point shal consider that this honour worship is payed by the fine of the three Theologicall vertues How this honour is yielded to God Fayth Hope and Charity By Fayth we belieue that God is an essence infinite eternall incomprehensible one God in three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost God that hath created the world and gouerneth it with his power and wisedome and hath redeemed it by his bounty and by his iustice shall giue vnto euery one according to his workes This is the subiect of Fayth and the rest that is contayned in the Apostles Creed By Hope we haue our soueraigne trust in him expect of him as of our first cause and last end help and succour in the necessityes of this world and eternall glory in the other By Charity we loue and serue him with all our hart aboue all thinges according to his titles of Maiesty adoring honouring him with the inward acts of our soule and outwardly by corporall workes agreeable to our fayth and inward actions also by first fruits and tithes of our goods but principally by sacrifices as the iust haue alwayes done before the comming of our Sauiour by their sacrifyces made of the bodyes of mortall creatures Masse the great sacrifice of the ChristiaÌ„s and afterward Christians by that of the Holy Masse wherein is offered vnto God the immortall body of his only Sonne in an vnbloody sacrifyce after the Order of Melchisedeth The third point shall obserue as conclusions drawne out of the two precedent that all those that adore many Gods giue the soueraigne honour due to God only to their Idols and false Gods as the Pagans did and doe still that they are Idolatours and breakers of his first Commandement as are also all other Infidels Iewes Turkes Heretikes Magicians Sorcerers and all sortes of superstitious people as also they that despaire or put their chiefe trust or coÌ„fidence in creatures of whome Hieremy sayeth Accursed is he that trusteth in man Ierem. â—7 5. that is as in God and that putteth flesh for his arme and draweth his hart from God They also that loue any creature more then God eyther Angells men women children goodes landes or any thing els whereby they leaue to serue God with all their hart or which is worse doe altogeather forsake him despising his Lawes and Commandements The fourth point shall teach To honour Saints is not against this commaÌ„demeÌ„t that it is not against this coÌ„mandment to honour with a second not soueraigne honour some creatures according vnto that degree of excellency that God hath bestowed vpon them as Fathers Mothers Kings Magistrats with a ciuill honour The B. Virgin the Angels and Saints departed and reigning in heauen with a religious honour to prayse them and pray to them and desire their help as being the friends of God and faithfull Hier. in Vigil epist. 53. Damas l. 14. ortho fidei c. 16. Basil in 40. Mart. Naz. ora 55. Cyp. Athan. Basil and charitable intercessours for our necessityes in heauen as when they liued they were vpon earth And this honour and seruice doth not derogate to the Maiesty of God but doth increase his honour praysing and honouring him not only in himselfe but also in his seruants whome he hath made heeretofore instruments of our saluation in his Church militant and afterwards glorious lightes in his Church triumphant where they pray him without ceasing and intercede for vs are carefull for vs as for the members of the same body In the fifth point he must consider how that Images and the honouring of them vsed in the Church of God Chrys de cateâ— S. Petri. is not repugnant to that part of the commandement which forbiddeth carued Idolls for an Idoll is the representation of a false Deity as those of the Paynimes that represented Saturne Iupiter and other false Gods or those that euery ones fancy did faine and forge vnto himselfe An Image is a representation of a true thing of God of Iesus Christ of an Angell of a Saint and the honour done vnto it is referred and redoundeth to the patterne therof and therefore as it is piety to honour Iesus Christ his Angells and Saints although with diuers degrees so also is it to honour their Images as things appertayning vnto them in that they represent them and as heÌ„ honoureth the King with a ciuil honour The Image of a king capable of ciuill honour who honoureth his Image so he honoureth God and his seruants deceased who honoureth their representations This is not therfore to adore the gold siluer wood stone after the manner of Idolatours but to honour God and his Saints in those thinges that represent their memory after the manner of Christians The speach shall giue thankes to God for the light of this his commandement and shall aske his ayde to performe it The after-dinner and Euening of this fourth dayes Iourney How the iustice of God doth shine in his first Commandement Prayers to auoyd the Idolls of false Christians CHAP. XI IN the Afternoone hauing made some Meditation proper for the day or some other spirituall exercise vpon the occasions of tymes How straitly man is bound to serue God or places he shall resume the pointes of his morning meditation and shall admire the iustice the importance and fruit of this Commandment for what can be more due and agreable then the soueraigne honour to the soueraigne Lord Supreme loue to the supreme Bounty Supreme respect to the supreme wisedome What more strait bond of Obedience can there be then of the creature to the Creatour of the sonne to the Father of the vassall to his Lord Liege To whose glory should man employe all the actions of his soule and body better then on him of whome he hath both soule and body vnderstanding will memory all the interiour facultyes of his soule his eyes eares nose tongue hands and all the exteriour parts and members of his body And finally of whome he hath his being of whome he dependeth by whome he is redeemed and from whome he expecteth endlesse glory So shall our pilgrime discourse and say vnto himselfe A speach to his soule O my soule adore this Lord seeing he is thy soueraigne serue him with all thy might seeing he is Almighty loue him with all thy hart seeing he is all louely serue him with al thy powers seing they come all of him seing thou hast nothing good that commeth not from him that made thee that redeemed thee who preserueth thee and hath giuen thee all this world and his owne only Sonne will giue thee himselfe at the last of himselfe prepare thee a blessed banquet and feast of felicity He shall speake also vnto God and say O my soueraigne Lord my Father my all in all be thou alwayes my Lord my Father my God and let me be alwayes thy seruant and thy sonne Let my vnderstanding adore
the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
of the cleare vision and contemplation of their Creatour the cause of all beauties that are in heauen or earth and infinitly more beautifull then all other beauty put together Of the body He meditated in the second place of the glory which the bodies of the â—ust shall haue after the ResurrectioÌ„ which can not otherwise be declared but as the Apostle declareth the whole felicity That the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the hart of man comprehended â— Cor. 2. what God hath prepared for those that loue h m he could say no more then in saying as he did that it is impossible to conceiue that felicty The scripture sayth that the iust shall shine like the sunne and compareth them to eagles Matt. 15. signifying the beauty agility of their body Our Sauiour to whose similitude we shall rise agayne came out of the graue that he rose out subtile impassible such in similitude shall our bodies be in such qualities shining Phil. 3.20 transpareÌ„t agile subtile penetrant and immortall heere withall euery particular part of the body shall haue a supernaturall beauty as now it hath a naturall with this difference that then all the body being transparent like christall all parts shall be visible in it as well the inward as the outward the bones the muscles the sinewes the veines the arteries the lungs the liuer the hart all shall be cleansed and cleared from all imperfectioÌ„ indewed with their proper beauty in propoâ—tion clearenes and colour This of Saphire that of Emeraldes one of Carbuncles another of Diamonds and aboue all shall be most adm rable those which haue beene employed in some speciall and peculiar seruice of the diuine Maiesty So the skinne of S. Bartholomew stead off for the faith shall shine with a particular beauty the armes and feete of S. Peter crucifyed the head of S. Paul cut of the tongues of true preachers the hands of Almoners the armes of the true souldiours of Iesus-Christ the eyes of chastity the hayres of virginity nothing shall be without recompence without excellency without particular glory Lazarus was plunged in this meditation and sayd O my soule if thou beest rauished meditating these beauties how great shall thy ioy be in enioying them O Lazarus what doost thou to deserue them What giuest thou to buy them What sufferest thou to gaine this honour And with what pace walkest thou to get the goale of this glory O soules redeemed with the precious bloud of Iesus thinke vpon these honours O Christian Dames who so highly esteeme the beauty of the body that not hauing it you would gladly purchase it with great summes of gold and siluer hauing it do hold it so deere tender it so carefully by art by gold by apparell by chaynes carkenets and iewels your beauty is nothing it is foule and ill fauoured in respect of this and if it were any thing you know well it shall finally perish eyther by some misfortune or by touch of sicknes or by age or surely by death Where is the beauty of AbsaloÌ„ of Lucrece of so many men women admired in the world Loue then the beauty of this Resurrection which shall be proper for euer vnto your bodies and to obtaine it loue now the beauty of your soules O my soule be thou amorous and in loue with this beauty O glorious Virgin O faithfull aduocate aduaÌ„ced this faire and ioyfull day aboue all the thrones of the heauenly and happy spirits the wonder of all goodly creatures on earth whilst thou wert aliue the wonder of all the creatures in heauen for euer the honour of the triumphant Church the refuge of the militant the comfort of the afflicted the guide of wanderers helpe vs with thy graces and credit with him by whome thou wert this day carryed vp into heauen with the company of all the heauenly hostes Procure o most B. Virgin that we obtaine grace holily to liue vpon earth to the imitation of thy selfe and happily to dye to thy example and one day to enioy eternally the riches of the triumphant Resurrection in the Kingdome of thy Sonne Iesus 1. An exhortation to a sick person in agony of death 2. The affliction of Lazarus 3. His arriuall at his Fathers house 4. His farewell to his Father and to the world CHAP. XXV THVS Lazarus ended his prayer Theodosius and Vincent ended then also and had felt great inward ioy therein The steward came early to their chamber hauing made ready their breakfast but they would eate nothing saying it was to soone They desired him humbly to salute in their behalfe Monsieur the Marquesse the Abbot the Vicount the Baron his children and to assure them that they would pray to God for their prosperity The steward had closely put into Lazarus bagge ten Crownes wrapped in a paper with these words of the Marquesse owne writing Pray to God for the Marques which Lazarus found at night in his fathers house He imbraced the Steward with many thankes after they had sayd their Pilgrims prayers they went out of the Castle and hauing beene a while silent they began to talke Lazarus praised much the prudence and liberality of the Marques and of his brother the sincere and harty loue of his children full of humility and courtesy the true markes of true nobility as contrariwise pride and disdaine is a true token of a base and rude mynd he commended also greatly the modesty diligence of all the officers and seruants and tooke this for a sure signe of the Marquesse his vertue for commonly like maister like men and the subiects doe for the most part frame themselues after the fashions of their Lord. Theodosius sayd that he noted at supper a meruailous contentment of all in the answere that was made to Syre Cime and that he did neuer better perceiue the leuity obstinacy of heresy then in that man who sought nothing but to talke and shew himselfe though he shewed himselfe alwayes void of good learning Pride the Father of heresy Whereupon Lazarus sayd Pride is the Father of heresy and vanity is her Mistresse and therefore you may not meruaile to see an Heretike both proud and vayne togeather Wherefore then quoth Vincent doth not the Marquesse his nephew shew himselfe like his maister Because sayth Lazarus he is not so much an Heretike as bred and brought vp in heresy neuer hauing beene Catholike knowing nothing but what they haue giuen him to vnderstand without contradictioÌ„ it is well to be hoped that as he is of a noble tractable nature and of a goodly spirit that as soone as he shall haue free liberty to conferre with some learned man or cast his eyes vpon some learned booke he will discouer the deceits of these impostures which his maister hath commended vnto him for rules and maximes of his Religion will imbrace the truth of the Catholike fayth Surely sayd Vincent I longed much
Litanies togeather after which TristraÌ„ was caryed to his bed in another chamber where he slept quickly The Pilgrims made their examen and tooke the subiect and points of their morning Meditation The subiect was the life of the glorious Virgin after the Ascension of our Sauiour into heauen in these points 1. Wherefore she liued after our Sauiours Ascension 2. Of the profit she brought vnto the Church of God 3. Of her death The nine and thirtith day and the ninth of his Returne Of the Life and conuersation of the B. Virgin after the Ascension of our Sauiour and of her death CHAP. XXII AT three a clocke in the morning when no body was vp sauing some seruants that went to labour the Pilgrims began their meditation a part Lazarus the first in feruour and heat of spirit began in admiration wondering that our Sauiour ascended into heauen and left his glorious mother amongst mortall men seeing he knew well that she should be in continuall griefe for his absence and longing for his presence and that she desired nothing more then to go out of this vale of miseries and to be with him and there was not any creature more worthy of heauen and of his company then she was Why the B Virgin was left on earth after the Ascension of our Sauiour But the heauenly light shewed vnto him in the progresse of his meditation that the Almighty and all wise Sonne of God did herein shew a singular prouidence for the good of his most honourable mother and of all his whole Church for if the scripture reporteth that for a great fauour which is sayd of the lust that God hath honoured him in making him labour and hath accomplished his trauailes this was a speciall prerogatiue and a great honour which our Sauiour did to his mother to leaue her somtime after him in this life therin to shew employ her vertues The B Virgin was left as the moone when the Sunne was gone which hitherto had beene in a manner hidden vnder the cloake of profound humility knowne onely to God and to few men besides by a thou sand goodly workes wrought in publicke make her multiply the vsury of her merits vnto the highest heape and degree and so much to increase the glory of her felicity It was also a great fauour vnto the Church to see shine in her beginning and birth vpon the earth this starre as the moone after that the great Sunne taking himselfe from the eyes of mortall men Our Sauiour his Churche both bred and brought vp by the B. Virgin was mounted into the heauens and to conteÌ„plate in her the admirable beauty of that sunne it selfe liuely represented in the lustre of the diuine actions of this B. Virgin as we behold the visible splendour of the sunne painted in the face of the moone And euen as God would that his Sonne Iesus-Christ Espouse and Sauiour of the Church should be conceiued borne and brought vp by the sayd Virgin so would he that the same Church should in some sort be ingendred by the feed of the sayd Virgins vertues should be illustrated set in view and in a manner brought forth by meanes of her nourished and brought vp by the example of her admirable workes Namely that she should be the light of the Apostles and disciples teaching them diuers misteries of the fayth that none knew but her selfe and which the holy Ghost would haue knowne by her so by her he taught the secret of the Annunciation of the Incarnation of her perpetuall virginity of the Natiuity of our Sauiour of the musique that Angells sung thereat of the Visitation of the shepheards of the Circumcision of the Adoration of the Kings of the Presentation in the Temple of Simeons prophecy and other points which the Euangelists haue recorded and specially S. Luke Luc. 2. who therefore is called the Notary of our B. Lady Greg. Nis in fest Assump It is he that sayd Marie kept all these things in her hart Signifying as an ancient Doctor sayth that she had diligently noted the mysteries she had seene to reueale them in due tyme and that what he had written he had drawne out of the mine treasury of the Virgins hart who was Secretary and of priuy Councell to the meruayles of God And as God hath giuen at diues tymes holy women to magnify his greatnes in them and to succour his people as a Debora to counsell and conduct the armies of Israell a Iudith to encounter with the great Tyrant an Hester to winne the King and oppose herselfe against the enemies of his people also amoÌ„g the heathens diuers Sibilles women emineÌ„t in knowledge in the gift of prophecy to instruct the ignorant of the mysteries of the Sauiour of the world so he left in his bodily absence this his heauenly mother to be a Debora a Iudith a Hester and the Prophetesse of the Christians the refuge of the afflicted the booke of the doctours the strength of the faintharted the force of those that fight and f nally to be a Regent in the beginning of the spirituall kingdome of her Son by the accord of her diuine contemplations actioÌ„s to giue a modell and patterne of the contemplatiue act ue life of the Apostolicall perfect Christian way She was a patterne of actiue and contemplatiue life as she did And therfore both then euer after she was ordained called the Protectrix of all religious Families a generall Aduocate of the Church of her Sonne for euer God meaning in a woman to encounter coÌ„found vice Idolatry confound Pride the forces of Sathan who in a woman had confounded all mankind thrust mortall men into all sort of sinne She liued then many yeares after the Ascension of our Sauiour 10. after the opinion of some and 21. in the opinion of others but the common tradition is foureteene 10 Nicep li. 2. cap. 3. And being arriued to that terme which he had prefixed who gouerneth the tyme and lott of the life of man she receiued a message of her departure out of this world by an Angel in the Citty of HierusaleÌ„ 21. Epiph. serm de Derp Virg. where she had remayned since the death of our Sauiour with S. Iohn the Euangelist whither the Apostles dispersed through diuers partes of the world by the power of God were assembled togeather and with them diuers other holy men amongst whome was S. Denu the Arcopagite the Apostle of France in this last period to assist the Mother of his maister and to do her obsequies Almighty God honouring with the presence of the principall lights of his Church the deposition of that Virgin who had brought forth the Sauiour of the world Dion Metapâ—r ora de obit Virg. and illustrating the death of the mother of his Sonne with this singular prerogatiue as he had by a thousand more illustrated her life
we can alleadge notwithstanding as we belieue that this soueraigne wisedome doth not will or worke any thing but to a good end and with good lawes for the instruction of men so may we discerne by that light it pleaseth him to communicate vnto vs in the secret of his principall actions some reasons of this inequality as well in the workes of Nature as in those of Religion In nature the first reason He hath diuersly diuided his guifts of Nature First to giue vs to vnderstand that he is the first author of all good If euery thing had growne euery where men would haue thought that it proceeded only of the vertue of heauen and earth but seeing this diuersity and not seeing the cause they haue good occasion to haue recourse to that supreme power to belieue The 2. reason that there is a God that commandeth nature making it fertill or barren where he thinketh good Secondly so much the clearer to make the beames of his bounty wisedome shine vnto vs beautifying adorning the whole world with this variety of effects and linking togeather the society of men by the plenty and wants of the countryes where they dwell taking one of another what they want and yielding that wherein they abound In his Kingdome of the Church he vseth the like variety also The Saints differ in glory in heauen 1. Cor. 15 first to shew that it is he that distributeth his graces according vnto the counsell of his prudence without dependaÌ„ce of any other cause or subiect Secondly to honour in earth the memory of his Saints one aboue another euen as he maketh their soules differently like diuers starres to shine in heauen and finally to succour his children according to their necessity which are greater in one place then in another and to giue occasion to diuers nations to visit one another to linke them togeather by Pilgrimages made by occasion of such places Why God hath glorifyed the B Virgin in so many places specially in Loreto All which reasons may serue for an answere to the demaÌ„d made in particuler why God hath much in so many places honoured the name of the B. Virgin and especially the place whereof we speake It is in glorifying her to let vs see the glory of his treasures to make glorious aboue all creatures in the earth the mother of his Sonne as he hath made her shine aboue all in heauen And if he hath honoured his seruants liuing and dead in euery thing that appertayned to them working miracles by their hand-kercheâ—s their girdles Act. 5.15 〈…〉 their shadowes their bones the dust of their bodyes why should we wonder that he would honour the B. Virgin in all these maÌ„ners in her habits in her Images in all places of Christianity and namely in this where she conceaued the glory of heauen and earth Iesus Christ Where she brought him vp serued him adored him so often with the care charity and tendernes of a mother nurse and daughter most faythfull most feruent most humble And seing by the meanes therof she hath giuen the Sauiour and saluation to the whole world shall it seeme strange that he should gratify mortall men with his guifts and graces by her prayers and intercessioÌ„ and particulerly in this place of her natiuity and dwelling of her most feruent offices and seruices of Religion Let therfore those seduced people who for this honour done to the mother of God doth accuse the Catholicke Church of Idolatry marke heere and els where in these workes the hand of God liberall in her honour and let them accuse their owne misbeliefe and not our deuotion except they will also accuse God who by so many wonders as he doth by her doth inuite and stirre vs vp to honour serue and call vpon her to be by her helped vnto life euerlasting Of the honour of Vowes and presents and guifts of Religion offered at Loreto CHAP. XXI THE vowes and presents of deuout persons are also witnesses and testimonyes of their handes The 8. cause of vowes and reall signes of the sanctity of the place By this meanes haue diuers places of the world become famous and renowned not only among the children of God but also amongst the Paynimes as the Temple of Diana in Ephesus of Apollo in Delphos of others in other Countreyes To honour God with his guifts is a natural inclination this proceeding of the naturall inclinatioÌ„ and reuerence imparted to all men to iudge it an holy worke and a liberality acceptable to God to honour with holy guifts and offeringes places dedicated to his name and sanctifyed with some steepe of his maiesty And doubtles if they had not erred in choosing ill in taking false Gods insteed of the true and had made their vowes and offeringes to their Creatour and not to Idols they iudged aright of the ceremonies For this instinct being a branch of diuine and humane law the action proceeding from being good in the root could not faile to be well receaued of him who is the author of nature and iustice bounty it selfe But leauing these places renowned amongst the Gentils to speake only of those that are famous amongst the children of God amongst the Iewes vnder the law of Moyses the Temple of Hierusalem was greatly honoured with presents not only of the Kinges and people of the Iewes themselues but also of diuers Pagan Lordes and Princes 2. Macha 32. The Kings sayth the history of the Machabees and Princes esteemed the place of Hierusalem worthy of great veneration and honoured the Temple with many rich guifts After the comming of the Sonne of God when the Church hauing ouercome the rage of Tyrants and of Paganisme had once calme seas ChristiaÌ„ Temples honored through ChristeÌ„dome and sure footing then might be seene through all his Kingdome Temples erected and holy places honoured in this sort In Asia Europe Africa and els where as the Ecclesiasticall historyes doe teach vs with the testimony of the Temples yet standing heeretofore founded and endowed by Christians Emperours Kinges and Princes frequented to this day by Pilgrimes with vowes and presents from all partes of the world where Christianity and Catholike fayth doth reigne But to the point of our purpose and in one word to shut vp this discourse I say that if euer ony place was illustrated by the guifts of Christian Princes children of God in any age it is this of Loreto for the Kinges and Potentats of al Europe the Popes and the great Prelates of the Church communalties and cittyes and an infinit number of people comming froÌ„ all parts of the Christian world haue thither sent and brought their riches to honour God in the memory and house of the B. Notable offerings to the House of Loreto Virgin the mother of his Sonne for all these earthly guifts or offerings they haue receaued and carried backe the notable guifts of
law of God in what sort soeuer and in the end say Pater Aue. In the 4. point he must say Confiteor knocking his breast for his faults found with dolour and dislike and also with hope to knocke at the gate of Gods mercy humbly crauing pardon for the snnes we find our selues to haue committed The 5. point is to make a firme purpose neuer by the help of Gods grace to fall againe into the like and with the first commodity to goe to Confession so to end with Pater Aue And Credo This is the dayly exercise of all that be carefull and solicitous of their owne saluation commanded by the Scripture and practised by the Saints Eccl. 28.29 Locke vp thy gold siluer sayth the Wise man and make a weight vnto thy wordes and put a strict bridle in thy mouth That is vaunt not of thy vertue nor glory in thy good actions weigh and examine all euen vnto thy wordes and keep thy selfe from euill and haue a purpose to abstaine for afterward Iob sayd I feared all my workes Iob. 9.28 knowing that thou dost not pardon the offender And this without doubt was because he weighed all in the ballance of Gods iustice which he knew left nothing vnweighed Dauid Psalm 76. I meditated in the night with my hart I did exercise my selfe I did sweep cleanse my spirit Vpon which wordes S. Augustine sayth He enquired of himselfe he examined himselfe and he iudged himself within himselfe He examined in the night the fit and proper tyme in silence with attention hauing his eyes shut to other thinges he exercised himselfe in good earnest with all his hart with feruour and vigour of deuotion and not with a distracted and wandering cogitation dead without motion of life and sorrow My sinne is alwayes before me Psal 50. Because he was in continuall examination of his actions alwayes finding some defect and heereof he sayd to God Psal 18.14 Who is he that knoweth his faultes Deliuer me from my secret sinnes and pardon thy seruant the sinnes of others He that doth not his diligence to performe this once a day sheweth himselfe to haue no great care of his owne soule for he putteth himselfe fondly in danger to be surprised and sodainly arrested by the executioner of the supreme Iudge hauing the accountes of his life ill ordered charged with debts which he shal neuer be able to discharge The deuout Christian doth it often in the day How often in the day the deuout ChristiaÌ„ should examine his conscience Our Pilgrime shall do it thrice in the morning when he riseth he shall examine the night past at noone examine the morning and at night when he goeth to bed shut vp the account and reckoning of the whole day A generall distribution of what the Pilgrime should do euery day And first of the Credo CHAP. VII Clem. Const Apost l. 7. c. 25. THE dayly prayers and spirituall exercises of the pilgrime are distributed into three tymes of the day Morning after dinner and Night according to that distribution of K. Dauid who sayd In the Euening and Morning and at Midday I will pray to thee O Lord and speake thy prayses and myne owne necessityes Psal 54. Which also Daniel practised in his captiuity as before him all iust men in their owne dwellings Dan. 6.10 In the Morning he shall make the principall meditation at Noone and after he shall make others or els if he be loath to change the subiect hauing some tast thereof in the Morning he may goe ouer it againe by way of repetition at euery one of these three tymes of prayer he must still repeate the Credo Pater Aue Confiteor as a true child of the Church who reciteth them in the midst among other prayers she maketh he that prayeth must haue Fayth Hope and Charity Fayth is the foundation of the others by fayth he doth often say in his prayers the Creed as making profession of his fayth comprised therein by these 12. Articles 1. I beleeue in God the Father almighty creator of heauen earth 2. And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord. 3. Who was conceaued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary 4. Suffered vnder Pontius Pilat was crucified dead and buried 5. Descended into hell the third day he rose againe from the dead 6 He ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty 7. From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead 8. I belieue in the holy Ghost 9. The holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints 10 The forgiuenes of sinnes 11. The resurrection of the body 12. And life euerlasting AmeÌ„ This is a summary of fayth called the Symbole collection or gathering because it was composed by the Apostles euery one bringing and contributing his part as they doe at a reckoning after a banket representing by the number of the Articles the 12. Authors and compounders thereof for which cause S. Ambrose calleth it the Apostolike fayth Amb. ser 38. Aug. ser 1â—1 de tempore Leo c. 13. ad Pulchr composed by those 12. Artificers also the key whereby is discouered the darknes of the Diuell that the light of Iesus Christ might appeare S. Augustin calleth it the Apostolike fayth because it contayneth the abridgment thereof and would haue euery one learne it by hart The Symbole or Creed sayth he is short in wordes and great in mystery let euery one therefore that is come to the yeares of discretion learne the Apostolike fayth which he hath professed in Baptisme by the mouth of his God-father These twelue Articles containe all that euery Christian ought distinctly to belieue of God and his Church The 8. first teach vs the beliefe we must haue of the B. Trinity one God and three persons and specially of the mystery of our Redemption The foure last deliuer vnto vs what to belieue of his Church Of the Pater Noster Aue and Consiteor CHAP. VIII THE Pater noster is the summary of our hope as the Creed was of our fayth contayning seauen petitions in forme of prayer as followeth 1. Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy Name 2. Thy kingdome come 3. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heauen 4. Giue vs this day our daily bread 5. And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. 6. And lead vs not into temptation 7. But deliuer vs from euill Amen The foure first demand the guift of good thinges the three last deliuerance from euill The 3. first aske that which pertayneth to life euerlasting the foure last that which concernes this temporall to attaine vnto the other as S. Augustine sayth Aug. euch c. 115. serm Dom in montel 2. cap. 17. This is a prayer made and dictated from the mouth of the Sonne of God the richest and worthyest of all the
that it is much more beseeming the Maiesty of God and his Mother to be conceaued without original sinne then to be cleansed from it more noble to haue been light from the beginning then of darknes to haue beene made light more approaching to the sense and mind of the Catholike Church which honoureth this conceptioÌ„ with a solemne feast though she doth not condemne of heresy those who belieue that she was touched with originall sinne but after from heauen sanctifyed Pure intion the foundation of all Christian actions Luc. 11.34.36 He shall gather also certaine conclusions and practicall rules of his spirituall discourse as that our actions should be pure in their conception and beginning in the thought in the will that we must beginne by the light to be children of the light that the good and pure intention which our Sauiour calleth The eye of the soule ought to be the foundatioÌ„ of all our workes These and such like rules he shall frame in his mynd and shall verify them in the life of the Blessed Virgin who from her infancy neuer sought in her actions any thing but the glory of God This hath beene her light her beginning her end in all that she did thought or sayd VpoÌ„ these reasons and examples our Pilgrime shall make a full purpose to reforme his life to Godward and to serue him with all his hart to the imitation of his glorious Mother and shall say O B. Virgin To the B. Virgin all bright and beautifull cast some beames of thy diuine fauour vpon the soule of this poore sinner thy deuoted seruaÌ„t driue away my darkenes with my holy light and my coldnes with thy heauenly heaâ—e and strengthen my weaknes with thy mercifulâ— power Make me see that Sunne that came out of thy bowels make me feâ—le the vanity of this vaine world and the firmenesse and solidity of those goods which this thy Sonne hath gâ—tten for vs with his precious bloud and that this may be the profit of the piâ—grimage which I haue vndertaken to thy house and of the vow I haue made to thee O Virgin of all Virgins The foure and twentith Day A Meditation of the Natiuity of the glorious Virgin CHAP. XV. THE meditation of this morning shall be of the Natiuity of the Blessed Virgin in three points The first shall consider some figures of this Natiuity The firmament as the Firmament which God made and filled with many goodly starres to the likenes of this B. Virgin a liuing heauen and firmament as the holy Doctours call her high and solâ—d in perfectioÌ„ marked with a thousad goodly vertues in her soule Earthly Paradise as with spirituall starres Also the earthly Paradise pâ—anted with most excellent fruites and made in the Month of Septer for the dwelling of the first Adam which is a figure of the Virgin giuen vnto the world in the same month adorned with all sort of graces a garden of delights where the second Adam Iesus Christ should dwell much more happily Exod. 2â— 20 pleasantly then the other in the earthly paradise Also the Arke of the Testament made of incorruptible wood couered with plates of gold within without Heb. 9. where the heauenly Manna was kept as this Virgin exempt from all corruption in her Conception beautifyed both in soule and body with excellent guifts hath giuen and kept the Manna that feedeth our soules Iesus Christ discoursing vpon these figures he shal admire the goodnes of God bestowing on the world so noble a creature and shall thanke him therefore and stirre vp himselfe to deuotion of the Creatour and of this B. Virgin Prophecies of her Natiuity Num. 24. For the second point he shall take some Prophecye as among others this A starre shall rise out of Iacob and a man from Israell The B. Virgin is signifyed by this starre so called by the Saints by reason of her heauenly and eminent vertues her Sonne by the name of Man For he is verily the Man of men Cant. 6. and Sauiour of men Also VVho is she that coÌ„meth ascending like the morning rising beautifull as the Moone chosen as the Sunne terrible as a battaile in aray This is the B. Virgin appearing comming to the world with her celestiall purity next and before the Sunne the spirituall morning and more beautifull a thousand tymes then our worldly morning for she did not only bring tydings of the day at hand but brought him forth not only did make the end of the night of this world but also the day of the grace of our Redeemer Also A rodd shall rise out of the roote of lesse Isa 11. and from the roote thereof shall spring a flower This Rod is the B. Virgin sayth S. Hierome hauing no other shrubbe ioyned with her Hier. 16. The flower is her Sonne Iesus Christ Cant. 2. The flower of the field as he is called issued from this Virgin whereof the same Prophet sayd cap. 7. Behold a a Virgin shall conceaue Isa 7. and bring forth a sonne Vpon these like prophecies he shall discourse in his meditation still gathering the fruit of loue or admiration to the prayse of God and this holy Virgin In the third point he shall meditate the Natiuity it selfe reioycing therin honouring it as the chiefest that hath byn among men The natiuity of the B virgin most honourable and ioyfull worthy of all ioy and honour Others hitherto haue beene of misery and sadnes as the wiser sort of men haue acknowledged and the Princes of the earth that made feastes vpon their birth day were ill aduised and ignorant of their owne estate and condition for their birth was but vncleanes and an entry vnto misery but this is of good fortune and ioy being without al deformity of sinne the only cause of al euils and for that therin the world hath receaued the neerest beginning of saluation the Mother of Messias to come of the Sauiour at hand of that Sunne rysing which should bring vs the day so much desired and therefore the Church singeth and inuiteth her children to reioyce in this day saying Let vs with solemnity celebrate this feast of the Natiuity of her who was euer a Virgin the mother of God Mary This is the day that saw borne the liuing heauen this blessed earth this starre of the Sea this paradise of pleasure this Arke of the Testament this Rod of lesse this faire morning that bringeth the Sunne and so shall discourse on the ioy of this Natiuity and conclude with these or the like wordes O day desired aboue all the dayes of the precedent ages or rather the only day all the rest being but night To the birth day of the B. Virgin for seeing the morning did not appeare before thee and the bright shyning and quickening sunne was yet farre distant from the Horizon of our Redemption surely all the dayes before thee were
them behould heere one oppressed with the burden of his sinnes cryeth at thyne eares from the bottome of his hart If this thy Clemency be accustomed to preuent sinners and to receaue them into thyne armes to shew them mercy then behold one who casteth himselfe at thy feet confounded at his owne faults crying that he hath sinned against heauen Luc. 15. which he dareth not behould against thee to whome he dareth haue recourse hoping in thy mercies Heare my crye Luc. 18.15 O Father of mercies and receaue to mercy thy prodigall penitent sonne and who hast giuen me courage and strength to visit thee in this little-great house of thy Sonne Iesus Christ and kisse the walles and doores of that sacred Chamber which he and his mother haue sanctifyed a thousand wayes graunt me grace by the infinit merit of thy Sonne and of the glorious Virgin to serue thee all the dayes of my life with an entire and perfect hart And if I may be worthy to lift vp my handes to thy holy heauenly Throne for the body of thy Catholike Church For the whole Church whereof by thy grace I am a child and for those thou hast made worthy and principall members of the same I beseech thee O Lord for all the sayd Church in generall defend it increase it sanctify it according vnto thy power and mercy I beseech for him who in the same holdeth as from thee For the Pope the keyes of heauen that he may perfectly and faythfully gouerne this Common-wealth of thy house to thy honour and glory and the profit of the flocke committed to him for the Princes and Pastours who do assist him and vnder his authority haue the gouernement of souies For the Prelats that they may wisely instruct and faithfully defend their flocke and charitably feed them vnto life euerlasting For all Kinges and Christian Princes For ChristiaÌ„ Princes who vnder the protection of thy prouideÌ„ce do coÌ„mand the people that as true Fathers and Protectours of the publike good they may carry the raynes and gouernement of their earthly policy which thy power hath put into their handes may vse iustly the sword which they beare for the defence of Innocency and punishment of wickednes For the most Christian King his deere Queene the Princes of the bloud and all the Royall house and Realme For the King assist them O Lord with thy fauours and graces remembring the seruices which thy holy Church hath receaued of their Ancestours and of the French nation hauing heertofore often left their houses and countrey not sparing their goods nor their bloud to go buckle with the Squadrons of the enemyes of thy name and to replant the banner of the Crosse in barbarous Countryes But specially I present my most humble vowes prayers for this noble Fleuron-de-Lys Monsieur the Dauphine thy guift For the Prince and the hope of the Crowne of France Make him great in wisedome valour piety and in all those vertues which gaue the title of Most-Christian to his Ancestours the name of Great to Charlemaine S. Lewis the place and honour of a Saint in the Church of God to his great GraÌ„d-father Lewis the IX Make him great and holy on the earth there to be a stay and bulwarke to the Catholike faith the ioy of his Father and Mother the honour of the nobility and of his house and the rest and repose of his people that he may reigne one day in heauen in the rank of thy greatest Saints Assist the sonne who hast assisted the Father so many wayes and so meruailously that France vnder him may shine in piety abound in peace florish in glory and may be thy chosen Kingdome and the French nation thy well-beloued people I beseech thee Lord for all those to whome I am bound in any title whatsoeuer For benefactours of bloud benefits friendship or otherwise and who haue hope in my prayers for my Parents my friends For frieÌ„ds and enemies my enemies make them partakers of thy graces and me worthy to obtaine some thing for them O heauenly Father O mighty Sonne my soueraigne Lord and Maister equall to thy Father in power and bounty O Holy Ghost the bond of both To the B. Virgin O ineffable Trinity harken to my voice and heare my prayer O glorious Virgin the principall worke of this one and of these three most happy Mother faithfull Aduocate carry this my voice and prayer to the Sanctuary of this supreme Maiesty who hath made thee so great in heaueÌ„ and earth Obtaine for me an hart and forces to serue thee as a true Pilgrime all the tyme of my mortality to praise blesse and adore his greatnes and goodnes for euer in the Kingdome of heauen in the company of thy selfe the Angels Saints of al those for whome I am to present my humble requests This is the prayer I make to thee in thy holy Chamber departing from thence Adieu sacred Chamber Adieu noble little Palace Adieu pretty house more large then tâ—e whole world more rich then the Orient more pleasant then Paradise vpon earth The remembrance of thy Altars of thy pauements of thy walles and of thy wonders shall remayne alwayes planted in my hart as a liuely and pregnant memorial to stirre me vp to yield honour prayse and immortall thankâ— to the Sonne and the Mothet who with their honour haue made thee so honourable The After-dinner and Euening of the 30. day and the ninth of the Pilgrimes aboad How the Pilgrime departed from Loreto CHAP. XLII AFTER his spirituall refection he shall take his leaue of his friends bid them farewell thanking them and recommending himselfe to their prayers and taking necessary instructions for his returne and he shall not forget to doe some markeable Almes if he be able and hauing taken his corporall refection he shall depart in good tyme with a resolution to suffer much more for our Sauiour For in what measure he hath receaued new graces new light and forces he should also labour and do more in proofe and tryall of his loue for him in all occurrences For his Itinerarium and guide of his iourney he shall haue the Ten dayes of Lazarus The ten dayes of Lazarus which are the ten dayes iourney following whereby he shall take example and direction in the exercise of his deuotion in his way If the number of dayes be too short he shall diuide the meditation of one day into more to haue inough or shal take them els where and if he may returne in lesse tyme he may choose what will be fittest for him and leaue the rest and what is sayd of this third part of the ten dayes of Pilgrimage of lengthning or shortning the meditations according to the way may be practised in the precedent parts also THE RETVRNE OF THE PILGRIME OF LORETO Or the Ten dayes iourney of Lazarus The one and thirtith day of the
that the estate of merchandise which attendeth to the world and hath nothing for her end but wealth is a great stoppe and hindrance to Christian life It is our Sauiour sayth Lazarus who saith it is impossible to serue two maisters and compareth Riches to Thornes Mat. 6.24 but this rule and this Parable do not condemne the estate of Merchants nor riches neither for both before and since the comming of our Sauiour there were many Merchants Math. 13. and rich men too good seruants of God they cōdemne only the folly of those who calling themselues Christians that is seruants of God and disciples of Iesus Christ will also haue the World for their maister obeying and pleasing it who say they serue God and suffer themselues to be carryed away by riches who behold heauen with their left eye and earth with their right who take on both sides and finally who saile to East and West both at once Our Sauiour then sayth not that it is impossible to be a good Christian a good Merchant but only sheweth it to be impossible to set their loue vpon the World and earthly goods and withall worke their saluation which is very true doctrine therfore it is the loue of the world auarice that crosseth Christian vertue not the estate of a Merchāt And in that sense S. Paul sayth They that will become rich fall into temptation 1. Tim. 6. the snares of the Diuell and into many foolish and hurtfull desires which drowne men in destruction and perdition for Couetise is the root of all euill So that if the Merchant driue away all auarice and couetousnes from his shoppe he shall receaue no more impediment of doing well by his estate then the Iudge doth by his office or the Souldier by warre Friend Pilgrime quoth the other Merchant you haue touched the point A man may be a good Christian a good Merchāt both for doubtlesse if the Merchant be not worldly or couetous he may be a good Christian but how many such doe you see In my opinion it is as easy to find a white Crow or a blacke Swan or a Pike without a bone as a Merchant without Couetise Syr quoth Lazarus will you condemne all Merchants of that fault And Syr quoth the Merchant can you name me one Merchant who would not gaine and be richer still Syr replyed Lazarus it is another matter to haue a desire to gaine honestly and make a reasonable profit of ones mony and paines another thing to be couetous for the second cānot stand with a good Christian conscience the first pertaineth to his estate and hindreth not a good Merchant but that he may be a good Christian also For a well ordered desire to get his liuing and to gaine by buying and selling neuer compelleth any man to do any thing against Gods law but auarice will lay his fingers on all and will fill his pouch with all manner of gaine It wil make him corrupt his ware take vsury loue his shop better then the Church his counting-house better then the Altar and a reckoning better then a Masse or a sermon Effects of couetise It will make him loose his soule and heauen rather then his earthly riches It is auarice therfore that alwayes corrupteth the merchant and his estate but not that the estate is contrary to the obseruation of the lawes of God And if there be any difficulty of working saluation in this calling besides auarice it is a common case to all estates for in euery one shall a man meet with difficultyes which may turne him from the way of well doing if he will suffer himselfe to be turned out In being a King a Iudge a Captaine and the like There are the like also in euery age Youth hath her faultes All estats and ages haue their difficultyes and old age hath hers and other ages haue theirs but as for these obstacles we do not condemne all estates ages so must they not make vs condemne the estate of Merchants for these are not impossibilityes to liue well for so all the world must become Religious but matter to merit in euery vocation For the more difficulty there is in any worke so much more is the vertue and reward and glory in ouercoming it No estate without difficulty To thinke we may exercise any estate in this mortall life without difficulty is to imagine a Sea without tempest or a Warre without encounters The Religious themselues who at one blow haue broken the greatest difficultyes casting from them the baggage of the world and haue entrenched themselues within the counsels of our Sauiour out of the wyndes and stormes of this worldly sea are not exempt from all difficultyes for they carry their flesh about them which is a seminary of many troubles and the Diuell goeth euery where Euery man carryeth his Crosse Math. 16.24 Marc. 8.34 who alwayes cutteth worke for our infirmity and euery where ech man carryeth his Crosse for that is a decree pronounced by the mouth of our great Maister It is true that all do not profit thereby because they carry their Crosse ouerthwart without merit as without patience Syr sayth the Merchant if difficulty make merit and glory then our condition and that of worldly men is in better case then the Religious for that we haue more difficulty to be saued without comparison I answere quoth Lazarus that worldly men haue more difficultyes and letres of saluation then Religious yet for al that they haue no more merit but much lesse because they breed the causes of their owne difficulty and fasten the fetters on their owne feet Whereas the Religious do ouercome at one blow all the chiefe difficultyes pulling themselues out of the presse of the world with a resolute mind forsaking all things to submit themselues wholy to the seruice of God which are too great exploites of a noble mind the one of fortitude and the other of Charity and if after they haue lesse difficulty to liue well they misse not therefore of more merit for it is the fruit of their victory and a continuall prayse of vertue to them valiantly to haue passed through the bowells of their enemies and an increase of glory to haue chosen so noble a field to fight in and therein to gaine the crowne of euerlasting glory The excellency of an estate doth not consist in the difficulty but rather in the goodnes and beauty of her actions Wherein cōsisteth the excellency of an estate as in the foundation and of the end thereof as in the crowne Therefore the vocation of Theology is preferred before that of Phisicke because it hath a higher subiect which is God and a more noble end which is the health of the soule wheras Physicke respecteth onely the body and the health thereof though physike perhaps may haue more difficulty then the other Also when the difficulty cometh of the excellency of
And as the Princes of the Church were visibly present at her departure so we may not doubt but that the most noble troopes of heauen were present also with Iesus comming himselfe Damasc de dorm it Virg. to receiue into his owne hands the soule of his glorious Mother being borne into heauen as the had first receiued him into her bosome being borne man into the world And heere Lazarus as if he had beene present in this noble company and had beheld with his owne eyes this heauenly starre ready to leaue the body and take her slight into heauen made this Apostrophe saying O my good Aduocate O faythfull Aduocate of all mortall men who in verity will call vpon thee I call vnto thee from the bottome of my hart and coniure thee by the great name of him who made thee great that it would please thee to succour thy poore suppliant frō thy throne of glory wherof thou goest now to take possession at the hand of thy Allmighty Sonne Obtayne of him for me O puissant Virgin what I demand of thee not gold nor siluer nor pleasures nor delights not renowne or glory of this life nor any other gift of this mortall world this is not the subiect of my suite O sacred Virgin but a feruent loue to his holy seruice a continuall exercise in his holy loue a resolute courage to suffer for his name a constant perseuerance in good workes vnto the last breath of my lyfe that my death may be of those that are precious in the sight of his Maiesty Diuers Farewells 2. A hunting 3. A supper 4. A knight saued a Priest carying his bowells in his hand 5. A spirituall discourse of hunting 6. Of hauking CHAP. XXIII THVS prayed Lazarus sighing and weeping Theodosius and Vincent ended at the same tyme and with the like affections Straight after they went to bid Tristram good morrow and whilst he made himselfe ready Lazarus got a breakfast ready After Tristram had sayd a few prayers they brake their fast togeather and had quickly done for it was too early to eate much Vincent payd their host for all for euery body Theodosius calling Tristram a part and taking his leaue of him Theodosius farewell I would I had the means quoth he to stay longer with you and to do you some seruice worthy of our friendship but seeing we must part I beseech you for the honour of him who hath called you from the fellowship of so dangerous a company as you were with and from certaine danger of death wherein we found you for the health of your owne soule for the loue and affection you beare me and that I beare vnto you that you will take to hart the execution of you purpose you made to forsake vice and to lead a life worthy of a man of a noble house God hath done you these fauours to giue you more if you vse these well And if you shall abuse them so much more rigorous will he be for your ingratitude how much the more liberall he hath beene to you of his mercy choose now for hereafter some estate or vocation wherein you may serue God and the publike profit there be inough such amongst Christians if you will follow armes you haue a faire field in the warres that are made against the Turke other enemies of God the Christiā faith there you may gaine a goodly crowne of imortality If you will serue God vnder the shadow of a peaceable quiet dwelling and at better wages you may enroll your selfe amongst the children of God in some religious house you know many you may choose the best You go now in Pilgrimage to Loreto aske deuoutly the assistāce of the Lady whom you go to visite that she will obtaine for you of her Sonne aboundant light to see and discerne what shall be most expedient for you and make you to touch and feele the breuity the inconstancy the vanity of this life the deceit of the world and worldly things the basenes of all earthly greatnes and to make you amorous and in loue of heauen This is the farewell which I leaue you for gage of my loue there Theodosius left Tristram answered him in few wordes Tristrā◠farewell Most deere friend Theodosius I esteeme the two meetings wherein I met with you amongst the greatest fauours that I haue receiued of the prouidence of God for in the first God hath by you opened the way vnto the liberty of my soule and gaue me courage to vndertake that which hitherto I haue executed In this second meeting he hath by you also deliuered me from the rage of men and beasts hath made me see by your instruction now what is meete for me to do hereafter I promise you my deerest friend that with the grace of him that guideth me I will performe frō point to point the resolution I haue made by your aduice I haue some experience of what is past which is sufficient to harden me against the flattery of the world and make me take part els where I haue begunne to estrange and sequester my selfe from it and to perceiue what od◠there is in seruing it him whome I adore I hope to remoue my selfe further from it to the measure of my trauaile and euery day to finde more and more tast and delight in the sweetnes of Vertue 〈◊〉 go ioyfully to Loreto with a firme hope that the B. Virgin will assist me make the bounty of her Sonne fauourable vnto me that I may choose what shall be best for his honour and myne owne saluation I beseech you remember me in your holy prayers as long as I shall be Pilgrime in this world I will carry in my hart the sweet memory of our cordiall and faithfull friendship Hauing sayd thus Theodosius taught him how he should carry himselfe in his pilgrimage how to pray and confesse and to vse other exercises of deuotion which Tristram learned with a wonderfull greedinesse and both beginning to weepe they imbraced ech other Tristram came after to Lazarus thanked him with a great affection for all his courtesies Lazarus agayne confessed himselfe obliged vnto him for his friendship and fauours afforded to his Cousin Theodosius in prison and in recompence thereof promised him all the seruice he could do him in France or els where as occasiō should be offered Tristram thanked him very humbly and made a reciprocall offer wheresoeuer he should meet him then imbraced him and so did Vincent Lazarus put about his necke a payre of beades like a scarfe for a noble chayne and gaue him three crownes the better halfe of their Viaticum Tristram tooke the beades as an honourable present but he refused the mony saying that it appertained not to Pilgrims to giue almes and seeing he was a Pilgrime he would begge At least quoth Lazarus Pilgrims may take it when it is giuen them and therfore you should not refuse it at