so euer you haue wronged forgeeuing and desiring of all the worlde forgiuenesse When you come to take your Othe sweare that you receiued Baptisme by vertue whereof you are a Christian in which Fayth you determine to liue and die and which quarell you do most willingly offer your present body to mainteyne against your aduersarie who not satisfied with the desolution of your body will also with tempting and frightfull suggestion seeke the destruction of your soule Presently will your aduersarie come foorth and sweare full of hopefull assurance that you are the childe of Adam and subiected vnto Death Which ransome for the remedie of original sinne it pleased Christ the sonne of God by taking on him our humanitie him selfe to pay And as the warie Champion when he beginneth to fight will as neare as he can take his aduantage of the Sunne so likewise be you circumspect so to appeare within the Listes that you be no way offensiue to the glistering of the diuine goodnesse The Iudge of this your Combat shalbe the euerliuing Righteousnesse and therefore looke that you be vnto him fearefully Obedient firmlie and constantlie Beleeuing in him with a true Worship and adoration of his sacred name That shalbe vnto you a strong Shielde of defence against all whatsoeuer inconuenience and with such a securitie any feeblenesse is strong and forcible If you finde your selfe ouertaken with any sodaine faintnesse confusion or amazement of your senses flie presently to the blessed refuge of his infinite and endlesse Mercy wherein assure yourselfe you shall finde all refreshing contentment and quiet consolation of your vnrestfull senses for who so in that passage of Terror forgeteth not but remembreth with due honor and reuerence his maker and redeemer can neuer be ouerthrowen or vanquished such is his owne promise witnessed in the holy Scriptures which we must firmely and stedfastly beleeue And withall note this that the first steppe to true Life is a godly Death Be not rashe in your fight but mooue yourselfe with a wel aduised and leisurely Resolution See that you employ well your blowes strike not any of them vainely at the winde and then though your breath chaunce to faile you feare not for if you obserue these precepts of mine I assure you the Glory of the day shalbe yours But first for a sure safe conduct and protection against all mischieues I would haue you reuerently to receyue the blessed Sacrament of Christ his supper and so shall you be assured to conquer your enemie at whose sight be not terrified or amazed but with a patient magnanimitie obey your good Angell whom God hath appointed for your garde I haue now no more to say but if you do beleeue effectually follow these my counsells you shalbe eternally safe if not you will incurre the daunger of a double death both in bodie and soule Thus did the reuerend Hermite with zealous instructions teach me the way to euerlasting life when yet in my minde did arise a new doubt and question which but for feare to haue bin accōpted ouer-curious I would haue entreated him to explane vnto me which hee perceyuing willed me not to be dismayed but boldly and freely to vtter my conceipt Whereuppon I earnestly entreated him to tell me if there were not any certaine signes or tokens to foreknow the time that Atropos should appoint for triall of this combat Debilitie sayd he will shortly send you warning hereof by his messengers and Accident likewise by his But as I tolde you before there is in this no certentie for they perchance will take you so short and so of a sodaine that you shall haue no leysure to put on your armour The best therefore is to haue a watchfull eye and to be euer redy The first Vant-currors that commonly will bring you tidings hereof wilbe your eyes when you must be fayne to supply their decayed sight with Spectacles For nothing more euidently foresheweth the nights approching darknesse then the dayes decreasing cleernesse Your eares likewise when they must be furred and stopt with cotten may serue in steede of an Alarum bell or Trumpet to sommon you to present your selfe vnto the fielde Your head also and your handes like trustie seruants will by their feeblenesse and trembling giue you warning of your approaching danger Neither will your legs once so well proportioned and with such delicate streightnesse supporting the stately burthen of your so much beloued body be behind hereof to giue you aduertisement when they must craue the assistance of a staffe to performe their office The decaying of these limmes senses and members is an assured token that you cannot long holde out Therefore still I aduise you as neere as you can to seeke with your soule those ioyes that will neuer faile nor corrupt as for the body the ende thereof is corruption and the truest repose the graue Besides these rehearsed messengers there are thousands of griefes sickenesses woundes mischances and infirmities that will serue for heralds to sommon and chalenge you to this deadly point and sorowful passage you speake of Herewith the aged father ending his discourse tooke his leaue of me and departed leauing me though greatly comforted with his encouragements instructions yet sorowfull and heauie for his departure But seeing there was no other remedie gathering together in my memory all these passed discourses I arose and determined to write truely and sincerely the passages and aduentures of my life euen as I had felt and passed them and thereuppon I made this litle treatise which I hope will finde gentle acceptance though the stile be barren especially of all those that beare vertuous mindes and are according to the title of this litle booke true Resolued Gentlemen To them I offer it in charitable loue hoping that the vertue of my honest meaning shall ennoble the poorenesse of my guift Heauie thoughtes and most iustly conceaued griefe moued me first to beginne it now it is ended I beseeche the almightie that comfort profite and contentment may betide those that shall reade it I haue and in my iudgement not without some reason adorned it with the title of the true Resolued Gentleman whose aduentures I beseech you well to note that do vouchsafe the reading heereof for euen such wilbee the course of your encountres such the ende as heere vnder the name of an other you see represented For in fine all worldly pompe Beautie magnificence and what els soeuer the world hath goodly or admirable turneth to rottennesse and corruption and Death enemie to nature equalleth scepters with mattocks and king with beggers Once againe I beseeche you accept this litle Treatise in good parte if not for the worth thereof yet for his sake Qui taunt ha suffert Who so much hath suffred La Marche This Tretise was first written in French by Sir Olyuer de la Marche in the yeere of our Lord. 1483. A briefe explanation of some
refresh me he led me into a litle Chappel exceedinglie full of beautie and euen with the very sight moouing to deuotion in which kneeling downe at my prayers I saw sundry workes of pietie and repentance curiously wrought and garnished round about with sundry examples of Reformed life all set foorth in so comelie a sort and in so liuely colours that I was euen in a maner rauished with the sight thereof if the good Hermite considering my passed trauaile and the latenesse of the nyght had not by calling me to supper withdrawen my minde from the infinitenesse of contemplation whereunto the rare vertue of these glorious sightes had mooued it As we sate at the table I coulde not withdraw mine eyes from beholding his face His age was not lothsome but florishyng in vertue and himselfe wise though not according to our common worldly conceyte yet in the deapth of that wisedome that leadeth the soule to saluation I coulde not refrayne from asking his name and withall the cause that did mooue him being so notable a man to liue retired in so solitarie a place To satisfie your demaunde quoth he You shall vnderstande that I do well know both you and your estate which did the more moue me to geue you entertainement As for me I am called Vnderstanding a name in the worlde well worthie of honour though it be of the most part wrested turned and misdeemed I haue retired my selfe vnto this place to the ende that by Gods grace and goodnesse I might leaue the wyde way of the worlde that leadeth to euerlasting perdition The bread I feede vpon is seasoned with sobrietie and the wine I drinke is watred with the pure liquor of sincere liuing That which suffiseth susteyneth me No passion enuie or dissention hath entrance into this house of mine which is called Reason Here I hope to leade the rest of my life and to ende my dayes in flying the allurementes of the fleshe and the worlde and seeking with my soule him that did with his blood redeeme it Onely the thought of sinne is bitter and greeuous vnto me from occasion of the which as I do now liue sequestred so I beseech the guyder of the heauens to encrease in me perseuerance in this life which I haue vndertaken As for your estate linage name and condition I am thereof well informed likewise of the aduenturous enquest which in this dangerous voyage of yours you haue vndertaken Neither am I ignorant of your natiue countrie the marches of Burgundie in the miserable affliction of which with warre desolation and bloodshed vnweeried fortune seemeth to take such pleasure As for your selfe seeing like a valiant Martire you haue determined to bestow your life vpon these two tyrannizing Champions whose cruell handes neuer any of your foregoers that contended with them how famous or warlike soeuer coulde escape without bodily death and dissolution I will geue you the best and most expedient aduice I can First you must know that Accident is alwayes and at all houres redy mounted and armed attended vpon with all sortes of mischiefe and pernitious engines to bereaue mortall men of their liues Debilitie helpeth him as neede requireth so that betweene them they suffer none to escape But notwithstanding all this the greatnesse of your enimies puissance and your danger yet such is the condition of mankinde and such the course and poynt whereunto you are now arriued that flie backe or retire by any meanes you may not Therefore proceede on a Gods name with a resolued courage for as the danger is great so great wilbe your glorie if you do but withstande Accident alone yea so much that you may aduance your armes and set foorth your trophees equally with the most famous conquerour that euer was And insomuch therefore that heedefulnesse and warie circumspection is the chiefest meane to the accomplishment of great thinges I will bestow vpon you a Lance so surely steeled with a head of good gouernement that if you vse it rightly and make therewith resistance at any time when Accident shall distresse you he shalbe able to do you but litle greeuance But the surest preseruatiue I can geue you is euery day in the morning when you rise to commende your selfe deuoutely and zelously vnto almighty God desiring him to be a stedfast guide to your vncertaine steppes in the transitorie course of this your wandring mortalitie and forget not to be thankefull vnto him for the many benefites which for his part so plenteously without any desart of yours he hath bestowed vpon you With these such like speache we brought supper to an ende where after hauing giuen thankes vnto God he brought mee to my chamber the bed he appointed me was of Quiet securitie euen such as I my selfe would haue desired wherin I was no soner laied but that I fell into a sound sweetnesse of sleepe and so continued till the next morning being awaked with the sound of a litle bell that roung vnto diuine seruice hearing of which I arose quicklie and comming downe did finde the Alter called Perfection couered with the Ornamentes of Trueth and a chapleine whose name was Humilitie reuested in a Pure surples of perfect charitie beginning the holie seruice which after he had ended and my Hoast finished his orizons he saluted me and demaunded what rest I had taken to which I answered as I had cause that I neuer in my life had receiued the like contentment quiet repose With that he seeming wel appaide that I had so well liked of my lodging opened a back doore which to my seeming was of Remorse the lock a cleere Loking glasse and the key Desire of knowledge within the same was a cloyster or gallerie full of strange emblemes pictures and engines to marke vnderstand the particularitie and meaning of whose diuers maners formes I was with great wonder verie heedfull and attentiue which the gentle Hermite perceyuing did of himselfe offer to explane them vnto me to the end that he might make me the better acqueinted with the seueral kindes of death-bringing instrumentes that my aduersarie Accident doth accustomablie vse First quoth he see here this culter of a plowe with this did enuious Cain guided by Accident murther his innocent brother Abel He was the first that did till and delue the ground likewise the first that in the world did commit the cruell deede of mans-slaughter See here the statelie Marble pillars which mightie Sampson pulld downe and therwith the fundation of the Philistian pallace dying himselfe contented because with his ruine did also perish those his malicious enemies that had before so insolentlie triumphed at his miserable calamitie This did hee through a noble indignation and Accident was the onely contriuer of so great a mischefe See here the burning shirt the deadlie gift of a traiterous Centaure with which Deianeira pore deceaued Ladie thinking to procure wholly vnto her selfe the loue of Hercules her famous
consisteth in fruitfully reading the sacred volume of the holy Scriptures the precious workes of those godly Doctors Fathers whose blessed pennes haue diuinely prescribed vnto vs the way of perfect repentance and vertuous perfection teaching vs nothing but that which still we ought to contemplate with the eyes of our mynde that is to lyue and die well For there is not any thing vnder heauen so happelesse heauie and miserable as for a soule sleeping carelesly in sinne to approch the dolorous passage of Death Of this desirable place I speake off the walles were all round about trimmed with Delight The Portal at which you entred figured foorth nothing but Pleasure The Dytches were secure deepe and well trenched curiously wrought in great conformitie by Good exercise The Chappel was of Zeale the Windowes of Charitable Loue the Gate wherein was the entrance and going foorth of Heedefulnesse and the Bridge of Industrious Trauaile The Vanes and Streamers of the house were of Pleasure which glystering aloft shewed all the passers by that there was the schoole and practise of Vertue and Learning No Idlenesse dared to approch this blessed Mansion for Diligence was the Porter Onely Emulation is suffered to enter who there serueth as a spurre to Vertuous operation In fine the time there bestowed is in the onely learning and exercise of that heauenly philosophie whereto whosoeuer arriueth may well be accounted happie and blessed That I was desirous to enter into this blisfull place no man needeth to doubt but in the end seeing the gates did not of themselues open vnto me I was bould to goe vnto the porter with earnest entreatie that I might by his fauour meanes be suffered to enter To which he answered this house said he which is the very Perfection of studie and enemy of ignorance is not to be dallied withall or to be entred with sportfulnesse and scorne For within it is enclosed the Treasure of life and the Riches of the Worldes wisedome it is kept and gouerned by a beautifull Princesse whom it hath pleased the highest to blesse with a Happy euer-during youth shee neuer changeth estate liuing free from deaths subiection her proper name is Memorie of all the worlde highly honored and esteemed From her are deriued all the chiefe pleasures wherewith Olde age is honored whom through wisedome and experience shee ennobleth with regard and worship Where shee is enterteined shee neuer breedeth weerinesse making him blessed with whom shee pleaseth to harbour Some there are whom shee flieth though they labour neuer so earnestly to be acquainted with her for in her operations is so great strange a secret of nature that neither Socrates nor Plato noral the deepe pearcing wits of the passed Philosophers haue bin able to define whence or how this corruptible body of ours is beautified with so pure and excellent an ornament as this of Memorie But for my part I do verily beleeue without any doubt or question that this being so singular a good procedeth onely from the miraculous working of God and not from any setled habite or ingrafted guift of nature for as the soule hath by God her habitation domicile appointed her in the body so hath Memorie hers in the soule it selfe whence she springeth vsing her qualities and operations And seeing the soule is an inuisible peculiar frame and workmanship of God as a sparke of his diuinitie It foloweth then also that my Ladie and Mistresse must needes be a seuered work of God alone without hauing any relation to Nature 〈…〉 Her excellence nobilitie and byrth considered and withall the notable comforts and sweete sauouring vertues that she in her selfe conteyneth she hath euer bin of all wise men honored in high degree as one of the chiefest beauties and ornaments of lyfe Since I first came acquainted with her seruice I haue bin in stead of her seruant as it were her gardian My name is Diligence and I continually accompanie her in respect of the vehement loue I beare vnto vertuous studie whose true perfection without her helpe is not to be obteyned The onely way to see her perfectly is through Vertuous industrie first by exercising our mindes to learne and know and then fastly to reteine that which we haue once learned and knowen But because I see you are arriued to this vncomfortable soyle of Olde Age taking compassion of your weakened forces I will accomplish your desire hoping somewhat therewith to refresh and comfort the languishing of your spirites Whereupon being by this industrious Porter brought to the presence of Memorie I was of her saluted with a most pleasing and gentle behauiour Her attire was sumptuous and rich embrodered in meruailous art by Cogitation rounde about strangely presenting vnto my view a large course and historie of Time both past and present And withall the more to subtilize my remembrance she made me smell to a Garlande of Knowledge which she ware whose excellent and delicious odour did so refresh the vigour of my senses that me thought I was not halfe so earthly as before After some few conferences I requested her to fauour me with the sight of her librarie which I imagined could not be but rare magnificent But she briefly answered me that whosoeuer determined to studie there may not vse any other bookes or lessons then such as Remembrance yeeldeth him for it were labour lost and meere vanitie for old men to begin first then to studie Their exercise ought rather to be in well keeping and reteyning that which before time they had seene and learned and therewith in shewing the fruites of their wysedome to recreate them selues and to counsell others But now tell me sayd she what is the thing that you do demaunde of me you shall finde me redy to yeelde you satisfaction Being comforted with her courteous and gentle language I did without delay acquaint her with the circumstances of my aduenturous enquest telling her how that my thought-fulnesse had instantly mooued me to visite the forest of Atropos which voyage I had now resolued and withall to enter in single combat with eyther of the two famous Champions Debilitie or Accident to whose garde the place is committed beseeching her earnestly to tell me if she had heard read or founde in any ancient bookes writinges or recordes hidden figures or long remembrance of times that any of these Champions had bin put to the foyle by any of those worthy men that at sundry ages haue liued so puissant and conquering in their times For yf any one had at any time or in any age vanquished them I woulde not doubt but by Gods assistance to goe as farre as he that had gon farthest But in fine howsoeuer the matter shoulde goe I tolde her that I was resolued to winne eyther glorie with my sworde or with my body death Memorie hauing with attention heard my speaches I will not sayd she smilingly enterteine you with long discourses but geuing