but perceiuyng her little bodie to weake she reached her arme towards the place wherevppon her eyes were fixed saiyng come lord come let me haue thee by the hand beholde I see hym before my face holdyng in the right hande a Waxe Candle burnyng together with the blessed Virgine Mary S. Anne the holie Virgines Mother Mary Magdalene and Sainct Ihon Babtist whom I see here hard by my beds side and turnyng frō them againe she saied with very great vehemencie O Lord he reacheth his hande towardes me let me goe to hym let me imbrace hym wherewith immediatly by meare force in dispite of them all she rose vpon her feete and spreadyng bothe armes she ioyned them againe fast to her stomacke vtteryng these wordes I haue haue hym now in armes O good Lord I haue thee Iesus help me leaue me not sweete Iesus leaue mee not neuer ceasyng to call vpon his holie name But one of the assistauntes beeyng wearie to heare the often repetition of Iesus of Christe and of our Ladie desirous to put her to silence saied vnto her cōtent your self Elizabeth wee see Christe as well as you doe Whom she aunswered with indignation fy vpon thee shamefull wretche full of iniquitie and sinne how falsly doest thou lye it is not possible for thee nor any wicked creature to looke vpon him no corporall eyes can haue the sight of his glorie myne eyes dasell and smarte to beholde his Clothes muche more then if I gazed against the Sunne beames at noone when thei are strongest And more she spake with a loude hollowe voyce in the throte Nay thou shalt as dearely buy it as I haue doen before thou see hym And hauyng no soner ended her talke there came vppon her a merueilous greate terrour and feare whereof insued tremblyng of her bodie pantyng of her harte woorkyng of her vaines fomyng at her mouthe fallyng grouelyng on her bed for paine struglyng and criyng out most pitifully defiyng y e worlde and all sinfull creatures therein for so she termed them and callyng without intermission vpon the holy name of Iesus to be deliuered from all paines whiche lasted two houres long most ruthfull to the beholders and nothyng inferior to her former punishment whē she laie in Purgatorie and this as I suppose chaunced for feare she should feele againe the foresaied torment being as it is euident by her owne speech in their hearing already represented before her eyes for she called often Ales Ioua and Mistris Conway her Grandmother at length she was admonished in her Vision to procure that S. Ihons Gospell written by a Priest might bee tyed about her necke Whereof beyng very desirous one of the assistantes offered her the Gospell in writyng whiche she repelled quickly as made by hym whom she knewe to bee a sinfull man and consideryng no lawfull Priest was to bee had she called importunatly for the Minister of Orton but the messenger loitered and went not whereof she informed the assistauntes desiring them in all haste to sende for hym but one of the companie replied againe and confirmed it with an othe that the messenger had gone whom bitterly she rebuked and sharpely admonished that he had sworne falsly that whiche in deede after diligent inquisition was found to be true And now the saied Minister beyng come he offered her the foresaid written Gospell two sundrie tymes perswadyng the same to bee his owne doyng the whiche she refused and witted hym to take the paines hym self for she knewe well he did but delude her at the last reachyng the Gospell of his owne hande written she accepted it thankfully and the signe of the Crosse beeyng made by her appoinctment in the ende thereof it was tied fast aboute her necke and the same foulded croswise by her appointment wherevpon she had presently better rest as thei supposed Beyng demaunded why she desired the Ministers helpe her answer was that although he was a Minister yet beyng in hart a Catholike she tooke him to be more fit then any other that were aboute her and hoped that GOD would not bee offended knowing her present necessitie and want of a lawfull Priest Here I would wishe the Catholike Reader to vnderstande that Sainct Ihons Gospell maie be lawfully vsed by the learned iudgement of the famous Iesuit Father Robertes But whereas Gods holie spirite stirred the girle in all haste to sende for this minister it is to be referred to his secret dispensation whose good will pleasure was as it seemed to haue him in place that he might also beare witnesse to the truthe against him self and his owne profession accordyng to the testimonie of our Sauiour Christe Ex ore tuo te iudicabo serue iniquam O naughtie seruaunt I will iudge thee out of thyne owne mouthe Immediatly after she vttered many wordes in his hearyng to the detestation of the Protestauntes Religion and Seruice as hereafter followeth the whiche truely at that instant did worke in his harte greate remorse Aboute this tyme one of the companie reached to her a little Crucifixe the whiche she receiued with very great reuerence and caused it to be laied in her bosome taking occasion thereby to call vpon Christ crucified whom the picture presented crauyng still for mercie and forgiuenesse but what neede I saied she to haue the Picture of Christe when I see hym present before myne eyes and poincted her finger towardes hym Then she fell to exclaime against the Religiō of the Protestauntes and dispising it wonderfully vttered these wordes Fie vpon this wretched worlde and fie vppon the naughtie Religion now vsed fie vppon their wicked and accursed Churche moste abhominable in Gods sight I will neuer enter into it as long as I liue to heare their accursed Seruice vnlesse I be caried thether by force O that you did now beholde the difference that I see betwene both With these wordes and the like she wearied the eares of the hearers as beyng in deede thē selues of the same Religion that the holy Ghost through her mouthe accompted damnable and accursed Thus I haue declared the effecte of her doynges and saiynges during the second extasie as nere as I could carie the fame awaie by the relation of those that were aboute her all the saied tyme And now remaineth her Vision to be opened whiche by Gods helpe shall bee laied doune sincerely as I receiued it from her own mouth worde for worde and thus it foloweth The assistauntes whom our Lorde did especially elect to bee witnesses of this straunge miracle gatheryng by her wordes and behauiour that she had now seene and heard greater misteries then in her former Vision Therefore beyng not able to content them selues any longer the next daie after earnestly desired to heare the truthe of the last extasie as thei had heard of the first to whose expectation as duetie required condescending she vttered the same after this maner and forme Yesternight standyng by the fire in the olde
your selues home and remember from whence you are fallen be not seduced by false Gods to forsake the true Lambe that sacrificed for you God is truthe and he that worshippeth hym must worshippe hym in spirite and truthe Let not phantasies misgouerne you let not your hartes be hardned against holsome admonitions Arme your selues with the readyng of the worde of God so then charme the Charmer neuer so wisely he shall not yet be able is compasse you Peruse the olde Fathers examine the holie Scriptures conferre indifferently bothe literall and substanciall interpretations and you shall finde that Antichrist the Pope doth but dissemble with you and that all his allegations are but falsifications The poore Publicant shall be iustified and the proud Pharisie shall be condemned Not he that crieth Lorde Lord but he that doeth the will of the Father Muche babblyng makes not Religion nor burning Tapers zelous Orisons But that Lorde that knoweth the harte and raines reueileth his wisedome to Infantes and confoundeth the wisest in their owne ouerwenynges The practises that of late daies haue beene brought into this Realme might confirme our Papistes neither to bee zelous nor honest Did not Campion sell Pardons to imploye his money against her Maiestie did not thei of that confederacie sell the death of her highnesse with the cheefest Pillers of the state But the Lorde preserued Elizabeth to the comforte of all true Englishe myndes and iniquitie is falne into the pitfall that he hath prepared for other And here I must somethyng expostulate with some our hollowe harted subiectes how thei can without blushyng pronounce that thei loue her Maiestie when thei daiely entertaine those Iesuites whiche seeke her destruction How maie wee accoumpt them subiectes when thei reiecte lawes or men of religious conscience when in their demeanours thei are so traiterous My freendes turne awaie your face from leasinges desire the Lorde to deliuer you from liyng lippes and a deceiptfull tongue and he will make you spectacles of his mercie Let not forlorne hope misleade you or fained miracles withdraw you nor olde wiues prophesies so misgouerne you but with all submissioÌ„ acknowledge gracious Elizabeth your soueraigne Queene who as you are malefactors can and wil punishe you so in your humble and hartie submission no doubt she will receiue you to mercie The Lorde increase her Maiesties raigne preserue her Counsaile continue Religion in the zelous subiectes and graunt amendement to the abstinat Papistes Amen FINIS An honourable thyng no doubt to publishe lyes What a multitude of Fathers he hath brought her for his incouragement he hath named S Augustin who blamed a Gentlewoman we can not tell wherfore His Honour you must vnderstande the Masse his enemies bee the ProtestaÌ„tes y e poore afflicted flock are the Papistes * Nor yet say truthe Her frendes that wer furtherers of so notorious a lye whose zeale towardes Poperie is suche that thei care not what thei do to maintaine their follie He feares aforehande y t you will smel out a lye therfore you must nedes beleue y t all is true otherwise a lye is not worthe the tellyng * Somthyng in knauerie instructed by obstinate Papistes A matter to be wondered at to se a woman weepe A badde forgiuenesse if you marke the sequell Peruse this circumstance well and thaÌ„ tell me if a wise manne would beleue that any duÌ„ce hedded Asse would so far ouershoote hymself to perswade so meaâ—e a vanitie for an vndoubted vertue Here you maie se what a cruell hatted gentlewoman our Ladie is This doctrine is farre fette I can tel you O wisely considered A greate grace of God that it did not sette the house on fire * Or wisemaÌ„ able to beleue This fire is more hot then the scorching flames of Loue. Aqua vitae a precious ointment against the fire of Purgatorie He that will not credite this tale it were pittie but he should want a merie tale It should be some Purseuaunte from the Pope by his â—ied cote She knewe them at the first sight The discription of Purgatorie 1 That is wheÌ„ y e Pope is charitably disposed and giues a free pardon with out money 2 Here you may earne to make Purgatorie 3 There is none vnlesse he bee some arrant heretique that will euer doubt of this And I for my parte beleue it as verely as I thinke him to bee honest that pende it doune If you mark this sequell well you shal easly perceiue our aucthors whole drifte who yet hetherto though he hath plaid the foole and set doune matter fitte for Children to spout withal yet now if his witte would serue hym he would faine play y e knaue but that God knoweth his conceipt is so grosse that euery foole maie finde it 1 You knowe thei must nedes haue caÌ„dell light at that tyme of yere for by 7. a clocke it is darke in Februarie * Is not here good rule thinke you y t beyng so few womeÌ„ in heauen as thei saie there is and yet three of the chefest of theÌ„ should bee out of their lodginges at that time of night Priestes bee no sinfull menne 1 This could not bee true for bothe Christe and Sainct Ihon Baptist stode by and thei were bothe Priestes or els the Pope would neuer haue suffered them to haue saied Masse now Christe was the first that euersaid Masse on Maundie Thursdaie when he said hoc est corpus meum Sainct IhoÌ„ Baptist song masse as you shal perceiue by y e whiche followeth presently 2 This same Protestants ReligioÌ„ hath so displaced our holy Father that the deuil himself will neuer be able to salue y e sore again You maie perceiue by this that there was good coÌ„pany This is like to bee true you might perceiue that one of them had a crucifixe so ready * If the Vision contain as good matter as this that is past tis worthie the hearyng This honest companie he might haue saied For feare it should haue been forgotten and what pitie had that been The old maÌ„ went out of the olde Hall into the newe Parlour * Here you maie see the wisedome of God to send an old man of his arraÌ„de for had it bin a yong man it had been somwhat suspicious but thei had good store of candell light y t was the best It should seeme he had come lately from the Barbers 1 It should seme his roabes were of Purple in Grâ—â—ne for y t is a verie cleare colour able to dasell our eyes That was Christes graundmother Belike twas Aqua vitae for some of her frendes that were in Purgatorie Clapt handes and so twas a bargaine Ye maie perceiue y e weÌ„che though she was yong yet she had wit to make her bargaine It should seme he was some of our Ladies chaplines that she vndertoke so much for his honestie That was fortâ—are of Buibeggers Saict Ihon Baptist a Massyng Prieste Pershe knew it was latine In came the Serten and putte out the caÌ„delles and so the Cocke crewe and it was daie You maie perceiue that the Chalice was but siluer though the Crucifixe were gold That was when he said Dominus vobiscum * This can not lye when all is sette doune so perâ—â—â—â—e * Some gentilman that had greate experience in the vertue of a Crosse * Yea and more then euer was heard of before to bee true and yet this is no lye for see here witnesses inough to coÌ„firme a greater lye then this
Hall as you knowe amongst the rest of our family there appeared vnto me a goodly old man all in white who after he had made twoo or three turnynges before my face returned to the newe Parler from whence he was come as we thought whither also I followed hym to see what he did but missing him there I made hast towardes the vpper Chamber where I hoped to finde him and loe sodainely no small number of Waxe Candles burned in my fight whereat gazing with greate admiration for that I had neuer seene the like before perceiued the foresaied old man him self againe approched nere me I was afraied but he comforted me saiyng bee not afraied for here is none will dooe thee hurte then pausing a little he saied moreouer art thou contented to doe after me I aunswered that I would gladly dooe after hym if he came from God I am saied he doubt nothing Wherevppon I wilde hym to tell his message wherefore with very familier speeche he admonished me of my nature muche inclined to vice bodie subiect to greate troubles and daungers whereof I should feele shortly the effecte if I would not preuent the same in due tyme therefore he exhorted me to fast and praie whereby he saied I should ouercome my euill destinie As he thus communed with me beholde I did see our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles after him accompanied with the blessed Virgine Mary Sainct Anne the holie Virgines Mother and Mary Magdalene Wherewith the audience interrupting her talke examined the Maide of their habit and formes who tolde them that Christ and Sainct Anne did weare Purple roabes our Ladie Scarlet all the rest white garmentes doune to the grounde our Sauiours bearde somewhat shorte the heires of his hed thinne and bothe in colour very blacke the heire of his holie Mothers heade was Abraham colour hangyng doune her shoulders moste decently her face shined brighter then any Christall her voyce amiable beyond measure but her blessed Sonnes countenaunce she could not discribe because of the lightnesse therof for her eyes dazled to behold his Roabes and his voyce semed to her terrible as Thunder that she shaked for feare at euery woorde holdyng continually in his right hande a Waxe Candle burning Sainct Anne was of lowe stature with a hoarie heade Mary Magdalene she marked not sauyng that she rembreth certaine white places in her head by pluckyng the heires for sorrowe cariyng in her hande a peuter bottle full as it seemed of some liquour Muche she rehearsed of the Apostles perticulerly the whiche I haue omitted here to auoide tediousnesse And so hauyng satisfied their requests she returned to her former talke as hereafter followeth As soone as this heauenly quire had presented them selues before me I began forthwith to feare that thei might be some wicked Sprites or Goblines wherevpon Christe stepped towardes the place where I stoode and reached me his hande to bee felt the whiche I did handle as the hande of any other man where withall he spake these wordes A ghoste although it appeare in the forme of manne to thy sight yet beyng handeled it hath not fleshe bones as thou maiest feele in myne and then he repaired again to his former place After this my guide whom I supposed to haue been Sainct Ihon the Babtist laboured muche to reconcile me vnto Christe the whiche he saied might not be vnlesse I would reconcile my self vnto his Church and continue in a right faith for he certified me that I was blindely led and lacked the true knowledge of his holie will often repeatyng that I beleued amisse At length beeyng not able to auoide his importunitie I demaunded whither I muste beleeue as my neighbours doe meaning the Catholikes who absent themselues from the new Seruice now vsed Euen so saied he beleeue as thei dooe and absent thy self also from that wicked Seruice if thou wilt bee saued Whereat I staied a long tyme and seemed as one very loath to yeeld for castyng in my mynde the daungers and troubles that might insue thereof In the meane space he trauailed muche betweene Christ and me perswadyng still in his name to promise amendment But vnderstandyng that his perswasions could take no place he represented before myne eyes the fire of Purgatorie threatned sharply to plundge me therein if I would not relent the sight whereof so frited me that I yeelded to forgo the Church as I would haue doen gladly to abide any worldly torment rather then I should be laied againe in that burning furnate and ioynyng my hande to his I confirmed the former promise the whiche I meane by Gods grace to parforme for any punishment in this worlde because I can not feele greater then alreadie I haue suffered in Purgatorie And withall I added vnlesse I bee brought thether by maine force wherewith he replied that they are blamelesse who be forsed and their compellers aunswerable for the fact To conclude after many words he commended vnto me Beades hallowed as of singuler vertue to praie withall and farre exceeding the Beades vnhalowede Muche more talke he had with me that I haue vtterly forgotten but in the ende findyng me very tractable he commended me vnto a Catholike Priest by name demaundyng whither I knewe suche a one this Priest had been at that instant in the Parishe Church adioynyng openly proclaimed for a sedicious person and seducer of the people my aunswer was that I knewe hym not whereat he seemed to be angrie chargyng me that I vttered an vntruthe for I had seen him twice the whiche indeede sit hence I remeÌ„ber well and commaundyng to searche for hym amongst the Apostles whom diligently perusing I said that I could not finde hym wherevpon he replied then thou knowest hym well learne of hym what to beleue his counsaile if thou followe thou shalte be saued Follow his counsaile saide our Ladie and thou shalt be saued I warrant thee the which I had no soner promised to doe but loe incontinently I was conueied into a Churche very little where I behelde an Aulter furnished for Masse with a goodly Crucifixe of pure gold placed in the middest thereof and at either ende tapers burnyng before the whiche on either side stoode Christe and his Mother hauyng roles of Waxe Candles burnyng foulded aboute the wrist to their armes the rest kneelyng downe deuoutly before the Aulter and the Angell that I had seene in the beginnyng of my first vision in the likenesse of a â—irâ—s fittyng vpon the said Aulter then stepped forth Sainct Ihon before named and first sprinkeling the companie aboute with holie water went straight towardes the Aulter where he began Malie in his foresaied white garmentes sauyng that now I marked he had a Crosse on his breaste an other on his backe aboute the middest where he preached in Latine an vnknowne language vnto me as I supposed in the meane tyme I counted the Apostles whose number I remember well to
some apparaunce had been made of these surmised Reuelations should wee therevppon straight waies establishe a Religion without any further examination how thei might stande with the will of God Our learned Fathers lead by the spirite of Wisedome when thei heard of suche Visions or Reuelations thei brought them straight to the touchestone comparyng them to the holie Scriptures if thei founde them suche as tended to the glorie of God thei admitted them for good if otherwise misleadyng to ignoraunce and errour thei condemned them as illusions sent by the Deuill But is there any thyng more repugnaunte to Christian beleef then that God is not sufficient to forgiue vs our sinnes but wee muste haue a quittaunce sealed from our Ladie and she that was wont to bee called our Ladie of Pitie is now become a gentilwoman of too muche crueltie But our aucthour verie wisely excusyng the matter thinkes there was some sinne that was committed against her self and though that bothe her soonne Christ and she had forgiuen all the reste yet she might not forgiue that And beleeue me this maie well bee true for the Pope hymself is of the same condition for he hath Pardons for hym that will kill his father for hym that should commit incestious fornication with his mother for hym that should bee a rebell to his Prince a traitour to his Countrey to be short Treason Murther Robberie Adultrie Bauderie Buggerie and what not but our holie Father will forgiue you so you doe not touche hymself nor none of his broode but the leaste offence that maie bee committed against any of these though God and our Ladie bothe would forgiue ye yet I can tell you the Pope will neuer doe it But what a pretie wipe hath our aucthour giuen here to our holie fathers Bulles who y e Deuill will make any accoumpte of them now hereafter this for the Pope though he bee Christes Vicar yet he is none of our Ladies and though he maie dispence with matters in controuersie betweene vs and God yet he hath nothyng adoe betweene vs and our Ladie vnlesse it bee by the waie of intreatie and our Ladie I perceiue when she is angred hath a womans stomacke she will not easily bee pacified and then there is no shift but you must to Purgatorie for Christes forgiuesse will doe you no good and the Pope can pardō no more then Christ is able to forgiue And therefore I perceiue the Prouerbe to bee true the house is too vnquiet where the good wife weares the breeches and yet you see it is so in heauen When Marie Magdalen went to the Sepulchre with teares to seeke Christe to whom although he firste shewed hym self yet she might not so muche as once to touche hym yet our yonge Prophetesse who as our aucthour affirmeth was ignoraunt an heretique one that was seuered from the Popes Churche and therefore by their owne Canons and Generall Counsailes condemned not worthie to touche any of their holie reliques and yet she might bee suffered to imbrace Christe in her armes The matter that our Author by these Visions would fainest induce you vnto consisteth especially in these three pointes First he would bryng you in good likyng of their blessed Masse Seconde he would make you afearde of their dreadfull Purgatorie And lastly it greeues hym to the harte that any bodie should goe to Churche to heare the worde of God for if thei could once barre vs from readyng the Scriptures all the paine were past all the rest would be easily brought to a good passe Now first for the Sacrifice of the Masse who doubteth vnlesse directly blinded but thei must resolutely conclude that our forefathers Adam Lot Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob with the rest are stopped from the fruition of Heauen in that thei could not be partakers of the Reall reception of the Sacrament vnlesse it were through faith in beleuyng and spirituall feedyng by the whiche we are likewise made partakers all of one bodie and all through one faith For Purgatorie if it growe by the multiplication of our sinnes either in excesse or defecte what shall wee imagine of the Theefe on the Crosse who by Christes owne wordes was assured this To day shalt thou be with me in Paradice He neuer spoke word of Purgatorie Or what of Mary Magdalene whose synnes were freely forgiuen her by Christe without goyng to Purgatorie And what of the poore Publicane that acknowledged hym self a miserable sinner and yet was iustified by Christe Or who now hence forwarde will giue any credite to Sainct Paule who writyng to the Hebrewes 9. saieth There is no remission of synnes without bloud When our Catholikes makyng hym a manifest lyer hath founde a waie to salue all sores through the fire of Purgatorie But be that would bee better confirmed in this poinct let hym reade Ihon Frith against the Bishoppe of Rochester sir Thomas Moore and Ihon Rastell where thei shall finde this phantasticall Purgatorie so vndermined that no Papist but might be ashamed once to make mention of it Now lastly as before I haue saied the Pope is very vnwillyng that the Scripture should bee in a knowne language amongst vs but in the steede of them he hath bequeathed vs Legenda Aurea the life of Christ written by a fift Euaungelist named Bonauentura We haue likewise their Festiuall with suche other stuffe These we maie reade in English you maie easily gesse why but the Scriptures we must not heare but in Latin because thei saie it is daungerous that we should reade the Scripture in a knowne language so that the right construction of this sentence Beati qui audiunt verbum dei costodiunt ipsam after the interpretation of our holie Father maie thus be vnderstoode Blessed are thei whiche heare the worde of God and knowes not what it meaneth These matters haue been by many men so Clarckly discoursed and of so long a tyme so learnedly confuted and therefore by me lightly ouerpassed I dooe but onely ayme at the intent and wishe the wisest to laugh at the errour Thus gentle Readers you see the course of these vnnaturall Antichristians who when thei finde no one waie to maintaine their vngodly opinions seeke by sequester dealinges to oppresse the truthe But dissimulation is espied by his contrary and truthe speaketh in no corners Religiō that is in it self perfect requireth no fabulous miracles to confirme it but where vanitie is workemistris then all thynges are confirmed with shadowes Truely it seemeth straunge vnto me that either blinded errour should seduce vs so sarre or suppositions of good meaning blind vs so greatly where the good work is so freuilous Let not the God of this world so muche bleare your eyes be not led awaie with euery blast of reporte Symon Magus though he be his craftes maister he is yet found out by a professed Apostle and the vngracious practises and Ceremonious intentes of our foolishe Masmongers are proued friuelous beyng looked into by the true Religion O call
bee iust eleuen all the whiche at eleuation very deuoutly knocked their breastes Thus hauyng receiued hym self alone for I did see no bodie Communicate with hym the Masse ended the lightes were putt out and the sight vanished therewith immediatly myne eyes were opened that I behelde you all aboute me and so endeth her Vision But afterwardes beyng examined by a Catholike of the Masse more perticulerly she described in very good order diuers thynges belongyng to Masse as the siluer Chalice shorter and broder then the Communion Cuppe the Hoste with letters therein grauen and the Ceremonies also she noted as his standyng before the Aulter the booke remoued by one that attended and serued the turning of his face towardes them Briefly in all poinctes agreable to the Masse after the Romaine vse restored by the counsaile of Trent and preached by the Seminarie in England Finally certaine Gentlemen beeyng moued with the fame of these newes made meanes to see y e saied yong girle the eight of Aprill Anno. 1581. and intreated to vnderstande out of her mouth what thei heard of her by others but she had vtterly forgotten all in so muche that beeyng asked diuers questions as her beyng in Purgatorie and at S. Ihons Masse and she remembred nothyng whereat the sayd Gentlemen were greatly astonied at last one of the company suspecting the malice of the ghostly enemie caused her to make signe of y e Crosse on her forhead and breast wherevpon incontinently she opened bothe the Visions at large and vttered more then she could remember at any tyme before VVitnesses Thomas appe Iones Orton Recorder to the Right Honorable the Erle of Darby Ihon Orton seruaunt to the Erle of Darby Ihon Edwardes seruauntes to the Lorde Chaunceler of Irelande Ihon Humfey seruauntes to the Lorde Chaunceler of Irelande Ihon the Minister of Orton Edwarde appe Iones Orton Dauid his seruaunt Ihon Ortons Wife Owen Werch Thomas his Sister Annis Werch Thomas a seruaunt Maide with an other Maide seruaunt Gyles Orton with diuers others TEll me now freendly Reader is not this pretie stuffe to bee made so muche accompte of must not this Religion bee profounde that is propte vp with suche Pillers as this and yet thou seest that the greatest fortification of our holie Fathers doctrine consisteth in Dreames olde Wiues tales Vnknowwen scriptures Traditions of menne straunge Miracles Fables and Follies Truely our countrey is to be lamented in whiche the Gospell hauyng raigned long and Religion florished so many yeres yet Superstition preuaileth so muche that thei be readie to bee leade awaie with suche euident shewes of follie that vnlesse their eyes were bleared with too muche impudencie it were not possible thei should bee so deceiued But what Asse but would haue been ashamed to haue penned doune so ridiculous a matter vnder suche a shewe of veritie but that he knew emongest whom to sende it For truely the foolishe credulitie of the simplest sorte of our ignorant Papistes is suche that tell them a tale of a Masse Purgatorie of holie Water of the signe of the Crosse or of any other suche like vanitie and thei are streght leade in beleef of suche thynges to bee more then deuine that in deede doe moste deserue to bee laught at You maie see thei are driuen to a bare shifte that for want of better matter would foiste in a Religion with suche trashe as this but vnhappie thei that are so blinded in errour that thei should not bee able to descerne vanitie from veritie And this is the cause why thei restraine the Laietie from the readyng of the Scripture for otherwise it were not possible that suche Fables could bee so preciously accoumpted of And this is the cause that I haue laied open these Visions to the vewe of the worlde that those that bee wise might laugh at the doltishe deuises of our seducyng Papistes who vnder a shewe of learnyng deceiues the simple sore with suche manifest vntruthes But yet to lament the weakenesse of those that be ignoraunt who bee still readie to entertaine suche trifles as deuine and heauenly misteries to feede them in their farther follies But I must needes blame our aucthour what so euer he was who as it seemeth hauyng been long tyme schooled in the liyng Legend of Antechrist hath yet forgotten the cheefest axioma that longes to his profession whiche is oportet mendatem esse memorem who lies must bee carefull to remember for in knittyng vp his Visions where he would haue made greatest shewe of veritie euen there he laies in sight moste manifest vntruthes whiche I will not toucht in particularities for that thei bee freuilous yet will I note them in generall for that thei bee odious and deserues no better aunswere then a scoffe or a mocke His exordium taken from the sanctified Archaungell Raphaell might well haue stande if his cause had been iuste but now it is confessed that all these Miracles were but fantasies and the Prophetesse in her Patheticall extasies but a sillie Maiden seduced by a runnegate Papist as now it is proued And the matter it self if it bee wisely marked is enterlarded with contrarietie of vntruthes in one place she could discribe the roabes whiche Christe should weare to bee of Purple colour and presently she feineth them to bee more brighter then the beames of the Sunne and although she knewe Christe with his mother the Virgine Marie his Graunde mother Sainct Anne with Marie Magdalene and Sainct Ihon the Baptist euen at the first sight bothe of her first and laste Visions yet when Saincte Ihon should come to saie his Masse she was afraied of them and tooke them to bee Goblins till Christ had giuen her his hande to bee felt The assistauntes so many tymes spoken of our aucthour would perswade thei were Protestauntes and therefore wearied with her exclamations against Religion now vsed yet who would beleeue any woorde to bee true when one of them had a Crucifixe so readie to present and the reste was so foolishe to suffer her to take it The Apostles when she coumpted them she saieth were iuste eleuen I wonder where the twelfe was or who it was that was missyng but it might bee that this Vision was reuealed before Mathias was chosen in Iudas roome or els it was Sainct Peter that was missyng for he is Porter in heauen and therefore could not bee spared out of his office and I thinke if he had been there he had been a fitter man to haue saied Masse then Saincte Ihon for that he hymself was oure Pope and therefore should haue so muche the better experience Thus thou maiest see gentle reader that varietie and impossibilitie are the twoo best stâ—ynges that our aucthour hath to his bowe who findyng no other meanes to maintaine his vncertainties thinketh vnder disseblyng vntruthes to drawe the simplicitie of the common sorte from the truthe and right Religion But admitte that these feigned Visions had been senciblie seen and that