intertained both for many other reasons which will occurre to him that readeth the Relation and because as I sayd before these exact tearmes of Honour and other respects to the company which then is present are is it were naturall to men of his country and quality and there would cost them more paines to omit them vnlesse their mindes were put into disorder by some passion then it would cost others to obserue them where they were not so naturall as being learnt by industry and art But yet that in so sad a case this man would for good manners forbeare to set vp his leggs or would not so much as stretch himselfe in the sight of others though his body did much incline him to it according to that mention which the Relation makes therof may wel go for a great argument in him of ciuility of modesty and of magnanimity And this is that which I thought fit to represent to you by way of Preface to this Story You will find the traces foot-steps of putting men to death and of the proceedinge which is held with (l) The seuerall māners of treating delinquēts in soueral coūtryes delinquents to be very different from that of our Countrey both concerning the body and the soule I take not vpon me to say which are better and which are worse With vs the Processe of criminall persons is euer made in the face of the world but they are not suffered to haue any aduocates who may defend their causes In most other Countryes the delinquēts are permitted to haue Aduocates but the Processe is made though in publique Court yet only in presence of the Iudges and some few Aduocates and Officers With vs the delinquēts are suffered to liue some dayes after their comdemnation which certainely is meant in compassion to them in other parts after they are iudged to dye and that so it is declared they thinke they do men a greater courtesy in putting them quickly out of paine With vs there is no difference in the manner of death between a Clowne the best Gentleman of the Kingdome vnder the degree of a Baron vnlesse it be in some very rare case by most particuler fauour of his Maiesty but in all other places that I haue seene all Gentlemen are beheaded to distinguish them frō such as are ignoble With vs no indignity is euer done to a Noble man of (m) such as Barōs are and al aboue them Title by binding of his hands or armes or the like and that custome I commend as full of Honour but in many other places they beare no such respects in regard of the experiēce which they haue found and I feare which still they are in of insolencies But for as much as concernes the comfort of criminalls in the preparation of their soules towards the death of their bodyes I cannot but note it as a point of charity and piety most (n) It is the greatest charity to help mē to dye well remarkeable that in very many of the good townes of Italy and Spayne there are certain Companies or Confraternities of Gentlemen well borne and bred who put this obligation of duty vpon themselues to visit the prisons especially in the night precedent to any executiō And togeather with Religious persons and Ghostly Fathers they watch and pray and exhort and comfort the poorest criminalls of the Country with the same industry charity which is heere affoarded to this Noble man And they accompany them all to their death and sometimes they discharge their dying harts of care either by vndertaking to pay some of their debtes or by assisting the poore wife and children which are left behind or by obliging themselues to get (o) S. Monies vpō the point of her death desired S. Augustine her Sonne that he would pray for her soule at the altar whē she should be dead and so he did Vide August Confes l. 9. cap. 11◠13. Masses celebrated for their soules And in conformity of these good endeauours we see men dye in those partes with another manner of disposition towardes God then vsually they haue with vs. Where it is a lamentable thing to see many of so profane stupidity that after liues most lewdly lead they go either drunke or dauncing to the gallowes As if they were but to dye in a play or as if after this life there were no immortality of the soule or els at least no account to be rendred I say not of idle words which yet must be done but of most wicked deeds wherof many of them are guilty The example which heere we haue in hand will read to all the Readers of it in generall a good lesson of humility patience courtesy magnanimity obedience and charity And (p) All kind of people may profit by the good lessons which are heer deliuered it may serue for an instruction not only to such as dye by the hand of human Iustice but to al them also who are to dye by the hand of God as we al shal be sure inough to do That so we may the better take heede of sinne which is to be so bitterly bewayled and the more deeply we be fallen into it the more instantly we must implore the mercy goodnes of Almighty God and dispose our selues to the doing of pennance that so by his fauour we may secure our soules from the danger of being plunged into that lake of eternall paine This lesson I say may reach to al Readers in generall But particuler Readers may friend (f) The earely humble resignation of this Noble man sayth he behould I am heere ready to obey thy will and the will of all the world since the will of God is such Hauing manicled him they (g) By this time others were come in lead him towardes the Chappell when at the issue out of his chamber he blessed (h) He armed himselfe with the signe of the holy Crosse Ad omnem actum ad omnem ntcessum manus ping at Crucem At euery action and in euery motion let thy hand make the signe of the Crosse D. Hier. epist ad Eustoch 22. cap. 16. himself the best he could with the signe of the holy Crosse with both his hands and casting vp his eyes to heauen he profoundly sighed For seeing perhappes that there was more people then might beneedful for the changing of his lodging This sayth he is another manner of busines then to change me only from one place to another but by the grace of God I am ready for all Thus filently going downe to the Chappell he was mett by the (i) There are Congregations of Gentlemen in Rome as there are also in other great Cittyes of Italy Spayne who imploy themselues for the helping of condemned men to dye wol The Gouernour and Broueditore are chiefe officers of these Congregations Gouernour the Proueditore and by three others of them who are called Confortatori della misericordia
Christ I should doe well to depriue my selfe thereof Father is it not so Neuertheles being intreated by al the Assistants that he would drinke or at least that he would so much as wash his mouth this last he did twice without swallowing any wine at all And this was so much more remarkeable because such as are in that case vse to be extremely taken with thirst and it is wont to be held for one of their greatest torments The wine being then carryed away diuers questions were asked of this most Illustrious Lord to which he (u) Note wonder at these answeares which are so ful of piety wisedom and courage answered with so great prudence iudggement that more could not be imagined He was asked first for of many I will mention only a few this first question he was asked often Signor Troilo will your Lordship haue any thing He still answered that he desired nothing sauing that once he held his peace but made a signe vp to heauen Besides he was often asked Signor Troilo of what are you thinking Sometimes he āswered vpon nothing in particuler Sometimes vpon our Lord Sometimes vpon my sinnes Sometimes vpon my approaching end Somtimes he sayd I thinke vpon the so many guiftes which God hath bestowed vpon me that I haue been so very vngrateful yea euen vnmindfull of them all Being then asked in this manner Doth your Lordship dye willingly He answered thus And what would you haue me bustle against the order of the Prince Or should I not be content with the prouidence and good pleasure of God Is it possible say done that the Diuell should not striue to make you thinke your death vniust I do not sayth he esteeme it only to be iust but most iust and as for the Diuell I neither haue nor wil I haue any more to do with him I haue had inough and too much of him already Another asked him what he sayd of the Lady his Mother his Friendes his Kinred and himselfe if he were not much afflicted with the thought thereof Concerning my Lady my Mother sayth he I confesse that in the most inward partes of my hart I find extreme affliction but on the other side I reioyce that I am paying the offences that I haue cōmitted against her with my bloud And I hope that the readines wherewith I inbrace this pennance for my wicked carriage towards her will be so well accepted by Almighty God that he may through his goodnes giue her no small comfort euen by this very death of myne I thinke vpon my kinred with grief as hauing been a cause of payne and trouble to them Of my friends as hauing giuen them ill example Of my selfe I take no care for behold who (x) A great fayth hope loue doth it for me making a signe towards the Crucifixe which he had hard by him Being asked whether the tyme did seeme long to him or short Neither (y) This doe I find to be a strange answere in the superlaciue degree of strangenes long sayth he nor short And another replying to him thus Is it possible that you are not grieued that you must dye I do not sayth he deny but that I am grieued at it but yet it neither troubles me nor somuch as alters me more thē you see It being wished that he should suffer his chaire to be drawn a litle forward that so he might sit at greater ease To what end sayth he should I giue my body ease I am well heere and with the help of God I shall be shortly free from needing that or any thing els Being desired to raise and rest his feet vpon a place of aduantage where they vsed to kneele for that so he should be in a more commodious posture he sayd drawing neer towards myne eare Father it is a piece of ill manners to fit with a mans legs raised vp in the presence of other men But I telling him no and aduising him howsoeuer that he would set them vp he did instantly accommodate himselfe to my desire Being asked to what deuotions he had bin most particulerly affected He answeared To that of our (z) He was euer much deuoted to our B. Lady Blessed Lady in whose honour I did dayly recite her Office but with an impure mouth and how then could that be accepted by her And till within these two yeares I made said he much account of going to Confession which through the mercy of my Lord I resolued neuer to intermitt vnlesse it were by some very vnlucky accident that should haue interposed it selfe And I euer carried liuing in my hart the memory of manie thinges which formerly vpon seuerall occasions had beene represented to me by sundry Religious Fathers with whome I had much conuersed insinuating therby as I conceaue the Fathers of the Chiesa Nuoua And when I had meanes to do it in priuate I neuer failed any day to salute the Blessed Virgin vpon my bare knees And then I saying I know not well vpon what occasion Ah poore Signor Troilo Poore sayd he I was when I was without the grace of my Lord God but now I take my selfe to be rich But then the tyme of his end drawing on apace we rising vp from our seats did circle him in vpon our knees And after the manner of two Quires interchangeably answering one another we began the seauen Penitentiall Psalms pondering some of the verses now and then and causing him to resume diuers of them They being ended he was aduised to say often Eia (a) These are parts of some Hymnes which are recited by the holy Church in honour of our lord Iesus our B. Lady ergo aduocata nostra c. And then Maria mater gratiae And then againe Recordare Iesu pie and the like Which he pronounced with so cleare a voyce so constant a memory and with a countenance so serene that all such as were present himselfe only excepted did weep outright Which he obseruing and making silence and taking his own face into his hands he stood still a whyle in mentall prayer And then turning towardes me he sayd Confiteor (b) The entrance whereby we begin to makour Confissiō Deo Omnipotenti tibi Pater I accuse my selfe of this and this and that Ideo (c) This we vse to say when we haue ended it precor c. And then instantly he added this Father I would desire (d) A far greater matter it was to aske this suite then to grant it this last fauour of you that you would confesse me at the blocke and that whylest I on the one side with my beades in my hand might say O bone Iesu sis mihi Iesus O good Lord Iesus be thou a Iesus to me and you on the other Ego te absoluo c. I absolue thee c. at the same instant the iron might fall vpon my necke Not so my Lord sayd I. For so
turne my selfe more securely then to my deare Iesus Yea and yet if I were able I would not turne any way but to him It is true that I am forced but yet I am content withall One of the Confortatori then replied It is inough Signor Troilo So great and so liberall is the goodnes of God that he accepteth all and he doth it with delight And one of the Chiesa nuoua said That although our Lord receaued a Precept or Commandment that he should dye yet neuerthelesse it is affirmed it is true that he dyed voluntarily And hauing accompanied this speach of his with diuers choice examples one of our Fathers shut vp that discourse with shewing by what means that which was necessary (b) That punishment which is imposed by necessity may be made voluntary by a voluntary acceptation therof might so grow to be voluntary by a voluntary accepting of it and that so much more it would be meritorious as it should more willingly be imbraced Then teach me sayd the Baron how I may make this necessary death truly voluntary And then certaine deuout and apt waies how to do it being declared by the Gouernour of the Congregation of the Confortatori and imbraced by the Baron I said Perhaps Signor Troilo we weary you to much How can you weary me said he These discourses make the night short to me and they make my disastre fortunat And heere all were silent for a while when he rising vp for he was sitting said That he would speake with the Father And drawing neere me the (c) Whome the patient did accompany therin Confortatore said the Confiteor that being ended I desire saith he if it please you Father to call againe to mind some of the things aforsaid both for the better repetition of them for the additiō of some others Which I refusing out of the assurance I had that it was not necessary he said And it is possible deare Father that you will not giue me this last contentment VVill you not permitt at least that I may satissiy myselfe with confessing the offences which I haue committed against God And besides doth not your Reuerence remember that we must speake togeather of (d) The Father it seems had made him som such promise before pennance And I answered Let that Pennance be to dye and to dye well Then teach me that said he And I thus to him Offer now this death of yours to God with your whole hart in pennance for the sinnes with you haue committed I do saith he offer it with my hart and with my mouth and it grieues me as our Lord doth know that I haue not this night a thousand heades that in this one of mine they might be al cut off and a thousand liues that they might all be lost Nay (e) How much doth he giue to God how little doth he thinke it to be yet how faythfully doth he acknowledge it all to be of God I confesse and know that euen that pennance would yet fall short but since more I cannot more I know not what to do and since more I haue not I can giue no more and euen the doing and giuing of this little do I acknowledge to proceede from the hand of God I told him by the way of reply that it was well and that he should still be doing so And when sayd I you are laying your head vpon the blocke say thus in your hart O Lord by this act of myne I protest to do pennance for my sins as if I had a thousand heads and a thousand liues and I acknowledge and confesse that it is all but little But I doubt Signor Troilo whether then you will be able to remember this for then perhapps you will be as it were not your self It is no trifle to looke death in the face take my word for that The magnanimous Lord made this answere I wil not presume so much vpon my selfe but I (f) He can neuer faile who putteth all confidence in God none in himselfe hope well and confide greatly in God that he will not let it fall out of my memory And if by many accident you should perceaue that I were vnworthy of so great a grace doe me the fauour to bring me in mind of it for you shall find me ready to put it in execution In the meane whyle I beseech your Reuerence tell me somewhat els towardes this end of myne and that quickly for the tyme hath winges I bad him leaue the care of that to me For I wil sayd I go intimating from time to tyme whatsoeuer you are to thinke vpon whatsoeuer you shall be to say euē til your last breath And (g) He exhorteth him to a great deuotiō to his good Angell very now you shall begin to make a strait friendship with your Good Angell And first aske pardon of him with your hart for the little gratitude which you haue expressed for the Custody that he hath affoarded you which hath binso incessant so patient so diligent so full of loue Vpon which wordes he sayd casting himselfe vpon his knees Yea not only with my mouth but with my hart I begge pardon of him for the much and much ingratitude which I haue vsed notwithstanding his so great benignity and loue to me and so kissing my knee he sate downe againe So that I proceeded and said Consider then with your selfe that your (h) Saint Hierome sayth expresly That euery soule hath an Augaius Custos assigned to it by Almighty God from the first instance of the birth till the last of life Vide Hier. lib. 3. conc in 18. cap. Matt. The holy Scriptures and holy Fathers doe also abound in proofe of the ministery of Angella in the help of men good Angel now is heer who euen from your very first beginning when you were borne so much more at this houre which is so full of danger doth assist you and especially in six particulers First he hinders the impetuous assaults of the diuell and weakens the force of all those maligne spirits who do at this instant conspire to the damnation of your soule Secondly he breathes into your hart Preparation Generosity Deuotion and Contrition Thirdly he lightneth this Darcknes this Anguish this Death Fourthly with great sollicitude he carrieth foreward and backward those messages which passe betweene God and you he gathers vp your sighs your very countenances and the humiliations of your hart there is not one of them which he suffereth to loose his way Fiftly he negotiateth with other Angells of superiour (i) We read in holy scripture Daniel 10. how one Angell helpeth another for the good of men both the holy Scriptures and holy Fathers do euery where abound with shewing the tender care that the holy Angells haue of all thinges that concerne vs either in soule body or goods Quiers so to procure effectual assistances for your
holy Church and I wish all the Readers of this to procure to see reade them te omnipotenti deo c. And that other which followeth Deus misericors Deus clemens c. And at the end of these he sayd with a loud voice the Pater Noster the Aue maria the Credo the Salue Regina and so he returned to sit downe the others making the accustomed circle about him And so one with representing some sentence of Holy Scripture another some example another some other spirituall Consideration we alwaies kept him aliue and quicke and euen all kindled in deuotion till such time as the houre of colebrating Masse approached Then the Noble Man sayd thus If these (r) This rigour is vsed in those partes for the great insolencies which haue sometyms been expressed in the like extremityes by delinquents manicles be put vpon me to giue me payne or punishment let the will of my Prince be done who is pleased to haue it so but if the meaning be but to make me sure in vaine is he tyed without who is bound (s) Because his hart was more chained by the loue of God then his handes could be by a load of yron within Vpon which wordes all of vs being full (t) They had great reason of tendernes and in particuler one of those Confortatori who shewed himselfe throughout that whole night as a most compassionate Gentleman in seruice of this Noble Man caused the keyes to be instantly giuen him and so tooke the manicles off which yet the Baron would needs (u) An humble naturall most Noble Soule kisse and kissing them he sighed and so held his peace When he had been silent a while and hauing made a signe that he desired to confesse againe and when he had blessed himselfe with the signe of the Crosse Father (x) He is much solicued by the memory of his disobedience to his Mother sayd he I who haue giuen so many disgustes and so bitter ones to my most deare Lady Mother through the whole course of my life what comfort doth your Reuerence thinke that I might be able to giue her in my death By dying wel sayd I in a holy manner To which he answered thus How shall the vnfortunate woman come to know it I told him that I would relate it to her by word of mouth and in fine I would write it for her and I will not only notify it sayd I to her but to any other whome it may import to know it It is inough sayd he he reached his hands out to me that I might giue him one of myne and withall my word And so he kissed it often and holding it betweene both his he continued to speake after this manner I could wish deare Father that in my place your Reuerence would often visit and comfort my Lady my Mother after my death And when so you shal see her first I desire that you will aske forgiuenes of her in my name a thousand and a thousand tymes as heer I haue done both now and the other day since I came to prison And especially begge pardon of her for such and such a particuler offence and then say to her thus Your Troilus who is dead begs that blessing froÌ„ your most afflicted Ladishippe which being aliue he neither deserued nor had time to aske He further recommendes the care of his soule to your Ladiship He praieth he beseecheth he coniureth your Ladiship to graunt him this his last now only suite that hauing put your soule in peace you will not so much as resent or call to mind and much lesse procure to (y) If she thought that the aduerse parties whome he had wronged had prosecuted him with too much eagernes reuenge your selfe for any iniury but that you will remit the whole and your selfe withall to the Eternall Prouidence of God Put her in mind that it is the part of a Roman and Christian hart after a generous manner to pardon offences And giuing her all comfort do you assure her that I haue particulerly reâ—â—sed all those irreuerent worâ—â— that I haue formerly vsed towardes her and that I haâ—â— remembred all those most sweet deare benefits which I haâ—â— receaued from her and all those Maternall fauours which she hath vouchsafed me And aboue all let her know the inâ—â—stimable contentment that I haue to thincke of the (z) This was a Mother not only of her sonnes body but of his soule also Christian loue which she hath expressed to me in this last passage without euer reflecting vpon those offences and great demerits of myne Say to her moreouer that I dye her sonne a sonne who is most profoundly penitent for all the ill wordes and deeds that I haue euer vttered and performed against her and that in the other world I will by Gods grace be as gratefull to her as I haue beene vngratefull heer Relate to her my last passage in most particuler manner and oblige her liberally to reward al my followers who haue been in prison vpon my occasion Of whome I doe with all the very bowells of my hart aske pardon for the payne and perill wherinto I did idly and absurdly cast them And assure her in a woâ—â— that if for nothing els yet euâ—â— for the very disgustes which 〈◊〉 haue giuen to her I shall dyâ— content finding a kind of ioy in my hart that I performe this pennance in this manner which I haue so well deserued And so I dying in such sort a your Reuerence may be pleased to let her know she cannot but receaue some coÌ„fort in my death and she will also find that she is euen engaged so to range her selfe to the will of God as by his mercy I haue done To my Lady my Grand-Mother what shall I say deere Father O how compassiue am I of her great age VVhat paine doth my soule feele for that paine of hers Giue her also to vnderstand that I begge pardon of her for so many disgustes as in this old age of hers I haue giuen her beseeching her in my name that as long as she shall liue she will weekly cause a Masse to be celebrated for my soule And in like maÌ„ner I humbly aske pardon of my Lord Marquesse my Vncle from the most inward parts of my soule as I also doe of the rest of my bloud beseeching them all to 〈◊〉 cuse this youth or rather ignâ—rance of myne Putting also thâ—â— in mind that once we shal al meâ—â— in heauen And if euer your Râ—uerence can procure to be in my Castles aske pardon I beseech you in my name a hundred tymes of all my vassalls Making a promise to them that insteed of the ill example which 〈◊〉 haue giuen them I will not forget them in heauen when by the mercy of God I shall be there and let them in the meane tyme excuse my youth Forget not also to do this office
with (a) This was a person of great authority and place who took his examination Monsigr. the Gouernour of Rome who about some foure tymes hath examined me with so much respect and courtesy Giuing him assurance from me that although my death do grieue me yet I accept willingly thereof And beseeching him that when tyme shall serue he wil also (b) vvith how great piety he speakes of the Pope as he was his supreme Pastour with obseruance as of his Prince assure our Lord Pope Clement his Holynes that I dye his most deuoted Sonne and most satisfyed with the proceeding of his Holynes towardes me VVith this moreouer that am grieued at the very rootes of my (c) A noble circumstance of ciuility and curtesy hart for hauing ginen 〈◊〉 Holynes so much cause 〈◊〉 trouble and griefe especially 〈◊〉 this beginning of his Pontifâ—cate and in the middest of thâ— ioy which hath beene expressed for his assumption to the Seâ— Apostolique And let him bâ— further told that by placing my selfe as I doe at your feet 〈◊〉 make accoumpt that I lay my head vnder the feet of his Holynes that so he may vouchsafe to giue me his benediction I hauing this comfort in the midst of all my afflictions that his sentence and my death will serue to his whole State for a lawfull and plentifull example of his Iustice. And verily if it grieue me at this tyme to dye it doth also grieue me that euen by my death I am not able to giue complete sat is faction to his Holynes For (d) what a noble ciuill Soule was this as much as he being my Father and my Pastour he cannot in fine but feele the death of a Sonne and sheep of his with displeasure and griefe Vpon which wordes he finding euen more then before that there fell some teares from mine eyes to his handes This is well indeed sayd he your Reuâ—rence commendes my courage but why then do you weepe yourselfe At least let not others see you Then I replying said Do you belieue my Sonne that I haue no feeling in me Do you thinke perhaps that I am some piece of marble Proceed you on to the rest And then naming diuers of his particuler friendes he desired me to aske pardon for him of them all and this he did with wordes of extreame sweetenes and prudence This being then said by him with a most admirably intrepide hart he concluded with this desire I beseech your Reuerence that in the last place you will begge pardon for me of Almighty God as I my selfe do now with the most internall part of my hart and of your selfe I aske my Pennance and Absolution Which as soone as I had giuen him the Brothers of that Congregation of the Misericordia did put vs in mind how it was tyme that Massâ— should be celebrated and so the Priest as soone as he was vested began The deuout yong Lord I kneeling togeather against a four me he sayd thus to me The Priest is beginning Masse I with your good leaue wil haue a new Reconcilation according to that which my Good Angell shall bring to my remembrance of whome I haue desired this fauour The Priest was saying the Confiteor at the foote of the Altar to whome one of the Congregation making answere was so ouer wrought with tendernes that he could not get to the end of it in such sort as that it was necessary that some other should doe it for him Then the good Noble Man who answered softly to the Cositeor leaning towardes me sayd thus Giue (e) He had the guift of teares in a strange measure me leaue to weep whylest I say the Confiteor since that Gentleman weepes so bitterly to whose office it belongeth not greatly that he should weep I answered that he might weep in the name of God since he had giueâ— him so great desire so to dâ— And it was an admirable effect of diuine grace that instantly I saw the tears streaming downe his cheekes and powring themselues euen vpon the cushion that lay before him When the Confiteor was done and all (f) Till after the Ghospell the whyle that the Priest was reading with a loud voice he did not mooue at all but was most fixedly attentiue and as it were rapt towards the (g) The Crucifixe was of stone or wood but his mind was vpon the Original and not vpon the picture which was but a picture or Image Crucifixe vpon the Altar which was there most deuoutly made And shortly after turning towards myne eare he accused himselfe of diuers little thinges which suddenly then did surprize his mind And the Priest being come to (h) About the middle of Masse Sursum corda Father sayd he do you thinke indeed that by such a death as this and so well deserued I may yet go straight to heauen And why not sayd I with so great and so well conditioned affectuousnes of mind might your Lordship vndergo this death as that your soule would be sure to flye vp instantly from the blocke into heauen O my God! sayd he And what kind of affectuousnes must that be O teach it me a little O that our Lord would graunt it to me Pray sayd I very earnestly vnto him for it and peraduenture he will graunt it At which tyme the Priest being in the very act of the Eleuation of the body of our Lord the yong Noble Man spake these very very wordes O bone Iesu sis mihi in hac hora Iesus O deare Lord Iesus be thou in this houre a Iesus to me And this he sayd with so ardent affection of mind though with a low voice as that after it he was wholy immoueable till the Priest went on to (i) The later end of Masse Domine non sum dignus c. And then he sayd thus to me I haue not Father beene attentiue either when the Pater Noster or the Agnus Dei was sayd may I yet neuerthelesse communicate I answered that for the present he should do such a (k) This was perhaps the knocking of his breast or some such other thing which might be done at the instant pennance whilest I was giuing him Absolution Which being done he went of himselfe to the Altar and kneeling downe did with exemplar deuotion receaue the most Blessed Sacrament soone after he came backe from Masse towardes me where he remained without any motion at all After this turning about to all them who did assist he said I giue thankes to you all for your Charity and courtesy and pardon I beseech you the painfull night which I haue brought vpon you And then he desired me for the loue of him to repeate those wordes to euery one of them in particuler and so I did Being theÌ„ intreated to sit downe the wonted circle was made about him Where euery one procured to animate him towardes that combat which was theÌ„ at hand by representing the
in a fashioÌ„ very sutable to the occasion Then one of them sayd to him in this manner My Lord the houre which God hath prefixed for you is euen run out render your selfe into his mercifull handes And he without being troubled otherwise then by fetching a sighe which yet was both soft short did answere thus Let God be blessed behold I render my selfe to him and dispose you of me And so those good and charitable Brothers of that Congregation with some Fathers of the Society of Iesus casting theÌ„selues round about him and endeauouring to sweeten the bitternes of that newes by discreet decent meanes did comfort him the best they could He yielded to all did euen preuent them then knocking his brest and bowing down his head and kissing the Crucifixe he demanded pardon and like gentle waxe did suffer himself to be managed by them all One of those Confortatori did before all other thinges put him in mind of making his Confession Vpon the very first naming whereof recollecting himselfe he sayd And (k) The first thing he did was to confesse himself where is the Confessour And they shewing him a Priest of their Company with his Albe (l) These are some of the sacerdotall vestmentes which are vsed in the celebrating of Masse vpon his backe and his Stole about his necke that afterward he might say Masse in the proper tyme the first thing he did was to be confessed and we all went out to leaue the place free to them He being confessed and we returned we began to dispose him towards a good end by diuers spiritual exercises fit for that purpose And after many had spokeÌ„ I also beganne thus to say Signor Troilo This is that passage which whosoeuer doth once make well doth acquire eternall felicity if once it be ill made it draweth after it an euerlasting misery It now imports your Lordship to make it well that you may escape that eternity of torment This passage is narrow vneuen hard full of stones and thornes all the world doth see it and your Lordship finds it by experience but (m) Our Lord Iesus doth euen the vneuen way of death behold sweet Iesus who by his goodnes will euen it all Cast your selfe my Lord vpon him and then you will be able to say with courage Omnia (n) I can do al thinges in him that coÌ„forts me possum in eo qui me confortat He answered thus with a cheerefull and euen smiling couÌ„tenance Omnia possum in eo qui me comfortat By the mercy of my deere Iesus I know the necessity of making this passage well I acknowledge his prouidence ouer me and to his prouidence I add that of his ioue Ror as much as with extraordinary loue it is that he hath brought me hither I see it I coÌ„fesse it And how often deere Father haue I beene as I may say in the very iawes of death which if at that tyme it had seized vpon me infallibly this soule and body of myne had perished Behold (o) He acknow ledgeth and accepteth of Gods prouidence with great alacrity the cunning of my Christ to saue me he hath made choyce of this way And then bowing baring his head and with great life of spirit raysing himself from his chayre he further added I accept of this election which God hath made then casting himselfe vpon his knees before the Altar Nay I thanke thee sayth he O my good Father for thy so faythfull and louing care of me who haue not only beene a wandring but a contumacious Sonne of thyne To thee it doth belong to smooth and euen the ruggednes of this way since thou hast been pleased to addresse me by it And so bowing his face euen almost downe to the ground he remayned a while in menâ—all Prayer Being therfore wished to sit downe he was scarce setled in that posture when turning towardes me he sayd thus in myne eare You whom through my good fortune I haue heere to help me in this so weighty and high affayre in the place of God do yow commaund me I (p) He giueth himselfe away to his Ghostly Father giue my selfe as bound into your hands The Prince hath disposed of my body do you as much with my soule I sayd therfore to him I first desyre my Lord that you make the protestation (q) This is a declaration of his fayth with an entiere submission to the good will of God which is wont to be beliuered by such as are going to God Which being publikely pronounced by him with great sense and spirit he taking vp repeating my wordes I aduised him further thus Yow shall now make all those actes of Contrition which I shall call to your mind hauing the eyes therof first bent vpon God being offended as a Creatour as a Preseruer as a Iustifier and as a Glorifier Next vpon your selfe who haue offended him being his creature his household seruant his Christian slaue and one so deeply obliged by his benefits Thirdly vpon the offences themselues which you haue committed and be sory at your hart for hauing committed them and (r) For who can euer call to mind all his particuler sins if not in particuler for them all at least for the (h) He had already confessed his sinne now he is but exhorted to renew his sorrow for them most greiuous of them which shall represent theÌ„selues to your memory Fourthly vpon the good which you haue omitted the tyme which you haue lost and the yeares that you haue mispent Fiftly vpon the scandall which you haue giuen And if any thing more be to be done if (t) We cannot be saued vnles first we make restitution as well of fame as of goods if it lye in our power to make restitution eyther of fame or goods if to pardon others or to aske pardon your self restore and pardon and aske pardon If to perfourme any vowes or fulfill any promises performe and fullfill them Or finally if you leaue any debts or if you will make any signification of your repentance and pious end you are now to put your hand to worke To these thinges he offered himselfe most readily and did execute them all with so great deuotion that euery one now began to change his style in speaking to him And finding that whereas before they thought they should haue to do but with a yong man or rather but with a youth and weakeling (u) He infinitly ouercame their expectatioÌ„ they were now to treate with a manly generous and ripe Christian far superiour to that which might peraduenture haue been expected of him one of the Confortatori began with greate discretion to discourse vpon the horrour of Death which our most sweete Christ Iesus did by his agony dispossesse of bitternes Confide saith he and cast your thoughts vpon him and say Pone (x) Place me O Lord neere to thee let
you haue taught me 〈◊〉 may say Auditui meo dabiâ— gaudium laetitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata 〈◊〉 And first do you giue me Absolution and then I may performe my Pennance Though indeed what Pennance carrying proportion to my sinnes is your Reuerence able to impose At this he cast himselfe at my feete and bowed his head to my knee where I had layd my left hand and he all bathed it with teares and kissed it and expected the Penance and Absolution Which I gaue him fully in forme of a (p) This is an application of the superabundant merits of Iesus Christ our Lord to the soules which stand in need thereof Plenary Iubiley according to the most ample priuiledges (q) By the Popes which are granted to them of that Congregation which is called of the (r) It is called a congregation of Misericordia because it is so great a worke of charity mercy wherupon they imploy themselues Misericordia Being absolued and hauing done his Pennance with incredible affection of mind he sate downe againe by my direction and then the rest did come and circle him in round about after the accustomed manner I then spake first to him after this sort Most Illustrious Lord Troilo our Blessed Saniour IESVS Christ whom here we haue present did by dying vpon the Crosse gine remedy in his person this night to three thinges amongst many others He (s) An application full of life comfort dyed in the flower vigour of his youth that your Lordship might not haue too much tendernes compassion of your owne tender youth and so might say O but why is my life taken away in so tender years And this is the first He dyed and he dyed of a violent death that to your Lordshippe it might not seeme insupportable to dye vpon necessity and so you might say O but why is the flower of my yeares cut off by a violent hand and this is the second He dyed of the most reproachfull death which in those times was inflicted that it might not seeme strang to your Lordship to dye by the hand of Iustice and so you might say O but why died not I in my cradle or at least by some other natural accident Nay if your Lordship will accept this death in so tender yeares you offer him the best part of your tyme. By dying of a violent death you may make that which is necessary to be voluntary and by dying of a dishonourable death taking it as a Pennance for your sinnes you may fly the shame of that last terrible day And so much the better you may accept therof for that you are not to dye in publique vpon the Bridge as the ordinary Custome beares but (t) It is there accounted of lesse dishonour to be put priuatly to death They who dye priuatly dye within the Castle they who publâ—kely at the foot of the Bridge priuately heere below in the Court as is wont to be vsed towards your Peeres I added also some other coÌ„siderations so ended my speach To which the Baro who was euer ready made this answere And (u) How wise the grace of God is able to make a very yong man vpon a suddaine I O Father for as much as concernes the first dye willingly in this fresh age of myne because thus I shal be sure not to offend my Lord any more And from this instant I offer him my yeares my age my life and a hundred yeares and a hundred ages and a hundred liues As for the second I will make a vertue of necessity and being to dye perforce and according to reason I will dye willingly that so I may yield willingly vnto force willingly giue satisfaction to reason But as for the third I could wish for a more ignominious death And be you pleased to know that to haue dyed in publique would haue giuen me I know not what increase of consolation gust For so I might haue hoped by (x) Because publike sinnes require publike satisfaction publique Pennance to haue made a better amendes for my publique crimes And God doth know that I take no contentment to receaue the fauour of dying priuately But yet howsoeuer if the determination which is made be such I resist it not Our Lord will accept the promptitude of my wil. Heereupon the Proueditore tooke vp the speach and sayd Let your Lordship accommodate it selfe to the will and prouidence of God who hath not only one way of ariuing to saue our soules nor one only means of drawing them to him He leadeth one by one meanes and others by another It importeth not that (y) Mony of Gods iudgements are secret but they are all iust his Iudgmentes be hidden from vs but it sufficeth that they are iust Who can tell if your Lordship should haue dyed in any other sort theÌ„ this whether or no you should haue bin saued I am he sayth the Baron who can tell you that for I should haue tumbled headlong into hell Do you not know how God hath proceeded with me It is iust as a Huntes-man would do when he would take a wild beast but he would haue him brought to his hand whole and sound and not to be torne by the teeth or pawes of doggs nor strocken by the bow nor bruized by nets or snares He driues this beast sometymes one way and sometymes another but neuer lets slip the doggs nor dischargeth the arrow nor spreads he the net or Toyle vpon the ground or sets the snare but at the most with some outcryes or els by throwing of some stones he rowseth him and addresseth him towardes the place designed so long doth he driue the beast by seuerall wayes that at last he bringes him thither where he would haue him The Huntes-man knowes this well and did long expect him there he takes him and enioyes him all sound and safe I am (z) Note how wittily and piously he makes this application to himself he O my Good Iesus who haue beene this beast hunted hither and thither but thou hadst a mind to haue me safe thou hadst a mind to haue me sound And so thou didst not permit that I should be torne with dogs nor pierced by arrow nor taken by nets or Toyles or snares when thou deliueredst me out of so many dangers of death in which though very young I haue found my selfe wherin if I had dyed without faile I had perished for all eternity Thou didst only throw stones at me and thou cryedst out after me when by so many admonitions and inspirations thou didst solicite me And now I repent my selfe that I was so deafe to them But what meruaile if I were deafe who after a sort was (a) By sinne dead And thus hath his goodnes conducted me to this straite pace without my knowing of it that so I may be forced to leap into his lapp For whither am I able to