which hath sufficiently understood the vanity to Idols expecteth nought else but your example to embrace Christianity Nay if need were to penetrate rocks and cut through mountains to gain success for such an enterprize your travells would therein be very well employed nor is it fit you fear to loose earth to purchase Heaven But all the faciâ—ity is in your own hands the grape which you said was not yet ripe almost five years since is now mature and it is necessary you gather it These words oftentimes presented upon occasions had quickly a marvellous power over the mind of Clodovaeus and the iron began in good earnest to wax soft in the fire For he honoured Churches and used Ecclesiasticks with a quite other respect than he accustomed whereof he gave a most evident testimony in the business which passed with S. Remigius The History saith the souldiers of Clodovaeus for raging the Countrey in their liberty of arms had pillaged in the Church of Rhemes a goody and large vessel of silver to pour water into at which the good Bishop being somewhat troubled for the reverence he bare to all that which appertained to his Ministery he sent his Commissaries to the King to make Complaint thereof which was not lost For Clodovaeus commanded them to come to Soisson where division should be made of the booty had been taken from all parts which was done and they coming to unfardle all these pilferies the King being there present in person found the vessels which he presently commanded to be restored to the Commissaries of the Church but a souldier becoming obstinate thereupon and much displeased that so goodly a piece should escape his hand gave a blow with a halbard upon it to cleave it asunder which Clodovaeus for that time dissembled fearing to proceed to a reasonable chastisement with any passion but afterward seeing this fellow much out of order How saith he is there none but you that grow mutinous and yet are the worst armed of all the troups And saying so he took the halbard out of his hand and threw it to the ground the other stooping to take it up again felt a furious blow from the hand of the King which bereaved him of life in punishment of his temerity The Queen understanding this news held it a good presage of his conversion and that which much more confirmed her in this hope was that being delivered of a goodly son she obtained leave of the King it might be Christened which she specdily did but the infant stayed not long after his baptism to forsake an earthly Crown to take in Heaven a diadem of eternall glory Yet Clodovaeus found some slackness in his good purposes and child the Queen as being too vehement to dispose all the world to her own Religion saying this Baptism might very well have procured hurt to the health of the child but she replyed that life and death were in the hands of God that this child was not so much to be lamented for having so suddenly changed from the life of a fly to that of Angels but that the Saviour of the world who holdeth in his hand the keys of fruitfulness could bless their royal bed with a fair issue when he thought good and that we should not be amazed at the death of so frail a creature nor attribute the cause thereof to Baptism which operateth nothing but good She knew so well how to excuse her act that being the second time delivered of a male child Baptism was as well conferred on this as the former after which it deceased whereat the King offended more than ever blamed her very sharply saying that he from this time forward well saw these waters of Baptism were fatall to the death of his children and that she should take heed how at any time to open her mouth to obtain of him such like liberty She endowed with a constant heart and having taken very deep roots in faith made an answer worthy of her piety saying to her husband Ab how Sir What if God hath thought me unworthy ever again to have any issue by my child-beds were it not reason I adore his holy Providence and kiss the rods of his justice I humbly beseech your Majestie not to cast upon the baptism of Christians that which you should rather attribute to my sins The King all enraged with choller was so edified with this word that from this time forward he retained it in memory with much admiration not being able to wonder enough at the great courage and modesty of his wife The sixth SECTION The Conversion of Clodovaeus IT is to sail without stars and to labour without the Sun saith Origen to think of coming to God without a particular grace of God After so many humane speeches redoubled one upon another the Holy Ghost worker of all Conversions spake with a voice of thunder to the heart of Clodovaeus in the middest of battels and caused him to settle upon this resolution which he had pondered the space of many years The occasion was that the Suevi a people of Germanie passed the Rhein with great forces commanded by many Kings who were personally in the army and came to rush on the Gauls with intention to destroy the beginnings of the French Monarchy Clodovaeus having received news of this preparation speedily opposeth them with good troups for he likewise had drawn together to his aid the Ribarols people near bordering on the Rhein who were allied to the French and had first of all given notice of the enterprize of the Suevi who in a near degree threatened them The encounter of the two armies was at Tolbial near Cullen which verily was one of the most desperate that is found in Histories The King undertook the conduct of the Cavalry and had given to Prince Sigebert his kinsman the Infantery All of them were extreamly inflamed to shew themselves valiant in this conflict Clodovaeus who proceeded to lay the foundations of a great Monarchy wherein he would have no companion thought he must either triumph or be lost His allies who were interessed very far in this war failed him not in any kind The Almans on the other side had an extream desire to extend their conquests and thought their fortune depended on the success of this battel There was nothing but fire tempests deaths slaughters so great was the resistance on either side In the end Sigebert valiantly fighting was wounded with an arrow and born all bloudy out of the battel by his son The Infantery through the absence of their Colonel was defeated and put to rout All the burden of the battel fell upon the Cavalrie which did marvellous exploits fighting before the eyes of their King but in the end the shock of enemies was so impetuous that it brake through and scattered them Clodovaeus bare himself like a Lion covered with bloud and dust among the ranks of those affrighted men cried out with a loud and shrill voice to
profession 173 X. The Examples of great Prelates are very lively spurs to Virtue ibid. S. AMBROSE I. HIs Calling 175 II. A short Elogie of the life and manners of S. Ambrose 179 III. His Government ibid. IV. His Combats and first against Gentilism 182 Oration of Symmachus to Theodosius and Valentinian the Younger for the Altar of Victory Exercise of Pagan Religion and Revenue of Vestals ibid. V. Oration of S. Ambrose against Symmachus 184 VI. The triumph of S. Ambrose in the conversion of S. Augustine 188 VII Dispositions to the conversion of S. Augustine 191 VIII Agitations of Spirit in S. Augustine upon his conversion 194 IX Accidents which furthered this conversion 195 X. The Admirable change of S. Augustine 196 XI The Affairs of S. Ambrose with the Emperours Valentinian the Father and Gratian the son 199 XII The death of the Emperour Gratian and afflictions of S. Ambrose 202 XIII The Embassage of S. Ambrose 204 XIV The persecution of S. Ambrose raised by the Emperess Justina 206 XV. Maximus passeth into Italie 208 XVI Affliction of S. Ambrose upon the death of Valentinian 210 XVII The tyranny of Eugenius and not able liberty of S. Ambrose 211 XVIII The differences of S. Ambrose with the Emperour Theodosius his death 213 THE SOULDIER I. THe excellency of warlike virtue 217 II. He Enterance into the palace of Valour and the illusions of the Salmoneans and Rodomonts 218 III. The Temple of Valour and sage Precepts given by the Christian Souâ—dier to refute the manners of the times And first That Piety helpeth Valour 220 IV. Manifest proofs which declare that Piety and Valour are not things incompatible 222 V. Against Duels 224 VI. Against the ill mannage of arms 225 VII Against sensual Love Impurity 228 VIII Against the perfidiousnes of interests 230 IX Short and notable Instructions 231 CONSTANTINE I. THe providence of God over Constantine 233 II. The Nobility of Constantine 235 III. His Education and Qualities 237 IV. His entery into the Empire 238 V. His prowess against Maxentius 242 VI. The death of Diocletian and feats of Arms performed by Constantine against Lycinius 243 VII The vices and passions of Constantine before his Baptism with the death of Crispus and Fausta 245 VIII The calling of Constantine to christianity The progress of his conversion and Baptism 247 IX The acts of Constantine after his Baptism 248 X. The endeavour of good works with the virtues and laws of Constantine 249 XI The Zeal of Constantine in the proceedings in the Councel of Nice 251 XII The government of Constantine 254 XIII The death of Constantine 255 THE STATES-MAN I. THe excellency of politick virtue 263 II. He Table of Babylon drawn from sundry conceptions of the most singular wits of Antiquity 264 III. The destruction of Babylon and the government of the Divine Providence over the Estates of the world 266 IV. The Table of the Citie of God otherwise called The Citie of honest men drawn out of many excellent conceits of ancient Authours and things practised in some former Common-wealths 268 V. Sage Precepts drawn out of the Monuments of the divine Agathopolis 271 BOETIUS I. HIs great Nobility 276 II. The eminent Wisdom and Learning of Boetius 278 III. His enterance into government of state 280 IV. The enterance of Theodorick into Rome and his happy Government by the counsel of Boetius 282 V. The Honours of Boetius and alteration of Theodorick 287 VI. The imprisonment of Boetius 291 VII The death of Boetius 293 THE LADIE I. THat the HOLY COURT cannot subsist without the virtue of Ladies and of their piety in the advancement of christianity 297 II. That Women are capable of good Lights and solid Instructions 298 III. The ten Orders of women and the vicious qualities which Ladies ought especially to avoid 299 IV. The tenth Order of Women full of Wisdom and Virtue 302 V. A brief Table of the excellent Qualities of a Lady And first of true Devotion 302 VI. Modestie 303 VII Chastitie 304 VIII Discretion in the manage of affairs 305 IX Conjugal Love 306 X. The care of children 307 XI The conclusion of the Discourse ibid. CLOTILDA I. HEr Birth and Education 307 II. Clodovaeus requireth Clotilda in marriage 308 III. Embassage to the King of Burgundie for the marriage of Clotilda 310 IV. The arrival of Clotilda in France the life she led in the time of her Wedlock 312 V. The prudence which the Queen used in the conversion of her Husband 313 VI. The conversion of Clodovaeus 315 VII What Clodovaeus did by the perswasion of Clotilda after his Baptism 316 VIII The good success which God gave to Clodovaeus after he became a christian 317 IX The life of Clotilda in her widowhood Her afflictions and glorious death 319 INDEGONDIS X. ISsued from the bloud and house of Clotilda she transporteth the Catholick Faith into Spain 323 XI The persecutions of Indegondis 324 XII The Retreat of Hermingildus and his conversion 325 XIII The Reciprocal letters of the father and the son upon their separation 326 XIV The Treatie of peace between Levigildus and his son by the mediation of Indegondis 327 XV. Hermingildus is wickedly betrayed 328 XVI The letter of Hermingildus to Indegondis and his generous resolution 330 XVII The death of Hermingildus 331 A TABLE OF THE MAXIMS AND EXAMPLES Contained in the third Tome of the HOLY COURT The First Part of the Third Tome touching the Divinitie I. Maxim OF Religion page 339 I. Example OF the esteem we ought to make of faith and Religion 342 II. Maxim Of the Essence of God 343 II. Example The power of God over faithless souls 346 III. Maxim Of the excellency of God 348 The greatness of God compared to the abjectness of man 349 III. Example Of the weakness of man and inconstancy of humane things 352 IV. Maxim Of the providence of God 354 The foundation of truths of the providence of God 356 IV. Example Divers observations upon providence 358 V. Maxim Of Accidents 359 V. Example Of the providence of God over the estates and riches of the world 363 VI. Maxim Of praedestination 365 VI. Example Of the secret power of praedestination 368 VII Maxim Of the Divinity of Jesus 370 Of the revelation of the Word Incarnate and how all creatures bear witness of his divinity ibid. VII Example The triumph of Jesus over the enemies of Faith 373 VIII Maxim Of perfections of Jesus which make him to be beloved 375 Excellencies in the person of our Saviour 376 VIII Example Of the admirable change of worldly love into the love of Jesus Christ 379. The Second Part touching the Order of this present Life IX Maxim OF Devotion 381 IX Maxim OF dark Devotion 382 IX Maxim Affected Devotion 383 IX Maxim Transcendent Devotion 384 IX Maxim Solid Devotion 386 IX Example Of solid Devotion 387 X. Maxim Of interest 389 X. Example Of liberality and the unhappiness of such as seek
due to God ibid. 5 Of the Reverence which the Holy Humanity of our Lord did bear to his Eternall Father 84 THE TWELFTH TREATISE Of Anger 1 THe Origen of Anger its Nature Causes and Diversities 86 2 Three principall kinds of Anger 87 3 The Contemplation of the serenity of the diuine Spirit is the mistresse of meeknesse 88 4 That the example of our Saviour doth teach us the moderation of Anger ibid. 5 Politick Rimedies to appease such as are Angry 89 6 Morall Remedies against the same passion ibid. THE THIRTEENTH TREATISE Of Envie and Jealousie 1 THe Picture thereof 91 2 The Definition of Envie its severall kinds and first of Jealousie ibid. 3 Two other branches of this stock which are Indignation and malicious Envie with Calumny its Companion 93 4 Humane remedies of Envie 94 5 Divine remedies drawn from the benignity of God 95 6 The mercifull eye of Jesus serveth for an antidote against all sorts of Envie 96 7 A Detestation of Envie 97 THE FOURTEENTH TREATISE Of Mildnesse and Compassion 1 THe great misery of Man makes Compassion necessary in the world 98 2 The Essenc of Compassion and how it findeth place in hearts most generous 99 3 Moderate severity is necessary in Government but it ought to be free from Cruelty 100 4 The goodnesse of God beateth down the rigour of men ibid. 5 The Mercies of the incarnate word are able to soften the harshest hearts 101 HISTORICALL OBSERVATIONS Vpon the four Principall Passions which are as four Devils disturbers of the HOLY COURT OBSERVAT. Page 1 THe disasters of such as have yielded to the Passion of Love and the glory of souls which have surmounted it 107 2 Observations upon the Passion of Desire wherein we may behold the misery of Ambitious and turbulent spirits 112 3 Observations upon Anger and Revenge 117 4 Observations upon Envie which draweth with it Jealousie Hatred and Sadnesse 121 A TABLE Of the LIVES and ELOGIES of Illustrious Persons contained in the Fifth Tome MOnarchs 131 David 139 Solomon 151 Justinian 158 Charlemaign 172 S. Lewis King of France 177 Judith 181 Hester 187 Josuah 196 Judas Machabeus 197 Godfrey 207 George Castriot 209 Boucicaut 211 Bayard 214 Joseph 218 Moses 227 Samuel 235 Daniel 241 Eliah 248 Eyisha 265 Isaiah 260 Jeremiah 263 S. John Baptist 267 S. Paul and Seneca 271 Mary Stuart 291 Cardinall Pool 313 A Treatise of the Angel of Peace to all Christian Princes 1 THE HOLY COURT FIRST BOOK Of Reasons which should excite men of qualitie to Christian Perfection That the COURT and DEVOTION are not things incompatible The FOUNDATION of this TREATISE THe wise Hebrews have observed a matter worthy of consideration for the direction of Great-ones to wit that between the bed of the Kings of Judea The gloss upon Isaiah ch 38. observeth also Juxta parietem Templi Solomon extruxit palatium A notable observation of the Hebrews and the Altar of God there was but one single wall and they adde that David one of the most holy Monarchs had reserved for himself a secret postern through which he passed from his chamber to the house of God that is to say the Tabernacle which served as a sanctuarie for his afflictions and an arsenal for his battels They say likewise he left the key of this sacred postern to his Posteritie a key a thousand times more pretious than Fortune the golden Goddess of the Romans giving to it the imitation of his virtue as an everlasting inheritance Achaz was he who stopping up the gate of the Temple Parali 2. 28. clausit januas Templi shut against himself the gates of Gods mercie and thereby opened the passage to his own confusion This is to instruct Princes and all persons of quality that as the element of birds is the air and water of fishes so the element of great spirits if they will not betray their own nature nor bely their profession is piety Yet notwithstanding it is a wonder how the Court where the most noble spirits should reside hath in all Ages been cried down in matter of virtue You will say hearing those speak who make many fair and formal descriptions of the manners of Courtiers that the Court is nothing else but a den of darkness where the heavens and stars are not seen An admirable definition of the Court drawn out of divers ancient Authors but through a little crevis that it is a mil as the Ancients held it always skreaking with a perpetual clatter where men enchained as beasts of labour are condemned to turn the stones That it is a prison of slaves who are all tied in the golden guives of speciors servitude yet in this glitter suffer themselves to be gnawn by the vermine of passion That it is a list where the combatants are mad their arms nothing but furie their prize smoke their carreer glassie ice and utmost bounds but precipices That it is the house of Circes where reasonable creatures are transformed into savage beasts where Buls gore Lions roar Dogs worrie one another Vipers hiss and Basilisks carrie death in their looks That it is the house of winds a perpetual tempest on the firm land ship-wrack without water where vessels are split even in the haven of hope Briefly that it is a place where vice reigneth by nature misery by necessity and if virtue be found there it is but by miracle Such discourses are often maintained with more The Answer fervour of eloquence than colour of truth For to speak sincerely the Court is a fair school of virtue for those who know how to use it well In great seas great fishes are to be found and in ample fortunes goodly and heroick virtues This proposition which putteth an incompatibilitie of devotion and sanctitie into the life of men of eminencie seemeth to me very exorbitant for three reasons The first for that it is injurious to God the second prejudicial to humane societie and the third sheweth it to be false by the experience of all Ages To prove these three verities The Defence of the Court. is to ruin it in the foundations the proofs whereof are easie enough which we will begin to glance at that hereafter we may deduce them more at length For as concerning the first it cannot be denied to be a great injurie to almightie God to strike at his heavenly and paternal providence This is to touch him in the apple of his eye and in the thing which he esteemeth most pretious Now so it is this maâ—ime which establisheth an impossibilitie of devotion the first wheel of virtue in the life of Great ones imputeth a great defect unto the government of God The divine providence is a skilful posie-maker who knoweth artificially how to mingle all sorts of flowers to make the Nosegay of the elect called in holy Scripture Fasciculus viventium It constituteth the different manners of lives different qualities and conditions It leadeth men by divers way
under the false veil of courage Two things O Noblemen will make you exactly accountable before the justice of God The first to abuse this gift of courage with vanity The second to defile it with cruelty The one savours of childishness the other of barbarism What can one imagine Baseness of courage in certain Noble men more weak and childish than to have received a courage from God capable to conquer Heaven and to employ it in petty fopperies wherein the thoughts better part and the days actions are wasted to court a Ladie to gormandize a banquet nicely to quarrel upon the interpretation of a word to suck up wind to feed a fond curiositie with other affairs to buy plumes of feathers to censure mens apparel to dress himself up for dancing to play at dice to hold a racket in a Tennis-court to play the Buffon in a feast to utter a secret to forge a calumnie to envie one greater than himself to despise equals to baffle inferiours and a thousand other such like exercises which are the rust and moth of the spirit Behold into what these brave courages which should plant the Flower-deluces in the east are dissolved Is not this a shame Is any thing more punishable than so to abuse the gifts of God Is it not a goodly thing to behold in Poets a Jupiter A Jupiter painting goats on the clouds what it signifies Philost in Appolon lib. 21. cap. 10. who hath forsaken his fiery chariot and winged horses letting all go at random in the mean time to busie himself in painting upon the clouds sometimes Goats Apes and Centaurs Behold what Great men do when forsaking the duty of their charges and the obligation of their professions they vilifie themselves in inferiour actions bestowing therein a great part of their time and as it were their whole spirit Vanity would also be more tolerable were it not that it changeth into cruelty which is apparent in the beastly quarrel and bloudy duels that transform the nature of men into a brutishness absolutely savage and tyrannous We must draw iron out of Against duels the entrails of the earth to make it as it were first to blush with shame before it be ruddy with bloud to see it self employed to such a use to behold it self sharpened by the hands of men to cut and transfix men differences must be determined with the loss of life These miserable creatures sometimes for the interpretation of a word sometime through promptness of spirit provoke one another to single combat they send a letter of challenge the place of meeting is appointed they choose Godfathers as if they would make a baptism with a sacrifice of furies they procure Seconds who well see that to go upon cold bloud to hazard their lives in an unhappy combat against a man that never had offended nor known them is a sublimitie of folly notwithstanding on they go tyrannically led along by the laws of vain honour which hath no other foundation but the sottish brainsick-folly of men All of them have for the most part more outward shew than malice their hearts tremble with cold fear in the consideration of the peril to which they expose themselves yet their lips leave not to sound vain-glorious bravadoes They seek out solitary places like Sorcerers and sometime they go by Moon-shine to act this hateful outrage not seeing at all that God beholdeth them with as many eyes of vengeance as the firmament hath stars At the end Reasons of all this they think to do an act full of courage most Heroick and manly What shall we say here that this passion is a rage more than brutish which hath for inheritance the death of the bodie the eternal and irrecoverable loss of the soul the inevitable anger of God the indignation of Kings the thunder of laws the execration of the just the malediction of heaven and earth No this is not it which I now intend to speak For seeing I treat of generositie which obligeth the Nobilitie first to Almighty God who giveth it secondly to virtue which seeketh it as a most necessary instrument I must shew that in this action of duels pretended to be all courage there is nothing less than courage in it And although they were not liable to the vengeance of God for being infringers of laws both divine and human by this detestable manner of proceeding yet they would be ever greater culpable to blast and defile with this abject humour and remiss spirit the gift of courage which is particularly granted to them out of the treasury of Heaven I know not what false spectacles are clapt over the eyes of the Nobilitie by the spirit of lies forged in the shop of hell which oftentimes make them to take glass for Diamond and a Kestrel for a Faulcon Yes verily you have a certain bird in the mysterie of faulconry called the Hobby which coupleth with the race of Faulcons Goshawks and Sparhawks Yea Kestrels of Nobilitie this wretched bird doth also mix with the Saker and Lanaret she flieth after the Faulconers and hovering over the field if the dogs spring some little bird she sowceth upon it making boasts over this feeble creature seeing she hath neither heart nor resolution to grapple with the great ones Justly herein behold the model of a Gallant who maketh profession to present the letter of challenge to call others to duel he hath degenerated from true Nobilitie and real courage which is produced in goodly and great actions undertaken for the service of God and his King he hath no longer left in him ought but a little fierce rebellious spirit to peck at those whom his own temerity judgeth more weak than himself And shall then this man be taken for a man of courage O Noblemen see you not that true Duel is not an act of couage actions of courage are too high and eminent to impart their worth and honour to lackeys and horsboys Now it is so come to pass that there is not any inferiour foot-man nor petty groom of a stable that will not watch to take revenge by duel that will not endeavour to determine differences by some kind of single combat There is not any vain braggard descended from ignoble plebeyan parents under the pretence that he carrieth a pen in his ear which peradventure might be the sword and lance that his father or grand-father made boasts of upon a shread of parchment to gain 6 d. a day that striveth not to have a sword of a good temper to provoke his adversary to single combat and the more in famous he is the more audaciously he furnisheth himself out for this enterprise presupposing that this is a true means closely to cover his base condition Anciently in the wisest and most valorous Kingdom of Who entered into duels anciently the world those which engaged themselves in these duels were people gathered out of the dregs and lees of men slaves
Exaltationes Dei in gutture corum gladii ancipites in manibus corum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 49. Jud. 5. v. 14. Interp. 70. Interpetum à Rupert in Genes careful to carrie with them into the deserts timbrels to praise God with than arms to defend themselves Praises go before curtlaxes and all warlike engins The Captains of the valourous Debora are for the same cause termed in Scripture Notaries because they went into the war with pen and sword The sword to fight with and the pen to write the praises of God If you demand of Rupertus why in Genesis when all creatures are spoken of there is not one word of the sphear of fire he will answer you that fire because of its barren unfruitfulness is the symbol of ingratitude and for that purpose it is not once mentioned in the place where question was made of the sacrifice of acknowledgement If you ask of S. Chrysostom why God coming to give a law to his people appeared amongst briers and thorns he will tell you it was to shew to this ungrateful people the deformity of their ingratitude signified by those thorny plants S. Ambrose likewise Ambros 1. 6. Hexam c. 4. observeth it was the providence of heaven to give young Tobie an Angel and a god for companions of his voyage The Angel to do him good offices and the dog who is most sensibly mindful to cause him to remember a benefit See you not the world and the law are extended and disposed one in his creatures and the other in all his precepts to impress gratitude in our hearts One of the Ancients Marcus Aurel 1. Antonius de vita sua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said that to die ungrateful was the most infamous death might be imagined Would you then Nobles have your bodies buried in Churches in places most eminent and conspicuous yet spare not to make ingratitude a sepulchre for your souls Adde hereunto presently a consideration well worthy to be pondered that by how much the benefits you have received from the liberal hand of Almighty God are great and glorious so much the more is it a hideous thing to repay them in the coyn of ingratitude Follow the foot-steps of the Excellent practice of S. Augustine to encourage himself to gratitude Oracle of Doctours S. Augustine pursue the practice which he used to enflame himself to grateful acknowledgements Go ye upon the brink of abysses and speak to Nothing which is not at all nor ever was nor ever shall be Cast up your age and demand of it Where were you so many years It will reply to your heart with dumb words and tell you That which you have been it is And what have you done to God to be at this time that which it is not Take into your hand a Diamond it will tell you it hath essential being with you but it liveth not and what have you done to God to have life above the same Go to Cedars and Palm-trees and you shall understand they have life common with you but you sense above them Under what title was it due to you with what money did you purchase it Go to Eagles and Lions and they will tell you they have sense common with you but you have reason an incomparable good above them You have judgement memory understanding free-will you are men and they are beasts What have you done to God to be made man to be a reasonable creature capable of an infinite good What have you done before your being to be that which you are What sacrifice have you presented being as then in nothing to be born into the world supereminently prelated above all the creatures of the world Well admit you had deserved your being Where have you merited your well-being Say you had merited to be men where have you deserved to be Christians to be selected by the hand of God from so many infinite nations which daily people hell to be washed with the bloud of his Son to be regenerated by the waters of baptism to be impressed with his own stamp to be beautified with his grace supported with his merits enlightened with his knowledge protected under his wings and the shelter of his Angels to have all the means and opportunitie to begin in the world a celestial life and afterward to reign in Heaven for ever and there to remain absorpt in an ocean of pleasures and felicities At what price have you bought all that Are you not a jadish mule to suck such a teat and then to kick with your heels But you say it is common to you with all Christians Particular obligations of Noblemen I answer the Sun is no less the Sun to you for that it enlighteneth the eyes of a Pismear But behold what personally toucheth you and that which you cannot forget without disloyal ingratitude Nature hath cast all men in one and the same mould all are equal according to birth all equal in death who useth to measure with the same ell Linsy-woolsey and cloth of Tissue But what inequality is there in the conditions of life It seemeth when the course of each mans estate and fortune is well considered there is more difference between man and man than between man and beast How many creatures are born ever in the fetters of miserable servitude and salute life with a yoak on their neck And behold you are not onely born free but Noble but great but eminent you come into the world like Diadumenus with a diadem of honour on your foreheads How many do you behold born with very great disproportion of bodie with bunched backs crookedness maladies deformities which they are enforced to carrie with them from their mothers womb to their grave And behold you are born with a bodie well composed that nature hath framed to serve as a Cabinet for the soul which God would lodge in How many stupid gross and obscure spirits unjoynted judgements irregular brains are there in the world And yet God hath given to you a spirit capable of all kind of lights knowledges a judgement well grounded a faithful memory and all the moveables of a fair soul How many children come into the world as little abortives and are afterward left without instruction guid or conduct as lees and dregs of the creatures of the earth And behold how all things co-operate to your education How many millions of mortals daily dissolve into poverty in a wretched and needy life in extream miseries which make them feed upon gall and every day to drench part of their life in tears And behold you are born to great patrimonies infinite riches large revenues behold not onely men and beasts but all the elements also are kept in breath to contribute to your services your magnificence your felicities your delights How many are at the foot of the wheel trampled on and oppressed under the tyrannie of men many times more cruel than wild and savage beasts And
and they shall oppose you in the land of your abode Cruel father that thou art who quite dead and turned into ashes afflictest the Common-wealth by children ill instructed thou woundest and tearest Christianity Were it not justice thinkest thou to break up thy tomb and disturb thy ashes for having voluntarily bred a little viper for thy countrey to which thou art accountable for thy life And from hence it cometh to pass that fathers who have carried themselves so negligently and perfidiously in their childrens instruction are the first who drink down the poyson they mingled for others over-whelmed with toyls and miseries for the continual disorders of these extravagants O how often they make complaint like the Eagle in the Emblem of Julian when strucken by a mortal arrow partly framed out of her own wings she said Out alas wretched bird that I am must I breed feathers to serve as a swift chariot to the steel which transfixeth my body Must I bring forth children to give me the stroke of death What remedie then for this unhappiness which creeping into the bowels of the most flourishing Monarchies depopulates and deprives them of good subjects and furnisheth them with shadows of men What remedy but to observe three things in this matter First to give a good tincture of Religion to your children pious apprehensions of God and a filial fear of his judgements Secondly to manure them with arts suitable to their understanding and condition to settle them in the world upon some good employment lest having nought to do they become fit to act any evil Thirdly to accommodate them as much as possibly and reasonably may be with exteriour moveables called the blessings of fortune that necessity open not them the gate of iniquitie and then leave the rest to the providence of God whose eye is alwayes open over his work Behold the course most fit to be observed Pietie goeth foremost for as the eloquent Prelate of Cyrenes saith It Cynes ad Arcad is not onely the foundation of houses but of whole Monarchies Parents now adays seek to do quite contrary and set the cart before the horse they voluntarily imitate the stupidity of those Aegyptians who prepared Altars to a Reer-mouse for no other reason but that she is weak-sighted and is a friend of the night Now they preferred darkness before light by right of antiquity but these do much worse for putting Heaven and earth into one ballance they set an estimate upon terrene things to the villifying and confusion of celestial Nay there are mothers to be found so malicious as was one named Clotilda not the Saint but a mad woman who being put to her choice either to consent her sons should enter into a Monastery to become religious or resolve to see them loose their lives Kill kill said she I had rather behold them dead than Monks How many are there now adays who for a need would suffer their children to become Pages to Antichrist to make a fortune at the least would well endure to see them preferred to honour in the great Turks Court with ship-wrack of their Religion There are few Queen Blanches either in courage or worth who rather desired to behold her children in their grave than in sin They must now adays be either Caesars or nothing None fear to put them into infamous houses into scandalous places to give them most wicked Teachers to thrust them into snares and scandals under hope of some preferment Nay with how many travels and services crouchings and crimes do these miserable creatures purchase their chains All Non omnes curia admittet castra quos ad liborem pericula recipiant fastidiosè legunt bona mens omnibus patet Senec. Ep. 44. cannot find a fortune in Court Warfare picks out those with a kind of disdain whom it entertains for labours and hazards of life Onely virtue shuts not the gate against any yet it is daily despised Vnfortunate fathers and wretched mothers live on gall and tears rise and go to bed with gnawing care to set an ungratefull son on the top of fortunes wheel who quickly grows weary of them and after their deaths gluts himself with the delights they with so much industrie prepared for him mindless of those who obliged him Nay far otherwise he unfolds the riots of his unbridled youth even upon their tombs God grant this evil may pass no further and that the father and son do not one day reproach one another in the flames of hell that the one ministred matter of damnation and the other gave accomplishment William the learned Bishop of Guliel de Lugdun tract de avarit rubric 11. Lions relateth that a young Hermit retiring into a horrid wilderness to attend the exercise of penance saw his father and brother whom he had left in the world embroiled in ill causes at that time deceased and buried in everlasting fire who made hydeous complaints the son questioning his father as authour of his ruin by amassing unjust riches for him and the father answering the son was the source of all his calamities since to make him rich he had spent his miserable life in perpetual anxiety and now suffered eternal punishments in the other world for loving a disloyal son more than Almightie God Cursed blindness to buy tortures and gibbets with afflictions and crosses O fathers and mothers let your first care extend to those whom you begat to teach them virtue rather by your example than others instruction These young creatures are your shadows your ecchoes they turn and wind themselves easily to imitate those who gave them life and from whom they hope both wealth and honour Wo to the father and mother who make their children witnesses of their crimes and not content to be evil make their sin immortal in the immortality of their descent An infant though but two years old should be used with much regard as if it were an intelligence enchased in this little body It is a great sacriledge to impress the first tincture of vice on those who as yet rest in the innocency of baptism The good Eleazar being advised to dissemble his Religion to save his life or at least to make semblance of eating hogs-flesh beholding round about him many youths who expected the end of this combat pronounced these worthy words couched in S. Ambrose God forbid I should serve for an incentive Ambrose l. 2. de Jacob. Nequaquam contingat mihi ut sim senex incentivum ju venilis erroris qui esse debet forma salutaris instituti Adulterio delectatus aliqui◠Jovem respicit inde cupiditatis suae fomenta conquirit Julius Firm. de error profan to the vices of these young people who should rather be a pattern of wisdom God forbid I defile my gray hairs with this execration and that posterity may take notice I opened the gate to impiety by my example That is undoubted which Julius Firmicus spake Nothing hath
that being sent into the Territory of Milan in the quality of a Governour Probus who substituted him merily said Go Vade age non ut Judex sed ut Episcopus rule like a Bishop rather than a President recommending mildness unto him that he might apply a lenitive to the great rigours that were used in matter of justice This fell out much otherwise than Probus and Ambrose had projected for as the history telleth Auxentius an Arrian Bishop who had much longer lived than was fit for a man so wicked some little time before deceased at Milan the Metropolitan place of his Diocess and when there was question to proceed to election there were many difficulties between the Catholicks and Arrians every one coveting to create a Bishop of his own party The emulation which was much enkindled threatned to draw bloud from the veins of both sides before it could be quenched Ambrose as a Magistrate went thither to redress it And behold at the same instant a little child as if it had been an Angel descended from Heaven cried out in the midst of the assembly Ambrose must The election of S. Ambrose be created Bishop This loud voice was seconded by all men as a voice sent from the mouth of God The fire of dissention was quenched in an instant the most outragious courages forsook their arms and thought on nothing but to raise Ambrose who was not as yet baptized to bear him by ordinary degrees to the Episcopal chair There were some obstacles herein on every side Concil Nicenum Can. 1. Miserum est eum fieri â—â—gistrum qui necdum dificit esse discipulus Innocentius primus ep 12. ad Aurelium Hieron Ne milesantequm Tyre ne prâ—â—s magister sis quà m discipâ—lus For first it was against the laws of the Church to choose a Bishop since the Councel of Nice condemneth those Prelates who give Orders to Priests presently after baptism Secondly there was an Edict of the Emperour which forbade the advancement of his Officers and civil Magistrates without his express consent In the third place Ambrose who was wholly dedicated to a secular life had neither vein nor artery which enclined to election But who can resist the spirit of God when he is pleased to strike a stroke with his own hand beyond the imagination and judgements of men All difficulties one after another were taken away and this election was approved not onely by the holy See but of all the Eastern and Western Bishops who much rejoyced and congratulated with S. Ambrose by their letters The Emperour Valentinian gave his assent thereunto boasting he had sent such good Governours to Provinces that they were thought capable of Bishopricks There was no body but Ambrose to subdue who used all sort of engines and practises to divert this purpose He who ever of his own nature was exceeding mild feigned himself bloudy causing racks and tortures to bepublickly exercised on offenders yet needs would they have him for Bishop He who was most chaste made men and women of ill life haunt his house and descended even to the shadow of sin to flee the light of glory yet ceased they not to pursue him He fled and after he had for a whole night travelled hard thinking he was far off found himself at the gates of Milan from whence he departed In the end he was forced to yield to the spirit of Almighty God who gave him such evident tokens of his calling Needs must he undergo the charge he so constantly had refused and where humane prudence looseth its sight we must suffer it to attend the direction of Eternal Providence The second SECTION A short Elogie of the life and manners of S. Ambrose I Will do as Geographers who put the whole world into a little map I intend to comprize in few words that which deserveth a volume and give you a brief table of the life and manners of this great Saint S. Ambrose was a man in whom it seemed virtue Rare endowments of a Prelate was incorporated to make it self visible to mortal eyes Goodness which cometh to others by studie seemed his by nature since he had consecrated his infancy by the ignorance of vice and whiteness of innocency Others think it ill to commit a sin and with him it was a great vice to omit a virtue When he lived in the house of his father with his good sister Marcellina he attended to the practice of virtuous actions they both were as flint-stones which by proximity make the sparkles flie so the holy emulation they used in the pursuit of good enkindled the sensible apprehension of God in their hearts by a mutual reverberation He went from this school as Samuel from the Tabernacle to bear innocency to the Episcopal Throne and there to receive dignity His life served as a rule his example as a torch his learning as an ornament and his very silence as an admonition If you regard the virtues which ordinarily lay the foundations of spiritual building such as are sobriety and continency Ambrose undertook fasts for delight commonly eating but once aday and that with moderation he tyed himself to the one for the love of the Cross and admitted the other by way of necessity This exercise much served him to conserve his purity which most inviolably he kept even in the very course of secular life as it was found in his private papers where he very ardently begged of Almighty God that he would give him grace to maintain in his Episcopal dignity the gift of chastity which he had afforded him in a secular life He daily rose from his bed as the Phenix from her nest having no other flames but those of that great Sun which scorcheth Angels in Heaven and the most Angelical hearts on earth From this temperance proceeded his admirable conversation which gained all hearts and who so well knew how to joyn the wisdom of the serpent with the simplicity of the dove He was prudent with good men sharp against the practises of the wicked yet crafty never His discourse came from him with such an Oeconomy that the ignorant found instruction therein the curious light the learned solidity the eloquent grace the vitious terrour the virtuous edification the timorous confidence the afflicted consolation and the whole world admiration There was nothing idle in this man all spake in him all tended to praise-worthy actions his study was holy letters his care to express in his manners what he had read in books he was prompt in all which he did and had but one hinderance in the world and that was prayer which he would never have left if discretion had not taught him to forsake God to find God His intentions were most sincere his negotiations honourable his silence discreet his words ever profitable his heart full of compassion and although the eminency of his life raised him above all men yet the sweetness of his nature made him familiar
Sects making his arrows of every wood so to hit the white of honour Verily if there be any vice deserving the execration Detestable hypocrisie of all mankind it is that which distendeth snares over Altars and which under colour of piety and zeal entrappeth men Cities and Provinces with a kind of theft which seeketh to make it self honourable under pretence of piety and Religion This was very familiar with this bad man for seeing many Pagans of quality who bit the bridle expecting the re-establishment of Idols he under-hand entertained them with very fair hopes On the other side he favoured the Synagogue of Jews in secret supposing these men being lost in Religion and conscience might one day serve his turn though but to fill up ditches But then beholding the Catholick Church in an eminent height he openly courted it and that with demonstrations of respect and service which might seem to proceed from none but the most zealous Letters also of his were found written to the Emperour Valentinian the Second where he made many declarations of the duty he owed to the Catholick Church so compleat that they seem much fitter for the mouth of a Bishop than of a Tyrant He speaketh of God like a Saint saying (a) (a) (a) Periâ—â—â—â— mihi crede divina teâ—tanâ—â—r Insanuâ— ubi error exâ—fabilis non est ibi velle peccare Baron an 387. 35. Great hecd must be taken not to contend with ones Master and that sins committed against Religion admit no excuse He talks of Rome (b) (b) (b) Româ— Veâ—â—rabilis enjus hac parte Principitatâ—s est Epist ad Siricium eod anno sect 65. as a Pope calling it in full voice The most Venerable and Princess of Religion He seemed to sweat bloud and water in defence of S. Ambrose whose virtue he infinitely feared it being joyned to a liberty which never accustomed to bow under tyranny In another Epistle where he writeth to Pope Siricius he tells how going from the Font of Baptism he had been transported to the Imperial Throne which being ignorant of the life of the children of God he esteemeth an incomparable favour from Heaven and in recompence thereof promiseth all service to the Church of Rome satisfying himself onely to execute that which should be commanded him without any desire to enter into the knowledge of the cause Moreover if he saw any forlorn Hereticks who were feeble in faction and much out of favour he ran upon them with all manner of violence and then shewing spiders webs of one side filled with little flies and on the other side all broken by creatures of a larger size he raiseth mightie tropheyes thinking so to piece out his fortune by the effusion of contemptible bloud In this manner he caused Priscillian and many other of his Sect to be put to death who were Hereticks possessed with a black and melancholy devil and such as in truth according to the laws both divine and humane well deserved punishment but not according to the proceedings were observed in their process much blamed by S. Martin and other wise Bishops who took notice of passions over-bloudy even in the Ecclesiasticks that sought after spoil O God! it is verily one of the greatest unhappinesses Virtutibus vitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Origen Basil Albertus in Paradiso animz Prolog of humane life to say that vices keep shop near to virtues and often deceive the best experienced merchants with their artifices That is most true which is spoken by Albertus the Great Master of Saint Thomas Severitie counterfeiteth justice melancholy calleth it self gravitie babble stealeth into the name of affabilitie as doth dissolution pass under colour of free mirth The prodigal saith he is an honest man the covetous provident the self-conceited constant the craftie prudent curiosity borroweth the title of circumspection vain-glory of generosity presumption of hope carnal love of charity dissimulation of patience pusillanimity of mildness indiscreet zeal of fervour in matter of Religion and the worst of all is hypocrisie puts on the mask of sanctity Yet if with these Pretext of devotion daÌ„gerous semblances and borrowed faces they onely deceived vulgar souls it were somewhat tollerable but it is a thing most deplorable that the subtile who have no other God but their own interests by slight complacences and petty affectations of devotion ensnare noble and Religious souls who measuring all by their own innocency daily afford more support to credulity A little outward shew handsomly exprest ravisheth men with admiration and causeth Altars to be raised to them for whom God hath prepared gibbets There are also many silly A parable of the fowler birds who seeing the fowler with blear and running eyes role a huge pair of beads in his hands say this is a holy man and full of compassion but the more judicious answer We must not regard his eyes nor beads but the bloud and rapine which is in his hands Had Maximus been beheld upon this side he had never deceived the world but his plaistered devotions served his turn to amuze easie natures whilest his ambitions cleft mountains to climb to the Throne of Caesars Pope Siricius beguiled with the mask of this false piety gave demonstration of much affection to him and when he was declared Emperour many Bishops used with him at Trier sundry complements which too near approched to servitude There was none at that time but our Saint Martin who held a strong power over this spirit and the wily Maximus who well foresaw there was no resistance to be used against a stroke of thunder submitted with all pliantness and postures to draw this great Prelate to his amity He who heretofore made himself to be petitioned unto by the Bishops received the commandments of S. Martin as decrees and endeavoured to yield him all satisfaction One desire onely he fixed in his heart which was some one time to invite this holy man to his table to wipe away all the ill reputation of which the most judicious could not be ignorant but S. Martin constantly refused it until Maximus upon a time having made a thousand protestations of the sincerity of his intentions in that point which concerned the usurpation of the Empire the man of God whether perswaded by reasons or mollified by so many prayers went thither and used there passages of generosity which you shall know In this banquet were present the false Emperour Sulpitius in vita S. Martini cap. 23. Maximus with his brother and his uncle a Consul and two Counts S. Martin for his honour was placed in the middle near the person of Maximus and when about the midst of dinner the cup-bearer presented a goblet to his Master he for a singular testimony of his affection put it into the hands of the good Bishop seeming to have a holy ambition to drink therein after it was consecrated by the touch of his lips but S. Martin not using any other complement
Beware how you enter into the list among so many noble spirits there to discover your weaknesse and to adde nothing to the lustre of the honour of so many worthy Ancestours but to render your own crimes the more remarkable Shew your self herein a reasonable man and endeavour that all your actions may be as lines which grow from the centre of wisdome to be produced with all felicitie Remember things past rectifie the present foresee those to come Above all learn to set a true estimation upon every thing in the world and suffer not your self to be surprised by the illusions of so many objects which when they have charmed the eyes and overthrown reason leave nothing behind them but sorrow to have done ill and impotencie of doing well In conversation take the measure of your self and the like of those with whom you deal to husband and accommodate your self reasonably to all the world yielding to every one the respect which his merit seems to require The exercise of devotion will not hinder you from the endeavour how to become an able man in your profession from being honest civil discreet affable liberal obliging stout couragious patient which are the principal qualities of a Courtier It is not desired that to be devout you should have a spirit drowzie sluggish overwhelmed not that through overmuch simplicitie you make profusion of your self in an Age where bountie seemeth to be the prey of insolent spirits Wisdom will teach you neither to intrude nor pour out your self to dissemble through virtue that which ought to be concealed to adapt your self to companies and affairs to believe nothing lightly nor to promise nor decide any thing without consideration to persevere in certain things not ill because you have begun them not to be harsh nor too much complying since the one tasteth of brutishness the other inclines to flatterie To propose to your self good and evil which may arise from an affair to moderate the one and tollerate the other Above all honour the King next after God as the source of all greatness and the fountain of the most noble lights which reflect on Nobilitie Honour him with profound respect as the lively Image of God Love him sincerely serve him with all fidelitie If you be employed in affairs and governments endeavour to persist therein with conscience and honour which are the two mansions of a great soul If you have merit without employment and recompence say not therefore that all is lost It is a good business to be well at rest to manure your spirit to enable your self with reading and peaceable conversion to govern your house Learn nothing but what you ought to know Search that onely which you may profitably find desire nothing but what you may honourably wish for And be not conceited to run after a spectre of imaginarie favour nor to mount to a place where you cannot stay without fear nor fall without ruin So many great Monarchs so many Princes Lords and valorous men who are come from Courts and the profession of arms to enter into the Temple of pietie assure us this life is capable of Saints and that no man ought to despair of virtue but he who renounceth it If the brevitie of this Treatise would permit I would willingly set before you a David a Josias an Ezechias a Charlemaign a S. Lewis a Hermingildes a Henry a Stephen a Casimire a Godfrey of Bovillon a Wenceslaus an Edward an Elzear an Amideus I would make you see flourishing Squadrons of Martyrs drawn from warfare amongst which you would admire a Maurice an Exuperius a Sebastian a Marius a Mennas an Olympiades a Meliton a Leontius a Maximus a Julian an Abdon a Sennen a Valens a Priscus a Marcellus a Marcellinus a Severinus a Philoromus a Philoctemon and so many such like Finally I would shew in the latter Ages men worthy of all honour eminent in arms and enobled with singular pietie but I now content my self to draw from Eusebius Theodoret Nicephorus Zozimus Socrates Sozomenus Cedrenus and above all Cardinal Baronius the life of Great Constantine who hath been the very prime man amongst Christian princes and hath witnessed especially after his Baptism a masculine pietie and a great example of sanctitie IMP. CAES. FLAVIVS CONSTAN AVG. CONSTANTINE The first SECTION The Providence of God over Constantine I Will shew to Christian Nobilitie its source in the life of the prime Gentleman of Christianitie If we respect antiquitie greatness and dignitie we shall not find a Prince either more anciently noble than he who first of all among Emperours deserved the title of Christian or more truly great than he who so happily engraffed the empire of the universe on the tree of the Cross or more justly honourable than he who cemented his honour with the bloud of the Lamb. It is the admirable Constantine Greatness of Constantine who so perfectly allied valour to pietie Monarchy to humilitie the wisdom of the Cross to the government of the world the nails and thorns of the passion to the Diadem of Kings and delights of the Court that he hath left matter of meditation for the wise of profit for Religious of imitation for Monarchs and of wonder for those who admire nothing vulgar Behold a marvellous Theatre of the providence of Theatre of Divine Providence God whereunto I would willingly invite all those spirits repleat with humane policie and devested of heavenly Maxims who are onely great by the greatness of their ruin to see how the breath of God demolisheth the Towers of Babel to raise the walls of Sion how the subtil are surprized in their subtility how the science of men becometh blind in its proper lights how the vigour of the world is slain by its own hands how stabilitie is overturned by the supports it chooseth how the spirit of flesh at unawares contributeth to plant the Gross on the top of Capitols and heads of Monarchs by the same ways wherewith it promised to over-cloud them with darkness and abysses I here produce a Constantine beed up very young in the Court of Diocletian who had an intention to become a scourge to Christianitie but God surprized him therein as Moses in the Court of Pharaoh to stop the stream of persecution to calm the tempests of the time confound Idols and raise the Church on the ruins of Gentilism Reader stay a little on the frontispice of this history and behold how the Eternal Providence led this young Constantine by the hand like another Cyrus to humble the Great-ones of the earth before his face and to give him hidden treasures to take Isaiah 49. from him so many bars and impediments to open for him so many gates of iron and to cause so many Kings to turn their faces and afford him their place There was at that time twelve heads which alreadie either wore the diadem or thought themselves capable of it Diocletian and Maximian held the highest place
remembering what had passed in the Roman Empire he saw that those Emperours who had shewed themselves most fervent in the superstition of false gods and were the greatest persecutours of Christians had been infamous and unhappy not beloved of the people without name not honoured issueless and and for the most part odious and execrable to posterity He then imagined that this Religion which professed so much sanctity and was grown up in the tempests of three hundred years had something divine in it and that perhaps it would not be amiss to invoke in this great labyrinth of affairs the God of his mother As he then went up and down revolving these discourses in the bottom of his thoughts casting his eyes up to Heaven he perceived about the evening the figure of a great Cross all composed of most resplendent light which seemed unto him to bear these Characters IN HOC VINCE Vanquish in this sign This was much more important than the bowe in Heaven which Augustus Caesar saw about the sun when he entered into Rome to take possession of the Empire Notwithstanding Constantine and the Captains who observed this sign in Heaven had some distrust because of the figure of the Cross which till then was ever accounted of an ill presage Now as the Emperour slept in the night in great perplexity of cogitations it seemed that the God of the Christians appeared unto him with the same sign which he had seen the day before commanding him expresly to carry it hereafter in his Ensigns Following this vision he caused a Banner to be made in the manner as Eusebius describeth it who had seen it It was as a launce all of gold which had a piece of wood athwart in form of a Cross from whence hung a rich imbroidery in which was the image of the Emperour and about it a Crown of gold and pearl which bare in the middle the two first letters of the name of our Saviour This was from that time forward his prime Banner which the Romans called the Labarum It was no otherwise different from the standards of the Roman Bands but that it carried the sacred cypher of this venerable Title which was not understood by all the world but held by the Pagans as some devise of the fantasie of spirit The war against Maxentius having so prosperously succeeded as we have said under this propitious standard Constantine held the Saviour of the world in great veneration and made the Edicts which we know in favor of Christians Notwithstanding he for a long time deferred his publick and solemn profession thereof whether it were that the course of great warlike enterprizes and affairs diverted his mind or whether he feared to distast the prime men of the Empire by this change It is likewise thought that his wife Fausta whom he in the beginning much affected greatly weakened his love to Christianity in such sort that the Christians ceased not to be still ill intreated in this remisness of the Emperour In the Absolute coÌ„version of the Emperour end after the calamitie of the death of his son and wife so tragically happened in his own house he seriously opened his eyes about the nineteenth year of his Empire to seek remedy for his evils Zosimus a Pagan leadeth us as it were not thinking of it to the knowledge of the time and manner of his Baptism For he saith that Constantine after the death of Crispus and Fausta had great remorse of conscience and that not wholly having abjured Paganism he sought from South-sayers and Pagan Philosophers as others adde the means to purifie himself from the bloud which he so unfortunately had shed It is said that one Sopater the wisest of the Discourse of Sopater Platonists who had sometime lived in his Court told him these stains of bloud would stick on souls and never be washed out and that if they departed this life without punishment they would re-enter into other bodies to expiate in the end those crimes which they had committed and that there was no other remedy The Emperour found this Philosophie very harsh and his spirit being much tormented with very strange disturbances behold saith Zosimus an Aegyptian newly come from Spain to Rome note that he meaneth the great Bishop Hosius who was sent at the same time into Aegypt by Pope Sylvester This Aegyptian saith he having insinuated himself into the favour of some Ladies of the Court found by their means access to the Emperour who failed not to propose unto him the difficulties and troubles of his conscience This man answered him that his Majesty should not need to disquiet himself hereupon and that there was no crime so enormous which might not be expiated by the remedies which are practised in Christian Religion To this the Emperour very willingly hearkened and resolved all delayes laid apart to become a Christian See here the beginning of the Baptism of Constantine His Baptism As for the sequel it is a question much perplexed for some would have him to be baptized in the suburbs of Nicomedia upon the point of death and others at Rome by S. Sylvester about the 19th year of his Empire I say briefly to decide this difficulty that it is a most unreasonable belief to think that Constantine the Great called by the general voice of the holy Fathers The holy and Religious Emperour Constantine recorded in memorials and publick registers of the Church which are recited before Altars as the chief of Orthodox Princes Constantine whom the Arians yea the most refractory which have been after him never durst declare of their faction to have been christened at his death by the hand of an Arian Bishop out of the communion of the Catholick Church There is not one to be found who favoureth this opinion but Eusebius who hath been an Ensign-bearer of the Arians and who no more ought to be credited in this article than a Pagan Historian it being most unequal to take him for a Judge who had made himself a party in this affair And if some passages be found somewhat doubtful in the Chronicle of S. Hierom which seem to support this errour it is easie to consider that this Doctour who was a merchant enriched with infinite variety of learning hath made many pieces which he rather translated and compiled from others than composed upon his own invention and the learned are not ignorant that his Chronicle is accounted in this kind of books as a work formed from observations and opinions of Eusebius which should not at all alter the estimation we have of Constantine acknowledged and averred by so many other passages of the same Doctour And if S. Ambrose in the funeral Oration of Theodosius said that Constantine received Baptism being in extremity we must not Iâ— ultimis coâ—stitutus therefore infer that he was baptized by Arian in the last instant of his life otherwise he would not call him in the same passage a Monarch of great
merit who left faith as an inheritance for Princes of his posteritie This extremity then is an extremity either of troublesom affairs in which Constantine saw himself involved for having so long time deferred his Baptism or as others say an extremity of sickness wherewith he was surprized in the Citie of Rome and cured by Baptism The opinion of Eusebius being rejected I ask whether it be not much more probable to take that of a Councel entire and very ancient held under Pople Silvester about the year of our Lord Three hundred twenty four which is said expresly to have been assembled at the same time that the Emperour Constantine was baptized by Sylvester Bishop of Rome than to adhere to inventions of a passionate adversary As for other circumstances of this Baptism which are The history of the Baptism of ConstaÌ„tine drawn from the acts attributed to S. Sylvester is more easie piously to be believed than effectually proved drawn from the acts attributed to S. Sylvester we must affirm there are divers things very hard to believe if we proceed according to humane reason for we cannot so easily imagine what is expressed in those writings that Sylvester was hidden in the caverns of the mountain which afterward bare his name flying the persecution of Constantine of which other Authours make no mention as being contrary to the humour and Edicts of this Prince who after the victory gained against Maxentius ever favoured Christianitie Besides it is there said that Constantine demanded what Gods were S. Peter and Paul who had appeared to him in his sleep Which was not very likely in an Emperour that so many years before was instructed in the mysteries of Christian Religion Adde also the leaprousie of Constantine whereof no authour hath spoken before those acts and wherewith it is held that Constantius the son of this great Emperour was much offended complaining they attributed to his father counterfeit maladies to cure him in picture If we must pursue opinions humanely reasonable I would say that Constantine could no more be leaprous than our King Clodovaeus of most glorious memory of whom S. Gregory of Towers Gregor Turon hist l. 2. cap. 31. Prodit novus Constantinus ad lavacrum deleturus leprae veteris morbum hath said that on the day of his Baptism he was cured of an old leaprosie intending by that speech from sin It is true that Cardinal Baronius doth all which an able man may to clear these difficulties but there are certain things which it is more comely to believe piously than easily to establish by reason And therefore if the Reader here desire to know my conceit I hold it is a timorarious thing to go about to tax and turmoil old beliefs which though they pass not for articles of faith are notwithstanding received with edification in common opinions Varro saith that no Contra mulâ—os sapere desipere est desire to be wise contrary to common understanding is to rank ones self in the number of fools and the great S. Hilary hath said very worthily that the Sapientiae priâ—ae haec veritas est interdum sapere quoâ— nclit Hilar. l. 8. de Trinitate first verity of wisdom is sometime to believe what one would not submitting our judgement to men of the best understanding which if it were well conceived so many young heads would be ashamed to account themselves able men especially in matter of faith thereby inordinately taxing all the monuments of antiquity I say then for these acts which are accounted to be S. Sylvesters and namely for those reported by Pope Adrian as it is not my intention to engage my self upon the proof of them by a way of sleight human reasons so would I not in any sort impugn but rather believe them with a religious simplicity which is the science of Saints and ever the most assured These acts tell us that Constantine still deferring History of Baptism according to the acts of S. Sylvester his Baptism and living in much liberty was strucken with a leaprousie which was a manifest wound from Heaven wherewith greatly afflicted he consulted with Magicians to apply some remedie They gave him deadly counsel whereof the Kings of Aegypt had heretofore made use in the like maladie which was to make a bath of humane bloud This at the beginning seemed to him very strange but the infirmity which pressed him had no ears to hear reason little children were taken of the meanest condition in the Citie to cut their throats like sheep and consecrate their bloud to the health of the Emperour The mothers dissheveled and desperate ran after their tender infants even to the gates of the Palace and howled so dreadfully that Constantine hearing their cries and withal the cause of their sorrow commanded the infants to be restored to their mournfull mothers esteeming it more reasonable to tollerate his evil than to be cured with so cruel a remedy The night following S. Peter and S. Paul appeared to him in a dream and advised him to forsake all these Pagan superstitions to re-edifie the Churches of Christians and send for Pope Sylvester who was at that time hidden in the grots of Mount Soracte that would discover unto him a fish-pool which should heal his leaprousie As soon as he a wakened he recounted his dream to the Lords of his Court and sent to seek out the Pope who seeing these Gentlemen come disposed himself to Martyrdom thinking they came to lead him forth to slaughter but understanding from their own mouthes much other news he set forward towards the Emperour who most courteously received him and having made a long discourse of matters which had happened unto him concerning his calling to Christianity he demandeth of him what Gods were Peter and Paul who had appeared unto him in sleep and made overture of the fish-pool wherein he should be washed The Pope answered they were no Gods but Apostles and servants of God Thereupon he required to see their images which Sylvester sent for by a Deacon and having found them like to the faces he saw in sleep he cryed out aloud that he no longer must defer the fish-pool Sylvester seeing him resolved to be baptized commandeth a publick fast accompanied with ordinary prayers catechizeth the Emperour and counselleth him to take seven days of retirement to prepare himself for Baptism and which is more to lay aside for those days the purple and Imperial Diadem that he might be clothed with the habit of penance which he couragiously performed And the day of Baptism being come as soon as he was washed with these life-giving waters he was miraculously cured of his leprousie beholding a light from heaven and a hand stretched over him See what is in these ancient monuments and which Cardinal Baronius rendereth probable with reasons very consonant The ninth SECTION The acts of Constantine after his Baptism CONSTANTINE after his Baptism began a quite other course of life for
1. dist 41. Manifest reason the will of God could not be unjust and that praedestination proceeded besides the grace of God by most secret merits which were discovered to this divine eye that discerneth all the actions of men 4. Is there a soul so replenished with contradiction which averreth not That what God doth in a certain time he determined to do it in his eternity Now Faith teacheth us he in that time by him determined rendereth life eternal to the just for reward of their merit as himself pronounceth in S. Matthew (c) (c) (c) Matth. 25. Answer to objections And therefore it is necessary to confess God before all Ages was resolved to give the Crown of glory not indifferently but in consideration of good life and laudable virtues And for this it is to no purpose to say the end of our intentions goeth before the means whereby some infer God first decreed beatitude which is the end then considered good works which are the address to this end For I answer when the end possesseth the place of salary as this here doth the merit is always presupposed before the recompence And although the Master of a Tourneament wisheth the prize to one of his favourites yet his first intention is he shall deserve it by his valour God taketh the like inclinations in this great list of salvation he wisheth all the world palms but willeth it to them who well know how to make use of the helps of his grace Thus the most ancient and gravest Fathers of the The doctrine of the most ancient Fathers concerning praedestination Church thought this sentence they agreed on before the impostures of Pelagians in the golden Age of the Church through a most purified ray And to this purpose Tertullian said (d) (d) (d) Tertul. de resur carnis Deus de suo optimus de nostro justus God who is very good of his own was ever just of ours And S. Hilarie said most perspicuously (e) (e) (e) Hilar. in Psal 64. Non res indiscreti judicii electio est sed ex delectu meriti discretio est That Election was not an effect of judgement indiscreet but that from the choice of merit proceeded the distinction made for glorie S. Epiphanius expressed the like opinion That there was no exception of persons in the proceeding of God but that it passed according to the merit or demerit of every one Behold what we may gather from the soundest tradition of the Church (f) (f) (f) The second point of reasons That God is glorified in that he hath our works for praedestination to glory But if we now weigh the second Article whereon we insist which is the glory of God it is an easie matter to see this opinion which appropriateth a certain fatality of divine decrees without other knowledge of cause agreeth not with this immense bounty of God nor the sincere will he hath to save all the world It is not suitable to his justice nor to his promises or menaces he makes to virtues or vices besides it tormenteth minds weakens the zeal of souls and throweth liberty and despair into manners Why should not a miserable reprobate have cause The complaint a Reprobate may make hereupon to say Ah my Lord where are the bowels of goodness and mercy which all pens testifie all voices proclaim and laws establish Is it then of honey for others and of worm-wood for me How cometh it to pass without any knowledge of merit you drew this man from the great mass of corruption to make him a son of your adoption a coheir of your glory and have left me as a black victim marked with a character of Death What importeth it me that in this first choice you made you did not condemn me without knowledge of cause to think no good for me was to think ill enough for me Was I then able to row against the torrent of your power Could I intrude into your Paradise which you have fitly disposed like the Halcyons nest whereunto nothing can enter but its own bird You have built your Palace of a certain number of chosen pieces in such sort that the account thereof being made and proportions valued one small grain might not be added to encrease the number What could I do in this dreadfull exclusion but accuse your bounty and deplore my unhappiness Behold what a reprobate soul may object and Aug. de verbo Apost ser 11. Si posset loquipecus dicere Deo quare istum fecisti hominem me peculem Answer to objections Glossa in Danielem it were bootless to answer that a bruit beast might complain in this fashion that God had not made it a man or the like might be alledged for infants who die without Baptism For as concerning beasts nothing is taken from them rather much given when from nothing being and life is afforded them with contentments of nature and as for little infants they endure no evil and are no more disturbed to be deprived of the sight of God than was Nebuchadnezzar for the Scepter of Babylon when he in his infancy was bred among shepheards thinking himself the son of a Peasant and wholly ignorant of his Royal extraction But to say A man who dies at the age of discretion and is delivered over to eternal flames was condemned by God without any other fore-sight of his works is it not a cruelty not worthy of ought but Calvinism as if a father might be excusable in marrying one daughter richly and cutting the others throat to set her on a pyle He who would judge wisely must flie the very shadow of an opinion so damnable and all which may seem to favour it 6. Now as concerning the Doctrine which establisheth The fruits of Gods glory derived from our Maxim Praedestination upon grace and prevision of good works it seems to stretch far towards the point of Gods greatest glory It discovereth us his science in attributing unto him an infinite survey over all the actions of Adams children before all Ages by which it seasonably fore-saw all that was to be done by all particulars in so great a revolution of times It in an instant affordeth us this most innocent knowledge seeing we learn by the same way that the prescience which God hath of our works is no more the cause of our happiness than my memory of the fireing of Rome which happened under Nero or than mine eye of the whiteness of snow and fresh verdure of meadows by its simple aspects Nothing happeneth because God fore-saw Qui non est praescius omnium futurorum non est Deus Aug. de civit Dei l. 5. c. 9. it but God fore-saw it because it should so happen by motion of our free-will and not by the laws of necessity Moreover the Justice of the great Master is very eminent in this action for we do not say he works at random and seeks to make boast
time Jesus sanctified it by his sacred touch He took the Bason which being in his hands became greater and more full of Majesty than all the Ocean Our spots which eternity could not wash clean are taken away at Baptism by one onely drop of water sanctified by his blessing He prevents the bath of his bloud by the bath of an element which he doth expresly before his institution of the blessed Sacrament to teach us what purity of life of heart of faith of intentions and affections we must bring to the holy Eucharist It is necessary to chase away all strange gods which are sins and passions before we receive the God of Israel we must wash our selves in the waters of repentance and change our attire by a new conversation Is it too much for us to give flesh for flesh the body of a miserable man for that of Jesus Christ The consideration of our sins should bring up the bloud of blushing into our cheeks since they were the onely cause why he shed his most precious bloud upon the Cross for us Alas the Heavens are not pure before his most pure Spirit which purifies all nature Then how can we go to him with so many voluntary stains and deformities Is it not to cast flowers upon a dung-hill and to drive Swine to a clear fountain when we will go to Jesus the Authour of innocency carrying with us the steps and spots of our hanious sins 3. Jesus would not onely take upon himself the form of man but also of a base servant as S. Paul saith It was the office of slaves to carry water to wash bodies which made David say That Moah should be the Bason of his hope expressing thereby that he would humble the Moabites so low that they should serve onely to bring water to wash unclean houses Alas who would have said that the Messias was come amongst us to execute the office of a Moabite What force hath conquered him what arms have brought him under but onely love How can we then become proud and burn incense to that Idol called Point of honour when we see how our God humbled himself in this action Observe with what preparation the Evangelist said that his Heavenly Father had put all into his hands that he came from God and went to God yet in stead of taking the worlds Scepter he takes a Bason and humbles himself to the most servile offices And if the waters of this Bason cannot burst in us the foul impostume of vanity we must expect no other remedy but the eternal flames of hell fire Aspirations OKing of Lovers and Master of all holy Loves Thou lovest for an end and till the accomplishment of that end It appertains onely to thee to teach the Art of loving well since thou hast practised it so admirably Thou art none of those delicate friends who onely make love to beauties to gold and silk thou lovest our very poverty and our miseries because they serve for objects of thy charity Let proud Michol laugh while she list to see my dear David made as a water-bearer I honour him as much in that posture as I would sitting upon the throne of all the world I look upon him holding this Bason as upon him that holds the vast seas in his hands O my merciful Jesus I beseech thee wash wash again and make clean my most sinfull soul Be it as black as hell being in thy hands it may become more white than that Dove with silver wings of which the Prophet speaks I go I run to the fountain I burn with love amongst thy purifying waters I desire affectionately to humble my self but I know not where to find so low a place as thine when thou thus wast humbled before Judas to wash his traiterours feet Upon the Garden of Mount Olivet Moralities 1. JEsus enters into a Garden to expiate the sin committed in a Garden by the first man The first Adam stole the fruit and the second is ordained to make satisfaction It is a strange thing that he chose the places of our delights for suffering his pains and never lookt upon our most dainty sweets but to draw out of them most bitter sorrows Gardens are made for recreations but our Saviour finds there onely desolation The Olives which are tokens of peace denounce war unto him The plants there do groan the flowers are but flowers of death and those fountains are but fountains of sweat and bloud He that shall study well this Garden must needs be ashamed of all his pleasant Gardens and will forsake those refined curiosities of Tulips to make his heart become another manner of Garden where Jesus should be planted as the onely Tree of Life which brings forth the most perfect fruits of justice 2. It was there that the greatest Champion of the world undertook so great Combats which began with sweat and bloud but ended with the loss of his life There were three marvellous Agonies of God and Death of Joy and Sorrow of the Soul and Flesh of Jesus God and Death were two incomparable things since God is the first and the most universal of all lives who banisheth from him all the operations of death and yet his love finds means to unite them together for our redemption The joy of beatitude was a fruition of all celestial delights whereunto nothing which displeased could have access and yet Jesus suffered sorrow to give him a mortal blow even in the Sanctuary of his Divinity He afflicted himself for us because we knew not what it was to afflict our selves for him and he descended by our steps to the very anguishes of death to make us rise by his death to the greatest joyes of life To be short there was a great duel between the affectionate love and the virginal flesh of Jesus His soul did naturally love a body which was so obedient and his body followed wholly the inclinations of his soul There was so perfect an agreement between these two parties that their separation must needs be most dolorous Yet Jesus would have it so and signed the decree by sweating bloud And as if it had been too little to weep for our sins with two eyes he suffered as many eyes as he had veins to be made in his body to shed for us tears of his own bloud 3. Observe here how this soul of Jesus amongst those great anguishes continued always constant like the Needle of a Sea-compass in a storm He prays he exhorts he orders he reproves and he encourages he is like the Heavens which amongst so many motions and agitations lose no part of their measure or proportion Nature and obedience make great convulsions in his heart but he remains constantly obedient to the will of his Heavenly Father he tears himself from himself to make himself a voluntary sacrifice for death amongst all his inclinations to life to teach us that principal lesson of Christianity which is to desire onely what God will
Ambrose 207 His death 215 Ammon plotteth incest with his sister 407 He is counselled to this sin by Joadab ib. He dissembleth fickness ib. Thamars advise to him ib. He despiseth his dishonoured sister ib. He is slain 408 Anaâ—tatius fearing thunder is slain by a Thunder bolt 288 Angelical Aenigma's 56 Why bad Angels punished without mercy 23 Antipater his cunningness in geeting the kingdom of Judea 115 He calumniateth his brothers 130 He is thrown from the top of the wheel 132 His Conspiracy is discovered 133 His wofull event ib. His Accusation before his Father ib. His death 135 Wicked Antiothus punished 348 He is delivered Hostage to the Romanes 347 His manners 393 He warreth against Ptolomey ib. The war between them is ended by a marriage ib. Antonie's generous act 352 A trick of an Ape 43 Apes in the Court of Solomon 46 A pretty tale of an Ape ib. Intellectual Appetite faulty 37 Appetite of man infinite 436 Apple of discord 145 Arbogastus 210 Aristobulus taken prisoner by Pompey and Jerusalem become tributarie 115 His pitifull death 119 Arius and his qualities 251 Original of Arians ib. Their proceedings ib. Condemnation of Arius 154 End of Arius ib. Arts tributarie to Great-men 16 Astrologie the vanity thereof 360 Athanasius 254 Athenais her admirable adventure 141 She pleadeth her cause before Pulcheria 142 Her Conversion ib. She could not brook Pulcheria 145 Audas destroyeth a Pyraum 942 Sr. Augustine converted by Sr. Ambrose 188 His wit ib. His inclination ib. He studied Judicial Astrologie 189 His Religion ib. Curiositie Presumption and Love the three impediments in the conversion of Sr. Augustine 190 The Oeconomy of God in the conversion of S â— Augustine 193 He is baptized by Sr. Ambrose 198 B THe Bat employeth her eyes to make her wings 382 An excellent Act of Bayard the Cavalier 227 Opinion concerning Beatitude 435 The essential point of Beatitude is union with God 437 Three acts of Beatitude ib. Three effects of Beatitude 438 Excellency of Beatike science ib. Beautie of beatike love as it is compared to the weakness of worldly love ib. Beautie condemned by Idolaters 9 Defence of Beautie as the gift of God 10 Natural Beautie of men praised by Poets ib. Beautie an instrument of God ib. Beautie of our Saviour ib. Power of Beautie 11 Beautie of Constantine 16 Abuse of Beautie damnable ib. Vanitie of Beautie 93 Tyrannie of the Belly 52 Binet a Reverend Father of the Church 174 Boetius his Nobilitie 276 His eminent wisdom and learning 278 He was stiled the Father and Light of his Countrey 287 His opinion of the providence of God 291 His death ibid. Boleslaus his notable act 5 Boniface martyred 380 C CAligula a great scoffer 47 The devils busied about Calumny 46 From whence it proceedeth 47 Horrour of Calumny ibid. Calumny plotted against the sons of Mariamne 128 Calumny of Fausta against her son Crispus 244 Her rage turned into pitie ibid. Her Calumny discovered ibid. Her death ibid. Camerarius his observation concerning the Heron. 405 The excellency of a brave Captain 217 The delight of Histories to praise Captains 218 Singular commendation of Cato 13 The praise of the strength and courage of Cato ibid. The Stone Ceraunia 7 Charity excellently displayed 2 Charity towards God and our neighbour defined 469 Charity in Conversation defined ibid. Charity with the acts thereof 91 An excellent passage of Charity ibid. Charls of Anjou is taken and put to death 402 Charlemaign his goodness and indulgence 403 Chastity defined 468 Three sorts of Chastity with the acts thereof 85 86 A royal act of Chastity in a Souldier 230 S. Paul calleth Chastity Sanctification 304 Excellent Instructions for Children 343 Chrysaphius an heretical Eunuch projecteth ruin to Theodosius his Court. 147 He entangleth the Emperour and his Wife in the heresie of the Eutyches 148 Christians Warfare delicate 2 To do good and suffer wrong the true Character of a Christian 48 Virtue of the first Christians 53 The happiness to be born a Christian 339 Solitude of Christian Religion ibid. Clergy reformed 149 Clotilda 309 Her birth and education ibid. Clodovaeus requireth her in marriage ibid. An Embassadour is dispatched to the King of Burgundie concerning the Marriage 310 Her first Request to King Clodovaeus her husband 312 How she behaved her self in the Conversion of her husband 313 She converteth her husband 315 How Clodovaeus behaved himself after Baptism 316 Communion without preparation what it is 72 What ought to be done in the day of receiving the Communion 73 Considerations for Communions ibid. Fruits of Communions ibid. General Confession of sin the beginning of spiritual life 69 Practice of ordinary Confession 70 Three sorts of Conscience from whence Impiety doth spring 26 Horrible estate of a sinfull Conscience 27 Bruitish Conscience ibid. Curious Conscience ibid. Nothing so pleasing as the house of a good Conscience 48 Constancy in Tribulation doth manifestly appear in the death of Sosia and Eleonora 411 Constantia her exceeding Clemency to the Son of Charls of Anjou being condemned to death 403 Constantine's Law 12 His greatness 233 His Nobility 235 His notable Moderation ibid. He was bred up in the Court of Diocletian 237 His first battel against Lycinius 242 His great victory 243 His first Marriage 244 The beginning of his Conversion 246 His absolute Conversion ibid. His Baptism ibid. The History of his Baptism drawn from the acts of Saint Sylvester is more easie piously to be believed than effectually proved 247 His Oration ibid. The great alteration of the world by his Oration and Example 248 His Piety Devotion and Humility 249 He made an Oration in the Assembly of Bishops 253 His Successours 259 Constantinople built 254 His death 274 Divers degrees of Contemplation 384 Contrition what it is 71 Cross of Nature what it is 52 Honour of the Cross 251 The Court full of Envie 17 Comparison between a Courtier and a Religious man 18 A Courtier frustrated of his hope how he is afflicted 352 Courage compared to the River Tygris 13 Baseness of Courage in some Noble-men 14 Crispus his death 245 Curiosity and the Description thereof 188 The whole world an enemy of Curiosity 405 Impious Curiosity pulls out both its eyes 27 Dangerous Curiosity 28 D PAins of the Damned are eternal 431 Three Reasons to prove the eternity of the Damned ibid. An excellent Conceit of Picus Mirandula concerning the punishment of the Damned 432 Strange Narration of Palladius concerning the Damned ibid. Souls of the Damned tormented by their lights ibid. Daniel and his Companions bred at Court 16 Daniel the Hermite having seen a Vision went to Constantine and spake to Eulogius 364 David his remedy against a malevolent Tongue 48 Day is precious 94 Motives to pass the Day well ibid. Every Day a Table of Life ibid. To provide in the evening for the Day to come 95 Three parts of the Day ibid. Five things to be practised in the Day ibid. Desperate
Bethulia said to her You are this day blessed my daughter and glorious above all women that are in the habitable world Praised be the Creatour of heaven and earth who hath so well guided your victorious hand to the ruine of the capitall of our enemies and who by the same means hath so glorified your name that he hath rendred your praise immortall in the mouth of men that shall have any sense of the wonderfull works of God Every one will remember how you have not spared your life to draw your people out of the ruines wherein they were almost buried Thereupon Achior was called and Judith shewing him the head of Holophernes sayes to him You have lost nothing by the testimonies you give to the power of our God for behold the head of the Collonel of the Unbelievers which God hath cut off this night by this hand of mine Behold him that threatned to make you die when he had taken Bethulia but sure now he will let you live in great quiet This man was in such an extasie at this news that he fell down in a swoon and when he was come to himself again he cast himself at the feet of Judith and gave her a reverence that was near to adoration And by her means was converted to the true Religion and rendred all glory to the God of Jerusalem Judith pursuing this her conquest counselled her people to make a shew of sallying out of the city in arms at the break of day as if they would give battel which would make the Assyrians hasten to the Pavilion of Holophernes to awake him and so seeing what had passed would be seized with so great a fear that they would sell their lives at a cheap rate This was executed and the Captains failed not to repair unto the Generall to receive orders It was already forward dayes and he was yet asleep with the sleep of death from whence there is no waking unlesse by an extraordinary power Every one was astonished that he appeared not but no body durst take the boldnesse to awake him so greatly was he feared They presse Vagoa to enter into the chamber who refuses at first to trouble the pleasures of his Master but when the time was drawn out in length he entred and made a noise not as by design but accident and seeing that no body stirred he went neer the bed thinking that he was yet with Judith At last when one told him that the enemy appeared in arms he drew the curtain very gently and saw the body of his Master weltering in his own bloud He therefore became so furious that he rent suddenly his clothes and ran to Judith's chamber to make her suffer a thousand deaths but when he could not find her he sent out frightfull cryes and spake aloud that that stranger-woman had filled the house of Nebuchadonozor with confusion and that she had assassinated their Generall who was now nothing but a trunk without an head plung'd in his own bloud All ran to this spectacle and the whole Camp was filled with astonishment with fears with despair with tears and with howlings At the same time appeared the head of Holophernes hanged up upon the walls of Bethulia and all the army of the Assyrians surpriz'd with a panick fear and as it were struck with a scourge from heaven began to scatter themselves every one seeking his safety in his flight The Israelites pursued them making a great noise as if they had drawn forth numerous troops and as if their squadrons had marched compacted and in good order It was easie for them to vanquish run-awayes who had already delivered up to fear all the hope of their life and fortune All the neighbouring cities came out to take a share of this glory and cast themselves into the fields on all parts to entrap their routed enemies of whom they made most horrible massacre All the Camp of Holophernes was pillaged where was found so great a quantity of booty that it was a thing prodigious The noise of this victory was spread unto Jerusalem the high Priest came to Bethulia with his other Priests to see Judith to whom every one gave a thousand blessings One could hear nothing but shouts of joy and acclamations that published her The Glory of Jerusalem the Joy of Israel the Honour of her People the gallant Woman the Chaste and Valiant Princesse the incomparable Lady whose Reputation should live as long as Eternity it self A moneth passed wherein there was nothing heard but joyes but consorts of musick but trophies amongst the people They gathered every day some new spoils whereof the most precious in gold in silver in purple in pearls and jewels were presented to the victorious Judith She composed a song of Triumph which was sung solemnly with the admiration of the whole world After all they went as it behoved them to Jerusalem to render to God the Vows of the whole people and to make great Offerings where three moneths more were spent in an incomparable chearfulnesse There was not a day that was not Festivall nor a face that did not wear the lineaments of the joyes of Paradise Judith offered in the Temple the Pavilion of Holophernes that the memory of it might never be defaced by oblivion At last all returned home to their own houses and the holy woman remained in her little city of Bethulia alwayes in her widow-hood honoured of all the world as the most glorious soul on earth She made her servant free and lived even to the age of 105 years amongst her people in a profound peace She appeared abroad the Festivall dayes in a magnificent glory spending the other dayes in her solitude and living with great examples of Virtues and Devotion The day of that happinesse was marked with white and reckoned in the number of the greatest Feasts of the Jews to all posterity God who is the worker of so many wonders hath taken a care also of this History It is an eternall monument of the virtue of his arm that shakes the mountains that cleaves the rocks and overthrows in a moment those sons of the Titans who make warre against heaven it self and would walk upon the wings of the winds A Generall of an Army that vaunted himself in the midst of an hundred thousand souldiers environed all about with steel with fires and lightnings who said I will go I will do I will level with the ground who held a fatall councel where he decreed the firing of Cities the sacking of Provinces where so many dragons drank up the tears of Nations without being touched with any sense of pity A Giant that heaped mountain upon mountain to ascend through fire and sword even to the throne of the most High behold now conquered slain massacred tumbled in his bloud by a woman that makes a play-game of his head and an army that cut their passage through the Rocks that drank up Rivers that shadowed the Sun by the multitude
informed that Walsingham one amongst you who hath conspired my death and the death of my Son doth make use of such artifices and hath counterfeited a letter from me in answer to that of Babingtons which he intercepted The other innocently believed it and took his oath that it came from me but all this is no more than one simple conjecture There should be a million of witnesses more clear than the rays of the Sun to impeach a Sovereign Queen who comprehends within her Authority so many millions of lives And a man unknown a man half dead is believed against me who spake all that he knew and that he knew not to deliver himself from the horrible cruelties of his Examiners Let them produce but one letter of my hand one shadow of the crime and I will yield my self convinced I speak it in the sincerity of my heart and of the tears of my eyes I would not conquer a Kingdom with the bloud of the vilest person picked out of the scum of the people much less with the bloud of a Queen I will never make a shipwrack of my soul in conspiring the ruin of a person to whom I have vowed so much honour and friendship For my Secretaries I did alwayes take them for honest men if they do charge me and accuse me in their Depositions to have dictated an Answer to Babington's letter they have committed two great faults the first in violating the Oath which they have made to be secret and faithfull to their Mistress the second in inventing so detestable a Calumny against her to whom they ow all Reverence and Fidelity In a manner all the belief that you draw from them doth amount to more than that it comes form perfidious men O good God In what a desperate condition is the Majesty and the safety of Princes if they depend upon the writings and the witnesses of their Secretaries in affairs of so high a consequence How many are of them who prostitute themselves to the uncertainty of riches How many of them for fear onely do comply with the menaces of the great-ones They are men of Fortune who follow the ebb and flow of Inconstancy If those poor men have taken their Oaths as you say it was onely to deliver themselves from the horrour of your torments and put all upon the crowned head of a Queen which they thought was inaccessible to your Commissions But what Lawyers are you to put Babington to death without bringing him before me face to face To open his mouth by torments to tell a lie and then to shut it up for ever against the Truth If my Secretaries are yet alive let them come into my presence and I assure my self that they will not persist in that Deposition which you object against me Doth it not easily appear that you proceed here on a bad belief and that you borrow these poor Formalities to give some slight tincture to your prejudgings I never did dictate any thing to my servants but what Nature did suggest unto me for the recovering of my liberty This is the third Objection of your Proces And I demand of you if I have not committed a great crime to desire a benefit which every common voice doth teach us which the laws do approve which all men do practise which Nature prompts the Nightingales and every little Bird unto that are imprisoned in their Cages what can he do less that sees himself in irons but implore the assistances of his friends and desire that some strong hand of mercy might open the prison for him I confess I have had the desire of liberty but I deny that I sought the effect thereof by that means which you alledge It is a strange thing that a Prisoner all whose action are spied into and every step she treads is counted should do the affair which great Sovereigns though of a free and most absolute power could not remove So many years are now passed since I have been as it were in the chains of miserable captivity yet neither the offers which I have made nor the assurances which I have given nor the increase of my sickness nor the declining of my age could move my Sister to my inlargement Have I not offered to contract a strict Friendship with her to cherish her to respect her above all the Princes in Christendom to forget all offences to acknowledge her the true and legitimate Queen of England submitting all my Rights to the benefit of her peace neither to pretend to nor take any part of the Crown during her life and to remove both the Title and the Arms of the Kingdom of England which I did attribute to my self by the commandment of Henrie the Second King of France And yet all these submissions have prevailed nothing for my Deliverance Am I so much to be blamed if I have desired forreign Princes my Friends and my Allies to draw me out from the depth of these miseries And yet I neither have nor was ever willing to confirm into the hands of the King of Spain the Right which he pretended to the Crown of England although he hath been angry with me concerning it but I have given respect unto my Sister so far that I have neglected both my life and liberty to satisfie her interests and have delighted my self with the prayers of Esther and not with the sword of Judith But I now speak and declare that since England is inequitable and so unkind unto me that I neither ought nor will misprise the aid of other Kings I have here sincerely declared my thoughts and my counsels to you on this Accusation and if Right and Equity must give way to Power and Force must oppress the Truth amongst men I do appeal to the living God who hath an absolute Empire of command over Elizabeth and my self I swear unto you by God and protest unto you on my honour that for this long time I have had my thoughts on no Kingdom but onely that of Heaven which I look on as the haven after my long sufferings I believe I have now satisfied all your Objections And you know indeed in your own conscience that nothing doth charge me but my birth nor render me guilty but my Religion But I will not deny that to which by Gods goodness I am born nor remove the character which I received in the day of my Baptism I have lived and I will die a Catholick It is the crime alone for which I need no Advocate to defend me in which I desire all the world to be my witness and fear not the severest Judges The poor Princess did mingle these words with her tears fore-seeing the persecution of her friends and considering how barbarously her Royal Dignity was exposed to the Advocates of the Palace who did all seem to have sworn her death Howsoever in their consciences they were touched to the quick because that what she represented was most true even by the