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A18066 The voyage of the wandering knight. Deuised by Iohn Carthenie, a Frenchman: and translated out of French into English, by VVilliam Goodyear of South-hampton merchant. A vvorke vvorthie of reading, and dedicated to the Right worshipfull Sir Frauncis Drake, Knight; Voyage du chevalier errant. English Cartigny, Jean de, 1520?-1578.; Norman, Robert, fl. 1590.; Goodyear, William. 1581 (1581) STC 4700; ESTC S104901 93,834 138

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Who dwelleth in Charitye sayth Saint Iohn dwelleth in GOD and GOD in him Our Lorde lykewise sayth If anye man loue me he will keepe my commaundements and my Father will loue him and wee will come and dwell with him Canne we desire a more rich a more bountifull or a more lyberall hoste then he Is it lyke that so louing an hoste will suffer the soule to want Will he aske monie for his expenses No hée commeth not to dwell with vs to consume that wee haue but to encrease our riches and to make our store greater Thirdly Charitie maketh our goods be they little or bée they much acceptable vnto God it maketh a man contemne the world it maketh a man to reioyce in temptations afflictions and tribulations When Charitie enters into the soule she comes accompanied with all other goodnesse yea shée knittes vs to GOD and vniteth vs with him Loue or Charitie makes men of one minde and one will Loue or Charitie makes men reforme their manners and to drawe néere vnto God Loue or Charitie maketh men consider of things present and visible as if they were not Loue maketh a pure and cleane heart which may contemplate and beholde heauenly thinges By Loue the goods of this worlde are well ordered and by Loue the goods of this world are contemned and by Loue the secretes of God are reuealed Saint Iohn saith That God is Charitie wherby no doubt he meaneth the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost the three persons in trinitie God the father is Charitie God the sonne is Charitie and God the holy Ghost is Charitie This Loue or Charitie requireth in the same such likely things namely Loue and Charitie by the which as by some spiritual affinity thou art ioyned vnto God which Loue also boldly commeth vnto God familiarly speaketh with him without any doubt or feare He that loueth not shall loose his lyfe but he that loueth alwayes lyfteth his eyes to GOD whome he loueth whom he desireth on whome he museth in whome he is refreshed and by whome he is preserued such a louing deuoute and relygious soule doth so singe so saye so reade so dispose all his businesse and so circumspectly foreseeth all things as if GOD were euer present with him as doubtlesse in spirite he is The man in whose soule the loue of GOD is lodged so prayeth as if God were personallye present with him The loue of Charitie awaketh y e soule when she is a sléepe it puts him in minde of his saluation it softeneth and moysteneth the heart Loue or Charitie setteth the colde heart on fire Loue maketh the froward soule gentle Loue chaseth awaye sinne Loue kepeth the affections of fleshe and bloude vnder Loue amendeth lewde mennes manners Loue reneweth the spirite Loue brideleth the light motions of wanton youth all this worketh Loue or Charitie where she is present Contrarywise where Loue or Charitie is absent there the soule doth languysh and waxeth colde euen as a Chaldron of water doth when the fire is taken from vnder it and raked abroade Charitie is the onely thinge whereby the soule boldlye approcheth vnto GOD constantlye cleaueth vnto him famyliarlye speaketh with him and in all affayres asketh counsell of him The Soule that loueth GOD cannot but thinke and talke of GOD insomuch that he hateth all vngodlye thinges Who so will knowe GOD must loue GOD the more that one loues God the more he growes in the knowledge of God To Read to write and to Study of God yéeldeth no true knowledge of God without Loue. In vaine do we read in vaine doe we talke in vaine doe we preach in vaine doe we praye to GOD if we doe not loue God The loue of God engendereth the loue of thine owne soule and maketh it attentiue alwaies to God God loueth to be beloued againe and when he loueth he requireth nothing but loue happie therefore is he that loueth God The soule which loueth God reiecteth all his affections being attentiuely giuen to his loue The soule that loueth hath no feare the soule that loueth not is euer in feare The soule that loueth is caried by promises and drawen by desires vnto heauen the soule that hath in it the presence of Gods loue is tickeled with ioye with rauishings leapeth vp to heauen hauing by contemplation exceeding great ioyfulnesse Loue bréedes familiaritie with God familiaritie bréedes boldnesse with God boldnesse bréedes the taste of God and taste bréedeth an hunger after God If I shoulde declare all the excellencie of Loue or Charitie the time wold faile me and mine abilitie in that behalfe would not suffice But let this stand for a conclusion that the soule which is touched with the loue of God cannot desire any thing contrarie to God but euer after it hath receiued any tast of sin it crieth out and saith with the Prophet O Lord God like as the Hart desireth the fountaines of water euen so long I after thee Well then sir Knight lift vp thy soule and remember the great Loue and Charitie of God and his manifolde benefites bestowed vpon thée that by them thy hart being inlightened thou maist increase and goe forward daye by day in doing good workes to the glorifieng of God who delighteth in the same according as it is saide Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God in Heauen Thus much touching these thrée spirituall Uertues now come we to the foure morall ¶ THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FOVRE Morall Vertues Prudence Iustice Fortitude and Temperance The vij Chapter BY these foure Morall vertues man liueth well and orderly in this mortall life Saint Hierome saith that the Christian man by these iiij liueth wel in this mortalitie by them after death commeth to euerlasting life Prudence knoweth the good we should doe and the euill we should leaue Iustice doth good Temperance leaueth the euill Fortitude is constant without loosing courage in aduersitie or waxing proud in prosperitie Prudence disposeth man and teacheth him how to approch vnto God Fortitude and Temperance how to gouerne himselfe Iustice how to vse his neighbour These are the foure things which Satan shooteth at to destroye the soule By Prudence which is the rule of right reason we gouerne our selues wisely we order our affaires discréetly doing nothing but right and reason In Prudence consisteth reason knowledge foresight aptnesse to teach and giue good counsell A prudent man knoweth afore hande the ende of his counsell Plato saith that Prudence is the Duchesse of all morall vertues showing vs how we should vnderstand and vse the rest For as Faith informeth vs and telleth vs what we should hope after and what we ought to loue euen so Prudence instructeth teacheth vs how we should vse Iustice Fortitude and Temperance Aristotle saith that it is vnpossible but a prudent man should be good If he meane Morall goodnesse it is most true for a wise man doth nothing but that which is
foolish worldlings harken you vessells of Voluptuousnesse This teacheth you assuredly wherein consisteth all your Felicitie and how it is damnable Consider S. Iohns wordes That the world shal passe the concupiscēce of the same What meneth he by y e world nothing else but as S. Austen saith All worldlings louers of Voluptuousnes which prefer visible things before inuisible y e flesh before the spirit Satan before Iesus Christ euen as commonly we cal a house good or bad according to the vsage of thē y t dwel in it The eye the flesh y e pompe of lyfe is the worldlings felicitie y t is their heauen If all goodnes come of God as most true it is that concupiscence of the eie of the flesh the pride or pomp of lyfe cōmeth of the diuell are not they deceiued y t thinks it good or fixe their affection to follow it I could saie ther is a gnawing conscience to torment the worldlings I could say y t the voluptuous man hath the wrath of God hanging ouer his head I could saie eternall death is reserued for his reward After excessiue eating drinking comes surfets agues head-ach losse of wit dropsies losse of appetite griping in y e guts palsies weakening of y e body infamy shame Now to Venory wherin y e voluptuous man taketh such plesure as in nothing more First what pains what sorows what tormēts anguish hath the lewd louer before he can cōpasse his desire Their desire cannot be atchieued without losse For we sée that lecherie and gluttonie bréedeth pouertie which is a very heauy burthen But I imagine it costeth nothing as oftentimes it chaunceth mouing such as be rich yet notwithstanding they féele euen what follows namely losse of body soule Touching the sin of lecherie a man therein is like vnto a beast For in his blinde delight he is depriued of reason therfore y e deede declareth it selfe to bée damnable This sin bringeth her reward in this world as dropsies palsies leprosies gowtes burnings botches French poxe which is y e very worst the commonnest y e loathsomest the most infectious disease of al besids y t banishmēt frō al honest company decay of strength losse of good name fame Doe you count him a happy man which spends his daies in drōkennesse lechery hauing heere so many hels Abstinence or forbearance doth not warne thē to take héed therof though it be their onely medicine Now touching concupiscence of y e eyes wherby couetousnesse desire of riches is vnderstood First though gold siluer be but carth what vexation hath the couetous man to atchiue it He saileth ouer tempestuous seas he climbeth ouer monstrous moūtains he diggeth déepe into y e bowels of the earth he suffereth hunger thirst colde heat a thousand mischiefs One is drowned another kild the third robbed he y t hath obteined his purpose liueth in feare to lose it the couetous man suspects euery body It is not cofers ful of coine y t can make men happy Our Sauiour tearms it trash thornes because it pricks y e hart corrupteth both body soule S. Paul saith He that wisheth wealth in the world falleth into temptation Is not Iudas an example who in a case of couetousnesse hanged himselfe Now to concupiscence of pride He y t hath honour authoritie might estimation dignitie in the world thinketh he is happy but such are loden w t vnhappinesse For what paines labour vexation endures y e ambitious man before he can come to dignitie honour authoritie And when he hath it with all these vexations he is not sure how long he shal enioy it We see oftentimes Fortune turnes hir whéele that the ambitious ende their liues with infamye Take an example of Priamus king of Troy who flourished in friendes riches honour and might kinred and children did not he and his ofspring y e greatest part of them die most miserably as for y e rest they became seruitudes wer at length kild in Troy Croesus king of the Lydians as rich mightie as he was after he had reigned .xv. years he was vanquished by king Cirus lost his realme was carried away captiue led all y e rest of his life like a slaue Dionysius the cowardly king of Sicil was hunted out of his realme and became so poore that hée kept a Schoole in Corinthe by teaching little children he got his liuing verie poorely God wot and beggerly Mithridates king of Pontus a rich and mightie Prince he subdued .xxii. Nations wherein some saye all languages were spoken yet he for all that after he had wearied the world with warres was forsaken of his owne people pursued by his owne sonne ouercome by subtiltie insomuch that he was glad to desire a French man to kill him who did so and that was his end Valerianus the great Emperour of Rome euen he that persecuted the Christians and did much mischiefe was taken by his enimie the king of Persia who against the lawe of armes made him lye downe whiles he troad on his back to leape on his horse Baiasethes the fourth king of the Turkes was vanquished by Tamerlanes a Tartarian and king of Scithia who kept him in a cage like a beast and with a golden chaine led him like a Spaniell throughout all the armie yea he was glad to féede vnder Tamerlanes table like a dogge And therfore let this be a conclusion that honour authoritie dignitie is no heritage Moreouer what labours trauailes vexations perills do Princes passe through euen at this present to mainteine themselues in their estates What warres and slaughters haue bene committed partly to get and partly to kéepe rule and regiment whereby you may perceiue that worldly felicitie is ful of ficklenes Ambitious worldlings cannot play with their pleasures if they haue not first passed some of these vexations In youth men runne their race without regard of conscience but when age comes on nothing left for lust whē white haires a walking staffe or crutch a paire of spectacles Cotton put in the eares when none of these things can helpe him then must he endeauour the gnawing of conscience which Voluptuousnesse kept hidden a long time Whatsoeuer is pleasant to youth the same is vnpleasant to age And what comfort may an olde man conceiue when he can thinke vppon no time of his youth that was well spent and vertuously bestowed What discomfort is it when cōscience accuses the old man of his young yeares wickedly wasted But as the elect line in hope so doe the reprobate in dispaire He that followeth Voluptuousnesse is Gods enimie For Saint Iames saith He that loues the world hateth God You may well thinke that sin is hated of God when he suffered his onelye sonne to dye vppon the Altar of the crosse for this ende that sinne should not bée vnpunished And why was it but because the sinnes of Adam
cōsidering y t they come from God who is the Author of all good woorks without whō we are not able to think so much as one good thought much lesse do a good déed For otherwise to hope in doing ill to goe to heauen without good workes springing from a firme Faith is no Hope but a flat presumption And therefore thou oughtest to enforce thy selfe to do good works hoping that thou thy works may be acceptable vnto God neuertheles thou must not in any case trust vpon thy merits or good works but altogether vpon the infinite loue and goodnesse of God For otherwise thou fallest into that cursse which the Prophet speaketh of saieng Curssed is the man that trusteth in man and contrariwise happie is the man that trusteth in God We ought alwayes to doe well to delight in well doing and to hope in the goodnesse of God that he wil giue vs that which he hath promised But this Hope ought to bée firme and as an Anker constantly to hold thy conscience that by the floatings of temptations it mooue not But some will aske by what testimonie or witnesse can the conscience rest assured of remission of sinnes of Gods adoption and of heauenly blessednesse I aunswere Saint Iohn saith There bee three things that giue witnesse in earth that is to say the Spirite Water and Bloud These thrée testifie vnto the spirite of the beléeuing man that Christ is the infallible truth who fulfilleth in the beléeuing man the whole summe of his promises The first witnesse then that assureth man in Hope is the precious bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ which was shedde for the remission of our sinnes The second witnesse is the water of Baptisme by the which also our sinnes are forgiuen But these two witnesses put not the conscience in full and perfect Hope and assuraunce And therefore there must bée annexed vnto them a thirde which thirde is The holye Spirite which beareth witnesse with our spirite that wee are the sonnes and heires of God Who so hath not this witnesse he cannot be assured of his saluation The workes of the holye Spirite in man beareth witnesse of the presence of that Spirite in man If thou aske mée what those workes are I aunswere thée that they are these and such lyke that followe namelye Sorrowe for sinnes Hatred of all things which displeaseth GOD and are contrarie to his Commaundements taking pleasure to read and heare Gods word mourning for thy imperfections and little Faith Hope and Charitie an affection desire intent and purpose to loue God aboue all thinges and to doe thy indeauour to fulfill his commandements But all these things springs not from the corrupt nature of man vnlesse his minde and hart be moistened with the dew of Gods grace without the which we féele not in our selues any good affectiōs nor desire to do good works which are signs of y e presēce of y e holy ghost in vs. Wherefore we ought with great sighings and grones to praie vnto God and to beseech him most humbly that it would please him of his vnspeakable pitie to sende vs his holy spirit which may assure vs of the redemption of our sinnes to vouchsafe his heauenly adoption and the enioyeng of euerlasting blessednesse And thus much concerning Hope now let vs speake of Loue or Charitie THE DESCRIPTION OF LOVE OR OF CHAritie and how we ought to loue God and our neighbour The fift Chapter CHaritie is a vertue by the which God is loued for the loue of himselfe our neighbour for the loue of God or in God It is said in the first part of this definition that Charitie is a vertue Let vs see how Certeinly Charitie is the excellentest vertue that is euen the mother and nurse of all the rest For he that hath not Charitie hath nothing in him to obteine euerlasting life This Charitie is giuen when the holy spirit is giuen For the holy spirit being resident in the soule makes vs to loue God for the loue of himselfe and our neighbour for the loue of God To loue God for the loue of himselfe is to loue him for his owne sake and because he is God And that is to be done thrée waies that is to say to loue God aboue all things entirely aboue all things orderly aboue all thinges preciouslye We will declare these thrée waies of louinge GOD the more plainlye that euerye one maye knowe how to loue God To loue God entirely is to haue a good will to God and to reioyce greatly that he is such a one as he is But for the better vnderstanding héereof it shall not be amisse to shew what it is to loue To loue is nothing else but to wish well to euery body as when I loue a man I wish as well to him as to himself Now there are two manners of loue one is called a couetous loue as when a man loues anye thing for his own profits sake or his perticular honour and in such sort men loue their horses their victualles and all other worldlye necessaries The other loue is called the loue of friendshippe or of good will as when one loues a thinge for the loue of it selfe without respect of perticular honour or profite as when I sée a man wise and vertuous I take pleasure in him and wishe that the vertues which are in him maye not onely bée continued but also increased in him and this doe I béeinge to him well affectionated and louinge him with delyghtes There is not in GOD anye good that is not lyke himselfe For his might his wisedome his iustice his mercye his riches and his goodnesse are heauenlye as he himselfe is who is all wise all iust all mercifull all riche and almightye So that we loue God aboue all things entirely when we reioyce and be glad that he is as he is without regarding our proper profite or honour Thou oughtest not to loue GOD with a couetous loue that is to saye thou must not loue GOD onelye because he giues thée all thinges profitable for thée for in so dooing thou louest thy selfe better then thou louest God If thou loue GOD rightlye he will rewarde thee greatlye but this loue must be single and it must be pure and not depending vppon an other thinge For who so loueth God for gaine loueth him but as his horse in whome hée delyghtes because he serues his turne GOD ought to be loued louinglye without respect of particular profite But thou maist aske mée a question Maye I not loue God to this ende and vnder this condition that he maye giue me heauen which is the souereigne good and principallest thinge that man canne wish for after this lyfe The Doctours saye No. If wée consider well of the thing beloued which is GOD For in so dooing thou louest thy selfe better then thou louest GOD. Thou maist come to heauen by this meanes as namely by keeping his commaundements by giuing almes and
were consumed Being in that maze Vertue tolde me that in hir Pallaice neuer came night and that darknesse had nothing to doe where she dwelt Then Memory put me in minde what Gods grace tolde me by the way saieng that by the workes of Faith which are the fruits of the same I might perceiue and sée the Citie of Heauen wherein is comprehended the true and blessed Felicitie Then Faith led me to hir Tower and all the other vertues kept vs company For Faith properly is not without Hope nor Hope without Charitie and therfore they must go altogether And though these vertues haue distinct and seuerall properties yet they ioyne hands and are neuer asunder S. Hierome saith that Abraham was furnished with Faith Iob with Fortitude and Patience Dauid with Humilitie and so consequently of other holy men recorded in Scripture Then Faith from hir high Tower showed mée a high hill whereon was builded a meruailous sumptuous Citie and she tolde me it was the Citie of Heauen wherein is comprehended true blessednesse and perfect felicitie In that Citie I sawe neuer a Temple which made me meruaile vntill that Faith told me that the Lord God almightie was the Temple of that Citie There needes no shining of Sun nor brightnes of Moone nor glittering of stars to giue them light for the almightie God is their true light himselfe None enters into this Citie but such as are written in the booke of life Furthermore Faith tolde me that there was no discord no aduersitie no sinne no reproch no iniquitie no feare no sorrow no shame no tumult no darknes no paine no mistrust no violence no vnquietnes no ill no grudging finally nothing that fauoured of mortalitie but there was concord prosperitie perfection vnitie loue gladnesse quietnesse staiednesse charitie sure rest perpetuall felicitie and euerlasting ioye in God with eternall life and happinesse There was mirth without sadnesse rest without labor gaine without losse health without paine abundance without want life without death cleannesse without corruption happinesse without hinderaunce In this Citie God is seene face to face there is the endlesse lyght shining the Saints alwaies singing blessed soules reioycing and euer beholding God yet still coueting to sée him without dulnesse of desire The Citizens of this Citie of heauen are coheires of the eternall Deitie the Father Sonne and holy Ghost They are made incorruptible and immortall according to the promise of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ saieng Father those that thou hast giuen me I will that they bee with me where I am that they may see my brightnesse What can I say more in this Citie is one King without death and without chaunge without beginning and without ending In this Citie there is no night there is no limitation or terme of time but continuall day most brightly shining For in this Citie dwelleth the Father of lights euen God himselfe whose brightnesse no darknes can ouershadow The Citizens of this Citie are most blessed and fortunate For they are pertakers of vnspeakable grace of vnmeasurable happinesse of endlesse ioye of such perfection as therevnto there can be added no more Unto this place shall the iust be aduaunced as for the wicked their portion is in the Lake boyling with fire and brimstone But to proceede in our purpose ¶ THE DESIRE THAT THE KNIGHT had to come to heauen and how Gods grace brought Perseuerance The ix Chapter HAuing séene from the Tower of Faith the Citie of heauen and heard by hir the manner of it I was rauished of my wit estéemed nothing at all of the world For I felt not my selfe my thought I was walking in Heauen Héerevpon I desired Faith that I might remaine still in hir Tower the which willingly she graunted me insomuch that I was neuer wearie out of hir Tower window to behold heauen yea the more I behelde it the more beautifull it séemed In the end I was loath to liue in this world desired death that I might the sooner sée the citie of Heauen haue the sight and inioying of Christ my Redéemer Then kneeling by my selfe all alone I made this praier saieng O how happy is the soule that is out of this earthly prison resteth in heauen most ioifully seeing his Sauior face to face That soule is without feare afflictiō O how happy is the soule which is in the company of Angels holy Saints singing praises vnto the highest Such a soule surely is ladē with abūdance of ioy O happy societie of citizens O happy company of Saints which lamented in their mortall life but now raigne with God immortally O sweet Iesus let me come to thy plesant Citie wher thy Citizens see thee daily to their great delight O let me come ther wher nothing is troublesome to heare or vnderstand what melody heare they without ending And how happy wer I if I might heare the songs or be admitted to sing a song of Dauid in thy holy hil of Sion O that I being the least of thy seruants may by thy grace put off my fleshly burden and come to thy happy Citie to accompany the holy happy assembly of Saints to see the glory of my Creator to behold his amiable Maiestie That I may be made meet for this so great a blessing grant I beseech thee O gratious God that I neuer loke backe vppon this shadowe or valley of teares that I remember not the false plesures of this wicked worlde that I esteeme not this corruptible euil lyfe O how can we here be happie where the Diuell alwayes assalts vs Where the world flatters vs Where the soule is blinded And where al men sin After which greate euils death doth followe as the verie end of al vaine pleasures then they are esteemed as if they had neuer ben What recompēce may be made vnto thee O GOD which giuest vs consolation in the middest of all our extremities by the wonderfull visitation of thy diuine grace Beholde me miserable wretch filled with sadnesse wherein I consider my sinnes when I feare thy iudgement when I thinke on the houre of death when I remember the paines of hell when I am ignorant what punishment I deserue when I knowe not where nor in what estate I shall end my dayes In all these things and many other I appeale to thy gratious goodnesse knowing that thou art readye to giue me consolation against all these sorrowes Thou liftest vp my soule ful of anguish aboue all mountaines thou makest me receiue thy great Loue Charitie goodnes by the which thou recreatest my heauie spirit and reioysest my sad heart in reuealing vnto me thy heauenly delights This praier ended I vtterly forgat all my miseries and rested my soule vpon the anchor of Hope Then as I was kneeling Gods grace appered vnto me accompanied with an other Lady which I had not séene before And after I had giuen her thanks for all her benefits she deliuered mée this Lady named