THE ENGLISH NVNNE BEING A Treatise wherein by way of Dialogue the Author endeauoureth to draw yong vnmarried Catholike Gentlewomen to imbrace a Votary and Religious Life Written by N. N. Heereunto is annexed a short Discourse by way of Conclusion to the Abbesses and Religious women of all the English Monasteries in the Low-Countreys and France Enter you by the narrow Gate meaning of Austerity that leadeth vnto Life because large is the Way that leadeth to Perdition Matth. 7. Present your selfe a chast Virgin vnto Christ 2. Cor. 11. Permissu Superiorum M. DC XLII THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the young and vnmaried Catholike Gentlewomen of England WORTHY and vertuous young Gentlewomen My Penne for your spirituall good is willing in these ensuing leaues to spread it selfe You are all Catholikes in Fayth and profession and therefore the more apt to receaue if so Gods Grace be not wanting the impression of the Aduice CouÌ„sel which in this Treatise is giuen My mayne proiect at this present is since you all to whom I wryte as yet remayne in your Chast and Virginall state free from Mariage to perswade you what in me lyeth to abandone this Wicked World and to imbrace a Votary and Religious life A hard labour no doubt in your iudgments but facile and easy to such of you who haue a feeling true apprehension of the ioyes of Heauen and torments of Hell I do not speake this as if one in a maried state could not arryue to Heauen and auoyde Hell Noe God forbid For I acknowledg with the Apostle a Mariage to be honourable but withall I hould Virginity to be more honourable I here only propound the most secure way to come to Heauen and escape Hell And here I demand if any of You were married and after the death of your husbands were to enioy a great and rich Ioynture of a thousand or two thousand pounds yearely would you not be desirous that besydes the common Course of making Ioyntures which perhaps might be subiect to some danger to take by your learned Counsell the best meanes for the ratifying and better securing of your Right to your said Ioynture I know you would be most solicitous herein You all pretend Title to the kingdome of Heauen a kingdom infinitly surpassing in worth all worldly Iointures that the whole Earth can affoard and will you then content your selues to seeke by the common and ordinary Course of a Secular lyfe to obtaine this kingdome in which state as I grant many liuing haue gayned it so incoÌ„parably far many more haue lost it but that rather you wil enter into that Vocation how seuere how strict how crosse soeuer to flesh and bloud it shall seeme which may giue you greater assurance and more strengthen your Interest and Title to that most Blessed Kingdome This Treatise I haue composed in forme of a feigned Dialogue as hoping that thereby you will be sooner induced to the reading and perusing it at full then if it were written in one long continued speach without any vicissitude or change of Persons In the Persons here feigned by supposall I haue thought good to incorporate all the Reasons as deliuered by them chiefly mouing to a Religious retired Life as also such obiections as commonly are made against that most happy Course as you may be more fully instructed by perusing the Argument or subiect hereof next following And seing the chiefest barre â—et in women to a Monasticall lyfe is desire of Mariage hope of children I will besides what is treated therof hereafter insist heere a little discouering the insufficiency of this Motiue shewing that the accustomed miseries of a married lyfe and of hauing issue ought much rather to sway with women for their forbearaÌ„ce of Marriage And first whereas Lyfe is the dearest thing to man or woman yet we find that besides the certaine great paines of Child-birth Lyfe it selfe in young married women is for the most part euery one or two yeares greatly endangered to be lost witnesse heereof is the daily experience of women dying in Childbed What true desire then can a woman haue to vndertak that course of life wherein lyeth so great a perill of loosing that I meane heâ—Lyfe which is most deare vnto her and that her body thereby shall before its prefixed tyme by God become meate for wormes Yf any one of you had a Iewels set with rich and Orient pearle valewed at some hundreds of pounds how carefull would you be in keeping of it how would your care be doubled from endangering the losse of it at any tyme And yet only for the enioying of a litle momentary pleasure attended after with multitude of miseries you can be content so often to hazard the losse of your owne lyfe the most precious Iewell that God Nature hath bestowed vpon you in this world O fondnes of Iudgment But to proceed Admit that a woman in bringing forth her Children should be freed from all danger of death yet to how many other insupportable afflictions doth she become thrall lye open For we obserue and this not seldome that the Husband becomes vnkind withdrawing his loue and affection from whence it is due placing it on others where it is not due Againe the Husband I meane no few number of them doth oftentimes dissipate and waste his Estate and Patrimony in sensuality and riot to the vtter ouerthrow or beggary in the end of Himselfe his Wyfe and Children But suppose the Husband be exempt from these disorders yet â—f the wyfe haue many Children falleth it not often out that the children through the negligence of their Father are brought vp in all liberty and dissolution to the inconsolable griefe of the poore Gentlewoman their Mother to the eternall Damnation of the Childrens soules And what comfort then can that womaÌ„ haue to be an instrumeÌ„t of bringing forth that Child who shall become for euer an Heyre of Hell-fyre O how many wyues are there in England who find by ouer late too dearely bought experieÌ„ce all this to be true which I here affirme of the frequent dangers griefes and afflictions of mynd commonly accompanying Marriage From all which languors of spirit that woman deliuereth herselfe who forbearing marriage doth determine to leade a Religious lyfe In proofe of the Truth her said I appeale euen to the certain knowledge of diuers of your selues who if you will but cast your â—es vpon some of your owne â—yndred and friends at least of our acquaintance that liue in â—ate of mariage must needs confesse that all or diuers of the aâ—â—re mentioned miseries and calamities do daily oppresse many â—f them You are yet free beware â—en of such dangers Nor will any further enlarge my selfe in â—his place vpon this Subiect but will refer you to the serious peruâ—ll of the Booke it selfe Yf this Discourse were a second Syr Philip Sidneys Arcadia reating of amourous Conceyts with what
a greedines would many of you read it CoÌ„demne then your owne want of spirituall feruour in such of you as but only vouchsafe to cast a curious eye here there vpon these leaues yet it may be in part said that this Booke in general discourseth of the same subiect of which the Areadia doth to wit of Loue But the Arcadia of sensuall and Vaynâ— Loue attended on with sinne and Repentance This of chast and holy Loue whereby a Soule by solemne vow espouseth herselfe to Christ her Bridegroome so verifying those words of the A Present b you a chaste Virgin Vreâ—â— Christ I only wish that what Cosmophila a feigned young Gentlewoman in this Dialogue is supposed to do you really and truly would act her Sceene in your proceedings So might you by a mortifyed lyfe not only auoyd all spirituall dangers both of foule and body but infallibly purchafe to your selues an eternall Crowne of Glory Yf any of you reape such profit by this my Labour as by the â—eading heereof to shake hands for euer with the vanities of the world and happily to Cloyster your selfes in some deuout Monastery how fully should I thinke â—ny paynes to be recompensed herein And with this I cease inreating your remembrance of he only for my intention at east and endeauour of aduaning your spirituall good at the best tymes of your deuotions Yours in all Christian Charity N. N. The Explication of certaine Greeke Namâ—â—â—vsed in this Treatise Caelia A woman exercising a Heauenâ—â—â— lyfe Cosmophila A woman that loueth 〈◊〉 World Christophila A woman deuoting her lâ—â—â— to Christ Monadelphus One only Brother Orthodoxus A man professing the 〈◊〉 Fayth Gynecia Womanhood Belgiopolis A Citty in Belgium or 〈◊〉 Low-Countreyes The Argument or Subiect of the ensuing Dialogue ORthodoxus an imaginary Catholike Knight in England and of a great State hath three Children by his Lady Gynecia two Daughters one Sonne The elder daughter is called Caelia the younger Cosmophila His sonne Monadelphus Calia is permitted with consent of her parents to become Religious and accordingly is sent ouer vnto an English Monastery of Nunnes in Belgiopolis Whiles she is in her Nouiship or yeare of Probation her Brother Monadelphus dyeth Hereupon Orthodoxus writeth to Caelia since as yet she was not professed to returne backe because for want of Heyres-Male he was determined to dispose of both his daughters in Mariage and to deuide after his death his State betweene them He receaueth no answere from Calia In the end Orthodoxus is forced to send his yonger daughter Cosmophila to Caelia to perswade her returne Cosmophila as being fully instructed by her Father who furnished her with diuers Obiections commonly made against a Religious lyfe was most earnest with her Sister to satisfy their parents desire and this in the presence of the Confessarius and Abbesse of that Monastery Caelia remayneth constant and immoueable in her pious Resolution The Confessarius learnedly displayeth the weakenes and insufficiency of all those Reasons and Arguments which Cosmophila brought That done he beginneth to discourse in a most full manner of the Dignity Worth Excellency Priuiledges Benefits of a Monasticall Life His Speaches by little and little did so strongly worke with Cosmophila as that she fully repenting her of former perswasions to her Sister wholy altereth her iudgment is resolued to lead the same Religious life with Caelia taketh the Habit of the Monastery beginneth her Nouiship and changeth her former name into Christophila The two daughters wryte a ioynt letter to their parents acquainting them with what hath fallen out They withal intreat the Confessarius to wryte with theirs his owne letter to Orthodoxus and his Lady He agreeth to their request Their parents receauing these Letters were at the first much agrieued But within some small tyme after partly by force of the said Letters but chiefly seeing they saw it was Gods will and Ordination that their only soÌ„ne should dye both their daughters should become Religious that they shold as being hopelesse of more issue leaue no Heyres Male of their owne bodies behind them they humbly submit themselues to Gods good pleasure therein They do so repentingly acknowledg their former Errour in dehorting of Caelia as that both being wel strokeÌ„ in yeares they resolue for satisfaction of that fault to liue no loÌ„ger togeather as man and wyfe but to spend the rest of their life in a Religious Course Hereupon Orthodoxus acquainteth the Confessarius by Letter that he intendeth to enter into some Religious House of the Capuchins and Gynecia into the Monastery where her two daughters do remaine THE DIALOGVE COSMOPHILA being sent ouer into the Low-Countreyes by her Father Orthodoxus as is before declared with instruction and order to bring backe her sister Caelia into England and now safely arriued at Belgiopolis meeting with a Reuerend Man â—n the street courteously saluteth him in this manner Cosmophila Reuerend Syr God saue you It seemes by your habit that you are a Clergy-man and so in likely hood the better able to satisfy my demand I am a Stranger and an English woman and but at this very houre arriued with my Seruants to this Noble Citty of Belgiopolis My desire is that you would be pleased to direct me vnto the Monastery of the English Nunnes in this Towne The Confessarius Gentlewoman and it should appeare by youâ— attendance of Worthy State and Condition I will not only satisfy your request but wiâ—â— my selfe conduct you to the Monastery for am the Confessarius to the Religious and vertuous women of that House Therefore if 〈◊〉 please you let vs go together for it is cloâ—â— by This is the Monastery Come in and reâ—â— your selfe a while in this roome till I shaâ—â— send for the Lady Abbesse vnto the Grate tâ— speake with you and entertaine you according to your worth And loe where she approacheth The Abbesse Is there any one here who would speak with me Confessarius Yes Madame For as I was passing through the Streets I ouertooke this worthy Gentlewoman a stranger and English as she sayth by birth She desired me to shew her this Religious house but what the cause of her comming hither is or why she is desirous to see this house I know not Noe doubt she will acquaint your Ladyshippe with her Motiues thereof Abbesse Gentlewoman Are you the party that would speake with me Yf it please you then you may relate your busines Cosmophila I am And herewith I am to make knowne vnto you that I haue a Sister in this your house called Caelia whom I would gladly see And to her I shall impart all the particulars of my long and tedious iourney Abbesse I will send for her to come vnto you presently And heere she commeth Sister Caelia â—now you this English Gentlewoman who you â—ee on the other syde of the Grate She sayth â—e knoweth you Caelia O God! It is my Sister Cosmophila for we â—oth
so hurtfull to it selfe as to preferte a temporall Father before a diuine Father Not For in this sense my carnall Father ceaseth to be my Father and heere are iustifyed those words of our Sauiour Call c no man Father vpon earth for one is your Father which is in Heauen Now as for your sensuall allurements of a Husband of Coaches rich apparell and such like vaine toyes for the loue I be are to my deare Redeemer I contemne them all Cosmophila Well Sister I grieue to find you so strongly enthralled to your owne IudgmeÌ„t Therfore the more easely to reclayme you from your setled Obstinacy pardon me for vsing towards you so vnkind a word I will be content you shall continue in this your Resolution if so I cannot giue you sufficient Reasons for your alteration thereof Only I expect that force of Reason once being discerned may take place in your Soule and that it may be of strength to voyd it of all partiaâ—ity of Iudgment Therefore Sister you must call to mynd that it was first your extraordinary and impatient desire of taking this your intended course which extorted and as it were wrunge out a consent from my Father and Mother for your comming into these parts For I haue often heard my Father talk of the dangerous state of a Religious life and how it is beset with many difficulties though the state of Religion as it is meerely considered in it selfe and abstracted from those difficulties he euer as being a Catholike did much approue and reuerence Therfore I will make bold with the good licence of your Lady Abbesse and Confessarius heere to relate to you so far as my weake memory will serue diuers of my Fathers speaches an he discoursed often with my Mother touching this subiect Abbesse We giue you free liberty therein hoping that our Father Confessarius will lay open and display the weaknes of all your Reasons ane Motiue impugning a Religious life which point being once performed will much fortify your Sisters allready imbraced Resolution and truly I partly feare by your ouerâ—ures and secret dislike of a retired course of lyfe that those words vsed by our Sauiour in the Gospell to the two Sisters it so a woman may without ouermuch boldnes alledge passages of Scripture may in part be verifyed of you and your Sister Martha * Martha sollicita â—â—erg a plurima Maria optimam partem elegit quae non auferetur ab ea Cosmophila Cosmophila you labour much about these worldly aduancements but your sister Calia hath chosen the best part which shall not be taken from her Cosmophila Well then My Father who you know iâ— a Schollar and was an Vniuersity man for many yeares did much insist in the difficulties and austerities necessarily accompanying a Religious lyfe as much fasting much praying rysing in the night Obedience to the Superiour Pouerty perpetuall Chastity and the like Things most aduerse to mans nature and such as they beget an horrour in the mynds both of men and women from vndertaking so rigid a course of lyfe To the vndergoing then of these vnsupportable burdens you tye your elfe good Sister if so you prosecute your lately begun state Therefore I hould it more secure both for your soule and body rather to withdraw back your foote in tyme then to goe on forward and in the middest of your dangerous iourney to faint and to say secretly to your soule O that I had not entred into this â—horny way of Religion but had liued a good Catholike in England Confessarius Women out of their want of reading and specially young Nouices such as our Sister Caelia is are perhaps not able to solue all the obiected Arguments made by sensuall men against a votary lyfe Therefore I being the Confessarius to this vertuous Monastery hould â—t my duty and function to refute all such vrâ—ed Reasons To this then your first obiection I say I yield that the votary lyfe hath â—s difficulties but these difficulties proceed â—ot from the nature of the lyfe it selfe but â—ur owne corrupt flesh not subiecting it selfe â—o Reason is the cause of them For certaine it is since a strict seruice of God is sortable tâ—Reason that therefore this seruice is pleasing to a Man of Reason I further answere thaâ— there are two things which much sweete the paynes of a Religious lyfe First principally the Merit therof the subiect of which Merit is the enioying the eternall felicity oâ— Heauen So true is that saying in Scripture d The Passions of this tyme are not worthy of the glory to come which shal be reuealed vnto vs And vpon this ground we read that S. Ignatius the Martyr had iust reason thus ioyfully to cry out in these fiery words e Let fire the Cross deuouring Beasts the cutting of my body asunder iâ— breaking of my bones the dissipation of all my members the distraction of all my body Yea let all the scourges and torments of the Deuill come vpon me that I obtaine Iesus Christ But what are all the afflictions incident to a Religious lyfe to be compared for the enioying of Christ to the Torments so earnestly thirsted after by thiâ— Blessed Martyr Since these afflictions can bâ— but short whereas the enioying of Christ for euer and certaine it is that nothing iâ— compare of Eternity is long which is measured with the yard of tyme The second thing which much less neiâ— the apprehension and feeling of Monastica austerities is the internall comfort and consolation with which God doth oftentymes viâ— his seruants to make them more couragiousâ— hould out in their begun conflict And the in the sweetnes of this spirituall Wyne taste by the seruants of God all the sowry accâ—dents belonging to a Monasticall Lyfe are wholy absorpt and drowned Hence it is that our Sauiour sayth f My yoake is sweet and my burthen light And God the Father thus â—ollaceth a man for Iustice sake g I am with him in his tribulation Finally the Apostle out of his experience in tasting of Gods most comfortable hand in the throng of his troubles spent in the seruice of God thus bursteth forth h I am replenished with Consolation do exceedingly abound in ioy in all our tribulations What say you now Cosmophila Are the asperities of a religious Lyfe such as they are not much sugred by God for the better supporting and bearing of them These passages and testimonies alledged by me are the Written Ward of God Either they are true or God in his holy Scripture which God forbid that any ChristiaÌ„ should so dreame is false But if it please you you may passe to your next imaginary bug-beare seruing only to affright Children against a votary and virginall life Cosmophila Indeed Good Syr I cannot deny but that these two spirituall Medicines so to call them are able much to aswage the paynes endured in Religion But seeing it is your pleasure I should proceed