dispensed not with her without aboundance Many great Lords of Germany Sicely who had perfourmed this last office to this great Prince seeing his widowe was reduced to straights vnworthy the House from whence shee sprang gaue Henry to vnderstand they would not depart the Country vntill she were restored to an estate suteable to her worth that they resolued to enforce him thereunto Hee allowed her one of the good liest houses of the Country for her habitation whereof she made vse not to liue but that shee might learne to dye therein Piety which with her was of more valew then life chaunged this Castle into a monastery where she liued with vnspeakable austerity Good bloud makes not more hast to the wounded part then the king of Hungary aduertised of the Landtsgraues death did to the sorrowes of his daughter to comfort her He dearely loued her and although hee had other children hee kept most loue in store for her as the Eagle euer affecteth one of her young more then the rest But being informed she despised the world he dispatched a principall lord of his Court to intreat her and if commaunds were not powerfull enough to adde thereunto the authority of a king to cause her to retourne into Hungary as also in the meane tyme to assure her that as the glory and meritt of the seruices which the Prince her Husband had done to Christendome remayned for a Comfort increase of state patrimony to his children so it inclyned his disposition to let her see this accident should not in any sort impayre her condition But he found her nothing flexible to his perswasions nor well pleased with his propositions Her eyes were too cleare not to knowe that the gould of worldly promises is sophisticate and that as the Sunne canot be better seene then in cleare pure water soe true content of minde may not rightly be estimated but in Soules purged purifyed from the cares and embroylments of the world Behold her Fathers letter Daughter Fortune assayleth not for slight causes the courages of those who are of your quality she hath inuaded you on that side where she thought to ouercome your constancy and triumph ouer your vertue It is the death of the Landtsgraue which extreamely grieues me because you haue lost a good Husband and the Christian world a great Captayne My affliction is so much the more harsh and insupportable to me in that I heard of his death before his malady and that one and the same instant sawe me to applaude the successe of his voyage the miracles of his life and to bewayle the accident of his death I should wrong your iudgement to comfort you in matters which you vnderstand to be remedilesse I had rather assure you that he who called your Husband to heauen reserueth a Father for you on earth more desirous then euer to make you so happy by a second mariage as you had occasion to be pleased with your first Abillity in me shall not be more difficult then will But I shall euer leaue your disposition at liberty most confident you will not inclyne it to resolutions contrary to the age wherein you are nor to the counsells of those who loued you before you were capable of loue Come hether then to reape the fruits afford this contentment to the desires and prayers of your father Andrew SHe was not much troubled what aunswere she should make to this letter with the same hand wherewith she receiued it she wrote these lynes saying as Olympius that if God had been pleased she should haue continued in the company of a man he neuer had bereaued her of a husband S. r sayd she I cannot thinke God hath called one moity of my selfe to heauen to suffer the other any long tyme to languish heere and though for his iustice sake the punishment of my sinnes it should please him to prolong my dayes it will not be to reduce me backe againe into the seruitude from which I am freed As to satisfye you I loued no man but my Lord the Landtsgraue so for his loue none liuing shall be affected by me to possesse either my heart or body I gaue vnto the world the flowers fruits of mine age you ought not to thinke it amisse if I reserue for heauen the last honour of the tree and that poore verdure which in the spring-tide thereof already beginneth to waxe pale withered an euident signe that the immutable renouation which I hartily wish is not farre of If you hinder the vowes I haue made of perpetuall continency you shall be the sole authour of my death as you were one of the causes of my life Your Court whereūto you inuite me shall be to me a death life a prison the world a hell you shall chaunge the name of a Father into that which can noe way belong to you but by forcing a will which God him selfe permitts to be free in her who remayning his faithfull seruant desires also to rest your most humble Daughter Elizabeth The king of Hungary hearing this resolution did all he could to diuert her from it Many Princes vpon the bruit of soe aboundant perfections wherewith she replenished all Europe sought her in a second wedlocke Shee continually expressed she neither could nor would marry That if her excuses were not taken for denyalls and her resolutions for reasons she would slitt her nose thrust out her eyes so disfigure her selfe that not any should desire her From that tyme forward she became the fable and floute of the world the scorne of great ones the shame and rebuke of her nearest Allyes her zeale was accounted folly her deuotion hypocrisy her simplicity sottishnesse her retirednesse melancholy Some sayd vnto her she did well to liue more vertuouslie piously then the rest of her sexe but to liue lesse noblie was basenesse and in this extraordinarie manner meere giddinesse Another life another manner of liuing We must in matter of religion as in nauigation beyond the Pole arctique haue another heauen other starres another Pole When one is arriued to this point of forsaking the world another science must be learned another spiritt another intention when we loose the North starre of will wee must take vnto vs that of obedience The life of those great soules which liue in Heauen although they breath on earth hath a course much contrary to that of the world as the starres All the actions of this Princesse directed to the honour of God stood out the shott of the arrowes of enuy and Calumny She no whitt regarded what the people bad censurers of good workes sayed of her She reioyced when those bladders of slaunder emptyed them selues on her of the poyson wherewith they were filled Besides her heart was soe large and ample that these petty iniuryes were quite lost vpon her her Soule onely liuing on wormewood had noe gall in it The innocency and simplicity of her life had the same vertues against calumnyes which the little stones of Nilus that keepe dogges from barking The wicked in the end were constrayned to chaunge their scorne into admiration of a life more like to that of Angells then of mortalls She raysed her arme to the highest triumph whereunto vertue might reach not onely tollerating iniuryes but doing good to any that wronged her Some maleuolent tongues thinking to fixe the sting of their slaunders vpon her memory the more to afflict her spake ill of her and touched her to the quicke although the innocency of her life and the purity of her actions made her insensible of such woundes but naturallie falshoods vexe and penetrate the Soule more then truthes All her reuenge was to pray to God for the calumnious and in this her oraison shee heard a voyce from heauen assuring her that of soe many prayers as were made by her that which she offered in the behalfe of her enemyes had been the most acceptable Euery one sawe the euill she suffered and not any the good she did her night watchings and austerityes Such holy actions are lighted torches suddenlie put out with the first blast of vanity and presumption if humility couer them not In this long and tedious way she neuer looked backward nor stayed at the golden apples to slacken her speed The more she drewe nigh ro her end the more she desired to attayne it The nearer she approached to the center the more stable she became She was a widdowe at twenty yeares of age she vowed her selfe to the third order of Saint Frauncis at twenty one wherin she liued and died happily She went out of the world as out of a Babilon finding nothing therein to satisfye her soule nor to ease the langours or shorten the length of the miserable condition of life where the most prosperous waxe olde rather with anxiety then yeares A resolution truly worthy of a heart so resolute It onely appertayneth to generous hearts to resolue vpon so violent chaunges and to make such leapes from earth to heauen She liued and died so blessedly the sanctity of her life was testifyed by so many miracles that Pope Gregory the nynth in full Counsell declared her a Saint and ordayned the 27. of Nouember for her festiuall Her body fower yeares after her death wholly entire and odoriferous was taken out of the earth and sett vpon the Aultar of a Church dedicated to her name by the Archbishops of Colen Mentz and Breme The Emperour was present at the ceremony and to this Princesse who liuing despised regall crownes for that of thornes hee presented a triple crowne of gould as a witnesse of the perfections which had crowned the three conditions of her life Shee had three children Herman who succeeded his Father and dyed at the age of Eighteene yeares Sophia that was marryed to the Duke of Brabant another Sophia who following the piety of her mother became religious at Kitzing in Franconia Behold how impossible it is to speake ill of those who haue liued well FINIS
that they taught even kings themselues to liue Though she were yong she made her selfe deafe indocible to all discourse but of heaven she could not be drawne out of Churches beginning early to purify her heart from all earthly thoughts as gould is cleansed from drosse of the mine Then did her gouernesse tell her the world was not worthy of her that she was not made for the world that her loue not vnlike the supreame elemēt suffered not by Vapours nor those infectiōs which corrupt others When she was of riper yeares she framed vnto her selfe a rule of life wholly pious and deuout nor was it by precedent or imitation as there are many who haue noe other touch of vertue and piety then conformity of example but vpon her owne choyce the mere motion of the grace of God Her exercise was entirely religious so soone as she awaked the first thought her soule admitted which swayed throughout the whole day was the remembrance of death then rysing out of bed she represented vnto her selfe the comfort infinite ioy of those who at the sound of the trumpet shall rise againe to glory As many pieces of attire as she putt on so many vertues wished she for the beauty and ornament of her soule When she was cloathed she prostrated her selfe at the feete of a Crucifixe renewing the homage of her heart to the goodnesse of God giuing thankes for his benefitts imploring his mercy for her sinnes his holy spiritt for her direction protesting rather to dy then to loose his fauour the very life of her life As in the morning she meditated on that she was to doe soe in the euening she required an account of her soule of what she had done she often fed it with the blessed Sacrament the bread of Angells the Manna of heauen the restoratiue of life the soueraine remedy against death the admirable proofe of the loue of God towards men Who notwithstanding in stead of yeilding him thankes for so great a benefitt receiued do now dispute whether it be true that he gaue it All the day long she stood vpon her guard against the subtile snares of the world from which she sought to disengage her selfe she auerted her eyes aswell as her thoughts from all illusions keeping her selfe very carefullie from tasting the honey of pleasures vanityes of Court more daungerous then that which bewitcheth men If at any tyme she approached it was but as the fly which buzzeth about feares to rest vpon it least he loose his wings The marriage treated in her childhood was confirmed at such tyme as discretion made her capable of choice or refusall but it was done with so much coldnesse that many thought if she had not imagined the dispose of her body was due to her father shee no whit had feared to disobey him to pursue the holy inspirations which she now intertayned of continuing a virgin Of three conditions of the feminine sexe there is not any one whose contentmēt hath not anxiety If marriage haue fruitfullnes it hath also corruption If widowhood enioy liberty it likewise suffers the sadnes of solitude If virginity put on integrity it liueth with the griefe of sterility But Elizabeth better loued to liue a virgin then a mother and hauing dedicated all her thoughts to virginity she held it sacriledge to employ them on marriage well remembring that many of her quality had gone out of the pallaces of kings their fathers not being able to preserue this flower among the thornes bryars of worldlie vanityes the nipping frosts of its impietyes Transported then by two so powerfull lawes the commaundement of God authority of her father she gaue consent to this match The Landtsgraue brought with him as many graces as he acknowledged admired in her she likewise afforded him so much affection that neuer were two hearts scorched with more ardent flames It was thought her marriage might cut of something of the first seuerity of her life and that she would begin to relish the pleasures of youth But her heart like a lampe perpetuallie burning before the face of God shined not at all in the darknes of the brightest splendour of the day Her eyes were wearie in behoulding things specious her eares displeased with harmonious her tast with the most delicious but her heart was neuer satiated with the loue of God This her triangle could neuer bee filled but by this triangle She stole the sweetest houres of the night from repose to ly at the foote of the Crosse tast the bitternes thereof in the security of silence Sophia her mother in lawe Agnes her sister in lawe coniured her to forsake her scrupulosity And will you Madame said they perpetuallie vse your selfe so cruelly Will you alwaies preferre thornes before roses Will you be so sharp an enemy to your selfe as to hasten your death at the tyme when you ought to thinke vpon life Since life is so short that if the world be not seasonablie vnderstood wee dy before wee knowe it Her silence answeared for her and her constant perseuerance gaue them occasiō to iudge what they might hope from such discourse She cōtinued this kinde of life amidst all these impertinences but auoided those deuotions more faigned then holy which seeme to transport into extasy the mindes of those which vse them to please the world to satisfy their owne hipocrisy They are starres neither stable nor fixed in the firmament of true piety rather wandring fires Comets exhalations of the earth which dissolue into the ayre of vanity The Court of this Princesse likewise resembled not those which were at that tyme said to be seas of dissolution and which as the Sea were swolne vp with pride foaming with exorbitance where vertue was perpetuallie in torment Hers was a temple of piety an Academy of honour her example perfumed the most corrupted ayre and breathed into the most wauering affections firme thoughts of virtue with one glaunce of her eye she led the rest along and withdrew them from errour which inticeth heartes to pleasure hath its carreere of Ice in the end a precipice Her ladyes and maides were bred without curiosity vanity or nicenesse Their eyes by a modest disdaine mortifyed euill appetites And because the best borne natures by deprauation become worse then others as the corruption of good things is worst of all she had an infinite care this first integrity might neuer be dissolued For which cause she exhorted them to hold the heart in liberty the body in seruitude and the conscience in repose assuring them of the infinite contentment they should one day haue in seeing their sowles in heauen free from slaunder leauing their bodyes on the earth without infamy She recommended nothing so much vnto them as to stifle wicked thoughts in their birth whilest the bramble is greene it may be eaten but when it becomes bigger it choketh When the spirit is caught in those
not leisure to returne into Thuringia preferring the aduancement of the publique cause before his owne affections The adieu which hee sent by wryting to the Princesse Elizabeth his wife serued him then for a voyage into the other world The army was mustered at Brindisi where the Emperour fell sicke It was assaulted by so many stormes and tempests that diuers aduised for the returne of it into Europe The Landtsgraue caused the chiefe of them to assemble togeather to lett them knowe it was more shamefull to retire backe then perilous to passe on Hee spake to them in this manner The tyme Sirs wee loose in consulting vpon our returne will condemne vs of cowardize if wee passe noe further Words are vnnecessary when there is question not to liue but to march on I lead not fresh-water souldiers passed daungers ought to make these to be scorned which are before vs More glory may be found in the trueth of that which wee nowe are then in the vanity of what wee haue beene Wee are not vpon the Sea but to goe on couragiously in the face of death when it is presented and to expect it with a firme constancye Followe me for you shall neuer beare the first brunt nor will I withdrawe my selfe from daungers to thrust you vpon them All with gestures vowes and voyces seconded the braue exhortations of the Landtsgraue every one protested either to leaue his head in Asia or to returne with it into Europe crowned with lawrel not any of them but much desired to gather the Palmes which Palestine produceth But this first feruour became a grosse surge of smoake which vanished in an instant For the army being ready to assault sawe it selfe assayled by a malady winch contagiously dispread thoroughout all the Nations and seuerall bands The Emperour Frederik grew very sicke and the voyage absolutely fruitlesse The Landtsgraue dyed there and with him the hope of the Christians to aduaunce the triumphs of Godfrey of Boulon Hee dyed for griefe to behould his hopes stopped in the middest of their carreere False hopes of the worlde They lift men vp like young Children to the braunch of a Tree and in an instant take their shoulders away which supported them and leaue them hanging in the ayre Hee commaunded his body to be layed in the tombe of his Auncestors in Thuringia and forgot nothing necessarie for the good of his estate His memory and iudgment being vigorous to sett all in order made it appeare that those neglect not them selues in death who forget not God in their life The newes of his death was instantly caryed to the Princesse Elizabeth who found her selfe drenched in an Abisse of sorrowes when she read those expresse dead wordes of the liuely affection of the Landtsgraue written by him a little before his death in these termes Madame I am not in a condition eyher to counterfet or disguise my thoughts since so little tyme is left me to render them pure and sincere to him who knowes them Liuing with you the deare moity of my selfe I haue desired nothing so much as the study of trueth nor will I admitt that my end contradict my life to giue you assurance that as I haue not sought to preserue it but for you soe it troubles me not to dye but absented from you The Sunne shewes himselfe more lustrous when hee setts the loue I beare you was neuer more perfect then in the period of the occident of my life which openeth vnto mee the day-breake of immortallity Farewell sweetest I should grieue for the sorrowe you will entertayne did I not knowe you haue wherewithall to defend your vertue from the outrages of fortune Lo a stroke of dolour and affliction which shooke but overthrewe not the cōstācy of Elizabeth God was pleased the temptation should not exceede the power of her resistance Her good nature hauing powred out a torrent of teares of sorrowe her heart afforded on Ocean of ioy considering the Landtsgraue was freed from the miseryes of life more brittle then glasse lighter then smoake swifter farre and more empty then the winde Then lifting vp her hands eyes to heauen she gaue God thankes for this afflictiō by which he had restored her to the liberty she so much desired to be wholly consecrated to his seruice Nowe it is o lord nowe is the tyme said she that I with more liberty will wayte on thee behold me free that I may forsake these lower playnes and with alacrity ascend vp to Mount Thabor Behold me discharged from that which was most deare vnto me in this life I haue nothing else to loose who knowes whether I had not been vndone without this losse The comforts of her mariage and the greatnesse of her condition had not at all extinguished in her the true contentments shee proposed to her selfe in a priuate and solitarie life Shee often sayed her husband was the flower of the field that could not be found in Cityes That the Temple of repose was built in the Suburbes That the honey of the Soule was made in the hyue of solitude This death brought that life to her which she desired and that she might wholly and entirely vowe her selfe to it she disarrayed her selfe from all pleasures of the world she gaue to Churches Colledges and Hospitalls all which she in her Cabinet had of most price much more esteeming the charity of almes then the guift of miracles because sayd she man is bound to God by miracles and God to men by almes She cheerefullie gaue not with a countenance denying what she had presented She gaue speedily neither wearying patience nor intreatyes Teares sayd she which auayle little with men are very powerfull with God to gayne heauen Shee daily fed nine hundred poore people and this largesse was accounted prodigality by those who iudged her deuotion to be hypocrisy her zeale and humility grosse folly Henry Brother of Lewis hearing of his death seized on the fortresses and banished the Princesse who found no retreate so much the feare to displease the strongest and awe of the most powerfull doeth oversway affections She went to a Church and there caused the Canticle of triumph ioy to be sung for the fauour which God had done by setting her into a Course of life that she by the lawe of her condition expected not hauing euer desired pouerty without hope to attayne it Yet for all that she lost not the generosity of her birth Riches could not make a Coward of the valiant nor pouerty a magnanimous heart to become sordid for shee was not ashamed at all but of those who liued ill and of such as were onely poore against their wills Fortune coulde not take that away which she gaue her not The greatnesse of her courage is exalted continueth greene among iniuryes as Iuy in ruines She persisted in this patience till the arriuall of the Landtsgraues body at the meeting of which reason that excuseth teares in euills remedilesse