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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	england_n	king_n	return_v	2,853	5	6.9533	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47042	Saint Patricks purgatory containing the description, originall, progresse, and demolition of that superstitious place / by Henry Jones ...	Jones, Henry, 1605-1682.	1647 (1647)	Wing J946; ESTC R16600	121,914	152

then a being as we are borne in hand so will it seeme much more impossible if the nature of the thing it selfe be looked into for had it been a thing obscure or of none account it would be the lesse wonder that it should be forgotten but being of all other things that which is of greatest note it could not be hid nor neglected nothing deserving to be more or so much remembred as this So O Sullevan writing of Ireland There doth yet remaine that which of all the memorable things of Ireland is most memorable of which I should have spoken in the first place and that is S. Patricks Purgatory saith he Peter Lumbard also the late popish Primate of Armagh writing of the places in Ireland of greatest note doth above all the rest extoll this Purgatory Of all of them the most famous and most holy is that which is called the place of S. Patricks Purgatory and if so it were in those dayes esteemed it ought not it could not be forgotten as it was by all the writers of these former ages Neither will it serve to say that this Purgatory was then in the Infancy therof and not well known or frequented so as much notice to be taken of it at the least so much as in after times for to passe by what before I touched considering it was supposed to be obtained by Patrick from God for the Conversion of the whole Nation and that it did worke that effect by which all must have taken speciall notice of it we shall further find these men to conclude that even in S. Patricks owne time also pilgrimages were very frequent thither for so O Sullevan While S. Patrick lived many went into that Purgatory for the purging of their sinnes whereof some who were doubtfull never returned but they who were armed with a firme and unmoved faith being returned reported that they had seen Hell and endured great Torments that also they had seen great felicity and rest Many saith he went in even in S. Patricks time They flocked thither by troopes saith another by whom many miracles were related of which some are recorded in the Monuments of Antiquity but where are these Monuments The Revelations of men that went in S. Patrick yet living are kept within the said Abby saith the third but yet let the producing of them be pressed and no such can be found such and more than enough of such may be easily found of a late stampe but farre short of S. Patrick or many ages after To come then to the time of the first discoverie that we reade of it the first newes we heare of it was in the age of Steven King of England and that by that Henry of Saltry whom we have before named who flourished about the yeare 1140. many even seven ages after S. Patricks conversion of this Kingdome which was about the yeare of our Lord 432. before which Henry and he also a stranger to the Kingdome and so taking it onely on hearesay we finde not any footsteps of it any where and with him doth Roth one that hath swet in this matter beginne as at the head To our testi●…ies at home saith he late ones all as may appeare We have assenting the suffrages of Stangers as of Henry of Saltry and Matthew Paris in that vision of Owen the Knight where we finde two Authors reporting one and the same history it being the first we finde commonly called the History of the Knight these Two againe we must reduce to One The one of these writers borrowing from the other Matthew Paris being also a stranger who lived about the yeare 1245. relating what he doth out of that Henry after whom he lived more than 100. yeares and after Iocelin 60. yeares a long time especially in superstitious times for such a Relation to take head and possible it is considering the times to find many reporters and such also as might be more readie to help it forward by adding to it for the best advantage of which kinde we finde to be in the first place these two first Henry and Matthew as may appeare by the circumstances of the relation of the grounds I meane and inducements for our beleeving the thing of which in the next place without touching upon the passages of that Pilgrimage which well examined would afford abundant matter for its owne confutation but that I referre to the following Chapter The proceedings in Matthew and Henry are these in substance for the particulars were tedious That there was a certaine Knight by some called Egnus but of others and more commonly Oenus as in Matthew Paris whom herein I follow This Owen was borne in Ireland and followed Steven King of England in his Warres from whom returning into Ireland his native Countrey to visit his parents and after some time taking into a serious consideration the great disorders of his ungodly life past he doth apply himselfe by way of confession to an Irish Bishop I know not whether Florentianus bishop as I conceive of Clogher he who did labour so much with Salteriensis to worke in him a beliefe of this Purgatory of which after This Bishop whosoever he was being about to enjoy●e our delinquent his Penance is prevented by Owen of himselfe making choice of going into S. Patrick's Purgatory notwithstanding the earnest solicitation of the Bishop to the contrary but being resolved The Bishop dismisseth him with Letters to the Prior of that Purgatory by whom after fifteene dayes exercise and preparation he is admitted and shut up alone in the Cave After whose returne we have him the Author of a very strange relation the ground-work of all that followed in that kind as that through that Cave he did passe into many subterraneall spatious Rooms and Passages by which he is led into all the corners of that Generall Purgatory as it is called this againe guiding him into Hell it selfe these two supposed not to be farre distant over which by the benefit of a bridge he passeth into Paradise the same Paradise out of which our first Parents were cast from whence and all this in a few houres is he back againe at the entrance of the Cave In all which what incredible and portentous reports we meet shall be referred to its owne place to be revised and examined Our Pilgrim now returned goeth another Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and thence backe againe into England where hee doth certifie the King of his resolution of forsaking the World and wholly addicting himselfe to a Religious life At which time saith Matthew or Salteriensis rather whose discourse is verbatim in Matthew It happened that Gervasius Abbet of the Monastery of Luda obtayned leave from the King of England for to build an Abbey in Ireland and to that end hee sent a Monke called Gilbert to the King that he might have the grant of a place for the Abbey Gilbert comming to the King did complaine that

he wanted the Irish-tongue To whom the King said I will God willing find out for you a good interpreter and Owen being called the King commanded him to goe with Gilbert that with him hee might remaine in Ireland which the knight most willingly assented unto and continued with Gilbert to whom he did carefully minister and was desirous to take the habit of a Monke as being a servant fore-chosen by the Lord. Into Ireland they went and built the Abbey where the Monke Owen was his interpreter and faithfull servant but whensoever the monke Gilbert was private with the Knight hee was very inquisitive of the state of Purgatory and the wonderfull terments which he saw and by experience had learned And from this Gilbert Saltericusis receiveth the relation The aforesaid narration the said Gilbert did often repeate in my hearing saith Henry himselfe according as he had often heard it from the Knight Where I passe over the ignorant and grosse mistake of our Author in making Stephen King of England to have any power of disposing of land in Ireland as by the most learned Primate is justly observed whereas the succeeding King Henry the second was the first who could clayme there Let us proceed to view the severall Actors in this Sceane and whom have we in this Monkish age but all Monks as Henry Matthew Gilbert and Owen to whom adde Florentianus whom anon we shall see enter and act his part too on this stage Of Matthew Paris I have not much to say he being but Henry's transcriber setting aside his affectionate manner of expressing the matter sutable to the superstition of his times and his order setting aside also his partiall taking up ungrounded reports and adding thereunto of his owne many things in that kinde besides what he hath out of Salteriensis But our first Author is Henry of Saltry if we allow it not rather to Gilbert so stirring in the plot of whom Matthew thus By the industrie and diligence of this Monke he meaneth Gilbert and the Knights owne experience this is reduced to writing together with the relation of the Bishops of that Region and of other religious men who to verifie the truth thereof have thereunto given their testimonie How many Bishops or other hands or votes were given to it wee know not no such thing being to be seene But if any I dare assure my selfe Florentianus would be one For that Henry of Saltry was wholly led or rather misléd by these two Florentianus the Bishop and Gilbert the monke Henry's owne words will apparantly discover Gilbert is Henry's first Relator from whom he heareth of this matter in the presence of many others as before was shewed in which number saith Henry there was one present who said he doubted much if any such thing had happened Neither is Henry himselfe fully satisfied in it howsoever credulous enough but desireth further satisfaction therein Therefore to use his owne words when I did heare of all these things I did conferre with two Abbots of Ireland desiring to be better informed of these things One of them answered that he never heard of the like things in his Countrey But the other affirmed that he had often heard of them saying that all of them were true and further adding that seldome any of those that went into that Purgatory did ever returne Which last were it true we might well suspect some foule dealing making some of the Pilgrimes away secretly to confirme their fabulous Legend And whereas this Relator strayneth so farre as to say that few of them returned who went into that Purgatory Wee must imagine that there were but few that would adventure thither For if many did goe in and but few returned how commeth that mincing of the number before that some have gone in who never returned or that other that there were two companies lost and that a third is yet to be taken away not two onely not a small ' some but most perished if this be true Yet before we proceed further let us heare Thomas Messingam how hee doth render these words out of Henry But when I saith Salteriensis had heard all these things I consulted with two Irish Abbots concerning the same whereof one of them answered that all these things were true and testified further that many who went in did never returne In Henry's words it is that seldome any returned in his that many returned not by the ambiguity thinking to hide the other But this is not all We did heare but one of those Abbots speake what said the other of that not a word in Messingam and why because hee did not speake to the purpose For hee had said that in his Countrey he did heare no such thing This is omitted and silently passed over as fearing it might raise some scruple in the businesse which hee desired should runne smoothly without any rub Henry proceedeth Lately also did I speake with one who was Nephew of Patrick the third of that name the Companion of Saint Malachias by name Florentianus in whose Bishopricke as he said that Purgatory was Hence we gather him to be Bishop of Clogher for there that Iland is of whom having curious●y enquired he answered truly Brother that place is within my Bishopricke and many miscarry in that Purgatory and they that perchance returne it was but a chance did by reason of the extreamitie of the torments which they endured alwayes looke pale through a continuall languor wannesse Than which what more ridiculous how many thousands have gone in thither that never saw any torment or sight other than what a fantasticall braine could present in a dreame or that ever changed colour for the matter if they blushed not rather at the foolishnesse of the reports But of this more hereafter Where we see Henry's grounds hee is first told it by Gilbert and confirmed in it by Florentianus demand their cause of knowledge and Gilbret telleth you the report was made to him by Owen himselfe whom if you will beleeve you may for there are we at the height of our evidence Now what reason Salteriensis had to rely on the credit of these men so much as he did will appeare in that these two were his Tutors and instructors whose words he must not question Henry of Saltry an English Monke of the Cistercian Order was by Florentianus an Irish Bishop and Gilbert of Luda Abbot of the Cistercian Monkes instructed in learning and in the precepts of good living as it is in Messingam with whom agreeth Iohn Pits Partly in his owne Monasterie partly by Florentianus an Irish Bishop Gilbert of Luda Abbot of the Cistercians hee was instituted in learning and in the rules of well living of whom also Bale us thus Of him speaking of Henry it was written that he was deluaèd by the impostures of one Florentianus a Bishop of the Irish and deceived by the cunning of Gilbert of