Traders in this our Theatre of the World must set down a discharge of the corrupted sophisticated and depraved Wares sold with false measures and weights even to the satisfying the utmost farthing of any abuse or cheat here the Avaritious the Thieves the Usurors which have undone some destroyed some and Pil'd others must pay in the same coyne the dammages and evils which they have done at this day the mercenary Judges which corrupted violated or blinded the eyes of Justice shall vomit up the gifts and bribes for which they did it Here the Orphans and widdows shall put up their complaints with other afflicted persons declaring before Gods Judgment Seat the exceeding injustice done to them Then the time is come in the which the Shepherds and Prelates shall give an account of their flocks recommended to their charge of the true false good and bad doctrine with which they have fed them Oh what care ought men to have of taking charge to teach Gods people for God will have a strict account of his flock at that time the evil Shepherds will say but with sufficient grief of soule and trembling with terrible feare Behold those which we mocked scoffed little esteemed and continually reprehended esteeming them fools and infamous in their course of life see how God hath received them for sons giving them part amongst his Saints and holy ones this will be the houre saith St. Jerome in the which many Stammerers Dumb and Unlearned people may be more happy then the most Eloquent and Learned many Shepherds and Herdsmen may be preferred before great Phylosophers many poore beggers before rich Princes and great Lords many simple Rusticks before the subtle nice and delicate which being seriously pondred by St. Augustine said The foolish and senslesse robbed heaven whilst the wise with their Doctrine went to Hell Oh good Christians le ts open our eyes both of soule and body and walke with continual circumspection and care that we I mean every one of us in particular may not come at last to incurre that most terrible sentence that ever was pronounced or can be possible or immaginable to be Paralleld for in comparison of the evils and miseries which will certainly come to us thereupon all humane Calamities Vexations and afflictions which in this Treatice I have mentioned are delights pleasures and pastimes in respect thereof I mean that final sentence which is the end and dolefull conclusion of the Theatre of many a mans misery mentioned by Saint Mathew 25th Chapter saying Go ye cursed of my Father into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels before the foundations of the World was laid where they shal be tormented endles they shall desire and seek after death but shal not finde it death shall fly from them and their infirnall habitations from which good Lord deliver us Amen A short DISCOVRSE Of the Excellency and Dignity of MAN By Pedro Bouistau called Launay Translated out of French into Spanish by the Master Baltazar Peres del Castillo And lastly Translated out of Castillian into ENGLISH By Francis Farrer Merchant London Printed for Samuel Ferris and are to be sold at his shop at London-stone in Cannon-street 1663. TO THE Courteous Reader THe Author considering as I suppose that he had obligation to satisfie in some thing that Honour which in the foregoing Treatise many will object he had detracted from the Dignity of mankinde He composed this short discourse in the which he doth not onely satisfy what he never took but puts men into such a condition the which all ought to seek and strive to attaine Receive it therefore gentle Reader as thou wouldest any thing which thou esteemest or hast had experience of for in this short Tract is contained what Antiquity and what the present could honour or can admire in men Vale. The Theatre of the World AFter that God had with wonderfull providence and excellent knowledge Created the World which is the most exact setter forth of the Greatnesse Wisdome and Power of its Creator he placed man therein that he should be King Emperor and Lord overall that he had made in it that he contemplating the Excellency and greatnesse of the works might render Love Duty and Reverence to that great God who hath made all these things for his use onely to appeare gratefull for this high favour bestowed upon him by his Creator and that without desert which sets forth not only the magnificence of our God but declares his bounty and favour towards mankinde for above all creatures he would that the manner of his Creation and beginning should be different from all others that he had made that this is true no man of discretion can deny for to create the light give being to the Stars even the greatest and most excellent Creatures that those from which men doe receive most profit and outward refreshment which are the Sun the Moon and the seven Planets He onely said Let there be Light a Sun a Moon and immediately they appeared in their several sphears in the heavens in obedience to the command of their Creator with the like words he parted light from darknesse he enclosed the waters that covered the face of the Earth in one place his onely will and pleasure it was to set them bounds which they never did or ever shall passe without his command and pleasure finally his omnipotent power and holy will alone gives being to all that ever was or shall be under the cope of Heaven all Plants Trees Seeds and Animals enjoy life at his pleasure they shal live no longer than his divine bounty pleaseth but esteeming and affecting man more than all the works of his hands and resolving to imprint upon him with the pencil of his sacred wisdome an exact Effigies of his divine likenesse and that not without mature and deliberate counsell but he would create in another new manner the best and most excellent of all his Creatures here below saying Let us make man in our Image and likenesse that shall be lord of the Fishes of the Sea of the Birds of the Aire and of all the Creatures that move upon the face of the earth giving us with those words to understand the great Honour and Dignity which he gave to that little clod of clay which he had moulded with his own hands and that he would not any of the other creatures should equalize or compare with man If we proceed in this contemplation we shall finde one thing worth admiration in the manner of mans Creation and it is that to all the Animals of the Earth to all the Birds of the Heaven and to all the Fishes of the Sea he gave body and soule together when he created them which he did not to man that he might exalt him put him in the highest place of dignity honour here below He first created the body and after by his divine inspiration infused the Soule giving to understand that the Jewel
the regions of Babilon from thence it flew to Greece and thence to Rome putrifying after such a manner the aire that one third part of the people did not escape where it came but to leave the antient Histories and examine what hath happened since their time and in our dayes that we who do hold our selves to be Christians may learn to understand our own frailty the great miseries to which we are subject with the scourges great afflictions which God layeth upon us and that God when his anger is kindled against our offences and extreame iniquities le ts fly the most cruell Darts and Arrowes of his justice against these Creatures not omitting any kind of evils afflictions and torments whereby to execute his wrath and vengeance what better or greater proofe can we have of this then that which we saw in the year 1628. in the French Army which at that time beseiged Naples that men dyed before they thought they had been stricken with death and this curse or Pestilence did not light upon the common souldiers alone but executed its fury against the most choice commanders that the Lords Lautree of Vandemon of Moloac of Laval of the Chatrinera Grandmont and many other Persons of great quality who I cannot call to mind without teares the very same thing happened to the English when they took Buloigne from the French that there arose such Pestilential disease amongst them in the Citty that the living were not sufficient to bury the dead for which cause the King of England could not find a Souldier in all his Country would go thither voluntarily but such as were prest forced thither as offenders for the more fresh men entered so many more dyed so that every corner of the streets was infected and corrupted with the stench of the dead Corpes which lay in every part of the City A year after that King Francis of France marryed with Donna Leonoca de Austria there reigned in Germany such a mortall Plague that all that were smitten therewith dyed within twenty four houres swetting a most contagious humor and a most horrid stinking matter and although this evil begin at the West end of the Empire yet afterwards it extended it selfe throughout all Germany like a sweeping net that will catch all as it goes along for before it pleased God to send a remedy there dyed so many thousands that many Provinces remained deserted and uninhabited for so great was the putrifaction of the aire that it left neither Creatures alive and they write that at the same time that the Pestilence reigned with the like fury it was predominant in England in so much that with the venemous strength thereof it did not only overcome destroy men but the Birds forsooke their Nests Eggs and young ones the beasts their dens and Caves the Snakes and Moles went together in squadrons and companies not being able to suffer the venemous infection that had entred even into the bowells of the earth in the year 1546. the last day of May in Stife a city in Province began a most cruell and Pestilential contagion which lasted nine moneths and there dyed great multitudes of people of all sexes and ages in so much that all their Churchyards were so fill'd with dead Corps that there was no roome to receive any more the greatest part of those that were infected the second day became frantick and cast themselves into wells or else from windowes to others it gave a flux of blood from the nose with violence like a running stream the stopping of which ending the life was all at once it arived to such a height of dissolution that women great with child cast forth untimely births at four moneths both they and their innocent babes dyed being found full of tokens and on one side black and blew like brused blood in conclusion the contagion was so great that father 's left their children and the women forsooke their husbands mony and riches could not yeeld remedy to save the owners thereof from dying of famine because it was hard to get a peice of bread or a cup of water for money and if in case they could procure food for sustenance the Plague was grown so violent that many were taken away with the meat in their mouthes the fury of the evil was so great that only looking upon one that was stricken the infection instantly cleave to the party viewing and he dyed so great was the contagion of the disease and the corruption of the aire of the City to what member of the body the venemous breath or vapour did come there arose great sweling carbuncles mortally wounding sores Oh what a horrible and lamentable thing it was to heare the sad storyes that a Physician tells one who was ordered by the Governours to heal the sick this contagion saith he was so sharp and perverse that it could not be stopped with blooding Physick medicines or any cordialls whatsoever but it cut down destroyed and killed all it took hold of in so much as he that was stricken therewith could expect nothing but death for which cause there were several that when they preceived themselves wounded with this mortal infection they sowed themselves up in their winding sheetes there thou mightest see ten thousand lye after that manner expecting their last hour that forced divorce O sad parting of those two so loving consorts the Soul and Body all which he affirmed to have seen often done by many Persons of all degrees I my selfe in the year 1648. being in Spain where many hundred thousands dyed that year in several Provinces but living in the City of Sevill there breake out about March a fearfull contagion or Plague where I was visited therewith to omit the relation of every particular sad spectacle I saw dayly I shall only hint upon the principal passages by which ye may judge the rest there was every morning to be seen not a street without many dead Corps in it cast out not a house uninfected so that the most retyred Carthusian Fryers which came neer none dyed thereof the Birds dyed in the cages not for want of food but of the infection in one Hospital I was told by one that helped to bury the dead there that they all judged there dyed in one night four thousand persons it raged so much and carried away so many people that all their burying places being filled they were forced to load continually dead Corps in Carts and bury them in the common fields where they had four several burying places on each side of the City one afterwards I had occasion often to take particular notice of one of them where some of our English were buryed it was neer alone Church in the fields called St. Sebastiam over the door whereof I have many times read in Spanish but in large legible Characters without the bounds of this Church lieth buryed in fifteen graves forty and three thousand many judged that in above
not be granted being a publike ornament to the City and more valued by them then he was able to give for it at the which the youth being vexed he commanded a rich Crown of Gold and costly Vestments to be made carrying it to the Image he put the Crown upon the head and the rich robes about the Body of it with the which ornaments it appeared to him far more beautifull which caused him to adore serve and with new inventions to wait upon it not desisting night nor day insomuch that the People being angred and offended at his foolish and unwonted Love The Governour strictly upon penalties commanded him not to come within a hundred Leagues of the said Statue The discontented Youth seeing himself deprived of what in this life he most desired he fell into such a passion that he slew himself not being able to suffer the torment for such is the force and power of this malady after that it once begins to take possession of the most sensible parts of the body by little and little it gains the chief Fortresse of man the heart so that its a difficult thing to be rid of it or cast it out except with life it self and it were better for many to end their dayes speedily rather then to suffer continual groans sighes tears and heavy torments as they doe That great Philosopher Apolonio Tianco being much importuned by a King of Babylon that he should declare or set forth the most cruel and insupportable torment that could be invented by the most secret Arts and Sciences of the Philosophers to punish a young gallant who he had taken in Bed with a Lady of his which he himself had a great respect for Answered the greatest affliction thou canst lay upon him in this life is not to take away his life I can saith he invent no greater or more cruel Chastisement than this You shal see how by degrees the feirce burning fire of his commenced and once enjoyed Love will be predominant over him so that the torment which he shall suffer will be so great that it cannot be imagined and expressed he shall be combated and surrounded with so many various Imaginations that you shall see him consume in the flames of his own lustfull Frensie like as a Butter-flye doth his wings in a Candle insomuch that his life shall be no more a life but a lingering death more cruel than any bloody Tyrant can command of any Hangman to execute Here you may see the summe of all for I have endeavoured to spread the wings of my Pen suffer it to soare and wander in this Theam which is such a general destruction and proves to be so great a dammage to the major part of the youth of our times who no sooner set footing into the world and begin to taste the delights thereof but they conceit themselves in love and beloved being ayded and assisted of youth liberty and riches which are the cheifest panders on the earth they Commence batchellers of the Art spending the best part of their lives in Loves frivolous toys commands and occupations Old Age. Now after all this wide and spacious sea of miseries and tempestious waves of trouble in the which man is continually sayling and rowing with exceeding danger of his destruction and when most need is of quiet repose then old age steals upon him he feels the smart of his old sores his former griefs become renewed the sins of his youth come home to him here he comes to pay the charges intersts dammages and imparements of all the wanton excesses of his youth all the past vices and pleasant viands devoured are cast up then for the heart is afflicted the senses grow dull the spirit is infirme the breath smells the face wrinckles the body bends the nose drops the fight grows weak and dimn the haire sheds the teeth Rot and in conclusion they are never without one malady or other so that their body seems to be an Effigies of death or like a dry Anotomy This one besides the many infirmityes of the soule which do accompany old age he is soon angry but hard to be pacified he will soon believe a thing or is credulous but doth not quickly forget he praises the former but contemns the present times and condition of things he walks continually sad infirm melancholy averitious suspitious and complaining in fine old Age is the necessary Sink or dunghill where all the filthy infirmities and iniquities of the past age is emptied and cast out the Emperor Augustus having well weighed and considered all this was wont to say that after men had lived fifty yeares it were fit they should then dye or desire and intreat others to kill them and end their sinfull and miserable lives for so long they may attain to live happy honorably but all the rest of their lives they passe in perpetual afflictions grievous and insupportable infirmities death of Children losses in Estates importunities of Sons and Daughters in Law interring of friends and acquaintance maintaining of Law-Sutes paying of Debts and an infinite number of other sorrowes and troubles that they were better to be at quiet in their graves then to enjoy this fraile life for so short a space and so full of sorrows this the Prophet well understood when he prayed to God so earnestly Lord leave me not in my old age when thou shalt see me Aged Infirme and Weak Hitherto we have in my opinion largely and sufficiently discoursed of the miseries anguishes and afflictions which do besiege persecute and torment man whilst he is acting his tragick part on the Treatre of this World but well may we believe one thing and that without scruple that if the first entrance which man makes into this vaile of Teares seems wonderfull miserable difficult and dangerous no less will appear his end and parting for if thou hast heard of strange and miraculous births if thou wilt thou mayst read of more horrid deaths with the which I shall put a period to this narration of all the infelicities calamities miseries of mans life after that man hath labored sighed toyled himself nights and days to beare to a good harbour the fardle of his unfortunate calamnities it might seem reason that nature should give him some repose and quiet Let him eat one morsell of bread in peace but it is ordained it should not be so but that he should be always watchfull and with dread expect the dolefull parting of the soul and body that terrible houre of death which for the most part is with anguishes and incredible torments at the which St. Augustine admiring he frames a complaint to God Lord after man hath suffered so many evils and sustained so many afflictions death follows which suddenly snatcheth poore Creatures and that by divers strange and infinite ways some with grievous Feavers others with some great pains some with hunger others with thirst some in the fire others in the water how
hard hide and grosse humours without doubt he would be of a rude blockish and unpolished understanding as we see to this day the fattest and most personable men generally are most blockish slow and sottish Therefore it appeared better that man should be created of flesh c. more delicate lively and tender that it might not be too heavy a clog or hindrance in the understanding and knowledge of things to the soule but that as it doth it might act the more freely in the which is palpably seen the soveraign wisdome of the Artificer or framer of this so excellent a work as also in other things which he would not give to man at his Birth which are such conveniencies and defences as he bestowed upon the Animals because he knew well that man with his natural and providential industry would obtain and purchase what they enjoy with any other thing whatsoever and that he would accommodate himself better than all the other Creatures although he were created and born naked and void of all arms either offensive or defensive and they came into the world decked adorned and endowed with horns teeths beakes poysons stings scales and shels Insteed of which God bestowed upon him the Government of Reason the weapons of the understanding with the which the soul not the body is armed and defended and are sufficient to tame subject and bring under foot all the other creatures the great power and force of Beasts cannot resist this thing called Reason neither the sharpenesse nor hardnesse of their Hornes and Claws nor those great bodies composed of flesh and bones it forcibly subjects them not with greater strength but with subtilty cunning and activity whereby it serves and benefits it self of them at its pleasure For there is no creature how great strange hardy bold feirce furious or fearfull soever it be Yet when it seeth man although it never had seen him or his like before but it trembles and is fearfull or at least shews respect this Majesty he retaines still which he inherited from that first impression which God stamped upon Adam in Paradice which the Antient Cabilists called in their Language Phahat With this confidence the first man did boldly live amongst and converse with so many Savage strong and feirce Beasts giving a name to each according to its kinde Hereby he purchased so great a power and dominion over them that they all did fear honor and reverence him as soveraign Lord and absolute King over them But so soon as he was negligent and forgetfull of himself proved in gratefull and sinned against his God that image was blurred though not totally blotted out and he lost almost all that power and command which he had over the creatures from the root and relicks of which remained and we inherited of this Character proceeded that many holy men inhabiting the Deserts slept eat and securely conversed with feirce Beasts without receiving any harme Entred into their Dens or Caves as into their own houses and lived amongst them as in company of Parents and Friends without any fear We read of Samson David and Daniel who went amongst Lions as amongst Lambs Elisha commanded the Beares as if they had been his slaves and St. Paul received no hurt from the Viper Now it will be convenient in a few words to give answer to what we alleaged in the former book of the miseries of this life When we set forth the vile and despicable estate of man saying that he was of so small a value and short continuance that many of the Animals far exceeded him Sure there will be none so foolishly bold that dare to say God bestowed more benefits and favours upon other creatures then upon man I believe not for although he created him of so base and low a substance as the dust of the earth Yet he lost not thereby one point of his dignity authority and grandure for we know he made him of so vile and invalied a matter Not because he wanted more noble Elements out of which to forme him for the creation of the Sun the Moon and the Starrs does sufficiently declare the contrary but He was pleased to create him of clay to be a clog to abate his Pride and vain-glory which were the totall destruction and first cause of the banishment of Adam and all his posterity out of Paradice also to give him to understand that there is within him something that cannot employ and detaine it self in sublunary and terrenal things nor place its end felicity and blisse upon them as brute beasts doe that enjoy all their happinesse in this life and it ends with them but man all his conveniencie his life his honour and perpetual blisse and quiet consists in setting all his thoughts and meditations on heaven lifting up his eyes to the Hills from whence cometh his help and where he hath a place of perpetual abode and habitation a certain house of pleasure and rest where he ever ought to be purchasing lands and inheritances by his provident life and good conversion and thereby to obtain everlasting happinesse and eternal glory If I said he was laden with miseries and subject to an infinite number of infirmities troubles and sorrows its true I do not deny it But God did not create him at first subject to so many mishaps disasters and casualties he made him a free denizen of this world not to pay tributes or excises for he placed him in the highest dignity and degree therein if he be miserable if he suffers evills if he be subject to weaknesse infirmities and sorrows he brought them upon himself he sought them out with his own hands so soon as he parted from his creator by not endeavouring to follow that holy vocation unto which at first he was called if he had known how or to say better would have known how to have kept that excellent treasure of grace that then was bestowed upon him his omnipotent creator would have maintained him in perpetual felicity and honour Yet such is the abundant mercy of God that although for his offences he brought him under so many miseries and afflictions he did it not for any rancor or odium against him for onely in regard of his love and affection towards man he did not pardon his onely Son but delivered him into the hands of his enemies which so barborously murdred him as by sacred writ we certainly know and believe paying with so vile and horrid a death temporal the price of that otherwaies irrecoverable death eternal which we owed and deserved If he made us of earth it was to bring down the exceeding hautinesse of mens fancies to pluck out from our hearts by the root that pestiferious herb of Pride and vanity which the devil our envious adversary planted in them to keep us captive under his command and will this is the main cause why man is so overcharged with troubles and sorrows so full of grief anguish and afflictions made