in mine ear You whom through my good fortune I have heere to help me in this so weighty and high affayr in the place of God do you command mee I (p) Iâ—e gives himself away to his Ghostly Father give my self as bound into your hands The Prince has disposed of my body do you as much with my soul I sayd therefore to him I first desire my Lord that you make the protestation (q) This is a declaration of hâ—s faith with an entier submission to the good will of God which is wont to be delivered by such as are going to God Which being publikly pronounced by him with great sence and spirit he taking up and repeating my words I advised him further thus You shall now make all those acts of Contrition which I shall call to your mind having the eyes thereof first bent upon God being offended as a Creator as a Preserver as a Iustifier and as a Glorifier Next upon you self who have offended him being his creature his househould servant his Christian slave and one so deeply obliged by this benefits Thirdly upon the offences them selves which you have committed and be sory at your hart for having committed them and (r) For who can ever call to mind all his particuler sins if not in particular for them all at least for the (s) He had already confessed his sinns and now he is but exhorted to renew his sorrow for them most greivous of them which shall represent themselves to your memory Fourthly upon the good you have omitted and the time you have lost and the yeares you have mispent Fifthly upon the scandal you have given And if any thing more be to be done if (t) We cannot be saved unlesse first we make restitution as well of fame as â—f goods if â—â—lyâ— in our powâ—â— to make restitution either of fame or goods if to pardon others or to ask pardon your self restore and pardon and ask pardon If to perform any vows or fulfil any promises perform and fulfil them Or finally if you leave any debts or if you will make any signification of your repentance and pious end you are now to put your hand to work To these things he offered himself most readity and did execute them all with so great devotion that evâ—ry one now began to change his stile in speaking to him For finding that whereas before they thought they should have to do but with a young man or rather a youth and weakling (u) He infinitely overcame their expectation they were now to treat with a manly generous and ripe Christian far superior to that which might peradventure have been expected of him One of the Confortatori began with great discretion to discourse upon the horror of Death which our most sweet Christ Jesus did by his agony dispossesse of bitternesse Confi e saith he and cast your thoughts upon him and say Pone (x) Place me O Lord nearthee and let the hand of any other fight against me me Domine juxtate cujusvis manus pugnet contrame And if now you find any bitter taste in death during this short night as without fail you will say (y) O my Father not as I will but as thou wilt thy will be done Pater mi non sicut ego volo sed sicut tu fiat voluntas tua The contrite Lord made answer thus the wickednesse of my life frights me more than the bitternesse of my death Oh how wretchedly have I spent these eightein years How ill have I understood my Saviour How ungrateful have I been for his noble favors How rebelliously have I lived against his laws And how have I run like a wild unbridled horse in these later years of mine without any manner of restraint wheresoever the present occasions or conversations or (z) The sinner is only to blame himself for having sinned rather for I have said ill wheresoever mine own passions and blind affections had a mind to plunge me It is I and none but I who did precipitate my self and yet you bid me six my thoughts and hopes upon God and say Pone me Domine juxta te cujusvis manus pugnet contra me fiat voluntas tua Upon this another of the Confortatori proceeded thus It is an act of magnanimity not to fear the angry face of death and of humility to acknowledg our offences but of confidence to hope for pardon as your Lordship doth who well may say Propter nomen tuum Domine propitiaberis peccato meo multum est enim For thy names sake O Lord thou shalt forgive my sin for it is great O how great said Signor Troilo Even as great after a manner as is the mercy of God which is immense The Proveditore then sayd Your Lordship may if you be so pleased make your last Will and Testament to the end no other thought may sollitcie you but that of your soul Hereupon the Baron without the least delay by way of answer bade them write And having taken out of his pocket a little note which he carryed about him he suddenly dictated his Testament wherein he deliver'd some particulars in my opinion very considerable First (a) The considerations which may be made upon the manner of penning his Will of tender Devotion for he recommended his soul to God by most dear and religious words Secondly of Ripenesse which was more than of a young man because in a most particular mannâ—r he had remembrance of all his servants Thirdly of a most lively Contrition because with a most Profound internal affection of mind he demanded pardon of many even by name Fourthly of great Magnanimity because he conjured the Lady his Mother that shee would pardon all his adversaryes as he himself did pardon them a thousand times over Beseeching (b) what a true and noble Christian heart was this her by a long and christian circuit of words that shee would never resent his death but hee laid the fault upon himself in all things Fiftly of Religious Piety leaving large almes to many Churches and other holy places accommodating many poor (c) This is a devotion and charity much used in Italy Virgins with dowryes at the particular discretion and to be perform'd by the care of his heirs that God might the rather have mercy on him Sixtly of entire Iustice because hee took care that even more then was due by him should be restored Seaventhly of noble Gratitude because hee rewarded whosoever had don him any service in prison Eighthly of affectionate Reverence because hee did in a most sweet and dear manner ask pardon of the Lady his Mother and the rest of his kinred besides the expressing of other complements Having ended his last Will Well Sirs saith he behold we have this residue of time now wholly free for the care of our soul And turning towards me said It (d) He speaks of his soul for as much as concerned
the guiding of it under God is in your hand and therefore dispose of it for this only is now in my power to give you I then by way of answer said Give your self my Lord to JESVS I do so said he and he said it instantly And I again Give your self wholly to him He said I do Consecrate your self he still said I do Make your self said I entirely his But how saith he O Father shall I make my self entirely his if I be unworthy and perhaps his (e) As all grievous sinners are if they do not throughly repent which no man can be sure he hath sufficiently done though he may have great hope of it enemy But in the mean time whilst the Will was writing he that wrote it put us in mind it was to be publickly read that so it might be closed up with a due (f) A Testam nt is not valid there if it have not seven witnesses at least number of witnesses And whilst this was in doing that is whilst the Notary was reading it three things of some consideration did occur The first that when he read how he recommended his soul to God My body says he drawing near me according to his custom I dispose not of for now it is no longer mine It once was mine and I would it had not been so but (g) He acknowledges the providence and justice of God in all things it is more than reason that I having had so great care of it in my life time for my punishment should not be suffer'd to have any power over it now in my death Let them therefore do with it what they will for I sacrifice it to God whatsoever it is Father will not such an Oâ—lation as this do me good It will said I without doubt it will and what (h) For he that gives his body shews in good earnest that he has already given his soul more acceptable oblation can be made to our Lord than that of the body The second That when the Legacies were read it being observ'd by the manner of expressing one of them that he deliver'd himself as faulty in a certain thing wherein indeed he was not so and therefore the Will was to be redressed as I desired which served not only as before for securing his conscience but for the saving also of his honour Upon this putting off his Montiera or cap O Father saith he and he did it half smiling are you now taking care of my reputation and of the puntillios of Honour and of that smoak or vanity of the world Let my soul be saved and let all the vain Honour perish which I either had or might have had Do you not remember that which even (i) This is not mentioned here before For he said many other things which are not mentioned in this short Relation now you said Mihi mundus (k) The world is crucified to me and I to it crucifixus est ego mundo In a word let not the Soul be touched but let my Honor be blasted according to that accoumpt which the blind world is wont to make of Honour that it may serve as a part of the punishment which is due to me The Third that at the same instant his hat was brought him and one of his people being desirous to take his Montiera from off his head what are you doing saith he They answerd they would give him his hat But he bad them let it alone saying it imported not and he added with a soft voyce Look here a while they would fain honor this head of mine which I am to lose within few hours for my sinns The Will being then read and closed up he threw himself as it were upon me with a most modest kind of sweetnes and said Father I am already reconciled but I would fain make a general Confession of my whole life to your Reverence And though since I came into prison I did the same in effect at the instance of my Lady-Mother yet know I had then no light or feeling of my sinns in respect of that I now discover in my heart It being One thing dear Father for a man to confesse himself when be is in the sight of death and another to do it not thinking of death or at least but considering it as afar off And so calling for a (l) There are litle bookes of addresse whereby men are taught how to confesse their sins exactly little book which he had obove in the prison shewing the way how to confesse ones exactly well which his good MOTHER had brought him som dayes before he began his Confession Wherein my Lord God knowes that as it is lawful for me by that ample authority himself gave me to declare as much thereof as I should think fit so if I were able to expresse it I say not that Rome would be astonished at it but all Italy would be so For if I speak of the exact manner he held for as much as concern'd the particular descending even to idle words and any other (m) Confession is no such cursory or superficial thing as they who know it not conceive and say such peccadillo methought I was hearing som well exercis'd Religious man In the explicating of circumstances and the unfolding of intricate and intangled cases it was as if he had been some profound Divine In relating the determinate number and the various kinds of his sins he made proof of one who had a most fresh and happy memory This rare Gentleman pawsing now and then between the Confession of his sins and suffering certain tears to fall quietly upon my knees would be wiping them away and that being don he would often say with sighs O Father how (n) He had great reason to say so good has our Lord been to me Let him now be blessed as often and yet more often than I have offended him in my former life Whilst he was accusing himself of his faults he would express them in certain few but those all lively and most pious words and in som particular eases so dearly tender that in his countenance one might see evident signs how his very heart was even rent within So that between (o) He pawsed sometimes both to rest himself and to recall his sins more freshly to his memory for though it were interrupted it was all but one Confession till Absolution was given the times of his Confession the Confortatori doubting left perhaps he might incline to faint would be asking him if he needed not somwhat to restore and comfort himself To which he answer'd speaking privately and more than once to me This (p) An admirable Conâ—râ—tion only comfort or restorative I would desire That my very heart might burst for grief and satisfaction might so be (q) To the justâ—ce of God his sorrow being dignified by the death and passion of Jesus Christ our Lord. given for my sins if perhaps
as a pattern of a mind most rarely compounded between perfect Christian piety undanted incomparable magnanimity But whilst the (k) This Lady died in the year 16â—1 and was buried on the 21. of Octob. in the Theatines Church at St. Andrea della valle where she erected ten Mâ—sses to be said every day for ever She was of the house of the Dukes of Cesi and Sister to the Marquess of Riano Her name was la Signora Plaminia Mother and Son are both resting now in peace and glory as we may piously believe I know not how in this particular to be silent concerning the powerful and wise and infinitely good (l) The providence of God deserves to be deeply pondered in this particular providence of Almighty God towards both these servants of his For by the way of the (m) The Cross is the high way to heaven Cross he brought the son in a few moments of time to have a Soul in state of great perfection and he gave him in the last hours of his life that most happy kind of Purgatory wherein he might not onely suffer in satisfaction of the divine Justice but pass on by merits all grounded upon the mercy of Jesus Christ our (n) No action of man is meritorious but by the merits and first mercy of Jesus Christ Lord as all merits are towards instant and eternal felicity And this he did by as contrary means as in the Gospel he cured a certain Blind man by (o) The omnipotency of God is not tied to means but works his will how he pleases casting dirt upon his eyes For here he used the most indulgent tender care of the Mother who loved that Son as her own soul towards the bringing that about which was indeed to make him happy in the end but in the mean time was the occasion of his suddain and reproachful death whereby her very heart was to be broken Taking him so from her sight that thereby she might enjoy a glorious sight of him for ever and depâ—â—ving her of all human comforts which for as much as concerned her were abridged locked up in him alone that so she might with contempt of the world send her whole heart up to heaven whither now her treasure was gone before and so be rewarded for that tender and entire care which she had taken for his pious education It matters not much what the blind and dull world conceives which placing Faith in fancy and religious reason in the treacherous sense of flesh blood thinks all that to be misery which carries the face of pain or shame or any difficulty and that true happiness consists in rowing for a while in some boat (q) A fit emblem to shew the vanity of wotldly pleasure of musick down the tide though it carry them soon after where they are either to be split upon rocks or swallowed up by quick-sands Whereas God knows yea and men who have his grace are not ignorant that a course of felicity not interrupted or check'd by contrary winds is a kind of fortune for as much as concerns the next life which in this deserves rather pity then envy and that ever since the death of Jesus Christ our Lord the way of the Crosse is [r] The Crosse of Christ has made misery to become happy not only the more safe but even the more honourable and that the pleasures and pastimes of this life are but a kind of butterfly for boys to play with and the greatest earthly felicity that ever was enjoy'd by man if it died not as soon as it was born which yet is the ordinary case of (s) Worldly pleasure speaks fair but it lies worldly pleasure at least if it lived till it could learn to speak it told as many lies as it uttered words and charm'd them first whom quickly after it might lead towards a precipice How desolate would a worldling think the case of Signor Troylo Savelli was in that night when he received the news of his so-instantly-approaching contumelious death And of that dear Mother of his when she heard the blow was given which parted that head from those shoulders And (t) Affliction made the Mother and the Son seem miserable and be happy yet with all is it both well known that the Mothers loss of such a son did cast her much more close upon an union and sole dependence for all her comfort upon Almighty God wherein all the happiness we can have in this life consists and it is morally certain that the abundant grace of Contrition and Charitie which God infused into the heart of the Son even by the occasion of his very sins so vastly and infinitely good is God did put him instantly after his death into a state so blessed as that the Pope himself under whom he died those Princes among whom he lived and all the Monarchs of the whole world may be accounted miserable according to their present state in respect of him Our dear Lord Jesus be eternally praised and not onely by us who know not how to do it well but by all his holy Angels Saints for his own infinite goodness since he vouchsafes to (u) He could easily honour himself otherwise without any benefit to us if he were so pleased place the point of his honour in shewing mercies and working wonders upon man so instantly so sweetly so powerfully and so like a God And for having suffered in his own sacred soul body such desolations and torments as obtained at the hands of the eternal Father not only the remission of our sins if we will serve our selves of the Sacraments and other remedies he has left in the bosom of his holy Catholick Church but the adorning also of our Souls with the inherent gifts and graces of the holy Ghost And yet further for that he has known how to make our very sins and grievous crimes themselves the means sometimes whereby we obtain greater graces then x This indeed is a mercy which may well become the greatness of our God we should have done if we had not committed those very sins Let the whole world therefore adore thee O Lord and sing praises to thee and let all the powers of all souls cry out and say with that holy King and Prophet David O Lord who is like to thee A great example and proof of this power of God and of the divinity of Christ our Lord and the need of a great proportion of stupidity to make him think that since God himself vouchsafed to be at the command of those base and impure wretches who tooâ— off his cloaths and requireâ— him to submit himself tâ— those scourges those thornâ— those nailes those blasphemies for our sakes and sins yet on the other side thiâ— b An ugly and abominable presumption man this proud rebellious worm this crum oâ— dust this drop of filth mighâ— keep forsooth a kinâ— of State and should
descending from his bed Give mee leave saith he for so long as that I may be ready And so casting an earnest countenance towards a little picture of our B. Lday with Christ in her arms which there he had of purpose he recommended himself in great earnest to the mercy of Jesus and in ercession of his Mother as afterward he related to me And the same night some hour before the arrival of this news he had raised himself out of his bed and kneeling down before that (e) He prayed before the Picture but hee prayed to the B. Virgin to pray for him and hee thought it no ill way to go by the M ther to the Son as the Fathers Saints of Gods Church had done before him Picture he sayd with abundant tears O blessed and glorious Virgin O that I might dy if dy I must with this very disposition which now I find in my heart He told me that the same night when first he went to bed he did in a manner assure himself his life would be saved but that yet more suddainly then he ever used he rose up and could not hold from discharging his heart towards his dear Redeemer and the blessed Virgin This was an ordinary use of his as afterward those souldiers under whose custody he was related to me for they often feigning not to see him did many times perceave that by stealth he cast himself upon his knees As soon as he was apparail'd the Officer returning and doubting lest by reason of his fresh youth being encountred with such a terrible and suddain accident he might through a kind of despairfull rage either do hurt to himselfe or others would needs upon a suddain cast the manicles upon his hands but gently stretching them out My friend (f) his early and humble resignstâ—on saith he behold I am here ready to obey thy will and the will of all the world since the will of God is such Having manicled him they lead him towards the Chappel when at the issue out of his chamber he blessed (h) He armed himself with the sign of the holy Crosse Ad omnem actum ad omnem incessum manus pingâ—t Crutem Hier. epist ad Eustach 22. cap. 36. himself the best he could with the sign of the holy Crosse with both his hands and casting up his eyes to Heaven he profoundly sighed For seeing perhaps that there were more people then might be needful for the changing of his Lodging This saith he is another manner of businesse then to change me only from one place to another but by the grace of God I am ready for all Thus silently going down to the Chappel he was met by the (i) There are Congregations of Gento in Râ—me as theâ—e are also in other great Cities of Italy and Spain who imploy themselvs for the helping condemned men to dy wel The Governor Proveditore are chief officers of these Congregations Governor and the Proveditore and by three others of them who are called Confortatori della misericordia in a fashion very sutable to the occasion Then one of them said to him in this manner My Lord the hour which God has prefix'd for you is even run out render your self into his merciful hands And he without being troubled otherwise then by fetching a sigh which yet was both soft and short did answer thus Let God be blessed behold I render my self to him and dispose you of me And so those good and charitable Brothers of that Congregation with some Fathers of the Society of Jesus casting themselves round about him and endeavouring to sweeten the bitternesse of that news by discreet and decent means did comfort him the best they could He yielded to all and did even prevent them and then knocking his breast and bowing down his head and kissing the Crucifix he demanded pardon and like gentle wax sufferd himself to be manag'd by them all One of those Confortatori did before all other things put him in mind of making his Confession Upon the very first naming wherof recollecting himself he said And (k) The first thing he did was to confess himself where is the Confessor And they shewing him a Priest of their Company with his Albe (l) These are some of the sacerdot al vestments which are used in celebrating Divine Service upon his back and his Stole about his neck that afterward he might say Masse in the proper time the first thing he did was to be confessed and we all went out to leave the place free to them He being confessed and we returnâ—d we began to dispose him towards a good end by divers spiritual exercises fit for that purpose And after many had spoken I also began thus to say Signor Troilo This is that passage which whoever does once make well acquires eternal felicitie and if once it be ill made it draws after it everlasting misery It now imports your Lordship to make it well that you may escape that eternity of torment This passage is narrow uneven hard and full of stones and thorns all the world sees it and your Lordship finds it by experience but (m) Our Lord Jesus doth even the uneven way of death behold sweet Jesus who by his goodnesse will even it all Cast your self my Lord upon him and then you will be able to say with courage Omnia (n) I can do all things in hâ—m that comforts me Possum in co qui me comfortat He answerd thus with a cheerful and even smiling countenance Omnia possum in eo qui me comfortat By the mercy of my deer Jesus I know the necessity of making this passage well I acknowledge his providence over me and to his providence I add that of his love For as much as with extraordinary love it is that he has brought me hither I see it I confesse it And how often dear Father have I been as I may say in the very jaws of death which if at that time it had seized me infallibly this soul and body of mine had perished Behold (o) He acknowledges and accents of Gods providence with great alacrity the cunning of my Christ to save me he has made choyce of this way And then bowing and baring his head and with great life of spirit raising himself from his chair he further added I accept of this election which God has made and then casting himself upon his knees before the Alter Nay I thank thee says he O my good Father for thy so faithful and loving care of me who have not only been a wandring but a contumacious Son of thyne To thee it belongs to smooth and even the ruâ—godness of this way since thou hast been pleased to addresse me by it And so bowing his face even almost down to the ground he remayn'd a while in mental Prayer Being therefore wished to sit down he was scarce setled in that posture when turning towards me he sayd thus
Mother to her Son yet after I had separated my self from her did she give over to sollicite me with notes and letters and messages and a thousand other inuentions that I would be induced to retire my self from vitious conversations and she would pâ—â—y me importune me and coniure me that I would take to good And well I know that no kind of devotion was omitted by her for my reformation by visiting both as many Churches and Religious persons as she knew in Rome In fine she came often to me both by day and night whilst I was wandering up and down in such company and (d) It seems to have been a kind of strife and war between how kind a Mother could tel how to be and how unkind a Son when she found me out she would cast her self even at my feet that so I might once be drawn to open mine eys and consider the precipice I was approaching and the ruines besides the Shame that would inevitably come upon me and that I would return to Christ and once truly weigh for these were her very words whose Son I was and that I would consider what thing that was which had ever been wanting to me whereby in that desperate fashion I should abandon all care of my Estate Life and Honour And usually she accompanied these admonitions and requests of hers with most tender tears Somtimes again she would turn aside and casting up her eyes to God beseech him either to convert me or else (e) Her prayer was heard in a better though in another manner then she most desired to take me to himself And this I can say with all truth that from the very beginning to this instant wherein now I lâ—ve she has never ceased to endeavour my salvation For even from the first time she (f) She was in Rome at his commitment but when she saw how the World would go with him sheretired thence with her load of sorrow came to see me here in prison she exhorted me to Confession and ever since she has come as thick as hail upon me somtimes with Religious men and somtimes with pious Books So long as that now at last I am by the favor of God returnd a little into my self And besides the cutting off all occasions of doing ill she gave me many great opportunities of good with fervent exhortations that I would restore my self to the service of God Nor could ever any Son desire any favor or contentment of a Mother which mine did not of her self impart to me And I on the other side have served but to make her life most unfortunate by this period of mine I beseech our Lord forgive me and to receive the future affliction of her heart in present discount of my offences Then towards the end of his Confession I desire said he a favour of you now dear Father which you must not deny me It is that I may have liberty to lament my sins with tears and that by them I may give testimony to the Divine Majesty of the (g) That so the penitent himself by finding it might have increase of comfort grief wherewith my heart abounds within Weep out said I since our Lord gives you such a desire of weeping I had scarce brought forth this last word when already there began to fall a most abundant showre of tears from his eyes in such sort (h) An admirable and almost miraculous Contrition as that he bathed a good part of one of my arms and my sleeve was as wet through as if it had rained from above Which accident I observing after some half quarter of an hour and doubting lest his heart might so discharge it self by his eyes rather for the apprehension he might have of death then otherwise I desired that for the love of Jesus he would quiet himself and not multiply his affliction nor continue to torment his mind in that manner To this he answer'd Father I give you my faith that I do not at all bewail my death but I do only and purely lament the offences I have committed against Almighty God And (i) A happy conjunction of Christian sorrow with noble courage I have so much hope in the mercy of my dear Lord that not only I shall shed no tears for my death but not so much as change my countenance Father I bewail my most unfortunate life and not my most happy death That life was indeed most unfortunate whereas this death is most happy for in fine if in that I lived an enemy to God I hope in this I shall dy his friend Well then said I proceed in your Confession that so you may dy the friend of God and lay a part of your tears aside the while Whereupon the most obedient young Gentleman accommodating himself to my direction did proceed just where he had left At this I wondred so much the more for as much as I my self had forgotten it though I also had one of those little Books in my hand which instruct how a Confession may be well made But he going on layd before me as if it had been in one single prospect the whole course of his life with so great clarity and brevity that I found my self obliged to ask him if during many daies before he had not applyed himself to make such a preparation To which the young Noble man made this very answer So great is the light as I have already insinuated which my dear Lord Jesus vouchsafes at this instant to give me of my whole life that even whilst I am confessing me thinks I behold all my actions (k) This was a very extraordinary supernatural favour of Almighty God as in a glasse and I read all my thoughts and words as in a Book And without doubt so it was For he without ever mistaking a word did so call all his sins to mind that by that time he wanted little of having declared them all distinctly Only at the very end as it were of his Confession he return'd to repeat some things which he had already said and I doubting that he did so as having forgotten what he had expressed before I told him of that inadvertence as I reputed it when yet he made me this answer I know well dear Father that I repeat some things but I do it to the end I may now more perfectly detest them and be confounded in my self And especially (l) How desirous this Soul was to make God amends since I have passed the greatest part of my life in such things as these to the displeasure of our Lord I do now for the better pleasing of him passe this time of my death in a misliking remembrance of them And if it be troublesome to your Reverence as I know it is so often to hear my so many offences do you remember once for all that this is the Soul of a sinner for whom Christ dyed Nay said I if your
are all just his Judgments are hidden from us but it suffices that they are just Who can tell if your Lordship should have dy'd in any other sort then this whether or no you should have been saved I am he saith the Baron who can tell you that for I should have tumbled headlong into Hell Do you not know how God has proceeded with me It is just as a Hunts-man would do when he would take a wild beast which he would have brought to his hand whole and sound not torn by the teeth or paws of dogs nor strucken by the bowe nor bruized by nets or snares He arivs this beast somtimes one way somtimes another but never lets slip the dogs nor shoots the arrow nor spreads the net or Toyl upon the ground or sets the snare but at the most with some outcries or els by throwing som stones he rowseth him and addresseth him towards the place designed and so long he drives the beast by several waies that at last he brings him thither where he would have him The Huntes-man knowes this well and did long expect him there and he takes him and enjoys him all sound and safe I am (z) Note how wittily and piously he makes this application to himself he O my Good Jesus who have been this beast hunted hither and thither but thou hadst a mind to have me safe thou hadst a mind to have me sound And so thou didst not permit I should be torn with dogs nor pierced by arrow nor taken by nets or Toyles or snares when thou deliveredst me out of so many dangers of death in which though very young I have found my self and wherein if I had died without fail I had perished for all eternity Thou didst only throw stones at me and cry out after me when by so many admonitions and inspirations thou didst solicite me And now I repent me that I was so deaf to them But what mervail if I were deaf who after a sort was (a) By sinne dead And thus has thy goodnes conducted me to this strait pass without my knowing it that so I may be forced to leap into thy lap For whither am I able to turn my self more securely then to my dear Jesus Yea and though it were in my power I would not turn any way but to Thee It is true I am forced but yet I am content withall One of the Confortatori then replied It is enough Signor Troilo So great and so liberal is the goodness of God that he accepts all and he does it with delight And one of the Chiesa nuova said That though our Lord received a Precept or Commandment that he should dy neverthelesse it is affirm'd and very true that he died voluntarily And having accompanied this speech of his with divers choice examples one of our Fathers concluded that discourse with shewing by what means that which was necessary (b) That punishment which is imposed by necessity may be made voluntary by a voluntary acceptation of it might grow to be voluntary by a voluntary acceptatation of it and that so much more it would be meritorious as it should more willingly be imbraced Then teach me said the Baron how I may make this enforced death truly voluntary Whereupon certain devout and apt waies how to do it being declared by the Governour of the Congregation of the Confortatori and imbraced by the Baron I said Perhaps Signor Troilo we weary you too much How can you weary me said he These discourses make the night short to me and my disastre fortunate And here all were silent a while when he rising up for he was sitting said That he would speak with the father And drawing neer me the (c) Whom the penitent did accompany therein Confortatori said the Confiteor and that being ended I desire saith he if it please you Father to call again to mind some of the things aforesaid both for the better repeting of them and for the addition of some others Which I refusing out of the assurance I had that it was not necessary he said And is it possible dear Father that you will not give me this last contentment Will you not permit at least that I may satisfie my self with confessing the offences I have committed against God And besides dâ—es not your Reverence remember that we must speak together of (d) The Father it seems had made him som such promise before Penance I answered Let that Penance be to dy and to dy well Then teach me that said he And I thus to him Offer now this death of yours to God with your whole hart in penance for the sins you have committed I do said he offer it with my heart and with my mouth and it grievs me as our Lord knows that I have not this night a thousand heads that in this one of mine they might be all cut off and a thousand lives that they might all be lost Nay (e) How much he gives to God and how little he thinks it to be and yet how faithfully he acknowledges it all to be of God I confesse and know that even that penance would yet fall short but since more I cannot more I know not what to do and since more I have not I can give no more and even the doing and giving this little I acknowledge to proceed from the hand of God I told him by way of reply that it was wel and that he should stil be doing so And when sayd I you are laying your head upon the block say thus in your heart O Lord by this act of mine I protest to do penance for my sins as if I had a thousand heads and thousand lives and I acknowledge and confesse it is all too little But I doubt Signor Troilo whether then you wil be able to remember this for at that time perhaps you wil be as it were not your self It is no trifle to look death in the face take my word for that The magnanimous Lord made this answer I wil not presume so much upon my self but (f) He can never faile who putteth all confidence in God and none in himself hope wel and confide greatly in God that he wil not let it slip out of my memory And if by any accident you should perceiv I were unworthy so great a grace doe me the favor to bring me in mind of it for you shall find me ready to put it in execution In the mean while I beseech your Reverence tell me som what els towards this end of mine and that quickly for the time has wings I bad him leave the care of that to me For I will said I go intimating from time to time whatsoever you are to think upon and whatsoever shal be sit for you to say even til your last breath And (g) He exhorts him to a great devotion to his good Angel very now you shall begin to make a strait friendship with
THE Penitent Bandito Or the HISTORY Of the Conversion Death of the most Illustrious Lord Signor Troilo Sauelli a Baron of Rome The second Edition more correct By Sir T. M. Knight Matth. 20.16 Sic erunt novissimi primi MDCLXIII THE PREFACE THE History following has been translated into divers languages though not at all into ours nor yet so carefully into others out of the true Original Italian as I could have wished The differences between the Copies which walk up and down the world are not great saving that when there is question of truth and that concerning a noble subject and the same accompanied with variety of natural and lively circumstances I cannot find in my heart to let any difference go for smal I have therefore at once taken both pains and pleasure to draw store of Copies into my hand and it has not been without successe For if I have not laid hold upon the very Original which was written by the Relator himself I dare say I am grown very neer it and that it is precisely true And this Elogium I will be bold to give the Discourse we have in hand that it has been read in several Countries with extream avidity Nay perhaps there has not issued in many of these last Ages any one historical Relation of a particular accident the consideration whereof has more often been attended by tears then this The birth person and parts of this Noble Man The Person whom it concerns was a Baron of Rome Sig. Troile Sauelli a branch sprung up from a root of as noble blood as a most certain extraction from the ancient Romans could tell how to make it His person and the parts of his generous mind are best described in the History it self so that I will not here by putting you to paynes prevent the pleasure which there you wil have to overtake them The cause for which he suffered is not specified there at all because his ghostly Father was the penner of this Narration and it became not him who was the others Judge in foro Conscientiae to become his Accuser in foro Curiae For though his crimes were extant then and are so still upon Record and that the Penitent did besides for his own greater confusion and the exaltation of the invincible Patience and Mercy of Almighty God give his Ghostly Father express leave to declare his sins to the whole world the Father yet would by no means accept of that liberty but speaking onely in general words of sin at large he (c) The inviolable seal of the Sacrament of Confession and how tender a good Ghostly Father is and ought to be buries the particulars in profound silence and under the seal of Confession for reverence of that holy Sacrament which must never upon any termes be defaced But I who am free will not consent to have my hands tied up but think it fit to let you know that though his years were few his crimes were great and many as still appears upon the Record of his Process And between the sixteenth and eighteenth years of his age till the former of which times his vigilant and holy Mother was able to keep him in the disciplinâ— of piety and vertue hâ— sprouted out into great exorbitances and in the Company and at the head of the d These are men who for murthers and other extream insolencies use to be banished and proscribed They were wont in Italy to go in great troops up and down and to infest the passages Banditi he committed both Rapes and Murthers 〈◊〉 with a most tempestuous 〈◊〉 and transported mind Omnis inimica amicitia seductiâ—mentis investigabilis He did too early cast himself into the hands of flatterers and wicked followers and they made the way of sin so smooth to him that he could not hold from sliding through it Nor was his tender youth so innocent oâ— his education so excellent but that the moath and canker of lewd company did soon corrode it Yet even herein was not his misery so great as the (f) It is proper to God alone to draw good out of evil mercy of God upon this occasion was infinite His crimes were not known but by such alone as would not easily adventure to draw upon themselves the displeasure of so great a House as his by detecting them The manner only of his life in respect of excesse and riot was such in the exterior as wounded his noble and tender Mother to the very soul The passages and proceedings whereof are delivered in the History it self with so great tenderness in the person of her son as strikes the heart of him that reads the words I will not therefore touch that flowre for fear of striking off the dew every drop whereof is a pearl One circumstance only which is not mentioned there I will here express because it will not fail to serve towards the increase of compassion in all their mindes who read this story You (g) A circumstance of great importance towards the moving of compassion shall therefore understand that when the Mother had used all other possible endeavors both divine and humane for the reduction and reformation of her son and all in vain for ought she was able to perceive she caused him for some offences which yet were far from being Capital to be committed to Castle (k) This is the chief prison in Rome as the Tower in London S. Angelo in hope that such a disgrace with the help of time would make him return into himself To this course she was the more encourag'd and in this hope the more confirmd because by this restraint he might be cut off from that all company which was the very pest and poison of his soul But see and wonder at Gods providence He (i) Any little entrance into Publick disgrace carries danger with it was no sooner in prison but the fire of eager opposition brake forth of their hearts whom by his other more enormous insolencies he had offended for till then it had been smoother'd under the ashes of that respect and reverence which they carryed towards the Dignity and Nobility of his House But now publick Justice taking notice of his excesses and Pope Clement the eight in the beginning of his Pontificate being desirous to shew a strong example of what impartial Justice the world was to expect at his hands especially in repressing and extinguishing that damnd crue of Banditi who were so pernicious to the state of Italy and of whom this young Lord was grown a leader did suffer the Law to pass on his person for his Estate was not confiscated but went to his heirs in blood Being even yet therein more just than Clement though perhaps he would have been more Clement in pardoning than just in punishing if he could by way of anticipation have seen the beauty and bravery of that noble spirit which deserved to live as long as a world can do
noâ— rather submit himself iâ— imitation of the humilitâ— only to superiours but tâ— equals and even inferiourâ— also and in fine to alâ—â— c This is the advice of S. Peter Subditi estote omini creaturae the world when just occasion should be offer'd The soul of this noble man was so well softned and sweetned by the unction of the Holy Ghost as that neither the greatnesse of his Nobility nor the ardor of his youth nor the natural boyling courage of his heart nor the fresh memory of his prosperity nor the unexpected arrival of his misery could make d A heart truely touched by Gods holy spirit wil overcome strange difficulties him once repine or keep him from instantly abasing himself But falling deeply upon the consideration of his sins and weighing duly how ful of demerit he was in the fight of God and knowing exactly that nothing is so truly ignoble as a Soul which has forfeited his grace and that rich or poor is little to the purpose but e wherin eternal true Nobility consists that the thing which imports is to be or not to be the servant or son of God it is not strange to see him east himself at the feet of common soldiers and stretch out his hands with such meeknesse at the will of the meanest Jaylors for the love of our Lord to signifie thereby the detestation wherein he had himself for having so presumptuously offended that Eternal Majesty which by all the Angels is adored From f The reasons why be was so frequent in confessing hâ—s sins hence also did it proceed that he so frequently confessed himself in that last night of hâ—s life and could never think he had sufficiently deplored his errors and detested the discorrespondence and ingratitude wherewith he had answered the unspeakable benefits of Almighty God Wherein if any man should think he used excesse it will be much more lawful for me to doubt that himself either has a mean conceit of the Infinite Majestie which is offended or an ignorant apprehension of the deformity of all sin which is committed or a proud and paltry mistaking of the Nothing which man was till he was created and the worse then Nothing which afterward he grew by sinning For g If you weigh these things well you will change your wondring at him into wondring at your self he that ponders these particulars as he ought and knowes that the offences into which he falls are innumerable and that the least of them which is committed against an Infinite Majesty in respect of the object is also infinite and that as no one good deed shall be unrewarded by the rich Mercy of God in Christ our Lord so no one transgression shall be left unpunished by his exquisite Justice will easily beleeve that in the space of a night it is hard for one to be too curious and too careful in setting straight the account of his whole life under the piercing eye of Almighty God But this Baron did even by moments in that short time which was left by the goodnesse of God acquire quire new h Great light of God is wont to breed great love of him great sorrow for having so shame fully offended him light and gain new love of our Lord and new contempt and detestation of himself and in the strength thereof found some actions to confess which he had not conceived to be sins before and others which he had confessed he had done it with a sorrow far inferiour to that he then felt For abstracting from the consideration which he had of his sins against God in respect whereof no soul is sufficiently able to quake and tremble under him I trust there is not a Readers eye in the world so dim as not to discern his undaunted heart And i The undaunted courage of this Baron that no thought of death had any power to take the least clarity from his understanding the least presence from his memory the least agility from his wit the least order from his speech or so much as the least puntillio from the civil respects and complements which are used among persons of his Nation and Condition Nor yet on the other side shall any man have reason to think that the punctuality which throughout the processe of this Relation he shall find to have been observed by the Baron in this last k This curtesie and complement was not affected but free and natural kind of courtesie did proceed from the least affectation of it Perhaps if we look neer home we may find some example to have been given of this not long ago but in the present case no suspition of it can be entertain'd both for many other reasons which will occur to him that reads the Relation and because as I sayd before these exact tearms of Honor and other respects to the company then present are as it were natural to men of his country and quality and there would cost them more pains to omit unless their minds were put into disorder by some passion then it would cost others to observe where they were not so natural as being learnt by industry and Art But yet that in so sad a case this man would for good manners forbear to set up his legs or not so much as stretch himself in the sight of others though his body did much incline him to it according to that mention which the Relation makes thereof may well go for a great argument in him of civility of modesty and of magnanimity And this is that which I thought fit to represent to you by way of Preface to this Story You will find the traces and foot-steps of putting men to death and the proceedings against l The several manners of treating Delinquents in several Countrys Delinquents to be very different from that of our Country both in relation to the body and the soul I take not upon me to say which are better which are worse With us the Processe of criminal persons is ever made in the face of the world but they are not sufferd to have any Advocates who may defend their causes In most other Countrys the Delinquents are permitted to have Advocates but the Processe is made though in publique Court yet only in presence of the Iudges and some few Advocates and Officers With us the Delinquents are suffer'd to live som dayes after their condemnation which certainly is meant in compassion to them in other parts after they are judged to dy and that it is so declared they think they do men a greater curtesy in putting them quickly out of pain With us there is no difference in the manner of death between a Clown and the best Gentleman of the Kingdom under the degree of a Baron unlesse it be in some very rare case by most particular favour of his Majesty but in all other places that I have seen all Gentlemen are beheaded to distinguish them from
such as are ignoble With us no indignity is ever done to a Noble man of m such as Barons are and all above them Title by binding his hands or arms or the like and that custom I commend as full of Honour but in many other places they bear no such respect in regard of the experience which they have found and the fear which still they are in of insolencies But for as much as concernes the comfort of criminals in the preparation of their souls towards the death of their bodyes I cannot but note it as a point of charity and piety most n It is the greatest charity to help men to dye well remarkable that in very many of the good Towns of Italy and Spayn there are certain Companies or Confraternities of Gentlemen well born and bred who put this obligation of duty upon themselves to visit the prisons especially in the night precedent to any execution And together with Religious persons and Ghostly Fathers they watch and pray and exhort and comfort the poorest criminals of the Country with the same industry and charity which is here afforded to this Noble man And they all acompany them to their death and somtimes discharge their dying hearts of care either by undertaking to pay som of their debts or by assisting the poor wife and children which are left behind or by obliging themselves to get o S. Monica upon the point of her death desired St. Austin her Son to pray for her soul at the Altar when she should be dead so he did Vid. Conf. l. 9. cap. 11. 13. Masses celebrated for their souls And in conformity of these good endeavours we see men dy in those parts with another manner of disposition towards God than usually they have with us Where it is a lamentable thing to see many of so prophane stupidity that after lives most lewdly led they go either drunk or dancing to the Gallowes As if they were but to die in a Play or as if after this life there were no immortality of the Soul or else at least no account to be rendred I say not of idle words which yet must be done but of most wicked deeds whereof many of them are guilty The example we have here in hand will yield all the Readers of it in general a good lesson of Humilitie Patience Curtesie Magnanimitie Obedience and Charitie And p All sorts of people may profit by the good lessons here deliver'd it may serve for an instruction not only to such as die by the hand of humane Justice but to all those also who are to die by the hand of God as we all shall be sure enough to do That so we may the better take heed of sin which is to be so bitterly bewailed and the more deeply we are fal'n into it the more instantly we must implore the mercy and goodness of Almighty God and dispose our selvs to the doing of Penance that so by his favour we may secure our souls from the danger of being plung'd into that lake of eternal pain This lesson I say may reach to al Readers in general But particular Readers may take out particular lessons for themselvs The Mother wil admonish Mothers to be incessantly careful for their Children the Son will conjure children from being insolent or disobedient towards their Parents and the q These are they who comfort the Delinquents in their death Confortatori will exhort all men to shew charity to their distressed neighbors And I beseech our Lord Jesus to grant such graces both to them and me as divine Majesty knowes to be most needful for us T. M. THE HISTORY OF THE CONVERSION and DEATH Of the Most ILLUSTRIOUS LORD SIGNOR TROILO SAVELLI Who was beheaded in Rome in the Castle Sant Angelo on the 18. of April 1592. THE Writing the lives or deaths of others if they be full of extraordinary accidents does usually make the Readers wonder if they be dolorous they cause compassion if prosperous men grow thereby into a desire if adverse into a fear But this death which now I am about to deliver does-so imbrace the accidents of all these kinds that whoever shall read it as he ought will (a) The power which this discourse will have over many affections all at once easily perceive his mind to be filled at once with all those affections And though what I write be in fine no more then a meer Relation of a Noble mans death yet perhaps it may serve for a guide and example of men through the whole course of their lives I will nakedly therefore declare the progresse and period of this accident as in the night when it hapned I went observing it pace by pace to the comfort of mine own Soul For (b) This Relation is purposely written in a natural and plain manner here all affectation and ornament of speech would but prophane the majesty of the thing and no endeavor or strife of wit would ever arrive to the expression of it I will direct it only to those who if perhaps they have not personal and proper experience of the admirable effects of Gods grace at least they will either have believed them of others or read of them in good books or heard them often delivered by Preachers For as to such who are meer strangers thereunto these things will seem incredible Though even by such they may yet be thought the more probable when at length they shall understand that at the instance of his excellent Mother one of the Fathers (c) These are the good Priests of the Oratory instituted by that great servant of God B. Philip Neraeus of the Chiesa nova had with most diligent and devout charitie exercised his life for the space of a month in spiritual things whose conversion and death I have undertaken to describe and whatsoever effect it may have more or lesse I will be sure to write it for the benefit of souls and upon no other motive It was then upon the 17. of April at (d) This might be about eleven of the clock at night after our account four hours of the night of that Friday when the news was brought to the Lord Troilo Savelli of his death by an inferior Officer Who coming to that chamber where the Noble man was at his rest sayd to him in this manner Your Lordship may be pleased to rise and apparel your self Whereunto he answer'd This indeed is an hour which has a little of the unseasonable but yet whither wilt thou conduct me The fellow told him That place was to be made ready for new Prisoners so devising this excuse that he might not fright him all at once I beleeve saies the young Lord what thou hast told me but I confesse thou madest me half afraid and then sitting up in his bed he said Let us apparel our self in the name of God Having begun to put on his cloaths as he was
without more dispute they put the Book into his hand and kneeling even by me against a form he began the Litanies to which we answering Ora pro eo Pray for him there o It must needs be an object of great compassion was not a man among us who accompanied not the words of his mouth with the tears of his eyes And especially when with incredible affection and devotion he repeated these words A mala morte A potestate diaboli A poenis inferni libera me Domine Deliver me O Lord from an evil death from the power of the divel and from the torments of hell But p Nothing but only his sins could move him to tears he O admirable repose of mind did not shed one tear Nay my self being in tears who held the candle by him and not being able to represse them he jogd me with his elbow and made other signs to them that so giving over their weeping they might answer him And speaking of it to me afterward he said There wanted little of their making him also weep for company When the Litanies were ended he said turning to me Father say you the Prayers over me that follow And then he taking the candle out of my hand and giveing me the Book I said those Prayers over him which are wont to be said over such as are in their last agony Commendo q These aâ—e as admirable and effectuous prayers as any are used in the whole of the holy Church and I wish all the Readers of this to procure to see read them te omnipotenti Deo c. And that other which follows Deus misericors Deus clemens c. And at the end of these he said with a loud voice the Pater Noster the Ave Maria the Credo and the Salve Regina and so return'd to his seat the others making the accustomed circle about him And so one with representing some sentence of Holy Scripture another some example another some other spiritual Consideration we alwaies kept him alive and quick and even all kindled in devotion till such time as the hour of celebrating Masse approached Then the Noble Man said thus If these r This rigor is us'd in those parts for the great insolencies which have somtimes bin acted in the like extremities by Delinquents Manicles are put upon me to give me pain or punishment let the will of my Prince be done who is pleased to have it so but if the meaning be but to make me sure in vain is he tyed without who is bound s Because his heart was more chain'd by the love of God then his hands could be by a load of Iron within Upon which words all of us being full t They had great reason of tendernesse and in particular one of those Confortatori who shewed himself through the whole night a most compassionate Gentleman in service of this Noble Man caused the Keys to be instantly given him and so took the Manicles off which yet the Baron would needs u An humble natural and most Noble Soul kisse and kissing them he sighed and so held his peace When he had been silent a while and having made a sign that he desired to confesse again and when he had blessed himself with the sign of the Crâ—sse Father x He is much solicitous by the memory of his disobedience to his Mother said he I who have given so many disgusts and so bitter ones to my most dear Lady and Mother through the whole course of my life what comfort does your Reverence think I might be able to give her in my death ' By dying well said I and in a holy manner To which he answer'd thus How shall the unfortunate woman come to know it I told him I would relate it to her by word of mouth and in fine I would write it for her and I will not only notifie it said I to her but to any other whom it may import to know it It is enough said he and he reached his hands out to me that I might give him one of mine and withall my word And so he kissed it often and holding it between both his he continued to speak after this manner I could wish dear Father that in my place your Reverence would often visit and comfort my Lady-Mother after my death And when you shall see her first I desire you will ask forgivnesse of her in my name a thousand and a thousand times as here I have done both now and the other day since I came to prison And especially beg pardon of her for such and such a particular offence and then say to her thus Your Troilus who is dead begs that blessing from your most afflicted Ladiship which being alive he neither deserv'd nor had time to ask He further recommends the care of his Soul to your Ladiship He praies he beseeches he conjures your Ladiship to grant him this his last and now only suit that having put your Soul in peace you will not so much as resent or call to mind and much lesse procure to y If she thought the adverse parâ—ies whom he had wronged had prosecuted him with too much eagerness revenge your self for any injury but that you will remit the whole and your self withal to the Eternal Providence of God Put her in mind that it is the part of a Roman and Christian heart after a generous manner to pardon offences And giving her all comfort do you assure her that I have particularly reversed all those irreverent words I have formerly used towards her and remembred all those most sweet dear benefits I have received from her and all those Maternal favours which she has vouchsafed me And above all let her know the inestimable contentment I have to think of the z This was a Mother not only of her sons body but of his soul also Christian love she has expressed to me in this last passage without ever reflecting upon those offences and great demerits of mine Say to her moreover that I dy her son and a son who is most profoundly penitent for all the ill words and deeds I have ever uttered and perform'd against her and that in the other world I will by Gods grace be as grateful to her as I have been ungrateful here Relate to her my last passage in most particular manner and oblige her liberally to reward all my followers who have been in prison upon my account Of whom I do with all the very bowels of my heart ask pardon for the pain and peril wherein to I did so idly and absurdly cast them And assure her in a word that if for nothing else yet even for the very disgusts I have given her I shall dy content finding a kind of joy in my heart that I thus perform this penance which I have so well deserved And so I dying in such sort as your Reverence may be pleased to
let her know she cannot but receive some comfort in my death and will also find herself even engaged to conform her self to the will of God as by his mercy I have done To my Lady my Grand-Mother what shall I say dear Father O how compassive am I of her great age What pain does my Soul feel for that affliction of hers Give her also to understand that I beg pardon of her for so many disgusts as in this old age of hers I have given her beseeching her in my name that as long as she lives she will cause a Masse every week to be celebrated for my Soul And in like manner I humbly ask pardon of my Lord Marquesse my Vncle from the most inward parts of my Soul as I also doe of the rest of my Blood beseeching them all to excuse this youth or rather ignorance of mine Putting them also in mind that once we shall all meet in Heaven And if ever your Reverence can procure to be in my Castles ask pardon I beseech you in my name of all my vassals Making a promise to them that instead of the ill example I have given them I will not forget them in Heaven when by the mercy of God I shall be there and let them in the mean time excuse my youth Forget not also to do this office with a This was a person of great authority who took his examination Monsignor the Governour of Rome who about some four times has examined me with so much respect and curtesiâ— Give him assurance from me that though my death grieve me yet I accept it willingly And beseech him that when time shall serve he will also b With how great piety he speaks of the Pope as he was his supreâ—â— Pastour and with observance as his Prince assure our Lord Pope Clement his Holinesse that I dy his most devoted Son and most satisfied with the proceeding of his Holiness towards me With this moreover that I am grieved at the very roots of my c A noble circumstance of civility courtesie heart for having given his Holiness so much cause of trouble and grief especially in this beginning of his Pontificate and in the midst of the joy which has been expressed for his assumption to the Sea Apostolique And let him be further told that by placing my self as I do at your feet I make accompt I lay my head under the feet of his Holiness that so he might vouchsafe to give me his benediction I having this comfort in the midst of all my afflictions that his sentence and my death will serve to his whole State for a lawful and plentiful example of his Justice And verily if it grieve me at this time to dy it also grieves me that even by my death I am not able to give compleat satiisfaction to his Holyness For d What a noble civil Soul was this as much as he being my Father and Pastour cannot in fine but feel the death of a Son and Sheep of his with displeasure and grief Upon which words he finding even more then before that there fell some tears from mine eyes to his hands This is well indeed said he your Reverence commends my courage but why then do you weep your self At least let not others see you I reply'd Do you beleeve my Son that I have no sence in me Do you think perhaps I am some piece of marble Proceed you on to the rest And then nameing divers of his particular friends he desired me to ask pardon for him of them all and this he did with words of extream sweetness and prudence This being then said by him with a most admirably intrepid heart he concluded with this desire I beseech your Reverence that in the last place you will beg pardon for me of Almighty God as I my self do now with the most internal part of my heart and of your self I ask my Penance and Absolution Which as soon as I had given him the Brothers of that Congregation of the Misericordia did put us in mind that it was time Masse should be celebrated and so the Priest as soon as he was vested began The devout yong Lord and I kneeling together against a form he said thus to me The Priest is beginning Masse and I with your good leave will have a new Reconciliation according to that which my good Angel shall bring to my remembrance of whom I have desired this favour The Priest was saying the Confiteor at the foot of the Altar to whom one of the Congregation making answer was so overwrought with tenderness that he could not get to the end of it in such sort as that it was necessary some other should do it for him Then the good Noble Man who answered softly to the Confiteor leaning towards me said thus Give e He had the gift of tears in a strange measure me leave to weep whilest I say the Confiteor since that Gentleman weeps so bitterly to whose office it belongs not greatly that he should weep I answer'd he might weep in the name of God since he had given him such great desire so to do And it was an admirable effect of divine grace that instantly I saw the tears streaming down his cheeks and pouring themselves even upon the cushion that lay before him When the Confiteor was don all f Till after the Gospel the while the Priest was reading with a loud voice he did not move at al but waâ— most fixedly attentive as it were rapt towards the g The Crucifix was of stone but his mind was upon the Original not upon the Original not upon the picture Crucifix upon the Altar which was there most devoutly made And shortly after turning towards my ear he accused himself of divers little things which then suddenly surpriz'd his mind And the Priest being com to h About the middle of Masse Sursum corda Father said he do you think indeed that by such a death as this and so well deserved I may yet go strait to heaven And why said I may not your Lordship undergoe this death with so great and so wel condition'd affectuousness of mind as that your soul may be sure to fly up instantly from the block into heaven O my God! said he And what kind of affectuousness must that be O teach it me a little O that our Lord would grant it me Pray said I very earnestly unto him for it and peradventure he will grant it At which time the Priest being in the very act of the Elevation of the Body of our Lord the yong Noble Man spake these very very words O bone Jesu sis mihi in hac hora Jesus O dear Lord Jesus be thou in this hour a Jesus to me And this he said with so ardent affection of mind though with a low voice as that after it he was wholly immove-able till the Priest went on to The 〈…〉 of
〈◊〉 Domine non sum dignus c. And then he said thus to me I have not Father been attentive either when the Pater Noster or the Agnus Dei was said may I yet nevertheless communicate I answered that for the present he should do such a k This was perhaps the knocking of his breast or some such other thing which might be done at the instant Penance whilest I was giving him Absolution Which being done he went of himself to the Altar and kneeling down did with exemplar devotion receive the most Blessed Sacrament and soon after he came back towards me where he remain'd without any motion at all After this turning about to all those who assisted he said I give thanks to you all for your Charity and courtesie and I beseech you pardon the painful night I have brought upon you And then he desired me for the love of him to repeat those words to every one of them in particular and so I did Being then intreated to sit down the wonted circle was made about him Where every one endeavour'd to animate him towards the combat then at hand by representing the shortness of the pain the immensity of the reward the vanity of the world and above all the abundant grace which in the space of so few hours our Lord had communicated to his Soul and had given him withall such a pregnant sign of his Predestination wherein the Noble Youth seem'd to find extraordinary gust Amongst the many discourses which were made to this purpose as well by the Confortatori as by our Fathers I used this And what think you Signor Troilo will the grace which God hath given you be sufficient to make you bear this punishment I tell you truly that in imitation of Christ you should do well to desire it and that desire would serve to make it more tolerable to you Nay it would make it seem no punishment at all and lastly it would make it seem sweeâ— As it hapned to Christ our Lord himself to m The immense love which our Lord Jesus bare to man made all he suffered seem little to him whom his Passion seem'd so small a matter that whereas others called it by the name of a huge thing an Ocean a deep sea Veni in altitudinem maris tempestas demersit me himself calls it but a Cup ful Calicem quem dedit mihi Pater non vis ut bibam illum Again after that huge heap of bitterness and torments which he had endur'd it seem'd nothing to him For being ask'd by those disciples who were going to Emaus if he knew of that vast cruelty which had then lately bin executed at Hierusalem upon the person of the greatest Saint of God he answer'd by asking Quae for in fine he esteem'd it all as nothing Therefore speaking of his Passion he used the word Baptism saying Baptismo habeo baptizari quomodo coarctor c. And you know that bathes serve for delicacy What say you then Signor Troilo Does not your punishment by this time seem small to you Small saith he it seems nothing Yet can I not saâ— either that it is nothing or yet very pleasant but nevertheless it is dear to me and as such I prize it And (n) How mightily this noble man grew up in grace even by moments I assure you at the present it would be as it were a kind of trouble for me to escape it Before I desired to escape I sighed for it I labour'd for it and I know not what of that kind But I had not then that knowledge of my self which now by the favor of God methinks I have in such sort as now I can affirm to you in the word of Truth that I (o) This so ardent desire of suffering for his sins must needs be a great disposition towards the obtaining pardon for them through the mercy of Christ our Lord. desire my end how painful soever it may be towards the remission of my sins To this another Father said your Lordship speaks wisely for God knows whether otherwise you should ever have bin so well prepared for death Whereupon one of the Confortatori proceeded thus If your Lordship had dyed naturally in your bed what with the pain of your body and the anguish of your mind it may be you would scarce have been master of your self And if you had dyed by any other accident perhaps you would not have had time to bring forth so much as the name of Jesus Whereas now it (p) Supposing first the gâ—â—ce of God as is declared afterward is in a manner in your own power to dy as well as you will your self with what detestation of your sins you will with what love of Christ you will and in a word in that best manner which the grace of Almighty God will impart to you which we perceive even so to overflow your Soul that we are as much astonished as comforted by the knowledge of it Hereunto the constant Noble Man made this answer You shall know that by the goodness of God I find in my self no trouble nor tentation and me (q) Nothing but the very hand of God was able so to have conducted him through these stony wayeâ— And it seems God communâ—caâ—ed himself â—o the Delinquent in a very particular manner thinks I am in a hand which hears me up I desire and I resolve to dy in that manner which I shall be taught to be the best and I am most ready for the saving of my Soul to obey whatever shall be commanded me This said I you shall therefore do You shall bar your self in that hour of some ease That is you shall for the love of Jesus and in imitation of what he did suffered for you deprive your self of somewhat which you might have and which at that time might be agreeable to you For if you well remember they gave twice unto our Lord to drink The first time when they gave him vinegar he drank but when they gave him wine as soon as he had tasted it he put it by But do you know the reason It was this To such as were condemned to dy it was the custom to give wine with an infusion of myrrhe that by the comfort of it they might faint the less under their torments Now our Lord who was pleased to deprive himself entirely and fully of all consolation for love of us and for our example refused that but accepred the vinegar which was mingled with (r) With Gall. another most bitter ingredient that so he mighâ— s ffâ—r the most he could for our example and benefit The Providitore said that this was most certainly true whereupon somâ— expound those words which Christ spake upon the cross Deus Deus mâ—us ut quid dereliquisti me That Christ our Lord did grieve thereat because the Divinity begâ—n as it were to hide it self from the Humanity and consequently by little and
little his life was leaving him and by occasion thereof he was able to suffer no longer which the most enâ—mor'd Jesus observing complain'd of it to his Father by the words aforesaid To these things a Father of ours adding other devour and short discourses the Confortatori said That for the time his Soul was sufficiently fed and that it would be well done to refresh his body The Baron answered there was no need of that But they pressing it much there was brought in some wine by a servant of the Lord (s) This Government is the place of greatest confidence the Pope bestows Gâ—vernour of the Castle which one of the Gentlemen there present poâ—ring forth into a glass presented to the Baron who said again it was wholly needless And yet said he turning then towards me if I should need it your (t) A good memory he had and a more pious will Reverence told me a while ago that in imitation of Christ I should do well to deprive my self of it Father is it not so Nevertheless being intreated by all the Assistants that he would drink or at least so much as wash his mouth this last he did twice without swallowing any wine at all And this was so much more remarkable because such as are in that case use to be extremely taken with thirst which is held to be one of their greatest torments The wine being then carried away divers questions were ask'd this most illustrious Lord to which he (u) Note and wonder at these answers which are so full of piety wisdom and courage answered with so great prudence and judgement that more could not be imagin'd He was asked first for of many I will mention only a few this first question he was asked often Signor Troilo will your Lordship have any thing He still answer'd that he desired nothing saving that once he held his deace but made a sign up to heaven Besides he was often asked Signor Troile of what are you thinking Sometimes he answered upon nothing in particular Sometimes upon our Lord Sometimes upon my sins Sometimes upon my approaching end Sometimes he said I think upon the so many gifts which God has bestowed upon me and that I have been so very ungrateful yea and even unmindful of them all Being then asked in this manner Does your Lordship dy willingly He answered And what would you have me bustle against the order of the Prince Or should I not be content with the providence and good pleasure of God Is it possible said one that the Devil should not strive to make you think your death unjust I do not said he esteem it only to be just but most just and as for the Divel I neither have nor will have any more to do with him I have had enough and too much of him already Another asked him what he said of the Lady his Mother his Friends his Kindred and himself if he were not much afflicted with the thought thereof Concerning my Lady Mother said he I confess in the most inward parts of my heart I find extreme affliction but on the other side I rejoyce that I am paying the offences I have committed against her with my bloud And I hope the readiness wherewith I imbrace this Penance for my wicked carriage tâ—wards her will be so well accepted by Almighty God that he may through his goodness give her no small comfort even by this very death of mine I think of my kindred with grief as having been a cause of Sorrow and trouble to them of my friends as having given them ill example of my selfe I take no care for behold who (x) A great faith hope love does it for me making a sign towards the Crucifix which he had hard by him Being asked whether the time did seem long to him or short Neither (y) This I find to be a strange answer in the superlative deâ—â—ee of strangenes long say he nor short And another replying to him thus Is it possible that you are not griev'd you must die I do not says he deny but I am grievd at it but yet it neither troubles me nor so much as alters me more then you see It being wished that he should suffer his chair to be drawn a litle forward that so he might sit at greater ease To what end said he should I give my body ease I am wel here with the help of God I shall be shortly free from needing that or any thing else Being desired to raise rest his feet upon a place of advantage where they used to kneel that so he might be in a more commodious posture he said drawing near my ear Father it is a piece of ill manners to sit with a mans legs raised up in the presence of others But I advising him however that he would set them up he did instantly accommodate himself to my desire Being asked to what devotions he had bin most particulerâ—y affected He answer'd Above all the Saints in Heaven to that of our (z) He was ever much devoâ—ed to our B. Lady Blessed Lady in whose honour I did daily recite her Office but with an impure mouth and how then could that be accepted by her And till within these two years I made said he much account of going to Confession whâ—ch through the mercy of my Lord I resolv'd never to intermit unlesse it were by some very unlucky accident that should interpose iâ— self And I ever carried living in my heart the memory of many things which formerly upon several occasions had â—â—en represented to me by â—undâ—â— Religions Fathers with whom I had much conversed insinuating therby as I conceive the Fathers of the Chiesa Nuova And When I had means to do it in private I never failed any day to salute the Blessed Virgin upon my bare knees And then I saying I know not well upon what occasion Ah poor Signor Troilo Poor said he I was when I was without the the grace of my Lord God but now I take myself to he rich But then the time of his end drawing on apace we rising up from our seats did encircle him upon our knees And after the manner of two Quires interchâ—ngeably answering one another we began the seven Penitential Psalms pondering some of the verses now then causing him to resume divers of them They being ended he was advised to say often Recordare Jesu pie c. And then (a) These are parts of some Hymns which are recited by the holy Church in honour of ouâ— Lord Jesus and our B. Lady Eia ergo advocata nostro c. And then again Maria mater gratiae and the like Which he pronounced with so clear a voice so constant a memory and with a countenance so serene that all who were present himself only excepted did weep outright Which he observing made silence and taking his own face into his hands stood still a while in mental