to give beginning to your Sacrifice IX This action should serve as a preparative to another more long and serious devotion which you are to make in your closet when first you come out of your bed If you have so gorgeous garments to put on that necessarily you must bestow some notable time to dress you it is a miserable servitude Observe you not it should be done to render your tribute to God Then cloath your self indifferently Exercise of the morning as much as shall be necessary for comlyness and health Afterward with bowed knees use five things Adoration Thanksgiving Oblation Contrition Five things to be practised and Petition Adoration in adoring God prostrated on the earth resounding like a little string of the worlds great harp and offering to the Creatour this whole universe as a votive-table hanged upon his Altar wholly resigning your self to his will For this act it is very expedient to use the Hymn of the three children in the fornace who called all creatures as by a check-roul to the praises of God Thanksgiving for all benefits in general and particularly for that you have happily passed over this night The Church furnisheth us with an excellent form of thanksgiving in the Hymn Te Deum laudamus Oblation of your faculties sences functions thoughts words works and of all that you are remembering the sentence of S. John Chrysostom That the worst avarice is to defraud God of the oblation of your self Offer to God the Father your memorie to replenish it with profitable and good things as a vessel of election to the Son your understanding to enlighten it with eternal verities to the Holy Ghost your will to heat it with his holy ardours Consign your bodie to the Blessed virgin to preserve it under the seal of puritie Contrition in general for all sins and particularly for some vices and imperfections which most surcharge you with a firm purpose to make war against them and extirpate them with Gods assistance Petition not to offend God mortally nor to fail with grace light and courage to resist those sins to which you are most inclined To practice those virtues which are most necessarie for you To be guided and governed this very day by the providence of God in all that may concern the weal of your soul bodie and things external To participate in all the good works which shall be done in the Christian world To obtain new graces and succours for the necessities of your neighbours whom you then may represent and this by the intercession of Saints wherewith your prayer should be seasoned Spiritual lesson It is then to very good purpose to spend some quarter of an hour at the least in reading some spiritual book imagining it as a letter sent from God to you for direction of your actions X. When you put on your apparel to acknowledge Cloathing your great servitude so to serve with much industry the most abject and brutish part of man To think you garnish a body which even this very day may be a putrified rottenness What time and diligence had Jesabel used in the last day of her life to adorn and deck a body that was trampled under the feet of horses and gnawn by dogs some few hours after Masse must be heard at a due hour in the manner Masse before related and that is a most especial act of devotion XI The second employment of the day is in Affairs the affairs which one mannageth whether it be for the publick or for your own particular in the government of your familie or discharge of some office A good business is a good devotion and nothing is so much to be feared as idleness which is a very antheap of sins He who taketh pains said the ancient Fathers of the desert is tempted but by one devil he that is idle by them all There is no person so noble or eminent that ought not to find out some employment If iron had the reason of understanding it would tell you it better loved to be used by much exercise than to rust and consume in the corner of a house XII In the practise of charges offices affairs to use knowledge conscience dexteritie diligence Knowledge in learning that which is profitable to be known for the discharge of dutie in informing ones self of that which cannot be guessed at in hearing counsel examining and weighing it with mature deliberation Conscience in administering all things with integritie according to laws both divine and humane Dexteritie in doing all things discreetly peaceably with more fruit than noyce In such manner that one shew not anxietie in affairs but like that Prince of whom in ancient time one said That in the most busie occupation he seemed ever to have the greatest vacation Diligence observing occasions well and performing every thing in time and place He that hath never so little spirit and good disposition shall always find wherein to employ himself principally in the works of mercy both spiritual and temporal amongst so many objects of our neighbours miseries XIII Time of repast recreations sports and visits Recreation should be very regular for fear nature be not dissolved in a lazy and bestial life greatly unworthy of a noble heart Away with gluttony play detraction curiosity scoffing babling Let the conversation be as a file to smooth and cleanse the spirit and ever to adapt it to its proper functions XIIII One should not in affairs recreations retirements omit at some times to elevate his heart to God by jaculatory prayers Happy are they who Elevation of heart to God in every hour of the day do make unperceivably some litle retrait in their hearts casting their eye like a lightning-flash upon the hour past and foreseeing the direction of the next Above all after dinner it is fit to reenter into ones self and to see the good order which hath been given for the execution of the mornings good purposes XV. In the evening before you go to bed you Evening are to use examen of conscience Lytanies and other vocal prayers with the preparation of the meditation of the next day happily to shut up the day with acts of contrition faith hope charity prayers for the living and dead Thereupon settle your self to sleep with some good thought to the end according to the Prophet your night may be lightned with the beauties of God If any interruption of sleep happen mark it out with jaculatory prayers and elevations of heart as anciently the Just did who for this cause were called the crickets of the night This doing you shall lead a life replenished with honour repose satisfaction towards your self and shall each day advance one step forward to eternity The marks which amongst others may give you a good hope of your predestination are principally twelve First A lively simple and firm faith 2. Purity of heart which ordinarily is free from grievous sins 3. Tribulation
August serm 19. de verbis Apost Inhonestos amatores â—stendite Siquis amore foeminae lasciviens vestis se aliter quà m amatae placet illi dixerit nalo te habere tale birrhum non habebit si per hyemem illi dicet in lacinia te amo eliget tremere quà m displicere Numquid illa tamen damnatura est Numquid adhibitura tortores Nunquid in carcerem missura Hoc solum ibi timetur non te videbo faciem meam non videbis of our love towards God pertinently maketh use of the practise of prophane loves Behold saith he these foolish and dishonest Amourists of the world I demand whether any one surprized with the love of a woman attyreth himself any otherwise than to the liking of his Mistress If she say I would not have you wear such a cloke he puls it off I command you in the midst of winter to take a sommer garment he had rather shiver with cold than displease a miserable creature But yet what will she do if he obey not Will she condemn him to death Will she send him executioners Will she thrust him into a dungeon Nothing less she will onely say if you do not this I will never see you more This word alone is able to make a man tear himself in pieces in the endeavour of complacence and service O foul confusion of our life and prostitution of spirit A God who makes a Paradise of his aspects and a hell in his separation from us promiseth never to behold us with a good eye unless we keep his commandements nor can his menaces but be most effectual since he hath sovereign authority in his hands He deserves to be served above all things service done to him is not onely most pleasing but after this life gaineth recompence In the mean time we rather choose to live the slaves of creatures and dwell under the tyranny of our passions than to embrace the yoke of God Were it not fit we hereafter order the small service we do to God as well in our prayers as actions in such sort that there be neither work word nor thought from morning till night which hath not all its accommodations and is not squared within the rule God desireth of us with intentions most purified and indefatigable fervours Finally the last character of love is to suffer for 3. To suffer Satiabor cum apparuit gloria tua Psal 16. Satiabor cum affâ—ictuâ— fuero ad similitudinem tuam Jesus the father of sufferings and King of the afflicted The Kingly Prophet said I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear to me Another translation importeth I shall be well pleased when I shall behold my self marked with the characters of thy sufferings Jesus Christ in the great sacrifice of patience made in the beginning of Ages supplyes the person of a great Bishop putting on flesh wholly imprinted with dolours a heart drenched in acerbities a tongue steeped in gall Round about him are all the most elevated and couragious souls who all wear his livery and both constantly and gloriously dispose themselves to this great model of dolours Would we at the sight of so many brave Champions lead a life lazy languishing and corrupt Know we not all creatures of the world groan and bring forth that all elements are in travel and in a ceaseless agitation The air it self say Philosophers is perpetually strucken with the motion of heaven as with a hammer or whip that this benummed mass may not hatch any poyson Rivers are cleansed and purified by the streaming current of their waters The earth is never in repose and the nature of great things is generously to suffer evils The clock goeth on by the help of its counterpoise and Christian life never proceedeth in virtue but by counter-ballance of its crosses Our souls are engaged by Oath to this warfare Animas nostrâ—s authorati in has pugnas accessimus Tertul. ad Scap. so soon as first we enter into Christianity said the noble Tertullian Suffering is our trade our vow our profession Love which cannot suffer is not love and if it cease to love when it should bear it never was what it professed A lover said in Olympius that when he was onely Olympius Te sine vâ— misero mihi lilis nigra videntur Pallentesque rosae c. some little moment absented from the creature he most loved in the world all the best seasons were irkesome all discourses troublesome and the greatest delights turned into bitterness Flower de-luces seemed cole-black in the meadow when he beheld them in his pensive solitude roses the most vermillion grew pale gilli-flowers lost their lustre the very bay-trees which resist winters cold could not withstand the sadness caused by this absence but in a moment they all appeared quite withered to him Viands with him had no rellish wine tast nor sleep repose But so soon as this creature returned all was animated by her presence Flower-deluces became white again roses resumed their vermillion gilli-flowers their beauty lawrels their verdure wine and viands their tastfulness and sleep its contentment But if there happened any harsh and painful accidents which he must bear for her sake they seemed a Paradise All worldly loves speak the same yet are we unwilling to say or do any thing for this excellent Word of God which is endowed with a beauty incomparable exalted above all the beauties of the sons of men This Jesus who maketh a Paradise spring from his eyes This Jesus who distilleth honey from lips of roses for the comfort of his elect This Jesus who causeth Nations to tremble under the force of his word as under flaming arrows and is attired with the conquest and tropheys of souls Behold him on the bright empyreal Heaven crowned with a diadem of honour and revested with celestial purple who regardeth us who beholdeth us and never ceaseth to draw us unto him So many brave spirits have followed him amongst torrents thorns and flames which they found replenished with a sweetness that charmed their pain in the sight of their best beloved It is this sweetness turned the stones of S. Stephen into flower-de-luces and changed the burning coles of S. Lawrence into roses For it S. Bartholomew despoiled himself of his skin as freely as of a garment and S. Catharine hastened to the wheel armed with keen rasors S. Tecla to Lyons S. Agnes to the wood-pile S. Cicely to the sharp sword and S. Appollonia suffered her teeth to be torn out with as much ease as the tree suffers his leaves to fall away from him O the sweetness of Jesus who makes all the valiant and knoweth how to turn doves into eagles of fire Shall we never understand what it is to love him towards whom all generous hearts sigh and for whom all charities are crowned with immortal garlands The eighth EXAMPLE upon the eighth MAXIM Of the admirable change of worldly love Drawn from the Ecclesiastical history
Right which my Birth doth give me to the Realm of England and the Catholick Religion are the causes of my condemnation although they disguise them as much as they are able by their calumnies They have taken from me my Almoner and deprived me of the consolation of the Sacrament which I intended at my death pressing me with all violence of importunity to receive the assistance and the Doctrine of their Ministers but I will never do any thing that shall be unworthy of my Birth or my Religion These who shall conveigh unto you the last sighs of my life shall assure you of my constancy It remains that I beseech you since you have always protested to have loved me to render to me the proofs of your charity to pray to God for a most Christian Queen who dieth a Catholick as she hath lived and to command that some reward may be given to my dear Servants for I depart this world deprived of all worldly goods As for my Son I recommend him to you as far as he shall deserve for I can not answer for him I have assumed the boldness to send you two stones which are very rare for health which I wish you may find perfect and happy in a long life you shall receive them from your most affectionate Sister in Law who dieth in giving you the last testimonies of her heart I recommend again my desolate Servants to you and if your Majesty shall bestow on me wherewith to found a little Covent and Alms requisite to it for some who shall pray for me you shall send my Soul unto God enriched with more merits This I beseech you for the honour of Jesus Christ whom near unto my death I pray unto for you in the quality SIR Of your most affectionate Sister in Law QUEEN MARY I am of opinion that the letter which made its address to the Duke of Guise was of the same substance The letter to her Confessor did import the Combats she had suffered for Religion and the zeal which did transport her to die in the Catholick faith and that most cruelly she had been denied to make her last will or to have her body transported or to have permission to confess her self In defect whereof she doth confess her sins in General as she had intended to rehearse them to him in particular She desired him to pray and to watch that night in spirit with her and to send her his absolution and to prescribe unto her the prayers which he thought most proper for her for that night and for the morning following adding that if she could see him at the hour of her suffering she would kneel down and take her leave of him with a desire of his Benediction This being done she took a Review of her Testament and caused the Inventory of her goods to be read and wrote down the Names of those to whom she had bestowed her wardrope she also distributed money to some with her own hand afterwards being retired she spent the rest of the night in watching and prayer Others affirm that having said her prayers she threw her self upon the bed and slept some hours very quietly to make her self more strong for the next days conflict Afterwards awaking she began to enter into an agony and her naked knees being humbled on the ground she did read the Passion to incourage her self to her last combat mingling almost already her tears and her bloud with the tears and the bloud of her best beloved she passed many hours in meditations untill she had wearied two of her servants whom she commanded to take their rest Her last day which was on the twenty eighth of February in the year 1587 and on the eighteenth of February according to the English account the sun beginning to rise she did put on those habiliments which she did usually wear on Festival dayes and having again assembled her Servants she caused her Testament to be read unto them and desired them to take in good part the small Legacies which she had given them because the condition of her Estate did not permit her to bequeath them greater She gave them all her last Farewell exhorting them to the fear and love of their Creatour to the preservation of their Religion and of concords amongst themselves and desired them to pray for the safety of her poor Soul In the end she kissed all the women and permitted the men to kiss her hand The Hall was filled with cries and lamentations and sighs and sobs and followed almost with an inundation of tears which they could not wipe away But as she had all her thoughts advanced to Heaven she retired her self again into her Oratory where she continued a long time imploring the Grace of God with sighs and with the groanings of a Dove until that Thomas Andrews Lieutenant of that County did signify unto her that it was time to come forth She suddenly obeyed him and came forth in a posture full of Majesty and with a joyfull Countenance Her habit was most modest her head was covered with a veyl which hung down beneath her shoulders She had a Chaplet at her Girdle and an Ivory Crucifix in her hand The Commissioners received her in the Gallery where they did attend her And Melvin her Steward did present himself before her and weeping fell on his knees to understand her last commands Weep not she said but rather rejoyce for this day you shall see Mary Stuart delivered from all her sorrows I conjure you to acquaint my Son that I have always lived and do die in the Catholick Religion and that I do exhort him with all my heart to preserve the faith of his Ancestors to love Justice and to maintain his people in peace and to enterprize nothing against the Queen of England I have committed nothing against the Realm of Scotland and I have always loved the Kingdom of France God pardon those who do thirst after my bloud as the Hart panteth after the fountain of waters Thou O Lord who art truth it self and soundest the deepest secrets of my heart thou dost know how much I have desired peace and the Union of the two Realms of England and Scotland Her Royal heart growing tender on her Son on the consideration of the cruelties and the persecutions of the Catholick Church and on the Indignities which most innocently she suffered her eyes poured down some tears of compassion which she suddenly wiped away Then turning to the Lords she desired that her poor Servants might after her death be used with humanity that they might be suffered to enjoy those poor Legacies which she had given them in her Testament that they might be suffered to assist her at her death and afterwards be sent safe into their Countreys upon the publick faith The Inhumanity of the Earl of Kent would not permit that her own Servants should assist her and said They would but serve to increase Superstition but she replied Fear
with the excess thereof for fear that good Offices be turned into misprisions and Charity render it self too importunate But so it is that we must confess that Pieces well wrought are never seen in so great a number as to bring any fastidiousness to them who do know their merit Here do I stop my pen and if there appears any worth in this Volume I look upon it as on the Mirrour planted on the wall of a Temple in Arcadia where those that beheld it in stead of their own face saw the representation of the Divinity which they adored Even so in all this which may bring any profit to the Reader I see nothing of my own but I acknowledge the Father of lights who is the Beginning and the End of all which we do make praise-worthy And I beseech him if there be found any thing attractive in these Discourses that He will like the Load-stone draw up the Readers and carry them to the love of their Creatour to whom is due the tribute of all honour as to him who is the Beginning of all Perfection It is indeed the onely consolation which we can receive from our labours For not to dissemble the Truth he that cares more to write than to live flattering his pen and neglecting his conscience shall have work enough to defend himself from the Scurf the Rat and from Oblivion And when in a passionate life he shall carry with him the applauses of the world it shall be as a small sacrifice unto him of smoke abroad to lodge a fire and tempest in his own house It is reported that the Stars contribute their beams to enlighten the Infernals and I can affirm that all the lights of Understanding and Reputation shall serve onely to inflame the torments of a reprobate soul who shall shut his eyes against God to open them onely to let in Vanity In the end after many Editions of the HOLY COURT as I desired here to put the last hand to it I am now retired into the solitary place of Quinpercorentin for the love of the truth where the honesty of the Inhabitants have made me to find it as my Countrey which other men have taken for a place of banishment There on the banks of the Ocean at the feet of a Saint who is the Tutelar of the Village perceiving that God had sweetened to me all the bitterness both of men and of the times by the infusion of his Paternal Consolation I have composed more Treatises both of Doctrine and Piety to render in some sort my silence profitable to the publick of which one day I will give a good account unto my Readers if God shall grant me life Amongst other things I have digested into good order this Work of the HOLY COURT and I have enriched it with a remarkable Augmentation of the Lives and Elogies of the Illustrious Personages at Court as well in the Old as the New Testament Now I do produce it to the light after that by the singular favour of Heaven the obstacles are removed and Truth acknowledged on the Throne of Lights with which God hath round environed it THE TABLE OF THE Chief CONTENTS of the First Tome of the HOLY COURT FIRST BOOK Motives to stir up Persons of quality to Christian Perfection MOTIVE Page THat the Court and Devotion are not incompatible 1 I. Name of Christian. 2 II. Nobilitie 4 III. Eminent Dignitie 5 IV. Riches 8 V. Corporal endowments 9 VI. Endowments of the mind 11 VII Courage 13 VIII Education 15 IX Court a life of penance 17 X. Gratitude 19 XI Example 21 XII Punishment 22 XIII Reward 24 SECOND BOOK Hinderances that worldly ones have in the path of salvation OBSTACLE Page I. WEak faith 26 II. Errour in faith in Religion 30 III. To live according to opinion 37 IV. Inconstancie of manners 39 V. Masked life 41 VI. Ill mannage of time 43 VII Libertie of tongue 45 VIII Curiosity in bearing affronts 47 IX Carnal love 49 X. Superfluous Attire 51 XI Envie 54 XII Ambition and Avarice 56 Conclusion A bad Courtiers life is a perpetual Obstacle to virtue 58 THIRD BOOK Practice of VIRTUES SECTION Page I. DEvotion for Great-ones 60 II. Wherein consisteth all Devotion and Spiritual life 61 Character of the spiritual man ibid. Character of the carnal man ibid. III. First combat of a spiritual man against ignorance 62 IV. Practice of faith ibid. V. Four other lights to disperse ignorance 64 VI. Twelve Maxims of salvation ibid. VII Twelve Maxims of wisdom 66 VIII Practice of Devotion and Prayer 68 IX Necessitie of confession ibid. X. Practice of confession 69 XI Practice of examen of conscience 71 XII Practice of receiving 72 XIII Practice of hearing Mass 74 XIV Practice of meditation 75 XV. Practice of vocal prayer and spiritual reading and frequenting Sermons 77 XVI Second combat of the spiritual man against pusillanimitie 78 XVII Twelve Maxims to vanquish temptations 79 XVIII Remedies against the passions and temptations growing from every vice 81 XIX Shame in well doing 82 XX. Affection towards creatures ibid. XXI Indiscreet affliction of mind and sadness 83 XXII Third combat of the Spiritual man against impurity 85 XXIII Practise of chastity 85 XXIV Practise of temperance 86 XXV Practise of modesty 87 XXVI Practise of prudence and government in conversation ibid. XXVII Against another impurity to wit desire of having and first of poverty of the rich 89 XXVIII Practise of justice ibid. XXIX Practise of thankfulness 90 XXX Practise of charity 91 XXXI The practise of humility and magnanimity 92 XXXII Practise of patience 93 XXXIII Practise of daily actions 94 Instructions for Married XXXIV Misery of marriages ill managed 96 XXXV Evils of marriage grow from disorders therein committed 99 XXXVI Selected instructions for the married 101 XXXVII Instructions for Widdows 102 To Maids XXXVIII Praises of virginity and of the modesty they ought to observe in their carriage 104 To Fathers and Mothers XXXIX Concerning bringing up and instructing children 107 To Children XL. Of piety towards parents 110 The fourth Book treateth of Impiety of Courts and Unhappy Policie page 114 The fifth Book setteth forth Fortunate Pietie page 137 A TABLE OF THE TITLES and SECTIONS contained in the Second Tome of the HOLY COURT THE PRELATE SECT Page I. THat it is convenient the Nobilitie should govern the Church 165 II. That the Nobilitie should not aspire to Ecclesiastical offices but by lawfull ways 167 III. Of the Vocation or calling of a Prelate 168 IV. Virtues requisite in the carriage of a Prelate 169 V. The second virtue of a Prelate which is Fortitude of spirit against Avarice and Riot 170 VI. The third Qualitie of a good Prelate which is purity of life 171 VII The fourth perfection of a Prelate which is observed in Zeal and Charity 172 VIII The fifth excellency of a Prelate which is science and prudence ibid. IX The Motives which noble Prelates have to the duty of their
deliberate purpose and unbridled desire of sin X. Upon the tenth disordinate thirst of riches principally to the prejudice of your neighbour Upon the commandments of the Church the omissions of Mass or notable negligences and distractions in hearing it on feasts commanded The sin against abstinence from meats and fasts appointed against the use of Sacraments of confession and communion against the observation of times fit for marriage against faith and sincerity in the payment of tythes Amongst the sins against the law of God and ordinances of the Church are comprehended the seven sins which we call mortal and capital As against the first Commandment the sin of pride in the great opinion of your self the obstinacy in your own judgement and will the disobedience to Superiours the ambition of honours vanities vaunts follies The sin of sloth in slackness ill expence of time negligence remisness of courage pusillanimity The sin of gluttony in making a god of ones belly The sin of avarice upon the seventh The sin of wrath and envy upon the fifth The sin of luxury upon the sixth Behold an abundance of matter to be examined in a general confession All is proposed which may have happened I do not say that we must rest upon every point scrupulously to search into that which never hath been and as they say shave an egge Every one ought more particularly to descend into Particular sins the vices of his own nature and profession as Lords and Gentlemen to examine the sins of pride tyranny curiosity delights in looking after their pleasures more than the profit of the publick in exacting things not due in usurping the pains goods sweat bloud of vassals and being men to have served themselves with men in all prodigality In neglecting the keeping of peace and justice the duty charges and reparation of places to which they stand obliged In giving estates offices benefices to vitious and uncapable persons In violating ecclesiastical rites In notably damnifying for the pleasures of hunting and hawking the fields and possessions of others In stopping the course of justice by favour In vexing tormenting imprisonning condemning through passion without lawful proof In overlashing in ambition lust bragging excessive expences and such like things Judges and Magistrates of ignorance malice negligences as being intruded into their places without capacity by favour and money In behaving themselves carelesly without serious study of that which is their profession In not soundly seriously and solidly examining processes but contenting themselves with superficial notice In giving sentence for money and favour and many times against men unheard without order or form of justice In going out of the circuit of their jurisdiction to encroach upon the authority of others In bearing themselves with passion in affairs In entertaining bad officers in prolonging processes by cautelous references or affected laziness In solliciting the wife and daughter who plead upon promise of favour In exercising on festival days acts of judicature without necessity In neglecting the government and weal-publick for the accommodation of his own affairs In tollerating scandalous sins against the honour of God Women about their pomps curiosities excesses Practice of ordinary confession dissolutions in apparel and dressings pride fierceness boldness impatience quarrels loves jealousies courtings idleness and so of rhe rest For those who often confess in ordinary confessions it sufficeth to examine their thoughts words deeds omissions Of thoughts some are burdensom Thoughts of four sorts some affected some bitter some vain The burdensom as those which proceed against faith and honesty to persons who much are alienated from ill affections and such thoughts ought rather to be despised than examined The affected as those of complacence of curiosity of our own commodity and of some passion a little exorbitant towards creatures The bitter as those of suspitions jealousies disdains aversions choller The vain as those which are brought forth at all moments in the childishness of a scattered uncollected heart and flie therein as birds do in the air It is as impossible as unnecessary to take an account of them It is sufficient to confess in general and to declare the habitudes and dispositions of his heart Words are the interpreters of our soul and the Words the chariot of the soul chariots which carry our senses and affections Some carry rice others honey the rest vineger They carry rice who are over-joyous recreative impertinent idle facetious They carry honey who have petty affectations courtships lies exaggerations complacences flatteries soothings boastings And they bear vineger who are somewhat rude fierce disdainful biting riotous and ill-spoken Deeds concern God your neighbour and your Works self For that which appertaineth to God you must first accuse your self of defects in the exercises of devotion as prayer vocal mental meditation examen spiritual reading the Sacraments For that which appertaineth to your neighbour and your self you have four horses in the chariot of imperfection which transport many of your actions to wit vanity impatience curiosity negligence Vanity intrudeth it self into all parts saith Cassianus into apparel going speech into watchings prayers into abstinencies and fasts It combateth in the midst of virtues to triumph over virtues It presenteth it self as well to the victorious as to the assaylant Impatience in so many contentions and encounters with your neighbour and if one have no other adversary he strugleth with himself Curiosity in too much seeking his own commodities and ease of body Negligences in offices in mannaging of affairs and charges omissions as of good resolved purposes of prayer and laudable actions which one ought to do either by justice or by charity or by vow or by rule or by promise or necessity One may upon this choose seven or eight imperfections which most molest him to be therein short Behold as it were the matter of Confessions For the form to unfold ones self no man should make strange if some for the comfort of their memory having run over the abridgement and summary of matter of Confession do make an extract of that which concerneth them principally in general Confessions The wisest of the Roman Emperours Augustus was so considerate that treating upon some affairs with his wife he spake to her by writing to avoid mistaking Can a man take too much consideration in an affair of so great importance which passeth with God When the principal points are marked out they must be explicated in intelligible terms There are Three sorts of consciences some large consciences who have nothing to say some scrupulous who desire to say all and some reasonable who proceed therein with mediocrity To say he is a great sinner that he hath broken all the branches of mortal sins that he hath not served God so well as he should and that if he have done such or such a thing he asketh pardon that is to say nothing You must specifie and descend to particulars propose the act deliver it
first practice and most ordinary to hear Mass for those who understand the words there spoken is to follow them with application of spirit and to accompany the silence of the Priest with some meditations or vocal prayers The second is to stay ones self upon the signification of all the parts of the Mass As at the Confiteor to represent to your self man banished from Paradise miserable suppliant confessing deploring his sin At the Introite the enflamed desires of all mankind expecting the Messias At the Hymn of Angels Glory be to God on high the Nativity At the Prayers thanksgiving for such a benefit At the Epistle the preaching of the Praecursour S. John At the Gospel truth preached by the Saviour of the world and so of the rest The third is to divide the Mass into certain parcels and behold a very considerable manner Represent to your self five great things in the mystery of the Mass from whence you ought to draw so many fruits These five things are representation praise Sacrifice instruction nourishment Representation because the Mass is a perfect image Five notable things in the mystery of the Mass Radicati superaedificati in ipso Col. 2. c. of the life and passion of our Saviour and therefore the first fruit you ought to gather from thence is daily to imprint more lively in your heart the actions and passions of the Son of God to conform your self thereunto Praise So many words as are in the Mass aim at this purpose to give praise unto God for this ineffable mystery of our redemption and to conform your self to this action you ought to bend all the endeavour of your heart to praise God whether it be by vocal or mental prayer Sacrifice It is a most singular act of Religion by which we reverence and adore God for the infinite glory of his souereign Being And the Mass is a Mass a Sacrifice true Sacrifice by eminency where the life and bloud of beasts is not offered but the life of a Saviour which is more worth than the life of all Angels and men Cedrenus recounteth that the Emperour Justinian Cedren in Compen hist Wonder of Justinian caused an Altar to be made in the Church of Saint Sophia wherein he used all sorts of mettal of precious stones of the richest materials which might be chosen out amongst all the magazins of nature to incorporate all the beauties of the world in onesole master-piece And verily this Sacrifice is the prime work of God in which he hath as it were locked up all that which is great or holy in all the mysteries of our Religion It was the custom daily to proportion the Sacrifices to the benefits of God When in the old law he gave the fat of the earth they offered the first-fruits to him But now that he hath granted to us the dew of Heaven so long expected his onely Son we must render to him his Son again which is done in the Sacrifice of the Mass And the fruit you should derive from this consideration is at the elevation of the host to offer Jesus Christ to God his Father by the ministery of the Priest and to offer it First for a supream and incomparable honour of the Divine Majesty Secondly for thanksgiving for all benefits received and to be received Thirdly to obtain protection direction and prosperity in all your works Besides offer up all your powers faculties functions actions in the union of the merits of Jesus Instruction Those who understand the words of Instruction 4. of Mass the Mass may draw goodly instructions from reading the Epistle the Gospel the Collects All in general teach us the virtues of honour and reverence towards the Divine Majesty seeing this Sacrifice is celebrated with so many holy sacred and profoundly dutiful ceremonies Of gratitude since God being once offered in the bloudy Sacrifice of the Cross will also be daily presented to God his Father in the title of gratitude And that ought to awaken in us the memory of observing every benefit of God with some remarkable act of devotion Of Charity towards our common Saviour and towards our neighbour since we see a life of God spent for our redemption and all faithful people Nourishment The eye liveth by light and colours Nourishment 5. the Bee by dew the Phenix by the most thin and subtile vapours and the soul of the faithful by the nourishment which it receiveth in the Blessed Sacrament which is purely spiritual This nourishment is not onely derived from the Sacramental Communion Spiritual Communion by the real presence of the body of our Saviour but also by the spiritual Communion which is made when in the Sacrifice of the Mass at the time of the Priest his communicating the same dispositions apprehensions and affections are entertained as if really and actually one did receive For this purpose it is fit to do three things First to excite anew in your self the acts of self-dislike and contrition for your wretchedness and imperfections The second to take spiritually the carbuncle of the Altar not with the pincers of the Seraphin but with acts of a most lively faith a most resolved hope and a charitie most ardent to open boldly the mouth of your heart and pray our Saviour to enter in as truly by the communication of his graces and favours which are the rays of this Sun as by the real imparting of his body and bloud he gives himself to those that communicate The third to conclude all your actions with a most hearty thanksgiving The fourteenth SECTION Practice of Meditation OF four worlds which are the Architype Intelligible Celestial and Elementary prayer imitateth the most perfect being a true image of the oeconomy of the holy Trinitie which according to the maxims of Divines cannot pray to any having no Superiour yet affordeth a model for all prayers For prayer as saith Tertullian is composed of reason words and spirit Of reason as we may interpret by the relation it hath to the Father of words as it is referred to the Word of spirit by the the direction it hath to the third Person Now this principally agreeth with meditation For it is that divine silence delicious ravishment of the soul which uniteth man to God and finite essence to Infinite It is that plenitude and that tear spoken of in Exodus according to an ancient translation Plenitude Exod. 22. 29. because it replenisheth the soul with the splendour of consolations and sources which distil from the Paradise of God Tear yea tear of myrrhe because it distilleth under the eyes of God as doth the tree which beareth myrrhe under the rays of the Sun It is a wonderful thing to behold this little shrub which doth not perpetually expect to be cut with iron that it may drop forth its pleasing liquor but the Sun reflecting on the branches thereof becomes as it were a mid-wife and maketh it bring forth what is sought
after which caused an excellent wit to say that it drew life out of its blows and made a dug of its wounds Oh happy soul that resembleth this generous plant and which repleat with pious desires holy affections and sincere intentions produceth apprehensions and works a thousand times more precious than myrrhe when in the meditation the rays of Jesus Christ who is the true Sun of justice strikes the heart The practice of prayer consisteth in mental vocal Necessity and easiness of meditation and mixt Mental is that which is exercised in the heart vocal which is formed in the mouth mixt participateth of both Think it not to be a new thing not severed from your profession to meditate It were so if one would make your brain serve as a lymbeck for subtile and extravagant raptures disguised in new words and forms But when one speaketh of meditation he adviseth you to ponder and ruminate the points and maximes which concern your salvation with all sweetness that fruit most agreeable to your condition may be derived from thence The faintness weakness infidelity ignorance driness which reigneth in your souls cometh from no other source but the want of consideration Take this worthy exercise couragiously in hand and you shall feel your heart fattened with the unction of the Holy Ghost and your soul of a wilderness to become a little Paradise of God Be not affrighted hereat as if it were a thing impossible for you use a little method and you shall find nothing more easie and familiar What have you so natural in vital life as to breath And what more proper in the intellectual than to think Your soul hath no other operation for night and day it is employed in this exercise The Sun casteth forth beams and our soul thoughts Gather together onely those wandering thoughts which are scattered amongst so many objects into your center which is God Employ one part of the spitit industrie invention discourse which you are endowed withal for the mannaging of worldly affairs Employ them I say in the work of your salvation and you shall do wonders I undertake not here to raise you above the earth nor in the beginning to plunge you into the seven degrees of contemplation whereof S. Bonaventure speaketh in the treatise he composed thereof I speak not to you of fire unction extasie speculation tast of What you must understand to meditate well repose or glory but I speak that in few words which you may read more at large in the works of so many worthy men who have written upon that subject First know what meditation is secondly how it is ordered Meditation properly is a prayer of the heart by Definition of meditation which we humbly attentively and affectionately seek the truth which concerns our salvation thereby to guid us to the exercise of Christian virtues That you may meditate well you must know the causes degrees matter and form of meditation The Causes principal cause thereof is God who infuseth himself into our soul to frame a good thought as the Sun doth upon the earth to produce a flower It is a goodly thing to have the spirit subtile and fruitful It is to work without the Sun saith Origen to think to do any thing here without the grace of the Holy Ghost The first degree which leadeth to good and serious prayer is a good life and principally purity of heart tranquility of spirit desire to make your self an inward man Saint Augustine reciteth a saying of Porphyrius very remarkeable which he deriveth Aug. l. 9. de civit Dei c. 23. Deus omnium Pater nullius indiget sed nobis est benè cum cum adramus ipsam vitam precâ—m ad cum sacientes pâ—r inquisitionem imitationem de ipse from the mouth of this perfidious man as one should pull a thing stoln out of a thiefs coffer God the Creatour and Father of this whole Universe hath no need of our service but it is our good to serve him and adore him making of our life a perpetual prayer by a diligent enquiry of his perfections and imitation of his virtues Observe then the first degree of good prayer is good life The second as well this Authour hath noted is the perquisition to wit the search of verities by thinking on the things meditated which are the sundry considerations suggested to us by the spirit in the exercise of meditation The third is the affection which springeth from these considerations Our understanding is the steel and our will the flint As soon as they touch one another we see the sparkes of holy affections to flie out We must bray together the matters of prayer as Aromatick spices with the discussion of our understanding before we can extract good odours The fourth is the imitation and fruit of things we meditate on It is the mark at which our thoughts should aim otherwise if one should pretend nothing else but a vain business of the mind it would be to as much purpose to drive away butter-flies as to meditate Good meditation and good action ought to be entertained as two sisters holding one another by the robe As for the matter of meditation you must know Matter of meditation that all meditations are drawn from three books The first and most inferiour is the book of the great Three books of meditation world where one studieth to come by knowledge of the creature to the Creatour The second is the book of the little world where man studieth himself his beginning his end qualities habits faculties actions functions and the rest The third is the book of the Heavenly Father Jesus Christ our Saviour who verily is a guilded book limmed with the rays of the Divinity imprinted with all the characters of sanctity and from thence an infinitie of matter is drawn as those of benefits of four last things of the life death and passion of Jesus and of all the other mysteries You must digest every one in his time according to the opportunity tast and capacity of those who meditate Some appropriate meditations to every day of the week others make their circuit according to the moneth others follow the order of the mysteries and life of our Saviour as they are couched in so many books written of these matters The practice and form of meditation consisteth in six things The first to divide the subject you would Practise and form contained in six articles meditate on into certain points according to the appointment of some Directour or the help of a book Article 1 As if you meditate upon the knowledge of ones self to take for the first point what man is by nature For the second what he is by sin For the third what he may be by grace The second a little before the hour appointed for Article 2 meditation to call into memory the points which you would meditate on The third after you have implored the
sacriledge to live for our selves That we cannot have a worse Master than our own liberty and scope and such like things In the fifth place come the affections which are Article 5 flaming transportations of the will bent to pursue Affections and embrace the good it acknowledgeth as when S. Augustine having meditated upon the knowledge Aug. Solil 11. Serò te amavi pulchritudo tam antiqua tam nova Serò te amavi tu intus eras ego foris ibi te quaerebam in istâ forniosa quae fecisti ego deformis irruebam of God brake forth into these words Alas I have begun very late to love thee a beauty ever ancient a a beauty ever new Too late have I begun Thou wert within and I sought for thee without and have cast my self with such violence upon these created beauties without knowledge of the Creatour to defile and deform my self daily more and more To this it much availeth to have by heart many versicles of the most pathetical Psalms which serve as jaculatory prayers and as it were enflamed arrows to aim directly at the proposed mark For conclusion you have colloquies which are reverent Article 6 and amorous discourses with God by which Colloquies we ask of him to flie the evil or follow the good discovered in the meditation And of all that which I say discussion light affection a colloquie may be made upon every point but more particularly at the end of the prayer And note in every prayer especially in colloquies you must make acts of the praise of God in adoring him with all the Heavenly host and highly advancing his greatness and excellencies Of thanksgiving in thanking him for all benefits in general but particularly for these most eminent in the subject we meditate Of petition in asking some grace or favour Of obsecration in begging it by the force of holy things and agreeable to the Divine Majesty Of oblation in offering your soul body works words affections and intentions afterward shutting all up with the Pater Noster Behold briefly the practice of meditation If you Another manner of meditation more plain profitable yet desire one more plain more facile and greatly profitable often practice this same As the true meditation of a good man is according to the Prophet the law of God and the knowledge of ones self meditate the summary of your belief as sometimes the Creed of the Apostles sometimes the Pater noster sometimes the Commandments of God sometimes the deadly sins sometimes upon the powers of your soul and sometimes your five natural senses The manner shall be thus After you have chosen a place and time proper and a little sounded the retreat in your heart from temporal affairs First invoke the grace of God to obtain light and knowledge upon the subject you are to meditate Secondly if it be the Creed run over every Article briefly one after another considering three things what you ought to believe of this Article what you ought to hope what you ought to love How you hitherto have believed it hoped it loved it How you ought more firmly to believe it hereafter to hope for it more confidently to love it more ardently It if be the Pater Noster meditate upon every petition what you ask of God the manner how you ask it and the disposition you afford to obtain it If the Commandments of God what every Commandment meaneth how you have kept them and the course you will presently hold the better to observe them If the powers of your soul and five senses the great gift of God which is to have a good understanding a good will a happy memory to have the organs of eyes ears and all the senses well disposed for their several functions How you have hitherto employed all these endowments and how you will use them in time to come Thirdly you shall make oblation of all that you are to God and shall conclude with the Pater Noster and Ave Maria. Another manner very sweet for Another way those who are much affected to holy Scripture is mixed prayer consisting in three things The first to make prayer to obtain of God grace and direction in this action as it hath been said above The second to take the words of holy Scripture as a Psalm a text of S. John S. Paul and such like things to pronounce it affectionately pondering and ruminating the signification of each word and resting thereon with sweetness while our spirit furnisheth us with variety of considerations The third to make some resolution upon all these good considerations to practice them in such and such actions of virtue Lastly to end the meditation with some vocal prayer The fifteenth SECTION Practice of vocal prayer spiritual lection and the word of God THe practice of vocal prayer consisteth in Practice of vocal prayer three ways three things to observe whom we should pray unto what we ought to pray for and how to pray For the first we know what the Church teacheth us how next unto the Majesty of the most Blessed Trinitie incomparably raised above all creatures * * * Praemonitus praemunitus To whom to pray we pray to the Angels and Saints who are as it were the rays of this great and incomprehensible Sun from whom all glory reflecteth Above all creatures we reverence the most holy Mother of Praise of the Blessed Virgin God who hath been as a burning mirrour in the which all the beams of the Divinity are united Origen calleth her the treasure of the Trinitie Methodius the living Altar Saint Ignatius a Celestial prodigie Saint Cyril the Founderess of the Church Saint Fulgentius the Repairer of mankind Proclus of Cyzike the Paradise of the second Adam the shop of the great Union of two natures Saint Bernard the Firmament above all firmaments Andrew of Crete the image of the first Architype and the Epitome of the incomprehensible excellencies of God All that may be said redoundeth to the glory of the workman who made her and advanced her with so many preeminences yea that alone affordeth us a singular confidence in her protection The devotion towards this common Advocate of mankind is so sweet so sensible so full of consolation that a man must have no soul not to relish it Next we Angels honour those Angelical spirits who enamel Heaven with their beauty and shine as burning lamps before the Altar of this great God of hosts We have a particular obligation to our holy Angel Guardian whom God hath deputed to our conservation as a Celestial Centinel that perpetually watcheth for us We behold in Heaven with the eyes of faith an infinite number of chosen souls who read our necessities in the bosom of God written with the pen of his will and enlightened with the rays of their proper glory who apply this knowledge to their beatified understanding Behold the objects of our
accompanied with ceremonious enforcements insupportable to your condition No But undertake a devotion sweet facile and conform to common use which hath less of outward semblance and more of inward worth So shall you the better preserve it and it shall be the more profitable for you The twentieth SECTION Love of creatures AFter shame cometh likewise a snare much Adhering to creatures marreth all more dangerous to wit the love of creatures Many souls seem already to poyze themselves and soar into the skie but there is some little thread wretched and weak which fettereth their feet One cannot forsake such a lodging another such an exercise a third such a custom a fourth such a company which in the mean space dissolveth the course of his good purposes maketh his heart become childish and sometimes dull and stupid to the relishes of God Amongst all encounters this is the most powerful Passion of love which proceedeth from the passion of love and sometimes among persons who have their souls most pure and such as are in their own opinions far removed from this mischievous passion yet are not without peril If this should come like some other gross and carnal love with an arrow and torch in hand one might more easily defend himself but it Love is like to infects approcheth with a little sting subtile slender and as it were wholly spiritual that one cannot well perceive it in the beginning It resembleth those little flying worms which Phaedon speaketh of that unperceivably Phaedon apud Sencec ep 49. Adeo tenuis illis fallcus in periculis vis est tumor indicat morsum sting When they have fixed their sting we do not know they have stung us until we see some swelling rise upon the skin So in such petty lovedaliances we see not the wound nor sting we know not what we suffer what we do what we undertake what we desire One doth hardly know that he loves notwithstanding the soul is puffed up and goeth out of its limits and is dissolved into an Ocean of disturbances which are very prejudicial to puritie It were better to have as it were some kind of The danger thereof leaprousie than such a passion For that would infect but the body but this diveth in the end even into the bottom of the soul weaveth its web in the marrow forrageth all over that which hath vigour in our inward parts leaveth meagerness and sterility and maketh our heart like to those abortions of pearls which have been blasted with lightening having instead of a bright substance nothing else but an exteriour film What shall one do in this case It is a very easie Preservative matter to give a preservative that may keep us from the blow but it is very difficult to draw the soreness from the wound You need sometime but the very wind of your hat to turn away a thunder-clap that it may not strike where it seems to be aimed the thunder maketh his claps as remediless as sudden and violent even so this passion in the beginning may be dispelled with a very little heed and dextetity but when passage is made for it into the heart it raiseth a tempest But in conclusion what means is there to stay it It will be told you you must have recourse Ordinary remedies to prayer to meditation of the Cross the day of Judgement the invocation of the Blessed Virgin and Saints the frequentation of Sacraments fasting the austerities of penance and these are good remedies Yet you notwithstanding will say what prayer can one make when he is engulfed in a passion which perpetually buzzeth in his brain Do like Jonas crie out of the Whales belly call from the bottom of the abyss with many jaculatory prayers But to what use will austerities serve the bodie is subdued it is true but yet passion remaineth still in the bottom of the soul It nought importeth the weakness of flesh by little and little cutteth the sinews of passions which are inherent in the flesh All this you will say is likewise feasible provided I be not thereby separated from the company of such a one And behold the inconveniency you will perpetually put oyl into the flame and not have it burn I. The most sovereign remedy is what you least Sovereign remedies desire though you make shew of desiring health All that which cherisheth the maladie is the presence of the object Our passions resemble ecchoes Do you not see that ecchoes the further you go Passions are ecchoes from them the less repercussion there is they lessening and loosing themselves in the air This affection that speaketh so loud by reflection of the countenance which you daily behold with so much contentment will quickly vanish by a little absence But one day alone of separation is an Age to you Suffer this Age and the time will come it shall not last an hour with you II. Verily all well considered the play is not Folly of this passion worth the candle Must you inflict so many pains upon your bodies so many torments on your mind loose so much time make so many ill tongues talk to please I know not what petty wicked and foundered desire which you know not what it is not to what it tendeth III. If you knew what you desired you would be ashamed of your self you would have cause to be amazed that so noble a spirit should suffer it self to be transported with such follies The notable Raymond Cure of Raymond Lullius Lullius who passionately was enamoured of a Ladie wise and honest when purposely to cure his frenzie she shewed him one of her breasts eaten and gnawn through with a canker and extreamly hydeous to behold Stay simple man said she behold what you loved he at that instant coming to himself spake Alas was it for this I lost so many good hours that I burned became entranced that I passed through fire and water All lovers would say the like were the scarff taken from their eyes IV. It well appeareth you want some great affront Want of employment some real pains some serious employment It is the superfluous excess of idleness which dissolveth your heart into these effeminacies You were better have some mischievous process against you than all these trifling entertainments Frame some good employment to free your self from a bad Remember Hier. ad Rustic Viocre non licet fornicari licebit that which was said When one hath no leisure to live he hath no leisure to love V. Represent to your self that a thousand undaunted courages for that they have twice or thrice resisted passion constantly have found themselves free at liberty in peace and tranquality of spirit wholly admirable and you for want of a little resolution daily tumble and involve your self in your fetters Make a little resistance cast away I pray all Strength of reason these little urchins which afflict you Is an
absence so troublesom that to avoid it you must torture your body vilifie your spirit and yield your reputation up as a prey to slander You shall no sooner put the wedge into the block but it shall be done you shall have a soul victoriously elevated over passion which shall rejoyce amidst the tropheys thereof The one and twentieth SECTION Against sadness HAve you never represented to your self the poor Elias lying under the Juniper tree oppressed with melancholly and saying to God with an effectionate heart My God it is enough take Reg. 3. 19. my soul I am no better than my fore-fathers This passion often happeneth in persons who are entered into the list of a life more perfect Anxiety crosseth them sadness gnaweth them melancholy afflicteth Sadness the snare of Satan them and Satan willing ever to fish in a troubled water serves himself with this disturbance of mind to make them return back again to the false pleasures of the world What remdy what practice shall we confront this mischief with Let us use Davids harp to charm this dangerous devil of Saul You are sad say you It much concerneth you to sound your heart that you may know from whence this pensiveness proceeedeth and apply fit remedy thereunto Sometime sadness cometh from an indiscreet zeal when one will of his own accord undertake austerities neither ordered nor digested by counsel He cannot find good success yet is ashamed to go back again which is the cause he is tormented between the hammer and the anvile Sometime it proceedeth from a great immortification Causes of sadness Immortification of passions which at the enterance into a spiritual life he beginning to pick quarrels with them put themselves into the field assailing and turmoyling the mind As it is said a little fish called the wasp of the sea in the dog-days stingeth and disquieteth the repose of other fishes It is perhaps as yet in your soul neither day nor night winter nor summer cold nor heat but good and evil struggle who shall get the upper hand and this war troubleth you Sometime it proceedeth from a great tenderness of heart and a passionate love of ones self It seemeth to a little girle who weepeth in the nook of a chamber that the whole world is interessed in her sorrow and that every body should bemoan her Nothing is like to her unhappiness her burdens are Tears of self-flatterers of lead and all others are as light as feathers or if you weep not with her she becometh the more melancholy and if you do sorrow with her she taketh a higher tone to deplore her grievances There is many times much niceness in our sorrows and oftentimes our tears are nothing else but meer fopperies From this self-love proceedeth vanity and complacence which serve us with worm-wood to season our morsels withal The man who is over-much pleased with himself Self-love necessarily displeaseth many and to gain too great a friend within himself he purchaseth sundry enemies without himself All things cannot happen to his wish and as good successes inebriate him with contentments so evil torture and immoderate contristate him Briefly bad melancholly often riseth Jealous eye from a jealous and envious eye The good hap of another is a straw in his eye which ever will trouble him if charity bring not her helping hand Behold here a lamentable mischief All the perfections of another are ours when we love them in another and when we hate them they are thorns in our eyes which extreamly torment us Have we not pain Parùm alicui est si ipse sis foelix nisi alter fuerit infoelix Salvian de gubern Dei lib. 5. enough within our selves but we must plant crosses in the prosperity of others Sound your heart and see whether your sadness proceeds from one of these five sources or from many of them together Take away the cause by the favour of Gods grace by the help of your endeavour courage and resolution you shall have the effect and enjoy a peaceable soul like Heaven smiling in a bright serenity My sadness say you cometh not from this occasion Would to God it were so You were already sufficiently happy if all I have said were not of force to make you sad From whence cometh it then From the accidents which befal me on every side and if nothing happen to me I am unquiet with mine own self If you think to live wholly without sadness Sadness a plant of our own growing you must frame a new world for your self Sadness is a bitter plant which groweth in your garden you must know at one time or other what tast it hath To think wholly to free your self is to make your self a King in the cards and onely to brave it in paper like the ancient Philosophers who had their hands shorter than their tongues Our Saviour was contristated in the dolorous garden watered with bloudy sweats to teach us the perfection of a Christian is not in being sensible of sorrow but to moderate the same with resolution The best remedy is that which Jesus Christ hath Remedies shewed to us to wit Prayer It is a wonderful contentment to speak to God and to tell him your afflictions Behold you not in a garden-bed how those poor tulips are shut up with melancholy under the shadie coldness of the night And you may well say the Sun within his rays beareth the key to open them For so soon as he riseth and courteth them a little with that eye which exhilarateth total nature behold they unloose themselves dilate themselves and witness their joy for the arrival of this planet The like happeneth to your heart it sometimes long remaineth benummed and frozen for want of having recourse to prayer Learn a little to talk with God by jaculatory prayers Learn to complain your self to God and to seek the remedies of your wounds in his mercies and you will find a great lightening and alacrity The second to have a spiritual Father or a discreet and faithful friend to whom one may unburden his conscience with all confidence and security The cloud how dark or surchaged soever it be in that proportion it emptieth it self cleareth and the heart unburdening its calamities in the ear of another becometh more bright and lustrous Thirdly some spiritual Fathers advise a discipline to suppress interiour sadness by exteriour sorrow But this remedy is not for all sorts of men Saint Hier. ad Rusticum Hypoâ—ratis magis fomentis quà m nostris monitiâ— indiget Remedies of Hypocrates Not to play the Timon Hierom is a better Physitian who ordained for certain melancholy men rather to use the fomentations of Hypocrates than to afflict their bodies and distil their brains in other practices You must take very good heed you make not your self a Timâ—n and hate men and life entertaining your self in hypocondriack humours which throw a mind into the gulf of disturbance God
doctrine is made Theodosius was most studious and well versed in divine and humane learning he oft spent one part of the night in study that he might employ the day in his affairs and that which is an admirable note of infinite sweetness and facility this good Emperour for whom a thousand and a thousand would have thought themselves most happy to pass the night in watching he for fear of interrupting the sleep of any the meanest servant caused by art a marvellous Admirable lamp lamp to be made which perpetually flamed oyl running thereinto by certain little passages or conduits which easily were turned There was no Prelat so learned who admired not his great promptness to repeat by heart all the texts of the Bible and as for the Civil law he was so conversant therein that he caused by his direction that notable book of Imperial Constitutions to be compiled which to this day beareth his name Briefly to shew that Theodosius in his Court yielded nothing at all in perfection to the most austere Hermits Glycas recounteth that a holy Anchoret who had passed fourty years in the horrour of a dreadfull penance as he one day was touched with some sleight imaginations of his own merit God revealed unto him that in those fourty years he had done nothing in the desert in matter of perfection which the Emperour Theodosius had not performed in his Court This put into his heart so sharp a spur to know the Arrival of an holy Hermit and his discourse with Theodosius conscience of the Emperour that he went directly to the Court where he was very courteously received and considering with himself how the Prince was clothed used served honoured he had much ado to understand where this perfection was In the end one day speaking to him apart he conjured him for Gods sake to recount some good works he did Theodosius felt a marvellous strife in his soul in the contention between his humility and obedience Humility sought to hide it self but the obedience he ought to yield to a man who conjured him with so many signs to tell him in the name of God what he did and to testifie a truth prevailed with him After he had bewailed his imperfections he recounted with much modesty his prayers abstinencies alms mortifications of hayr-cloth and such like and then added that being sometimes enforced to be present in the Theaters to wit in sports and pastimes wherein the wisest were spectatours with much liberty he at that time in such manner withdrew his sight that none of those levities entered into his eyes so that amongst so many horse-races shews oftents pomps noise he was ever in a perpetual tranquility The Hermit was so amazed to hear of such mortification of sense and appetite in occasions so moving that away he went no further presuming of himself but singularly edified by the life of the Emperour If then in his retired life onely he equalled the perfection of Anchorites who now may sufficiently value the virtues of a King which necessarily must be shewed in publick after they have been watered with the tears of his prayers and sweetly manured in the solitude of his heart He was so wise and discreet Great virtues that all his actions and words remained perpetually in as just an equality as do the nights and days under the Equinoctial so mild that he not onely desired to save the living but also to raise the dead so mercifull that all the miseries of the poor which came to him went no further than himself so just that he made a golden Age of his Kingdom so much he obliged the Church that it seemed his hands were fatal to overthrow all the monsters of heresie as are the Eunomians Encratites Macedonians Novatians Donatists Nestorians and other such like and how much the more he endeavoured to advance the Kingdom of God in stopping all impiety with incomparable zeal so much the more God who maketh Kings to reign established his scepter causing the Heavenly powers to fight for him and holding the winds and tempests at command in his favour Witness the notable victory he obtained against Roylas who having passed Danubius with all the forces of Scythia and Russia came pouring like a furious torrent upon Constantinople God so stayed this Barbarian in favour of his well-beloved Theodosius that he turned him into ashes with a thunder-stroke and blasted his whole Army by the violence of horrible tempests On the other side Baravanes King of Persia Notable victory breaking the treaty of peace came into the field with innumerable forces to swallow the Eastern Empire associated with Alamondar the Saracen King who drew along with him no less than an hundred thousand men and all this was scattered in an instant a panick terrour being crept into the disorder of this vast Army This is to teach those who make no account of Princes if they be not hot-spurs rash and many times impious what a devout Emperour can do But since there is no beauty in creatures so perfect Defects of the Emperour which is not soyled with some blemish it cannot be denied but that this excellent Prince had as others his defects Among the rest he is blamed not to have used sufficient industry in affairs but to suffer himself through too much facility to fall into the complacence of others humours He sometimes signed dispatches without wel examining them through overmuch confidence in those who were much conversant about him and being of a singular integrity measured all others by himself Pulcheria his sister to correct this negligence resolved Rare act of Pulcheria to correct the hasty precipitation of her brother one day to draw a transaction in formal and express terms by which Theodosius gave and consigned into her hands his wife Eudoxia to use and handle her at her pleasure He without reading the contents of the writing presented unto him according to his custom let his pen run and signed it Pulcheria wisely made use of this her grant for gently leading the Empress into her chamber she there held her as a prisoner The other demanding the reason this transaction was produced signed by the hand of her husband The good Queen knew not what to think and shewed rather a disposition of offence than laughter Notwithstanding her complaints she was held in captivity and Theodosius asking where the Empress his wife was it was answered she was in the Princess his sisters chamber She is in good company saith he but I wonder what tedious business can keep them so long together Go bid her come hither He was so passionately affected that the hours he spent without beholding her seemed years unto him A Gentleman deputed thereto bare this message to Pulcheria She persisting in her game with a serious countenance sendeth word to the Emperour he should not expect her and that she was not at his command Theodosius was amazed at these words and could not imagine
in good works in the Church in the hospital with the sick at a Sermon who was most exact in not giving orders nor benefices but to persons very capable and of good life who never did any matter important without communicating it to the Pope and his Cardinals whom he as an Oracle honoured These are the words of this fore-mentioned Authour which seem to have very little bulk but much weight Is it not sufficient to make you undertake by necessity that which you cannot refuse without crime No longer think upon piety as a thing impossible and do not like ill Physitians who make the sick despair of health because they cannot cure them These latter Ages are not so barren of good men who are most excellent plants in the orchard of Almighty God but that it hath born and doth still produce plenty of good Prelates who honour their profession by the merit of their virtues If you cast your eye upon those whom the nearness of time doth make us as it were almost to touch you shall behold a Cardinal George of Amboyse who was marvellously potent but employed all his power to the maintenance of the Church and State and never sought to be great but to oblige inferiours nor approach to the Court but there most gloriously to serve his Prince A Zimenes Archbishop of Toledo who amidst the magnificence of Court retained the austerity of a Religious man who was such an enemy of pomp and ostentation that he hath been seen to visit his Diocess on foot without train or attendance who employed his ample revenues to make war against Sarazens build Monasteries found Universities imprint those admirable Bibles in many languages which are the treasures of all the Libraries in the world A Pool who was not onely free from the ambitions and avarice of the world but made as small an account of his body as of his shirt since he being violently persecuted by King Henry the Eight plainly said that for defence of the faith he would as willingly disarray himself of life as of his habit and would ever be as ready to enter into his tomb as into his bed to sleep You shall there behold the four Cardinals of Bourbon who have equalled their virtues to the bloud of Kings and the purple of their sacred Colledge The great Cardinal of Lorain who hath had the honour to anoint three of our Kings with his own hands to assist in their Councels to enlighten them with the rays of his spirit to defend them by his fidelity fortifying his hand from his tendrest youth for the conservation of the State In all these pomps he wore austerity under scarlet he preached and ardently cathechized the most simple of his Diocess he supported as an adamantine pillar the faith which was both in France and Germanie so shaken by the unspeakable disorder of the times he received the remannts of the English shipwrack with most pious liberality he instituted Religious Orders he raised Seminaries he on every side armed against impiety A Cardinal of Tournon who served four Kings to wit Francis the First Henry the Second Francis the Second Charles the Ninth and that in France and Rome in all the most important affairs being likewise Arbitratour of the great Potentates of the earth with a most remarkeable loyalty a prudence inestimable a courage invincible A Baronius who hath eternized himself by the endeavour of his hands a thousand times more honourable than all the Monarchs of Aegypt in their rich Marbles Pyramids and Obelisks But from whence think you have the large blessings of his labours proceeded but from a most innocent life which was as the Sun without blemish but from a most ardent charity which caused him for the space of nine whole years to visit hospitals morning and evening to help the necessities of the poor but from a most singular piety which wasting his life in the fervour of his prayers consumed also his revenues with good works in most sacred liberalities A Tolet a Religious man out of Order who raised to the dignity of a Cardinal employed the most part of the hours of day and night in prayer living on nothing almost but herbs and pulse fasting the saturdays with bread and water and adding a particular Lent besides the ordinary to the honour of the most glorious Virgin Mary as the Reverend Father Hilarian de Costa observeth in the Treatise of his life Cardinal D'Ossat writing to Monsieur Villeroy affordeth him the titles of sanctity learning prudence integrity worth fidelity and saith it is an admirable thing to see the handy-work of God in raising this great man for advancement of the affairs of France and absolution of the late King of most famous memory And the great Cardinal Peron in a letter he wrote to this triumphant Monarch dated the second of September in the year 1595. saith among other things speaking of the negotiation of Tolet upon this affair Besides that he hath renounced all worldly respects to embrace the equity and justice of your cause that he hath shut up his eyes from the natural obligation of his Prince Countrey Parents that he hath trampled under foot all sorts of menaces promises and temptations he hath also taken so much pain both of body and mind upon this treaty that we much wonder he shrunk not under the burden combating sometimes by writing sometime by conference with those who were opposite removing and animating such as were stupid and in sum carrying this business with such zeal and constancy that your Majesty could not hope for so many trials not to say so many master-pieces yea miracles from the most affectionate and couragious of all your servants Behold the testimony of a most untainted Prelate I say nothing of the excellent Bellarmine nor of that prime man among the learned the most illustrious Peron nor of the great light of sanctity my Lord Bishop of Geneva whose lives are printed I likewise behold most eminent personages on the Theater of France who as celestial bodies have sufficient height and lustre and are of ability to exercise a pen more powerfull than mine but since I have put my self upon limits not to speak here of any man now living I better love to resemble those who being not of stature able to affix crowns on the head of the Suns statue burnt flowers to it to make their odour mount to the Heavens So since I cannot crown their merit with humane praise I will offer up prayers and vows for their prosperities with all submission due to their eminent qualities As it is not my humour profusely to enlarge upon the panegyricks of the living so is it not my intention to insert all the dead in this little Treatise If you seek for those who speak and write purposely Greg. pastoral curae lib. c. 4. you will be overwhelmed with a main cloud of witnesses which will shew you men who have been greater than Kingdoms who have parallel'd the
S. Ambrose speaketh to the souls of his two pupils happy gone as you are out of the desert of this world dwell now in the everlasting delights of God united in Heaven as you have been on earth If my prayers have any force before God I will not let a day pass of my life that I remember you not I will not make a praier wherein I insert not the names of my dearest Pupils Gratian and Valentinian In the silence of the night the apple of mine eyes shall be waking and full of tears for you and as often as I approach to Altars my sacrifices shall mount to Heaven in the odour of sweetness By my will dearest children if I could have given my life for yours I should have found consolation for all my sorrows Then turning himself to his sisters those mournfull turtles whom this good Prince had so passionately loved that in consideration of them he deferred his own marriage fearing lest the love of a wife might diminish his charity towards them the good Bishop thus spake unto them My holy daughters I will not bereave you of tears this were to be over ignorant in the resentments of your hearts I wish that you bewail your brother but bemoan him not as lost he shall live more than ever in your eyes in your breasts in your hearts in your embracements in your kisses in your memorie in your praiers nor shall any thing draw him from your thoughts but you ought now to consider him with a quite other visage not as a man mortal for whom you were ever in fear but as an Angel in whom you dread nothing An Angel who will assist comfort and hold you day and night in his protection The seventeenth SECTION The tyranny of Eugenius and notable libertie of S. Ambrose IN the mean while Eugenius drawn from the school to the Throne of Monarchs to serve as a specious game for the fortune of the times changeth his ferula into a scepter and makes himself an Emperour like the ice of one night The faithless man who had been a Christian shutting up his eyes then from all consideration of piety and onely opening them to the lustre of this unexpected greatness made himself an arm of towe forsaking the direction of God to support in humane policie He put all his hope in the sword of Arbogastus and counsel of Flavianus a Gentleman of prime quality and much versed in judicial Astrologie who promised him a golden fortune if he would leave Christian Religion to re-advance the worship of false gods towards which Eugenius blinded with his presumption discovered great inclinations He chose the Citie of Milan to begin the web of his wicked purposes where S. Ambrose did not desire him not through fear of his arms but for the horrour he had conceived of his sacriledges The false Emperour failed not to write to the holy Bishop to require his friendship which he would make use of to support his authoritie but holy Ambrose shewed so generous a contempt of his letters that he deigned not so much as to make answer untill such time that being informed how Eugenius under-hand favoured the Sect of Pagans having already allowed them this Altar of Victorie for which so many battels had been fought he wrote to him a most couragious letter where not touching his election nor affairs of State as then not well known he reprehendeth him for his impietie and said among other things I ow the retreat which I made from Milan not attending Epist Ambros ad Eugenium you to the fear of God which shall perpetually be the rule of my actions The grace of our Saviour shall ever be more precious with me than that of Caesars nor will I at any time flatter a man to betray my conscience I wrong no person if I render to God that which is due to him and I profit all men when I conceal not a truth from great-ones I understand you have granted to Pagans that which constantly hath been denied by Catholick Emperours God knoweth all the secrets of your heart It is a very ill business if you unwilling to be beguiled by men think to deceive God who seeth all that is to be done even to nothing The Gentiles who so much have importuned you to satisfie their passion taught you to be urgent to make a good refusal of that which you cannot give but with committing sacriledge I am no Controller of your liberalities but an interpreter of your faith Give of your treasures what ever you think good I envie no man but you shall not give any thing of the rights of God which I will not resist with the utmost extent of my power You make a goodly matter to present offerings to Jesus Christ you will find few that make account of these dissimulations every man hereafter will regard not what you do but what you have a will to do As for my part I enter not now into consideration of your estate but if you be true Emperour you will begin with the service of the divine Majestie This is it which I cannot hide from you because my life and flatterie are two things incompatible As for the rest the Emperour Theodosius seeing the tyrannie of Eugenius in a readiness well foresaw necessitie must needs put arms into his hands to be mannaged with pietie Whilest the infamous Eugenius made slaughter of beasts amusing himself on the consideration of their entrails from thence to judge the events of war the brave Theodosius prostrated himself before the Altars of the living God covered Theodosius maketh the Court holy with hair-cloth imploring the assistance of Saints for his succour and all the prayers of souls the most purified which at that time lived within Monasteries He departed from Constantinople with these aids causing the Standard of the Cross to march before him Eugenius was alreadie encamped on the Alps to hinder the passage of his adversarie and had in a manner covered them with Statues of false Gods as of Jupiter and Hercules so bestial was this man The Emperour seeing he needs must fight commanded Gaynes Colonel of the Goths who led the vanguard to break the trenches of his enemies which he quickly did but they being yet very fresh and having a notable advantage of place taken by them sustained the first assault with much resolution and infinite loss on the Emperours part for it is thought that Gaynes who was a valiant Captain in his own person yet too wilfully opinionative to force this passage of the Alps lost there about ten thousand men which were killed like flies so that needs a retreat must be made very shamefull for Theodosius his army Eugenius whose head was not made for a diadem thinking the whole business ended after so great a slaughter of his enemies was so puffed up with this success that he rather thought how to glorifie his victorie than foresee his defence The sage Emperour on the other
bodies of his servants and Nilus overflowing with the bloud of his French himself surprized and taken by his enemies and led into the Sultan's Tent among clamours out-cries infernal countenāces of Sarazens and all the images of death able to overwhelm a soul of the strongest temper notwithstanding though his heart were steeped as a sponge in a sea of dolours and compassion ever making use of reason he entered into the Barbarians pavillion not at all changing colour and as if he had returned from his walk in the garden of his palace he asked his pages for his book of prayers and taking it disposed himself to pay the usual tribute of his oraisons in a profound tranquility of mind which I conceive to be very rare since there needeth oftentimes but the loss of a trifle to stay devotion which is not yet arrived to the point of solidity But if you therein seek for a perfect humility consider what passed in the Councel of Lyons and see how he laboured to depose the Emperour Frederick the second who was ruined in reputation in the opinion of almost all the world Other Princes who have not always their hands so innocent but that they readily invade the goods of others when some religious pretext is offered them would have been very ambitious to be enstalled in his place whom they meant to despoil but the universal consent of great men judged this throne could not be worthily supplied but by this great King yet he notwithstanding declined it as a wise Pilot would a rock and thought better to choose the extremity of all evils of the world among Sarazens than to mount to the Empire by such ways But that which is most considerable in the matter we handle may be observed in his valour never weakened by his great devotion for he was one of the most couragious Princes in a cold temperature with reason that was then under Heaven It was courage which taking him from the sweet tranquility of a life wholly religious caused him to leave a Kingdom replenished with peace contentment and delights to go to a land of Sarazens live in all incommodities imaginable to nature It was courage which caused him so many times to expose his royal and valiant person not onely to the toyls of a desperate voyage but to the strokes also of most hazardous battels witness when at his arrival in Aegypt the coast being all beset with Sarazens very resolute to hinder the passage of his ship he threw himself first of all from the ship into the water where he was plunged up to the shoulders with his target about his neck and sword in hand as a true spectacle of magnanimity to all his Army which encouraged by the example came to the land as the King had commanded The greatness of the sun is measured by a small shadow on the earth and there many times needeth but very few words to illustrate a great virtue So many excellent pens have written upon his brave acts and made them so well known to all the world that it were to bring light into day to go about to mention them If some say He is to be a pattern for Kings and Divers Ladies excellent in piety Lords Ladies who should manure devotion as an inheritance for their sex shall never want great lights and worthy instructions if they will consider those who being more near to our Age should make the more impression upon their manners If we speak of the endeavour of prayer look upon See the reverend Father Hilarion of Costa Barbe Zopoly Queen of Polonia who continuing days and nights in prayer all covered over with fackcloth affixed good success to the standards of the King her husband and for him gained battels If account be made of the chastity of maidens and sequestration from worldly conversation reflect on Beatrix du Bois who being one of the most beautifull creatures of her time and seeing the innocent flames of her eyes too easily enkindled love in the hearts of those who had access to her put her self upon so rough a pennance for others sin that she was fourty years without being seen or to have seen any man in the face If you speak of modesty let wanton Courtiers behold Antonietta de Bourbon wife of Claudius first Duke of Guize who after the death of her husband was clothed in serge and went continually amongst the poor with her waiting-women to teach them the practise of alms If charity be magnified toward persons necessitous cast your eye upon Anne of Austria Queen of Poland who accustoming to serve twelve poor people every munday the very same day she yielded her soul up to God when she had scarcely so much left as a little breath on her lips asked she might once more wait on the poor at dinner and that death might close her eyes when she opened her hands to charity If the instruction of children be much esteemed fix your thoughts upon Anne of Hungarie mother of eleven daughters and admire her in the midst of her little company as the old Hen-Nightingale giving tunes and proportions of the harmony of all virtues and so breeding these young creatures that they all prospered well with excellent and worthy parts If you delight in the government of a family which is one of the chiefest praises of married women take direction from Margaret Dutchess of Alencon who governed the whole family with so much wisdom that order which is the beauty of the world found there all its measures and that if the domestick servants of other Lords and Ladies are known by their liveries she caused hers to be known by their modestie If you desire austerities look with reverence on the hair-cloth and nails of Charlotte de Bourbon the Kings great Grand-mother and behold with admiration Frances de Batarnay who during a widow-hood of three-score years was twenty of them without ever coming into bed If you praise chast widows who can pass without an Elogie Elizabeth widow of Charls the ninth who in a flourishing youth being much courted by all the great Monarchs of the world answered That having been the widow of a Charls of France she had concluded all worldly magnificencies and that nothing more remained for her but to have Jesus Christ for a spouse And verily she spent the rest of her days in a conversation wholly Angelical amongst religious women whom she had founded If constancy in the death of kinred have place let the lesson be hearkened unto which Magdalen wife of Gaston de Foix gave who having seen the death of a husband whom she loved above all the world and afterward of an onely son remaining the total support of her house made her courage to be as much admired among the dead as her love was esteemed among the living And what stile would not be tired in so great a multitude of holy and solid devotions and who can but think the choise becometh hard by
abundance unless we will say such as have been the most persecuted were the most eminent Where it seems it is an act of the Divine Providence to have many times given to vicious and faithless husbands the best wives Good wives of bad husbands in the world as Mariamne to Herod Serena to Diocletian Constantia to Licinius Helena to Julian the Apostate Irene to Constantinus Copronymus Theodora to the Emperour Theophilus Theodelinda to Uthar Thira to Gormondus King of Denmark Charlotte de Albret to Caesar Borgia Catherine to Henrie of England Katherine of England Flor. Remond This Ladie was infinitely pious yea beyond limit It is good to be devout in marriage and not to forget she is a married wife much way must be given to the humours of a husband much to the care of children and family and sometimes to loose God at the Altar to find him in houshold cares But this Queen onely attended the affairs of Heaven and had already so little in her of earth that she shewed in all her deportments to bemade for another manner of Crown than that of Great Brittain She for the most part shut her self up in the Monasteries of Virgins and rose at mid-night to be present at Mattins She was clothed from five of the clock not decked like a Queen but contented with a simple habit saying The best time should be allowed to the soul since it is the better part of our selves When she had the poor habit of Saint Francis under her garments which she commonly ware she reputed her self brave enough The Fridays and Saturdays were ever dedicated by her to abstinence but the Eves of our Ladies feasts she fasted with bread and water she failed not to confess on wednesdays and fridays and in a time when Communions were very seldom she had recourse thereunto every sunday In the fore-noon she continued six hours in prayer after dinner she read two whole hours the lives of Saints and speedily returned to Church from whence she departed not till night drave her thence This was to eat honey and Manna in abundance in a condition which had too strong ties for the earth to be so timely an inhabitant of Heaven Whilest she led this Angelical life her husband young and boyling overflowed in all sorts of riot and in the end came to this extremity as to trample all laws both divine and humane under foot to repudiate his lawfull wife who brought him children to serve as pledges of marriage and wed Anne of Bollen Since this love which made as it were but one tomb of two parts of the world never have we seen any more dreadfull The poor Princess who was looked on by all Christendom as a perfect model of all virtue was driven out of her Palace and bed amidst the tears and lamentations of all honest men and went to Kimbolton a place in commodious and unhealthy whilest another took possession both of the heart and scepter of the King So that here we may behold virtue afflicted and a devotion so constant that the ruins of fortune which made all the world tremble were unable to shake it She remained in her solitude with three waiting-women and four or five servants a thousand times more content than had she lived in the highest glory of worldly honour and having no tears to bewail her self she lamented the miseries she left behind her There is yet a letter left which she wrote to her husband a little before her death plainly shewing the mild temper of her heart and the force of devotion which makes the most enflamed injuries to be forgotten to procure conformity to the King of the afflicted who is the mirrour of patience as he is the reward of all sufferers My King and dearest spouse Insomuch as already the hour of my death approcheth the love and affection I bear you causeth me to conjure you to have a care of the eternal salvation of your soul which you ought to prefer before mortal things or all worldly blessings It is for this immortal spirit you must neglect the care of your bodie for the love of which you have thrown me head-long into many calamities and your own self into infinite disturbances But I forgive you with all my heart humbly beseeching Almightie God he will in Heaven confirm the pardon I on earth give you I recommend unto you our most dear Mary your daughter and mine praying you to be a better Father to her than you have been a husband to me Remember also the three poor maids companions of my retirement as likewise all the rest of my servants giving them a whole years wages besides what is due that so they may be a little recompenced for the good service they have done me protesting unto you in the conclusion of this my letter and life that my eyes love you and desire to see you more than any thing mortal Henrie the eight notwithstanding his violence read this letter with tears in his eyes and having dispatched a Gentleman to visit her he found death had already delivered her from captivity X. MAXIM Of PROPER INTEREST THE PROPHANE COURT THE HOLY COURT Every understanding man should do all for himself as if he were his own God and esteem no Gospel more sacred than his Proper Interest That proper Interest is a tyranny framed against the Divinitie and that a man who is the God of himself is a devil to the rest of the world THis Maxim of the Prophane Court is the source of all evils the very plague of humane life and one may say it is the Trojan horse which beareth fire and sword saccage and rapine in its entrails From thence proceed ambition rebellion sacriledge rapine Disloyalties that spring from this marim concussion ingratitude treacherie and in a word all that which is horrid in nature Self-love which should be contained within the limits of an honest preservation of ones self flieth out as a river from his channel and with a furious inundation covereth all the land it overthrows all duty and deep drencheth all respect of honesty Men who have renounced piety if they peradventure see themselves to be strong and supported with worldly enablements acknowledge no other Gods but themselves They imagine the Jupiter of Poets was made as they they create little Sultans and there is not any thing from whence they derive not tribute to make their imaginary greatness encrease When this blindness happeneth in persons very eminent it is most pernicious for then is the time when not being awed by the fear of a God Omnipotent they turn the world upside down to satisfie miserable ambition And such Princes there have been who have rather profusely lost the lives of thirty thousand subjects than suffered so much land to be usurped upon them as were needfull for their tomb Others whom birth hath not made Caesars extend Practise of worldly men Ingratitude their petty power what they may They observemen sound
give the world notice of their offering and to conclude were so great self-lovers that they made Epitaphs even upon their dogs specifying their age qualities and conditions These are testimonies of a soul very frivolous and destitute of all Humility The tenth SECTION Of evil Conversation EVil Conversation is the worst of all as is that of the Harsh who make themselves unsociable in company that of the Opinionated who bear for their motto It is so and It is not so ever contradicting even the clearest truths that of the Crafty and Deceitfull who endeavour to discover all the secrets of others whilest they disguise themselves with a mask of dissimulation and intricate speech feigning ignorance of what they know knowledge of what they are ignorant forgetfulness of promise good will to those they would circumvent and many such like That of the Proud who scorn and despise all but themselves That of the Cholerick who are displeased upon every accident That of Scoffers Buffons and Slanderers who are obscene biting and offensive in all occasions It were a long business to examine all these particularly and I had freely unfolded them in a Treatise of Manners and Passion wherein I hoped to give the Reader satisfaction but that the design of this little book diverted me It were to small purpose to make so long a work of it and it is always better to conclude well than to enlarge ill The eleventh SECTION The Conditions of good Conversations I Tell you in brief S. Bernard Thomas Aquinas and other learned men are of opinion that in Conversation we ought to be affable and pleasing yet not too familiar nor inquisitive into other mens business not suspicious not light not riotous not discontented not affected not imperious not cross not exceptious not jeering not freâ—full not triviall not churlish not too ceremonious not too talkative not too soft and compliant not cholerick not too reserved not proud not vain all those through vanity which is onely rich in fooleries discourse perpetually of themselves as if they were deities But we must govern our selves with great discretion and modesty we must play but not debase our selves laugh but not to excess take recreation but not to effeminacy be constant but not obstinate prudent but not crafty simple but not stupid concealing ill furthering good correcting our own faults by those we dislike in others always bringing home some fruit from this garden of Graces and if acquainted with any secret fit to be concealed we must make our breast its tomb You will find there are ordinarily five qualities which make conversation pleasant The first is an obliging way which sweetly scattereth benefits from which in their due time and place spring up recompences This desire of doing good to all the world is a bait we must keep ever in the water for by it men are taken more easily than fishes And such there have been who by giving a glass of water opportunely have obtained a Kingdom as we see in the story of Thaumastus and King Agrippa The second Affability joyned with a grace and sweet behaviour which hath a most powerfull charm over souls naturally enclined to honesty To do good and not to do it handsomely is nothing A benefit given with grudging is a stony loaf onely taken for necessity The third a quick and wary prudence to discern the dispositions capacities manners humours affections and aims of those with whom we converse and to suit our carriage to every mans temper The fourth Humility without sottishness or servile baseness which teacheth to yield to reason and not to presume upon our own strength The fifth whereof we have already spoken is a discreet Patience to bear with men and business unmoved so that you may keep your heart always in a good posture even in unexpected and thorny accidents He that understands this mystery well deserves to command men being here placed by virtue in a degree next the Angels A good rule for conversing well is to propose unto your self for pattern one of a perfect conversation So S. Augustine referred those that desired to profit in virtue to the conversation of S. Paulinus Vade in Campaniam disce Paulinum But the most effectuall precept is to think how the Incarnate Word would converse if he were in our room by his example we shall do as Joseph in Aegypt of whom the Scripture Psal 105. according to the Hebrew phrase saith he tied the Princes of Pharaoh's Court about his heart The Reverend Gontery a man of great Judgement and no less virtue hath written a little Treatise of Conversation wherein he descendeth very far to particulars He that will read it shall find wise instructions in it The twelfth SECTION Conclusion of the Diary AT night before you go to bed you are to make the examen of Conscience which is the little Consistory of the soul as Philo terms it where having given thanks to God and invoked his holy grace you must recall your thoughts your words your actions your faults and neglects to account that you may see the gain the loss and reckonings of that day to further good to correct evil remitting the one to your own discretion and the other to Gods mercy Esteem this saying of S. Bernard in his book of the the Interiour house as an oratle that one of the chiefest mirrours to behold God in is a reasonable soul which finds it self out There we must seat the Conscience in a Throne with a Sceptre in her hand and all passions and imperfections at her feet There she must take the liberty to say to you Wicked servant thou hast lost a day what sluggishness at thy rising what negligence in labour how great words how little works Why this curious questioning this rash judgement these wandering eyes these straying thoughts Should you have been angry for so slight a cause upon such an occasion should you so freely have censured and murmured at the actions of another should you have taken your refection so sensually and sought your ease in and by all things so greedily and so of the rest If by the grace of God you shall find some kind of virtues yet must you well pick and sift them as the perfume which was to be set before the Tabernacle to present them before the face of God and say in conclusion with all humility as the devout Southwell Quod fui Domine ignosce quod sum corrige quod ero dirige O Lord forgive what I have been correct what I am direct what I shall be This done say some vocall prayer to shut the day up happily with some acts of contrition of faith of hope of supplication for your self and friends Say here O Light of the Children of light bright day which hast no evening The world is buried in the darkness of night and this day quite finished wherein I see as in a little Map how my life shall end O God what benefits do I see in it
on thy part what ingratitudes on mine Preserve me in what is thine and wash away with the precious bloud of thy Son what is mine Shelter me under the wings of thy protection from so many shadows apparitions and snares of the father of darkness and grant that though sleep close my eys yet my heart may never be shut to thy love Lastly fall asleep upon some good thought that your night as the Prophet saith may be enlightened with the delights of God and if you chance to have any interruption of sleep supply it with ejaculatory prayers and elevations of heart as the just did of old called for this reason The crickets of the night Thus shall you lead a life full of honour quiet and satisfaction to your self and shall make every day a step to Eternity The marks which may amongst others give you good hope of your predestination are eleven principall 1. Faith lively simple and firm 2. Purity of life exempt ordinarily from grievous sins 3. Tribulation 4. Clemency and mercy 5. Poverty of spirit disengaged from the earth 6. Humility 7. Charity to your neighbour 8. Frequentation of the blessed Sacrament 9. Affection to the word of God 10. Resignation of your own mind to the will of your Sovereign Lord. 11. Some remarkable act of virtue which you have upon occasion exercised You will find this Diary little in volume but great in virtue if relishing it well you begin to put it in practice It contains many things worthy to be meditated at leisure for they are grave and wise precepts choisely extracted out of the moral doctrine of the Fathers Though they seem short they cost not the less pains Remember that famous Artist Myrmecides employed more time to make a Bee than an unskilfull workman to build a house EJACULATIONS FOR THE DIARY In the Morning MY voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Psal 5. 3. Thou shalt make thy face to shine upon me and all the beasts of the forest shall gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens Psal 184. 22. My dayes are like the dayes of an hireling Untill the day break and the shadows flie away Job 7. 1. Cant. 4. 6. Beginning a good work In the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Psal 40. 7. 8. In good Inspirations The Lord God hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned away back Isaiah 50. 5. At Church How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hosts Psal 84. 1. Before reading Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Samuel 3. 9. Speaking My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King Psal 45. 1. Eating Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Psal 145. In Prosperity If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth If I prefer not thee above my chief joy Psal 137. 6. Adversity The Lord killeth and maketh alive 1 Sam. 2. 6. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Job 2. 10. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glorie Luke 24. 26. Troubles Surely man walketh in a vain shew surely they are disquieted in vain Psal 39. 6. Calumnies If I pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. Praises Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glorie Psal 115. 1. Against vain hope As a dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their image Psalm 73. 20. Pride Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased Luke 14. 11. Covetousness It is more blessed to give than to receive Acts 20. 35. Luxury Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ 1. Cor. 6. 15. Envy He that loveth not his brother abideth in death 1 John 3. 14. Gluttony The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink Rom. 14. 17. Anger Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Matth. 11. 29. Sloth Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Jer. 48. 10. Rules of Faith God cannot be known but by himself What is to be understood of God is to be learned by God Hilar lib. 5. de Trin. God doth not call us to the blessed life by hard questions In simplicity must we seek him in piety profess him Idem lib. 10. Remove not the ancient bounds which thy fathers have set Prov. 22. 28. Many are the reasons which justly hold me in the bosom of the Catholick Church Consent of people and nations Authority begun by miracles nourished by hope encreased by charity confirmed by antiquity August lib. De utilitate credendi To dispute against that which the universal Church doth maintenance is insolent madness Idem Epist 118. Let us follow universality antiquity consent Let us hold that which is believed every where always by all Vincentius Lyrinensis De profanis vocum novitatibus Acts of Faith Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief Marc. 9. 24. I know that my Redeemer liveth c. Job 19. 25. Hope Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me Psal 24. 4. I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him Psal 90. 15. Charity Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psal 73. 25 26. Feed me O Lord thy suppliant with the continual influence of thy Divinity This I request this I desire that vehement love may throughly pierce me fill me and change me into it self Blosius PRAYERS for all Persons and occasions For the Church WE beseech thee O Lord graciously to accept the prayers of thy Church that she being delivered from all adversitie and errour may serve thee in safety and freedom through Jesus Christ our Lord. For the King WE beseech thee O Lord that thy servant CHARLS by thy gracious appointment our King and Governour may be enriched with all encrease of virtue whereby he may be able to eschew evil and to follow Thee the Way the Truth and the Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. For a Friend ALmighty and ever-living Lord God have mercy upon thy servant N. and direct him by thy goodness into the way of eternall salvation that through thy grace he may desire those things which please thee and with his whole endeavour perform the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. For Peace O God from whom all holy desires all good counsels and all just works do proceed give unto us thy servants that peace which the world cannot give that both our hearts may be set
love which drowneth all humane thoughts which swalloweth all earthly affections which flieth to the superiour region of man which hideth all that is eminent in sciences transcendent in virtue great in imagination and which causeth the spirit to forget it self and to look on nothing but heaven § 12. The Practise of Divine Love THe love of God is a science inspired not studied where the infusion of the Holy Ghost is more eloquent then all Tongues and more learned then all Pens That which comes to us by art oft-times begins very late and quickly endeth That which is given us by the favour of heaven comes very readily and never is dost Those who think to learn the love of God by precepts onely croak like Ravens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Pindarus and have nothing solid such as have it by grace are Angels who are raised into the highest region and poize themselves on their wings Grave discourses and good books fail not to contribute much to this purpose as we lately may have tried by the treatise which the R. F. Stephen Binet hath published fully replenished with the holy ardours of extraordinary devotion and which seem to have been dictated by love it self and conceived in that fire which Jesus came to enkindle on earth to enflame the whole world If then you desire to profit in this love let your endeavour The means to acquire the love of God be continually to beg it of God with the most fervent prayers which the holy Ghost shall suggest to esteem it above all worldly things and to apply all your actions to this happy conquest Be ye very carefull to cut off from your heart all impediments which may give it any obstacle for if you should imagine to entertain it in a soul sullied with terrestriall affections it were to ask a most precious Quot vitia habemus tot recentes habemus Deos Hieron Balm to put it in an unclean vessel We have as many Idolls in our heart as passions opposite to the law of God Be not satisfied with taking away vices but stifle the remembrance of worldly things which may in you occasion any exorbitancy Withdraw your mind as much as you can from a thousand imaginations which fly as aiery spirits about your heart when it begins to take wings to its repose Perplex not your self likewise more then is reason with affairs both spirituall and temporall which cause a thousand cares to arise and onely serve to quench the vigour of devotion and to draw out the juice of piety Fly acerbities of heart apprehensions and servitudes accustoming your self to do all with a spirit of sweetnesse and holy liberty Consequently make a practise of the love of God The practise of the love of God undertaking it with a resolute purpose a great application of mind and employing all possible industries to profit therein as one would in affecting some great bargain some very considerable office or affair most important For it is a very unworthy thing to behold all despicable Trades full of artisans who kill themselves How we may earn to love God above the love of the world Jnhonestos amatores ostendite si quis amore foeminae lasciviens vestit se aliter quà m amatae placet Aug. ler. 19. de verbis Apost to find out inventions that may set forth the profession and that onely the occupation of the love of God should have workmen so lazy and unnaturall After all following the counsel of S. Augustine consider what the children of darknesse often do to prosper in worldly loves and amities They strive to insinuate themselves by some good office they consider on every side the person of him of whom they would be beloved they study his nature his inclinations his desires his affairs and they oblige him ere he is aware in what he desireth most Are they entred into his amity they persist in the practise of great assiduities they have entertainments and admirable correspondencies they delight they serve they mingle the recreative with the serious They apply all they see all they think upon all they invent all they hope all they possesse all they say all they write to the contentment of this creature They draw tribute out of all for it and if it be possible will give it its hearts-wish in all things They transform themselves into its humours and likings They espouse its loves enmities quarrels and revenges They publish its virtues with discretion conceal its favours they have tricks to pacifie its anger to stir up its languours to open its heart to hold their possession and if it be needfull will passe through ten purgatories of fire ice tears bloud torrents seas enflamed serpents gnawing vultures to arrive at one of its pretentions O reproch that all this is done for a frivolous worldly love which oftentimes is the Hangman of life the gulf of Reason the Hell of souls and that there is none but Jesus for whom they will not so much ss stir a finger Make a resolution to insinuate your self into his friendship by some notable Act which you know to be acceptable to him and which he already hath required of you by so many inspirations Enter into his house and into his bosome render him assiduity in your prayers your meditations your communions and in all your exercises of devotion Learn to speak to him every hour by jaculatory prayers as one would to some friend tenderly loved and vehemently affected Referre all creatures to his love and love nothing but him but in him but for him publish his greatnesse every where make a thousand instruments of his glory but conceal his favours by a profound humility Behold men your like as his images Engrave all his words all his actions all his wounds in the bottome of your heart make your selves like him as much as you may bear him on your flesh suffering for him not onely with patience but alacrity through a desire of conformity Behold the principall means by which one may come to the love of God and to the unitive way Observe there withall the three Conditions which S. Bernard prescribeth to wit to love sweetly prudently strongly sweetly without violence prudently without illusion strongly without separation But there being nothing which more forcibly moveth That we learn to love God himself and by the character of his substance which is Jesus In medio animalium splendor ignis de igne fulgur egrediens Ezekiel 1. the soul then Example I advise you often to present unto your self the love of God and Jesus Christ which should be the source of ours and to make a sacred posy to your self of all the lovers who were most vehement in Divine Love Reflect O Christian soul upon the chariot of Cherubins in Ezechiel and thou shalt learn what God would have of thee I see saith the Prophet a clear and bright fire in the midst of these living Creatures and from
forasmuch as he was most Catholick and that they feared lest the Chamberlain and his favourite held yet some of the leven of Anastasius that was an Heretick The Cow-herd being then set upon the Throne of Constantine Amantius that had merchandized the Empire seeing himself so shamefully faln from his pretensions plotted a mischievous conspiracy against the new Emperour but he succeeded in it so ill that his design being discovered he lost his life together with his complices after he had lost his honour and his money Justin that was endowed with a great goodnesse did not grow proud and scornful when he was arrived to the top of honours but having married a woman very mean in her first condition he caused her suddenly to be crowned Empresse changing her salvage name of Lupicia into Euphenica He consecrated the beginning of his reign by the return of the Bishops and of all the honest men which he caus'd to be call'd back from the exile to which the Heretick Emperour had condemn'd them He caus'd Religion to flourish again on all sides and express'd a most ardent zeal to render justice to his people without sparing himself in the toyles of war though he was already very aged He enjoy'd the Empire eight or nine years and being a man extreamly humble he lov'd his kindred though of base condition and seeing he had no children of his own he chose his sisters son to make him his Successour and gave him even the Crown before he quitted the Sceptre and the world after a reign of nine years Behold the originall of our Justinian of whom Histories speak very diversly seeing that the admirers of his actions give him high commendations and the enviers of his great fortune who might perhaps have experimented the effects of his severity have scatter'd imputations on him in their reviling Histories that have pass'd even to this age But the most understanding men having well examin'd every thing put him in the rank of the most illustrious Monarchs of all Christendome And indeed it is a wonder how a spirit extracted from the life and condition of a Shepherds took so high a flight in the Temple of glory that having taken in hand all the great designs that may fall into the spirit of a Monarch he prospered in all with a merveilous successe He maintein'd his dignity against the most horrible conspiracies that ever set upon an Empire in the revolution of so many Kingdomes He made wars in Asia in Europe and in Africa which he ended by most eminent victories He recovered Africa out of the hands of the Vandals he powerfully pluck'd the Capitall City of the World out of the tyranny of the Gothes he publish'd eternall Books he erected buildings that remain yet after they have passed more then ten ages He encountred the greatest Captains and the most able States-men that have been ever in the world in the person of Bellisarius and Tribonian And although that when he took the government of the Empire he was five and fourty years of age yet he reigned thirty nine years God crowning all his good actions with a long continuance which serves infinitely for the accomplishment of all great designs I will tell you in few words his Nature and his Manners before I come to his deeds of valour according to the most true relation that I have been able to extract out of Histories without passion and not according to the Idea's of Procopius who hath horribly difigur'd him by a manifest hatred in his railing History This Prince was a man that feared God and firm in the faith of Christianity and although he was at certain times surpriz'd with some errours by the artifices of his wife the Empresse yet the Learned men of the West and Pastours of the East that have so highly praised him after his death testifie sufficiently that his spirit was purged of all the wicked beliefs that his Doctours had endeavoured to infuse into his soul and which he had approved by an excesse of a too credulove zeal Hereticks and Libertines were the object of his hatred and his choler but good Churchmen caus'd in his soul a certain veneration and he studied by all wayes to assist and protect the Churches and the Hospitalls his Liberalities were extended every where in works of piety by great buildings and magnificent alms He was most chast contenting himself all his life with her that God had given him for a companion and his most violent enemies have not been able to tell us one onely womans name that hath possessed his heart to the prejucice of his Bed He could not endure wantonnesse and especially that that brings a shame to nature which he chastised with most rigorous punishments He detested and punished by his laws all those that laid snares to the modesty of Virgins and of Women to corrupt them His manner of life was extream austere and Procopius himself the most cruell of his revilers acknowledges that he was most sober and that he would cause the table to be taken away when he had scarce touched the victuals seeking nothing exquisite therein but denying oftentimes to nature even her necessities He hath seen him he sayes fast the Lents with such an austerity that the devoutest of all his people could not reach it for he would be eight and fourty hours without eating or drinking and at the end of that he drank nothing but water contenting himself with a little bread and a sallade yet he was endowed with a body so well composed and so happily temper'd that after his long abstinencies he appear'd yet ruddy from whence it came that that Calumniatour instead of acknowledging the blessing that God gives in this extraordinarily to some of his servants said That he was a Devil and not a Man Further yet he slept very little and the same man adds that often an hours repose suffised him and that he bewailed the time that he allowed his body He made long prayers night and day and employed the rest of his time in his affairs without admitting any other recreation Those that have publish'd that he could neither write nor reade have abus'd the belief of men taking the name of Justinian for that of his Uncle Justine for the Historian his persecutour confesses that he wrote his Breviats and all his dispatches without troubling his Secretaries He was of a most easie accesse to all the world and was not offended at the importunities no nor at the incivilities that those that were ignorant of the fashions of the Court committed in his presence He heard willingly the differences of his people and he himself pronounced the sentence to determine them his patience was extream he never was mov'd in handling any businesses and decreed even the most rigourous punishments with a cold visage and a tone of a moderated voyce He was a true observer of order who manag'd in his closet with incomparable justice what ere should be produc'd in the whole
fair chamber to repose her self but before she entred into it she desired a courtesie which was that she might go out before day to addresse her Prayers to the God she worshipped according to her custome and passe up and down in his Camp with all freedome which was granted to her She went therefore in the silence of the night to wash her self in a secret fountain that she might purifie her self from the commerce of those Infidels and prayed God incessantly that it would please him to prosper her design for the deliverance of her Countrey She had now passed four dayes in the Army watching an opportunity to execute that which she had projected when Holophernes would needs entertain himself with mirth and make a magnificent feast to which he resolved to invite his ghest thinking good chear and jollity would dispose her to that which he had a mind to have of her But because the Assyrians hold it a great dishonour for a man to make love to a woman and not to win her he would not hazard himself so much as to make an overture to her of such a discourse himself but gave the Commission of it to Vagoa the chief Gentleman of his chamber who used to serve him in such a businesse He failed not to make her know that she was very farre in the favour of his Master and that that very day he made a banquet and desired to see her in particular and that she should take heed of making a scruple of obeying for it was one of the greatest honours that she could receive in her whole life He added that she ought a little to be merry and passe away her time without engendring melancholy she understood well what he meant to say and answered that she was wholly disposed to obey his Lords commands and would have no other will but his and straight way adorns and dresses her self the most pleasingly she could to wound him in the eyes and so passes into her chamber As soon as he saw her alone and near him his heart was totally overthrown and it seemed that the lightning that issued out of the eyes of that beauty had crushed it to powder His passion permitted him not to speak much he was so much moved he contented himself onely with inviting her to be merry and assuring her that she had gained his heart The holy woman prayed him that it might seem good in his eyes that she might entertain her self after her own fashion and that she might eat of that which her servant had prepared for her which he consented to being willing to leave her in a full liberty that he might not scare nor trouble her Now behold him the happiest man in the whole world He drinks with large draughts makes himself exceeding merry and wonderfully pleasant whereat Judith expressed that she had a great content to see him in so good an humour and said that she had cause to reckon in time to come that day for the happiest of all her life The other to please her drank so much the more so that he made himself drunk with a dead drunkennesse It appears plainly that this man was an honest hog and took not the way to bring about his design depriving himself of reason when he had most need of it Vagoa that had the word does his office brings his Master to bed and gets him gone shutting the door to leave him alone with Judith All the servants had so well liquored themselves that they desired nothing but repose Judith alone was well awake and made a sign to her servant to stay for her before the door and not to leave her She contemplates this brave Generall who was now in a dead sleep she stands still for a certain time by his beds side praying God ardently in her silence that it would please him to accomplish by her hand that great stroke that she had destined From thence she goes to the pillar where Holophernes's Cimetre was hanged and draws it boldly out of the scabbard then layes hold of her man by his long hair saying onely in her heart My God it is now strengthen my arm and instantly having turned him for her best advantage she strikes with a masculine hand and cuts off his head at two strokes carries away his pavilion and tumbled down his body as a log She gives suddenly his head to her waiting-woman who puts it up in the same bag that she had brought her victuals in and both of them passe through the midst of the Army without being staid by any one by reason of the permission that they had from the Generall Holophernes They come by night to the gate of the city and cry afarre off to the Centinels Open God is with us that hath done wonders in Israel They run to advertise Ozias and the Priests who come in haste to receive her All the city from the highest to the lowest assemble themselves about her thinking that she had been lost and looked upon her as a woman come from the other world She causes instantly torches to be lighted and gets her up into an high place from whence they were wont to make Orations to the people and after she had made a silence she thus spake Sirs Praise God our Lord who never forsakes his own and hath through his grace accomplished this day by me his most humble servant the promise which he hath made to his chosen people for this night he hath slain by my hands the common enemy of our Nation And as she was saying this she drew out of the bag that horrible head of Holophernes pale and bloudy and shewed it to the whole Assembly adding Behold the head of Holophernes the Generall of the army of the Assyrians and then she spread abroad the pavilion saying Behold the pavilion under which he reposed himself in his drunkennesse and where God struck him by the hand of a woman I call that living God to witnesse that by the protection of his holy Angel he hath preserved me pure going and coming and in the abode which I made in the Camp without permitting any one to attempt any thing upon my honour And now he hath brought me back glad of his victory of my own safety and of your deliverance It is to him that we ought to give all the praise because his goodnesses and mercies are inexhaustible The people felt transports of joyes and seeing that head by the help of torches in the silence of the night thought that it was a dream but the multitude of those that beheld all one and the same thing present and reall made them plainly see that it was a truth They prostrate themselves all on the earth adoring the living God that was the worker of those great wonders and then turning themselves to Judith gave her a thousand blessings with triumphant acclamations protesting that she was their Mother and their Deliverer Then Ozias the Prince of the people of Israel in
of your mercyes to shine upon those poor afflicted ones You see the rage of our Enemies who have all sworn our Ruine Despise not your Inheritance that you have Redeemed from Egypt Shew your self propicious to your People that is as it were the Lot of your Empire Change our Mourning into Joy and shut not the Mouthes of those that sing your Praises This Prayer was followed unanimously by all the people But the Divine Hester on the other side shut up in her secret Closet layes aside her precious habits and all the attires of the glory that invironed her taking a mourning sute and covering her self with Ashes She was in Prayer day and night and mortified her body with Fastings and Austerities Care made those Roses of her beautifull face to wither and the places that had been the complices of her joyes were for that time watered with her tears She said to God with an amorous heart My God you know the necessity that oppresses me and you are not ignorant that I detest with all mine heart that proud Diadem that glitters upon my head when by constraint I must appear at Court I have never worn it in the Holy-dayes of my silence and of my dear solitude which I prize above all the Empires of the Earth You are not Ignorant O my Lord that since that I was transported to this Palace my heart hath never joyed in any thing but the consideration of your Blessings I am here alone and forsaken of all friends and kindred expecting no other Succour but that of your Arm. Lo I hold my Life and my Soul now in my hands to lose it for you or to save it for you Those that have resolved to pull down your Altars and to destroy the glory of your Temple are the men that have sworn our Death But give not O Lord your Sceptre and your Power to those that have no name amongst your faithfull People Make their own Arrows return upon their own faces and keep us alwayes under the Protection of your Divine Hands Seeing that I must be the Prolocutresse for the good of all your Nation and of mine Inspire me with the discourses that I ought to make in the presence of that Lyon Soften for us his heart and make him turn his gall on the side of our enemies that we may render to you our Thanksgivings and offer to you Immortall praises The third Day being expired she puts off her Mourning and adorns her self with her richest dresses to sharpen the Arrows of her Beauty which she had so worthily consecrated to the great Businesse of the preservation of her Nation And although she had an heart filled with cares about the event of an Embassage of so great importance yet she appeared with a Countenance as flourishing as the fair dawning of the Day Calming the Tempest of her Heart by the force of an invincible Spirit After she had once more invoked the Authour and Finisher of Wonders she went accompanied with two maids one of which held her up managing exactly the delicacy of her body and the other carried the Train of her Gown largely spread abroad She passes from Door to Door from Chamber to Chamber and at last arrived at the Kings who was seated on a Throne in a Sute all laid with Diamonds and a pomp unparalell'd He was ruddy of Face and had eyes very sparkling and it seemed that he took a kind of pleasure in rowling them up and down to dazle those that looked upon him by the lightnings of his Majesty At first his look appeared a little terrible to this new Wife whether he did it by an Amorous Caresse or whether he was moved with some Choler to see her enter without calling for The wise Hester knew also well enough how to play her game and to surprise where he was weak in which he thought himself most strong She used a mute Eloquence and a fear wherein there was much quaintnesse and gentlenesse of the Sex The Carnation of her checks instantly took a precious palenesse that came so opportunely as if one had called for it and as if she had been Thunder-strook with the eyes of that mighty Monarch she let her self fall down in a swoun into the bosome of the Maid that held her up This wonderfull King that desired so much to terrifie took for himself what he would give to others and felt his own heart assaulted by the fear he had lest his Countenance had wounded the heart of his dearest Spouse He quits the dreadfulnesse of a King and takes the servitude of a Lover he comes down from his Throne faster then a pase runs as well as others to ease her of her swoun and cryes aloud Hester my sister what ails you The Law that I have made is not for you but for the rest onely of my Kingdome And when she yet gave no answer to that Speech he takes his golden Sceptre gives it her to touch and handle and kisses her with a great affection conjuring her to take courage and to come again to her self Then as if she had returned from the Countrey of the Dead she spake with a languishing voyce and interrupted words saying to the King that he need not be astonished at that fear of hers for she had seen his face as the face of an Angel that he was truly Terrible but withall Lovely above all the Princes of the World so many Graces he had and beauties upon his Visage This was to take him where he was easiest to be Conquered and to better coulour yet that speech she let her self fall again upon the bosome of her servant All the Court had work enough about her and the King above all did what he could to settle her At last she came fully to her self and Ahasuerus told her That if she came to make any Request unto him she should aske boldly yea though it were even the Moitie of his Kingdome for he was now on tearms to deny her nothing It was a large promise and one would think that now was the time for her to discover her self Yet she had so much reservednesse and so great a power over her self that she advanced not yet her Businesse but waited for the hour of his Repast wherein she knew that the King Ahasuerus was ordinarily more free and merry She told him onely that she came to make a small Request unto his Majesty and most humbly to beseech him to be pleased to honour her with his Presence together with Haman at a little Banquet which she had prepared for them The King was very joyfull of it and caused Haman to be called whom he commanded to do whatsoever Hester should desire which was most pleasing to him being one that loved nothing so much as that which flattered his vain-glory They failed not to be both of them at dinner with the Queen who enterteined them very handsomely and with great Magnificence and this entertainment pleased so much her
sufficiently in the favour of the King endeavoured to destroy him in that occasion He would not suddenly forsake the Court as one scar'd but assuring himself of Gods protection he presented himself to the Captain of the Guard praying him to make some surcease upon that rigorous Edict and not to dip his hands in bloud by the death of so many men but to permit him onely to present himself to the King and he hoped to give him all content In this he shewed himself very prudent there being nothing better in troublesome affairs and very sudden then to bring some retardment whilst the spirit may give it self leasure to come to it self again and to find expediments to get out of an ill way He spake to the King expressing much compassion even for them that bore him envy and desired some delay which was very reasonable to resolve so crabbed a Question Now when he saw well that it passed the capacity of any created spirit he had recourse to the Creatour by most humble and most fervent prayers which he recommended also to his dear companions that all conspiring to the same design they might the more easily obtain the mercy and the illumination of God in so great and so profound a secret It is thus that good men proceed in all businesses of importance distrusting all their own managery if it be not directed from on high Their prayers redoubled day and night one upon the other forced heaven with a pious violence and the Dream with its Interpretation was revealed to Daniel in the midst of his most ardent Devotions He felt his spirit touched with a glimpse of the first light and saw as in a mirrour all that had passed in Nebuchadonozor's mind with such a certainty as permitted him not to doubt of it Then he was not like Archimedes who having found some secret of the Mathematicks as he was in a Bath leapt out all naked by a strange transport crying through the streets I have found it I have found it This is ordinary to spirits that have nothing in their head but vanity but holy Daniel cryes out thereon Let the name of God be blessed for ever for to him belongeth wisdome and strength It is he that distributeth wisdome to the true Sages and that bestows knowledge on those that range themselves under his Discipline It is he that reveals things hidden in the most deep abysses and knows that which is buried in the most thick darknesse and light dwells perpetually with him I praise thee and I confesse thee from the bottome of my heart the God of my fathers that hast given this strength of spirit and this understanding to penetrate the Kings secret He spake many such like words and rising from his prayer he went to seek the Captain of the Guard whom he besought to save the Sages of Babylon and to cause no more to die because he had found out the secret that was searched after by the Prince which the other received with much joy and failed not immediately to carry news of it to the King who caused Daniel to be called of whom he demanded the performance of his promise Then the Prophet using a great prudence and a singular modesty excused all the Sages of Chaldea that could not find out the Kings secret thoughts and vanted not himself to know them by his own sufficiency but by the inspiration of the God whom he adored In which he expressed a great wisdome and a generous humility not giving any praise to himself but transferring all the glory to the living God that he might work in the King an high esteem of the true Religion S. Gregory saith That those that seek their own glory in the Commission they have from God are like those that espousing in quality of proxies a wife by order of their Master would play the Husbands not contenting themselves to be simple Commissioners Daniel abhorred such proceedings because he was a Starre that would shew his Sun and would not be seen himself but by his favour He made then a large discourse to the King his master and told him his Dream which was touching that famous Statue that had an head of Gold a breast and arms of Silver a belly and thighs of Copper legs of Iron and feet partly of Iron and partly of Earth and added that whilst the King beheld it in his Dream he saw a little stone come from a great mountain that strook the feet of the Statue and tumbled it down immediately scattering the Gold the Silver the Copper the Iron and the Earth as small chaffe dissipated by a whirlewind and that that little Stone changed it self in an justant into a huge Mountain and filled the whole earth After he had so subtilly touched the Vision of the Prince making him remember all that his imagination had framed he descended to the particularities of the Interpretation and said That he was the Golden Head of that Statue God having made him a King of kings and having given him Strength Rule and Glory with a Power over the Earth inhabited by men over the birds of the air and the beasts of the field Then he advertised that after him should come a Kingdome lesse then his that should be as Silver in comparison of Gold And after that second should arise a third resembling Brasse that should command over the whole earth And after that a fourth which as Iron should subdue and break in pieces all that it should meet with And as for that that he had seen the Feet of the Statue composed of Iron and Clay it meant that there should be a great inequality and disproportion in that last Empire by reason of the mixture of very differing parts that could not be fitted well together In fine that God would raise up a Kingdome of Heaven signified by that little Stone that should crush the other Kingdomes and should remain stable to all Eternity The King was so transported with Daniel's discourse that he rose suddenly from his Throne and bending with his face to the earth worshipped him commanding that Sacrifices and Incense should be offered to him and publishing highly that his God was the God of gods and the Lord of kings to whom alone it belonged to reveal Mysteries since he could penetrate into such a secret Wisdome was never upon so high a Throne as to see the proudest of Monarchs at her feet Yet Daniel well knew how to moderate the transports of his spirit and by shewing him the nothing of the creature to draw him to the worship and honour of the Creatour which was the master of Knowledge and source of all pure Light These are the wonders of the Sovereign Monarch to consider that a young man that came to that Court as a slave should find there suddenly in the esteem of his Prince the quality of a God he was shut up continually in his chamber and his spirit walked through the whole Universe he was a
with a prodigious army against which there was no humane resistance He sent a certain man named Rabshakeh in an Embassage to King Hezekiah who vomited out blasphemies and proposed to him conditions shamefull to his reputation and impossible to all his powers All the people were in an affright expecting nothing but fire and sword The King covered with sackcloth implores the heavenly assistance and sends the chief Counsellours of his State to the Prophet Isaiah to turn away this scourge by his prayers The holy man in that confusion of affairs wherein one could not see one onely spark of light encourages him animates him and promises him unexpected effects of the mercy of God The Prophecy was not vain for in one onely night the Angel of God killed an hundred fourscore and five thousand men in the Army of the Assyrians by a stroke from heaven and a devouring fire which reduced them to dust in their guilded arms This proud King was constrained to make an ignominious retreat and being returned to Niniveh the capitall city of his Empire he was slain by his own children This is a manifest example of the amiable protection of God over the Holy Court who defended his dear Hezekiah by the intercession of the Prophet as the apple of his eyes He expressed yet another singular favour to him in a great sicknesse caused by a malignant ulcer of which according to the course of nature he should have died and therefore Isaiah went to see him and without flattering him brought him word of his last day exhorting him to put the affairs of his State in order This good King had a tender affection to life and being astonished at that news prayed God fervently with a great profusion of tears that he would have regard to the sincerity of his heart and to the good services that he had done him in his Temple and not to tear away his life by a violent death in the middle of its course The heart of the everlasting Father melted at the tears of that Prince and he advertised Isaiah who was not yet gone out of the Palace to retread his steps and carry him the news of his recovery He told him from God that he should rise again from that sicknesse and within three dayes should go up to the Temple ro render his Thanks-giving Further he promised him that his dayes should be augmented fifteen years and that he should see himself totally delivered from the fury of the Assyrians to serve the living God in a perfect tranquility The King was ravished at this happy news and desired some sign of the Divine will to make him believe an happinesse so unhoped for Isaiah for this purpose did a miracle which since Joshua had not been seen nor heard which was to make the Sun turn back so that the shadow of the Diall which was in the palace appeared ten degrees retired to the admiration and ravishment of all the world And to shew that the Prophet was not ignorant of Physick he caused a Cataplasme composed of a lump of figs to be applyed to the wound of the sick man whereby he was healed and in three dayes rendred to the Temple This miracle was not unknown to the Babylonians who perceived the immense length of the day in which it was done and their Prince having heard the news of it sent Embassadours to King Hezekiah to congratulate his health and to offer him great presents whereat this Monarch that was of an easie nature suffered himself to be a little too much transported with joy and out of a little kind of vanity made a shew of his treasures and of his great riches to those strangers which served much to kindle their covetousnesse And therefore the Prophet who was never sparing of his remonstrances to the King rebuked him for that action and fore-told him that he made Infidels see the great wealth that God had given him through a vain glory which would cost him dear and that having been spectatours of his treasures they had a mind to be the masters of them and that at length they should compasse their design but that it should not be in his time This Prince received the correction with patience and took courage hearing that the hail should not fall upon his head passing over his to his childrens Manasses his son succeeded him a Prince truly abominable who wiped out all the marks of the piety of his father and placed Idols even in the very Temple of the living God All that Idolatry had shown in sacriledges cruelty in murders impudence in all sort of wickednesses was renewed by the perfidiousnesse of this man abandoned of God Poor Isaiah that had governed the father with so much authority had no credit with the son this tygre was incensed at the harmonious consorts of the divine Wisdomes that spake by his mouth and could no more endure the truth then serpents the odour of the vine Yet he desisted not to reprehend him and to advertise him of the punishments that God prepared for his crimes whereat this barbarous man was so much moved and kindled with fury that he commanded that this holy old man that had passed the hundreth year should be sawn alive by an horrible and extraordinary punishment O Manasses cruell Manasses the most infamous of tyrants and the most bloudy of hang-men this was the onely crime that the furies themselves even the most enraged should never have permitted to thy salvagenesse This venerable Master of so many Kings this King of Prophets this prime Intelligence of the State this Seraphim this instrument of the God of Hosts to be used so barbarously at the Court by his own bloud after so many good counsels so many glorious labours so many Oracles pronounced so many Divine actions so worthily accomplished All the Militia of heaven wept over this companion of the Angels and the earth caused fountains to leap up to bedew her lips in the midst of her ardent pains His Wisdome hath rendred him admirable to the Learned his Life inimitable to the most Perfect his Zeal adorable to the most Courageous his Age venerable to Nature and his Death deplorable to all Ages JEREMIAH BEhold the most afflicted of Holy Courtiers a Prophet weeping a Man of sorrows an heart alwayes bleeding and eyes that are never dry He haunted not great men but to see great evils and was not found at Court but to sing its Funerals and to set it up a tomb Yet was he a very great and most holy person that had been sanctified in his mothers womb that began to prophecy at the age of fifteen years a spirit separated from the vanities and the pretensions of the world that was intire to God that lived by the purest flames of his holy love and quenched his thirst with his tears He drank the mud of bad times and found himself in a piteous Government in which there was little to gain and much to suffer After that the