then dye to heauen reuiue As the Hermit said these things and they entred further within the wood a great lion came vpon them with most terrible roring the Pilgrims and the good porter were seized with an extreme feare and Lazarus thought this had been the day of his funerall but the Hermit knew presently that it was the Diuell in likenes of a lion he made the signe of the Crosse and the lion vanished Then they came to a litle Oratory of S. Anthony whither this good old man was wont to walke his station where kneeling downe and saying Pater noster and Aue and demaunding the intercession of the Saint he aduertised them to take the right hand when they were out of the wood and to lodge if they could at the Conuent of the Charterhouse monks called Bon-heur The CoÌ„uent of Bon-heur which was six leagues of and weeping he kissed them all three and bad them farewell with his benediction as they did him and his companion with a thousand thanks After they had done the deuotions of the day they kept silence a while walking on Lazarus thought of that the good Hermit had told him of his funerals as also vpon the verses written in the paper He thought that his funerals should be the lamentation of them who would be grieued that he should dye to the world in leauing it and that the same afterward should be comforted but he was troubled to penetrat the sense of the verse yet he did interpret the last day the death which he so much desired if it were the good pleasure of God but he could not accord the resurrection of the dead without dying nor their funerals How saith he shall the dead see one another after their funerals It shall be then in heauen after they are dead vpon earth such a sense did he finde for these foure verses When they had walked somwhile without saying a word they beganne to discourse of diuers things pleasant and pious Vincent had alwayes ready in his mouth some pretty iest and often touched Theodosius and so they marched all that day without disturbance but at night they found themselues in a pecke of troubles For being entred into a great forrest wherin they thought to haue seene the Conuent of Bon-heur and hauing entred a good way in without fynding any issue after many turnings and returnings they were ouertaken with night and must needs staye whereat they were much amazed for they were very weary and faint and had but one lofe and a litle wine left and which troubled them most was that they found themselues in this solitary forrest in euident danger of wolues and other wild beasts So vpon their knees they coÌ„mended themselues to God and the glorious Virgin to S. Iohn Bapt. S. Anthony S. Bruno crauing their help in this necessity In praying they seemed to heare a voice saying Get vpon the tree There were hard by diuers great Oakes and two especially very commodious to rest vpon and easy to clime they chose one Lazarus first made Theodosius Vincent ascend and helped them with his shoulders and bad them tye a cord which they had to a high branch of the tree to help himself vp after them he reached them all their three staues and holding the cord he mounted last clasping and clyming very nymbly they placed theÌ„selues as high as they could about 20. foote from the ground and found many branches of the greater boughs which serued for formes to sit or sleep vpon without daunger they eat a litle bread they had and some peares and dranke the litle wine was left in their botle The repast ended VinceÌ„t said now behold we are lodged at the signe of the oake the Sar vpon a higher stage iwis by much then we were foure dayes since in the green castle with the hare But if it raineth what shall we doe We wil doe answered Theodosius as they doe in Normandy And what doe they there replied Vincent They let it raine quoth Theodosius After such prety deuises of honest recreation they sayd their Litanies by hart made their examen of conscieÌ„ce sayd their beads and commended themselues to the protection of God the B. Virgin and of their good Angell with the best deuotion they could It was about two houres after sunne set the sky was very cleare and many starres did shine the moone was in the first quarter so that they might see reasonably in the shadowes of the night Theod sius and Vincent slept but Lazarus neuer shut his eyes but tooke singular pleasure in the present occasion of suffring somewhat for the loue of God in beholding the heauens and starres he drew matter to admire and praise the Creatour of those goodly creatures which he beheld with great atteÌ„tion Psal 18.1 often repeating in his hart the words of King Dauid The heauens do declare the glory of God and the firmament doth shew the works of his hands he saw the signe of Libra that of the great Serpent approching toward the south which shewed that the sunne being then in the 21. degree of Taurus for it was the 11. of May had already dispatched halfe of his course vnder the horizon of the Antipodes and that it was about 11. clocke A horrible spectacle As he was fixed in the consideration of these heauenly bodies there was presented before his eyes a horrible spectacle for he saw by the moone light a man accoÌ„panyed with a woman who caried in the aire lighted like two flying owles vnder the oake next to the Pilgrims This fellow hauing made a great circle with a wand he had in his haÌ„d muÌ„bling certaine words which he seemed to read in a booke he caused to appeare also two other women with a Goate of a monstrous bignes and falshion carying betwixt his hornes a light candle which seemed to be of some black stuffe like pitch the light burning blew somewhat blackish in the same instant he saw arriue diuers persons men and women yong and old to the number of 66. euery one bringing their candle which they must light at the goates candle doing him homage and kissing vnder his taile Lazarus perceiued streight that it was an assembly of Sorcerers remembring what at other times he had read and heard remeÌ„bring withall that it was Friday a day which the Diuell detesteth aboue all other and dishonoureth all he can and namely by such assemblies 11. a nuÌ„ber of â—ll signification and a marke of sinne as the Church doth honour with holy ceremonies to be a memoriall of our Sauiours victory gotten against these infernall troupes the houre was also suspicious for at eleuen of the clock in the night a number of misfortune and a marke of sinne the Diuell hath a custome to do his solemne abhominations and the number of persons 66. that is 6. S. Aug. l. 15. de ciu c. 20. times eleuen did agree to that of the time Theodosius Vincent
brethren that we shall haue cause to mourne to day at our arriuall Then am I farre besides my reckoning quot Vincent for I make account to rest and make merry It will be then at the funerall quoth Lazarus that you must be merry for yonder fellow told me that my brothers obsequies are kept this day They are quoth Theodosius the obsequies of Pauline But I feare me quoth Lazarus that they are of my brother Francis haue I not then cause to lament both mine owne estate that of the good old man my fathers With what face can I looke on him what hart-breake shall my presence be vnto him when by me he shall vnderstand the death also of his other sonne his hart and his dearling I pray you quoth Vincent let vs not found melancholy vpon shadowes it is but a coniecture you haue we must not hold it for certaine truth Let vs expect a while without giuing the alarum at the voice of a peasant Lazarus sayd no more but marched all mute As they were a quarter of a mile from the Castle I see there below quoth Vincent fiue or sixe persons I thinke they be of Monsieur his people stay a while I pray you vntill I go and know Lazarus and Theodosius stayed as he came about ten paces from them he perceiued Pauline with three or foure of his Cousins amongst whome was a brother of Theodosius Pauline perceiuing him also ranne straight vnto him and imbraced him Vincent all rauished And what sayth he we thought you had beene dead in Africa and Lazarus mourned for you euen now My brother Lazarus quoth Pauline and is he aliue Yea saith Vincent and as lusty as euer he was sauing that he is somwhat melancholy Alas we haue made his obsequies His obsequies quoth Vincent do the bury folkes aliue in this country He thoght they had beene the funerals of his brother Francis He is quicke and queath too God be thanked quoth Pauline but where is my brother Lazarus He is there quoth Vincent shewed him where they stayed vnder the trees Pauline fell a running and crying without seeing any body my brother Lazarus my brother Aime-Dieu where are you Lazarus hearing this voice sayd to Theodosius Is not this voice of Pauline Do I not dreame still Hearke Pauline cried againe it is euen so quoth Theodosius and they went â—eâ—â—e Lazarus saw Pauline who cast himselfe into his armes Lazarus 〈…〉 his necke both weeping 〈◊〉 remaining to a wâ—iâ—◠〈◊〉 speaking At last saith Lazarus but is not 〈◊〉 â—â—earâ—e that giueth me a vaine ioy Theodosius imbracing Pauline It is surely Pauline that I hold quoth he doubt you nothing And speaking to Pauline O my good Cousin Lazarus hath made your obsequies 〈◊〉 Loreto are you yet liuing And we haue made his heere quoth Pauline This then quoth Lazarus is the fulfilling of the two first verses of the Hermits prophecy At that fayre Day the last which you desire Two dead reuiu'd without death shall ech other see For behold you my brother raised againe to mine eyes without dying and I to yours and I hope that the other two verses with the whole prophecy shall he accomplished but is our honourable Father well and in health and our wel-beloued brother decrest sister All the world is well and galliard quoth Pauline God be thanked there was nothing but the newes of your death that did contristate vs. Amidst these imbracings the other gentlemen came the brother of Theodosius and imbraced streight not without many teares Lazarus arriued at his Father house Now the question was how to aduertise their Father Pauline would preseÌ„tly haue gone vnto him but Lazarus was of opinion to vse dexterity least receiuing newes of a great ioy presently vpon a great heauines he should fall into some deadly sounding by the encountring of these contrary passions No quoth Pauline he is resolute and constant and the newes of your arriuall will not hurt him I warrant you Let me alone with the matter all shall go well Expect onely in the court of the Castle vntil I warne you of a fit time to come in Pauline went and saluted his father who was in his chamber with his brother Francis somewhat pensiue He sayd vnto him Sir you must reioyce and not be sorry for the death of my brother Aime-Dieu My child answered his father my greatest griefe is past I am resolued to patience seeing it is the will of God so I hope I shall see him shortly in heauen Sir quoth Pauline would you not be glad to see him in earth If it had beene Gods will I would gladly haue seene him returned from his pilgrimage before I did end myne but seeing it is fallen out otherwise God be blessed for all Sir quoth Pauline reioyce your sonne is yet aliue and you shall see him shortly and therewith made a signe to the page who had the watch word to call his brother How vnderstaÌ„d you that saith his Father And as he would haue spoken asked further Lazarus entred in with Theodosius and Vincent saying aloud Sir behold your sonne risen againe The good good old man as it were a waked out of a deep dreame and astonished as if he had seene a body rise out of the graue fastened his eyes on the face of Lazarus and imbracing him bathed him in warne teares O my Sonne quoth he how litle looked for and how greatly pleasing is thy coming vnto me thou art wellcome with all thy coÌ„panions but art thou yet aliue Art thou he whose funerals we celebrated yesterday and for whome we hanged this house with blacke Is it not a dreame that doth thus transport me Syr quoth Lazarus it is your sonne and heere loe your nephew Theodosius and your faythfull seruant Vincent Loe verily I do remember them well sayth he and imbracing them God saue you my good friends quoth he Francis imbraced his brother Aime-Dieu with a wonderfull demonstration of ioy as also Theodosius and all the Castle towne did ring of the newes of these Pilgrimes returne The hall which was hanged for doâ—e was straight hanged with tapistry the countenance of the persons and of the very walles changed from a great sadnes to a sudden ioy and there was nothing but imbracements and voyce of ioy and the good old man come to himselfe and as it were becomming yong againe with the returne of his sonne Go we sayth he to giue thankes to God and lead them to the Church in their Pilgrims weed as they came into the Castle The Church was full of the townesmen astonished and rauished to see their maisters Sonne sound and lustie for whome they had mourned in the morning After they had song Te Deum and giuen thankes the old man said to Lazarus My sonne Aime-dieu your brother Pauline told me that you had changed your name and were called Lazarus behold to that purpose you are raysed againe the fourth day for
procession at the Church of our B Lady of Guifts fell from the platforme which is before the sayd Church about 24. foot high vpon the stones they that saw him in the aire when he fell they that tooke him vp from the ground thought surely he had beene all crushed and bruised and hauing wrapped him quickly in a Sheepe skinne they found at the last that he had no harme at all and the next morning he was to the procession sound liuely to giue thankes to God and our B. Lady by whose intercession there was reason to thinke that he was preserued not only from death but also from any harme This happened in a publicke place and the chance was great and strange and yet marked but by a few for the Post of Auinion comming to Lions but some moneths after and seeing this in print denyed stoutly that any such thing had happened there and his denyall had preuailed against the truth if there had not beene some there that were eye-witnesses thereof A like accident hapned at Bourdeaux the yeare 1600. to the sonne of M. Antony Valet a renowned Physitian The like happ of Antony Valet of Bourdeaux this child being six or seauen yeares old fell out of a window foure and twenty foote high or more vpon a paued court without any hurt and how few are there in that towne that know that speciall fauour and protection of the holy Angell who as an instrument of the diuine prouidence preserued that little child committed to his custody from harme to make him a name of honour with a long life At the same towne of Auinion in the yeare 1592. by the great prouidence of God In Auinion a child found buried quicke was found by Hunters a little child about a yeare old buryed quicke in his clothes by the bankes of Durence perceauing him by the toes of his feet stricking vp whether he had put them out of himselfe or the Dogs wynding him had so discouered it and it seemed that he had been in that case aboue foure and twenty houres for they saw his eyes nose eares and mouth stopped with earth now waxen hard and dry a chance which did astonish the beholders who could no wayes conceaue how this little creature could liue so long not only without sustenance but also without breathing It was christened with condition because they doubted some saying it was not like to liue so long without Baptisme others ghossing that some vnnatural Mother or sorcerer hauing of negligence deferred tâ— baptize it was at last driuen by the Diuell to bury it in this sort that it might be depriued of life both of body and soule for a more cruell and bloudy offering to this Tyrant Mounsier Bartelesse an honorable and vertuous gentleman the chiefe Consull of Auinion that yeare caused him to be called Iohn Ioseph which second name is that he now beareth who I doubt not doth well remember the matter as also I thinke but few then tooke any great heed therof and fewer thinke of it at this present At Tolouse the yeare of our Lord 1595. the 19. of May an other elder then this At Tolouse a youth buried in the ruines of a fallen house 1595. was in a sort buried aliue and saued miraculously he was called Bernard Gentiald a youth of that town of 18. or 19. yeares old dwelling with a merchant called Syre Caluet who by good or euill chance being all alone in his masters house which was in the street of Exchange when it fell downe to the ground betwixt 9. and 10. of the clocke in the night was also taken in the fall and found an houre after on the ground in the midst of the timber and plaister full of dust and astonishment without any harme at all as my selfe did see him some dayes after in our Nouiciate How many be there at Tolouse that were ignorant of this singular grace of God shewed in the behalfe of this yong man to the end to binde him more to loue him hauing preserued his life euen in his graue as he did to Ionas and kept him from all harmâ— in so dangerous a ruine In the same month the yeare 1597. at Vitescall fiue leagues from Burdeaux certaine little rockes seated vpon the side of Garumna At Vitescal 1597. wherin were framed certaine smal houses which serued for tauernes falling downe oppressed 19. persons and there was found a little girle safe and whole betweene the legges of her father who was al crushed I think but few marked this wonder of God There be a thousand like that happen before the eyes of men which are not perceaued wherefore we must not meruaile if few did marke this transport specially at that tyme when Italy as I haue sayd was in tumult and on fire with seditions and ciuill warres of the Guelfes and Gibellines which lasted about 250. yeares Plâ—t l. 7. decâ—d 1. Trith iâ— Clâ—mâ— was the obiect whereunto most men attended and which Writers of histories tooke for the subiect of their bookes so that this small attending might be the first cause of their silence in this miracle There may be also another contrary to this and that is the famousnes and manifest knowledge thereof which often maketh Writers neglect or disdaine to write of that all the world knoweth euery one referring himselfe to his companion At what tyme our Sauiour preached the Piscina probatica was in vigour in Hierusalem and recommended through all Palestine and with good reason for that it wrought continuall miracles healing all sortes of diseases though neuer so desperate and incurable and yet Ioseph that diligent and famous Writer of the Iewes and their matters speaketh not one word thereof Ioan. 11. and if S. Iohn had not in his Ghospell made mention thereof we should haue knowne nothing of it nor yet of the miracle of Lazarus raysed from death written onely by him being notwithstanding the most famous miracle that our Sauiour wrought The same Ioseph was silent also of that prodigious massacre of Herod vpon the childreÌ„ about Bethlem which notwithstanding was a very markable history and a thing which Rome and all the world knew Macrob. l. 2. Saturn cap. 4. Dion in Caesa Aug Philo lib. 3 de Herod for Macrobius and Dion Heathens do touch it in their writings The Eclipse of the sun and that admirable darknes which happened at the passion of our Sauiour extended ouer all Palestine and was manifest in Syria Aegypt and in all the places of our Hemisphere yet neuer a Heathen wrote thereof but only Phlegon a franchised seruant of Adrian the Emperour a silence almost as strange as the worke was manifest And how many thinges haue vanished from before the eyes of men PhlegoÌ„ Orig in Mat tract 35. tom 5. S. Tho. 3. p. q 44. and remayne buried in the dust of â—unning ages which in the beginning were notorious and knowne to all the world Therefore we
brimstone with an intolerable stench and ech of all their partes and specially of those that haue been instruments of their villanies The Cholericke and cruell shal haue for their whips and scourges their owne passions and the fury of the fiends The Gluttons shall be serued at the table of Hell fed with serpents and toades and drinke of the cuppe of the wrath of God The Enuious shall beare in their bosomes euer-liuing scorpions who shall sting them to an immortall rage The Slouthfull shall be beaten with the rodes of his owne rechlesnes vexed with a particuler torment of body and soule These shall be the proportions of euery one and all in generall shall haue the horrour of that hellish company of darknes of cries howlinges one of another The eternity of hell torments The third point shall be to consider that al these torments besides that they are vnspeakable and continuall shall also be euerlasting This eternity is that which giueth the forme the name of Hell to that hellish misery and without it there should be no Hell of torments nor paradise of pleasure This shall be the great hart-breake to the damned The cause of the daÌ„neds rage and sting their soule with a raging grief that they shal suffer without ceasing they shall also see without ceasing that it shall alwayes be so They shall alwayes pay the interest of their sinnes committed and yet shal alwayes be behind in errerages they shal alwayes pay and their debt increase still that which shall be past though it were ten milions of ages shall be reckoned for nothing and the future tyme shall be followed with another future as long as all Eternity The forme of this Eternity shall flye as a fierce fury continually before their eyes beating her vnwearied wings and hissing her horrour into their eares shall couch it selfe in the depth of their imagination and grauing there the marke and round circle of these eternall ages shall breed therein the sting and immortall rage of a furious desperation O soueraigne bounty What monster may sinne be that could so incense either thyne anger or thy clemency against it O sinne how abhominable art thou seeing no payne is sufficient to punish and chastice thee but eternall O mortall men what thinke you of when you defile your soules with the familiarity of this plague this death this confusioÌ„ Where is your wit to loose glory delight and riches of heauen for a fond pleasure for a foule delight for a brutish vanity with this inestimable losse throwing your selues head-long into euerlasting damnation O my soule thinke heereof delay no longer thinke of it betymes all tyme of repentance is good tyme flye the danger of eternall euills whilest the mercy of God inuiteth thee and doth promise thee help and assistance and recompence for thy labour O my Lord I will serue thee with all my soule and withall my soule renounce all vanity and doe vow from henceforth eternal emnity to thy great and immortall enemy who hath furnished so much matter to thy iustice to build these mansions of darknes confusion death O Virgin Queene and Mother most pure most great and puissant further the desires of thy Pilgrime and deuoted suppliant and by thy credit obtayne that he may happily performe the good desires and designements which thy Sonne his Redeemer and Lord hath by thyne intercâ—ssion planted in his hart The After-dinner and Euening of the twentith dayes Iourney Other Meditations of the paynes of the damned CHAP. XLV THE two other partes of the day shall be employed in the consideration of the infinite number of soules lost The lost soules since the beginning of the world vnto this tyme also an infinit number that daily are and will be lost from this tyme to the end of this world Soules alas lost dead deadly groaning in the gulfe of their torments byting their tongue for fury that seeke for death and cannot find it Apo. 18.10 being buryed in the bowells of death it selfe dying alwayes and yet cannot dye liuing alwayes and yet cannot liue that curse the day of their birth and the name and memory of their Progenitours detesting the earth they so much loued the heauens and the starres that they could not see and foâ—â—ul measure of theâ— impiety they blaspheme the Maiesty of thy Creatour and haue no rest neither day nor night All thinges are to them affliction all is night and darkenes all is gall and bitternes all tears and gnashing all griefe and despaire Death can neither end them nor ouercome them wheresoeuer they cast the eyes of their vnderstanding they find themselues on euery side coÌ„passed and inclosed with the barres of eternity without all hope not only to escape out of the prison of this dolefull and lamentable being and worse a thousand times then not being at all but also to haue ease or respit By this consideration the Pilgrime shall learne more and more the malignity of sinne and shall harden himselfe to the hatred thereof and at night he shall yield thankes to the mercy of God for the tyme and respit he hath giuen him with a thousand meanes to do pennance in this life and to abstaine from sinne that he might auoyd these paines reserued for sinners in this euerlasting prison And after he hath in good time taken vp his lodging to prepare himselfe with leasure to the last meditation of his third weeke and the day of his arriuall The one and twentith Day Of Generall Confession and of the parts of Pennance CHAP. XLVI THIS one and twentith day is the last of the first part of this Pilgrimage wherin the Pilgrime must prepare him selfe with his best endeauour to pennance purgation of his soule which is the end of this part the more worthily to appeare in the house of the B. Virgin that he goeth to visit a Virgin of purity mother of purity and Queene of purity This preparation shall be in the chiefe foundation and exact and entire confession of all his sinnes since his last Confession or if need be To whoÌ„ generall confessioÌ„ is necessary generally of all his life since his yeares of discretion or from some other markeable time This is the Confession commonly called Generall necessary to him that was neuer so confessed or was ill confessed either by concealing any mortall sinne willingly or for want of good disposition necessary to a Penitent that is without sorrow for sinnes committed Sorrow and purpose of amendement necessary or firme purpose of amending or for hauing beene confessed to such as wanted either knowledge to help him or authority to absolue him to others that haue beene daily confessed this generall is not necessary yet to them also it is profitable for thereby gathering as it were into one heape the multitude of our sinnes we procure a confusion so much the more holesome by how much it is greater The profit of general
he cometh weake out of the wombe of his Mother yet mightily he preserueth the virginity of his Mother he is swadled in poore cloathes but is enlightned with the splendour of heauen In his Circumcision he was reckoned among sinners Phil. 1. but he took a Name aboue al names whereat euery knee should bow in heauen earth and vnder the earth In this apparition and visitation of the Sages he seemed obscure and a poore man among men but he is honoured by the Starres and adored by the Kinges And so in all the rest of his life and especially in his Death wherin we may see a wonderfull weauing togeather in one webbe of thinges contrary and opposite which encounter in this Tragedy The Sonne of God is nayled to a tree as feeble faulty and yet as soueraigne he giueth letters of grace and as an Almighty God of a great thiefe malefactor he maketh a great and holy Confessour he endureth the torments of temporall death and promiseth the Paradise of eternall life men blaspheme him on earth and the starres do moane him in heauen The Iewes more hard then stones haue no compassion of his anguishes but the Rockes rent the Graues opened the Sun darkened to mourne for his death Of al these encounters the deuout soule shall learne the wisedome and power of this Lord hauing giuen vs so goodly instructions to teach vs to admire loue and serue him The third parte of the Meditation Of the Returne of the three Kinges CHAP. XXXVII The prouidence of God towards the Iust Psalm 33.16 THE third point shal containe the Meditation of the Returne of the three Kinges who being from heauen aduertised in their sleep not to returne by Herod tooke another way towardes their country In this aduertisement we must acknowledge and confesse the prouidence of God watching in the protection of them that serue him with a royal mind to deliuer them from danger and conduct them to a sure hauen notwithstanding all the stormes and contrary windes of this boysterous world and her worldlings By the same consideration is discouered the folly of the Tyrant Herod who thought by his craft and subtilty to deceaue not only men 1. Cor. 3.19 but God also and to catch him in the snares of his cruelty but the soueraigne wisedome deluded his folly and calling vnto him in spite of this worldly bloudy King these stranger-Kings to take honour and homage of them signifieth vnto vs that happy prey of soules The Magi the first fruites of our faith S. Leoser 2. de Ep. which in the sight of Sathan signifyed by Herod he did carry with him in the person of these conuerted Kings as the first fruits of our fayth Christian calling gathered out of the haruest of the Gentils And this is that which God before by his Prophet sayd of his Sonne newly borne Call his name Hasten to spoile for before the Child can call Father or Mother the strength of Damascus shall be taken away the spoile of Samaria Isa 8.3 in presence of the King of the Assyrians This is Iesus who not tarying as other men do for age fit to fight hath being but a child gotten the victory this noble spoile and subdued vnto him the force of Damascus and Samaria tho strength of Idolatry and the errours of the Pagan world and this in the sight of the King of Assyria Sathan the king of this world and vpon this consideration the good Pilgrime may say as followeth speaking to himselfe and to his God What sayst thou heere my soule And where shall thy eyes rest in the variety of so many wonders To his soule Wilt thou consider the greatnes or the littlenes of this Child Eyther of theÌ„ exceed the conceites of man Wilt thou behould the Maiesty the modesty the ioy of this heauenly Mother holding in her armes this litle-great King whilest the other Kinges did honour and adore with their deuotion and guifts Thyne eyes are dazelled in the light of this Maiesty and cleane lost in the depth of this humility Contemplate the deuotion the piety the submission the bounty of these thinges Thou art not capable to conceaue this do better then and confesse thyne incapacity in all adore this King as well in his littlenes as in his greatnes admire the vertues of his Mother imitate the humility and deuotion of these Kinges and say with an humble and feruent hart O my King and Sauiour gouerne me To God saue me be my guide in my pilgrimage my confort in afflictions my strength in temptations giue me of thy Gold Incense and Myrrh of thy bounty of thy diuinity of thy humanity to make vnto thee a pleasant offering of my presents and to returne by thy direction and vnder thy protection to myne owne country whence my Father and all his posterity were banished With these three Meditations he shall end this day The thirtith day and the ninth and last of his Aboad A Meditation of the Presentation of IESVS in the Temple CHAP. XXXVIII IN this last day of our Pilgrimes aboad he shall prepare himselfe to confesse and receaue happily to end and conclude his nyne dayes of stay there to depart the next morning with the greater light and courage being purged of his sinnes and armed with this pretious food and Viaticum His meditation shall be of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin and of the oblation she made of her deere child in the Temple fourty dayes after that he was borne The Law of Purification Leuit. 1â— Luc. 2. At midnight he may briefly remeÌ„ber the history of this old Ceremony of the â—ews which giueth the grouÌ„d to this Christian solemnity and to his meditation The history is that it was coÌ„manded by an expresse law that the woman who was brought to bed should be vncleane a weeke if she brought forth a sonne and two if a daughter and should remaine sometyme in her house The Sacrifice for Purification Leuit. 12. Luc. 2. before she came into the Temple not touching any thing that was holy to wit fourty dayes for a sonne fourscore for a daughter which dayes being expired she came to the Temple to offer her fruit with a Lambe of one yeare old or a Pigeon or Turtle which were sacrificed the Lambe as an holocaust for thankes-giuing the Pigeon or Turtle for expiation of sinne If the Mother could not haue a Lambe either for the tyme of the yeare or by reason of her pouerty The males consecrated to God she offered two PigeoÌ„s or Turtles to the same effect Moreouer the Male first-borne by right of being the eldest was consecrated to God and pertained vnto him to serue in his house but because God had chosen all the Tribe of Leui for the seruice of his Altars he permitted them of other Tribes to redeeme their first-borne with fiue sicles of siluere and so to be deliuered of that obligation The B.
Virgin then following the law came from Nazareth to Hierusalem where was the only and the famous Temple of the Iewes the fourtith day after the birth of her eldest Sonne with a payre of Pigeons This is the history whereon the Pilgrime shall discourse in his spirit and contemplate this heauenly Virgin coÌ„ming with the blessed fruit of her wombe first to offer him to his Father to exercise her humility submitting her selfe to the law of Purification though neither the one nor the other had any need thereof and that the soueraigne Sauiour Prince of the law was aboue the law and the Blessed Virgin was exempted for not hauing conceaued so as she could become vncleane like other women for whom this Law was made And thus hauing made his midnight prayer he may rest vntill the morning Ceremonies and feastes instituted for men to acknowledge Originall sinne the root of all the misery of mankind CHAP. XXXIX IN the morning he shall continue his meditation vpon the same mystery in three pointes The cause of this ceremony The first point shall be to consider that the principall cause of this ceremony was to make man vnderstand and acknowledge his impute and vncleane generation by reason of that infernall staine of originall sinne wherwith all the children of Adam borne by the ordinary course are infected This is the confession which Dauid made when bewailing in his owne person the misery of all mortall men he sayd Psalm 50 Behould I am conceaued in iniquity and my Mother hath conceaued me in sinne And because this knowledge was necessary to men for to huÌ„ble them and make them call for help whereby they might be cleansed from this corruption God did institute certaine Ceremonies which containe a lesson of this learning and knowledge as were the ceremonies and sacrifices of the law of Nature which did sufficiently shew the beginning of man to haue beene infected Circumcision in the law of nature and the great need he had of the fauour of God to be cleansed But aboue all was the Circumcision commanded to Abraham which was done by cutting the most rebellious part of the body the instrument of concupiscence of generation and corruption In the law of Moyses ceremonies were so much more multiplyed Purification in the law of Moyses as men were more deeply drowned in darknes and the ignorance of their owne misery and had need of more light to discouer it For there was not almost any man beside the Iewes that had any newes or notice of originall sinne nor of the remedy thereof The Paynime Philosopers boasted of knowing all thinges Most 〈◊〉 ignorant of original sinne but they could not discouer the ground and roote of all those errours and disorders wherein they saw mankind wander which though being a reasonable creature should of all others haue beene best ruled and ordered But among all these Iudaicall ceremonies ordained in the law to discouer this euill this of the Purification of the woman deliuered Leuit. 11. held the first place for it did plainly and publikely declare the corruption of our generation and the necessity of the expiatioÌ„ thereof The first point theÌ„ doth make vs see on the one side the misery of the corruption of men which beginneth at their first being on the other side the obedience of the Sonne of God and his Mother obeying the law they were not bound vnto their humility placing themselues among sinners and offering sacrifices for sinne although the one was cleanesse it selfe come for to cleanse vs and the other all pure and free not only from actuall sinne but also by a singular prerogatiue preserued from the touch of Originall common to all men as is sayd before God will be known in his guifts The second point shall meditate the ceremony of the offerings and sacrifices shall shew him how the Iustice of God requireth that with thankesgiuing we offer vnto him the good we haue receaued of him and namely that Fathers and Mothers should offer their children which is the best fruit of mariage Good workes are spiritual children that all Christians should offer their good actions which are their spirituall children ingendred and brought forth by the inspiration and grace of God and this was the morall sense of this ceremony In particuler the deuout Pilgrime shall marke that this day was presented to the soueraigne God The noblest offering that ouer was presented in the Temple the most noble and rich offering that euer was presented in the compasse of the Sanctuary and that by the handes of the greatest Lady of the world The offering was his owne deere sonne a sacred and liuing oblation infinit rich noble She that presented it was his glorious Mother gloriously endowed enriched and adorned with al the vertues that might exalt a creature aboue all other creatures humane or Angelicall Anna made an honorable present 1. Reg. 1.24 when she offered to the Temple her little child Samuel who was to be a great seruaÌ„t of God yet he was but a seruant a creature a vassall or subiect Heere is offered the Maister the Creatour the King the Sonne of the Father God of God Almighty of Almighty not by an ordinary Virgin or Mother but by a Virgin singular and without example in her degree and a mother most singular the mother of God The Prophet foretould this present and this day speaking in the person of him that receaued it Behould I send my Angell who shall prepare the way before my face and straight Malaâ—h 3. the Lord whome you seeke and the Angell of the Testament whome you desire shall come vnto his holy Temple The Father is he who speaketh the first Angell is S. Iohn Baptist the face of our Lord is his Sonne Iesus Christ the naturall and true Image of his Father the Lord and the Angell of the Testament is the same Sonne which is offered God and man the Angell and mediatour of the Testament and Couenant betweene God and man offered this day as man and adored as God for otherwise the Scripture would not haue sayd that he came into his Temple seeing that no pure creature may haue a Temple no more then an Altar or Sacrifice this preeminence being proper to the supreme deity In respect of this offering the second Temple of the Iewes being lesser in all outward humane respects was by another Prophet preferred before that of Salomon Agg. 2. being much more magnificall in gold siluer and fashion this being magnificall by the Maiesty of our Sauiour who was there offered in person The third point of the Meditation Of the Canticle Nunc dimittis CHAP. XL. THE third point shal meditate the Canticle of venerable old Simeon a man iust and fearing God who a few dayes before had reuelation from the Holy Ghost that before his death he should see the Annointed of our Lord that is the Sauiour of the world IESVS
of earth for that her defences are but bottoms and hils of errour and pride The first founder made himself vassall and tributary to a Titant for Selfeloue all the burgesses of that citty are alwayes rebels to God tributary to the Diuell him they haue loued to him they haue bowed their knee though a tyrant of all tyrāts the most cruell that euer was seeke help of him against their God The fundamentall lawes of that Citty are those fiue I touched before the first for each man to loue himself The laws of selfe-loue and the world and euery thing for himselfe for the humour of the world worldly men is to affect onely their owne particular profit hauing clean banished out of their hart the loue of God and their neighbour The 2. to haue no Religion to vse and abuse all for their temporall commodity this is to too much verified by the experience of all the children of this world whose common custome is to make Religion a pretext of their designements and to make vse of the name of God for their owne glory very hypocrites and sacrilegious impostors To haue no Religion To authotize vice and disgrace vertue The 3. to cast down vertue and set vice aloft according to this law the world prayseth those that liue in delights as most happy and the pleasures of the body as the ioyes of felicity It cōmendeth the couetous as prudent to aduance further their own affaires It bosteth of the ambitious calling them men of valour and courage and therefore it is that this Citty is filled with the brood of these families To sow discord all great courtiers of Mere-folly The 4. is to loue and sow dissention and to entertaine subiects with false reports calumniations and other malicious meanes thinking that by their discord and debility their estate should be strong and firme And as the Kingdom of God is peace and charity and his spirit is to nourish and mainteine peace so the Kingdome of the Diuell the estat of the world is trouble hatred the spirit of the world is to make discord when there is question to do euill To promise riches The 5. is to entice deceiue men by the promise of riches honours which passe vanish so many abused do perceiue whē they come to dy though late that all they haue gotten is but shadowes dreames Psal 75.6 The rich men saith Dauid haue slept their sleep in the end found nothing in their hands They haue passed this life as a dream resting themselues on the saffran bed of their riches and at the end haue found their braines troubled with fumes their hands empty of good workes their conscience loaden with sinnes These are the lawes of this world and of this Citty And as her lawes are but disorders so is her fayth perfidiousnes her end nothing els but to ruine her acquaintance and to send them to the slaughter that serue her best and are most faithful vnto her will you see this Cast the eyes of your memory vpon the histories of all ages passed how many gallants hath she precipitated into confusion after they had a while runne the race of their vanity in the sight of men How many hath she most miserably strangled that had to her performed most faithfull seruice Was there euer any that more honoured or better serued her then the Assuerus Caesars Alexanders Pompeies Neroes Diocletians Decians and other like Princes and Lords of her Court great admirers of her maiesty sighing seeking nor breathing any thing els but her greatnes hath she not made them all dye death euerlasting Thousands see this at euery moone and euery day but the world is such a cosener that it bereaueth mortall men of their senses and men are so foolish and simple that stil they suffer themselues to be seduced by her gaudies present delights so that they honour and serue her as their soueraigne Lord not able to open their eyes to behold eyther the misfortune of others or their own danger nor their eares to heare the voice of the iustice of God who threatneth them The good mixed with the bad in this world and perseuer in such sort vntill they be ouerwhelmed in the ditches of their enemie without help or hope euer to come out Now God who is our soueraigne King will ruinate this Citty raze it to the ground for he must iudge the world drench the obstinate but because there be diuers of his owne seruāts amongst these sinners as of Lots in Sodome he doth not yet exterminate the world but expecting in fauour of the good and by patience inuiting sinners to pennance in the tyme of mercy not to incurre at the day of iudgement the seuerity and rigour of his eternall iustice This is the Citty of which I told you yesterday out of the which by the grace of God you haue beene long since sequestred and shall be yet more if you be good Pilgrims as I esteeme you Thus did the Hermit expound his Allegory often looking vp to heauen and sighing The Pilgrims heard him with great attention and contentment their way seemed short Lazarus seeing him hold his peace sayd vnto him My reuerend Father you haue set before our eyes a wholsome picture of the Citty of this world and of the vanities of worldly men you haue bound vs in eternall benefit we desire to be bound vnto you also for your praiers and to obtaine for vs of our Lord that as he hath already drawn vs from the snares of this deceifull world so that he would giue vs grace to perseuer vnto the end in his loue and feare He will do it sayth the Hermit do only what is in you walk on euery day from good to better like good Pilgrims be perfect before him and you shall come by Gods grace to your desired country The B. Virgin whome you serue will help you with the assistance of her praiers the holy Apostles our good Fathers the Hermits S. Iohn S. Paul S. Anthony S. Hilarion S. Bruno and others who haue trampled vpon the world with the feet of constancy lyuing in the deserts as Pilgrims vpon the earth will procure you ayd happily to finish your course You haue yet som way to dispatch and some crosses to endure you shall passe not without paine and trauaile but with the profit of your soules As for you Lazarus you shall be lamented of many and your funerals shall be kept before your death and those that shall most mourne for you shall be most comforted in your fortune and that you may the better remember what I haue foretold you keep this and gaue him a litle paper folded like a letter conteining these foure verses At that fayre Day the last which you desire Two dead reuiu'd without death shall ech other see And being seene after their funerals kept Shall to the world
your meditation Nay aske me rather quoth Vincent how goeth my distraction for my meditation hath beene but a continuall Mosaicall worke of peeces of fantasy ill hanging togeather When I would haue though of mount Caluary the montaine Atlas came into my memory when I would haue stuck vpon the straines of our Sauiours tormēts his patience my fancy was caried to the candles of their Sabaoth to other foolish imaginations I wotte not if this trash I carry in my bagge doe worke me this euill for I felt not a long tyme so litle comfort in a meditation specially vpon so worthy a subiect Lazarus comforting him we must not saith he seeke our own ease pleasure in the bitternes of the Passion of Christ I seeke at least quoth Lazarus to be attentiue to that I would meditate I see quoth Theodosius that I was not vagabond all alone were you distracted too sayth Lazarus much more than Vincent I doubt me quoth Theodosius well God pardon vs our faults replyed Lazarus giue vs of his grace I haue had my part of affliction also for I could meditate nothing to the purpose no more than you It is Gods prouidence to let vs see how litle we can performe of our selues without his help to the end to humble vs in the acknowledgment of our nothing but let vs not loose courage for this for if hauing done our diligence to prepare our selues we haue not tasted the sweet hony of deuotion we shall in humbling our selues find the profit of the sowre which is more to be desired for humility is more profitable and necessary to him that praieth and more pleasing vnto God than spirituall sweetnes Humility better thā sweetnes of deuotion and if the Diuell in despit of being driuen away by vs this night will reuenge himselfe by these mystes which he casteth into our fantasies God permitting him for our exercise he shall yet receiue confusion by our patience and profit Discousing in this manner they came vnto the Conuent of Bon-heur about six a clocke in the morning this was a Conuent of Chartherhouse Monks liuing in great austerity and perfection of life straite obseruers of their rules and great louers of hospitality and specially Dom-Prior who was a holy and venerable old man and very deuout to our Lady of Loreto as all that holy Order is This Conuent was situate at the going out of the forrest hauing many litle houses round about it where dwelt such good folke as had dedicated them selues to the seruice of God in that house called Oblati one of these saluted them and said vnto them Messieurs you shall make very glad Dom-Prior al the Religious within by your comming The Pilgrims saluted him againe courteously and entred with him into the Church where they song Prime presently after to celebrate high Masse Dom-Procurator being aduertised of their coming came to entertaine them with a cōtenance full of kindnes and courtesy and brought them to the guests chamber Lazarus deliuered him their letters patents from Loreto which he would not see taking their honest countenance for a sure Patent he imbraced them all three and sayd My deare brethren Father Priour giueth you the good morrow he hath commanded me to come entertayne you you are all three hartily wellcome your coming will bring ioy and good fortune by Gods grace in recompence of the displeasures we haue had these daies passed with theeues and sorcerers Good Father sayth Lazarus Dom Priors charity and yours doth not stay long to shew it selfe in our behalf It is we that come to the Conuent of Bon-heur there to receiue good houre and fortune and comfort in your deuotions we bring nothing but matter of paine but doe theeues and sorcerers trouble you also heere as well as Pilgrims To our great paine answered the Religious they haue robbed our Church and spoiled our fruits and done vs a thousand domages and but yesterday we tooke a man whome we thought to haue beene of that cōpany but we will talke therof afterward now let vs go eate somthing Good Father answered Lazarus we haue no need for we haue not come farre and it is early dayes we pray you permit vs to go pray a litle and heare Masse first of all he vrged them no further thinking they had rather dine at a good houre and hauing laid vp their bags he brought them to a Chappell where they resumed the points of their meditatiō Lazarus went on in this sort My Redeemer and Lord Of the Passion of our Sauiour thou knowest the trouble we endured this Morning restore to vs if it please thee now the ioy of thy saluation I enter into the meditation of thy dolefull Passion and death that great and admirable exploit of thy infinit mercy open to me the gate of thy grace and light that in this act I may see the heauenly signes of thy greatnes I behold the mountaine of Caluary the mount of dead mens sculls the sepulcher of our grandfather old Adam and now the field of thy fight O my Sauiour who art the second Adam without comparison more worthy then the first a montaine made infamous before by the burial of many malefactors there executed Psal 50. S. Amb l. 5 ep 19. S Aug. serm 71. de temp ◠to be afterward the house of glory and refuge of deuotiō by thy death couered now with people enraged who persecute thee with their hands and tongues and by all manner of hostility cruelty and blasphemous outrages one day to be the seat of a magnificall Temple where thou shalt be adored I behold thee O sweet Lambe hanging vpon the Crosse betwixt two theeues Alas what parity betwixt innocency and robbery What doth the lambe with the wolues Is it to make of a theefe a faithfull seruitour or of a lambe a wolfe The death of our Sauiour fortold I behold thee now O my Lord and turning the eyes of my memory vpon the ancient mystery of thy house and the old Prophecies of thy great booke I perceiue that long before thou didst giue the figures and newes of this death for gage of thy ancient loue towards the poore family of Adam and for a preparation and disposition By Sacrifices and figures to the perfect beliefe of thy wisedome and bounty all the Sacrifices of the law of nature all those that Moyses vsed in the bodies of beasts did foretell vnto vs that which thou hast offered in this mount on the tree of the Crosse Moyses stretching out his hands acrosse on the toppe of the mountaine Exod. 17. and by secret inspiration furnishing the Hebrewes that were in fight of force succour made a shadow of this truth which thou fulfillest now Esa 53. Thy Prophet fortold that thou shouldest be reckoned amongst theeues thou wert crucifyed betwixt two theeues yet put behind theeues Psal 68. and more vnworthily vsed then they all Dauid complained that they gaue him
gall to eate and vineger to drinke but himselfe neuer receiued such vsage at the Iewes hands but it was thou O sweet Lambe the true Dauid who didst tast the bitternes of this gall the sharpnes of this vineger Our Sauiour tormented ouer all his body The same Prophet sayd that they had numbred his bones of thee he did speake for he beheld with his foreseeing and Propheticall eyes thy precious body stretched out vpon the Crosse with such violeÌ„ce that men might tell thy bones and there was no part or member in thee which had not his proper torment Thy skinne was torne with the stripes of the roddes thy head crowned with thornes thy feete and hands nayled thine eyes striken with the sight not onely of thine enemies but also of thy friends and namely of thy sorrowfull mother whom I behold at the foote of thy Crosse Our B. Lady at the foote of the Crosse and whome thou seest also striken in her soule with that sword of sorrow which good old Simeon did foretell thou seest her alas with an eye watered with teares and bloud these are the torments of thine eyes Thine eares are beaten with the blasphemies and mockeries of thy persecutors thy hart is afflicted with our afflictions thy backe loaden with the waight of our sinnes and finally Dauid did forsee thee in the light of his spirit which knew things to come he did contemplate thee in this Crosse oppressed with torments and filled with reproaches as a man forlorne without all help or force The reproache of men and the refuse of the people who preferred a murderer and a thiefe before the author of life a man who was thought to be forsaken and abandoned by God there hence it is that thy grand-father wrote that verse which thou camest to pronounce O sweet Redeemer My God my God why hast thou forsaken me wordes that very emphatically doe declare the rigour of thy affliction Deus Dâ—â—â—meus Psal 21. Math. 27. Marc. 15. and with a diuine eloquence dost represent thee as forsaken of God yet by interrogation without affirming in apparence and outward shew not in truth For God had not forsaken thee yea he hath nothing so deere in heaueÌ„ or earth as thee his onely Sonne which he testifyed at that time by the dole and mourning of the whole world when he commanded the sunne to eclipse when he made the moone loose her light the earth to tremble the rockes to riue the graues to open in signe of thy griefes and sorrowes and in detestatioÌ„ of the malice of thy tormentors Why the death of our Sauiour was so long before figured foretold It was therfore the enormity of thy torments which these words declared and not any forgetfullnes of thy Father Heere suffer me O my sweet Sauiour to aske thee why thou didst cause the tenor and forme of so many torments to be so liuely expressed and fortold and why thou wouldest endure them Hast thou foretold them to proue therby that thou wert God that thy death was not by chance but a voluntary charity a designement of thy wisedome and infinite bounty towards man made long before hand a mercy proiected in the closet and counsell of thy Eternity for who could so particularly foretell so many and so diuers actions happened in this tragedy that knew them not Onely God perceiueth forseeth future things Esa 41.13 And who could know them being so remote and so vnlâ—kely but only God but thy self to whose eye all things are present And who could haue belieued that thou wouldest loue vs so soone and so happily and wouldest endure so much for vs if thou hadst not giuen vs aduertisement before hand of all that thou didest suffer vpon the Crosse But why wouldest thou endure so much O the Redeemer of my soule yea why wouldst thou suffer death or any paine at all seeing to the Redemption of man it sufficed that thou wert made man Why our Sauiour suffered so much though thou hadst suffered nothing but liued in the glory of a rich King in commanding the whole world and taking homage of all thy creatures which is due vnto thee by al titles of souerainty Why O Lord making thy selfe man wouldest thou abase thy selfe vnder our basenes after thou hadst left all and insteed of riches pleasures and honours didst choose pouerty paine and humility didst lead a life which was noâ—hing but a continuall pennance thou wouldst besides suffer death the death of the Crosse that is most bitter in griefes and anguishes most cruell in torments most shamefull and ignominious in iniuries a death armed with the fury of all the powers of hell irritated with all the vices conspired together of all notable sinners Kings Princes souldiers Iudges Priests all sorts of people wicked The 1. cause to shew his loue to his Father The 2. to shew his loue to man proper to performe an exploite of enormous cruelty Why O Lord hast thou chosen this thorny way And this field so full of asperities Is it to shew thy exceeding loue to thy Father suffering for him in our behalf whatsouer could be suffered For it is the touchstone of affliction that maketh the sure proofe of firme friendship to any man Or is it moreouer to make man see the treasures of thy charity towards him sparing nothing for his saluation not onely making thy self poore to enrich vs infirme to fortify vs little to exalt vs but also giuing thy life the most precious gift which a man can giue for his friend and vndergoing death with a thousand torments to deliuer vs from eternall death with a pleÌ„tifull aboÌ„dant fine of propitiation paiable to the diuine Iustice and therefore the same Prophet sayd that with our Lord is mercy and with him is found plentifull Redemption Hast thou not suffered so much to make man see the enormity of his sinne Psal 129. which must needs be purged with so precious a life painefull a death The 3. cause to shew the enormity of sinne My sinnes then are they that haue lifted thee vpon the Crosse they haue torne thy skinne they haue crowned thee with thornes they haue nayled thy hands and feete they haue entertained thee with gall and vineger O then my soule sinne no more for thy sinnes are the cause of this parricide bring no more forth the butchers of thy Redeemer after hauing receiued so many signes of his fauour towards thee Finally O gentle Lambe hast thou vndertaken and suffered this painfull and ignominious death To teach thy children how they must suffer 4. To giue vs example to suffer Giuing them an excellent patterne of thy life of thy death to imitate and to suffer for the honour of God and to carry his Crosse For seeing the head captaine is the formost in the fight and assalt seeing the King is the first hath the greatest part in paines and punishmeÌ„t
vertuous and pious Lady but being yong and louing him most intirely found great difficulty to giue her coÌ„sent to this voiage but he was so importune that at last she must let him do as he list He being prepared furnished for such a Captaine bad her farewell and to leaue and take a token of mutuall loue he diuided a gold ring he had into two parts leauing the one halfe with her he kept the other to himselfe and went his way He did with the other nobility of France diuers noble exploites in this warre but the sinnes of wicked Christians had armed the enemies and made them conquerours in such sort that almost all the Christian army was cut in peeces diuers noble men taken prisoners and carryed into Turky among whome this gentleman was one He sent diuers letters by diuers wayes vnto his wife to send his ransome but he neuer had any answere of newes no more then his wife had from him and endured a thousand miseries the space of seauen yeares he was bought sold sundry tymes to diuers maisters euery man scorning to keep a man so old worne out as hauing lost their hope euer to gaine any thing by him In the end of the seauenth yeare he fell into the hâ—nds of a most mercilesse maister who incensed to see himselfe frustrate of the ransome his prisoner had promised concluded one day to kill him and gaue charge to one of his seruants to execute his resolution that very day The poore gentleman hauing vnderstood so much and seeing all his hopes brought to nothing tooke courage from despaire and of a true noble and Christian hart resolued to take death patiently and yet hauing recourse to diuine help where humane wanted coÌ„mended himselfe with all his hart to God and S. Iulian to whome he had alwayes beene deuout and made a vow to build him a chappel if by his intercession and prayers God would deliuer him from this distresse and therupon he slept and after a while he waked and thinking he had beene still in his cage where he expected death he found himselfe in the midst of a forrest in his cloathes without his chaines At the first he thought it had beene a dreame and that verily he was in prison which happeneth oftentimes in cases which be strange and beyond our fayth and hope as appeareth in S. Peter who being indeed brought out of a close prison by an Angell 〈◊〉 9. thought it had beene a vision but hauing well awaked al his senses he beheld the heauen and the earth and touched the trees and he persuaded himselfe that he was in some forrest in Turky where miraculously by the prayers of of the Saint he was out of prison to seeke meanes to saue himselfe Looking about him he saw certaine shephardesses of whome he demaunded in the Turkish lauguage what forrest that was The good maides were in Normandy and looking on him with wondering thought he had spoken Latin or English and told him in French that they vnderstood not what he said he hearing them speake French began to doubt yet more that he did dreame and that dreaming he asked in French what forrest is this and that they answered it was the forest of Bagueuille This was a forrest of his owne where he had hunted a thousand tymes he was now more amazed casting his eyes round about to try his senses he perceiued at last that he dreamed not and that verily he was in Normandy neere vnto his owne Castle and thither he went was knowne receiued by his wife with diuers pretty chances but they are out of the purpose of our transport wherof only I was to speake and therefore I forbeare to ouercharge your eares with by-matters At this clause Dom-Prior turning to him O Sir Lazarus sayth he leaue not our eares empty This is to keep backe the hart of the history and to take away our meate when you haue made vs hungry I pray you for all the company to tell it out Heare then quoth Lazarus seeing you will haue it so he went streight to the castle where he saw a great number of gentlemen that met there that day he addressed himselfe to the Porter and told him that he much desired to speake with Madame the Porter asked what he would haue I desire to speake with her selfe quoth he about a matter of importance It will be hard sayth the Porter to speake with her for she is presently to goe to Masse to receaue the benediction of her mariage the good gentleman was much amazed at this insisted the more earnestly to speake with her The porter halfe angry told him it was lost labour to demand it yet he went to Madame and told her there was an old Hermit at the gate who desired to speake one word with her This Lady was vertuous and a great almes giuer and who had mourned for her husband all the tyme of his seauen yeares absence and by the aduice of her friends who thought certainly he was dead was in a sort constrained to consent to this second mariage She thinking that this Hermit would speake with her to demaund an almes commaunded her steward to giue him a good one aduertising him that if he had any things els to say he should tel it him He brought it him to whome the old man sayd it is not almes I desire I pray you tell Madame once agayne that it is necessary that I speake a word with her before she go to Masse and if you can persuade her to heare me you shall performe the part of a faythfull seruant The steward apprehended something at these wordes and went vp agâ—ine and sayd Madame he would but one word with you and he saith it is necessary that you take it from his owne mouth before Masse My opinion Madame is that you do so and enter into the low hall to heare him what can you tell Perhaps he may giue you some aduice about your affayres or bring you some certaine newes of Monsieurs death or of his last will and testament She belieued him and descended into the hall and stood to a window alone The good old man leasurely passed through the midst of the court and company euery man looking and wondering at him for they saw an old man leane and diffigured his haire all white and beard loÌ„g and ill kembed clad with an ill fauoured old rugge gowne of the Turkish fashion He presented himselfe to Madame attired in her wedding apparell and making a low reuerence vnto her sayd Madame I come from Turky where I haue sometims seene one called Monsieur Bagueuille as I vnderstaÌ„d Lord of this place and hertofore your husband who was taken prisoner seauen yeares since in Hungary when the Fenchmen were defeated I know that he hath long expected his ransome and that he hath suffered much misery haue you not heard any newes of him within this yeare She answered Alas my good friend know
he saw a Citty oâ— forme foure square great wonderfull spacious compassed with walles of squared Amâ—thystes of India and christall checker wise and pointed diamond wise fastened with gold enamelled with azure The Towres were of the same matter and fashion sauing that their batlements were made of Emeralds Iacinths The houses of the Citty were all great palaces built of Diamonds Saphires Topazes other precious stones of admirable lustre and variety cut most artificially for couerings or roofes they had the seeling of heauen-flaming varying in colours like the rainebow MeÌ„ entred in by twelue gates three towards the east and three towards the west as many towards the North and towards the south euery one made of a whole entire precious stone figured and wrought with art surpassing the stuffe The market place and streetes were paued with bricke of fine gold in the same place was seene a fountaine of liuely water which made a torreÌ„t of pleasure running through the streets and trees alwayes greene loaden with the fruite of life and with floures which cast a most sweet odour all ouer the Citty The Cittizens men and women were diuinely beautifull their bodies subtile shyning like the sunne all went and flew nymbly like to Eagles cloathed like the Kings children some in scarlet some in crimson damaske others in white satine some in beaten gold and others in other stuffe and these habits being wrought and garnished with embrodery and passe main lace of gold poudered with all sorts of exquisite and choice pearle and precious stones were couered with a garmeÌ„t of a glittering color thin swimming after them as a mantle of Cypres through the which the beauty of their ornaments appeared more admirable Their heads were crowned with Tissues of gold set with great orientall pearles Rubies Diamonds and Emeraldes and on their forhead hung a glittering Crosse made of diuers great Diamonds of wonderfull brightnes They caryed a palme of immortality in their hands and euery one had â—is pallace and liued all vnder one King and at his owne table in great aboundance of all good things without feare of any euill with a peace vnion and contentement vnspeakeable and there was heard without ceasing sundry consorts of musike of voyces instruments vpon the Towres which made all the Citty sound with an incredible melody As the Baron was plunged in the rauishment of this vision he awaked about midnight and perceiued well that it was God that shewed him the image of this Citty and of these Cittizens He resolued from thenceforth to be a Pilgrime vpon earth and to serue God with all his hart one day to be receiued in the number of these Cittizens a few dayes after he tooke his Fathers blessing became Religious In the same houre when Theodosius and Vincent had slept Lazarus dreamed that being neer his Fathers house his brother Pauline met him saying all amazed O my brother Aâ—me Dieu are you aliue Lazarus also more amazed imbraced him and said O my deare brother Pauline are you yet in the world I kept your funerals at Loreto and with the shadow of this ioy he awaked perceiued it was but a dreame slept againe Three houres after they a rose and kneeled to their prayers making their Meditation euery man by himselfe as they were wont Niceph li. 15. c. 14. ex lanen Episc Ieros Glâ—a alijs Niceph. li. 2. cap. 23. lib. 15. ca. 14. Lazarus meditated first of the piety and deuotion of the Apostles to our B. Lady perseuering three whole dayes to visite her sepulcher and to honour it with hymnes and canticles togeather with the consorts of Angels who in the same time afforded an admirable harmony of their heauenly melody to the honour of the same Virgin Secondly he considered how S. Thomas comming by the Prouidence of God the third day and desirous to honour the body of the B. Virgin whome he could not serue at her decease as his companions did was cause that they opened the sepulcher to giue him contentment and to behold that sacred treasure layd vp in it and that not fynding it there they acknowledged the glorious Asssiption of the B. Virgin caryed to heauen both body and soule and priuiledged after her death with a prerogatiue of a glorious resurrection before the great and generall day as she was priuiledged with a thousand graces all the course of her life And thereupon came into his memory the prophecy of King Dauid foretelling in these wordes the Resurrection of the Sonne of the mother Psal 133. Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the Arke of thy Sanctification The wordes also of the Sonne speaking vnto his mother Cant. 4. as vnto his well beloued Spouse Arise my friend my doue and come the winter is now passed the raine is ended and gone make hast my loue without staying for the last general resurrection of men Come betimes from the shadow of the graue and come to the light of heauen for winter is passed with you the showrs of your teares are dried vp he made her make haste not letting her lye three litle and short daies in her Sepulcher So it was meete that that sacred body which had brought forth life should not be swallowed by death and giuen for a prey and foode to wormes nor the matter of incorruption turne to ashes and that she who had by priuiledge beene exempted from originall sin Gen. 3. and the common malediction of women in their childbirth should also be exempted from the paine and malediction incurred by the same which was to be by death turned into dust and ashes Heere Lazarus considered attentiuely the glory of this resurrection which doubtlesse was worthy of the Sonne mother of God and such as the Angels might well admire but not expresse and therefore seeing her ascend they sayd who is she that coming from the desert ascendeth loaden with delights Cant. â— and leauing vpon her well beloued They admired and demaunded and could not otherwise expresse the beauty of this creature And if these celestiall spirits so well seene in all great things do shew by their wondering that they neuer saw the like in heauen what can men say or conceiue of the glory of this Assumption Of the Meditation of this glory particular of the B. The ioy glory of Paradise Virgin Lazarus tooke occasion to thinke of the ioyes of Paradise â—he coÌ„sidered first the essence of that ioy which consisteth in the vision of God a perfect ioy and alone sufficient to satisfy and fill the hart of man which cannot be filled but with the possession of an infinite good and if the knowledge of creatures of the heauens of the starres of other creatures though imperfect and full of obscurity can rauish with ioy the spirits of mortall men in the darknes of this base low world what ioy may redouÌ„d to the blessed soules aboue
Church maketh to the diuine Maiesty contayning as the foresayd Doctour sayth all that the Christian should desire hope feare and aske for this life for the next and therefore most worthy to be recited often in the day as a testimony of our hope as the Credo is of our faith to demand of God what we want although it be lawfull for vs to pray and professe our fayth in other words which the holy Ghost shall sugest After the Pater noster we salute and pray to the B. Virgin in these wordes Haile Marie full of grace our Lord is with thee Blessed art thou amongst all women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe IESVS Holy Mary Mother of God pray for vs sinners now and at the houre of our death Amen The first words are partly of the Archangell Gabriel partly of S. Luc. 2.28 42. Elizabeth the last clause is a prayer that all holy men make to the mother of God The Church therefore reciteth the Aue Maria after the Pater noster as it were coupling an excellent salutation with an excellent prayer vsing the sayd salutation as a diuine praise to the honour of the mother of God and as a thankesgiuing to God for the benefit of the Incarnation of his Sonne and of his benefites giuen vs by the sayd B. Virgin praying her to be our Aduocate to our Creatour that he would heare vs in the requests we make saying the Pater noster and especially to help vs at the houre of our death a ryme of very dangerous conflict and of our greatest necessity The Confiteor is thus I confesse to Almighty God to the B. Virgin S. Mary to the Bl. S. Michael the Archangell to the B. Saint Iohn Baptist to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul to all the Saints to you my Ghostly-father for that I haue grieuously sinned in thought word and deed through my fault through my fault through my most haynous fault Therfore I beseech the Bl. Virgin Mary the Blessed S. Michael the Archangell the Blessed S. Iohn Baptist the holy Apostles Peter and Paul all the Saints and you my Ghostly-father to pray for me to our Lord God When the Confession is not made to the Priest we must leaue out those wordes and to you my Ghostly Father This is the ordinary and generall forme of Confession that euery Christian maketh to God to the B. Virgin to al Saints to the Priest and to them all present if it be made in company acknowledging himselfe a sinner before the diuine Maiesty before Angels Men asking pardon of his sinnes committed and praying the B. Virgin and all the Saints the Priest all the standers by to pray to this end for him Of this is spoken after in the 21. iourney This confession is the generall and common there is another generall sacramentall and secret which is made in the eare of the Priest at some certaine tyme whereof we will speake after This should be made often euery day eyther alone or with others for as often we fall into faults little or great so often also must we humble our selues confessing our faults asking pardon of God whome we haue offended The pilgrime then praying these three tymes a day morning after dinner and night must recite at the beginning of his deuotions and at the end according vnto the circumstances the Credo Pater and Aue professing his fayth and hope toward God and demanding thinges necessary the Confiteor also at the same time in signe of humility confessing himselfe a sinner and asking pardon of his offences if he findeth his conscience charged with any mortall sinne he shall acknowledge his fault making his confession to God with repentance and purpose at the next commodity to confesse to the Priest for sacramentall absolution as hath beene sayd in the first part of the Examen Of the signe of the Crosse CHAP. IX HE shall remember also the signe of the Crosse the signe of the Crosse must be familiar in all our actions Tertul. de coron mil. Matt. 28.19 not only in his exercises of deuotion but also in all other his domesticall and ciuill actions at his rising and going to bed and putting on his cloathes and putting them off in going out in comming home at the beginning and ending of his reading and refection and in other like workes and occasions This is the signe of a Christian and being made with the words spoken by our Sauiour In the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the Holy Ghost is a briefe symbole or collection and a short profession of the B. Trinity and of our Redemption against the infidelity of the Paynimes and Iewes specially in these tymes it is a marke of a Catholike against Heretikes Amb. ser 43. Athan. in vit◠〈◊〉 Antonij It is a signe of good successe in our actions sayth S. Ambrose serm 43. And a signe of victory against Sathan ouercome by the Crosse sayth S. Athana ius in vita S. Antonij It is an armour and defence against temptations and all our ennemyes sayth S. Ephrem And therefore we must vse at all occasions to blesse crosse our forehead Tertul. de coron â—â—l Basil de spiritusâ—ncto c. 27. Greg Na ora 1. con Iuli 1. Chrys ho. 55. in Matt. Athan. vt supra Hier m. c. 9. Ezech. Aug. l. de cathe rudibus cap. 20. tract 118. in Ioan. our mouth our brest our house our letters our bookes our table our meate and all thinges euery where as hath beene the custome of the Church founded in the Tradition of the Apostles as we may learne by the waitings of the Doctours thereof Tertullian S. Basil S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chrysostome S. Athanasius S. Hierome S. Augustine and other holy persons And whosoeuer for shame or negligence shall forbeare to signe his forehad and his actions wirh this signe he is vnworthy to beare the name of a Christian deserueth at that great day to heare thundered against his folly and ingratitude the sentence of confusion and eternal paine prepared for the ennemies of the Crosse What the Pilgrime should doe euery day CHAP. X. BESIDES this we haue spoken the Pilgrime must euery day as well working dayes as holy dayes make some meditation proper for the day So he may meditate of our Sauiours Resurrection on Sunday of Death on Monday of Iudgement on Tuesday of Hell on Wednesday of the B. Sacrament on Thursday of the Passion of our Sauiour on Friday and of his Buriall on Saterday On holy dayes he shall take some subiect either out of the Ghospell or mystery of the day or of the life of the Saints as to meditate of the hearing of the word of God on Sexagesima-Sunday on the excellency of Martyrdome on s. Stephens day of the holy Ghost at Pentecost of patience and charity on S. Laurence day or any other Saint vpon the day of his martyrdome or feast with
a great Desert through which doe passe two sortes of Pilgrimes the one that go vnder a faythfull and good Capraine patiently enduring the incommodity of places and tymes fighting valiantly at all occasions with robbers beastes We must walke while it is day Ioan. 12.35 measuring their refection not by pleasure but by necessity not thinking of any thing all the day long but to gayne way toward the place end of their pilgrimage The other lead by a naughty and treacherous guide walke all the day wandering vp and downe staying to behold curiously euery thing betaking themselues at euery houre to rest and repast like drunkards and vagabondes Those that are surprised by death And at the last being surprised by night in ill termes and ill wether and ill prouided they fall into the mercy partly of cruell beastes Lyons Wolues Beares and such like that deuoure them and partly of theeues and robbers who cut them in peeces and make merry with their spoile and booty In the second Preamble he shall demand of God with humble and feruent hart the grace whereby he may liuely see and know the manner how to be a good pilgrime in this world to auoyd the dolefull end of the bad The first point shall begin with that which God sayd to Adam for the pennance of his dolefull dinner Because thou hast heard the voice of thy wife Gen. 3.17 and hast eaten of the tree I forbad thou â—houldest not eate the earth shall be accursed in thy worke and thou â—halt feed therof in trauaile all the dayes of thy life it shall bring thee forth thornes and thistles and thou shalt eat the grasse of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread vntill thou returne to the â—arth whereof thou wert made By which wordes he shall see that all the race of man wrapped in the condemnation of our first Father hath gotten a necessity to suffer paine and trauaile â—n this life vntill death as himselfe did In the second he shall heare and consider the wordes of S. â—ames saying Happy is he that suffereth temptation for after that â—e hath beene proued he shall receaue the crowne of Glory 2. Tim. 2.5 And that of S. Paul He that fighteth not duly shall not be crowned The third point shal set before his eyes the great multitude of the Hebrewes trauailing in the desert of Arabia amongst whome those that were valiant suffered and fought valiantly vnder the conduct and direction of Moyses the seruant of God in hope to enter into the land of promise to the which they alwayes aspired The other slaues of the Diuell and their own bellies murmurers and rebels sought nothing but to eate and drinke not caring for the countrey for the which they were come out of Aegypt and they perished miserably in the desert made a prey to their enemies their bodyes were a spoile to the earth their soules to hell Iesus Christ pilgrime for men In the fourth point he shall contemplate on the one part Iesus Christ descended from heaueÌ„ to the desert of this world to be pilgrime among the children of Adam the true guide of our pilgrimage and captaine of our warres In the one being made vnto vs the way to leade vs to our heauenly Country and giue vs light and strength to walke directly thither and in the other hauing taught vs by his word and example how we must fight against our enemies the Flesh the World and the Diuell and all the squadrons of vices and furnished vs with instructions weapons forces with the assistance of his grace and Sacraments valiantly to assaile and endure the assault and to beare away the victory and crowne also if we will our selues The blindnes of men On the other part he shall bewaile the blindnes forgetfullnes peruersity of those that straggling from the conduct of their King and Sauiour cast themselues into the wayes troupes of Sathan walking to perdition in perpetual misery darknes slauery to this tyrant and their own sinnes and vices In the fift point he shall weigh how profitable pleasing a thing it is to God to suffer in this life somwhat for his sake not for that he needeth our paynes It is profitable honourable to suffer for God or taketh any pleasure in them of themselues but for that to haue a wil to suffer and in effect to suffer for him is to beare towards him the depth of true charity to giue an assured proofe therof For prosperity is not the true touch and triall of loue but aduersity and therefore our Sauiour the patterne of all perfection to shew his infinit loue to his Father vs hath made choice of this way hath performed his pilgrimage in the thickest of a thousand trauaile and did end it by the torment and ignominy of the Crosse in the meane tyme he hath often with a loud voice exhorted his Apostles Disciples to suffer he councelled euery one to carry his crosse he preached those happy that suffer for his name he promised rest for paine honour for shame eternity for tyme. This exercise is so honourable and so precious that if enuy could find place in the harts of the glorious and happy Spirits they would enuy iust men this honour and happines If Angels could be enuious they would eÌ„uy our suffering that they can suffer for so great a Prince after the example of such a Captaine and for so great pay and reward By which meditation the pilgrime shall not only be comforted in the trauaile of this his pilgrimage but shal also be liuely encouraged and enabled to labour more and more euery day considering that he cannot haue a more high and royall way towardes heauen then that of the Crosse beaten by the King himselfe and as the Apostle sayth 2. Cor. 4. Our tribulation which is heere short and light worketh in vs an eternall weight of endlesse glory he shall be then animated and stirred forward to suffer in fighting and fight in suffering seeing that his tribulations his discommodities his wearynes his teares his watching his hunger his thirst fasting disciplines hayre-clothes and all his afflictioÌ„s and combats thinges of themselues of small worth and short yet suffered for this maister shall be reckoned vnto him for so many crownes of glory and so many increases of felicity in the great day when all true pilgrimes and valiant champions shall enter in triumph to the kingdome of their heauenly couÌ„trey In the end he shall make his prayer and speach to God speaking to him with the wordes and sentences of his meditation and shall say with an humble and submisâ—e hart My Creatour and Lord behold me in the progresse of my pilgrimage full of desire and courage but inexpert and vnskilfull to choose and find my way and weake to support the future difficulties thereof Thou hast giuen me the meanes to vndertake it with
22.17 and effectually to assure themselues of some important truth and God himselfe did sweare by himselfe to fortify his promise that he made to blesse Abraham to multiply his seed as the Starres of heauen and as the sand of the Sea Thereof it is that in publicke iustice they cause men to hold vp their hand or to put it vpon their breast to the honour of God the soueraigne Iustice and in fauour of innocency and right The fifth shall meditate how God is not content to giue this commandement but also would add a threate to those that should break it God will not hold him innocent who shall take the name of the Lord his God in vaine This is to shew the enormity of the sinne to put a bridle in the mouth of men who doe easily fall into this fault and to giue them to vnderstand that thereof doe come the greatest part of tribulations and aduersities wherewith men are afflicted in their body wiues children and goods And therfore Ecclesiast sayth Thy mouth shall not be accustomed to swearing Eccl. 23. for there are many inconueniences therein And againe The man that sweareth much shall be filled with iniquity Matth. 5.34 and the sword shall not depart from his house And the same Wisedome not to giue footing or food to such a custome cōmandeth a contrary extreme that is not to sweare at al Sweare not neyther by Heauen nor earth nor by Hierusalem let your words be yea yea no no an aduertisement also giuen by S. Iames in the same words Iac. 5.12 The prayer or speach to God shall be thus My Lord thou hast giuen me a hart to belieue in thee hope in thee and to loue thee with all my capacity and my tongue as an interpreter of my hart and an instrument accorded and tuned thereunto to exalt thy holy Name with the harmony of a liuely Fayth and stronge Hope and sincere Charity to sing the prayses of thy greatnes all the dayes of my life continue if it please thee to deale well with thy seruāt for thy bounty is bottomlesse and giue me grace to employ my tongue to that vse for which thou hast placed it in my mouth let it be only to prayse thee to thank thee for thy benefits to confesse thee Creatour of heauen and earth Redeemer of mankind and iudge of the quicke and dead Keep it if it please thee that it be neuer loosed not only to vanity against thy holy name but not so much as vnto any idle word that it may name thee with verity iudgement and iustice sing to thee with sincerity and exalt thee with thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen The after-dinner and Euening of the fifth dayes Iourney Diuers Meditations and Prayers CHAP. XIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall make this meditation vpon some other matter proper for the day or he shall resume some point of his morning meditation or shall say his beades or some other prayer to the B. Virgin admiring her vertues purposing to imitate her and to that end demanding her help and assistance In the euening he shall bewaile the sinnes that are so cōmonly committed against this holy commandement and the euills that come therof demanding of God for himselfe and others grace to amend and shall say O Lord thy name is holy for it nameth the Holy of holyes none do comprehend the Maiesty thereof but thy selfe and the ignorance of many mortall men is lamentable in that they know it not and the peruersity of men is abhominable in that knowing it they do most wickedly dishonour it their mouth is full of blasphemy and their tongue eloquent in vanity Language of vanity their discourses interlaced with vnprofitable oathes and detestable periuryes The Souldier is not gallant except he braue it in swearing the Merchant cannot sell except he forsweare the Doctour the Priest the Iudge the women children venture to sweare and forsweare and to profane with their tongue that Name which is only to be adored And do we meruaile if the wrath of thy iustice doth rayne vpon our heads so many calamityes If warre plague famine doe persecute vs If heresy armed with our sinnes ouerruning Christendome so many yeares doe trouble the peace ouerthrow trafficke bring in robbers and tread vnder foot all lawes of God and man Let vs rather meruaile that we feele no greater euills But O Lord notwithstanding be gentle and mercifull as thou art keeping vs from incurring thy iust anger pardon vs if it please thee our faults past and keep vs from committing any more heerafter and giue vs grace alwayes to employ our tongue to the Confession and prayse of thy holy Name And so he shall betake himselfe to his lodging whither his good Angell shall bring him The sixth Day A Meditation vpon the third Commandement Remember to sanctify the day of Rest CHAP XIV The seruice of God with preparatiō THE morning meditation of the sixth day shall be of the third Commandement with the accustomed preparation and the first preamble shall set before his eyes the wordes of the Law as grauen in stone REMEMBER THOV SANCTIFY THE DAY OF REST as in the other And the second shall demand grace to reap spirituall profit of this present meditation The pointes shall be these In the first must be obserued that this third Commandement is giuen that solemnely with leasure and preparation and without any disturbance of worldly affaires and businesse we might put in practise the two precedent that is to adore God confesse and giue thankes by first fruites sacrifices offeringes and almes to prayse and sing forth his holy name Euery day we should remember this day and therefore it is sayd expressely Remember thee and thinke thereof expect it seruing God the best that we can euery man apart by himselfe the other dayes of the weeke amidst the presse of our temporall affaires But when that day is come al the children of God come togeather vnto his house to find tyme and place for this deuotion as the most important of all that they may performe it in common as perfectly as may be The second shall consider This feast is the remembrāce of the worke of God that this seauenth day of rest was giuen to the Iewes to acknowledge the benefit of the Creation of the world and with a continuall and weekly memory renew the remembrance thereof also to signify the eternall rest and repose which Iesus Christ was by his death to gaine vnto vs regenerating vs into new creatures first by his Sacraments in this life and after by his Resurrection to glory He therfore being come and we hauing gotten this rest and glory figured by the Iews Sabboth he would that the church should leaue the figure put in place thereof our Lords day Why the Iewes feast is turned to Sunday the Sunday the day of his glorious Resurrection and the closer of
it by true vsing of his grace Loue that rare and boundlesse beauty Loue eke thyne owne felicity Thy Neighbours friends and foes must be inclos'd VVithin the boundes of thy vnfeyned loue For this iust Law was framed and compos'd By God that sittes and ruleth from aboue VVho sayth he loues God not his brother Loueth neither th' one nor th' other The mortall race of mortall men we know Of one sole man did their beginning take So all that from this one did spring and grow One houshold only and no more do make Euery of whome by right of kind To fastest loue doth straitly bind Yet straiter is the knot and neerer band VVherewith God bindes vs in his holy house Sweetly vs conioyning with his blessed hand To be all one in his sole Sonne IESVS VVherto in reason all are lead Since all are members of one head Blessed is that soule which this Law keeps And is found faythfull to her spouse aboue VVho daily him doth seeke and neuer sleeps Burning in the flames of his holy loue VVho ' boue all thinges loues God the best And for his sake loues all the rest The After-dinner and Euening of the ninth dayes Iourney Threats and punishments of man 〈…〉 CHAP. XXII IN the After-noone the 〈…〉 make some repetition of what he meditated 〈…〉 setting before his eyes the threates which God 〈…〉 against mankillers also some examples of such as haue from heauen beene discouered and punished for this sinne contrarywise some others of such as haue byn easily pardoned Math. 2◠All those that take the sword sayth our Sauiour shall perish by the sword And long before that he sayd VVho so shall spill the bloud of man Gen. 9. his bloud shall be spilled for God hath made man to his Image Cain was accursed for killing his brother Gen. 3. and by his owne mouth he condemned himselfe for well worthy of banishment death Plutar. lib Quae animalia sūt prudentiora for his murder Before Pyrrhus King of Epyrus a dogge discouered the murderers of his Maister who were therefore punished Hesiodus his dogge also discouered them who had killed him The swallowes him that had killed his Father The greatest men haue beene most sweet and courteous Moyses Dauid yea euen among Paynimes Alexander Iulius Caesar and the like Great men gētle and courteous and contrarywise slaues base and cowardly people haue beene fierce and cruell to reuenge Our Sauiour the patterne of all perfect and high vertue was wonderfull in this which he shewed at all occasions where he might make triall but most cleerly in the last distresse of his death and passion when he prayed that diuine prayer for his enemyes who crucifyed him encountring with a singular exploite of clemency the cruelty of his crucifyers Hauing discoursed vpon these examples and the like and sayd his beades or some other prayer to the B. Virgin he shal end his iourney betake him to his lodging The tenth day A Meditation vpon the 6. Commandement Thou shalt not commit Adultery CHAP. XXIII THE sixth Commandement shall be the matter of the tenth dayes Meditation The sixth commādement well placed after forbidding to kill which followeth very fitly after the forbidding of killing for the second and next iniury a second death whereby a man may offend and hurt his owne body or his neighbour is adultery and as by murdering the society of men is iniuried so also by adultery fornication and other such vices of the flesh the cōmon wealth is dishonoured disturbed with confusion of children The preparation and preamble shall be as before the substance of the meditatiō shal consist in these pointes following The first point shall ponder that this precept prohibiteth not only adultery Al impurity forbidden which man or wife committeth but also all kind of impurity all that may cause it as thoughtes words touchings lookes kissings gestures dishonest songs vaine superfluous attire wanton talke dissolute beholding paynting vnchast bookes and such like allurements to this vice Adultery is named as the principal head the other acts as making way thereunto and as complices to the crime How pleasing to God purity of body is The 2. shall be employed to meditate how cleanesse and purity of body is in it self pleasing to God and his Angels It is a vertue wholy heauenly diuine for to liue in flesh and not to sinne with the flesh is to liue in spirit and to be like those heauenly spirits who liue without stayne of flesh The Sonne of God made thereof so great account that he would be borne of a virgin he preached chastity and by all meanes inuited mē thereunto he would haue about his Altars ministers not maried but perpetually chast virgins also in his house as Queens betroathed to his maiesty by vow of virginity barren in body but in soule fertill in all sortes of vertuous workes Finally he hath restrained the mariage of all those that liuing vnder the name of Christians Chastity in euery vocatiō will be maried to one only wife establishing a law of Chastity in all estates and degrees of his houshould The 3. point shall consider how contrariwise Impurity is as pleasing to the Diuell our capitall enemy The sin of the flesh pleasing vnto the Diuel wherfore as it is displeasing to God our Creatour For though this wicked spirit hauing no body cannot directly take any pleasure therein notwithstanding it pleaseth him wonderfully well knowing that it displeaseth God and that aboue all other sinnes it maketh a man forget both heauen and hell for there is none doth so darken the iudgement and vnderstanding of man and take away the tast of heauenly things the feare of hell fire that doth more draw man from heauen and from saluation and that maketh him more carnall more stupide and beastly By meanes wherof this old preuaricator vseth all his craft deuises possible to make men fall thereinto therein to hold and keep them vnto old age yea euen vnto death Against playes wanton bookes To this purpose he inflameth their flesh with extraordinary fire by al sortes of enticements he chafeth them by charmes he proposeth them playes and comedyes which in Threaters may represent vnto them the fond fancies and loues as Painters do in the pictures of Amadis and such other wanton Writers which paint them in the bookes of base soules Against lasciuious Poets vnder the name of Poets who like trumpets of flesh and ignominy blow forth without blushing and with full mouth the shame of their owne others passions and finally he worketh al the wayes to giue the reines and liberty to this Cupid infernal Theon euen vnto the transforming himselfe into man or woman cloathing himselfe with figure and fantasticall body to pollute and defile the bodyes and soules of those whome he would hold fast in the fetters and chaynes of his tyranny thence
48.13 and made like vnto them yea and worse also The constancy of al creatures to do well but of man For they not only are not idle in that occupation trade thou hast taught them but worke continually according to their law and order and wanting reason do follow reason But my selfe a reasonable creature remaine idle against reason one peece and parte of my life or do workes contrary vnto reason Other creatures haue receaued thy commandement but once to do that which they doe and they haue continually discharged their duty vnto this present But I hauing read and heard thy will a hundred tymes thy promises thy menacings do sleep and slumber notwithstanding wretch and benummed that I am and when I do wake my workes are worse then sleep and idlenes O Maker and Redeemer of man reforme this same man by the same power and mercy wherewith thou hast created redeemed him Giue vnto him giue vnto me O my Lord as to the most weake and needy strength and meanes well and holily to employ what thou hast giuen me that my Vnderstanding Will Memory my whole soule and body may be in perpetuall action to bring forth workes of life to the praise and glory of thy holy name The After-dinner and Euening of the fifteenth dayes Iourney Markeable documents and instructions for Good workes CHAP. XXXV AFTER dinner and at night the Pilgrime shall for his spirituall occupation discourse vpon the most markeable sentences of Scriptures and Saints spoken to shew that oÌ„ly fayth sufficeth not for saluatioÌ„ The Talents Matth. 25.16 without good workes The parable of the Talents holdeth the first place in this doctriné for thereby our Sauiour doth plainely instruct vs and with authority that we must negociate in the house of God and put the mony of his graces to profit and vsury which to that end he put into our handes with the condition of a good reward if we be diligent and obedient or of punishment and confusion The workeman Matt. â—0 if we be slouthfull Also the parable of the workemen sent to worke in the Farmers vineyard payd at night for their dayes labour Also the counsell which our Sauiour gaue to the young man saying If thou wilt haue life euerlasting keep my Commandements Matt. 19.17 Also those wordes He shall enter into the kingdome of heauen who doth the will of my Father not euery one that sayth Matt. 7.21 Lord Lord. But especially he shall weigh the clause of that generall decree which shall be published at the last day in fauour of good workes against the slouthfull Rom. 2.13 Come my wellbeloued Iac. 1.22 Matt. 25.34 Iac. 2. possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the Creation of the world I was hungry and you gaue me to eate c. And thereunto he shall add the plaine saying of S. Iames What shal it profit my brethren if any man sayth he hath fayth without works shall his faith saue him And S. Gregory Nazianzen Doe good workes vpon the ground of thy instructions for fayth without workes is dead Isa 26. as also workes liue not without fayth And Saint Hierome vpon these wordes of Esay 26. Our citty is a fortresse saluation shall there be put for the inward wall and outwâ—rd By the inward wall sayth he is meant good woorkes and by the other fayth for it is not inough to the outward wall of Fayth vnles this fayth be grounded and sustayned by good workes These workes are Prayer The principall good workes Fasting Almes and other workes of charity which we spake of before in the afternoone of the eight day In these and the like discourses shall the Pilgrime passe the after-dinner thereby stirring himselfe to the loue and practise of Christian workes In the euening either alone or with others he may sing this Canticle that followeth to shut vp the euening with ioy and profit A Canticle of good VVorkes The pious Pilgrime that doth walke Vnto the Chappell of Loret Must worke with hand his soueraignes workes And keep his soule still pure and nett To heare alone and not performe The law of God doth worke no meed To know the way and not to walke Nothing doth our iourney speed The tree that bringeth nothing els But leaues and breathing verdure Is fit for fire and not for fruit And doth greet wrong to nature Our Sauiour chiefe and iustest Iudge The fruitlesse Fig-tree strooke with curse If man in vaine doth wast his dayes Shall he not blame and strike him worse How hoat shall then be his reuenge To those that nothing els doe bring But poisoned grapes and fruites of death Of sinne and shame and els nothing Each thing doth worke and nothing sleepes In Earth in Sea in Heauen aboue Each thing doth moue in his degree Mans end is God to know and loue Then these short dayes of this short life Let be in vertuous workes well spent That last long day shall all workes try VVhen ech shall b' either crown'd or shent And hauing made his particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall take himselfe to his lodging in good time not to be surprised by night in the fieldes The sixteenth day A Meditation of sinne CHAP. XXXVI THE morning Meditation shall be vpon sinne an actioÌ„ opposite to good workes which were the matter of the precedent meditation This order shal make a fit opposition of vertue to vice The opposition of vice to vertue and by setting their faces one against another we may better discerne the beauty of the one to loue it and the foulnes of the other to hate it What sin is The first point shall put the definition of sinne the better to know both the corps and countenance and duly to meditate of the foulnes thereof Sinne sayth S. Ambrose is a straying from the law of God and a disobedience to the heauenly Commandmâ—nts Ambr. de Poenit c. 8. Aug l. 22. cont Faust c. 27 l 1. cont ep 1. Peâ—il 113. By S. Augustin it is What is sayd done or desired against the law of God so that one word spoken one deed done one thought conceaued against the law of God that is against any of his commandements is a sinne great or small mortall or veniall according to the diuers motion of the will sinning either with full consent or by some light motion or suddaine surprise and according to the great or small importance of the thing and other circumstances Of which definitions he shall learne that there is nothing so foule and deformed as sinne For what can be found more monstruous then that which is opposite to the law rule of the highest wisedome beauty and goodnes The second point shall consider two sortes of sinnes Originall and Actuall and this mortall and veniall Originall sinne Aug. ench 164. is that spot which flowed from the sin of Adam wherewith all men are stained in their conception and
plagues to the families of Men and hath marked them all with her infernall brood her malignity was so great and strong that there must be an eternity of punishments to chastice it the infection so deadly that the quickening and life-giuing bloud was necessary to cleanse it O mortall men whereof thinke you when you do the works of death Where is your memory not remembring what is passed Where is your prouideÌ„ce not regarding what is to come Where is your hart and wit yielding your loue to so monstrous and detestable an enemy O sweet Iesus made man for my sinnes crucifyed for my sinnes and raised againe for my iustice pardon me my sinnes which were too great to be pardoned were not thy mercy infinit and by the same mercy keep me from offending thee any more giue me tears to bewaile those I haue committed force to forbeare heerafter both which guifts are worthy of thee and both most necessary to me O Blessed Virgin yet againe To the B. Virgin now alwayes be my Aduocate it is the honour of thy sonne that I may obtaine my suite and the saluation of thy poore and deuoted Pilgrime The after-dinner and Euening of the seauenteenth dayes Iourney The effects of S nne and diuers paines CHAP. XXXIX THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall imploy his houres to ruminate and repeat some particuler effects of sinne the better to know and detest it He shal see how it made the chief Angell so impudent and wicked The first exploit of the diuel that with the first vse of his language he durst accuse his Creatour of enuy and malice in that he had forbidden the tree of knowledge of good and euill to Adam and Eue that they might not be like Gods carrying vnder the colour of this blasphemous calumniation Gen. 3. that poisoned â—art wherewith he stroke to death this poore ill aduised woman and by her her husband Adam by him all mankind he shall cast his eyes vpon the enuy of Cain Gen. 7.21 which made him lift vp his hand to embrew the earth with his brothers bloud to the dissolution of all mortall men togeather buryed in the reuenging waues of the vniuersall Deluge to the pride of the Babylonians bâ—ilding against heaueÌ„ to their owne confusion the impurity of the fiue sinning Cittyes drowned in fire and brimstone the auarice of Giezi Gen. 11.4 Gen. 19.25 4. Peâ— 50. â—atth 26 Luc. 16.19 and of Iudas to the riot of the rich Glutton and other sinners and sinnes By the view whereof he shall conceaue an immortall hatred and shal firmely purpose to serue God withall his hart for the tyme to come without euer offending him neuer so little willingly and towards night hauing made some particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall thinke of his lodging The eighteenth day A meditation of Death the first effect of sinne CHAP. XL. To whoÌ„ the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death is grieuous to whom profitable THERE is nothing more vnpleasant then the memory of death to them that doe not liue well nothing is more profitable to those that desire well to gouerne their actions for to liue and reigne alwayes and therefore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with the meditation of death very fitly after that of sinne the father of death This meditation shal haue all his whole and entire partes The Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first Preamble shall represent a man stretched on his bed in the agony of death The second shall demand grace to reape particuler profit of this exercise The first point shall set before myne eyes that decree and sentence of death giuen by the supreme Iudge on the person of our first Father Adam Gen. 3. Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne againe and executed on the body of him al that haue come of him except Enoch and Elias who notwithstanding shall dye also in their tyme. And therefore S. Paul sayth It is ordayned for all men once to dye Heb. 9.17 Of this meditation he shall marke that as there is nothing more sure and certaine then Death so also there is nothing more vncertaine then the houre and manner thereof and the estate wherein it shall find the soule Eccles 9. whether in grace or in sinne when it shall dislodge and remoue from her body By which circumstance he must stirre vp himselfe to watch and seeke all the meanes and wayes he can to put himselfe in good order and preparation for feare of being surprised and taken vnawares by reason of such vncertainty The second shall be to consider the accidents that do accompany this last conflict The conflict of death as well in soule as in body the remembrance of thinges passed the feare of that is to come the prickinges of griefs and desires the assaults of the Diuell the fayling of our senses and facultyes the coldnes of our members and the benumming of all partes of the body the dole and extreme anguish in the distresse of death all which thinges foreseene will teach vs what danger it is Math. 25. to deferre our preparation to the concurrence of so many calamityes miseryes and infirmityes and to go buy oyle for our lampes What followeth after death the soule saued oâ— damned when it will be tyme to enter into the bridegroomes chamber The third point shall meditate what followeth incontinently after death which is the iudgment of the soule either to saluation or damnation for she is eyther placed among the children of God be it by passing by if she need purgation oâ— presently if she be cleane to enter into heauen reigne there for euer or els carryed away in company of the Diuells to hell there to suffer eternall torments if she left the body seized with any mortall sinne The body in the meane tyme is put into the ground for food to wormes serpents his goods are parted to the liuing who will make merry therewith perhaps will laugh at him for hauing laboured so much for them The speach shall be to Iesus Christ in these wordes O my sweet Redeemer thou hast suffered death to deliuer me from death and hast ouercome death to make me conquerour thereof graunt me by this thy infinit charity and diuine victory the grace to vse and enioy the benefit which thy death hath brought to me and so well to prepare my selfe against this combat of death so valiantly to wrastle with it Psal 115. and so happily to ouercome it that my death may be of those the Prophet speaketh The death of his Saints is precious in the eyes of God and not of those of whome the same Prophet sayth Psal 33. The death of sinners is most miserable Thou saydst sometimes to thy Apostles and Disciples VVatch and stand ready for the Sonne of Man will come at an houre when you thinke not of him And againe Math. 24. 25. VValke
whilest you haue light least darkenes do apprehend you And againe by one of thy Scribes Doe iustice before thy d parture Ioan. 12. Luc. 19. Eccles 14.17 for there is no food to be found in hell These are thy aduertisements most excellent and most worthy of a prudent valiant Capitaine for they comprehend and teach all that is necessary well to defend our selues well to fight and to ouercome well to liue and well to dye Graunt then O my soueraigne Lord that I may follow this point by point execute with a faithfull and constant obedience all that thy loue wisedome hath aduised me for my saluation that my life may be nothing but a prudent and continuall preparation to death my death a doore to life euerlasting The After-dinner and Euening of the eighteenth dayes Iourney Diuers sentences of Death CHAP. XLI THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall passe his tyme way Psal 101.4.12 meditating some sentences of the Scripture or the holy Fathers written of this subiect As are My dayes haue sailed as a smoke and my bones haue withered and dryed vp like small stickes My dayes haue passed like a shaddow and I haue withered like grasse Iob. 14.5 And againe The dayes of man haue passed and the number of his monthes are in thy handes thou hast set boundes which he cannot passe 1. Pet. 1. And againe All flesh is grasse and the glory thereof like the flowre of the field Eccl. 9.12 the grasse hath faded and his flower hath fallen And man knoweâ—h not his end but as Fishes are taken with netts and Birds with snares so are the children of men taken in an euill tyme when it cometh sodainly vpon them Eccl. 9.10 And againe Labour and doe well with thy handes while thou canst for in the graue whither thou goest there is neyther worke nor industry nor knowledge nor wisedome Aug. l. 50 hom 27. Also The gate of pennance is open to vs and the day of death hidden from vs that by despaire we doe not increase our sinnes Item All the rest of our good and euill is vncertaine onely death is certaine Item Idem de verb. De. serm 21. de ciuit l. 13. cap 10 All the tyme of our life is but a race to death With thâ—se sentences and the like he may also remember the happy death of many persons Martyrs and others borne to heauen dying to the earth of diuers wicked men who by disastrous death haue begunne their hell in this world and so he shall passe this day and the next night and euery night after when he goeth to bed he shall remember death and his graue represented by that action and place for sleep is the image of death as the bed is the graue Death is a long sleep and the graue a long lying sleep and the bed are transitory death the graue firme and lasting The nineteenth Day A Meditation of Iudgement Particuler and Generall CAHP. XLII AFTER death sayth S. Paul followeth Iudgment Heb. 9. After the death of euery one in particuler cometh particuler Iudgement after the generall death of all men The Meditation of iudgemeÌ„t profitable commeth the generall Iudgement The memory and meditation of these two is a strong bridle to hold men from sinne a sharp spur to incite him to pennance and to prepare his pleas and books before he be presented to the examination of a Iudge so iust wise and mighty as he that must heare and iudge him Therfore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with this consideration to cleare himselfe before the iudgment come and also to make him worthy to enter into the Sanctuary of that noble house the end of his Pilgrimage and to visit it with the profit of his soule The Prayer preparatiue as alwayes before The first Preamble for particuler Iudgement shall be to imagine a soule gone out of the body Matth. 25. as presented before God to be iudged and for the general to behould Iesus Christ coÌ„ming in maiesty accompanied with Angells and Saints to make a publike triall and iudgement of all mortall men both in bodyes and soules and to reward or punish euery one according to his workes good or bad The second Preamble shall demand a holsome feare of this fearefull day The first point shall be to meditate the sentences of Scripture that make mention of that day with some great exaggeration of speach as that Sayings of this IugemeÌ„t 2. Cor. 5.10 Heb. 10. Psal 142.2 Iob. 3. 2. Pet. 4.18 VVe must appeare before the Tribunall of Christ that euery one may receaue in his body as he hath done good or bad And It is a horrible thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God The wordes also of Dauid who though he were an holy man yet trembling at the expectation of that day he sayd Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for none liuing can be iustifyed in thy sight And of Iob VVhat shall I doe when God shall rise to Iudgement and when he shall aske what shall I answere And of S. Peter If the lust shall hardly be saued where shall the sinner appeare With which sayings the soule shall spurre forward her selfe saying If the Saints haue so feared this iudgement what shall I poore sinnefull creature do The maiesty of the Iudg. The second point shall bring in consideration the quality of the Iudge wise to know all iust to punish all mighty to execute all his Iudgements and Decrees Whose power none can escape whose wisedome none can deceaue whose equity none can bow Aug. l. de 10. chordis c 1. 2. Innoc. l. 3. de ciuit mundi and from whose sentence none can appeale as the Doctours say And if we tremble before a Iudge whoÌ„ we thinke will not be corrupted what shall the Proud doe before that Iudge who infinitly detesteth that vice What the couetous before the supreme bounty and liberality The Lecher before Purity it selfe What other sinners before him who is the Capitall enemy of all sinne The generall iugement The third point shall set before our eyes that dreadfull generall Iudgement whereof holy men speaking could not find wordes great inough proportionably to expresse the greatnes of it Sound forth sayth one of them sound forth the trumpet in Sion cry out on my holy mountaine that all the Inhabitants of the earth may tremble for the day of our Lord coÌ„meth it is at hand Seph 1.4.15.16 a day of darknes and obscurity a day of cloudes and tribulation And another The great day of our Lord is after this day this is a day of wrath a day of tribulation and anguish a day of tumult and desolation a day of darknes and obscurity a day of cloudes and tempestes a day of the sound of trumpets and alarums This is the day which properly is called the Day of our Lord. The day of Iudgement when the
vow of Pilgrime go to our Lady of Loreto euen when the Turkes were ready crying to lay their hands vpon their barke They had no sooner pronounced their vow but streight behold a sodaine furious tempest arose which scattered the vessels and separared them one farre from another and so disordered the Pursuers that they were forced to seeke rather some shore to saue themselues then to take the ship they followed These three that had thus fled did see the other terribly tossed by the waues caried sometimes hither and sometimes thither sometimes aloft sometimes below whome they knew by their turbants which made them be seene a farre of Themselues in the meane time held on their course as in the calme Sea driuen with a fauourable wynd blowing in the poope which did comfort them with a sweet admiration seing in such contrariety of wether of tempest and of calme in the same time almost in the same place that it was the stroke not of the Sea but of heauen an euident testimony of the fauour of God towards them They sailed happily vntil they arriued at the port of Catara from thence went to Loreto where cleansed from their sinnes by the Sacrament of PenaÌ„ce and made partakers of the Table of our Sauiour they rendered immortal thankes to God and the B. Virgin by whose intercession they were deliuered from a double danger of boÌ„dage and of death A French man of Prouence deliuered The second history is of one of our Nation a French man of the CouÌ„try of Prouence who hauing had newes of the death of his Father at Constantinople whilst he followed the Embassador of France being before Almener to the Duke of Mercury returned in a common vessell and as he came to the I le of Zant he saw himselfe enuironed with 4. Frigots of the Turkes who approched swiftly vnto his shippe prepared themselues to the prey both of men merchandize which they hoped to find This good Gentleman seeing his danger so desperat recommended himselfe hartily to our B. Lady of Loreto as also did all his company at the same instant almost they found themselues brought vnto a hauen of Calabria without knowing which way they came thither nor yet what was become of the Pirats They came immediatsly to Loreto to yield thankes to God and the glorious virgin and told their good fortune to one who told it me againe not long since I doubt not but you haue heard of the first miracle for it is one of the most ancient and recorded in the histories of Loreto perhaps also of the second but you haue forced me to tell what you knew before and brought me in danger to be importune were it not that as I persuade my selfe you do willingly heare repeated the miracles which concerne the praise of our good Lady not only without wearines but also with delight My good father answered Lazarus I learned alwayes haue now learned by this your narration what I knew not for of the later miracle I neuer heard before the other you haue represented with a greater Emphasis and force then I had heard it hitherto And I haue taken a singular pleasure in your discourse do confesse by all these great miracles more clearely then euer that with good right and reason the Church calleth the B. Virgin The Starre of the Sea for by her intercession The B.V. the starre of the Sea as by the aspect of an heauenly starre not only are defended those that saile the Seas but are deliuered also from many great dangers which commonly the stars do not performe The good old man would willingly haue entertayned Lazarus longer to heare him discourse for he did perceiue vnder the habit of a Pilgrime some thing generous extraordinary in him but thinking he was weary that it was late he durst not aske him any more demandes and therefore hauing caused their collation to be brought he conducted them both to a little chamber where were prepared two beds and a little Oratory to pray in some of the houshold came to wash their feet after the custome of Christian hostes but Lazarus thanked them harrily aledging for his excuse that it would mâ—ke their feet tender more easy to blister and take hurt and so euery one retired themselues The host caused according to his custome the Letanies to be sayd to all his houshold Lazarus said them with Vincent which being done they coÌ„ferred togeather about the subiect of their meditation for the morning following which was of little Iesus when his mother lost him found him againe in the Temple The points were these 1. The going of the B. Virgin and holy Ioseph with little Iesus to the Temple 2. The seeking enquiry they made when he was lost 3. How they found him in Hierusalem and brought him to Nazareth These points being noted in their memory either of them made their examen of conscience praiers for the Euening The practise of the examen of confessâ—â—e The examen of Lazarus was such after he had sayd the Credo My God enlighteÌ„ my soule to see thy benefits I thaÌ„ke thee for the assistance I haue had of thy liberality and specially this day by the meanes of this good housholder thy seruant who hath receaued vs into his house Enlighten me also if it please thee that I may see my faultes and amend them by thy grace I confesse O my soule that in my morning meditation I did not present my selfe before thy diuine Maiesty with that reuereÌ„ce I ought nor made my prayer with due attention and that by my only fault for I did not well prepare my selfe according to the rules of deuotion as neither to my examen in the morning and after dinner I haue wandered in my senses and thoughts my phantasy hath often carryed me out of my selfe I haue twice or thrice loosed the reines to my proper will with some vaine delight complacence and to foolish impressions in my imagination opened my eyes to a carelesse and curious beholding of thy creatures my eares to curiosity and my tongue to many idle words I confesse these sinnes and belieue I haue committed many more which I know not and who is he that knoweth his secret sinnes I confesse them all O Father of mercy humbly demand pardon of them with a firme purpose to amend them by the assistance of thy holy spirit Giue it if it please thee O Lord to me and to all of this house and graunt that we may passe this night without offending thee without illusion of him who day and night lyeth in watch to defile our body and spirit and whilest our body sleepeth taking its rest Cant. 5 2. that our haâ—t may wake in the light of thy grace Glorious Virgin assist vs and thou my good Angell-keeper This was the tenour of his Examen for the conclusion he sayd the Credo the Pater noster
purgation for their faultes wherof they had not done pennance whilst they liued Aug. epist 99. ad Exod lib 10. in Genes cap. 33 all which soules the soule of our Sauiour did enlighten and deliuer out of paine and prison and put them in possession of the vision of God which was the Paradise he promised to the good theefe The third place was that of eternall prison which properly we call Hell Greg. moral c. 120. where were enclosed the damned soules with that great Diuell the rebellious Angell and his complices These soules were neither deliuered nor enlightened no more then the Diuels themselues Nâ—ss l. de resurr because they dyed in the disgrace of God without pennance and repentance of their sinnes and had no hope in God which the soule of our Sauiour did reproach to them shewing theÌ„ that 〈◊〉 was not long of God that they were not redeemed and saued but of their owne obstinate malice In this descent Lazarus beheld the burning loue and great power of our Sauiour his great loue so soone deliuering those imprisoned soules and making them so soone feele the fruit of his death his power in entring freely into the kingdome of death Psalm 87 there brauing his enemies death and the Princes of darknes frighted with this power neuer hauing seene the like in that region of dead men and in the kingdome of death The Resurrectio of our Sauiour Vpon the second point he obserued how the victorious soule of our Sauiour leading from hell the soules of his elected came to resume his body in the Sepulcher made it liuing and glorious which thing yet neuer happened to any deceased for all the soules departing out of theit bodies remained captiue below and neuer any were so farre remoued from those regions where death had raigned long in peace This was an exploite reserued for the sonne of God thereupon called The first Borne amongst the dead Col. 1.18 and therefore the Poets who feigned that Vlisses Hercules and other heroicall fellowes to haue gone and returned from Hell The vanity of profane Poets spake against the truth being therein both liers and sacrilegious attributing falsly to mortall men that which the Prophets and Sibilles haue written of the Sauiour of mortall men the true triumpher of hell by his death and death by his Resurrection Those that were miraculously raised agayne before him as Lazarus and the like were not victorious of death for they died againe but he issuing out of his tombe killed death with his victory and by his descent he had subiugated Hell for so had he foretold by the mouth of his Prophet O death Ose 1.13 14. I will be thy death O Hell I will by thy consumer Vpon the 3. point Lazarus noted that our Sauiour being risen againe shewed himselfe first to his most honourable Mother Our Sauiour first appeared to his mother after his Resurrection For it was iustice that she who had honoured him by her fayth followed him in his Crosse and did suffer with him in sufferings aboue all other Creatures should be the first in the ioy of his Resurrection O sweet Iesus quoth Lazarus what ioy didst thou bring to thy desolate mother shewing her vpon that fayre Sonday the glory and brightnes of thy body which she had seene the friday before so vnworthily hanled in the conflict of the Crosse What consolation feltst thou O glorious Virgin seeing thy well beloued returne victorious from Hell and his graue clothed with immortall glory and carying with him that noble spoile the soules of his Elect 1. Of the first Resurrection 2. A horrible Spectacle CHAP. XXI THIS was the Meditation of Lazarus Theodosius and Vincent ended at the same tyme and hauing heard Masse The Pilgrims departure and taken a small breakfast they bad Gratian farewell and with the blessing of Dom-Prior and a thousand thankes they began their iourny they sayd first their Itinerarium and after their beads in this manner Lazarus declared the mystery which they must meditate at euery Tenne after recited an Aue Maria. Theodosius followed with Vincent saying another Lazarus began againe and continued praying ouer the beads in turne as those that sing in the quire or recite their houres This being done they began to discourse of the spirituall resurrection of man to the which S. Paul exhorteth Christians after the similitude of the resurrection of our Sauiour The first Resurrection saying As our Sauiour is risen from the dead by the glory of his Father so let vs walk also in the newnes of life Where the Apostle meaneth that the glorious Resurrection of our Sauiour doth teach vs a spirituall resurrection Resurrection spirituall which is made by rising froÌ„ sin which is the death of our soule by lyuing working in the grace of God which is our true life and glory in this world Rom. 6.4 and this is that which S. Iohn calleth the first resurrection necessary to all those who will be partaker of the second Apoc. 2â— which shall be when at the great rising againe of mortall men and the generall iudgement the bodies of the iust shall rise out of their graues and vnited to their soule shall shine like the sunne and the bodies of the damned that made no reckoning of the first resurrection shall rise agayne to dye to death euerlasting Vincent demaunded of Lazarus what shall be the qualities of the bodies of the iust being risen againe Lazarus answered him that neither tongues of men or Angells were sufficient to expresse the glorious beauty and qualities which God shall bestow vpoÌ„ the bodies of the blessed yet the Christian Schoole doth teach vs in generall that these bodies shall be endewed with foure speciall and principall qualities of brightnes agility impassibility and subtility and that whatsoeuer is goodly or beautifull dispersed among all other naturall bodies as heauens starres stones plants birds beasts fishes should be assembled meete all in the body of man For as in the Creation God made in him an abridgment of all nature so shall he in their bodies risen againe make an abridgmeÌ„t of al the corporal beauties of the same nature Theodosius hearing this discourse of Lazarus Alas saith he sighing if men thought of this Resurrection what would they not doe to obtaine it And if they make so great account of goodly and braue apparell and of wearing ornaments which adorne the body and yet belong not vnto the body how should they esteem the glorious array of this future Resurrection which shall be infinitely more beautifull which shall be proper and affects to the body and shall last for all eternity These and such like were their discourses from morning vntill noone about which tyme they arriued at a little village and lay at the signe of the Sunne where after they had examined their conscience they made a light dinner and learned of their host that they
Litanies togeather after which TristraÌ„ was caryed to his bed in another chamber where he slept quickly The Pilgrims made their examen and tooke the subiect and points of their morning Meditation The subiect was the life of the glorious Virgin after the Ascension of our Sauiour into heauen in these points 1. Wherefore she liued after our Sauiours Ascension 2. Of the profit she brought vnto the Church of God 3. Of her death The nine and thirtith day and the ninth of his Returne Of the Life and conuersation of the B. Virgin after the Ascension of our Sauiour and of her death CHAP. XXII AT three a clocke in the morning when no body was vp sauing some seruants that went to labour the Pilgrims began their meditation a part Lazarus the first in feruour and heat of spirit began in admiration wondering that our Sauiour ascended into heauen and left his glorious mother amongst mortall men seeing he knew well that she should be in continuall griefe for his absence and longing for his presence and that she desired nothing more then to go out of this vale of miseries and to be with him and there was not any creature more worthy of heauen and of his company then she was Why the B Virgin was left on earth after the Ascension of our Sauiour But the heauenly light shewed vnto him in the progresse of his meditation that the Almighty and all wise Sonne of God did herein shew a singular prouidence for the good of his most honourable mother and of all his whole Church for if the scripture reporteth that for a great fauour which is sayd of the lust that God hath honoured him in making him labour and hath accomplished his trauailes this was a speciall prerogatiue and a great honour which our Sauiour did to his mother to leaue her somtime after him in this life therin to shew employ her vertues The B Virgin was left as the moone when the Sunne was gone which hitherto had beene in a manner hidden vnder the cloake of profound humility knowne onely to God and to few men besides by a thou sand goodly workes wrought in publicke make her multiply the vsury of her merits vnto the highest heape and degree and so much to increase the glory of her felicity It was also a great fauour vnto the Church to see shine in her beginning and birth vpon the earth this starre as the moone after that the great Sunne taking himselfe from the eyes of mortall men Our Sauiour his Churche both bred and brought vp by the B. Virgin was mounted into the heauens and to conteÌ„plate in her the admirable beauty of that sunne it selfe liuely represented in the lustre of the diuine actions of this B. Virgin as we behold the visible splendour of the sunne painted in the face of the moone And euen as God would that his Sonne Iesus-Christ Espouse and Sauiour of the Church should be conceiued borne and brought vp by the sayd Virgin so would he that the same Church should in some sort be ingendred by the feed of the sayd Virgins vertues should be illustrated set in view and in a manner brought forth by meanes of her nourished and brought vp by the example of her admirable workes Namely that she should be the light of the Apostles and disciples teaching them diuers misteries of the fayth that none knew but her selfe and which the holy Ghost would haue knowne by her so by her he taught the secret of the Annunciation of the Incarnation of her perpetuall virginity of the Natiuity of our Sauiour of the musique that Angells sung thereat of the Visitation of the shepheards of the Circumcision of the Adoration of the Kings of the Presentation in the Temple of Simeons prophecy and other points which the Euangelists haue recorded and specially S. Luke Luc. 2. who therefore is called the Notary of our B. Lady Greg. Nis in fest Assump It is he that sayd Marie kept all these things in her hart Signifying as an ancient Doctor sayth that she had diligently noted the mysteries she had seene to reueale them in due tyme and that what he had written he had drawne out of the mine treasury of the Virgins hart who was Secretary and of priuy Councell to the meruayles of God And as God hath giuen at diues tymes holy women to magnify his greatnes in them and to succour his people as a Debora to counsell and conduct the armies of Israell a Iudith to encounter with the great Tyrant an Hester to winne the King and oppose herselfe against the enemies of his people also amoÌ„g the heathens diuers Sibilles women emineÌ„t in knowledge in the gift of prophecy to instruct the ignorant of the mysteries of the Sauiour of the world so he left in his bodily absence this his heauenly mother to be a Debora a Iudith a Hester and the Prophetesse of the Christians the refuge of the afflicted the booke of the doctours the strength of the faintharted the force of those that fight and f nally to be a Regent in the beginning of the spirituall kingdome of her Son by the accord of her diuine contemplations actioÌ„s to giue a modell and patterne of the contemplatiue act ue life of the Apostolicall perfect Christian way She was a patterne of actiue and contemplatiue life as she did And therfore both then euer after she was ordained called the Protectrix of all religious Families a generall Aduocate of the Church of her Sonne for euer God meaning in a woman to encounter coÌ„found vice Idolatry confound Pride the forces of Sathan who in a woman had confounded all mankind thrust mortall men into all sort of sinne She liued then many yeares after the Ascension of our Sauiour 10. after the opinion of some and 21. in the opinion of others but the common tradition is foureteene 10 Nicep li. 2. cap. 3. And being arriued to that terme which he had prefixed who gouerneth the tyme and lott of the life of man she receiued a message of her departure out of this world by an Angel in the Citty of HierusaleÌ„ 21. Epiph. serm de Derp Virg. where she had remayned since the death of our Sauiour with S. Iohn the Euangelist whither the Apostles dispersed through diuers partes of the world by the power of God were assembled togeather and with them diuers other holy men amongst whome was S. Denu the Arcopagite the Apostle of France in this last period to assist the Mother of his maister and to do her obsequies Almighty God honouring with the presence of the principall lights of his Church the deposition of that Virgin who had brought forth the Sauiour of the world Dion Metapâ—r ora de obit Virg. and illustrating the death of the mother of his Sonne with this singular prerogatiue as he had by a thousand more illustrated her life
of the cleare vision and contemplation of their Creatour the cause of all beauties that are in heauen or earth and infinitly more beautifull then all other beauty put together Of the body He meditated in the second place of the glory which the bodies of the â—ust shall haue after the ResurrectioÌ„ which can not otherwise be declared but as the Apostle declareth the whole felicity That the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the hart of man comprehended â— Cor. 2. what God hath prepared for those that loue h m he could say no more then in saying as he did that it is impossible to conceiue that felicty The scripture sayth that the iust shall shine like the sunne and compareth them to eagles Matt. 15. signifying the beauty agility of their body Our Sauiour to whose similitude we shall rise agayne came out of the graue that he rose out subtile impassible such in similitude shall our bodies be in such qualities shining Phil. 3.20 transpareÌ„t agile subtile penetrant and immortall heere withall euery particular part of the body shall haue a supernaturall beauty as now it hath a naturall with this difference that then all the body being transparent like christall all parts shall be visible in it as well the inward as the outward the bones the muscles the sinewes the veines the arteries the lungs the liuer the hart all shall be cleansed and cleared from all imperfectioÌ„ indewed with their proper beauty in propoâ—tion clearenes and colour This of Saphire that of Emeraldes one of Carbuncles another of Diamonds and aboue all shall be most adm rable those which haue beene employed in some speciall and peculiar seruice of the diuine Maiesty So the skinne of S. Bartholomew stead off for the faith shall shine with a particular beauty the armes and feete of S. Peter crucifyed the head of S. Paul cut of the tongues of true preachers the hands of Almoners the armes of the true souldiours of Iesus-Christ the eyes of chastity the hayres of virginity nothing shall be without recompence without excellency without particular glory Lazarus was plunged in this meditation and sayd O my soule if thou beest rauished meditating these beauties how great shall thy ioy be in enioying them O Lazarus what doost thou to deserue them What giuest thou to buy them What sufferest thou to gaine this honour And with what pace walkest thou to get the goale of this glory O soules redeemed with the precious bloud of Iesus thinke vpon these honours O Christian Dames who so highly esteeme the beauty of the body that not hauing it you would gladly purchase it with great summes of gold and siluer hauing it do hold it so deere tender it so carefully by art by gold by apparell by chaynes carkenets and iewels your beauty is nothing it is foule and ill fauoured in respect of this and if it were any thing you know well it shall finally perish eyther by some misfortune or by touch of sicknes or by age or surely by death Where is the beauty of AbsaloÌ„ of Lucrece of so many men women admired in the world Loue then the beauty of this Resurrection which shall be proper for euer vnto your bodies and to obtaine it loue now the beauty of your soules O my soule be thou amorous and in loue with this beauty O glorious Virgin O faithfull aduocate aduaÌ„ced this faire and ioyfull day aboue all the thrones of the heauenly and happy spirits the wonder of all goodly creatures on earth whilst thou wert aliue the wonder of all the creatures in heauen for euer the honour of the triumphant Church the refuge of the militant the comfort of the afflicted the guide of wanderers helpe vs with thy graces and credit with him by whome thou wert this day carryed vp into heauen with the company of all the heauenly hostes Procure o most B. Virgin that we obtaine grace holily to liue vpon earth to the imitation of thy selfe and happily to dye to thy example and one day to enioy eternally the riches of the triumphant Resurrection in the Kingdome of thy Sonne Iesus 1. An exhortation to a sick person in agony of death 2. The affliction of Lazarus 3. His arriuall at his Fathers house 4. His farewell to his Father and to the world CHAP. XXV THVS Lazarus ended his prayer Theodosius and Vincent ended then also and had felt great inward ioy therein The steward came early to their chamber hauing made ready their breakfast but they would eate nothing saying it was to soone They desired him humbly to salute in their behalfe Monsieur the Marquesse the Abbot the Vicount the Baron his children and to assure them that they would pray to God for their prosperity The steward had closely put into Lazarus bagge ten Crownes wrapped in a paper with these words of the Marquesse owne writing Pray to God for the Marques which Lazarus found at night in his fathers house He imbraced the Steward with many thankes after they had sayd their Pilgrims prayers they went out of the Castle and hauing beene a while silent they began to talke Lazarus praised much the prudence and liberality of the Marques and of his brother the sincere and harty loue of his children full of humility and courtesy the true markes of true nobility as contrariwise pride and disdaine is a true token of a base and rude mynd he commended also greatly the modesty diligence of all the officers and seruants and tooke this for a sure signe of the Marquesse his vertue for commonly like maister like men and the subiects doe for the most part frame themselues after the fashions of their Lord. Theodosius sayd that he noted at supper a meruailous contentment of all in the answere that was made to Syre Cime and that he did neuer better perceiue the leuity obstinacy of heresy then in that man who sought nothing but to talke and shew himselfe though he shewed himselfe alwayes void of good learning Pride the Father of heresy Whereupon Lazarus sayd Pride is the Father of heresy and vanity is her Mistresse and therefore you may not meruaile to see an Heretike both proud and vayne togeather Wherefore then quoth Vincent doth not the Marquesse his nephew shew himselfe like his maister Because sayth Lazarus he is not so much an Heretike as bred and brought vp in heresy neuer hauing beene Catholike knowing nothing but what they haue giuen him to vnderstand without contradictioÌ„ it is well to be hoped that as he is of a noble tractable nature and of a goodly spirit that as soone as he shall haue free liberty to conferre with some learned man or cast his eyes vpon some learned booke he will discouer the deceits of these impostures which his maister hath commended vnto him for rules and maximes of his Religion will imbrace the truth of the Catholike fayth Surely sayd Vincent I longed much
to haue told the Tutour that he wanted a Head himselfe when he demanded of me why partridges were serued without heads I was not sory quoth Lazarus that the question of the head was proposed for the taile thereof proued good and Theodosius had a doctour who expounded his answere with an honourable glosse surely quoth Theodosius that fellow deserued to be well payed as he was God giue him grace to know himselfe Discoursing in this sort the Pilgrims had dispatched foure leagues which was more by halfe then they had to the house of Lazarus his Father which was called the Castle built neer vnto a towne they came to a place called Bonuoison where they dyned cheerfully and would presently haue beene gone but that a chance stayed them And that was that there were two poore men sicke in the Inne who the night before had confessed demaunded extreme-vnction and euen now entred into the agony of death hauing no body that in so dangerous a distresse might exhort them for the Curate was gone to the obsequies which that day were kept at the Castle They thought that charity bound them to assist vntill the Curate should come who they sayd would returne presently Lazarus tooke one in one chamber Theodosius and Vincent the other in another chamber and seeing that they had perfect memory they exhorted them both Lazarus exhorted his in this sort My dearest brother you know well that death is a common debt which all mortall men must pay without exception An exhortation to the sicke great and small soone or late according vnto the tyme which God the soueraine mayster of death and life hath prefixed He hauing giuen vs this world nor as a permanent Citty to dwell in alwayes but rather as an Inne to lodge like Pilgrims and passengers and to go out when it shall be tyme to walke to a better life then this present is Heb. 13.14 Of the which we must not make any great account for being full of miseries Math. 1.10 and wherein the longer we liue the more we offend and where our sinnes do multiply with our dayes and houres Remember acknowledge my most deere Brother the graces gifts which hitherto you haue receiued of God namely that he hath made you partaker of his grace calling you to his heauenly inheritance by the light of his true and Catholike faith and that in this last conflict period of your life he hath granted you your sense and reason to remember him tyme to repent you of your sinnes and to cry for mercy meanes to obtaine pardon and remission not suffering you to be surprised by sudden death nor to leaue this life loaden with sinnes to be condemned at the tribunall of the rigorous iustice haue therefore great sorrow for your offences and with a profound humility demaund if it please him to shew you mercy through the precious bloud of his onely deere sonne Iesus dead vpon the Crosse for vs and for all sinners Suffer patiently the dolours of your infirmity beseeching him to take your anguishes and your death with those of Iesus Christ in satisfaction of the punishmeÌ„t you haue deserued Recommend your selfe to the glorious Virgin to S. Peter and S Paul to your good Angell and other Saints if the enemy lay before your eyes the enormity of your sinnes to thrust you into despaire lift vp your eyes to the mercie of God which is infinitely more great then your iniquity If he tempt you with vaine glory by reason of your good workes oppose thereunto your owne sinnes to hold you in Christian humility Theodosius said the like to his Patient after this exhortation they sayd the Litaâ—ies which being sayd Lazarus went forward as also Theodosius for his part saying Dearest brother if you cannot speake vnto God with your tongue yet speake with your soule for God vnderstandeth the hart follow me and say I will liue and dye in the fayth of Iesus-Christ in his Catholike Apostolike and Romane Church I belieue the Contents of the Creede the seauen Sacraments and all that God hath commaunded me to belieue by his Church and detest all heresy contrary thereunto I humbly demand pardon of my sinnes and purpose fully to abstaine if God shall perhaps suffer me to liue any longer I pardon all my enemies and aske pardon of all I haue offended I desire to endure these dolouâ—s this death for the honour of God and for the satisfaction of my sinnes They had no sooner done but the Curate came and had leasure to anneile them after which they departed in great peace It came in Vincents mynde to thinke whether these two men should rise againe and if in them should be fulfilled the Hermits verses which he gaue to Lazarus whereof notwithstanding he spake not a word They sayd certaine praiers for the departed without informing themselues of any thing of the place whence the Curate came they went their way that they might come betymes to the Castle which was but a league a halfe distant they went ioyfully remembring now well the coastes of the country and the places they had not seene seauen yeares before Hauing gone halfe a league Lazarus met a country fellow all alone comming from the castle whome he knew well but was not knowne againe he asked how Monsieur of the Castle did I thinke quoth the fellow that he is in health but he hath beene very melancholy these last foure dayes for the death of his sonne whose obsequies were kept this day Lazarus was pierced with this newes and sayd not a word more vnto him but let him go on his way entred into an extreme apprehension and melancholy within himselfe for he ghessed by this newes that Francis his yoÌ„ger brother was dead who onely was left with their Father when he and Pauline vndertooke their voiage Theodosius and Vincent went before he followed alone after and lamented thus to himselfe in silence Alas how shall I present my selfe to this desolate old man this day bringing him newes of the death of one of his dearest children hard vpon the fresh funerals of another who was his onely stay What comfort can I giue him in this griefe for his sonne reporting vnto him the death of his Sonne and his Sonne Pauline whome he loued so tenderly and whome he recommended vnto me so fatherly at our departure Is it not inough to make him dye of griefe and to defile my selfe with the crime of parricide O Noble old man who shall sollace thy sorrowes O my deere Pauline who hast remained in the sepulchers of Africa that thou wert now present to comfort eyther thy father or thy brother O the bitter and dolefull conclusion of my pilgrimage Thus complayned he in his hart Theodosius and Vincent seeing him follow so slowly and so pensiuely stayed for him and perceiuing his countenance changed asked if he felt him selfe ill Alas yea quoth he Why sayth Theodosius I doubt me my good
beginning midle and end of my best prayers and desires And I haue full hope in the goodnes of him Gen. 12.14 that sayd Go out of thy country out of thy kindred and from the house of thy Father that if he giue me the grace to be a good religious man as he hath giuen me the desire he will also yield more comfort to your person and more seruice to your house by my prayers then by my presence I could affoard what estate or calling soeuer I should imbrace And in this respect the prudence and piety of my well beloued brother and my deerest sister shall supply all the want you may haue by my absence For you haue had good triall experience this seauen yeares that this house can well stand without me and that your old age receiueth by their onely assistance obedience and charity all the seruice and succour that a father may expect of his best children And therefore I beseech you my most honourable Father to heare my request blesse my departure saying this he cast himselfe at his feete The good old man began to weepe a good while and being somewhat pacifyed caused his Sonne to rise vp and sayd vnto him with a graue and constant countenance My Sonne Aime-dieu thy words do shew that thou hast pitty and compassion of thy Father and that thou wouldest part from me without violence thou doost well and like a good child for though thou knowest not yet what it is to be a Father thou dooâ—t notwithstanding wisely coniecture that fatherly loue doth make me feele thy departure and thou doost piously endeauour so much the more the asswage the griefe that groweth in me by nature by how much the more pricking and piercing it is Know thou my Sonne that I haue beene now long time prepared to conforme my selfe to the will of God namely seauen yeares since thou wentst in pilgrimage with thy brother Pauline when togeather with him thou madest thy meaning knowen vnto me I found some difficulty to resolue my selfe but at the last this is my mynd and my resolution I am content glad that the will which God hath giuen thee to do well and serue him with a perfect hart hath continued in thee liuely and constant shall be more glad to see thee happily effectuate the same I thinke I cannot wish a better fortune then to see thee in the seruice of such a Lord and that I cannot haue a desire more worthy and fit for a Father then to desire thy saluation The obligation thou hast to me is small in it selfe and nothing in respect of that thou owest vnto God Of me thou hast the beginning of thy being in the mortall seed of thy mortall body which being well considered is a thing of nothing and should indeed haue beene nothing if the Almighty hand of God had not giuen force to nature to forme thy members within in the wombe of thy mother and all these members formed are but a lumpe of nothing if he had not infused a soule bearing his owne image and likenes to rule therein to quicken and gouerne it and finally that little I haue contributed to thy generatioÌ„ coÌ„meth also froÌ„ the liberality of the same Lord so that all being well deducted it is God that hath giuen thee all thou hast and all thou art and from him all thy goods do rise to his goodnes thou must returne duty and homage and to me thou owest nothing but by the law of the same God who commaundeth thee to honour father and mother in consideration of what thou hast receyued of them For the rest thou art all his and if he had taken thee twenty yeares since or before from me or froÌ„ this world he had done me no wrong taking but his owne And when these dayes past I had newes of thy death I setled my selfe to a resolution to thanke him for all with the hope I conceyued that he had shewed mercy vnto thy soule and hauing now conserued thee in life and desire to serue him I haue the more to thanke him for the honour he doth me calling thee to the seruice of his Altar An honour much greater then if thou wert called to the court of the greatest Prince in the world The care paine and charges that I haue bestowed to bring thee vp in vertue and to make thee worthy of a noble house and which thou hast learned in schooles in warres in thy peregrinations are also gifts of his holy hand and caÌ„not receiue a richer recompence nor a better fortune nor a more roiall imployment then in the house of God And if I be a true Father I cannot desire thee a better inheritance then that which thy heauenly Father will giue thee if thou seruest him as a faythfull child And if I should pretend to haue some comfort of thy presence I should receiue an vnspeakable comfort to vnderstaÌ„d that thou wert in the traine and wages of this King placed amongst his domestâ—call seruants leaning his eares to thy deuotion speaking to him of me and praying to him for me and demaunding of him by thy continual prayers some gift for the saluation of my soule Thou settest before myne eyes for my comfort the assistance of thy brother sister Surely the proofe I haue had of their filiall sincerity obedience hath made me hope wel of theÌ„ but know thou that the hope of my repose solace is in God who hath giuen me such children and if he will call them also to his seruice I will then also expect help at his hands in my viduity and solitude and will thinke that I haue receiued at his Maiesties hands a new benefit without fearing that my house and race shall end by them for if it shall once take an end according to the common course of families of this world it cannot be more honourable ended then by this sacred sterility of religious persons vowed vnto God Many Fathers will thinke my iudgment and opinion inhumane but I am content that it is reasonably and magnanimous before God If for my temporall commodities which I may expect of my children I should hinder their vocation from heauen vnto eternall goods which specially I should desire vnto them I should not be a true Father for this should not be to loue my children but to loue my selfe to preferre mine owne temporall ease before their honour and saluation and therefore my Sonne haue no griefe to leaue thy Father to serue God Thou leauest not thy Father neyther but doest obey him If I haue done any thing for thee thanke him who made me thy father beseech him to do me this fauour to end my mortall pilgrimage vnder the safe conduct of his grace I beseech him with all my hart to make thee great in his sight and a worthy seruitour in his holy house and thy fellowes and this is the blssing I giue thee farewell my deare Sonne fare thee well
And saying this with teares he fell on the necke of Lazarus who also wept tenderly And soone came Pauline and being iofull of this loâ—ing leaue which he saw was granted to his brother and full of hope to obtaine as much for himselfe with the like or more facility cast himselfe at his Fathers feete who was set in his closet sad pensiue desiring to haue his blessing so long desired But behold nature and some contrary and aduerse spirite helping her played her part to trouble the peace of the father and to crosse the designement of the Sonne for as the good old maÌ„ saw himselfe at the point to be depriued of the dearest of all his children pierced with the griefe of the losse and loosing the memory of his former resolution and of all he had sayd a little before to Lazarus he sodainly changed his loue into fury being traÌ„sported with anger as a Lionesse in the losse of her litle ones Well then Pauline quoth he thou wilâ— also abandon and forsake me after thy brother and insteed of succouring my solitude thou preparest to leaue my house destitute and desolate and hereto thou demaundest my blessing Tell me thou vnnaturall child and cruell Impe haue I brought thee into this world and nourished thee so fatherly to be forsaken by thee without piety at the brinke of my graue Haue I fashioned and cherished thy youth with all sorts of fauours benefits to reape in my old age these fruits of anguishe of thy vngratefull ground Doth God command thee to be forgetfull disobedient or cruell to him that begat thee To be his death after thou hast receiued of him thy being and all the good that a child could receiue of a good father But with what face wilt thou present thy offering to God after thou hast left thy father loaden with the burden of a thousand troubles torments endured for thee and wounded with a hartbreake and with a deadly stroke by thy murtherous hands God commaundeth to loue thyne enemies and thou wilt kill thy father and darest thou appeare before the holy Altar of the supreme Iustice soiled with so great a sinne And if thou wilt serue God as a perfect seruant who letteth thee to performe it in the house of thy father whome God commaundeth thee to serue and honour Of thy Father I say who hath alwayes giuen thee by his works and wordes good testimony that he caryeth the feare of God in his hart and loueth vertue and is pleased to see his children perfect in all piety Thinkest thou that there is neuer a good man in the world nor any worthy of thy company Is there no place in heauen but onely for Religious Or may we not liue a perfect life among men without leauing the company and conuersation of men After these periods and clauses shot like sharp and pointed arrowes he paused a while and as if all his choler had beene spent and disgorged yet Nature forced him to apply for a second assault and battery the force of a contrary passion He tooke the language of loue stroaking and imbracing whome he would not anger but winne and resuming his speach O sayth he my well beloued Pauline O my life and my comfort haue compâ—ssion of me thy desolate Father behold these white hayres these hollow eyes these teares hasten not my end lyue yet a while with me and if thou desirest my death thou shalt see it shortly it draweth on apace with the roll of my yeares and infirmities and knocketh already at the doore of all my senses assigning me ouer to my sepulcher Stay a litle that I may giue thee my last benediction in peace and that thou maist take it without offence expect tary till I be put in my graue and then thou maist go which way thou wilt heere he held his peace being stopped with the violence of his sighings and aboundance of teares which trickled downe his cheekes great and feruent and held the head of Pauline fast in his haÌ„ds vpon his knees a man might see in his face inflamed and his body shaking the conflict of an extreme passion that ruled in his soule Pauline was at this anger and commotion of his Father more astonished then offended for he easily perceiued that it was not of any euill will but that the subtilty of the wicked spirit had surprised the good old man by an ambushment layd behind the wals of Nature and fatherly affection and had of him great compassion and with a calme countenance sayd vnto him My most honourable Father if I had thought that my demaund would haue offended you I protest that I would neuer haue made it neither except I had long before perceiued by euideÌ„t signes that my vocation had beene full pleasing vnto you dared I to haue opened my mouth to discouer it And now Syr let not God suffer me to grieue honorable old age which I haue alwais respected as becometh a maÌ„ of honour althogh otherwise it had not touched or concerned me any thing at all nor so farre to forget my selfe eyther of your immortall benefit or of the duty of a true Sonne nor to foule my soule with the vice of such ingratitude contemning your commaÌ„dement which I am bound to obey with a thousand merits and a thousand titles of loue My most deere Lord Father be you in rest I will stay as long as it shall please you and will serue you in your house and will account my self much honoured to liue in your company and vnder your obedience and do verily belieue that God will weâ—l accept this duty done for his loue according to the directioÌ„ of his lawes And if it please you I will also do my best to perswade my brother Aime-Dieu to stay his voiage also to dwell with you and to employ himselfe with me to your contentment and comfort At these words vttered with so great simplicity of hart countenance of a child the good old Syr was in that instant pacifyed and his heat asswaged and it seemed that the speach of Pauline entring at his eares had also mollifyed and transformed his hart as it were with some sweet drinke of heauenly liquour and therefore taking againe his spirits of loue and prudence returning in a sort to himself O my God sayth he where am I And into what errours hath the iniquity of my soule transported me O mercifulâ— Father haue mercy on me and haue not regard to my folly and rashnes in speach O my well beloued Pauline I know well thy obedience and piety towards me thou hast vndertaken nothing but by the inspiration of God with my good will and lyking thou didst long since aduertise me of this desire O soueraigne God pardon me and do thy pleasure with my Sonne or rather with thine owne for thine he is and not myne Pardon me my Sonne and excuse my infirmity this was an excursioÌ„ of a child of Adam that old
that dolorous mystery when thy Sonne praying in the garden to his eternall Father in his agony swet drops of bloud in such aboundance that they ranne downe vpon the ground and after was by one of his disciples betrayed and deliuered to the ministers of the Iewes by whome he was taken and his hands being manicled with a cord about his necke was cruelly haled to the houses of Annas and Cayphas The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me of thy deare Sonne the gift and grace of true prayer and that in all my tribulations and afflictions I may conforme my will vnto Gods bearing them all with patience and that he will assist me in the agony of my death Amen Of the Whipping The Oblation O Virgin most afflicted I humbly offer thee 10. Aues and one Pater noster in memory of the griefe and shame which thy Sonne felt Dolo ∣ rous 2 when after all the scoffing beating and spitting of that darke and dolefull night the next day he was in the house of Pilate despised and put to shame being he that cloathed the heauens with beauty and is himselfe the most beautifull of all the children of men bound to a piller and whipped most cruelly with no lesse then 5000. stripes and more The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee aske of thy Sonne for me that he would rid me of all earthly affections giue me grace and courage to chastice and subdue myne owne flesh that it preuaile not against the spirit and that I may patiently beare the rods and chasticements which in this life his diuine Maiesty shall send me Of the Crowning The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 3 O Virgin distressed I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster in reuereÌ„ce of that griefe which thy Sonne our Lord Iesus-Christ suffered when the cruell tormentors crowned him with a crowne of thornes which pierced his most tender and holy head in such sort that his precious bloud trickled downe round about most aboundantly They mocked him also put in his hand a reed for a scepter striking him therewith on the head The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee pray for me that I may auoid all desire of pride presumption and may rather desire â—â—ame iniuries for my sweet Sauiour Christ his sake that in this life being crowned with thornes of tribulation I may deserue hereafter to be crowned with glory in thy blisse euerlasting Of the carrying of the Crosse The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 4 O Virgin so darkened and filled with griefe sorrow I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster for the sorrow thy holy soule felt when thou didst see thy dearely beloued Sonne led through the streetes of Hierusalem with proclamation condemned to death as a malefactour and disturber of the people carying all along that heauy Crosse vpon his weake shoulders and sawest him failing to the ground with the weight thereof with which dolefull sight thou wert euen pierced with griefe and sorrow The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me perfect feeling and tendernes of hart and compassion in these sufferings of thy Sonne and tâ—â—e repentance whereby I may weepe also for my selfe confessing correcting and satisfying for my sinnes and that with promptitude and alacrity I may carry any Crosse which God shall lay vpon my shoulders Of the Crucifying The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 5 O Virgin spring and fountaine of teares at the foote of the crosse crucifyed in hart with thy Sonne I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster to the incomparable griefe which thou feltst when in mount Caluary thou â—awest thy good Iesus that lambe without spot fastened to the Crosse with cruell blowes which pierced thy hart where after pardoning of his enemies and fulfilling the scriptures with a great cry and teares he commended his soule to his eternall Father thou sawest him yield vp his ghost The Prayer BY the greatnes of thy griefes which heare B. Lady thou didst suffer obtayne for me that I may pardon and loue myne enemies that our Lord may pardon me all my sinnes and not forsake me in the houre of my death but that hauing performed all my duty I may yield my soule into his holy hands Amen Of the Resurrection The Oblation O Queene of heauen full of ioy I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster for the ineffable ioy thou tookest in the Resurrection Glori ∣ ous 1 of thy well-beloued Sonne when to thee before all others he appeared glorious risen from the dead and conuerted all thy sorrow into ioy and gladnes and after in token of his great loue and for confirmation of the fayth of this Resurrection he appeared often to his Apostles and disciples The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee procure me the true ioy of a good coÌ„science and that my soule may rise againe in newnes of life and manners and firmely belieue the misteries of the fayth which our holy Mother the Catholike Church teacheth Amen Of the Ascension The Olation O Glorious Lady full of comfort I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues Glori ∣ ous 2 and one Pater noster for the ioy thou haddst in the wonderfull Ascension of thy Sonne our Lord when thou sawest him with glorious triumph mounted vp accompanied with the blessed soules of the holy Fathers adored and worshipped of all the quires of Angels ascending into the heauens there sitting at the right hand of God his Father leauing thee heere on earth for the stay and light of his Apostles for the example comfort of his Catholike Church The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me that my hart may be lifted vp to loue heauenly things and that thou wilt be to me a sweete comforter in the iourney of this present life that I may deserue life euerlasting Amen Of the comming c. The Oblation O Excellent Spouse of the holy Ghost mother of the motherles comfort of the comfortles I humbly offer 10. Aues and one Pater noster to the sacred mystery of the coÌ„ming of the holy Ghost when Glori ∣ ous 3 in the figure of fiery tongues he descended vpon thee most B. Virgin and the whole company of the Apostles euen as thy Sonne promised in such sort did inflame and fill their harts that immediatly they began to speake in diuers tongues the wonders of God The Prayer PRay for me O B. Lady that I may deserue to receyue plentifull grace the gifts of the holy Ghost the language of ChristiaÌ„ loue in all my conuersation with my neighbours and perseuerance in vertue and all good purposes Of the Assumption The Oblation Glori ∣ ous 4 O Soueraigne Lady and Virgin the honour of mankind beauty of the heauens I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues and one Pater noster to the glorious mystery of thy Assumption when by the B. Sonne thou wert called to his euerlasting glory deseruedst at thy happy passage to
againe yet with his good will that weareth it in paying as much as it cost him The host very ioyful to vnderstaÌ„d of the deliuery of Theodosius Care you not saith he neither for your habit nor for your staffe I haue a better then yours which I present vnto you Not so saith Theodosius thanking him I like my owne better then any other but if this good pilgrime will be content with this habit you offer me I pray you giue it him in exchange for myne and in recompeÌ„ce of yours take if it please you this which I haue on my backe which was a doublet of Chamoâ—s new guarded with siluer lace and a russet beauer-hat lyned with greene taffaty with a cypresse band of the same colour the hose suteable to the doublet The host was ashamed of this offer for the change was much more worth then his gift but he was constrayned to accept it and brought withall for the Pilgrime a coate a hat and a staffe who found his change also much for his aduantage and made no difficulty in restoring his to Theodosius who went vp to a chamber with Lazarus Vincent there putting of his new suit he gaue it to his host and put on his owne which the Pilgrime had restored so euery man was pleased and contented Well sayd Theodosius now I am in my old estate againe let vs say Te Deum in thanks-giuing for all benefits receaued It is a good motion quoth Lazarus Vincent and so they said it adioyning thereunto a Salue Regina Hasting ended their prayer Lazarus desired Theodosius to recount his fortune since they first lost him Theodosius recouÌ„teth his fortune It is reason answered he that seeing you haue suffered in your soule some part of my troubles that you should haue some recreation to heare it related The relation of stormes and dangers passed is pleasant to those that haue escaped and are in safety Well harken then how the dayes of my absence were employed You remember that after we dined at Miette I went to the Couent of Dominican Friers to speake with Frier Antony my ContrymaÌ„ whome you saw in the morning alone with me by reason of my indisposition as I returned to find you at our lodging to depart the Pilgrime of Bosome whome we saw the day before meeting me by the way sayd Syr whither go you your coÌ„panions are already gone out of the towne at S. Iohns Gate I could not belieue that you were gone without me vntill that comming to the Inne my hostesse told me that you were gone and as she thought would returne no more So I came to S. Iohns gate to enquire if any Pilgrimes had passed that way The watch told me that a little before there passed three or fowre towards the brooke of Lâ—sier I verily thought you were of that company and thinking you were before me I hastened my pace to ouertake you vntill I came vnto the brooke which was much risen by reason of rayne fallen the night before I saw a farre off certaine Pilgrimes at the banke side for to passe wherof I was very glad thinking I had found you but I was all amazed when approching to them I saw not you I perceaue now saith Lazarus the cause why we parted for when we had tarried a good while for you we went to the Couent to take you with vs from thence we passed by a street where that Pilgrime saw vs thought that we went from thence out of the towne and told you after as himselfe thought And when not fynding you at the Friars we returned to our lodging our hostesse told vs that you were gone out at S. Peters Gate which also was our best way We hastened to ouertake you as you did to ouertake vs and the faster we marched the further off we were the one from the other Minimus in principio error manimuâ— in â—â—â— Aug. euen as they that misse their way at a little turne at the beginning which increaseth at euery step and becometh so great as the way â—s long But to your riuer side againe Theodosius continuing his narratioÌ„ said As the Pilgrims sought which way they might passe I was in doubt whether I should returne or no iudging that you had not taken that way behold a troupe of horsemen crying to the Pilgrimes with their swordes in their handes and set vpon vs without doing vs any harme but taking vs prisoners and bidding vs to follow them and hauing brought vs to a deepe place of the brooke they made vs passe ouer vpon hurdels in some danger of drowning as I verily thinke some of the coÌ„pany were We found on the other side the whole troope with certaine poore merchants whome they lead prisoners also they parted them and sent them with the other Pilgrimes I know not which way to me they gaue a reasonable good horse and brought me into a meruailous thicke wood in the midst whereof they had for their retraite an old ruinous Castle which they had fortified with hand I was put in a chamber alone I recommended my selfe to God to the glorious Virgin as hartily as I could in that necessity Two houres after a boy brought me somewhat for my supper shewed me an ill fauoured bedsteed with a straw bed on it neere vnto the wardrobe to rest if I would I heard a great noyse in the hall where they supped and in diuers places of the Castle where they played at cardes and dyce crying and blaspheming continuing this stirre vntill midnight when they must go sleepe a little two men stood Centinels in two of the garâ—ets which looked towardes that way which we came some other watched also for their guard In the morning the Captaine called me and asked me who I was and whence I came and whence the other Pilgrimes were that were with me at the brooke I answered that I was a French man and came from Loreto hauing accoÌ„plished my Pilgrimage which I had promised to the mother of God and as for the other Pilgrimes I knew them not hauing met them there by chance He heard me courteously inough and caused me tâ— be caried backe to my chamber without saying any more where I remayned alwayes after the same sort some came in the day to visit me to marke my countenance as he told me of whome I shall tell you anone and they meruailed much that I made no greater shew of discontentment some interpreting it to be constancy other some alteratioÌ„ of my mind thinking that perhaps I could be content to change my long Pilgrimes staffe for a short sword and my buckeram cassocke for a coat of maile and to be one of their company Now all their occupatioÌ„ was to go hunt not beastes but men alwayes bringing in some new prisoners They rested neither night nor day as well their body as their mynd was in a continuall disquietnes and me thought I was in hell amongst Diuels being
among such a company of theeues sauing for the comfort I had to suffer some thing for Iesus Christ who endured death for me betwixt theeues and to consider on the one side the grace God had done me in giuing me the feare loue of his lawes and on the other side the misery of those poore rogues who suffered so much euill at the last to endure the heape of all euils Alas said I within my selfe if thou didst endure but as much for heauen as these do for hell if thou wert as constant to employ thy selfe in good works to passe whole nights in prayer to saue thy selfe and others as these do whole dayes in workes of iniquity and vndertake a thousand paines in discomodities of body and soule to destroy other men themselues O Lord of the whole world I render thee immortall thankes for all benefits bestowed on me of thy infinite bounty and beseech thee by the same bounty to enlarge my hart and to make it more capable of thy heauenly loue to increase the strength of my soule that I may suffer more and with a better courage for the glory of thy name Open the eyes of these poore blynd soules giuing them to see the indignity of their condition and the miserable estat of their soule or els take from them all meanes to do any more harme In these and the like discourses did I passe day and night and learned to make purpose of liuing better of the disdaine I conceaued in the ill life of this people as it happeneth oftentimes that by the contemplation of the foulnes of vice men betake themselues more earnestly to the loue of vertue Now there was amoÌ„gst them a certaine yong man called Tristram about 25. years of age born of a good house neighbour to France valiant and expert in armes The conuersion of Tristram and in that respect much esteemed by their Captaine who seemed to haue some particular compassion of my captiuity and came often to visit me asking if I had need of any thing that was in his power he came one day among others and sayd to me in secret Friend Theodosius for now euery body knew my name for that I haue holden you for a man of honour and conscience euer since I first knew you I desire to declare one thing vnto you which is very important but you must sweare secrecy Syr TristraÌ„ sayd I theÌ„ if the secret be against God or iustice I pray you tell it me not no saith he the thing that I meane to tell you is iust and the intention good and therefore I wil tel it you Then I promised him on faith of a Christian Pilgrime that I would keepe his secret he said this is the matter They heere haue resolued either to make you follow our manner of life or els to kill you for ransome they looke for none of you All that haue come to see you haue beene so many spies to sound you and see if there were any hope to persuade you wherein they make diuerse and different reportes to our Captaine and therefore looke to your selfe thus much I know because I was at the counsell and deliberation when it was taken When I heard this sectet I doubted whether himselfe also came to sound me and to feele my resolution neither was I deceaued though he did it with a good intention and meaning and therefore I answered him roundly that I was ready rather to dye theÌ„ make shipwracke of my conscience yea or of my reputation and honour in imbracing a vocation proper not for Christians but for Tartars or Ethiopians who beleeue neither hel nor heauen and I should make a dolefull reuolution of my Pilgrimage to become of a Pilgrime of Loreto a robber thiefe This answer pleased him much though I did not make it therefore but only to declare vnto him my mynd in respect of God and as a man of honour and an honest man as he esteemed me Continuing his discourse he tolde me Friend Theodosius I would know this of you I greatly commend your courage and am not deceaued in the opinion I haue of your vertue But this is not all I tell you further that I am determined with what hazard soeuer to leaue this Labyrinth into which I was drawne fiue yeares since by the â—â—and of some and myne owne folly neitheir can I endure to stay any longer in such a dungeon the very image of hell This is the principall point which I desire you to keep secret and to assist me with your prayers that I may put this proiect in execution and deliuer my selfe from these chaines though for regard of your selfe I aduise you to dissemble a while make no difficulty in leauing your habit and taking another when they shall offer it you for therwith they wil beginne and in the meane time seeke occasion to saue your selfe when it shall be offered which in my opinion will be shortly I shall waâ—te from one houre to another with good deuotion to put in execut on my own designes of leauing this lewd execrable life Here also I thoght he dissembled as it were by digression to persuade me to make me by little little to passe by the midst from one extreme to another so I sayd vnto him A strong resolutioÌ„ Syr TristraÌ„ I haue told you my resolution there is neither death nor torments that shall make me swarue froÌ„ honesty nor to do any thing contrary to the law of God the faith of an honest man for my apparrell it is in their poer to take it away and giue me other such as they please so it be without my fault it is all one to me to be in my shirt or to be clad in sackcloth or silke our Sauiour was spoiled of his cloathes and clad in derision in a royall robe For the rest Syr TristraÌ„ if you speake in good earnest your resolutioÌ„ is worthy of a noble courage and you shall haue the honour thereof towards God and man and doubt you not but he who hath opened your eyes to discerne the danger you liue in will also giue you meanes and direction to performe your desire I shall not faile to help you with my poore prayers if they can preuaile any thing with God in any sort wherein my industry may be employed He seeing me speake so frankly and hartily imbraced me and sayd Syr Theodosius I reade in your wordes the sincerity and the magnanimity of your courage and count my selfe happy in the midst of all my misfortunes to haue beene acquainted with you for not onely you haue confirmed me in my designement but also haue giuen me a certaine hope happily to put it in execution by the help of God and of the B. Virgin vnder whose protection you walke her pilgrime and began to weepe then I doubted no more of his vnfaynednes but firmely belieued that he spake from his hart I
this is twesday and on Saterday we had newes of your death God giue me grace quoth Lazarus well to dye and well to rise againe This being sayd they returned to the Castle Monsieur caused good almes to be giuen and Lazarus aduised Vincent to giue the steward the ten Crownes in his bagge to giue also in almes to the poore and the remaynder of their Viaticum Open house was kept all that day and the next to all commers they went quickly to supper and al supper time and after also was nothing but questions and answers and admirations About ten a clocke in the night the Pilgrimes tooke their leaue of the old man giuing him the good night and he to them They were brought euery one to their chamber their feetâ— were washed new chaÌ„ge of apparell brought them to put on when they rose In the morning all the Pilgrimes made their meditations and communicated without omitting any of their accustomed exerses of deuotion A fortnight passed in diuers recreations namely in recounting the miracles and fauours of the B. Virgin the aduentures and accidents the encounters and dangers of their Pilgrimage in Palestine in Aegypt in Africa in Asia and in Europe since Pauline was prisoner who also related vnto Lazarus and his companions how he fell into the hands of the Saracenes and the manner how God deliuered him and conducted him home Theodosius returned to his Fathers house to take his blessing and after came backe to Lazarus Pauline was alwayes in his feruour of leauing the follies of the world and pressed Lazarus as much as he could to hasten that affaire as also Vincent Lazarus was glad to see all the house in good order and his sister who had beene widdow now three yeares like a good mistresse of the house gouerne the family insteed of her mother departed and in mynd to marry no more and his brother Francis full of prudence and piety honouring and solacing his father as much as could be desired of a Sonne so that he watched nothing but a fit houre to bid his father farewell fynding him one day as he desired he spake to him in this sort Lazarus his farewel to his Father and the World My most honourable Father and Lord by Gods fauour power I am returned from my seauen yeares voyage and vpon the point to beginne another longer then that with your leaue and blessing I beseech you to permit me vpon my departure solemnely to confesse and acknowledge that I am as much bound vnto you as euer was sonne to his father or subiect to his Lord and that I vse this confession to iustify the request I meane to make make it graÌ„table I owe vnto you next to God all that I haue and all that I am for I am your Sonne and you are my Father by which title I owe you all And a Father not such as onely hauing begotteÌ„ me and giuen me my body as other fathers to leaue me heyre of your earthly possessions The obligation of the Sonne to the Father without taking any care or very small of the saluation of my soule but like a true Father you haue nourished me in my childhood in the feare of God without sparing of any care or temporall meanes haue prouided me of the best and choisest maisters in Christendome hauing learned good literature vntill 18. yeares of age you made me learne to weare handle armâ—s after the fashion of our Nobility of France in the best Vniuersities of Eâ—rope After I was sent into Hungary to wars against the Turkes where I coÌ„manded three yeares with honorable successe of my trauailes contentment of the Captaine in whose coÌ„pany I carried armes being returned from this voiage and no occasion presenting it self vnto me in our France honorable to imploy my desire and calling you were of opinion depriuing your selfe of me for loue of me that I should trauaile into the East that so I might learne vertue in the schoole of the world seeing diuers countries and diuers nations and you did condescend that my brother Pauline should go with me because he desired it and you caused vs to be furnished with honourable prouision of men and horse but I desired you to permit me to go trauaile as a Christian Pilgrime and namely to that noble place of Loreto and that enduring some paine for the loue of God and satisfaction of my sinnes I might winne heaueÌ„ you praysed mine intention yet notwithstanding you recommended vs to certaine french Gentlemen which were in the East and made vs to take letters of Banke to help vs if we should be in necessity Then I declared vnto you as also did my brother Pauline the desire I had in my soule euer since my youth to leaue the world and to dedicate my selfe to the seruice of God a desire which hath alwayes increased in me and growne so much the more earnest feruent by how much the more clearely I did discouer the vanity of this life in euery vocation and learne that there was nothing stable vnder the heauens nothing more noble or worthy then to seeke euerlasting riches a desire which came not of my self but of God for whome I haue heard you often say that we must leaue Father and Mother and all It came also of you Syr by reason of the good instructioÌ„s which you gaue me and had caused to be giuen me so that for all and euery way I am bound and obliged to you Behold then my request grounded vpon two good titles of the goodnes and will of God and of your vertue and merit towards me and this my desire is that for the honour of God whome your selfe honour aboue all things and for the holy loue you beare vnto me and haue shewed by a thousaÌ„d benefits that it would please you to take in good part that without any longer delay I may leaue the world to consecrate my selfe to the seruice of him who hath called me to follow him and that giuing me your blessing you would crowne with this benefit all others that hitherto I haue receiued of you all which I will remember whilst my body shall breath and for the which I shall demaund of God with warme teares a recompence worthy of his diuine Maiesty The manner of life which I shall choose shall not make me leaue or forget the loue and respect which I owe vnto you but will make it more solide and firme for the counsels of God which teach vs to follow him neere are not contrary to his law which commaundeth to honour Father and Mother and Religion doth not destroy the law of nature but doth purify confirme and increase it And therefore thogh I should be absent in body yet I shall be alwaies present with you in spirit in what place soeuer the prouidence of God shall let me liue I shall alwayes remaine your most humble Sonne and Seruant and will put you in the