nostra sicut nos dimitâ—imus debitoribus nostris Et ne nos inducas in tentationem At other times she prayed with vs or gaue eare to the reading of the Passion of Christ or some pious booke and now then would admonish vs to put her in mind of heauen heauenly things Sometimes she enquired the estate of other sick persons as occasion was presented she did exhort Catholikes to constancy in their fayth and sometimes also she spake to Heretikes of imbracing the Catholike fayth But how much at that time she was enflamed with the loue of God euen by this it may appeare that once she exceedingly loathing a certaine potion when after many importunate requests one had desired her to take the same for his loue who for her dranke vinegar gall presently without giuing any answere she tooke the cup and dranke it all vp so sodenly did the memory of the Passion of Christ make that seeme sweet which before was very loathsome vnto her She so little feared death that from the beginning of her sicknes to vs who much desired her life she seemed too much to desire her death therfore when we did propose vnto her the examples of She rather wisheth then feareth death S. Paul S. Martin and others who for the consolation of their friends were coÌ„tent to liue she would humbly answere The will of God be done And wheÌ„ once she falling into a sound her seruant cryed out in lamentation as soone as she returned to her selfe she reprehended her saying Weep not for me but weep for thy sinnes and I command thee that thou pray not for my life O singular confidence of a pure conscience O contempt of this life and desire of the future After this patient and pious manner did the La. Magdalen spend that tedious time of her grieuous infirmity wherin certayne things were obserued which perhaps may seeme speciall markes of her excellent piety towards God and The body of the Lady Magd. breathed a sweet odour of his diuine fauour towards her For albeyt there was nothing about her that could produce any sweet odour yea euery day oyntment applyed to her necke and arme for cure of the Palsy which gaue a loathsome smell yet one day her body seemed to yield a pleasing sauour which not only Catholikes but euen some Protestants which then by accident were present did feele and admiring demaunded whence that sweet odour was To others it seemed another kind of sauour yet most delicious and beyond all common sauours To me it seemed much like sweet balme so that reflecting on the odour of vertue which she left behind her both to Catholikes and Protestants I reputed that saying of Ecclesiasticus to be fulfilled in her Sicut balsamum aromatizans odorem dedi Another tyme also of her sicknes a certayne very A most delicious sauour came forth of the place where he accustomed to pray graue pious man kneeling to pray without the Chappell but behind the place wherin she accustomed to pray did fiue or six tymes feele a certaine breathing of the most delicious sauour that euer he felt in his lyfe to come forth of the Chappell which sauour he likened to the gumme of the balme-tree yet far exceeding all earthly odour and filled him with exceeding admiration and pleasure But what doe we admire so sweet a sauour to proceed froÌ„ the place where the Lady Magdalen accustomed to pray when she as the Apostle sayth Was a sweet odour of Christ in euery place Another thing which to me seemeth worthy of consideration was that wheras the Phisitian three or foure dayes before her death gaue vs hope either of recouering her health or at least of prolonging her life neither indeed did there appeare to vs any signe of imminent death neuerthelesse the seauenth of Aprill which was the day before her death she requested me to intreat my brethen the other Priests for we were then fiue that we would all that day say masse for her in honour of the Blessed Virgin and I demaunding of her to what end The admirable perfection of the La. Magd. she desired those masses to be celebrated That sayd she I may haue no will but the will of God and that his most sacred will may be fulfilled in me either in life or death O admirable perfection of this woman prepared either to liue or dye as it should please God and of herselfe desirous of neither but only of the fulfilling of his diuine pleasure And behold wheras before this time as is sayd we saw no signes of imminent death not long after the celebration of the Masses the very pangs of death did assault her neyther did they euer leaue her till they bereaued her of this mortall life And albeit those pangs were very violent and continuall from Thursday three of the clocke in the after Death speedily ensued after she said she was prepared for lyfe or death noone till almost midnight of the day following which was the eight of Aprill when she gaue vp her Ghost yet did she perseuere with the same admirable patience and tranquillity of mind In so much that the Friday morning being asked how she had passed the precedeÌ„t night she answered The best of all that euer I passed For the most prudent woman perceyued death to draw on and that night to open vnto her a day which was neuer to haue end Whiles her senses continued she prayed with vs in one hand she held a Crosse till her forces fayled in the other a hallowed light which she held so fast euen after her death that without force it could not be wrested froÌ„ her Her last words which could be vnderstood were She peaceably departeth those of our Sauiour Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit which without any resistaÌ„ce or reluctation she peaceably yielded vp a litle before midnight at which time as the Scripture sayth There was a clamour made Behold the Matt. 25. bridegrome commeth go ye forth to meet him she with the holy women within the Octaues of our Lords Resurrection arose out of this valley of teares her lampe being prepared entred as we hope with the Bridegrome to the Mariage Her bowels were buryed at Battell where she dyed in the monument of her husbands Father and her body honorably caryed to Midhurst and there layd in the Sepulcher of her husband Of the shape of her Body and Mind CHAP. XV. OF Stature she was very tall so that as Saul amongst men she among women of middle stature appeared from the shoulders vpward yet very vpright neither did she stoop in the least manner euen till her death her very body being erected by her vpright mind She was fat and grosse in body her head was round in regard of the greatnes of her body seemed litle her haire in her youth was faire and enclining to yellow her face beauttfull and long her forehead
commaundement of Queene Elizabeth there He exhorteth the Nobility to maintaine the Catholike fayth was consultation agayne among the Nobility of the Realme for suppressing the Catholike Fayth this most Noble Viscount making a graue eloquent and pithy oration exhorted thē not to permit themselues to be carryed away with euery wind of new doctrine nor to dissolue that which themselues so very lately had ratifyed and with solemne ceremony had promised inuiolably to obserue nor to abolish that Religion wherein all their Christian ancestors liued with such splendour and dyed with such piety to imbrace that which a small number they base voluptuous turbulent men of no reputation disagreeing among themselues had inuented and which had neuer set foot in England had not in famous lust and greedines of Church-goods depraued K. Henry the VIII But when he perceiued the principall of the Nobility of the realme partly being deluded with the vaine hope of marrying the Q. partly blinded with the couetous desire of earthly riches not to admit good Counsaile but like the deafe aspe to stop their eares as the Psalmist sayth at whatsoeuer voyces sweetly enchaunting what he could not perswade others himselfe constantly maintayned obserued And if somtime afterward he went to hereticall Churches it was not so much to be imputed to him as to his Priest a learned and piousman indeed but too fearfull who supposing it expedient something to giue to the tyme durst not determine such a fact to be sinne For when that Priest being dead he had entertayned another who with Priestly courage told him that it was a grieuous offence and hatefull to God and the Church pernicious to his soule to be present at hereticall seruice he was so far from defending his fact that as I receiued from the mouth of one that was present instantly putting of his hat falling on his knees both with gesture of his whole body with his tongue he most humbly submitted himself to the censure of the catholike Church and piously promised neuer thence forward to be present at hereticall seruice which all the rest of his lyfe he exactly obserued Many other notable things might be related of this right Nobleman but that mine intended subiect calleth me another way and therfore I will adde only one thing that the Reader may vnderstand in what pious manner this worthy man ended his holy lyfe Whē it pleased God to purge the rust of his sinnes in this lyfe he permitted him to fall into a tedious troublesome and lingring kind of infirmity wherof he dyed Which in the opinion of many happening vnto him by witch-craft from which opinion himselfe seemed not to dissent though certayne Sorcerers promised to restore him to his former health if he would but giue way therto he not only refused to consent to their iniquity but detesting all helpes of the slaues of Sathan seuerely forbad his friends euer to vse such detestable remedyes for the recouery of his health And so declaring not only in words with the Psalmist but euen in deeds Meliorem sibi misericordiam Psal 62. Dei esse super vitas That Gods mercy was better to him then lyfe being by a long triall purged he piously ended his lyfe in our Lord. Of the mutuall loue betweene the La. Magdalen and her Husband of her issue and of her rare Charity towards her husbands children CHAP. V. BY the aforesayd piety of the Viscount it wil be easy for the Reader to make a coniecture of the conuersation of his Lady who being of her owne nature and The exceeding loue betvveene the La. Mag. and her husband education addicted vnto piety by the further iuducemēts of her husbands example more speedily ran the course of vertue They liued together in great loue and amity 36. yeares and whiles I was writing this I lighted by chance on a letter of D. Langdales who was for many yeares theyr Confessor wherein in testimony of theyr loue and piety he thus speaketh vnto them Fare yee well most louing couple of one mind of one loue which is rare in this world of one piety She as S. Augustine left written of S. Confess l. 9. c. 9. Monica being ioyned to a husband serued him as her Lord and God made her beautifull and reuerently amiable and admirable to her husband Her husband had by her eight children Syr George Browne Syr Henry Browne honourable knights and Elizabeth wife to the Lord Dormer of whose prayses The children of the La. Magdalen because they yet lyue according the Counsayle of the wisemā I wil be silent the residue dyed eyther infants or vnmaryed leauing no issue excepting Mrs Iane Browne most like her mother in vertue maryed to Francis Lacon Esquire to whome she brought forth many children And Fateor nulla sic amabat liberos Hier de Sancta Paula albeyt the La. Magdalen most tenderly loued her children and what she could without iniury to others carefully aymed at their preferment yet her husband hauing by a former wyfe one only Sonne of exceeding tender constitution and infirme who only was to precede her Sons in his Fathers in heritance she had neuertheles so sollicitous a care of his health as if he had byn her owne child Yea his Sonne the present most Honourable Viscount Her vvorthy charity tovvards her sonne in-lavv Montague both by words as I vnderstand and by writings as we shall hereafter recite imputeth the benefit of his owne and his Fathers lyfe to the rare piety of this Mother-in-law which is also confimed by the testimony of others And when also by an offence which her husband conceyued occasion was presented whereby she Infrac 16. might exceedingly haue raysed the fortunes of her owne children she was so far from making vse thereof to the She preserueth the life of her sonne-in lavv and of his sonne iniury of her Sonne-in-law his child that she pacifyed her husband and reduced him into fauour So much did eyther the loue of her husband whome she affected in all his children or the ingrafted Nobility of mind or finally the loue of God and equity preuayle with her In which proceeding she shewed a worthy example to all Mothers-in-law and so much therfore did she purchase the loue of the present Viscount that none of her owne children exceeded him in filiall affection And though at the tyme that her husband dyed she seemed in the iudgement of many to be neerer death her selfe yet so much force did loue adde vnto her that arising out of her bed she held him in her armes whiles he yielded vp his last breath And as S. Hierome writeth of the most noble widdow S. Paula She so bewayled him as if she would haue dyed with him she so betooke her selfe to the seruice of God as she seemed to haue wished his death For wheras formerly obliged to wedlock she was constrayned to think Her piety and gratitude tovvards her
Paulae of grieuous crimes Euery yeare at least once whiles I had care of her she made a generall confession of all her sinnes not vpō any scruple but that she might obtaine that which the Prophet hauing alredy obtained pardon of his sinne requested when he sayd Wash me more from my iniquity Psal 50. and clenfe me from my sinne and with all that she might the more humble her selfe and haue her sinnes alwayes before her eyes And albeit she was very sollicitous in discussing her conscience yet she did frequently request me that if I perceiued any vice in her conuersation I should not omit to admonish her therof And she was so seuere towards her selfe that she would desire more pennance then was enioyned her and would say that she neuer She desired more pennance then was enioyned her met with a Confessor that would enioyne her sufficient satisfaction And for that reason perhaps for some Monthes before her last sicknes she accustomed euery weeke after her confession to giue me ten shillings to distribute in almes so to supply that which to her seemed wanting in the imposition of her pennance Concerning which Mony this happened worthy of obseruation that when she was sick could not according to that custome giue An admirable thing concerning the mony she gaue for satisfaction me euery weeke that certaine summe she commaunded one of her seruants to deliuer me such mony as he had of hers which mony came not to a farthing more nor lesse then ten shillings for euery week she liued This then was the piety of this worthy woman in confessing frequently in confessing with great sincerity contrition and desire of satisfying God for her sins wherto was answerable her like deuotion towards the most B. Sacrament of Her piety towards the Sacrament of the Eucharist the Eucharist For when in this manner she had purged her soule from sinne she came with an hungry desire to receiue the bread of life and with what externall reuerence and humiliation of body she both came to the sacred Altar of Christ and returned thence with what teares in her eyes and with what reuerence in her countenance she receiued that sacred banquet they well perceaued who beheld her But with what in teriour piety and with what enflamed charity towards God she entertayned her Sauiour in her heart he only saw who seeth the secrets of harts Of the admirable Prouidence of God towards the La. Magdalen CHAP. XIII AS this holy woman had a peculiar care to serue please God so it appeareth that correspondently he had a particuler prouidence and care ouer her wherof I will alleadge a few examples Whiles she was a marryed woman she fell into an extreme and continuall griefe affliction of mind vpon the ruine of her family procured as she sometimes sayd by him in whome she had placed the hope of best reliefe therof which melancholy affliction being such as exceeded the art of all Phisitians and the counsaile and comfort of her friends almighty God at length compassionating his seruant vouchsafed to cure her by another meanes For in a dreame as she particulerly God cureth her tedious affliction related vnto me it was clearly and manifestly demonstrated vnto her what she should do to be freed of her inward griefe Which when she had performed it being a very pious action she was instātly cured of that affliction of mind which no humane art medicine or counsaile could preuaile in Of this triall as she often confessed she obtayned a better knowledge of her selfe and more benefit thē of any other thing in so much that she confidently affirmed that by her owne experience she had learned that God worketh all things for our good And by this meanes almighty God did meruailously free her from spirituall desolations did conuert them to her aduantage and consolation neither did he lesse protect her from her corporall enemies For wheras some few years before her death certaine Protestāts in hatred of her Religiō sought the destruction of her and all her family yet did they not preuaile in their malice For the principall of them Syr The iudgement of God vpon the heretikes that soght the ruine of the La. Mag. Tho. May being a Knight and Iustice of peace and hauing giuen commaundment for apprehending the seruants of the La. Magdalen was himselfe a litle after ignominiously conuented before publike authority and cast into prison for debt where he lay long and at the setting forth of this worke was shamefully dismissed of the Commission of the Peace But the author firebrand of all euils was Nicholas Cobbe who a litle after he began to seeke the ruine of the La. Magdalen had a knife thrust into his belly by his owne wife being for some hainous fact apprehended by officers and euen by heretikes pursued to punishment did at length by letters beg pardon of the La. Magdalen and what affliction yet expecteth him almighty God knoweth The third inueterate Heretike called N. Benet who perceyuing that nothing of what himselfe and his Confederates had conspired agaynst the deuout Lady tooke effect on a market-day held at Battell falling on this knees before the gate-house of the Viscountesse did vomit out his bitter imprecation praying God to confound her and all her family But the dart which the impious fellow cast against heauen did soone fall vpon his owne head For the third day after going early in the morning out of his house he drowned himselfe in a pit at the townes end towards London Whereupon being taken vp by Protestants by their iudgement foūd guilty of his owne death he was buryed like a dog in the high way At another time also when as before is sayd Note the speedy iudgemēt of God she was called in question for not going to hereticall seruice she was so farre from incurring any detriment therby as that it wrought her more security then before For the Kings Councell by their publike letters addressed to the Attorny Generall dated the 19. of Aprill 1607. commaunded that no sentence should proceed agaynst her Which letters because they testify both the true allegiance of the Lady Magdalen to the King in temporalityes and also that her molestation was meerly for Religion I will here setdowne part of them out of the originall which is The La. Mag. questioned for religion is otherwise faythfull to her Prince in my custody For so much say they as the Lady Montague the wife of Antony Viscount Montague deceased is lately called in question for default of conformity in Religion according to the lawes of this Kingdome in regard that she is a Noble-woman aged and by reason of her fidelity in the tyme of Q. Elizabeth was neuer called in question it pleaseth the Kings Maiesty that in her old yeares she be free from molestation These therfore shal be to require you that you forthwith doe procure the accusation which is
presented against her in the County of Sussex or else where to be remoued by writ of Certiorari into his Maiesties Court of the Kings bench therby you shall haue power to stay all processe against her person grounded vpon that presentment or whatsoeuer other till we shall be further certifyed And in the same manner when vnder pretence of search for the powder-traytors Protestants did often search her house she obtayned letters from the Kings Councell dated the 5. of Aprill 1606. And subscribed by ten of the same Councell that none besides fower by her self nominated should search her house By which The La. Mag. exposing herselfe to perill for religion became more free from danger letters she obtayned that herselfe whose house especially was alwayes free to all Catholikes who in admitting Catholikes to the Sacraments exposed herselfe to danger more then all others proued thence forward to be more free from perill then any else Whiles she lay in Lōdon in the yeare 1606. a Protestant seeing one goe into her house whome he suspected but falsely to be one of those whome the King had proclaymed guilty of the powder-treason declared the same to the Kings Councell who instantly authorized Officers that most watchfully beset both hers and the adioyning houses from Wednesday at two of the clocke in the morning till Saturday noone following and in that tyme very diligently searched hers but especially her neighbours houses The Lady Magdalens Priest was then absent who was gone towards Battell she intending immediately to follow him but vnderstanding that two of her family were fallen grieuously sick instantly taking horse returned to London the same day that the search began But almighty Her Priest twice euē miraculously escaped the handes of heretikes God so protected the Lady Magdalen that at the very instant when the Priest suspecting no danger entred into the house the Watchmen for a quarter of an hower were gone aside And euen two dayes after when it was esteemed most dangerous for him to remayne there any longer he went againe out of the house in the middest of the watch not one of them apprehending him albeit amongst them there were three that knew him well to be a Priest and did speake of him to each other and with their fingers pointed at him Not many monthes after the same Priest going from the house of the Viscountesse at Battell was discouered to the aforesayd impious Cobbe Againe an other time the Priest being scarce out of sight Cobbe hauing a vehement malicious desire to apprehend him ran euery way to hyre a horse to pursue him but Almighty God did so preserue the Lady Magdalen that he permitted not any Protestant though her grieuous enemyes to lend Cobbe a horse nor suffered him to follow the Priest a foote or by out-cry as is the manner in England to rayse the people to pursue him wheras the Priest not suspecting any danger walked on a foote pace expecting one that was to accompany him might easily haue byn apprehended Both which escapes the Priest himselfe ascribed to the piety of this Lady whome God protected least her Priest being taken her lyfe had byn brought in question for entertayning him With the rehearsall of one admirable thing which happened in her house I will end the discourse of these things There stood vpright agaynst a An admirable thing of an Altar-stone wall a great marble stone which in Catholike tymes had byn an Altar-stone for the seruice of almighty God and a womā of curiosity desirous to see that side therof which rested agaynst the wall so drew the stone towards her as it fell vpon her And albeit the stone was of that huge greatnes and weight as eight men could hardly with whatsoeuer leauers remoue it from one place to another and nothing lay betweene it and the woman that might saue her from the fall of it yet was it so taken vp without the least hurt of the woman as if a bed of fethers not so huge a stone had fallen vpon her Whereupon the stone was by commandement of the Lady Magdalen remoued into the Chappell consecrated agayne to diuine seruice and applyed to his former vse But now though with griefe let vs come to declare her death For who as S. Hierome writeth of S. Paula can with vnwatered eyes relate the death of the Lady Magdalen Of her happy Passage vnto God CHAP. XIIII VVHen she had piously and blessedly liued complete 70. yeares had seene her third generation and aboue thirty persons of her issue and all by the grace of God Professors of the Catholike fayth the next day after her birth-day to wit the 21. of Ianuary of the yeare 1608. at which tyme there was such an extreme frost An extreme frost in England in England that the Riuer Thames being frozen men horses and carts passed ouer vpon the ice yea meat being rosted theron people did banquet there as vpon the firme land at such tyme I say as the frost gaue such a generall The Lady Magd. falleth into a palsy horrour the Lady Magdalen fell into a Palsy wherby she lost the motion of the right side of her body and much wanted the vse of her tongue Within two dayes the most prudent Lady perceiued her disease to be mortall neither yet did she desire any medicine or sent for How she prepared for death any Phisician but calling for her Cōfessor desired to participate of all the sacraments of Christ which in such case are requisite Which hauing with exceeding deuotion tranquillity of mind receiued deliuering her last will and testament to one she prepared herselfe for death requesting that thence forward she might be free from all molestation of temporall affaires But almighty God for the greater glory of his name for her merit and our edification did prolong her infirmity for eleuen whole weekes to wit till the eight of Aprill In which time it cannot Her admirable meeknes and patience be vttered what admirable patience she shewed both in words and deeds neuer wayward or tedious but alwayes thankefull euen to the meanest of her seruants when they had done any thing about her and oftentimes euen in her extremest torments praying God to increase both her paine and patience Her accustomed prayers as before I sayd she distributed amongst her friends She heard Masse euery day at which time she would be lifted vp in her bed which she omitted not euen the last day of her life There did hang at her beds feete a siluer Crosse Her deuotion in her sicknes guilded of Christ crucified which was sometimes her Grandmothers the famous Countesse of Shrewsbury to it she did very frequently lift her eyes and sometimes as she could her hands without vttering a word but with great signes of deuotion sometimes she would double those petitions of the Pater noster Fiat voluntas tua sicut in caelo in terra Dimitte nobis debita