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A06821
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Newes from Spaine A relation of the death of Don Rodrigo Calderon, marques of seven churches, &c. Faithfully translated according to the Spanish copy printed at Madrid. By Fernando Manojo. From the court.
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Manojo de la Corte, Fernando.
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1622
(1622)
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STC 17258; ESTC S105407
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10,146
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22
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him and said Sir now let vs goe for God calleth vs. He presently answered Let vs goe When they put off the Cloke of his Order there came one and put a Hood ouer his short Coate from which and from his doublet he had the night before cut the necke and the strings from his band in place whereof he had put a button to come more ready to his last End knowing hee was made a sacrifice to God who disposed the meanes to make his death more easie which hee receiued rather with Loue then Feare When hee went out of the Chappell he told his Confessor he felt himselfe very weake both in Soule and Body who answered him Trust in God and pray to him for strength and hee will not deny it you at this time Comming to the stayres God gaue him courage that it now seemed not difficult to him to go in the streets as it was wont so other things which in his imagination appeared vnpossible comming to act them by Gods assistance were become very fezible Comming downe the stayres and seeing a Mule ready for him hee said What a Mule Nay I ought rather to be dragged in a basket practizing still more pure Acts of Humilitie and contempt of the World and desiring the most disgracefull death He rode on the Mule without feare squaring all his actions to the rules of Modesty and necessity without ostentation Then he toeke a Crucifixe which he imbraced so affectuously that it made great impression in the beholders Going on the people cryed God pardon and giue you strength to whom he answered Amen God reward you Comming to the Market place of Saint Dominick and hearing the Prayers and Cryes of the people he lifted vp his eyes and said Lord since they all aske my Pardon Pardon me I beseech thee When he came to the Smiths little street he said to his Confessor Father this is rather a triumph then a carrying the Crosse of Christ who was blasphemed and I am prayed for Pray Father that the ioy I now feele bee not a reward for that little I haue suffered for his sake I dare not weigh these wordes in the ballance of my Reason Let vs leaue something in silence since his valour and sincerity will sooner be searched into by a zealous affection then vttered by an eloquent tongue He fixed his eyes with a graue aspect vpon a Crucifixe there present testifying therby the recollection of his thoughts In his contemplation he remembered the spirituall incouragement giuen him by the Religious which accompanied him diuinely discoursing on the Happinesse to come Being come to the place of Execution with a constant Countenance hee alighted from his Mule and without any helpe went vp the Scaffold He beheld without feare the Sword and Blocke Set his Hood right and said to the Religious Let me rest here awhile His Confessor and Friar Gregorie de Pedrosa sate downe about him with the rest of the Religious in number twelue no person but what was needfull being suffered to enter They kneeled downe to pray for his Soule He read diuers Iaculatory prayers with such resignation and attention that his Instructors stood astonished After a good while he rose and told his Confessor he felt himselfe comforted to see that God wrought in him his will saying it was fit to thanke him therefore and bee confessed before death and absolued by the Bull of Faith in Baptisme with a protestation thereof Hee did the like at the time of his confession Hee was confessed and receiuing absolution he fell on the ground and kissed the feete of his Confessor Being commanded to rise hee went to his Chaire not to dye but to triumph with such courage humilitie and magnanimitie that all were filled with pietie and admiration A part of his Hood he cast behind the chaire and prayed whilst the Executioner made all things readie Then he calld him imbraced him and spake to him most louingly Hee proceeded so farre in acts of pure Loue and Ioy that when Friar Gregorie de Pedrosa said Now is the time to shew courage hee answered I neuer felt such content When his feet were tyed hee said What doe you The Religious told him it was the Order Then tye mee said hee Comming to tye his armes hee put them out saying Hold tye them Then he called the Minister of death let decency excuse me for vsing this terme and said Come hither Brother let me embrace thee once more and bowing toward him with his body his armes being tyed gaue him the humble kisse of Peace This Act of heroick humilitie done with desire of greater demonstration drew downe many teares either of ioy or sorrow in the Spectators When they tyed him in the Chaire his Confessor told him That Christ was also tyed at which time hee remembred the Passion with affections burned in the fire of diuine Loue. His eyes were couered with a blacke taffata which himselfe had brought for that purpose He lifted vp his head ready with ioy to performe what before hee had so often thought of in prison and said Take it O Lord Take it O Lord. When the Executioner held the taffata with his left hand to giue the stroke with his right hand he forbid him saying I will sit still with a voyce and heart so strong that were it lawfull I would say Naturre had priuiledged him from feare Then receiued hee the stroke and repeating the sweet Name of IESVS gaue vp his Soule The Lookers on though bathed in teares beheld a spectacle not horrible but pleasing caused by a happy death A death that hath eclipsed the greatest examples and limited the highest prayses whose duration will out-last the World For were he not in Nobilitie so ancient hee might hereby lay a foundation for a glorious Family since Nobilitie is but a vertue of the mind practized either in vndergoing dangers in Warre or in giuing good examples in peace both which were seene in him and if according to the end the vertue of the mind is to bee measured here onely was the loue of God where no respect was had to the World or to Fame which in the end will become dumbe This example of his death hath wrought much being in Madrid the Court of Don Philip the Fourth King of Spaine where is a generall concourse of Strangers magnifying with respect the Spanish name beside the deserued credit of their ancient valour seeing a man paralleld with any whom the Roman cloquence did extoll for although Sceuola Regulus Horatius and many others suffered much honour yet here morally speaking it was without it And if any were present at this death either without Religion or of a contrarie which God forbid what inward remorse vnquietnesse of mind and accusation of conscience must they needs haue seeing such strange acts of Faith and Loue to God wrought with such fortitude that it onely may teach vs the force of Truth and Light of Catholique Religion In this Glasse they may see their errours Thus farre my loue hath carryed mee although my Relation bee but as a shaddow of this wonder which such as saw not may not hope to know as it was because those which were present want capacitie to declare it As to the substance I had particular information from those which conuersed with him in prison and abroad all Persons of Vertue and Religion and although I heard of much more yet would I not insert here but what was certayne for a matter of it selfe so admirable needeth not borrow ornament or addition elsewhere His Body lyeth buried in our Ladies Church of the Discalced Carmelites in Madrid in the Deane and Chapters Chappell These Religious out of loue to him buried him there in a Tombe couered with a blacke cloth and on it the Insigne of his Order Requiescant in pace This Epitaph is written vpon his Sepulchre He who within this Tombe doth lye Began to liue when he did dye Soli Deo honor gloria Imprinted at Madrid with licence by the Widdow of Fernando Correa de Montenegro