understanding is unsatiable such was the life of this father singularly composed of active and contemplative alwaies yielding to God what he could to his Prince what he ought and of that which belonged to his owne dominion more then he ought by any law but that of charity But yet neverthelesse this is so pious so holy an institute and order of his was not able to please the implacable as it happens with engines of many pieces and instruments that though the motion tooke beginning from some principall wheele neverthelesse that impression which it makes upon others doth not cease though the principall move no more nay rather that impression which is made upon the lesser Pieces drawes after it with violence that piece which gave motion from the beginning So in some governments the motion that tooke beginning from the Prince and was derived and after divided among many ministers followes and continues a motion in them although the Prince have abandonde it in like manner it happens concerning hatred and malevolence That the interest of Court advancements take deepe roote with many that perswade themselves they shall doe the Pope a verie great service and ti 's growne almost naturall for men to shew that they having an affection to that which at first they tooke from others being none of their owne but fained that they may arrive at some end of their owne and so in progresse of time forgetting themselves become really transported in their affection the like being also observable in the corporall affections of nature as in infirmities and diseases of fancy So there were many that from the beginning knowing neither why or wherfore but onely shewing a hatred to the innocent father and believing that in so doing they strucke into the humor of the Court and were thereby like to preferre themselves as many have done that have founded their fortunes upon that only foundation and since have really entred into affections of hatred and malevolence fomenting them by faining a false fame that the father was opposit to other priests that in consultations he went alwaies against Ecclesiastical jurisdiction and this is at this day the very center where all their lines doe collineate A meer falshood and well knowne to them that governe which they being able to carry no further must now testifie to the glory of God whether he served for a bridle or for a spurre according to the urgency of occasions the good offices which he continued to doe in favour of the Clergie and whether he were not a perpetuall advocate for the Jurisdiction and libertie of the Church I meane the true Canonicall and legitimate Church but not that which is now usurpt and employed to the subsersion of publique governments and of religion it selfe Because the father alwaies offirmed with a most intense zeale that nothing gave so great an impediment to the progresse of the Catholique religion as when they extended their libertie into license and that this alone had caused and maintained so deplorable a division in religion and some have been very injurious to calumniate him that either in consultation or in his writings he went about to beare downe the jurisdiction of the Church and to exalt more then was necessary the power of secular Princes It is true that with a frequent zeale of the conservation of holie Church and religion he was moved to blame Princes as guilty of a great sinne for not caring to preserve that jurisdiction and power that God had granted them upon which subject he hath written much and grounded it upon piety and irrefragable truth Because authoritie is given by God to Princes not for themselves but for the benefit of the people the Prince being but the depositary the Custos and executor not the Patrone of that authoritie to change or lessen it at his pleasure Wherefore t is a grosse ignorance and a most wretched sinne not to keepe up that which God hath confer'd upon them And Princes are not peradventure guilty of a great sin offence before God then out of an ignorant zeale to have suffered so great a part of their power to be usurped and that they are no longer able to rule the people committed to their charge without continuing a change of government The negligences of Princes in this particular hath beene pernitious to the Church of God and to all Ecclesiastique order And whosoever shall without passion consider how far the father was any way a breeder of controversies that have beene in the Church shall finde how he hath deplored them to be the true originall of all those mischiefes which have now brought into the Church the most politike mundane government that ever was and busied the Ecclesiastiques in things not onely different but also contrary to the instituted ministery of Christ keeping Christendome in perpetuall discord And the divisions at this day that are among Christians so irrevocable by any other meanes then the omnipotent and miraculous hand of God He held it for certaine that they were bred not so much by obstinacie in diversitie of opinions and contrariety of doctrine as from the strife about jurisdiction which after by degeneration and growing into factions hath taken up the maske of religion And as one well verst in histories hath observed that good Princes from time to time have beene they that have kept their jurisdiction most entire But effeminate ignorant vitious Princes are they that have lost a great part or by their insufficiency suffered others to usurpe it with such a deformation in the Church and for a proose of this it is not necessary to runne backe to the examples of the Constantines the Thesdosio's the Justinians whose Lawes Codexes whosoever will reade shall finde this to be verified but to those that are nearer our owne age and to those whom the Roman Church this day acknowledgeth to be even the basis of their temporall greatnesse Charles the fifth Philip the second and other catholique kings But this malevolence hath not beene unfruitfull to all sorts of men for as it hath beene helpfull to some so it hath beene hurtfull to others because in the fathers life and which is more to be wondered at after his death it hath befriended many religious men not onely of the order of the Servi but others to the obtaining of degrees and good offices alwaies giving the foile to their concurrents by saying no more but that they were affectionate or that they had but treated with the father and by this meanes they have supplanted those persons that never spoke with nor ever saw the father even so farr as to be laught at by those that have knowne the truth of particulars especially after his death as of Alberto Testoni whom wee named before who to obtaine a prelacy from Pope Vrbane by way of briefe which was against the law used this as a meanes That it having beene formerly collated at a Chapter it had belonged to a
onely give all men satisfaction but left them with so much wonder of his profoundnes in every thing being yet but young as if he had beene verst in that alone and applyed himselfe to nothing else And the service of that Prince seemed to require no lesse Because as persons of divers professions resorted to his court so he was desirous that his chaplains should treate and hold argument with all men of all things that fell into discourse And he himselfe would ever propound some extravagant question at publique disputations where he would appeare sometime unexpected He used to command Fra. Paul to argue to some conclusion wherein it was impossible he should be premeditated As among others at one time which may serve for an example of many in a Theologicall Thesis that Christ our Lord died at the age of three and thirty being a subject to puzzell any indifferent wit But Frier Paul with confronting the evangelists by their Easter as if under his eye he had had the whole concordance of the Gospell and with some allegations out of Eusebius did to the wonder of all that understood him reduce his respondent to so narrow a streight that he was driven to say of Eusebius Historia est non vera narratio whereat the Duke breaking into a laughter replyed Father those of Saint Alexis of the living and of the dead are histories to you and such like as are sold by the Mountebanks And so in a kinde of whispering and jeering the disputation was broke up Nature at some certaine times produceth wits that are apt for any particular science as in many ages after wee see not the like againe Many such and very famous ones have beene in former times In this of ours Vieta in the Algebra Gilberto in the speculations of the Magnetique vertues Galileo in his knowledge of the motions The braine of Fra. Paul seemed to have a rare excellency in all these but in the Mathematiques it was a thing incomparable because whatsoever remaines of antiquity or of moderne writers was but the least part of what he knew He was no lesse curious to know all that had beene said of the Astrologiques the vanity and inutility thereof he did alwayes and absolutely despise because things in futurity either cannot be knowne or cannot be avoided But not long before his going from Mantua there happened a pretty accident The Duke who willingly interposed the pleasures of wit and facetiousnesse with the grave cares of his government tempering wisely his troubles with Joviality of words and actions had in his stable whereof by the example of his ancestors he kept a race of so great esteeme that it is reported that at the battell of Pavy 15.25 Francis the first king of France was there mounted upon a horse which had beene given him by the Marquise of Mantua And Charles the fift in his warres made use of another of the same race which was bestowed on him I say this Duke William had a mare that was in fole of a mule and being neere the time of her foling he desired Fra. Paolo to bestow a nights study with Astronomicall instruments that the horoscope the natale minute of the beast might be knowne with the scituation of the Heavens and the posture of the starres at that time which being done and reduced into the forme of a figure or apotelesme the Prince caused copies to be sent abroad to all the famous Astrologers of Europe as well in Italy as in other places with this declaration That at such an instant of time a bastard was borne in the Dukes house and I can very well tell that a good while after the Prince made himselfe merry to reade the indigents that came from divers parts One would have this bastard to be a Cardinall others that hee should be a great commander others that it prognosticated triumphes or miters even as high as the very Pontificate There came rumour which got some credit and is not yet extinct That Fra. Paulo taking discontent at this action was willing to leave the Princes service fearing lest at some time or other by the Capricio's of the Princes braine a worse encounter might befall him and to say truth Frier Paul commended much the excellency of the Princes wit but withall had observed some toyish fancies wherewith he was too much pleased But he himselfe hath seriously affirmed that this was no cause of his departure nor yet the example of another Fryer of the same order called Cornelio da Codomo who being likewise entertayned by the Duke had incurred his displeasure and was put in prison from whence he made his escape leaving a generall opinion by the great meanes that were used to catch him againe that he meant to put him to death But hath alwaies rather confirmed it That the Duke had all the reason in the world And the Duke did honour him so much as to give him an account of the businesse and the writing it selfe which is extant and I have seene it which moved this great Prince to so just a disdaine and this it was That when the Cardinall Hercules de Gonsaga dyed a certayne young man that qualified himselfe to bee his sonne not conceiving that he had quick justice done him by the Magistrates in the execution of certaine goods pretended to belong to him did in the forme of a supplication deliver the Duke a reall and famous Libell taxing him to be an usurper and an unjust Tyrant threatning him with divine revenge and citing him before the tribunall of God whereupon being imprisoned hee confest that it was Cornelio da Codomo that had formed that scandalous writing Fame bore it out that these two were the causes of his departing the Court to which the course of time gave so much credit that it is yet received for a truth among the elder sort though it were undoubtedly false But the true cause of his departure which hee made with the Princes favour and approbation was because that a court life was so absolutely averse to his Genius and his fame in religion made him to be perpetually importuned by his friends and superiors who had a designe to make use of his labours in their profession Fryer Paul had added to his learning such an integrity of Religious carriage that being but a very young man hee was had in reverence of all men as an Idaea of modesty of Piety and all other vertues both Christian and Morall Some things may seeme paradoxes but they are so well knowne and have so great a testimony from men yet living that hee that should goe about to question any of them must needs have put on a vizard of impudency poysoning his tongue with untruth and his corrupted heart with malignitie of passion Let Fryers speake let so many Senators witnesse whether Fra. Paulo were ever heard to sweare by his faith or speake an unseemely word or ever seene to be angry yet these are not the onely
with him of so singular integrity and sanctitie of life as are seldome seene with a commendation which became proverbiall that if he had beene in the favour of the Court and served their interests he had beene put in the Calender and number of Saints In Rome they were very glad to heare of his death with such kinde of discourses nor could his holinesse containe himselfe from speaking of it as the handy-worke of God to take him out of the world as if it had been a miracle for a man to die at the age of 71. But he himself was not immortall for he died himselfe the same yeare about the beginning of Iuly He lived in the world seaventle one years which was a decrepit age if you consider his complexion or his consummate wisdome and perfection of vertue and his either desires or hopes to live being but too short a time if you consider the service that the publique received from him or the common desire that was afterward of him because it concerned the most excellent republique that his service should have beene as durable as it was faithfull A paterne of so rare vertues was worthie of a longer old age or rather of a perpetuall youth if humanitie could have borne it in this life But to him for his owne sake death which could not be unexpected was not untimly yet at least to us and for our sakes t was bitter and if he lived long enogh for himselfe yet lived he too little for the publique for which he onely lived Vpon this occasion his Cell was seene and visited by very many who observing that religious povertie without any ornament were very well satisfied and the principall Senators said it was a paradice where a good Angell dwelt And the most excellent Leonardo Moro who is one of the perfections of all vertues and particularly of religion and christian piety could not containe himselfe from saying Is this the father whom the prelates of holy church have so much defamed Is he then a wicked man and are they the imitators of Christand his Apostles His funerals were conspicuous both for the publick munificence and for a numerous concourse of great persons of every fort but for cost It exceeded not his private condition save onely in a publique griefe And it was observed that his face was well coloured and smiling and as they said more venerable beautifull when he was dead then when he lived An after nine monthes that the coffin was opened againe wherein he was laid they found him both entire and with his face fresh coloured Father Fulgentio was the first that went about to honour his memory by some workes but the Convent would not suffer him who resolved to make it a publique act But the most excellent senate decided the difference by a publique decree that at the publique charge there should be made a memoriall and inscription which may be so much the more illustrious and durable because as yet there is nothing done in it And likewise she fame and infamie of those is like to be eternall who keepe an implacable hatred against the dead with a malignitie of finding blemishes in so precious a jemme or clouds in so resplendent a jewell which in such an excellent creature either never were or else so little that they were invisible except it were to the eyes of of consummate malignitie And according to the wise man The rash imprudence of those men shall be had in derision who being raised into fortune presume to the patrons even of fame and to extinguish it that it should not passe to posteritie And as for the glorie of this great Hero's so excellent a creature as it happens to some captaines of great valour his tryumphe encreast more being denied then granted As the impediment was knowne to arise from these wicked tyrants Tiberius Nero and others so it may happen to father Paul And if a sneild should he made for him with his effigies the same event would befall it as was said of the images of Brutus and Cassius that in a funerall pompe they were more conspicuous and prefulgent because by the violence of the Tyranny they were not seene among the others And if there remaine any sence of these humane consolations to those that are in God That great soule of father Paul shall receive content that the perversitie of others hath favoured his intentions which were despising of all other consolations of the living Father Paul shall live eternally in God who is the onely goodnesse desireable but yet he shall live in the memorie of men by his heroique vertues against which monuments neither time which consumes marbles and mettalle shall prevaile much lesse that foolish poetique error of them that believe that the fame of men can live in a stone which is subject to the injuries of the most wretched sort of people And because the time that 's past is the best instructer of that which is to come I must not forget that among others that were present at that pious exemplarie and happie death of the good father there was one sent thither who went in obedience to some body that foresaw more then others Maestro Agostino Mesani of Venice surnamed the Poet who beving also tied up by the truth upon his oath and havingsubscribed to that narrative above mentioned which was presented to the most excellent Senate this man favoured defended by Father Paul upon many occasions who was the rather moved to compassionate him for his inconsistent braine This man being brought in by a kinsman of his that was said to serve as a spy or as I have it more probable by his own rashness foolish hopes into the houseof the Signor Nuntie was also said to have made relations there which where only worthy of himselfe He that never knew obligation to tel truth nor to keep himself within terms of modestie But that he should be examined againe and his narration registred it was not very like although the Frier himself brag'd of it True it is that from thence hee returned to his Convent being full of conceipts which by his naturall foolishnesse because hee was a foole and notoriously knowne to be so but yet of an ill tongue and very mischievous not being able to conceale or rather saying publiquely that he should shortly bee above either a Generall or a Provinciall But this lasted but awhile because those that were about the Nuntio understood too well the carriage of such people and what service could bee expected from such as he was It may bee also that they were inform'd of his customes and qualities to be such as cannot with honesty bee related But let it serve to cast a veile over him by saying that he is Muliebriter infamis vita probosus and with Superiours hee had been priviledged onely by his folly That in more than fifteen yeares he had neither made confession nor recited office although hee had sometimes celebrated Masse and when the Superiours went about to reforme it in him hee presently turn'd Apostata as he had done at other times before Let not this note bee thought impertinent because this mans relations another time may appeare under the name of a Theologist or Master of Divinitie as others in the like kinde with and without names have caused to be committed from Rome to the Vicar Generall Apostolicall Maestro Filippo Ferrari de Alexandria to make certaine heynous inquifitions against others But they have had the ordinary event of those that move informations upon such subjects and the very letters themselves of the Generall have been seen by me to the like purpose where it hath appeared that all that had been written and affirmed were false FINIS