noâ— rather submit himself iâ— imitation of the humilitâ— only to superiours but tâ— equals and even inferiourâ— also and in fine to alâ—â— c This is the advice of S. Peter Subditi estote omini creaturae the world when just occasion should be offer'd The soul of this noble man was so well softned and sweetned by the unction of the Holy Ghost as that neither the greatnesse of his Nobility nor the ardor of his youth nor the natural boyling courage of his heart nor the fresh memory of his prosperity nor the unexpected arrival of his misery could make d A heart truely touched by Gods holy spirit wil overcome strange difficulties him once repine or keep him from instantly abasing himself But falling deeply upon the consideration of his sins and weighing duly how ful of demerit he was in the fight of God and knowing exactly that nothing is so truly ignoble as a Soul which has forfeited his grace and that rich or poor is little to the purpose but e wherin eternal true Nobility consists that the thing which imports is to be or not to be the servant or son of God it is not strange to see him east himself at the feet of common soldiers and stretch out his hands with such meeknesse at the will of the meanest Jaylors for the love of our Lord to signifie thereby the detestation wherein he had himself for having so presumptuously offended that Eternal Majesty which by all the Angels is adored From f The reasons why be was so frequent in confessing hâ—s sins hence also did it proceed that he so frequently confessed himself in that last night of hâ—s life and could never think he had sufficiently deplored his errors and detested the discorrespondence and ingratitude wherewith he had answered the unspeakable benefits of Almighty God Wherein if any man should think he used excesse it will be much more lawful for me to doubt that himself either has a mean conceit of the Infinite Majestie which is offended or an ignorant apprehension of the deformity of all sin which is committed or a proud and 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 things well you will change your wondring at him into wondring at your self he that ponders these particulars as he ought and knowes that the offences into which he falls are innumerable and that the least of them which is committed against an Infinite Majesty in respect of the object is also infinite and that as no one good deed shall be unrewarded by the rich Mercy of God in Christ our Lord so no one transgression shall be left unpunished by his exquisite Justice will easily beleeve that in the space of a night it is hard for one to be too curious and too careful in setting straight the account of his whole life under the piercing eye of Almighty God But this Baron did even by moments in that short time which was left by the goodnesse of God acquire quire new h Great light of God is wont to breed great love of him great sorrow for having so shame fully offended him light and gain new love of our Lord and new contempt and detestation of himself and in the strength thereof found some actions to confess which he had not conceived to be sins before and others which he had confessed he had done it with a sorrow far inferiour to that he then felt For abstracting from the consideration which he had of his sins against God in respect whereof no soul is sufficiently able to quake and tremble under him I trust there is not a Readers eye in the world so dim as not to discern his undaunted heart And i The undaunted courage of this Baron that no thought of death had any power to take the least clarity from his understanding the least presence from his memory the least agility from his wit the least order from his speech or so much as the least puntillio from the civil respects and complements which are used among persons of his Nation and Condition Nor yet on the other side shall any man have reason to think that the punctuality which throughout the processe of this Relation he shall find to have been observed by the Baron in this last k This curtesie and complement was not affected but free and natural kind of courtesie did proceed from the least affectation of it Perhaps if we look neer home we may find some example to have been given of this not long ago but in the present case no suspition of it can be entertain'd both for many other reasons which will occur to him that reads the Relation and because as I sayd before these exact tearms of Honor and other respects to the company then present are as it were natural to men of his country and quality and there would cost them more pains to omit unless their minds were put into disorder by some passion then it would cost others to observe where they were not so natural as being learnt by industry and Art But yet that in so sad a case this man would for good manners forbear to set up his legs or not so much as stretch himself in the sight of others though his body did much incline him to it according to that mention which the Relation makes thereof may well go for a great argument in him of civility of modesty and of magnanimity And this is that which I thought fit to represent to you by way of Preface to this Story You will find the traces and foot-steps of putting men to death and the proceedings against l The several manners of treating Delinquents in several Countrys Delinquents to be very different from that of our Country both in relation to the body and the soul I take not upon me to say which are better which are worse With us the Processe of criminal persons is ever made in the face of the world but they are not sufferd to have any Advocates who may defend their causes In most other Countrys the Delinquents are permitted to have Advocates but the Processe is made though in publique Court yet only in presence of the Iudges and some few Advocates and Officers With us the Delinquents are suffer'd to live som dayes after their condemnation which certainly is meant in compassion to them in other parts after they are judged to dy and that it is so declared they think they do men a greater curtesy in putting them quickly out of pain With us there is no difference in the manner of death between a Clown and the best Gentleman of the Kingdom under the degree of a Baron unlesse it be in some very rare case by most particular favour of his Majesty but in all other places that I have seen all Gentlemen are beheaded to distinguish them from
as a pattern of a mind most rarely compounded between perfect Christian piety undanted incomparable magnanimity But whilst the (k) This Lady died in the year 16â—1 and was buried on the 21. of Octob. in the Theatines Church at St. Andrea della valle where she erected ten Mâ—sses to be said every day for ever She was of the house of the Dukes of Cesi and Sister to the Marquess of Riano Her name was la Signora Plaminia Mother and Son are both resting now in peace and glory as we may piously believe I know not how in this particular to be silent concerning the powerful and wise and infinitely good (l) The providence of God deserves to be deeply pondered in this particular providence of Almighty God towards both these servants of his For by the way of the (m) The Cross is the high way to heaven Cross he brought the son in a few moments of time to have a Soul in state of great perfection and he gave him in the last hours of his life that most happy kind of Purgatory wherein he might not onely suffer in satisfaction of the divine Justice but pass on by merits all grounded upon the mercy of Jesus Christ our (n) No action of man is meritorious but by the merits and first mercy of Jesus Christ Lord as all merits are towards instant and eternal felicity And this he did by as contrary means as in the Gospel he cured a certain Blind man by (o) The omnipotency of God is not tied to means but works his will how he pleases casting dirt upon his eyes For here he used the most indulgent tender care of the Mother who loved that Son as her own soul towards the bringing that about which was indeed to make him happy in the end but in the mean time was the occasion of his suddain and reproachful death whereby her very heart was to be broken Taking him so from her sight that thereby she might enjoy a glorious sight of him for ever and depâ—â—ving her of all human comforts which for as much as concerned her were abridged locked up in him alone that so she might with contempt of the world send her whole heart up to heaven 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 matters not much what the blind and dull world conceives which placing Faith in fancy and religious reason in the treacherous sense of flesh blood thinks all that to be misery which carries the face of pain or shame or any difficulty and that true happiness consists in rowing for a while in some boat (q) A fit emblem to shew the vanity of wotldly pleasure of musick down the tide though it carry them soon after where they are either to be split upon rocks or swallowed up by quick-sands Whereas God knows yea and men who have his grace are not ignorant that a course of felicity not interrupted or check'd by contrary winds is a kind of fortune for as much as concerns the next life which in this deserves rather pity then envy and that ever since the death of Jesus Christ our Lord the way of the Crosse is [r] The Crosse of Christ has made misery to become happy not only the more safe but even the more honourable and that the pleasures and pastimes of this life are but a kind of butterfly for boys to play with and the greatest earthly felicity that ever was enjoy'd by man if it died not as soon as it was born which yet is the ordinary case of (s) Worldly pleasure speaks fair but it lies worldly pleasure at least if it lived till it could learn to speak it told as many lies as it uttered words and charm'd them first whom quickly after it might lead towards a precipice How desolate would a worldling think the case of Signor Troylo Savelli was in that night when he received the news of his so-instantly-approaching contumelious death And of that dear Mother of his when she heard the blow was given which parted that head from those shoulders And (t) Affliction made the Mother and the Son seem miserable and be happy yet with all is it both well known that the Mothers loss of such a son did cast her much more close upon an union and sole dependence for all her comfort upon Almighty God wherein all the happiness we can have in this life consists and it is morally certain that the abundant grace of Contrition and Charitie which God infused into the heart of the Son even by the occasion of his very sins so vastly and infinitely good is God did put him instantly after his death into a state so blessed as that the Pope himself under whom he died those Princes among whom he lived and all the Monarchs of the whole world may be accounted miserable according to their present state in respect of him Our dear Lord Jesus be eternally praised and not onely by us who know not how to do it well but by all his holy Angels Saints for his own infinite goodness since he vouchsafes to (u) He could easily honour himself otherwise without any benefit to us if he were so pleased place the point of his honour in shewing mercies and working wonders upon man so instantly so sweetly so powerfully and so like a God And for having suffered in his own sacred soul body such desolations and torments as obtained at the hands of the eternal Father not only the remission of our sins if we will serve our selves of the Sacraments and other remedies he has left in the bosom of his holy Catholick Church but the adorning also of our Souls with the inherent gifts and graces of the holy Ghost And yet further for that he has known how to make our very sins and grievous crimes themselves the means sometimes whereby we obtain greater graces then x This indeed is a mercy which may well become the greatness of our God we should have done if we had not committed those very sins Let the whole world therefore adore thee O Lord and sing praises to thee and let all the powers of all souls cry out and say with that holy King and Prophet David O Lord who is like to thee A great example and proof of this power of God and of the divinity of Christ our Lord and the need of a great proportion of stupidity to make him think that since God himself vouchsafed to be at the command of those base and impure wretches who tooâ— off his cloaths and requireâ— him to submit himself tâ— those scourges those thornâ— those nailes those blasphemies for our sakes and sins yet on the other side thiâ— b An ugly and abominable presumption man this proud rebellious worm this crum oâ— dust this drop of filth mighâ— keep forsooth a kinâ— of State and should
the guiding of it under God is in your hand and therefore dispose of it for this only is now in my power to give you I then by way of answer said Give your self my Lord to JESVS I do so said he and he said it instantly And I again Give your self wholly to him He said I do Consecrate your self he still said I do Make your self said I entirely his But how saith he O Father shall I make my self entirely his if I be unworthy and perhaps his (e) As all grievous sinners are if they do not throughly repent which no man can be sure he hath sufficiently done though he may have great hope of it enemy But in the mean time whilst the Will was writing he that wrote it put us in mind it was to be publickly read that so it might be closed up with a due (f) A Testam nt is not valid there if it have not seven witnesses at least number of witnesses And whilst this was in doing that is whilst the Notary was reading it three things of some consideration did occur The first that when he read how he recommended his soul to God My body says he drawing near me according to his custom I dispose not of for now it is no longer mine It once was mine and I would it had not been so but (g) He acknowledges the providence and justice of God in all things it is more than reason that I having had so great care of it in my life time for my punishment should not be suffer'd to have any power over it now in my death Let them therefore do with it what they will for I sacrifice it to God whatsoever it is Father will not such an Oâ—lation as this do me good It will said I without doubt it will and what (h) For he that gives his body shews in good earnest that he has already given his soul more acceptable oblation can be made to our Lord than that of the body The second That when the Legacies were read it being observ'd by the manner of expressing one of them that he deliver'd himself as faulty in a certain thing wherein indeed he was not so and therefore the Will was to be redressed as I desired which served not only as before for securing his conscience but for the saving also of his honour Upon this putting off his Montiera or cap O Father saith he and he did it half smiling are you now taking care of my reputation and of the puntillios of Honour and of that smoak or vanity of the world Let my soul be saved and let all the vain Honour perish which I either had or might have had Do you not remember that which even (i) This is not mentioned here before For he said many other things which are not mentioned in this short Relation now you said Mihi mundus (k) The world is crucified to me and I to it crucifixus est ego mundo In a word let not the Soul be touched but let my Honor be blasted according to that accoumpt which the blind world is wont to make of Honour that it may serve as a part of the punishment which is due to me The Third that at the same instant his hat was brought him and one of his people being desirous to take his Montiera from off his head what are you doing saith he They answerd they would give him his hat But he bad them let it alone saying it imported not and he added with a soft voyce Look here a while they would fain honor this head of mine which I am to lose within few hours for my sinns The Will being then read and closed up he threw himself as it were upon me with a most modest kind of sweetnes and said Father I am already reconciled but I would fain make a general Confession of my whole life to your Reverence And though since I came into prison I did the same in effect at the instance of my Lady-Mother yet know I had then no light or feeling of my sinns in respect of that I now discover in my heart It being One thing dear Father for a man to confesse himself when be is in the sight of death and another to do it not thinking of death or at least but considering it as afar off And so calling for a (l) There are litle bookes of addresse whereby men are taught how to confesse their sins exactly little book which he had obove in the prison shewing the way how to confesse ones exactly well which his good MOTHER had brought him som dayes before he began his Confession Wherein my Lord God knowes that as it is lawful for me by that ample authority himself gave me to declare as much thereof as I should think fit so if I were able to expresse it I say not that Rome would be astonished at it but all Italy would be so For if I speak of the exact manner he held for as much as concern'd the particular descending even to idle words and any other (m) Confession is no such cursory or superficial thing as they who know it not conceive and say such peccadillo methought I was hearing som well exercis'd Religious man In the explicating of circumstances and the unfolding of intricate and intangled cases it was as if he had been some profound Divine In relating the determinate number and the various kinds of his sins he made proof of one who had a most fresh and happy memory This rare Gentleman pawsing now and then between the Confession of his sins and suffering certain tears to fall quietly upon my knees would be wiping them away and that being don he would often say with sighs O Father how (n) He had great reason to say so good has our Lord been to me Let him now be blessed as often and yet more often than I have offended him in my former life Whilst he was accusing himself of his faults he would express them in certain few but those all lively and most pious words and in som particular eases so dearly tender that in his countenance one might see evident signs how his very heart was even rent within So that between (o) He pawsed sometimes both to rest himself and to recall his sins more freshly to his memory for though it were interrupted it was all but one Confession till Absolution was given the times of his Confession the Confortatori doubting left perhaps he might incline to faint would be asking him if he needed not somwhat to restore and comfort himself To which he answer'd speaking privately and more than once to me This (p) An admirable Conâ—râ—tion only comfort or restorative I would desire That my very heart might burst for grief and satisfaction might so be (q) To the justâ—ce of God his sorrow being dignified by the death and passion of Jesus Christ our Lord. given for my sins if perhaps
Lordship have any such apprehension you may repeat as much and as often as you please for I only advised you of it before as thinking perhaps you might have don it by errour The errour says he was mâ—ne and a grievous error it was to â—ffend those so many waies who did ever stand in my dâ—fence But however that be in this respect as in some others I shall dy contented in that I can never satisfie my self with confessing my faults to you dear Father Which now by the goodnesse of God are as well known by me as heretofore they were little esteem'd and are now as bitterly lamented as heretofore they gave me gust though it were a false one I (m) The man did even melt between grief and love wish O thou most sweet Saviour of my Soul I had as well a thousand tongues that so I might fully cenfesse them a a thousand eyes that so I might bitterly bewail them and a thousand hearts that so eternally I migh detest them And that this grief for my sins committed against God might so break my heart as the instrument of Justice will take my head for those I have committed concerning men I do good Father by the goodnesse of God know what a sinner I am As a sinner I lament my self and as a sinner I will dy but a sinner all humbled and contrite and with my tears I will make my Funerals then suffer me to perform them after mine own fashion And here even I not (n) I cannot blame him being able to contain my self from weeping was observ'd by him who said thus Most happy Funerals are therefore these of mine which are solemnized by the servants of God Yet this part belongs not to you but only as being a Father to my Soul Who knows but that by these mutual tears and this exchange of tendernesse my impure conscience may indeed be cleansed Thus both of us being silent for a while he then proceeded Well my good Father it is now high time that by the (o) This authority was given to his true Church by Iesus Christ and in his name by his power 't is exercised Authority which God has given you to loose and bind men on earth you loose me from so many chains of sin which hang upon me To the end that as you have taught me I may say Auditui meo dabis gaudium laetitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata And first I besceech you you give me Absolution and then I may perform my Penance Though indeed what Penance carrying proproportion to my sinns is your Reverence able to impose At this he cast himself at my feet and bowed his head to my knee where I had laid my left hand and he all bathed it with tears and kissed it and expected the Penance Absolution Which I gave him fully in form of a p This is a ful remission of all Canonical Penances requir'd by the ancient discipline of the Church Plenary Iubiley according to the most ample priviledge (q) By the Popes granted to those of the Congregation of the (r) It is called a congregation of M sericordia because it is so great a wo k of charity and mercy wherein they imploy themselves Misericordia Being absolv'd and having don his Penance with incredible affection of mind he sate down again by my direction and then the rest camâ— and encircled him after the accustomed manner I then spake first to him after this sort Most Illustrious Lord Troilo our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ whom here we have present did by dying upon the Crosse give remedy in his person this night to three things among many others He (s) An application fâ—ll of life and comfort dyed in the flower and vigour of his youth that your Lordship might not have too much indulgence and compassion of your own 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 Lordship it might not seem insupportable to dy upon necessity and so you might say O but why is the flower of my years cut off by a violent hand and this is the second He dyed of the most reproachful death which in those times was inflicted that it might not seem strange to your Lordship to dy by the hand of Justice 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 years you offer him the best part of your time By dying a violent death you may make that which is necessary to be voluntary and by dying a dishonorable death taking it as a Penance for your sins you may avoid the shame of that last terrible day And so much the better you may accept it because you are not to dy in publique upon the Bridg as the ordinary Gustom bears but (t) It is there accounted of less dishonor to be put privatly to death They who dy privatly dy within the Castle they who publickly at the foot of the Bridg. privatly here below in the Court as is wont to be used towards your Peers I added also some other considerations and so ended my speech To which the Baron who was ever ready made this answer And (u) How wise the grace of God is able to make a very yong man upon a sâ—ddain I O Father for as much as coneerns the first dy willingly in this fresh age of mine because thus I shall be sure not to offend my Lord any more And from this instant I offer him my years my age and my life and a hundred years and a hundred ages and a hundred lives As for the second I will make a vertue of necessity and being to dy per force and according to reason I will dy willingly that so I may yield willingly to force and willingly give satisfaction to reason But as for the third I could wish for a more ignominious death And be you pleased to know that to have dyed in publique would have given me I know not what increase of consolation and gust For so I might have hoped by (x) Because publick sinns require publick satisfaction publique Penance to have made a better amends for my publique crimes And God knows I take no contentment to receive the favor of dying privatly But yet however if the determination which is made be such I resist it not Our Lord will accept the promptitude of my will Hereupon the Proveditore took up the speech and said Let your Lordship accommodate it self to the will and providence of God who has not only one way of ariving to save our Souls nor one only means of drawing them to him He leads one by one means and others by another It imports not that (y) Many of Gods judgments are secret but they
your Good Angel And first ask pardon of him with your hart for the little gratitude you have expressed for the Custody he has afforded you which has bin so incessant so patient so diligent and so full of love Vpon which words he said casting himself upon his knees Yea not only with my mouth but with my heart I beg pardon of him for the very much ingratitude I have used notwithstanding his so great benignity and love to me and so kissing my knee he sate down again So that I proceeded and said Consider then with your self that your (h) S Hierom says expresly That every soul has an Angelus Custos assingd it by Almighty God from the first instant of the birth till the last of life lib. 3. conc in 18. Mat. The holy Scriptures and Fathers a bound also in proof of the ministry of Angels in the help of men good Angel now is here who even from your very birth and so much more at this hour which is so full of danger assists you and especially in six particulars First he hinders the impetuous assaults of the devil and weakens the force of all those malign spirits who at this instant conspire to the damnation of your soul Secondly he breathes into your heart preparation Generosity Devotion and Contritionâ— Thirdly he lightens this darknes this anguish and this Death Fourthly with great sollicitude he carries forward and backward those messages which passe between God and you he gathers up your sighs your very countenances and the humiliations of your hart there is not one of them which he suffers to lose his way Fiftly he negotiates with other Angels of superiour (i) We read in holy scripture Dan. 10. how one Angel helps another for the good of men Quires so to procure effectual assistances for your salvation In most particular manner he moves S. Michael the Archangel that he will defend you in this night Sixtly he sollicites my good Angel also that he may procure me to be a competent instrument in this passage which you are making towards your salvation Salute him therefore and say thus with me Angele Dei O (k) He ponders the prayer which Catholikes say dayly to their good Angel Angele Dei qui custos es mei me tibi commissum piâ—tate superna hâ—die illumina custodi rege gubâ— na thou Angel of God so iâ— known and so ill used by me qui custos es mei who keepest me with so continual care and perfect love me tibi commissum who am committed to thee being a man so faulty and brought by the providence of God to this passage but yet a sinner who by his mercy and thy prayers is contrite for his sins pietate superna by the goodnes of God for I find no desert but cordially confesse much demerit in hac morte hac nocte in this death which is due to me for my offences and in this last period of my life illumina custodi rege guberna do thou illuminate defend protect and govern me Amen This good Noble Man did repeat these words with affectuous and abundant tears and even by his countenance one might see his very heart split in his body And not contenting himself to say it once he would needs repeat it then three times and afterwards he did it again so often the same night as that all the times arived I think to ten letting me know withal that he had not felt greater solace and gust in any one spiritual Exercise then in this Secondly said I you shall 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 perform it in a far more exâ—ellent manner Intercessor and then S. John the Baptist and S. Paul who were both condemned to the losse of their heads as your Lordship is It is true said he they were condemned as I am but with this difference they sufferd innocent I for my faults therefore I accuse my self of such and such and such offences which I have committed against God Which howsoever I confessed before yet for the reasons I have already touched I do willingly repeat After he had ended his Confession and received Absolution upon his knees I desired him to sit down again that the wonted company might come about him And ever some one of them would be taking up some verse of the Holy Scripture which might be appropriated to the present occasion As Viam iniquitatis amove à me de lege tua miserere mei Suscipe servum tuum in bonum justificationes tuas edoce me Bonum mihi quia humiliasti me ut discam justificationes tuas Cognovi Domine quia aequitas judicia tua in veritate tua humiliasti me Fiat cor meum immaculatum in justificationibus tuis ut non confundar Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Erravi sicut ovis quae perjit quaere servum tuum Domine Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori Deus in audiutorium meum intende And a hundred other such as these which now and then were declared by some one of (m) The Religious men declared them though the Confortatori might represent them us according to the present occasion wherein he took much contentment Besides he had great comfort in using these other Jaculatory Prayers Maria Mater gratiae Mater misericordiae Tu nos ab hoste protege hora mortis suscipe repeating often these last words hora mortis suscipe And again Eia ergo advoca nostra illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte Jesum 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 Amen But especially in often and fervently repeating Recordare Jesu pie Quod sim causa tuae viae Ne me perdas illa die c. In this exercise those brothers of the Congregation of the Misericordia were very perfect and discreet delivering out in fit times a great number of these versicles without importuning or perplexing him And so also did other Religious men according to the occasion without either interrupting one the other or overwearying the yong Noble man and they likewise exhibited with them certain motives and considerations with much brevity but with great life of devotion When these things were ended I said It will not be amiss that we recite the Litanies if these Gentlemen think it fit And I said the yong Lord if you and they be so pleased will be he that shall recite them They all made answer in the negative saying Your Lordship would but weary your self too much Nothing lesse said he but to me it will be of extream contentment And so
〈◊〉 Domine non sum dignus c. And then he said thus to me I have not Father been attentive either when the Pater Noster or the Agnus Dei was said may I yet nevertheless 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 Penance whilest I was giving him Absolution Which being done he went of himself to the Altar and kneeling down did with exemplar devotion receive the most Blessed Sacrament and soon after he came back towards me where he remain'd without any motion at all After this turning about to all those who assisted he said I give thanks to you all for your Charity and courtesie and I beseech you pardon the painful night I have brought upon you And then he desired me for the love of him to repeat those words to every one of them in particular and so I did Being then intreated to sit down the wonted circle was made about him Where every one endeavour'd to animate him towards the combat then at hand by representing the shortness of the pain the immensity of the reward the vanity of the world and above all the abundant grace which in the space of so few hours our Lord had communicated to his Soul and had given him withall such a pregnant sign of his Predestination wherein the Noble Youth seem'd to find extraordinary gust Amongst the many discourses which were made to this purpose as well by the Confortatori as by our Fathers I used this And what think you Signor Troilo will the grace which God hath given you be sufficient to make you bear this punishment I tell you truly that in imitation of Christ you should do well to desire it and that desire would serve to make it more tolerable to you Nay it would make it seem no punishment at all and lastly it would make it seem sweeâ— As it hapned to Christ our Lord himself to m The immense love which our Lord Jesus bare to man made all he suffered seem little to him whom his Passion seem'd so small a matter that whereas others called it by the name of a huge thing an Ocean a deep sea Veni in altitudinem maris tempestas demersit me himself calls it but a Cup ful Calicem quem dedit mihi Pater non vis ut bibam illum Again after that huge heap of bitterness and torments which he had endur'd it seem'd nothing to him For being ask'd by those disciples who were going to Emaus if he knew of that vast cruelty which had then lately bin executed at Hierusalem upon the person of the greatest Saint of God he answer'd by asking Quae for in fine he esteem'd it all as nothing Therefore speaking of his Passion he used the word Baptism saying Baptismo habeo baptizari quomodo coarctor c. And you know that bathes serve for delicacy What say you then Signor Troilo Does not your punishment by this time seem small to you Small saith he it seems nothing Yet can I not saâ— either that it is nothing or yet very pleasant but nevertheless it is dear to me and as such I prize it And (n) How mightily this noble man grew up in grace even by moments I assure you at the present it would be as it were a kind of trouble for me to escape it Before I desired to escape I sighed for it I labour'd for it and I know not what of that kind But I had not then that knowledge of my self which now by the favor of God methinks I have in such sort as now I can affirm to you in the word of Truth that I (o) This so ardent desire of suffering for his sins must needs be a great disposition towards the obtaining pardon for them through the mercy of Christ our Lord. desire my end how painful soever it may be towards the remission of my sins To this another Father said your Lordship speaks wisely for God knows whether otherwise you should ever have bin so well prepared for death Whereupon one of the Confortatori proceeded thus If your Lordship had dyed naturally in your bed what with the pain of your body and the anguish of your mind it may be you would scarce have been master of your self And if you had dyed by any other accident perhaps you would not have had time to bring forth so much as the name of Jesus Whereas now it (p) Supposing first the gâ—â—ce of God as is declared afterward is in a manner in your own power to dy as well as you will your self with what detestation of your sins you will with what love of Christ you will and in a word in that best manner which the grace of Almighty God will impart to you which we perceive even so to overflow your Soul that we are as much astonished as comforted by the knowledge of it Hereunto the constant Noble Man made this answer You shall know that by the goodness of God I find in my self no trouble nor tentation and me (q) Nothing but the very hand of God was able so to have conducted him through these stony wayeâ— And it seems God communâ—caâ—ed himself â—o the Delinquent in a very particular manner thinks I am in a hand which hears me up I desire and I resolve to dy in that manner which I shall be taught to be the best and I am most ready for the saving of my Soul to obey whatever shall be commanded me This said I you shall therefore do You shall bar your self in that hour of some ease That is you shall for the love of Jesus and in imitation of what he did suffered for you deprive your self of somewhat which you might have and which at that time might be agreeable to you For if you well remember they gave twice unto our Lord to drink The first time when they gave him vinegar he drank but when they gave him wine as soon as he had tasted it he put it by But do you know the reason It was this To such as were condemned to dy it was the custom to give wine with an infusion of myrrhe that by the comfort of it they might faint the less under their torments Now our Lord who was pleased to deprive himself entirely and fully of all consolation for love of us and for our example refused that but accepred the vinegar which was mingled with (r) With Gall. another most bitter ingredient that so he mighâ— s ffâ—r the most he could for our example and benefit The Providitore said that this was most certainly true whereupon somâ— expound those words which Christ spake upon the cross Deus Deus mâ—us ut quid dereliquisti me That Christ our Lord did grieve thereat because the Divinity begâ—n as it were to hide it self from the Humanity and consequently by little and
time being run out For the (l) In those Countries there rings a bell every morning noon and night when all men recite three short prayers in remembrance of the Incarnation of Christ our Lord. This they do whereever they be when the bell rings though it be in the streets and there they salute one other with a wish of the good day or night Ave Maria bell did sound Upon the hearing whereof we all recited that Prayer and he said it also upon his knees Then saluting all the company he sate down and was silent And whilest he held his peace we spake among our selves with astonishment at many things we had observed in him and they were these He did never sweat nor ever complain'd of any thing He never placed himself with any shew of weariness upon his chair nor ever shew'd any unquietness He never wept but whilst he was making his Confession nor ever sought to ease himself in the course of Nature He never had any thirst nor ever fainted He was never sleepy nor ever over-wrought with sorrow He was ever fresh and strong though in that night he had bin so many and very many times upon his knees He ever answer'd readily and with a lively voice His memory never failed or so much as wavered He was handsomly and modestly apparell'd He (m) A strange image of perfection was this young Noble man spake not so much as an inconsiderate word He never expressed a desire of any thing He had at certain times and upon certain occasions a discharged and smiling countenance He did compleatly give every man those titles of respect which were his due without failing so much as once as to one of Râ—verence to another of Honour to another of You. He declared most currently his last Will which was a sheet of paper long He was not taken by passionate tenderness but only upon the speech of the Lady his Mother He spake most honourably and Christianly of the Prince and Judges and even of those who prosecuted the cause against him All which particulars or the most part of them happen otherwise in others who fall into the like condition So that all those old experienced Confortatori of that Congregation of the Mâ—sericordia were amazed to see how abundantly the grace of God had wrought upon that Soul in the space of a few hours When this most devout Noble man had thus held his peace and we had been discoursing among our selves of the things aforesaid he calling me towards him who yet was standing not far off spake to me in this manner Dear Father let us make our last Reconciliation with God And then he made a short recapitulation of all his faults and began (n) A happy soul to be so speedily and so intirely purified to accuse himself of things so extreamly small as gave occasion and matter to this Soul of mine even till this day wherein I write and will till the hour of my death both to be comforted and confounded Being upon the end of his Confession he fell into a most ardent weeping in such sort as that bowing down his head towards my hand I was not able to endure the heat of his breath And when I said to him Troilo my Son Cast a bridle upon those tears of yours do not exasperate your own wound it is now enough and again enough you have wept enough you will have time to weep yet again when you come to lay your Head upon the block for (o) He was to suffer death for his misde eds but he was to bear it patiently and willingly for the love of Christ Christ His answer was this I have already told you Father and now I tell you once again I weep for my sins not for my death And when your Reverence shall have given me Absolution and I have perform'd the Penance you will impose which only deserves to be accompanied with tears you shall find I will weep no more And just so it hapned for wiping his face when I had absolved him and I having acquainted him with some necessities of mine own to the end he might give me (p) By his holy prayers in heaven assistance in the sight of our Lord he remain'd with eyes as full of serenity and void of tears as if in all his life he had never wept But then having rais'd himself it was thought fit by all the Company that certain Psalms should be repeated whereof I with the Confortatorâ— were to ponder some of the verses till such time as his hour should arrive Whereupon he said It is now broad day and there cannot be much time remaining Our (q) Great Piety and gratitude Lord be blessed for making me pass through this night so happily and so holily I thank you dear Father and you Gentlemen for your so great favor The good God reward you for it And here all of us recommending our selves again to his prayers we also again began the Psalms At this time the Executioner came in and no man had the heart to tell my Lord of it but he perceiving there was a preass of people gently turn'd his face about and as soon as he had set eye upon him he was not troubled with it at all but (r) Undauored holy courage arm'd himself only with the sign of the Holy Cross and making a countenance to me who stood close by him he rose and said Well the hour is come Gentlemen let us go and that cheerfully And they all answering thus Yea let it be done cheerfully Signor Troilo cheerfully for the love of Jesus He turn'd towards the Executioner who kneeling down at his feet to ask his pardon Do yâ—ur office said he in the name of God for so He will have it Your Lordship said he is to unbutton the Coller of your doublet And he being as ready on the one side as he was modest on the other with his own hands began to unbutton It is not enough said the chief Executionâ—r the doublet must be put off But the rest of those Officers of Justice were not willing he should put it off Yet the generous Noble man said That however he would do it if they thought it fit For said he it shall not greatly trouble me and if you have a mind to it I will strip my self from head to foot for the love of God Already therefore he was beginning to unty himself but it sufficed that he was unbutton'd to the shoulders Then one of the Confortatori putting him in mind of Non crubescam c. and the Officer coming to tie his arms in such a fashion as that when he should be arrived at the block his body might not have much leave to move In the name of God saith he bind hoth my arms and my hands too if your will be such For (s) This man had true faith in Christ our Lord and his sacred Passion who in contemplation and imitation thereof
to lay down a thousand heads in this one head of mine and in this one life to offer up a thousand lives I accuse my self for not doing it with that fervour of devotion that vehemency of Contrition and that promptitude of resignation which I have been told and taught But I know not how to do more I accuse my self as truly of all the sins I have confessed to your Reverence as if now I did repeat them to you one by one In Penance if it please you I will give my head to Christ as a punishment most deserv'd by me and of you I desire Absolution So did this Noble heart which neither was nor was to be conquer'd or danted lay down that head upon the block And saying then Bring (d) See how this true Christian courage continues even to the end and in the end hither the Crucifix that I may see it he began also to say O bone Jesu sis mihi Jesus O good Lord Jesus be a Jesus to me being accompanied by all the people who were already upon their knees and who also invoked the name of Jesus And my self standing close at the one side of his head and looking still when the Executioner would go about to cut the cord as soon as I saw the knife lifted up for that purpose I said outright Ego (e) I absolve thee from all thy sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost te absolvo ab omnibus peccatis tuis in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen He did then both more speedily and more loudly then was his custom say O Jesu sis mihi Jesus O Jesus be thou a Jesus to me And at the instant his head flew off at once from his body my self with many others also beholding that head thus separated from the body to produce the last syllable of the name JESUS with a strong kind of hiss or whisper And I doubt not but the Son flew up immediately into (f) His body was interred in the Chiesa Nuova Heaven adorning all his former life with a most holy end upon that very day of the year whereon the most Illustrious Lord his Father had departed this life before this Son of his was born that being the eighteenth of April Anno Domini 1574. this the eighteenth of the same moneth 1592. FINIS The CONTENTS With an Explication of the ITALIANISMS THe hirth person and parts of this noble man pag. 5. 125 His Crimes both Rapes and Murders p. 8. The Banditi in Italy are out-laws and Rebels condemned and proscribed by Proclamation in that language termed Bando like our Moss-troopers or the Turries of Ireland p. 8. Castle Sant Angelo the chief Prison in Rome p. 10. This haâ—ned in the beginning of P. Clement 8. his Fontificate p. 12. Theatins an Order of Religious persons instituted by John Peter Caraff Bishop of Theate in Naples p. 13. His Mother became unwillâ—rgly the occasion of her sons reproachful death p. 15. The vanity of worldly pleasure exhibited by a fit Emblem p. 16. The way of the Cross is the most safe p. 17. The benefits of affliction p. 18 The resignation and humility of the noble Youth p. 22 The often confessing his sins p. 24 25. The several manners of proceeding against Delinquents in other Countries compar'd with ours p. 30 31. The Fathers of the Chiesa Nova 1. the new Church are Priests of the Oratory of Jesus instituted by S. Philip Nereus p. 39 65. How the young Lord behav'd himself when he receiv'd the first news of his death p. 40 The manicling his hands p 42. The manner how he was met by the Confortatori 1. the Comforters p. 43. The first thing he did was to confess himself p 44. Accepts of Gods providence with great alacrity p. 46. Makes a declaration of his Faith p. 47. The pious Instructions Communications of the Confortatori p. 50 51 111 114. His Will made and the particulars of it p. 52 53. It must have seven witnesses in Italy to make it valid p 55. How he dispos'd his body p. 55. His admirable Contritiâ—n p. 60 61 69.70 His unspeakable grief for his disobâ—â—tance to his Mother p. 63 97 117. How she educated him p. 64 65. Her invincible love and care of him p. 67 68 69. His exact method in Confessing p. 60. He did even melt between grief and love p. 62. His willingness to dy p. 67. Punishment impos'd may be made voluntary by a voluntary acceptation of it p. 83. His Devotions to his good Angel p. 86 87 88. His ejaculatory Prayers p 92. He said the Litanies and all the Fathers wept p. 94. The Providitore in Italian signifies a Provider but here it is takâ—â— for an Officer amâ—ng the Conforâ—atori della misericorcia or Sodality of mercy p 43 64. His last message and recommendatioâ—◠〈◊〉 his Mother p 97 98. To his Grandmother p. â—00 His humble message to the Pope p. 102 He found no trouble nor temptation in himself p. 112. His dovout receiving the Blessed Sacrament p. 107. His pious and prudent Answers to several questions p. 115 118. His Devotion to our B. Lady p. 119. The Confortatori wept bitterly p. 125. He asked pardon of the Souldiers p. 127. Remarks of his admirable Carriage p 128. He fell into an ardent weeping p. 130. For his sins not his death p. 131. His great piety and gratitude p. 132. His words to the Executioner p. 133. A loud voice of tears among the Spectators p. 139. His chearfulness at the last moment p. 135 140. His advice to the people 137.139 The L. Governour wept passionately p 138. S. Troilo's last jaculatory Prayers 139 142 His last words at the block p. 144. His Ghostly Fathers tears p. 141. His Execution p. 143. The death and burial of Signora Flaminia his Mother p. 13. ERRATA Page 29. line 19. de le not p. 41. l. 3. r B. Lady p. â—6 l. 3. p 6. r consortat p 27. l. 11. r from off p. 58. l 74. r ones sins p. 65. l. 18 r particular p. 67 l 2.3 r whereby p. 59. l. 1. r comitted p 62 l. 23. r might p. 83. l. 23. r â—he night p. 83. P. 91 l. 6. r occasion As. p. 95. in margin r whole ofice of p. 1 26. l. 6. r peace p. 1 18. l. 10. r said he p. 121. in mergin r entrance