turne my selfe more securely then to my deare Iesus Yea and yet if I were able I would not turne any way but to him It is true that I am forced but yet I am content withall One of the Confortatori then replied It is inough Signor Troilo So great and so liberall is the goodnes of God that he accepteth all and he doth it with delight And one of the Chiesa nuoua said That although our Lord receaued a Precept or Commandment that he should dye yet neuerthelesse it is affirmed it is true that he dyed voluntarily And hauing accompanied this speach of his with diuers choice examples one of our Fathers shut vp that discourse with shewing by what means that which was necessary (b) That punishment which is imposed by necessity may be made voluntary by a voluntary acceptation therof might so grow to be voluntary by a voluntary accepting of it and that so much more it would be meritorious as it should more willingly be imbraced Then teach me sayd the Baron how I may make this necessary death truly voluntary And then certaine deuout and apt waies how to do it being declared by the Gouernour of the Congregation of the Confortatori and imbraced by the Baron I said Perhaps Signor Troilo we weary you to much How can you weary me said he These discourses make the night short to me and they make my disastre fortunat And heere all were silent for a while when he rising vp for he was sitting said That he would speake with the Father And drawing neere me the (c) Whome the patient did accompany therin Confortatore said the Confiteor that being ended I desire saith he if it please you Father to call againe to mind some of the things aforsaid both for the better repetition of them for the additiō of some others Which I refusing out of the assurance I had that it was not necessary he said And it is possible deare Father that you will not giue me this last contentment VVill you not permitt at least that I may satissiy myselfe with confessing the offences which I haue committed against God And besides doth not your Reuerence remember that we must speake togeather of (d) The Father it seems had made him som such promise before pennance And I answered Let that Pennance be to dye and to dye well Then teach me that said he And I thus to him Offer now this death of yours to God with your whole hart in pennance for the sinnes with you haue committed I do saith he offer it with my hart and with my mouth and it grieues me as our Lord doth know that I haue not this night a thousand heades that in this one of mine they might be al cut off and a thousand liues that they might all be lost Nay (e) How much doth he giue to God how little doth he thinke it to be yet how faythfully doth he acknowledge it all to be of God I confesse and know that euen that pennance would yet fall short but since more I cannot more I know not what to do and since more I haue not I can giue no more and euen the doing and giuing of this little do I acknowledge to proceede from the hand of God I told him by the way of reply that it was well and that he should still be doing so And when sayd I you are laying your head vpon the blocke say thus in your hart O Lord by this act of myne I protest to do pennance for my sins as if I had a thousand heads and a thousand liues and I acknowledge and confesse that it is all but little But I doubt Signor Troilo whether then you will be able to remember this for then perhapps you will be as it were not your self It is no trifle to looke death in the face take my word for that The magnanimous Lord made this answere I wil not presume so much vpon my selfe but I (f) He can neuer faile who putteth all confidence in God none in himselfe hope well and confide greatly in God that he will not let it fall out of my memory And if by many accident you should perceaue that I were vnworthy of so great a grace doe me the fauour to bring me in mind of it for you shall find me ready to put it in execution In the meane whyle I beseech your Reuerence tell me somewhat els towardes this end of myne and that quickly for the tyme hath winges I bad him leaue the care of that to me For I wil sayd I go intimating from time to tyme whatsoeuer you are to thinke vpon whatsoeuer you shall be to say euē til your last breath And (g) He exhorteth him to a great deuotiō to his good Angell very now you shall begin to make a strait friendship with your Good Angell And first aske pardon of him with your hart for the little gratitude which you haue expressed for the Custody that he hath affoarded you which hath binso incessant so patient so diligent so full of loue Vpon which wordes he sayd casting himselfe vpon his knees Yea not only with my mouth but with my hart I begge pardon of him for the much and much ingratitude which I haue vsed notwithstanding his so great benignity and loue to me and so kissing my knee he sate downe againe So that I proceeded and said Consider then with your selfe that your (h) Saint Hierome sayth expresly That euery soule hath an Augaius Custos assigned to it by Almighty God from the first instance of the birth till the last of life Vide Hier. lib. 3. conc in 18. cap. Matt. The holy Scriptures and holy Fathers doe also abound in proofe of the ministery of Angella in the help of men good Angel now is heer who euen from your very first beginning when you were borne so much more at this houre which is so full of danger doth assist you and especially in six particulers First he hinders the impetuous assaults of the diuell and weakens the force of all those maligne spirits who do at this instant conspire to the damnation of your soule Secondly he breathes into your hart Preparation Generosity Deuotion and Contrition Thirdly he lightneth this Darcknes this Anguish this Death Fourthly with great sollicitude he carrieth foreward and backward those messages which passe betweene God and you he gathers vp your sighs your very countenances and the humiliations of your hart there is not one of them which he suffereth to loose his way Fiftly he negotiateth with other Angells of superiour (i) We read in holy scripture Daniel 10. how one Angell helpeth another for the good of men both the holy Scriptures and holy Fathers do euery where abound with shewing the tender care that the holy Angells haue of all thinges that concerne vs either in soule body or goods Quiers so to procure effectual assistances for your
and Prophet Dauid O Lord who is like to thee A great example and proofe of this power of God and of the diuinity of Christ our Lord and the vnspeakable bounty of the Holy Ghost was the so speedy illuminating inflaming the soule of this Baron Who as soone as he receaued the notice of his death did in his proportion follow the example of the Blessed Apostle For as he to Christ our Lord appearing sayd O Lord what wilt thou haue me doe so did this noble Caualliere of Christ when the Preist Lieutenant of God spake to him giue himselfe away by these words as the Relation sheweth Do (y) The instant quiet resignatiō of this Baron to the good wil of God you in the place of God commaund me I giue my selfe as bound into your hands and further it affirmeth that he suffered himselfe to be managed as if he had beene made of the softest waxe It is not impossible for a man to meete with some Roaring Boy who may thinke that the Baron was to submisse But it is one thing to be a Roarer of the damned Crue and another to be an humble member of the body of Christ who assured vs by his owne sacred mouth That (z) Humility is the true badge of true Christianity vnlesse we became as children we should neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen The world was lost by the pride and presumption of the first Adam repaired by the humility of the second And (a) The incomparable humility of Iesus Christ our Lord. he that considers well how greate that Humility was and whose it was and for whose sake and at the will of whom he exercised the fame had need of a great proportion of stupidity to make him thinke that since God himselfe vouchsafed to be at the command of those base and impure wretches who tooke of his cloathes and required him to submit himselfe to those scourges those thornes those nayles those blasphemies for our sakes and sinnes yet on the other side this (b) An vgly and abhominable presumption man this proud rebellious worme this crumme of dust this drop of filth might keep forsooth a kind of State and should not rather submit himselfe in imitation of the humility of Christ our Lord not only to Superiours but to equalls and euen inferiours also and in fine to al (c) This is the aduice of S. Peter Subdits estote omni creaturae the world when iust occasion should be offered The soule of this noble Man was so well softned sweetned by the vnction of the Holy Ghost as that neither the greatnes of his Nobility nor the ardour of his youth nor the naturall boyling courage of his hart nor the fresh memory of his prosperity nor the vnexpected arriual of his mifery could make (d) A hart which is truely touched by Gods holy spirit will ouercome strange difficultyes him once repine or keep him from instantly abasing himselfe But falling deeply vpon the consideratiō of his sinnes and weighing duely how full of demerit he was in the sight of God and knowing exactly that nothing is so truly ignoble as a soule which hath forfeited his grace and that rich or poore is little to the purpose but (c) wherin eternal true Nobility doth consist that the thing which imports is to be or not to be the seruant or sonne of God it is not strange to see him cast himselfe at the feet of common soldiars and to stretch out his hands with such meeknes at the will of the meanest laylours for the loue of our Lord to signify therby the detestation wherein he had himselfe for hauing so presumptuously offended that Eternall Maiesty which by all the Angells is adored From (f) The reasons why he was so frequent in confessing his sins hence also did it proceed that he so frequently confessed himselfe in that last night of his life could neuer thinke that he had sufficiētly deplored his errours and detested the discorrespondence and ingratitude wherewith he had answered the vnspeakable benefits of Almighty God Wherein if any man should thinke that he did vse excesse it will be much more lawfull for me to doubt that himselfe either hath a meane conceit of the Infinite Maiesty which is offended or an ignorant apprehension of the deformity of al sinne which is committed or a proud paltry mistaking of the Nothing which man was till he was created and the worse then Nothing which afterward he grew by sinning For (g) If you weigh these thinges wel you will change your wondring at him into wondring at your selfe he that pōders these particulers as he ought and knoweth that the offēces into which he falleth are innumerable and that the least of them which is committed against an infinit Maiesty in respect of the obiect is also infinite and that as no one good deed shal be vnrewarded by the rich Mercy of God in Christ our Lord so no one trāsgression shal be left vnpunished by his exquisite Iustice will easily belieue that in the space of a night it is hard for one to be too curious too carefull in setting straight the accoūt of his whole life vnder the piercing eye of Almighty God But this Baron did euen by moments in that short tyme which was left by the goodnes of God acquire new (h) Great light of God is wont to breed greate loue of him greate sorrow for hauing so shamefully offended him light gaine new loue of our Lord and new contempt detestation of himselfe and in the strength thereof he found some actions to confesse which he had not conceaued to be sinnes before others which he had confessed he had confessed with a sorrow far inferiour to that which then he felt For abstracting from the consideration which he had of his sinnes against God in respecte whereof no soule is sufficiently able to quake and tremble vnder him I trust there is not a readers eye in the world so dimme as not to discerne his vndaunted hart And (i) The vndaunted courage of this Baron that no thought of death had any power to take the least clarity from his vnderstandinge the least presence from his memory the least agility from his witte the least order from his speach or so much as the least puntillio from the ciuill respects and complementes which are vsed amongst persons of his Nation and Condition Nor yet on the other side shall any man haue reason to thinke that the punctuality which throughout the processe of this Relation he shall find to haue been obserued by the Baron in this last (k) This courtesy complement was not affected but free and naturall kind of courtesy did proceed from the least affectation thereof Perhaps if we looke neere home we may find some example to haue been giuen of this not longe agoe but in the present case no suspition of it can be
the hand of any other fight against me me Domine iuxta te cuiusuis manus pugnet contra me And if now you find any bitter tast in death in this short night as without fayle you will say Pater (y) O my Father not as I will but as thou wilt thy will be done mi non sicut ego volo sed sicut tu fiat voluntas tua The contrite Lord made answere thus The wickednes of my life doth fright me more then the bitternes of my death O how wrechedly haue I spent these eighteene yeares How ill haue I vnderstood my Sauiour How vngratefull haue I beene for his noble fauours How rebelliously haue I liued against his lawes And now haue I run like a wild vnbridled horse in these later yeares of mine without any manner of restraint wheresoeuer the present occasions or conuersations or (z) The sinner is only to blame himselfe for hauing sinned rather for I haue sayd ill wheresoeuer myne owne passions and blind affections had a mind to plunge me It is I and none but I who did precipitate me and yet you bid me fixe my thoughts and hopes vpon God and say Pone me Domine iuxtate cuiusuis manus pugnet contra me fiat voluntas tua Vpon this another of the Confortatori did thus proceed It is an acte of magnanimity not to feare the angry face of death of humility to acknowledge our offences but of confidence to hope for pardon as your Lordship doth who well may say Propter nome tuum Domine propitiaberis peccato meo muitum est enim For thy names sake O Lord thou shalt forgiue my sin for it is great O how great sayd Signor Troilo Euen as greate after a manner as is the mercy of God which is immense The Proueditere then sayd Your Lordship may if you so be pleased make your last VVill and Testament to the end that no other thought may sollicite you but of your soule alon Heereupon the Baron without the least delay by way of answere did bid thē write And hauing taken out of his pocket a little note which he carryed about him he did suddainly dictate his Testament wherin he deliuered some particulers which in my opinion are very considerable First (a) The considerations which may be made vpon the manner of penning his will of tender Deuotiō for he recommended his soule to God by most deare and religious wordes Secondly of Ripenes which was more then of a young man because in a most particuler manner he had remembrance of all his seruants Thirdly of a most liuely Contrition because with a most profound internall affection of mind he demaunded pardon of many euen by name Fourthly of great Magnanimity because he coniured the Lady his Mother that she would pardon all his aduersaryes as he himselfe did pardon them a thousand tymes ouer Beseeching (b) what a true and noble Christian hart was this her by a long and christian circuite of wordes that she would neuer resent his death but he layd the fault vpon himselfe in al things Fiftly of Religious Piety leauing large almes to many Churches other holy places accommodating many poore (c) This is a deuotion and charity much vsed in Italy Virgins with dowryes at the particuler discretion and to be performed by the care of his heyres that God might the rather haue mercy on him Sixtly of entiere Iustice because he tooke care that euen more then was due by him should be restored Seauenthly of noble Gratitude because he rewarded whosoeuer had done him any scruice in prison Eightly of affectuous Reuerence because he did in a most sweet and deere manner aske pardon of the Lady his Mother of the rest of his kinred besids the expressing of other complements Hauing ended his last VVill VVell Syrs sayth he behold we haue this residue of tyme now wholy free for the care of our soule And turning towards me he sayd It (d) He speakes of his soule for as much as concerned the guiding of it vnder God is in your hand and therefore dispose of it for this only is now in my power to giue you I then by way of answere sayd Giue your selfe my Lord to IESVS I do so sayd he and he sayd it instantly And I againe Giue your selfe wholy to him He sayd I do Consecrate yourselfe he stil sayd I do Make your selfe sayd I entierely his But how sayth he O Father shall I make my selfe entierely his if I be vnworthy and if perhaps I be an enemy (e) As al grieuous sinners are if they do not throughly repēt which no man can be sure that he hath sufficiently done though he may haue great hope thereof of his But in the meane tyme whilest the VVill was in writing he that wrote it put vs in mind that it was to be publikely read that so it might be shut vp with a due (f) A restament is not valide there if it haue not seauen witnesses at the least number of witnesses And whylest this was in doing that is whylest the Notary was reading of it three thinges of some consideration did occurre The first that whē he read how he recommended his soule to God My body sayth he drawing neere me according to his custome I dispose not of for now it is no longer myne It once was myne and I would it had not beene so but (g) He acknowledgeth the prouidence and iustice of God in al things it is more thē reason that I hauing had so great care of it in my life tyme for my punishment should not be suffered to haue any power ouer it now in my death Let them therefore doe with it what they will for I sacrifice it to God whatsoeuer it be Father will not such an oblation as this doe me good It will said I without doubt it will and what (h) For he that giues his body doth shew in good earnest that he hath already giuen his soule more acceptable oblation can be made to our Lord then that of the body The second That when the Legacies were read it being obserued by the manner of expressing one of them that he deliuered himselfe as faulty in a certaine thing wherein indeed he was not so and therefore the VVill was to be redressed as I desired which serued not only as before for securing of his conscience but for the sauing also of his honour Vpon this putting off his Montiera or capp O Father saith he and he did it halfe smiling are you now taking care of my reputation and of the puntillios of Honour and of that smoake or vanity of the world Let my soule be saued let al the vaine Honour perish which I eyther had or might haue had Do you not remember that which euen (i) This is not mentioned heer before but he said also many other thinges which are not mentioned in this short Relatiō now you
restore my selfe to the seruice of God Nor could euer any Sonne desire any fauour or contentment of a Mother which myne did not of her selfe impart to me And I on the other side haue serued but to make her life most vnfortunate by this period of myne I beseech our Lord forgiue me to receaue the future affliction of her hart in present discount of my offences Then towardes the end of his Confession I desire sayd he a fauour of you now deare Father which you must not deny me It is that I may haue liberty to lament my sinnes with teares and that by them I may giue testimony to the Diuine Maiesty of the (g) That so the penitent himselfe by finding it might haue increase of comfort griefe wherewith my harte aboundes within Weepe out sayd I since our Lord doth giue you such a desire of weeping I had scarce brought forth this last worde when allready there beganne to fall a most aboundant showre of teares from his eyes in such sort (h) An admirable and almost miraculous Contrition as that he bathed a good part of one of my armes and my sleeue was as wett through as if it had rayned from aboue Which accident I obseruing after some halfe quarter of an houre and doubting least his hart might so discharg it selfe by his eyes rather for the apprehension which he might haue of death then otherwise I desired that for the loue of Iesus he would quiet himselfe not multiply his affliction nor continue to torment his mind in that manner To this he answered Father I giue you my fayth that I do not at all be wayle my death but I do only and purely lament the offences which I haue committed against Almighty God And (i) A happy coniunction of Christiā sorrow with noble coutage I haue so much hope in the mercy of my deare Lord that not only I shall shead no teares for my death but not so much as change my countenance Father I bewayle my most vnfortunate life and not my most happy death That life was indeed most vnfortunate whereas this death is most happy for in fine if in that I liued an enemy to God I hope in this I shall dye his friend Well then sayd I proceed in your Confession that so you may dye the friend of God and lay a part of your tears aside the whyle Whereupon The most obedient young Gentleman accommodatinge himselfe to my direction did iust proceed where he had left At this I wondred so much themore for as much as I my selfe had forgotten it though I also had one of those little bookes in my hand which instruct how a Confession may be well made But he going on did lay before me as if it had bin in one single prospect the whole course of his life with so great clarity and breuity that I found my selfe as obliged to aske him if during many dayes before he had not applied himselfe to make such a preparation To which the yong Noble man made this very answere So great is the light as I haue already insinuated which my deare Lord Iesus vouchsafes to giue me at this instant of my whole life that euen whylest I am confessing me thinkes I behold all my actions (k) This was a very extraordinary supernaturall fauous of Almighty God as in a glasse and I read all my thoughtes and wordes as in a booke And without doubt so it was For he without euer mistaking a worde did so call all his sinnes to minde that by that time he wanted little of hauing declared them al distinctly Only at the very end as it were of his Confession he returned to repeate some thinges which he had already said and I doubting that he did so as hauing forgotten what he had expressed before I told him of that inaduertence as I reputed it when yet he made me this answere I know well deare Father that I repeate some thinges but I do it to the end that I may now more perfectly detest them be confounded in my selfe And especially (l) How desirous this soule was to make God amends since I haue passed the greatest part of my life in such thinges as these to the displeasure of our Lord I do now for the better pleasing of him passe this tyme of my death in a misliking remembrance of the same And if it be troublesome to your Reuerence as I know it is so often to heare my so many offences do you remember once for all that this soule is of a sinner for whome Christ dyed Nay said I if your Lordship haue any such apprehension you may repeate as much and as often as it pleaseth you for I only aduised you of it before as thinking that perhaps you might haue done it by errour The errour sayth he was myne and a grieuous errour it was to offend them so many wayes who did euer stand in my defence But howsoeuer that be in this respect as in some others I shall dye contented in that I can neuer satisfy my selfe with cofessing my faults to you deare Father VVhich now by the goodnes of God are as well knowne by me as heeretofore they were little esteemed are now as bitterly lamēted as heertofore they gaue me gust though it were a false one I (m) The man did euen melt betweene griefe loue wish Othou most sweet Sauiour of my soule that I had as wel a thousand tongues that so I might fully confesse them a thousand eyes that so I might bitterly bewayle them and a thousand harts that so eternally I might detest them And that this grief for my sinnes committed against God might so breake my hart as the instrument of Iustice will take my head for them which I haue committed concerning men I do good Father by the goodnes of God know what a sinner I am As a sinner I lamēt my selfe and as a sinner I will dye but a sinner all humbled contrite and with my teares I will make my Funeralls then suffer me to performe them after myne owne fashion And heer cuen I not (n) I cannot blame him being able to containe my selfe from weeping he obserued it and said thus Most happy Funerals are therfore these of mine which are solemnized by the seruāts of God Yet this part belonges not to you but only as being a Father to my soule VVho knowes but that by these mutuall teares and this exchange of tendernes my impure conscience may indeed be cleansed Thus both of vs being silent for a while he then proceeded VVell my good Father it is now high time that by the (o) This authority was giuen to his true Church by Iesus Christ our Lord in his name by his power it is exercised Authority which God hath giuen you to loose and bind men on earth you loose me from so many chaines of sinns which hang vpon me To the en◠that as
holy Church and I wish all the Readers of this to procure to see reade them te omnipotenti deo c. And that other which followeth Deus misericors Deus clemens c. And at the end of these he sayd with a loud voice the Pater Noster the Aue maria the Credo the Salue Regina and so he returned to sit downe the others making the accustomed circle about him And so one with representing some sentence of Holy Scripture another some example another some other spirituall Consideration we alwaies kept him aliue and quicke and euen all kindled in deuotion till such time as the houre of colebrating Masse approached Then the Noble Man sayd thus If these (r) This rigour is vsed in those partes for the great insolencies which haue sometyms been expressed in the like extremityes by delinquents manicles be put vpon me to giue me payne or punishment let the will of my Prince be done who is pleased to haue it so but if the meaning be but to make me sure in vaine is he tyed without who is bound (s) Because his hart was more chained by the loue of God then his handes could be by a load of yron within Vpon which wordes all of vs being full (t) They had great reason of tendernes and in particuler one of those Confortatori who shewed himselfe throughout that whole night as a most compassionate Gentleman in seruice of this Noble Man caused the keyes to be instantly giuen him and so tooke the manicles off which yet the Baron would needs (u) An humble naturall most Noble Soule kisse and kissing them he sighed and so held his peace When he had been silent a while and hauing made a signe that he desired to confesse againe and when he had blessed himselfe with the signe of the Crosse Father (x) He is much solicued by the memory of his disobedience to his Mother sayd he I who haue giuen so many disgustes and so bitter ones to my most deare Lady Mother through the whole course of my life what comfort doth your Reuerence thinke that I might be able to giue her in my death By dying wel sayd I in a holy manner To which he answered thus How shall the vnfortunate woman come to know it I told him that I would relate it to her by word of mouth and in fine I would write it for her and I will not only notify it sayd I to her but to any other whome it may import to know it It is inough sayd he he reached his hands out to me that I might giue him one of myne and withall my word And so he kissed it often and holding it betweene both his he continued to speake after this manner I could wish deare Father that in my place your Reuerence would often visit and comfort my Lady my Mother after my death And when so you shal see her first I desire that you will aske forgiuenes of her in my name a thousand and a thousand tymes as heer I haue done both now and the other day since I came to prison And especially begge pardon of her for such and such a particuler offence and then say to her thus Your Troilus who is dead begs that blessing froÌ„ your most afflicted Ladishippe which being aliue he neither deserued nor had time to aske He further recommendes the care of his soule to your Ladiship He praieth he beseecheth he coniureth your Ladiship to graunt him this his last now only suite that hauing put your soule in peace you will not so much as resent or call to mind and much lesse procure to (y) If she thought that the aduerse parties whome he had wronged had prosecuted him with too much eagernes reuenge your selfe for any iniury but that you will remit the whole and your selfe withall to the Eternall Prouidence of God Put her in mind that it is the part of a Roman and Christian hart after a generous manner to pardon offences And giuing her all comfort do you assure her that I haue particulerly reâ—â—sed all those irreuerent worâ—â— that I haue formerly vsed towardes her and that I haâ—â— remembred all those most sweet deare benefits which I haâ—â— receaued from her and all those Maternall fauours which she hath vouchsafed me And aboue all let her know the inâ—â—stimable contentment that I haue to thincke of the (z) This was a Mother not only of her sonnes body but of his soule also Christian loue which she hath expressed to me in this last passage without euer reflecting vpon those offences and great demerits of myne Say to her moreouer that I dye her sonne a sonne who is most profoundly penitent for all the ill wordes and deeds that I haue euer vttered and performed against her and that in the other world I will by Gods grace be as gratefull to her as I haue beene vngratefull heer Relate to her my last passage in most particuler manner and oblige her liberally to reward al my followers who haue been in prison vpon my occasion Of whome I doe with all the very bowells of my hart aske pardon for the payne and perill wherinto I did idly and absurdly cast them And assure her in a woâ—â— that if for nothing els yet euâ—â— for the very disgustes which 〈◊〉 haue giuen to her I shall dyâ— content finding a kind of ioy in my hart that I performe this pennance in this manner which I haue so well deserued And so I dying in such sort a your Reuerence may be pleased to let her know she cannot but receaue some coÌ„fort in my death and she will also find that she is euen engaged so to range her selfe to the will of God as by his mercy I haue done To my Lady my Grand-Mother what shall I say deere Father O how compassiue am I of her great age VVhat paine doth my soule feele for that paine of hers Giue her also to vnderstand that I begge pardon of her for so many disgustes as in this old age of hers I haue giuen her beseeching her in my name that as long as she shall liue she will weekly cause a Masse to be celebrated for my soule And in like maÌ„ner I humbly aske pardon of my Lord Marquesse my Vncle from the most inward parts of my soule as I also doe of the rest of my bloud beseeching them all to 〈◊〉 cuse this youth or rather ignâ—rance of myne Putting also thâ—â— in mind that once we shal al meâ—â— in heauen And if euer your Râ—uerence can procure to be in my Castles aske pardon I beseech you in my name a hundred tymes of all my vassalls Making a promise to them that insteed of the ill example which 〈◊〉 haue giuen them I will not forget them in heauen when by the mercy of God I shall be there and let them in the meane tyme excuse my youth Forget not also to do this office
who were so pernicious to the State of Italy and of whom this yong Lord was growne a leader did suffer the law to passe vpon his person for his state was not confiscated but went to his heyres in bloud Being euen yet therin more Iust then Clement though perhaps he would haue been more Clement in pardoning then Iust in punishing if he could by way of anticipation haue seene the beauty and brauery of that noble spirit which deserued to liue as longe as a world can do as a patterne of a mind most rarely compounded between perfect Christian piety and vndaunted incomparable magnanimity But whylest the (k) This Lady dyed in the year 1611. and was buryed on the 21. of October in the Theatines Church at Sant Andrea della valle wher she erected ten masses to be sayd euery day for euer She was of the house of the Dukes of Cesi and sister to the Marquesse of Riano her name was la Signo a Flaminia Mother and the Sonne are both of them restinge now in peace and glory as we may piously belieue I know not how in this particuler to be silent concerning the powerfull and wise and infinitely good (l) The prouidence of God deserueth to be deeply pondered in this particuler prouidence of Almighty God towardes both these seruantes of his For by the way of the (m) The Crosse is the high way to heauen Crosse he brought the sonne in a few momentes of time to haue a soule in state of great perfection and he gaue him in the last houres of his life that most happy kind of Purgatory wherin he might not only suffer in satisfaction of the diuine Iustice but passe on by merittes all grounded vpon the mercy of Iesus Christ our (n) No action of man is meritorious but by the merits and first mercy of Iesus Christ our Lord. Lord as all merits are towards instant and eternall felicity And this he did by as contrary meanes as in the Ghospell he cured a certaine Blind man by (o) The omnipotency of God is not tyed to meanes but workes his will how he will casting durt vpon his eyes For heer be vsed the most indulgent tender care of the mother who loued that Sonne as her owne soule towardes the bringing that about which was indeed to make him happy in the end but in the meane tyme was the occasion of his suddaine and reproachfull death whereby her very hart was to be broken Taking him so from her sight that so she might enioy a glorious sight of him for euer depriuing her of all humane comforts which for as much as concerned her were abridged locked vp in him alone that so she might with contempt of the world send her whole hart vp to heauen whither now her treasure was gone before and so be rewarded for that tender and entire care which she had taken for his pious education It (p) The blind blockeheaded discourse of worldly men matters not much what the blind and dull world conceaues which placing fayth in fancy and religious reason in the treacherous sense of flesh and bloud thinkes all that to be misery which carryeth the face of paine or shame or any difficulty and that true happines consistes in rowing for a whyle in some boate (q) A fit emblem to shew the vanity of worldly pleasure of musike downe the tide though it carry them soone after where they are either to be split vpon rockes or swallowed vp by quick-sandes Wheras God knowes yea men whohaue his grace are not ignorār therof that a course of felicity not interrupted or checked by contrary windes is a kind of fortune for as much as concerneth the next life which in this deserueth rather pitty then enuy and that euer fince the death of Iesus Christ our Lord the way of the Crosse is (r) The crosse of Christ our Lord hath made misery to become happy not only the more safe but euen the more honorable and that the pleasures and pastimes of this life ar but a kind of butterfly for boyes to play withall that the greatest earthly felicity that euer was enioyed by man if it dyed not as soone as it was borne which yet is the ornary case of (s) Worldly pleasure speakes faire but it lyes worldly pleasure at least if it liued til it could learne to speake it told as many lies as it vttered wordes and charmed them first whom quickly after it might lead towards a precipice How desolate would a worldling thinke that the case of Signor Troylo Sauelli was in that night when he receaued the newes of his so instantely approaching cōtumelious death And of that deare Mother of his when she heard the blow was giuen which parted that head from those shoulders And (t) Affliction made the Mother the Son seeme miserable and be happy yet with all is it both well knowne that the Mothers losse of such a sonne did cast her much more close vpon an vnion and sole dependance for all her comfort vpon Almighty God wherein the happines which we can haue in this life consists and it is morally certaine that the abundant grace of Contrition and Charity which God infused into the hart of the Sonne euen by the occasion of his very sins so vastly infinitely good is God did put him instantly after his death into a state so blessed as that the Pope himselfe vnder whom he died and those Princes amongst whom he liued and all the Monarches of the whole world may be accounted to haue bin miserable according to their present state in respect of him Our deare Lord Iesus be eternally thanked not only by vs who know not how to do it well but by all his holy Angells and Saintes for his owne infinite goodnes since he vouchsafes to (u) He could easily honour himselfe otherwise without any benefit to vs if he were so pleased place the point of his Honour in shewing mercyes and working wonders vpon man so instantly so sweetely so powerfully and so like a God And for hauing suffered in his owne sacred soule body such desolations and torments as obtained at the handes of the eternall Father not only the remission of our sinnes if we will serue our selues of the Sacraments and other remedyes which he hath left in the bosome of his holy Catholike Church but the adorninge also of our soules with the inherent giftes and graces of the holy Ghost And yet further for that he hath knowne how to make our very sinnes and greiuous crimes themselues the meanes some times wherby we obtaine greater graces then (x) This indeed is a mercy which may wel become the greatnes of our God we should haue done if we had not committed those very sinnes Let the whole world therfore adore thee O Lord and sing prayses to thee and let all the powers of all soules cry out and say with that holy King
you haue taught me 〈◊〉 may say Auditui meo dabiâ— gaudium laetitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata 〈◊〉 And first do you giue me Absolution and then I may performe my Pennance Though indeed what Pennance carrying proportion to my sinnes is your Reuerence able to impose At this he cast himselfe at my feete and bowed his head to my knee where I had layd my left hand and he all bathed it with teares and kissed it and expected the Penance and Absolution Which I gaue him fully in forme of a (p) This is an application of the superabundant merits of Iesus Christ our Lord to the soules which stand in need thereof Plenary Iubiley according to the most ample priuiledges (q) By the Popes which are granted to them of that Congregation which is called of the (r) It is called a congregation of Misericordia because it is so great a worke of charity mercy wherupon they imploy themselues Misericordia Being absolued and hauing done his Pennance with incredible affection of mind he sate downe againe by my direction and then the rest did come and circle him in round about after the accustomed manner I then spake first to him after this sort Most Illustrious Lord Troilo our Blessed Saniour IESVS Christ whom here we haue present did by dying vpon the Crosse gine remedy in his person this night to three thinges amongst many others He (s) An application full of life comfort dyed in the flower vigour of his youth that your Lordship might not haue too much tendernes compassion of your owne tender youth and so might say O but why is my life taken away in so tender years And this is the first He dyed and he dyed of a violent death that to your Lordshippe it might not seeme insupportable to dye vpon necessity and so you might say O but why is the flower of my yeares cut off by a violent hand and this is the second He dyed of the most reproachfull death which in those times was inflicted that it might not seeme strang to your Lordship to dye by the hand of Iustice and so you might say O but why died not I in my cradle or at least by some other natural accident Nay if your Lordship will accept this death in so tender yeares you offer him the best part of your tyme. By dying of a violent death you may make that which is necessary to be voluntary and by dying of a dishonourable death taking it as a Pennance for your sinnes you may fly the shame of that last terrible day And so much the better you may accept therof for that you are not to dye in publique vpon the Bridge as the ordinary Custome beares but (t) It is there accounted of lesse dishonour to be put priuatly to death They who dye priuatly dye within the Castle they who publâ—kely at the foot of the Bridge priuately heere below in the Court as is wont to be vsed towards your Peeres I added also some other coÌ„siderations so ended my speach To which the Baro who was euer ready made this answere And (u) How wise the grace of God is able to make a very yong man vpon a suddaine I O Father for as much as concernes the first dye willingly in this fresh age of myne because thus I shal be sure not to offend my Lord any more And from this instant I offer him my yeares my age my life and a hundred yeares and a hundred ages and a hundred liues As for the second I will make a vertue of necessity and being to dye perforce and according to reason I will dye willingly that so I may yield willingly vnto force willingly giue satisfaction to reason But as for the third I could wish for a more ignominious death And be you pleased to know that to haue dyed in publique would haue giuen me I know not what increase of consolation gust For so I might haue hoped by (x) Because publike sinnes require publike satisfaction publique Pennance to haue made a better amendes for my publique crimes And God doth know that I take no contentment to receaue the fauour of dying priuately But yet howsoeuer if the determination which is made be such I resist it not Our Lord will accept the promptitude of my wil. Heereupon the Proueditore tooke vp the speach and sayd Let your Lordship accommodate it selfe to the will and prouidence of God who hath not only one way of ariuing to saue our soules nor one only means of drawing them to him He leadeth one by one meanes and others by another It importeth not that (y) Mony of Gods iudgements are secret but they are all iust his Iudgmentes be hidden from vs but it sufficeth that they are iust Who can tell if your Lordship should haue dyed in any other sort theÌ„ this whether or no you should haue bin saued I am he sayth the Baron who can tell you that for I should haue tumbled headlong into hell Do you not know how God hath proceeded with me It is iust as a Huntes-man would do when he would take a wild beast but he would haue him brought to his hand whole and sound and not to be torne by the teeth or pawes of doggs nor strocken by the bow nor bruized by nets or snares He driues this beast sometymes one way and sometymes another but neuer lets slip the doggs nor dischargeth the arrow nor spreads he the net or Toyle vpon the ground or sets the snare but at the most with some outcryes or els by throwing of some stones he rowseth him and addresseth him towardes the place designed so long doth he driue the beast by seuerall wayes that at last he bringes him thither where he would haue him The Huntes-man knowes this well and did long expect him there he takes him and enioyes him all sound and safe I am (z) Note how wittily and piously he makes this application to himself he O my Good Iesus who haue beene this beast hunted hither and thither but thou hadst a mind to haue me safe thou hadst a mind to haue me sound And so thou didst not permit that I should be torne with dogs nor pierced by arrow nor taken by nets or Toyles or snares when thou deliueredst me out of so many dangers of death in which though very young I haue found my selfe wherin if I had dyed without faile I had perished for all eternity Thou didst only throw stones at me and thou cryedst out after me when by so many admonitions and inspirations thou didst solicite me And now I repent my selfe that I was so deafe to them But what meruaile if I were deafe who after a sort was (a) By sinne dead And thus hath his goodnes conducted me to this straite pace without my knowing of it that so I may be forced to leap into his lapp For whither am I able to
saluation In most particuler manner he moueth S. Michael the Archangell that he will defend you in this night Sixtly he solliciteth my good Angell also that he may procure me to be a competent instrument in this passage which you are making towardes your saluation Salute him therfore and say thus with me Angele Dei O (k) He pondereth the prayer which Catholikes say dayly more often then so to their good Angell Angele Dei qui custos es mei me tibi commissum pietate superna hodie illumina custodi rege guberna O thou Angell of God who art my keeper appointed by the goodnes of God illuminate me this day preserue me rule and gouerne me Amen thou Angell of God so ill knowne and so ill vsed by me qui custos es mei who keepest me with so continual care and perfect loue me tibi commissum who am committed to thee being a man so faulty and brought by the prouidence of God to this passage but yet a sinner who by his mercy thy prayers is contrite for his sinnes pietate superna by the goodnes of God for I find no desert but do cordially confesse much demerit in hac morte hac nocte in this death which is due to me for my offences in this last period of my life illumina custodi rege guberna do thou illuminate defend protect and gouerne me Amen This good Noble Man did repeate these wordes with affectuous and abundant teares euen by his countenance one might see his very hart split in his body And not contenting himselfe to say it only once he would needs repeate it then three times and afterwardes he did it againe so much more often the same night as that all the times ariued I thinke to ten letting me know withall that he had not felt greater solace and gust in any one spirituall exercise then in this Secondly sayd I you shal take the Glorious Virgin for your (l) To pray for him as one man may do for another though all the Saints much more the glorious Mother of God do performe it in a far more excellent manner intercessour and then S. Iohn the Baptist and S. Paul who were both condeÌ„ned to the losse of their heads as your Lordship is It is true sayd he that they were condemned as I am but with this difference That they suffered innocent I for my faults and therefore I I accuse my selfe of such and such and such offences which I haue committed against God VVhich howsoeuer I confessed before yet for the reasons which I haue already touched I do willingly repeate the same After he had ended his Confession and receaued Absolution vpon his knees I desired him to sit down againe that the wonted company might come about him And euer some one of them would be taking vp some verse of the holy Scripture which might be appropriated to the present occasion As for example Viam iniquitatis amoue à me de lege tua miserere mei Suscipe seruum tuum in bonum iustificationes tuas edoce me Bonum mihi quia humiliasti me vt discam iustificationes tuas Cognoui Domine quia aequitas iudicia tua in veritate tua humiliastime Fiat cor meum immaculatum in iustificationibus tuis vt non confundar Miferere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Erraui ficut ouis quae perijt quaere seruum tuum Domine Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori Deus in adiutorium meum intende And a hundred other such as these which now and then were declared by some one of (m) The Resigious men declared them though the Confortatori might represeÌ„t them vs according to the present occasioÌ„ wherin he tooke much contentment But (n) He was most tenderly deuoted to the B. Virgin especially he had great coÌ„fort in vsing these other Iaculatory Prayers Maria mater gratiae Mater misericordiae Tu nos ab hoste protege hora mortis suscipe repeating often these last wordes hora mortis suscipe And againe Eiaergo aduocata nostra illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos conuerte Iesum benedictum fructum ventris tui mihi post hanc noctem ostende O clemens O pia O dulcis Virgo Maria. Ora pro me peccatore indigno in hac hora mortis meae Amen Amen AmeÌ„ Recordare Iesu pie Quod sâ—â— causa tuae viae Ne me perdas illâ— die c. In this exercise thoâ—â— brothers of the Congregatiâ—â—â— of the Misericordia were very perfect and discreete deliuering out in fit times a greate number of these versicles without importuning or perplexing him And so also did other Religious men according to the occasion without either interrupting the one the other or yet ouerweariyng the yong Noble Man and they also brought thinges so as to accompany them with certaine motiues and considerations with breuity but with great life of deuotion When these thinges were ended I said It will not be amisse that we recite the Letanies if these Gentlemen shall thincke it fit And I said the yong Lord if you and they be so contented will be he that shall recite them They all made answere in the negatiue saying to him Your Lordshippe would but weary your selfe too much Nothing lesse saith he but to me it will be of extreame contentment And so w th out more dispute they put the book into his hand and kneeling euen by me against a fourme he began the Letanyes to which we answearing Ora pro eo Pray for him there (o) It must needes be an obiect of great compassion was not a man amongst vs who accompanied not the words of his mouth with the tears of his eyes And especially when with incredible affection and deuotion he repeated these wordes A mala morte A porestate diaboli A poenis inferni libera me Domine Deliuer me O Lord from an euill death from the power of the diuell and from the tormentes of hell But (p) Nothing but only his sins could moue him to teares he O admirable repose of that mind did not shead one teare Nay my selfe being in teares who held vp the candle by him and not being able to represse them he stirred me with his elbow and made other signes to them that so giuing ouer their weepinge they might answere him And speaking of it to me after ward he said That there wanted little of their making him also weep for company When the Letanies were ended he sayd turning to me Father say you the prayers ouer me that follow And then he tooke the light out of my hand and so giuing me the booke I said those praiers ouer him which are wont to be said ouer such as are in their last agony CommeÌ„ao (q) These are as admirable and affectuous praiers as any are vsed in the whol office of the
with (a) This was a person of great authority and place who took his examination Monsigr. the Gouernour of Rome who about some foure tymes hath examined me with so much respect and courtesy Giuing him assurance from me that although my death do grieue me yet I accept willingly thereof And beseeching him that when tyme shall serue he wil also (b) vvith how great piety he speakes of the Pope as he was his supreme Pastour with obseruance as of his Prince assure our Lord Pope Clement his Holynes that I dye his most deuoted Sonne and most satisfyed with the proceeding of his Holynes towardes me VVith this moreouer that am grieued at the very rootes of my (c) A noble circumstance of ciuility and curtesy hart for hauing ginen 〈◊〉 Holynes so much cause 〈◊〉 trouble and griefe especially 〈◊〉 this beginning of his Pontifâ—cate and in the middest of thâ— ioy which hath beene expressed for his assumption to the Seâ— Apostolique And let him bâ— further told that by placing my selfe as I doe at your feet 〈◊〉 make accoumpt that I lay my head vnder the feet of his Holynes that so he may vouchsafe to giue me his benediction I hauing this comfort in the midst of all my afflictions that his sentence and my death will serue to his whole State for a lawfull and plentifull example of his Iustice. And verily if it grieue me at this tyme to dye it doth also grieue me that euen by my death I am not able to giue complete sat is faction to his Holynes For (d) what a noble ciuill Soule was this as much as he being my Father and my Pastour he cannot in fine but feele the death of a Sonne and sheep of his with displeasure and griefe Vpon which wordes he finding euen more then before that there fell some teares from mine eyes to his handes This is well indeed sayd he your Reuâ—rence commendes my courage but why then do you weepe yourselfe At least let not others see you Then I replying said Do you belieue my Sonne that I haue no feeling in me Do you thinke perhaps that I am some piece of marble Proceed you on to the rest And then naming diuers of his particuler friendes he desired me to aske pardon for him of them all and this he did with wordes of extreame sweetenes and prudence This being then said by him with a most admirably intrepide hart he concluded with this desire I beseech your Reuerence that in the last place you will begge pardon for me of Almighty God as I my selfe do now with the most internall part of my hart and of your selfe I aske my Pennance and Absolution Which as soone as I had giuen him the Brothers of that Congregation of the Misericordia did put vs in mind how it was tyme that Massâ— should be celebrated and so the Priest as soone as he was vested began The deuout yong Lord I kneeling togeather against a four me he sayd thus to me The Priest is beginning Masse I with your good leaue wil haue a new Reconcilation according to that which my Good Angell shall bring to my remembrance of whome I haue desired this fauour The Priest was saying the Confiteor at the foote of the Altar to whome one of the Congregation making answere was so ouer wrought with tendernes that he could not get to the end of it in such sort as that it was necessary that some other should doe it for him Then the good Noble Man who answered softly to the Cositeor leaning towardes me sayd thus Giue (e) He had the guift of teares in a strange measure me leaue to weep whylest I say the Confiteor since that Gentleman weepes so bitterly to whose office it belongeth not greatly that he should weep I answered that he might weep in the name of God since he had giueâ— him so great desire so to dâ— And it was an admirable effect of diuine grace that instantly I saw the tears streaming downe his cheekes and powring themselues euen vpon the cushion that lay before him When the Confiteor was done and all (f) Till after the Ghospell the whyle that the Priest was reading with a loud voice he did not mooue at all but was most fixedly attentiue and as it were rapt towards the (g) The Crucifixe was of stone or wood but his mind was vpon the Original and not vpon the picture which was but a picture or Image Crucifixe vpon the Altar which was there most deuoutly made And shortly after turning towards myne eare he accused himselfe of diuers little thinges which suddenly then did surprize his mind And the Priest being come to (h) About the middle of Masse Sursum corda Father sayd he do you thinke indeed that by such a death as this and so well deserued I may yet go straight to heauen And why not sayd I with so great and so well conditioned affectuousnes of mind might your Lordship vndergo this death as that your soule would be sure to flye vp instantly from the blocke into heauen O my God! sayd he And what kind of affectuousnes must that be O teach it me a little O that our Lord would graunt it to me Pray sayd I very earnestly vnto him for it and peraduenture he will graunt it At which tyme the Priest being in the very act of the Eleuation of the body of our Lord the yong Noble Man spake these very very wordes O bone Iesu sis mihi in hac hora Iesus O deare Lord Iesus be thou in this houre a Iesus to me And this he sayd with so ardent affection of mind though with a low voice as that after it he was wholy immoueable till the Priest went on to (i) The later end of Masse Domine non sum dignus c. And then he sayd thus to me I haue not Father beene attentiue either when the Pater Noster or the Agnus Dei was sayd may I yet neuerthelesse communicate I answered that for the present he should do such a (k) This was perhaps the knocking of his breast or some such other thing which might be done at the instant pennance whilest I was giuing him Absolution Which being done he went of himselfe to the Altar and kneeling downe did with exemplar deuotion receaue the most Blessed Sacrament soone after he came backe from Masse towardes me where he remained without any motion at all After this turning about to all them who did assist he said I giue thankes to you all for your Charity and courtesy and pardon I beseech you the painfull night which I haue brought vpon you And then he desired me for the loue of him to repeate those wordes to euery one of them in particuler and so I did Being theÌ„ intreated to sit downe the wonted circle was made about him Where euery one procured to animate him towardes that combat which was theÌ„ at hand by representing the
by giuing a signe to the executioner for the cuttinge off your head I should becom (e) By the Canons of the holy Church a Priest may not cooperat to the death of any man though neuer so far off but only for the punishment of delinquents in course of Iustice nor then neither but with particuler dispensation and that in very rare cases The Inquifition hath nothing to do heerin but only examineth and leaueth such as are faulty and impenitent to the secular Iudges Irregular No no I will not doe it by any meanes But then obseruing that he was much afflicted by my negatiue and so rather to quiet him then for any thing else I sayd it might perhappes be thus better done You may confesse at the blocke and being confessed you may begin to inuoke the name of Iesus and when I shall see that the Executioner is ready to let downe the iron I may say with a lowd voice Ego te absoluo c. Yet perhapps againe this would be more inconuenient for by giuing you a signe of when the iron were vpon the point of falling it might fright you in such sort as that if by the motion of your body it should not fall iust vpon you it would mangle you and so afflict you with a double paine and a double death I will not do it by any meanes At these words casting his head vpon my bosome he sayd Ah Father euen by all that loue which you beare to this miserable sinnefull soule do me this fauour I make a promise to you in the name and by the help of God that you shal not put me into terrour by it For Gods loue belieue me I beseech you giue me credit Wherupon yet I continuing as I had resolued before O God sayd he and might not thy diuine Maiesty mooue the hart of this my Father to esteeme me worthy of this fauour Well be of courage sayd I to quiet him I promise you that I will do it Then giue me answered he that (f) The handes of Catholike Priests are annoynted and consecrated with great solemnity sacred hand of yours And I gaue it to him with this purpose that if he should not remember it at the blocke as I verily thought that he would not then I would let it passe and that if he remembred it and did franckly call for it I would performe it But it seemed as I said to me that a man could hardly be of so vndaunted a mind as that in so hard a passage his memory would serue him for such a busines and that wheras all men procure to diuert their mind frō such a blow this Barō would needs haue an expresse signe therof But in fine where the grace of God doth enter it produceth effects which do farre out-stripp all the power of nature and no wit of man arriueth to them When I had made him this promise I (g) His hart wrought mightily towards humility would know said he whether your Reuerence will not thincke it fit that I giue thankes and demand pardon of them who haue had most to do with me in this place I told him that I liked well of it and hauing giuen him Absolution I intreated him by a signe to sit downe Then he said Father take you the care of my iourney from hence to the blocke as you haue already promised and you shall go aduertising me from pace to pace of such thinges as are fit that I may haue my whole soule for God alone I will aduertise you said I of all Keep your selfe prepared and sit downe As soone as he was set all the stringes of our very harts seemed to be moued at once to pray him that he would be mindfull of vs in heauen And (h) It is a signe that they saw strange tokens of Gods fauour in him euery one of vs who were presēt both with wordes and tears did recōmend himselfe to him the best he could and we were not able to satisfie our selues in the desire we had of expressing kindnes towardes him And verily this was a death of so much tendernes that the remembrance of it at this time doth affect me at the very soule Only the yong Noble Man remained with a most Angelicall Countenance and with a hart which seemed not so much as to know what belonged to feare This (i) A description of Signor Troilo's person and fashion Signor Troilo was tal of stature of delicate constitution of colour rather oliuaster then very faire of black haire thick of face neither fatte nor leane his eyes were blacke and full and quicke his nose sweetely raised his mouth of a iust proportion rather smiling thē other wise his forhead competētly spatious he had not so much as one single haire vpon his cheekes Of a sweete voice of ready answeares so complete in good fashion that euen at the block he failed not to salute resalute all men according to the occasion their condition and not being able to take of his hat himselfe to make others do it for him It hapned once that I desired him to let me wipe his face with a handhercheife not that he was in any sweate but only to refresh him a little But he hauing suffered me to begin to do him that seruice sayd Father I need not this But I desired that at least he would rub his face with his own hands for it would refresh him and instantly doing so he said to me in myne eare Father I had an extreame desire to stretch my selfe but me thought it had somewhat of the Clowne In conclusion he caused all those souldiars who had kept guard ouer him to passe before him one by one and so (k) It is a true signe a certain fruite of true pennance to submit a mans selfe mightily for Gods sake casting himselfe vpon his knees to euery one of them as they singly passed he asked pardon most humbly of them with Noble and Christian wordes and he left them also liberall donatiues To the Gentleman Porter he did the like and more excusing himself for the trouble which he had giuen him But now there remained no more to be done for the time was run out whē the (l) In those Countryes there ringeth a bell euery morning noone night when all men recite 3. short prayers in remēbrance of the Incarnation of Christ our Lord. This they do wheresoeuer they be when the bell ringes though it be in the streets and there they salute one another with a wish of the good day or night Aue Maria bell did sound Vpon the hearing whereof we al recited that prayer and he said it also vpon his knees Then saluting all the company he sate down was silent And whilest he held his peace we spake amongst our selues with astonishmēt at many things which we had obserued in him they were these He did neuer sweate He neuer complayned of