the severall Histories of Pilgrimages in ancienter times made into this Purgatory whereof Bookes of late so swarme yet scarcely any one will be found to differ from another at the least wise in any materiall circumstance which howsoever to some may seeme rather a singular inducement to the Truth of the thing yet doth it rather savour of fraud and fiction in the one and to bee received rather than tryed by others I shall therefore single out some one of these Histories by that to judge of the rest in that kinde thereby also avoyding that tediousnesse with which so great a number would overcome a verie patient Reader one onely being more than enough Neyther will I fix on the first pilgrimage of which we read reported by Henry of Saltry of Owen commonly called the History of the Knight which we have before touched matters were than in their infancie It is sufficient that then the ground-worke was layd the first Inventors not being able to reach to that perfection which after-times found out But I doe make choyce rather of a Relation which of all others is most frequent in the mouthes of this Nation as it is at large set out by * O Sullevan who promiseth to tell uâ— an History of one Ramon a noble Spanish Viscount that went into Saint Patrickes purgatory relating what there happened unto him and his returne thence an History saith he worthy to be remembred being both delightfull and wonderfull serving to exhort sinners to bring forth fruit in their lives teaching them to observe Gods Commandements to avoyde sinne and wonderfully setting forth the paines of purgatory and that they are to be feared This then shall be instead of many nothing being in the rest materiall that is not in this one in which respect I doe desire pardon if I be larger in it than the matter deserveth It is by O Sullevan translated out of Spanish and is as followeth The History of the Spanish Viscount 〈◊〉 Ramon by the grace of God Viscount of Perels and Baron of Serâ—ta was a follower of Charles King of France to whom my Father being intimate with him and Commander of his Armie on his death bed recommended me and with whom from my childehood I was educated The Court of this so great a Prince was famous for the resort of many noble personages aswell strangers as subjects Many of these did I often heare discoursing of strange and memorable things in severall parts of the world which I did earnestly desire to see But I shall onely speake of those things which concerne my going
among the Schoolemen saith Maldonat the Iesuite 2. But in case this Sacrament reach not unto all then there remaineth a Purgatory after death appointed also by Christ saith these Fathers But where doe we finde it so appointed by Christ and if it were how commeth it to passe That in the Commentaries of the Greek Fathers we finde little or no mention of it for ought I know neither yet have all the Latines conceived the truth of it the beleeving of it not being so necessary for the Primitive Church as now it is saith Fisher Bishop of Rochester the esteeme of Indulgences wholly depending on Purgatory for there were no use of Indulgences if there were no use of Purgatory He proceedeth Considering therefore how that Purgatory was for a while unknowne and that some by degrees received it partly by Revelations and partly by Scripture and that it was so lately known and received by the whole Church c. But by his leave not by the whole Church for neither the Greeke nor all the Latines beleeve it as was before confessed and what ground in that kind it hath gotten was but of late dayes it neither being necessary nor known to the Primitive Fathers and yet with what confidence doe these learned Archbishops affirme that Christ himselfe appointed it 3. But they proceed We in Purgatory are either altogether freed or much eased by the Prayers of men living yet how that should be we know not For to this very day was it never determined by the Church how our Prayers could profit the dead as Cassander confesseth But as Purgatory brought in these Prayers so doe these Prayers uphold Purgatory The great profit whereof makeing it so necessary for these last times which the simplicity of these former ages could not dive into But now these three points are fully confirmed for true by these Archbishops And now is our Pilgrim returned into the dark Hall whereinto he first entred a journey if we consider it no lesse wonderfull than the rest in twenty and foure houres all on foot traversing more ground than can be wellâ— imagined going over many large fields the bounds o most whereof could not by the eye of man be discerned and passing to The extreamest part of the world It is said indeed that those malignant spirits did further him in his speed and needs must he then goe but if it be so in his going forward what shall be said for his comming backe for then none of them could so much as looke on him but fled at the sight of him So that his owne footmanship must performe it where also notwithstanding his swift going forward and the generall Torments he suffered and saw putting him besides himselfe yet is he so skilfull in the way that through all these darke and unknowne passages he came backe foot by foot the same way that he went Neither is his eye-sight any thing dazled or impaired by the transoendent light in Paradise surpassing the glory of the Sunne But entring into that spacious and dark hall of which before he could by the Twilight discerne those men whom hee had formerly met there distinguishing their number Twelve and their Actions signing him with the signe of the Crosse. Here also he met and knew his Companion the English Knight that went in with him who it seemeth went no further than that Hall being so tired out with labour and Torments that he could not returne without the Uiscounts helpe where what Torments he endured more than the other we heare not And if he were tormented he had the same remedy propounded to him that was to the Viscount the pronouncing of the blessed Name of IESUS by which he might be delivered of which it is supposed he did make use otherwise he could not be freed and if he did how came he to be so extraordinarily oppressed or rather whence was it that he did not utterly perish in not going forward that being the onely thing those spirits are said to labour to stop men in their journey by faire or foule meanes thereby to destroy them bodie and soule as in the former passages hath been at large described But why dally we thus with this Counterfeit whom it is now time to unmask and we shall fully discover the fraud by observing the circumstances of the time and persons when and with whom which here for the better colouring of the matter are very punctually described His owne relation is in substance this y When Charles the French King was dead this Viscount went to Iohn King of Aragon his Soveraigne by whom he was imployed with Command of three Gallyes for the assisting of Pope Clement and after the death of Clement he served his Successor Benedict the thirteenth during which time his king dying he with Benedicts benediction left Avignion going on in his pilgrimage to S. Patrickes Purgatory when Anno 1328. in what moneth September what day of that month on the feast of the blessed Virgin about what time of the day About the evening Can anything be more punctuall but behold further circumstances yet From Paris he goeth with the French Kings letters to his Sonne in Law Richard King of England by Richard he is sent into Ireland with other letters to the then Deputy the Earle of March Richards brothers Sonne and from him he goeth to the Lord Primate and then into this Purgatory What can be more precise We have the yeare month day almost the very houre The Places and Persons we know who could thinke the man meant before so many witnesses to play his Legerdemaine tricks like Iuglers who trusse up their sleeves before they begin their feates and all this but to avoid suspition now see him in his colours Know therefore first that in the year one thousand three hundred twenty and eight the time of this supposed pilgrimage Benedict the thirteenth was not Pope neither of a long time after But Iohn the 21. accounted also the 22. whom succeeded Benedict the tenth or the twelfth as he is also esteemed after him Clement the sixt Innocent the sixt Urban the fift Gregory the eleventh and Vrban the sixt with whom stood in Competition as Anti-pope Clement the seventh in the yeare 1389. whom followed in that Schisme this Benedict the 11. or the 13. in the yeare 1394. which two last are they who are here mentioned of which the last that is to say Benedict the thirteenth was before called Petrus de Luna and an Aragonoes a motive for the King of Aragon to be an assistant unto him whose subjects for the most part obeyed Benedict saith Plaitina so that as this pilgrimage was to be in the yeare 1328. and in Benedict the thirteenth his time Successor to Clement it is apparant that by that computation it should have been before Clement sixty and one yeares and before Benedict sixty six yeares An error so grosse that it had need to have gone with our
Viscount to that Purgatory to be purged with him But this is not all For secondly after the decease of Charles the fourth King of France there succeeded in the yeare 1328. Phillip of Valois to whom in England Edward the third was Contemporary this Edward began his Reigne anno 1326. two yeares before and dyed in the fifty first yeare of his Reigne To him succeeded Richard the second here spoken off And in a Parliament held anno 1385. which was the ninth year of Richards Reigne was Roger Mortimer Earle of March proclaimed Heire apparant to the Crowne Shortly after which this Roger sailed into Ireland where he was Deputy at which time this pilgrimage was said to be for from the French King he brought letters to Richard and from Richard to the Earle of March then Deputy But deducting two yeares from the fifty and one yeares of Edward the third the remaine is fortie nine to which adde nine yeares of Richards Reigne at which time the Earle of March was Deputy it maketh up fifty and eight yeares so that by this computation this Pilgrimage must have beene 58. yeares before this yeare of Richard and as many before the Earle of March for so long is there between the yeare 1328. 1386. The time of his being Deputy and how these things will hang together I see not Neither can this be supposed to be such a mistake as that the figures might be mis printed 1328. for 1386. for in the Margent of that Legend the figures are 1328. but in the body of the Discourse it is thus at large I did set forward in the yeare after the birth of our Lord One thousand three hundred twenty and eight And the same Author in another booke set out since relating the same story hath it in the same words at large In the yeare one thousand three hundred twenty and eight not in figures But it is yet more inconsistent For Richard King of England is said to be Sonne in Law to the then French King unto whom Letters recommendatory are brought by the Viscount from his Father in Law True it is that Richard was affianced unto Isabell daughter of Charles the sixt of France but that was so farre from being in the yeare One thousand three hundred twentie and eight that is was in the year one thousand three hundred ninty six that is sixty and eight years after Neither could it be when the Earle of March was Deputie of Ireland which was about the yeare One thousand three hundred eightie and five nine or ten yeares before so that either Richard was not Son in Law to the French King or the Earle of March was not Deputy when the Viscount came into Ireland Neither is it lesse absurd which is added That the Earle of March the Deputy having received the King and Queene of Englands letters did honourably receive him For what Letters could the Queen write shee was but seven years old when he was as I said affianced to Richard and not full twelve when by the Lord Henry Piercy she was brought backe into France after Richards death Neither could she write to the Earle of March being Deputy of Ireland unlesse we should suppose her to have written three or foure yeares before she was borne And as foolishly is the Earle of March made to be Richards brothers Sonne Richard having no Brother he being the sole surviving Sonne of Edward the black Prince And Roger Mortimer being the great grandchild of Edward the Third descended from Philip daughter of Lionell third sonne of Edward the Third which Lionell was brother to that Edward the black Prince and Uncle to Richard So that considering this Masse of absurdities from first to last any one I suppose may well guesse how false this Legend is and this Imposture may give just cause to suspect this and all others of the like Fables But I much wonder that the translator O Sullevan whose faculty was singular that way did not helpe out the matter better than he hath done but either he saw it not or if he did he thought it dangerous to stirre in it and to raise up any doubts supposing it might as well passe after as hitherto it had without discovery thinking it may be that none would so farre question it Neither could O Sullevan be so simple as to conceive such a childish dreame could passe without some observation therefore to prevent it he laboureth to cast a mist before his Readers eyes If this History saith he be in any thing which we have shewed in many things if not in all hard to be beleeved what then Let him that desireth to be satisfied reade Dionysius Carthusianus who reporteth like Histories of others who returned from this Purgatory But what are like Histories to this what if they be as false as this But Dionysius saith he doth prosecute the matter at large answering all Arguments and doubts that can be made against it This indeed is to some purpose if so it prove but I rather suspect this to be O Sullevans cunning to direct the Reader and take him off from prying too neare into that of the Viscount yet least we may seeme to prejudicate him let us heare what Dionysius doth say to this purpose First saith he Dionysius confirmeth this by the like Relations He indeed among other Histories proving that Soules departed are purged in such flames giveth us one of Tondall an Irish Knight who lived about Henry of Saltry's dayes He Balaeus speaking of that Henry flourished then when Tondall the Carthusian in Ireland being revived returned to his owne from Purgatory reporting visions calling him a Carthusian whom in others we reade a Knight it may be as Owen the Knight putting himselfe into the Cistercian Order so he into the Carthusians Neither were they farre distant from each other both Owen and Tondall being in K. Stevens dayes this last being about the twelfth yeare of his Reigne both which administred abundant matter for Henry to write The Legend of Tondall is this in effect that his Soule was separated from his bodie three dayes like that which we before did reade of Tymarchus whose Soule was sent on the like errand two dayes and one night In this differing from that of Owen whose body also went along This Soule of Tondall is by an Angell conducted into Purgatory where it saw many strange things among the rest a beast of incredible greatnesse which may easily be believed whose mouth seemed capable of nine thousand armed men just nine thousand within whom were many thousands of men and women grievously tormented this was a thing not observed by Owen the Knight or that our Viscount for this Purgatory is beholding to these great Titles of Viscounts and Knights for the upholding of the credit of it but to goe on This Soule of Tondall is brought to a place where over a lake there was a bridge two miles long and but one palme broad full