Therefore have charitable Conceit of me That I know to swear is an Offence to swear falsly at any time is a great Sin but to swear falsly before the Presence of Almighty God before whom I am forthwith to appear were an Offence unpardonable Therefore think me not now rashly or untruly to confirm or protest any thing As for other Objections as That I was brought perforce into England That I carried Sixteen Thousand Pounds in Money out of England with me more than I made known That I should receive Letters from the French King and such like with many Protestations he utterly denied England's Worthies by Will. Winstanley p. 303. 119. The Death of Henry Bullinger Mr. Bullinger falling Sick and his Disease encreasing many Godly Ministers came to visit him but some Months after he recovered and preached as formerly but soon Relapsed when finding his vital Spirits wasted and Nature much decayed in him he concluded his Death was at hand and thereupon said as followeth If the Lord will make any farther use of me and my Ministry in his Church I will willingly obey him but if he pleases as I much desire to take me out of this miserable Life I shall exceedingly rejoyce that he will be so pleased to take me out of this miserable and corrupt Age to go to my Saviour Christ Socrates said he was glad when his Death approached because he thought he shou'd go to Hesiod Homer and other Learned Men deceased and whom he expected to meet in the other World then how much more do I joy who am sure that I shall see my Saviour Christ the Saints Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Holy Men which have lived from the beginning of the World These I say I am sure to see and to partake with them in Joy Why then should I not be willing to die to enjoy their perpetual Society in Glory And then with Tears told them That he was not unwilling to leave them for his own sake but for the sake of the Church Then having written his Farewel to the Senate and therein admonished them to take care of the Churches and Schools and by their permission chose one Ralph Gualter his Successor he patiently resigned up his Spirit into the Hands of his Redeemer dying Anno Christi 1575. and or his Age 71. 120. Mr. Haines Minister of Westminister was acquainted with a Gentleman of a very Holy Life and Conversation Which said Gentleman as he lay in his Bed one Morning a Boy of about twelve Years of Age appeared to him in a radiant Light and bid him prepare to Die in twelve Days He being surprized at it sent for Mr. Haines and told him of it who perswaded him from believing of it telling him 't was only a Fancy But within six Days he was siez'd with a violent Fever and four or five Hours before his Death the same Boy came and sate upon his Pillow and as the Gentleman grew paler he changed colour too and just as the Breath went out of the Body he disappeared This is attested by the Gentleman's Family for they all saw it and Mr. Haines related it to a Person of good Reputation from whom I received it 121. The Last Will of Mr. Henry Stubbs Deceased July â— 1678. Published at the Desire of his Widow Mrs. D. S. KNowing that I must shortly put off this my Earthly Tabernacle I make my Last Will and Testament Imprimis I commend my Soul into the Hands of God wholly trusting in Jesus Christ my dear Lord and Saviour through his All-sufficient Satisfaction and powerful Mediation to be accepted Eph. 1.6 Item I commit my Body to the Earth from whence 't was taken in sure and certain Hope of a Resurrection to Life Eternal building upon that sure Word John 6.40 Item I leave my Fatherless Children to the Lord who hath promised to be a Father to the Fatherless Ps 68.5 And to preserve them alive Jer. 49.11 Commanding them to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 Item I â—xhort my Widow to trust in the Lord of whose care she hath had no little Experience and therefore should trust in him Psal 9.10 And I desire her to read often Jer. 49.11 Psal 68.5 Heb. 13.5 Item The Congregations to which I have been formerly a Preacher and that with which I now am by a special Hand of Providence I commend to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build them up and to give them an Inheritance amongst all them which are sanctified Acts 20.32 beseeching them by the Lord Jesus That as they ahve received of me how they ought to walk and please God so they would abound more and more 1 Thes 4.1 Item And for my Kindred according to the Flesh my Hearts Desire and Prayer to God for them is That they may be saved Rom. 10.1 Item And for all those yet living and who have seriously and earnestly desired my Prayers my earnest Request to God for them is That it would please him to do for them all as the Marter shall require 1 Kings 8.59 Item And for my Brethren in the Ministry my Prayer is That they may take heed to themselves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Acts 20.28 Item And for the People my Prayer is That they may obey them that have the Rule over them Heb. 13.17 Item And for Professors of Religion my Prayer is That they may walk worthy of God unto all well-pleasing being fruitful in every Good Work Col. 1.10 11. Item And for the King my Prayer is That Mercy and Truth may preserve him Prov. 26.28 And for Him and all that are in Authority my Prayer is That they may so lead their own Lives that the People under them may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 Item And for the whole Land of my Nativity my humble Prayer to the Lord of all Grace and Mercy is That the Power and Purity of the Gospel together with a Learned and Faithful Ministry to dispence the same may be continued and preserved therein The Last Words of those Eminent Persons who fell in the Defence of the Protestant Religion and the English Liberties both in London and the West of England from the Year 1678. to this time IN the two last Reigns many of the Flower of our Nobility and Gentry either lost their Lives or Estates or Liberties or Country whilst a Crew of Parasites triumphed and fluttered in their Ruins To see a Russel die meanly and ignobly in the Flower of his Age an Essex or a Godfry sacrificed to the insatiable Ambition and Revenge of their Enemies who yet not content with their Lives would like the Italian stab on after Death and tho' they could not reach their Souls endeavour to damn their Memories These and too many other such melancholy Instances would be
Spirit he struck the Door with a vehemency as if he had knock'd upon it with a hammer to signify his dislike of the matter If he took an ill Book into his hand to Read the Spirit would strike it that he might lay it down and so likewise would hinder him from Writing and Reading over-much Bodinus enquiring whether he ever saw the shape and form of the Spirit he told him that whilst awake he never saw any thing but a certain light very bright and clear and of a circular Figure but that once being in Jeopardy of his Life and having heartily pray'd to God that he would be pleased to provide for his safety about break of Day amidst his slumberings and wakings he espied on his Bed where he lay A young Boy clad in a white Garment tinctured with Purple and of a Visage admirably Lovely and Beautiful to behold This he confidently affirmed to Bodinus for a certain Truth H. More Antid against Atheism Edit 2d p. 245 c. 2. Ruffinus in his Ecclesiastical story reports that one Theodorus a Martyr told him that when he was hanging ten hours upon the Rack for Religion under Julian's Persecution his Joynts distended and distorted and his body exquisitely tortured with change of Executioners so as never Age could remember the like he felt no pain at all but continued all the while in the sight of all Men singing and smiling for there stood a comely young Man by him on his Gibbet which with a clean Towel still wip'd off his sweat and poured cool Water upon his Limbs wherewith he was so refreshed that it grieved him to be let down So far Dr. Joseph Hall Socratis scholasticus adds that Ruffinus had Acquaintance with this Theodorus and discoursed him upon 't to whom he said he was so comforted and confirmed in the Faith thereby that the hour of Torment was unto him rather a delectable Pleasure than a doleful Pain Socrat. Schol. Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 16. 3. Edwyn King of Northumberland then a Pagan being by himself alone and Solitary there appeared to him One who said I known well the cause of thy heaviness what wouldst thou give to him that would deliver thee from this fear I would said Edwyn give all that ever I could make And what said the other if I make thee a mightier King than any of thy Progenitors Edwyn answered as before Then said the other What if I shew thee a better way and kind of Life than was ever known to any of thy Ancestors Wilt thou obey and do after may Counsel Yes said he with all my Heart Then the other laying his Hand on his Head said When this Token happens unto thee then remember this time of thy Tribulation and the Promise that thou hast made and the Words I have spoken and so he vanished out of his sight But afterwards being over-born by the Counsel of his Nobles he deferred to perform his Promise Afterwards being struck at with the envenom'd Sword of a certain Ruffian sent by the King of the West-Saxons to assassinate him but escaping by the interposition of one of his Servants who received the Sword through his own Body being himself wounded only with the Sword 's Point with which Wound he lay long Upon Recovery he goes against those West Saxons promising Jesus Christ upon Victory to be Baptized Which tho' he obtained yet still he was slow to be Baptized Only he left off his Idolatrous Services and heard Bishop Paulinus Preach 'till the Bishop came to the King at a fit Season and laying his Hand on his Head ask'd him if he remembred not that Token upon which he was presently Baptized and destroyed his Idols with their Altars Clark's Exampl and Martyrol c. 4. When Theodosius Jun. sent his Army under Ardubarius against the Persians and for the Relief of the Persecuted Christians and the Citizens were sad and heavy fearing the Event of the War a Company of Angels appeared to certain Christians in Bythinia that were travelling to Constantinople and willed them to be of good Cheer and to Pray and put their Trust in God and then to expect confidently the good Success and Victory of Ardubarius For God had sent them as Governors and Sovereign Captains of that War Idem 5. Cotterus accounted by Comenius as a Prophet of Silesia and persecuted stoutly by the Emperor's Praefect was A. C. 1628 entertained by Adam Pohe a Sadler of Sprattovia for half a Year gratis till the time of his Imprisonment The next Year Adam falling Sick and Lame his Nerves shrank up and was confined to his Bed for half a Year A Day before the Emperor's Commissioners came to reform the Town as they called it a Young Man appeared by his Bed-side in white Cloathing saying Adam this is the Day wherein God hath decreed to take Vengeance on this City Arise Go in the name of the Lord put on thy clothes and with thy Wife and Young Daughter fly away make hasie upon which he recovered and escaped Hisi Prophet p. 22. 6. Cutbert Symson Deacon of the Congregation in London in Queen Mary's Reign being imprison'd in the Stocks the Day before his Condemnation about Eleven of the Clock toward Midnight heard one coming in first opening the outward Door then the Second then the Third and so looking into the said Cutbert having no Candle or Torch that he could see but giving a comfortable Brightness and Light joyful to the Heart and saying Ha! unto him departed again Fox Martyrol 7. Samuel Wallace of Stamford in Lincolnshire a shoe-maker having been 13 Years sick of a Consumption upon Whitsunday after Sermon 1659 being alone in the House and reading in a Book called Abraham's Suit for Sodom he heard somebody wrap at the Door upon which he rose and went with his Stick in one Hand and holding by the Wall with the other to see who was at the Door where he found a proper grave Old Man with Hair as white as Wool curled up and a white broad Beard of a fresh Complexion with a fashionable Hat little narrow Band Coat and Hose of a Purple Colour pure white Stockings and new black Shoes tied with Ribbons of the same colour with his Cloaths without Spot of Wet or Dirt upon him though it rained when he came in and had done all that Day Hands as white as Snow without Gloves Who said to him Friend I pray thee give to an Old Pilgrim a Cup of thy small Beer Samuel Wallace answering I pray you Sir come in To which he replied Friend call me not Sir for I am no Sir but yet come in I must for I cannot pass by thy Door before I come in Wallace with the help of his Stick drew a little Jug-Pot of Small-Beer which the Pilgrim took and drank a little then walked two or three times to and fro and drank again and so a Third time before he drank it all And when he had so done he walked Three
speedy approaching of his final Destruction Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 32. 8. John Knox to the Earl of Morton who came to visit him in his Sickness said my Lord GOD hath given you many Blessings Wisdom Honour Nobility Riches many good and great Friends and he is now about to prefer you to the Government of the Realm the Earl of Marr the late Regent being newly dead in His Name I charge you use these Blessings better than formerly you have done seeking first the Glory of God the Furtherance of his Gospel the Maintenance of his Church and Ministry and then be careful of the King to procure his Good and the Welfare of the Realm if you do thus God will be with you and honour you if otherwise he will deprive you of all these Benefits and your end shall be Shame and Ignominy These Speeches the Earl call'd to mind about nine Years after at the time of his Execution saying That he had found John Knox to be a Prophet Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 322. 9. The same Knox a day or two before his Death calling Mr. Lindsey and Mr. Lawson to him the two Preachers of the Church said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly you have some time seen the Courage and Constancy of the Laird of Graing in the cause of God and now that unhapyy Man is casting himself away I pray you go to him from me and tell him that unless he forsake that wicked Course that he is in the Rock wherein he confides shall not defend him nor the Carnal Wisdom of the Man which he counts half a God which was young Leskington shall yeild him Help but he shall be shamefully pull'd out of that Nest and his Carcass hung before the Sun meaning the Castle which he kept against the King's Authority for his Soul is dear to me and if it were possible I would fain have him saved Accordingly they went to him conferr'd with him but could by no means divert him from his course But as Knox had foretold so the Year after his Castle was taken and his Body was there publickly hang'd before the Sun yet he did at his Death express a serious Repentance Ibid. p. 323. 10. How Mr. Dod by a secret Impulse of Spirit went at an unseasonable time to visit a Neighbour whom he found with a Halter in his Pocket going to hang himself and by such a seasonable Visit prevented his Death See elsewhere in this Book 11. Dr. Bernard in the Life of Arch-bishop Vsher tells us That the Bishop himself had confessed in his Hearing that oftentimes in his Sermons he found such warm Motions and Impulses upon his Mind to utter some things which he had not before intended to deliver or not to deliver with so much Briskness and Peremptoriness that he could not easily put them by without present Expression and Delivery I remember not the Doctor 's words but of this nature were those remarkable Predictions of his concerning the Massacre in Ireland and his own Poverty c. which because I have not Bishop Vsher's Life by me written by Dr. Bernard take out of Mr. Clark Upon the Suspension of the Statute in Ireland against the Toleration of Papists Preaching before the State at Dublin making Application of that Text Ezek. c. 4. v. 6. where the Prophet by lying on his Side was to bear the Iniquity of Judah for 40 days I have appointed thee saith the Lord each day for a year This saith he by the Consent of Interpreters signifies the time of 40 Years to the Destruction of Jerusalem and of that Nation for their Idolatry and so said he will I teckon from this Year the Sin of Ireland and at the end of the time those whom you now embace shall be your Ruin and you shall bear this Iniquity wherein he prov'd a Prophet For this was delivered by him A. C. 1601. and A. C. 1641. was the Irish Massacre and Rebellion and what a continued Expectation he had of a grat Judgment upon his Native Country I saith Dr. Bernard can witness from the year 1624. Clark in his Life Dr. Bernard I remember makes this Remark upon that Sermon that it was the last the Bishop wrote at length and it was dated with a particular Notion of the Day and Year He foretold likewise his own future Poverty when he was in his greatest Prosperity and spoke before many Witnesses 1624. repeated it often afterwards that he was perswaded that the greatest Shake to the Reformed Churches was yet to come In short as I said before he often acknowledged that sometimes in his Sermons he was resolved to forbear speaking of some things but it proved like Jeremiah's Fire shut up in his Bones that when he came to it he could not forbear unless he would have stood mute and proceeded no further Ibid. 12. Mr. Hugh Broughton in one of his Sermons 1588. when the Spanish Navy was upon the Sea and Men's Hearts were full of Fears of the Event Now saith he the Papists Knees knock one against another as the Knees of King Belshazzar did and News will come that the Lord hath scatter'd that Invincible Navy Fear ye not nor be dismay'd at these smoaking Firebrands In his Life p. 2. 13. Bishop Jewel crossing the Thames when on a sudden at the rising of a Tempest all were astonished looking for nothing but to be drowned assured Bishop Ridley that the Boat carry'd a Bishop that must be burnt and not drowned In Bishop Jewel's Life 14. Mrs. Katherine Stubs after she had Conceived with Child of a Daughter three or four Years after Marriage said many times to her Husband and others That that Child would be her Death She was delivered safely within a Fortnight and was able to go abroad but presently after fell sick of a Burning Quotidian Ague of which she died See her Life 15. Impulses Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq Oliver Cromwell had certainly this Afflatus One that I knew that was at the Battle of Dunbar told me that Oliver was carried on with a Divine Impulse he did Laugh so excessively as if he had been drunk his Eyes sparkled with Spirits He obtain'd a great Victory but the Action was said to be contrary to Humane Prudence The same fit of Laughter seiz'd Oliver Cromwell just before the Battle of Naseby as a Kinsman of mine and a great Favourite of his Collonel J. P. then present testified 16. King Charles the I. after he was Condemn'd did tell Collonel Thomlinson that he believed That the English Monarchy was at an end About half an Hour after he told the Collonel That now he had an Assurance by a strong Impulse on his Spirit that his Son should Reign after him This Information I had from Fabian Philips Esq of the Inner-Temple who had good Authority for the Truth of it I have forgot who it was 17. The Lord Roscomon being a Boy of Ten Years of Age at Caen in Normandy one day was
Brugis for W. Thackery at the Angel in Duck-Lane Let part of France and part of Germany and Spain look to it for they either offensively or defensively shall batter themselves or some other People and in as much as it is gotten into Capricorn I pray God keep the Dominions of Great Britain in Peace because under Capricorn is the North part of Sotland for it is much to be feared the Scots may once more Rebel against England c. And at last I shall now conclude with this Astrological prediction that within this five years all Europe shall go near to be up in Arms. Multi multa sciunt sed nemo omnia Thus far my Author too truely 12. A Neighbour and Friend of mine in Shropshire with whom I have had several discourses about the Lawfulness and certainty of Astrology always asserted the Lawfulness of it because he saw nothing but what was natural in it but confessed the uncertainty of it in many cases as others have done before him not through default of the Art but the Weakness and Unskilfulness of the Artist And he mentioned some particular Instances of his own Experiments wherein he had hit upon the Truth as particularly when one Captain C. near Salop had lost a Horse out of his Stable he was sent for and desired to cast a Figure which he accordingly did and gave such a particular description of the Man that had stole him and the way he was gone that by Virtue of his Directions the Horse was presently found His other Instances I remember not but he was reputed an honest Farmer a good Neighbour and a very facetious Man I suppose he is stil lliving 13. Prophesies Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq to pass by the Prophesies of Holy-Writ the Prophesies of Nostraedamus do foretel very strangely but not easily understood till they are fulfilled The Book is now common In a Book of Mr. William Lilly's are Hieroglyphick Prophesies Viz. Of the great Plague of London expressed by Graves and Dead Corps and a Scheme with II ascending the Sign of London and no Planets in the XII Houses Also there is the Picture of London all on Fire also Moles creeping c. Perhaps Mr. Lilly might be contented to have People believe that this was from himself But Mr. Thomas Flatman Poet did affirm that he had seen those Hieroglyphicks in an old Parchment Manuscript Writ in the time of the Monks 14. There is a Prophecy of William Tyndal poor Vicar of Welling in the County of Hertford made in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign I have seen it It is in English Verse two Pages and an half in Folio It fore-told our late Wars I know one that read it Forty Years since 15. Before the Civil-Wars there was much talk of the Lady Ann Davys's Prophesies for which she was kept Prisoner in the Tower of London She was Sister to the Earl of Castlehaven and Wife to Sir John Davys Lord Chief Justice in Ireland I have heard his Kinsman Counsellor Davys of Shraftsbury say that she being in London I think in the Tower did tell the very time of her Husbands Death in Ireland Thus far Mr. Aubrey CHAP. XII Of ORACLES ALL that I propound to my self under this Head is to shew not what Illusions and Impostures were used by the Priests to Cheat the poor Votaries with that Addressed to them much less to vindicate them from the Frauds of Ambiguity and Vanity but to evince this That by them God Almighty permitted sometimes Things otherwise Secret and Future to be made known and this by the mediation of invisible Spirits as the Agents that some Responses were given by Oracles which could not be imputed to the Artifice of a Mechanical Statue nor yet to the Wit of the Priest that officiated As for Instance among the Heathen Oracles for such only I mean this place 1. The Oracle of Delphos the most Famed of all other being consulted for a Resolution of this Question Who was the most happy Man The Answer was made Phedius who died but a while before in the Service of his Countrey The same Question being sent a second time by Gyges one of the greatest Kings in those days of all the Earth viz. Who was the happiest Man next to Phedius The Answer was made Aglaus Sophidius This Aglaus was a good honest Man well stricken in Years dwelling in a very narrow Corner of Arcadia where he had a little House and Land of his own sufficient with the yearly Profits thereof to maintain him plentifully with ease out of which he never went but employed himself in the Tillage and Husbandry of it to make the best benefit he could in such manner that as it appeared by that course of Life as he coveted least so he felt as little Trouble and Adversity while he lived Plin. Nat. Hist l. 7. c. 46. 2. Julian the Apostate Op. p. 181. Ep. 38. makes frequent mention of Oracles in his time particularly in an Epistle to Maximus the Cynick concerning whose Trouble he had by another though at a great distance Consulted the Oracle and received an Apposite Answer Doctor Tenison against Hobbs The Doctor adds also that which is to my purpose viz. I cannot prevail upon my Mind to think that the Priests had no Assistance from Daemons 3. Extracted from the Miscellanies of Mr. Aubrey Hieronimus Cardanus Lib. III. Synesiorum Somniorum Cap. XV. treats of this Subject which see Johannes Scotus Erigena when he was in Greece did go to an Oracle to Enquire for a Treatise of Aristotle and found it by the Response of the Oracle This he mentions in his Works lately Printed at Oxford and is quoted by Mr. Anthony à Wood in his Antiquities of Oxen in his Life 4. Concerning the Oracles of the Sybils there hath been much Controversie and many Discourses spent but after all we have little of their Writings to rely upon excepting only those of the Cumaean Prophetess and those especially which are Recorded by Virgil yet that very same Year that Jerusalem was taken by Pompey it was noised abroad in the World That Nature was with Child for the People of Rome of a King that should Reign over them Whereupon as Suetonius writeth in the Life of Augustus the Senate being affrighted made Order That none Born in that Year should be brought up They who had Wives great with Child promising themselves some hopes thereupon took care lest this Decree of the Senate should be carried to the Treasury The same Year P. Cornelius Lentulus was stirred up therewith conceiving some hopes for himself as both Appian Plutarch Salustius and Cicero in his third Oration against Cataline testifie c. The Verses of the Sybils which gave occasion to these Thoughts and Counsels were these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
c. Isaac Vâ—s de Sybil. Orac. p. 20. The Sybils Oracles gave such Testimony to the Expectation of a Messiah that at last the reading of them was forbid to private Persons Justin Martyr saith It was a capital Crime for any one to read the Books of Hystaspes Sybilla and the Prophets as the same Vossius tells us out of his Second Apology And the Christians whenever they were engaged in Disputation with the Gentiles always Appealed to the Sybils and commended them to their Books as is clear from Justin M. Clements Tertullian Lactantius and all Ibid. p. 34. 5. Croesus King of Lydia having determined to War upon Cyrus Consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphos touching the Success whence he received this Answer Croesus Halyn penetrante magnam disperdet opnmvim When Croesus has the Halys past A Sword of Treasure shall he wast He Interpreted this of the Riches of his Adversaries but the Event shewed they were his own for he lost his army Kingdom and Liberty in that Expedition Herodot l. 1. p. 20. Dinoth memorab p. 409. 6. There were some ancient Stories of the Sybils in which was contained That Africa should again fall under the power of the Romans Mundum cum prole sua interiturum This Prophecy of the Sybils affrighted very many extreamly sollicitous lest the Heavens and the Earth together with all Mankind should then perish But Africa being Reduced by the fortunate Virtue of Belisarius it then appeared That the Death of Mundus the then General and of Mauritius his Son was Predicted by the Sybil who in Battle against the Goths were both Slain at Salona a City in Dalmatia Dinoth l. 6. p. 412. 7. Nero Caesar Consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphos touching his future Fortune and was thereby Advised To beware of the Sixty and Third Year he concluded that he should not only arrive to old Age but also that all things should be prosperous to him and was so entirely possessed that nothing could be Fatal till that Year of his Age that when he had lost divers things of great value by Ship-wreck he doubted not to say amongst his Attendants That the Fishes would bring them back to him But he was deceived in his Expectation for Galba being in the Sixty third Year of his Age was Saluted Emperor by his Soldiers and Nero being forced to death was succeeded by him in the Empire Sueton. l. 6. c. 40. p. 259. Zuring Theatr. vol. 1. l. 1. p. 78. 8. Alexander King of Epirus Consulted the Oracle of Jupiter at Dodona a City of Epire about his Life he was Answered That he should shun the City of Pandosia and the River Acherusius as fatal places he knew there were such places amongst the Thospoci Warring therefore upon the Brutii a warlike People he was by them overthrown and slain near unto places amongst them called by the same name Alex. ab Alexand. dies Genial l. 5. c. 2. Fitzherb of Relig. and Policy Part 1. c. 36. p. 446. Just. l. 12. p. 134. 9. Croesus sent to Delphos to know of the Oracle if his Empire and Government should be durable or not the Answer he received was Regis apud medos mulo jam sede potico Lyde fugam mollis scruposum corripe ad Hermum Neve mane ignavus posito sis Lyde pudore When the Verses came to Croesus he took great pleasure therein hoping it would never come to pass that amongst the Medes a Mule instead of a Man should Reign and that therefore he and his Posterity should preserve their Empire unabolished But when after he was overcome he had got leave of Cyrus to send to Delphos to upbraid the Oracle with the Deceit Apollo sent him word That by the Mule he meant Cyrus because he was Born of Parents of two different Nations of a more noble Mother than Father for she was a Mede the Daughter of Astyapes King of the Medes the Father a Persian and Subject to the Medes and though a very mean Person had yet married Mandane the Daughter of his King Herod l. 1. p. 21. 39. 10. In the last place I recommend to the Consideration of the Ingenuous Reader these Verses out of Virgil ascribed to Cumaea one of the Sybils concerning Christ as I find them Translated out of the Ancient Ecclesiastical Histories of Eusebius Socrates and Evagrius c. by Dr. Hanmer in Constantines Oration to the Clergy c. 20. p. 124. Now a new Progeny is sent down from Heaven high Yea Muses with a lofty wing Let us of higher Matters sing This is the last Age wherein Cumaea shall her Verses sing The Integrity of Times shall new renew again And a Virgin shall bring back old Saturn's Reign The Birth of that most happy Child in whom The Iron Age shall end and the Golden Age back 〈◊〉 Chast Lucina favour He shall the powers of wickedness destroy And free the World from Fears and all Aâ—â—y He shall live with the Gods and see again The Gods and Heroes and be seen of them And with his Fathers Vertues he shall Reign Over the World which shall Peace obtain The grateful Earth sweet Child shall be most willing To bring forth Gifts for thee without all Tilling The winding Ivy and the Ladies Gloves And also Saffron that the Medow loves And is called Medow-Saffron and with those That smiling Flower that 's call'd our Ladies Rose The Goats shall bring their Vdders home And the gentle Flocks great Lyons shall not shun Thy Cradle fairest Flowers shall bring forth still Which shall have power the poysonous Herbs to kill The Serpent he shall to destruction bring Assyrian Amomum shall each-where spring He may at once know Vertue and may read His Father's Works and what the Heroes did The Fields when the soft Ears are ripe Shall by degrees even wax white And the red Grnpe shall not scorn To grow on the undrest Thorn From the hard Oak there shall Sweet Honey sweat forth and fall Yet some few Prints of wickedness shall remain So that Ships shall sail on Thetis Waves again Which shall make them to encompass their Towns round With Walls and to make Trenches on the ground Another Typhis and Argos there shall be To convey the chosen Heroes and besides we Shall have other wars again us to destroy And great Achilles shall be sent to Troy VVhen thou shalt attain at length To Years of Man-hood and firm strength The Sea shall then be quiet no Ships shall range Abroad her Wares with others to exchange Then every Land shall every thing produce And then to Plough the Earth they shall not use Vines by the Hook shall not be rectify'd Nor VVooll with divers colours shall be dy'd Fair Fleeces voluntary shall proceed And cloath the Lambs while they do gently feed Jove's Off spring and the Gods dear Progeny Come to those Honours which attend on thee See how the VVorld doth nod though poised even Both Earth the broad Sea and the highest
their own condition and with what difficulty they were rescued from so great a danger And for the most part great Penitents are more free from Pride and Contempt of others the consideration of what themselves once were being enough to keep them humble all their days So that Penitents are many times more throughly and perfectly good and after their recovery do in several respects out-strip and excel those who were never engaged in a vicious course of Life As a broken Bone that is well sett is sometimes stronger than it was before Thus far Arch-Bishop Tillotson I now proceed to give Instances of several strange Convictions and Conversions 1. Upon St. Paul's Sermon Preached upon occasion of the Altar inscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at Athens Dionysius the Areopagite with Damaris his Wife was converted 2. Justin Martyr was converted by beholding the Constancy Courage and Patience of the Christians in their Torments and Persecutions and the Instructions of an Old grave Man that met casually with him afterwards and advised him to quit the Philosophers and Study the Prophets Which he presently did tho he had been formerly under the Tutorage of Stoic Peripatetic Pythagorean and Platonist successively Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist. 3. Tertullian was converted by Reading the Scriptures and Writings of other Learned and Holy Men Quicquid agitur saith he speaking of Scripture Prenunciabatur Ibid. 4. Ambrose was converted by Origen Cyprian by the Ministry of Cecilius Presbyter of Carthage whose Name he afterward bore upon occasion of a Sermon he Preached on the History of the Prophet Jonas Ibid. 5. S. Augustine was converted by occasion of a Story related by Pontitian a Lawyer about the Retirement and Devotion of S. Antony the Hermit which so moved his Passions that he presently with-drew into the Garden broke forth into Tears and Cried out to his Dear Companion Alipius who followed him close at the Heels What is this What do we hear Vnlearned People rise and take Heaven by Violence whilst we with all our Learning wallow in Flesh and Blood Is it because we are ashamed to follow them Rather should we not be ashamed that they go before us And with this throwing himself upon the ground at a convenient distance from Alipius he seemed to hear a Voice as of some little child crying Tolle Lege Take up and Read concluding it to be a Voice from Heaven he opens the Book of St. Paul's Epistles which he had with him and hitting immediately upon that Text Rom. 13.12 13 14. Not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness c. He concluded it to be a very proper Lesson to spend his thoughts at that time upon Shewed it to Alipius who reading forward concluded the subsequent Verse to be as proper for him Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 7.9 S. Augustine on a time forgetting the Argument he was upon made a digression to a point of Difference between the Orthodox and Manichees at which time one Firmus a Rich Merchant and a Manichee being present was so convinced that he came to him afterwards with Tears and on his Knees confessed his Errors and promised reformation Also one Felix a Manichee coming to Hippo to spread his Heresy in a Disputation with Augustine after the third time was so convinced that he recanted his Errors and was joyned to the Church Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist Here it may not be impertinent to remember that Austine going one time out of Curiosity to hear S. Ambrose was so lectured by an occasional Argument delivered in the Assembly by that Holy Man which touch'd his copy-hold that he thought verily Ambrose design'd it for a particular reproof Tho himself tells us in his Book of Confessions that he did afterwards believe S. Ambrose had no such purpose 6. Fulgentius being made the King's Collector and obliged to a Rigorous Exaction of Taxes and Impositions at last was wearied with the Burden and Variety of secular cares and dissatisfied with the vain felicity of the VVorld and in his Affections aspired after a more Spiritual Life and so began to pray and read the Scriptures and often resorted to the Monasteries where tho he perceived they had no VVorldly Solace yet neither had they any weariness in their present condition whereupon he brake out in these words with himself Why Travel I in the World It can yeild me no future or durable Reward answerable to my Pains Tho it be better to VVeep well then Rejoyce ill yet if to rejoyce be our desire how much more excellent is their Joy who have a good Conscience before God who dread nothing but Sin Study to do nothing but to accomplish the Precepts of Christ Now therefore let me change my Trade and as before I endeavour'd amongst my Noble Friends to prove more Noble so now let my Care and Imployment be amongst the Humble and Poor Servants of the Highest to become more Poor and Humble then they and like S. Matthew let me turn from a Publican to a Disciple Upon this he broke off his Old Acquaintance and Conversation and by degrees addicted himself to Fasting and Retirement Reading and Prayer and reading S. Augustine upon p. 36. without any further delay he put himself into a Monastery under Faustus where he became one of his Disciples Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist. p. 90 91. 7. Luther at the Age of One and Twenty was so affrighted at the violent Death of a Dear and Faithful Companion of his whom he mightily Loved that he betook himself into the Augustine Monks College at Erford and Writ to his Parents the occasion of his thus changing his course of Life and this was a good step to a serious Disposition and Religious Temper of Mind Afterwards by Sickness reading of S. Augustin's Works and observing how at Rome they said Masse in such a careless detestable manner that at the Communion-Table he heard the Curtezans laugh and boast of their Wickedness c. others say Bread thou art and Bread thou shalt remain c. And at last being startled with the profuseness of Indulgences sent from the Pope by John Tecelius into Germany with so large a Commission that tho a Man had defloured the Blessed Virgin yet for Money he could pardon his Sin Luther's Zeal took fire and set up for the Reformation Hear him giving an Account of himself Speaking of his own Works he thus Writes Above all things I now request the Pious Reader and beseech him for the Lord Jesus Christs fake that he reads my Books with Judgment yea with much pity and let him remember that I was sometime a Friaer and a Mad Papist and when I first undertcok this cause so Drunken and Drowned in Popish Doctrines that I was ready if I could to have killed all Men or to have assisted others in doing of it who withdrew their obedience from the Pope but in one Syllable Such a Soul was I as there are many at this day neither was I
of Ireland once had but I have been assured from my Honoured Friend James Tyrrel Esq his Lordship's Grand-son that this was not an Ecstasie but that his Lordship upon reading the 12 13 14 c. Chapters of the Revelation and farther Reflecting upon the great increase of the Sectaries in England supposed that they would let in Popery which consideration put him into a great Transport at the time when his Daughter the Lady Tyrrel came into the Room when he Discoursed to her divers things tho' not all contained in the said Printed Paper Thus far Mr. Aubery 10. Mr. Brewen of Sâ—apleford as he excelled others in the Holiness of his Life so he much excelled himself towards his death his Motions towards Heaven being then most vigorous and quick The Day before his last sickness he had such extraordinary Inlargements of Heart in his Closet-Duty that he seemed to forget all the Concernments of his Body and this lower World and when his Wife told him Sir I fear you have done your self hurt with Rising so early He Answer'd If you had seen such glorious things as I saw this Morning in private Prayer with God you would not have said so for they were so wonderful and unspeakable that whether I was in the Body or out of the Body with Paul I cannot tell And so it was with the Learned and Holy Mr. Rivet who seemed as a Man in Heaven just before he went thither 11. It is Recorded of our Famous Jewel That about the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign the Inquisition taking hold of him in Oxford he fled to London by Night but providentially losing the Road he escaped the Inquisitors who pursued him However he fell that Night into another eminent hazard of Life for wandring up and down in the Snow he fainted and lay starving in the way panting and labouring for Life at which time Mr. Latimer's Servant found and saved him See his Life 12. The Protestants besieged in Bezier's in France were delivered by a Drunken Drummer who going to his Quarters at Mid-night rang the Alarm-Bell of the Town not knowing what he did and just then were their Enemies making their Assault And as weak and improbable means have been blessed with Success to the Church in general so to the preservation of its particular Members also William of Nassau Prince of Orange as he lay in Camp near to the Duke of Alva's Army some Spaniards in the Night brake into his Camp and some of them ran as far as the Prince of Orange's Tent where he was fast asleep but he had a Dog lying by him on the Bed that never left Barking and Scratching him by the Face till he had awaked him whereby he escaped the Danger Strada 13. Queen Elizabeth's Preservation in the Tower in the time of her Imprisonment is a Remarkable Providence not to be forgot viz. When her Bloody Sister Queen Mary had design'd her Death she was preserved by King Philip Queen Mary's Husband who had not perhaps his Fellow in Christendom at that time for Cruelty and Persecution of the Reformed and was moved to the Saving the Princess Elizabeth's Life not so much by his Bowels of Compassion as a Principle of Policy For if Queen Mary should die Childless as indeed he feared if the Princess Elizabeth had been taken out of the way the Queen of Scots a Papist would have come to the Crown of England who being inseparably joyned in League with France might both of them together been too hard for Spain and that his Gentleness to the Princess could be on no other account appears plainly by his putting his Eldest Son to death upon no other Account than for his being so mercifully inclined to the Protestants in the Netherlands This remarkable Providence needs no vouching but however it may be found in a Book that goes under the Name of Mr. Slingsby Bethel in Octavo p. 6. Printed in London A. C. 1694. 14. When several oppressed with the Cruelty and Tyranny of Richard the Third did confederate to Raise Henry Earl of Richmond to the Crown and by his Marriage with Elizabeth Eldest Daughter of Edward the Fourth to Unite the Houses of York and Lancaster Mr. Henry Wiat was one therein Ingaged and Intrusted in the Association and Correspondence between the Duke beyond Sea and his Friends in England and passed with Messages for which he was Suspected and Examined but for want of Proof discharged he was afterwards thereof Accused committed to the Tower and Tortured for Discovery of the Duke's Design and Friends in England but neither Threats Torture or fair Promises of Reward could prevail so that he was cast into the Dungeon and Fed with Bread and Water and there lay at the Duke's Descent and Victory where a Cat did use to come to him and bring Provision or he had been Starved He for his Fidelity was preferred made a Knight Baronet by Henry the Seventh and of the Privy Council to Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth This Relation hath been received true in the Family in Kent and in Memory thereof his Picture is preserved with a Cat creeping in at a Grate with a Pidgeon in its Mouth and these Verses added Hunc macrum rigidum maestum fame frigore cura Pavi fovi acui carne calore Joco This Relation was sent me November 16. 1696. by Counsellor Wiat now Living at Serjeants Inn near Fleet-street II. Sea-Dangers and Deliverances 1. Great were the Dangers and wonderful the Deliverances of Will. Okely and his Company the Relation of which from his own Book I have thus Contracted An. Dom. 1639. We took Ship at Gravesend in the Mary of London Mr. Boarder Master bound for the Isle of Providence in the West-Indies Five Weeks we lay in the Downs waiting for a Wind and then we set Sail and came to Anchor near the Isle of Wight but by this time all our Beer in the Ship stunk and we were forced to throw it over-board and to take Vinegar to mix with Water for our Voyage The next Lord's Day we set Sail again and coming between the Island and the main Land we stuck fast in the Sands but the Tide coming in heaved us off The sixth Day after our setting Sail from the Isle of Wight we discovered three Turks Men of War who Chased us and at break of Day boarded and took us Having kept us close Prisoners at Sea at the end of five or six Weeks they brought us to Algiers where I was sold for a Slave the first Market-Day to a Patron who told me I must allow him two Dollars a Month and live ashoar where I would and get it where I could though I knew not where to Levy the least Mite of it Wandering up and down I light of an English-Man in his little Shop that Traded with Tobacco and a few other Things His Partner I became with a little Money I had reserved and a small modicum my Patron had allowed me for my
reacheth to all Mankind but is most illustriously visible in watching over Kings and Princes those Great Instruments of Good to Mankind and so we find it Recorded in more Capital and Legible Characters by the Pen-Men of S. Scripture and so we may find it too in Humane Histories It would be too wide a Field to walk in to take a Prospect of Foreign Nations I shall in this place confine my self to my Own and Remark a little what signal Deliverances our Princes have received since the Reformation I. In the Reign of Queen Elizabeth 1. Pope Paulus Quintus a Man of a fierce Nature and Disposition A. C. 1569. was so far wrought upon That in the most Solemn manner that could be he Excommunicated and Anathematized our Blessed Queen and caused a Brief thereof with his Leaden Bull annexed thereto to be fastned to the Gate of the Bishop of London's Palace near Pauls Church by one John Felton who being Apprehended confessed the Fact and received the reward of his Treason on a Gibbet before the said Gate This Excommunication caused much Trouble on Man's part but manifold Preservations and Deliverances on God's part 2. A C. 1563. Arthur Poole of the Race of George Duke of Clarence of the House of York with sundry of his Kindred and Alliance Conspired to set on foot again the Title of Mary Queen of Scots and to bring an Army out of France into Wales to back the same but before they could bring their Plot to maturity it was discovered and themselves Condemned 3. A. C. 1570. the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland encouraged by Promises of Aid from the Pope and Spaniard raised a Rebellion against the Queen in the Northern Parts but the Fire was soon quenched the Earl of Northumberland being taken and Beheaded and the Earl of Westmoreland flying beyond Sea ended his Days in a poor and mean Condition 4. A. C. 1570 John Story Doctor of Law a Spy to the Duke de Alva Conspired with one Prestol a Man much addicted to Magick and a Subject to the King of Spain against the Life of Queen Elizabeth He gave Intelligence to the said Duke how he might Invade England and cause Ireland to revolt But God brought this Treason to light Story and Prestol were by the Parliament Condemned for Treason and accordingly Executed 5. A. C. 1571. The Bishop of Rosse practised with sundry English Men to intercept Queen Elizabeth and to trouble the Parliament then sitting that so another Queen might be set up instead of Elizabeth but there fell out such mutual Mistrust amongst the Conspirators that their Plot turned to their own Confusion 6. A. C. 1578. Thomas Stukely an English Fugitive plotted with Pius V. and Gregory XIII to Lead Forces into Ireland to Assist the Rebels and to Conquer it for the Pope's Natural Son for which purpose he was made General of 8000 Italian Soldiers but by the persuasion of Sebastian King of Portugal he first led his Troops into Mauritania and was there Slain 7. A. C. 1580. Nicholas Sanders an English Priest had a Consecrated Banner given him by the Pope and an Army of Spaniards wherewith he entred Ireland and joyning with the Rebels caused a great Insurrection but it proved the Ruin of himself and of all his Accomplices 8. A. C. 1581. Robert Parsons Edmond Campion with other Seminary Priests were sent by the Pope from Rome to England to with-draw the Queen's Subjects from their Allegiance and to prepare them to take part with Foreign Powers when sent into England but their design was frustrated Campion Shâ—rwin Kirby and Bryant were Convicted Condemned for High Treason and accoadingly Executed 9. A. C. 1583. John Somervil was Apprehended as he came in a desperate manner to have killed the Queen being moved thereto as himself confessed by the Reading of certain Popish Books published by certain Priests After his Condemnation he Strangled himself in Newgate 10. A. C. 1585. Will. Parry Doctor of Law made a promise to kill the Queen upon promise of Absolution from the Pope but through Terror he deferred till his Treason was discovered and he received a due Reward for the same A. C. 1586. John Ballard a Romish Priest persuaded some Gentlemen to kill the Queen as she was going to take the Air which they vowed to do but being discovered before the Effect Fourteen of them were Executed as Traitors A. C. 1587. William Stafford a young Gentleman and one Moody a desperate Ruffian were Suborned by a Foreign Ambassador then in England to kill the Queen but were prevented 13. A. C. 1588. Philip formerly of England then King of Spain endeavoured by his Invincible Armado to recover England the Strength of which take out of Ranzovius's Com. Bell. l. 1. c. 8. The Navy consisted of 130 Ships and carried 57868 Lasts Soldiers c. 19295. Sea-Men 8052. great Guns 2441. Pilas seu glandes Tormentarias I know not well whether my Author means Mortar-Pieces or Cannon-Bullets 123090. Hundreds of Powder 1151. a great quantity of fresh Water Dishes Candles Lamps Clubs Leather Tow Flax and Straw to stop the chinks of the Ships great Plenty Shields Wax-Candles Tallow-Candles long Sacks a great Number for carrying of the great Guns 40 Mules together with Wagons Wheels c. Field-Pieces 1500. long Guns 7000. Forked and Crooked at the Handle 1000. Halbards and Axes 1000. Short Pikes 6000. Pioneers 700. Persons needful for such an Expedition Stipendiary Soldiers Gunners Physicians Chirurgeons Priests Monks Nobles Servants Governours Judges Admirals Mariners Seamen Cooks c. almost 30693. Provision for 6 Months thus Hundreds of Bisket 11000 Barrels of Wine 21255 Hundreds of Salt Flesh 6000 Hundreds of Cheese 3433 Hundreds of Salt Fish 8000 Hundreds of Oats 3000 Hundreds of Beans c. 6320 Baths of Oil 11398 Baths of Vinegar 13687 Pipes of Potable Water 11870 Paid to the Soldiers for Stipend 12000 Ducats besides a great quantity of Gold and Silver for carrying on and maintaining the War And yet saith my Author the English discharged upon this Fleet 10000 Guns Pant. Attic. Bellar. par 2. p. 208 209. ex Comment Bell. Ranzov l. 1. c. 8. 14. A. C. 1593. Patrick Cullin an Irish Fencer was hired by English Fugitives in the Low Countries to kill the Queen and with that purpose came over but Intelligence being given thereof he was Apprehended and Executed 15. The same Year Edmond York and Richard Williams were hired in like manner to kill the Queen and to burn her Navy with Balls of wild Fire but the mischief was prevented and they deservedly Executed 16. A. C. 1598. Edward Squire being in a Ship on the Sea was taken by the Spaniards and by them carried into Spain where he was suborned and directed by Richard Whalepool and English Fugitive and a Jesuit to destroy the Queen by laying a strong Poyson which the Jesuit then gave him on the pummel of the Sadle whereon the Queen should ride that she laying her Hand thereon might carry the
the Odiousness of the Fact and to impute the Treason to the discontented Puritans Fawkes coming into Flanders found Owen unto whom after the Oath he declared the Plot which he very well approved of but Sir William Stanley being now in Spain Owen said that he would hardly be drawn into the Business having Suits now in England at the Court Yet he promised to engage him all that he could and to send into England with the first so soon as the Plot had taken Effect Upon this Fawkes to avoid further Suspicion kept still in Flanders all the beginning of September and then returning receiv'd the Keys of the Cellar and laid more Powder Billets and Faggots which done he retired into the Country and there kept till the end of October In the mean time Catesby and Peircy meeting at the Bath it was there concluded that because their numbec was but few Catesby himself should have power to call in whom he would to assist their design by which Authority he took in Sir Everard Digby of Rutlandshire and Francis Tresham Esq of Northamptonshire both of them of sufficient State and Wealth For Sir Everard offer'd Fifteen Hundred Pounds to forward the Action and Tresham Two Thousand But Peircy disdaining that any should out-run him in Evil promised Four Thousand Pounds out of the Earl of Northumberland's Rents and ten swift Horses to be used when the Blow was past Against which time to provide Ammunition Catesby also took in Ambrose Rookwood and John Grant two Recusant Gentlemen and without doubt others were acquainted also with it had these two grand Electors been apprehended alive whose own Tongues only could have given an Account of it The business being thus forwarded abroad by their Complices they at home were no less active For Peircy Winter and Fawkes had stored the Cellar with thirty fix Barrels of Gunpowder and instead of Shot has said upon them Bars of Iron Logs of Timber Massie stones Iron Crows Pickaxes and all their working Tools and to cover all great Store of Billets and Faggots so that nothing was wanting against that great and terrible day Neither were the Priests and Jesuits slack on their parts who usually concluded their Masses with Prayers for the good Success of their expected Hopes Upon Thursday in the Evening ten Days before the Parliament was to begin a Letter directed to the Lord Monteagle was deliver'd by an unknown Person to his Footman in the Street with a strict Charge to give it into his Lords own Hands which accordingly he did The Letter had neither Date nor Subscription and was somewhat unlegible This Letter was imparted to the Earl of Salisbury then Principal Secretary and they both presently acquainted the Lord Chamberlain next to the Earl of Worcester and Northampton and last to the King as followeth My Lord Out of the Love I bear to some of your Friends I have a care of your Preservation Therefore I would advise you as you tender your Life to devise some Excuse to shift off your Attendance at this Parliament For God and Man have concurr'd to punish the Wickedness of this time And think not slightly of this Advertisement but retire your self into your Country where you may expect the Event in safety For though there be no Appearance of any Stir yet I say they shall receive a terrible Blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them This Counsel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm For the danger is past so soon as you have burnt the Letter and I hope God will give you the Grace to make a good use of it to whose holy Protection I commend you His Majesty after reading this Letter pausing a while and then reading it again deliver'd his Judgment that the Stile of it was too quick and pithy to be a Libel proceeding from the Superfluities of an idle Brain and by these Words That they should receive a terrible Blow at this Parliament and yet should not see who hurt them he presently apprehended that a sudden Danger by a Blast of Gunpowder was intended by some base Villain in a Corner though no Insurrection Rebellion or desperate Attempt appear'd And therefore wished that the Rooms under the Parliament-House should be thoroughly searched before himself or Peers should sit therein Hereupon it was concluded that the Lord-Chamberlain according to his Office should view all Rooms above and below but yet to prevent idle Rumours and to let things ripen further it was resolved that this Search should be deferr'd till Monday the day before the Parliament met and that then it should be done with a seeming slight Eye to avoid Suspect According to this Conclusion the Earl of Suffolk Lord-Chamberlain upon Monday in the Afternoon accompanied with the Lord Monteagle repair'd into these Under-Rooms and finding the Cellar so fully stored with Wood and Coals demanded of Fawkes the counteffeit Johnson who stood there attending as a Servant of small Repute who owned the place He answer'd that the Lodgings belong'd to Master Thomas Peircy and the Cellar also to lay in his Winter-Provision himself being the Keeper of it and Master Thomas Peircy's Servant whereunto the Earl as void of any Suspicion told him That his Master was well provided for Winter Blasts But when they were come forth the Lord Monteagle told him That he did much suspect Peircy to be the Inditer of the Letter knowing his Affection in Religion and the Friendship betwixt them professed so that his Heart gave him as he said when heard Peircy named that his Hand was in act The Lord-Chamberlain returning related to the King and Council what he had seen and the Suspition that the Lord Monteagle had of Peircy and himself of Johnson his Man all which increased His Majesties Jealousie so that he insisted contrary to the Opinion of some that a harrow Search should be made and the Billets and Coals turn'd up to the bottom and accordingly the Search was concluded to be made but under colour of searching for certain Hangings belonging to the House which were missing and conveyed away Sir Thomas Knevet a Gentleman of His Majesties Privy-Chamber was employ'd herein who about Midnight before the Parliament was to begin went to the place with a small but trusty number of Persons And at the Cellar Door entring in finding one who was Guy Fawkes at so unseasonable an Hour cloaked and booted he apprehended him and ransacking the Billets he found the Serpent's Nest stored with Thirty six Barrels of Powder and then searching the Villain he found a Dark-Lanthorn about him three Matches and other Instruments for blowing up the Powder And being no whit daunted he instantly confessed his Guiltiness vowing that if he had been within the House he would have blown up House and self and all and before the Council lamented nothing so much as that the Deed was not done saying The Devil and not God was the Discoverer
Mr. Jennison of Grays-Inn Mr. Lewis Mr. Smith Edmund Everard Esq who was kept four Years close Prisoner in the Tower by the contrivance of some English Subjects whom he had five Years before discovered as plotting against us in France 4. Because several Letters were produced relating to the fame thing as that of the Lord Stafford's to the Lord Aston My Lord the Plot is discovered and we are all undone c. Coleman's Our prevailing in these things would give the greatest Blow to the Protestant Religion here that ever it received since its first Birth c. Petre's Letters Found among Harcourt's Papers c. 5. The Actions that were done after the Discovery to Persons concerned in the Discovery are a strong Argument to create suspicion of the Authors and their Guilt as the Barbarous Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey who took the first Depositions Mr. Arnold and Mr. Pye V. In King James the II. Reign But this was nothing else but Plot from the beginning to the end of it For no Man of good sence could believe that ever he intended to perform that fine Promise which he made of maintaining of the Protestant Religion and the Rights of the Subjects c. without straining Courtesie with his Religious Principles and natural Temper and indeed tho' he appear'd very plausible at first and our credulous People seem'd very willing to construe him in a favourable Sense yet when they had resign'd their Charters and themselves and Estates to him in a Complement which the King took well enough and saw the Laws dispensed with in a gross manner and Arbitrary Power put up its Head at Court with much Confidence and the Visitors sent down to Oxford to purge the Vniversity and Roman Catholicks made Justices of Peace and put in other places of Trust and Masse-Houses open'd publickly and the Interceding Bishops who had done nothing in the World to merit his disfavour sent to the Tower then I say these People began to open their Eyes and were resolved not to shut them any more if they could help it till they had somewhat better to trust to than the Promise of a King whose Word was as inviolable as his Oath and who was never known to be in the least matter unfaithful in his Life for such a Mask was put upon his Face by his Friends and he wore it a while very willingly till the time that he thought he might safely take it off and appear boldly in his Features and in the Head of a standing Army who had promised as stoutly as he to stand by him till they thought it convenient to stand no longer But of this enough and perhaps too much for I do with Pity and Grief of Mind reflect upon the Errors of that unhappy Prince VI. In the Reign of King William the III. This Prince was the happy Instrument under God of our Deliverance but neither was He warm in his Throne before he was called to Battle first in Ireland where he contested with extraordinary Difficulties and escaped extream Dangers from a Cannon-Bullet afterwards in Flanders where his Labours are hardly at an end yet But the most secret and villainous Contrivance of all was the late Barbarous Plot the Scheme whereof was first laid in France but the Scene of the bloody Tragedy was to be in England Here the King was to be Assassinated in a base and cowardly manner as he went a hunting on a Saturday Feb. 22. 1695 6. in a narrow Lane between Brentford and Turnham-Green Sir George Berkley with seven or eight more to Attack the King's Coach and Assassine him whilst two other Parties to the number of 40 attacked the Guards and two more persons Chambers and Durance a Flemming were to be placed at Kensington to give speedy Notice to the Conspirators when the King went abroad At first it was agreed to be put in execution Feb. 15. But the King not going abroad then it was deferr'd till Feb. 22. The French were to make a Descent into England and had got Transport Ships ready and Soldiers 20000 who were to Embark at Callis Bulloign Dunkirk c. The French had at St. Germaines Feb. 7. caused 100000 Lewid'ores to be delivered to the late King James and desired him to hasten his Departure a considerable Body of his old Friends were to meet and joyn the French at their landing All things in appearance were in great forwardness Mortars Field-pieces and heavy Cannon for Land-Service Monsieur de Nesmond Gabaret and Dubart were to command the Men of War that were to convoy the Transport Ships the Conduct of the Land-Army was in the Marquess de Bevron Arcourt as Chief and under him Pecontal and Albergoti as Mareschals de Camp and for Brigadiers the Duke de Humieres Monsieur de Biron and Monsieur de Monray c. and Lapara the chief Engineer The Men being Embark'd the day before it was discover'd here 300 Sail or thereabouts weigh'd Anchor and stood to Sea but the Wind shifting they were oblig'd to return into the Ports and disembark some part of them These were designed to land in Kent Sussex or the Mouth of the River and the Providence is the more remarkable since had they gone forward we might have been under some surprize as not being ready at so short a Warning to oppose them At Kensington the day being come viz. Feb. 22. Keâ—es one of the Spies being sent out to see what he could learn brought word the Guards were returned from Richmond foaming The People much wonder'd the King did not go a hunting for two Saturdays together and the Bravoes began to flag their Courage It seems Capt. Pendergrass discover'd the bottom of the Design on Feb. 13. to Captain Porter and he to my Lord Portland and my Lord to the King on Feb. 14. the very day before the Design was to be put in Execution After which several of the Conspirators have been themselves Executed witness the City-Gates where now their Heads and Quarters are to be seen and this after a free and fair Tryal of their Cause So that our Church may say and our Kings may say as well as that excellent Queen Elizabeth as Psal 129.1 2. c. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up may Israel now say Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth yet they have not prevailed against me The Plowers plowed upon my Back they made long their Furrows The Lord is righteous he hath out asunder the Cords of the wicked CHAP. XXIII The Innocent strangely cleared WHEN Joseph 's Brethren were constrained to go into Egypt and buy Food of and make Obeysance to that very Person they had thrown into a Pit before and sold into Slavery how their Conscience flew in their Faces with sharp Reflections of Guilt The three Children in the fiery Furnace and Daniel in the Lyons Den saved so miraculously and contrary to all Expectation easily extorted a Confession of their Innocence
his Judgment and Piety that notwithstanding the Opposition made by some great ones without his own seeking he was made Bishop of Meath in Ireland which just then fell void while he was in England and the King often boasted That he was a Bishop of his own making Clark in his Life 12. The Papists very rashly and hastily had Publish'd a Libel against Luther supposing he was deâ—d because he was constrained for his own safety to use caution in appearing abroad by râ—â—on of his many Enemies that laid wait for him signifying How the Devils had carried away his Body c. Which Libel came to Luther's hands two Years before he died and he reading of it thank'd God that the Devil and his Instruments were such Tools that they could not stay till his Death Pref. to Luther 's Sermons I pass over the Story of Queen Emma Mother to King Edward the Confessor who is said by our Historians to be causlesly suspected of too much Familiarity with Alwinus Bishop of Winchester of which Suspicion she purged herself and him by the Fire-Ordeal walking bare foot over nine red-hot Plough-shares without any hurt in thankfulness for which 't is said they gave each of them nine Manours to the Church of Winchester Dugdale Monast. Angl. Vol. 1. inter Addenda p. 980. 13. A. C. 1650. Anne Green a Servant-Maid to Sir Tho. Read of Duns-Tew in Oxfordshire being with Child by some one of the Family through over-working her self in turning of Malt fell in Travail about the fourth Month of her time but being but a young Wench and not knowing how it might be repairs to the House of Easement where after some Straining the Child scarce above a Span long and of what Sex not to be distinguished fell from her unawares She was three Days after conveyed to the Castle of Oxford and there Sentenc'd to be Hang'd She hung half an Hour was pulled by the Legs and struck on the Breast by divers of her Friends and after all had several Stroaks given her on the Stomach with the But-end of a Soldier 's Musket Afterwards being cut down and put in a Cossin and brought away to a House to be dissected though the Rope still remained strait about her Neck they perceived her Breast to rise whereupon one Mason a Taylor in Charity to her set his Foot upon her Breast and Belly and as some say one Orum a Soldier struck her again with the But-end of his Musket After a while they perceived a small Rattling in her Throat and then they used means for her Recovery by opening a Vein laying her in a warm Bed and causing another to go into Bed to her and using other Remedies with respect to her Senselesness Head Throat and Breast insomuch that within 14 Hours she began to speak and the next Day Talk'd and Prayed very heartily In the mean time her Pardon was sued out from the Powers then in being and Thousands of People came to see her magnifying the just Providence of God in thus asserting her Innocency of Murder She affirmed that she neither remembred how the Fetters were knock'd off how she went out of the Prison when she was turn'd off the Ladder whether any Psalm was sung or not nor was she sensible of any Pains that she could remember but which is most observable she came to her self as if she had awakened out of her Sleep not recovering the use of her Speech by slow degrees but in a manner altogether beginning to speak just where she left off on the Gallows She lived afterwards and was Married and had three Children not dying till 1659. Dionysius Petavius takes notice of it in his Continuation of the Hist of the World so doth Mr. Heath and Dr. Plot in his Natural Hist of Oxfordsh p. 193. 14. I shall only take notice further of an awful Example mentioned by A. B. Spotswood in his History of Scotland p. 449. His Words are these This Summer viz. Anno 1597. there was a great Business for the Tryal of Witches amongst others one Margaret Atkin being apprehended on Suspicion and threatned with Torture did confess her self Guilty being Examined touching her Associates in that Trade she named a few and perceiving her Delations find Credit made offer to detect all of that sort and to purge the Country of them so she might have her Life granted For the reason of her Knowledge she said That they had a secret mark all of that sort in their Eyes whereby she could surely tell how soon she looked upon any whether they were Witches or not And in this she was so readily believed that for the space of three or four Months she was carried from Town to Town to make Discoveries in that kind many were brought in question by her Delations especially at Glasgow where divers Innocent Women through the Credulity of the Minister Mr. John Cowper were condemned and put to Death In the end she was found to be a meer Deceiver and sent back to Fife where she was first Apprehended At her Tryal she affirmed all to be false that she had Confessed of her self or others and persisted in this to her Death which made many fore-think their to great forwardness that way and moved the King to re-call his Commission given out against such Persons discharging all Proceedings against them 15. There was in the Year 1649. in a Town called Lauder in Scotland a certain Woman accused and imprisoned on Suspicion of Witchcraft when others in the same Prison with her were Convicted and their Execution ordered to be on the Monday following she desired to speak with a Minister to whom she declared freely that she was guilty of Witchcraft acknowledging also many other Crimes committed by her desiring that she might die with the rest She said particularly that she had Covenanted with the Devil and was become his Servant about Twenty Years before and that he kissed her and gave her a Name but that since he had never owned her Several Ministers who were jeasous that she accused her self untruly charged it on her Conscience telling her That they doubted she was under a Temptation of the Devil to destroy her own Body and Soul and adjuring her in the Name of God to declare the Truth Notwithstanding all this she stiffly adhered to what she had said and was on Monday Morning Condemned and ordered to be Executed that Day When she came to the place of Execution she was silent until the Prayers were ended then going to the Stake where she was to be burnt she thus expressed her self All you that see me this Day know ye that I am to die as a Witch by my own Confession and I free all Men especially the Ministers and Magistrates from the guilt of my Blood I take it wholly on my self and as I must make answer to the God of Heaven I declare I am as free from Witchcraft as any Child but being accused by a Malicious Woman and
word Opened his Bible and it opened in the 10. Heb. and the first word he cast his Eye on was that Text If a Man Sin willingly c. He reflected on himself by Examination and Conscience answered for him upon which the Cloud began to scatter presently and e're Night came he was comforted These Three Relations concerning Mrs. Polsted Mrs. Charlton and Mr. Nutkin of Okingham were all sent me by the Reverend Mr. Singleton now living in Hogsdon-Square near London and are Printed as I received them from him 9. Melancthon going onoe upon some great Service for the Church of Christ and having many doubts and fears about the Success of his business was much cheared up and confirmed by a Company of poor Women and Children whom he found together Praying for the labouring Church and casting it by Faith into Christ's everlasting Arms. Clark's Examp. vol. 1. c. 119. out of Seluccer 10. Andronicus the Emperor of Constantinople finding that all things went cross with him took a Psalter in his Hand to resolve his doubtful Mind and opening the same as it were to resolve his Doubts thereby and ask Counsel of the Oracles of God the first Verse he fixt his Eye upon was Psal 68.14 When the Almighty scatter'd Kings c. whereby he was comforted and directed what to do for his greater safety Turk Hist p. 164. 11. S. Augustine being in Trouble on the hinge of his Conversion and retired into his Garden pouring forth his Tears plentifully and not knowing what to do was warn'd by a Voice from Heaven saying Tolle Lege Take and Read And immediately having S. Paul's Epistles by him he open'd the Book and the first Text he turn'd to was Rom. 13. c. Not in riotting and Drunkenness c. with which he was satisfied and giving the Book to his dear friend Alipius he read on Him that is weak in faith receive but not to doubtful Disputations which gave a sufficient Direction to Alipius too August Conf. lib. 8. 12. Sarah Daughter of Mr. Tho. Wight sometime of the Auditor's Office in London about the Year 1643. was for four Years oft in great Doubt and Despair and tormented with divers Temptations viz. to believe that there was no God Devil Heaven nor Hell but what she felt in her own Conscience One day being violently assaulted with that Temptation that there was no Hell but what she felt within her self having a little white earthen Cup in her Hand she said that she was as sure to be damned as that was to break and therewithal threw it from her to break it but it brake not Again she said as sure as this Cup will break there is no Hell and threw it more violently against the fâ—rther side of the Chamber and yet it brake not Her Mother took it up and said See Child it is not broken She got it again and said and did the like four or five times only the fifth time a little nip brake out After her Recovery she still desired to drink out of that Cup to put her in Mind of God's Goodness toward her Notwithstanding she continued comfortless till April 10. 1647. About Midnight when all humane Help fail'd and former Means could not do it yet when she was made utterly uncapable of receiving Comfort that way For now the was stricken both blind and deaf her Eyes being fast closed up her first Speeches were My Soul thirsts for the Water of Life and I shall have it This with great Ardency of Spirit she repeated over four times then drank three or four little Cups of Water and then sitting up with a lowly cheerful Countenance much Brokenness 〈◊〉 Heart and Tears trickling down her Cheeks she spake with a low Voice Ah! that Jesus Christ should come from the Bosom of his Father and take the Nature of Man upon him and come in such a low Estate and lie in a Manger Christ came to the lowest Soul he lay is a Manger in a contemptible place Do you not see an Excellency in him I tell you There is more Excellency in Him in lowest State that in a World yea than in Ten Thousand Worlds _____ Do you not see an Excellency in Him who came here to die for even for Sinners yea for the greatest of Sinners for the chiefest Sinners A dying Christ for a denying Peter this she repeated three times Peter denied him yet he died for him Go tell Peter here she â—â—wsedâ— and admired For a Peter for a Mary Magdalen for a Theif on the Cross that none should despair c. Thus she continued till April 13. blind and deaf neither eating nor drinking any thing but a little Water nor speaking till at last starting up suddenly she said The Devil fights with me as with Michael and his Angels but the Angel shall prevail c. Nay she took nothing till May 19th except a little Water and once a little Broth which she cast up immediately and yet look'd better than for seven or eight Weeks before And at last after long Weakness and many gracious Expressions June 11th that Text came into her Mind Mark 5. v. last Damsel I say unto thee arise c. and was fully perswaded that so in should be to her self And accordingly it was for she eat heartily with Joy before them all call'd for her Cloaths rose up stood on her Feet Many Persons of all Ranks visited her in this time of her Visitation and were Ear and Eye-witnesses of these things at the time of her Recovery she was not full 16 Years old Clark's Examp. Vol. 2. p. 436. CHAP. XXV The Modest and Humble strangely advanced BEfore Honour is Humility saith Solomon Prov. 15.33 and tho' the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly Ps 138.6 'T is certain humble Men are best qualified for the favours of Heaven and that they have of oftentimes an Earnest given them here of the good things of this Life appears plainly in the Examples of the Primitive Disciples and Christians 1. Athanasius upon occasion of examining other Boys at Play and preparing them for Baptism was by Alexander Bishop of Alexandria observing the Sport first set to School afterwards made Deacon and at last when Alexander lay dying wished by him to be his Successor which he afterwards tho' unwillingly was 2. Dr. Vsher was noted for his Humility in stooping to the Capacity of the meanest in his high Thoughts of others and low of himself and when the Provostship of the Colledg of Dublin's as offer'd him he refused it at 30 Years of age yet was afterwards without any 〈◊〉 of his own by King James made Bishop of Meath and afterwards Arch-Bishop of Armagh c. See his Life 3. Cardinal Pool was a learned humble prudent and moderate Man and accordingly preferred to the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury upon receiving of the Pall he made a cold Sermon concerning the beginning use and virtues of the Pall without either Learning or Eloquence and tho
were admitted into this Order but such of the Nobility as were in all the number of 150. the chiefest of them being Sir Lancelot Sir Tristram Sir Lamrock Sir Grawine and others These were all Recorded for Knights of great Renown and had not King Arthur's Valour been most transcendent each of them might have passed fpr no less than a Worthy tho' they must fall short of the Deeds of King Arthur of whom it is written that in one Battle against the Saxons with his own Sword named Callibourn he slew 800 of them England's Worthies by William Winstanley p. 10. 8. Lucius Hiberius the Roman Legate demanded of him a Tribute for Britain which he not only deny'd but also threatned to have a Tribute from Rome as appeareth in his Letter sent unto the Senate where I find it thus written in an old Manuscript Vnderstand among you of Rome that I am King Arthur of Britain and freely it hold and shall hold and at Rome hastily will I be not to give you Truage but to have Truage of you For Constantine that was Hellen's Son and other of my Ancesters Conquered Rome and thereof were Emperors and that they had and held I shall have yours God's grace And accordingly he set forward against Lucius Hiberus who with great Power and vain Confidence came Marching against him where after a long and Bloody Fight the Romans were Discomfited their General killed and his slain Body sent to the Senate for the Tribute of Britain ibid 9. Mr. Broughton was exceedingly Courageous and Bold and free in inveighing against Popery Jesuitism among the Papists and Jesuits and also Judaism among the Jews As once more especially at the B. of Mentz's Table where also diverse Jesuits were present with whom he Discoursed so freely and sharply against the Papacy as Anti-Christian and against the Blindness and Wickedness of the Romanists that the Protestants who were present with him were afraid that would have endanger'd both himself and them At another time being in one of the Jews Synagogues at the time of their Servce where their publick Minister Read and Prayed in a strange and uncouth Tone one of the Jews as he came out said unto him Did not our Minister Sing like an Angel No saith he he Barked like a Dog and so called for a Dispute with him where they had long and much tugging 10. He was once Travelling here in England and being in his Inn a Royster in the Room next to him was Swearing horribly and at no measure in went he boldly to him and Who art thou saith he thou Wretch who darest thus to Blaspheme and Profane the Glorious Name of the great God And some other like words which he set on with so great an awe and boldness that the Roarer became calm and took his sharp reproofs especially when he came to understand who he was in very good part In his Life p. 4.7 11. It was the saying of one who suffered in Queen Mary's Regn. I was an honest poor Man's Daughter never brought up at the University as you have but I have driven the Plow before my Father many a time I thank God yet notwithstanding in defence of God's Truth and in the cause of my Master Christ by his Grace I will set my Foot against the Foot of any of you all in the maintenance of the same and if I had a Thousand Lives they should go for payment thereof Fox Matyrol 12. If I had a Hundred Bodies said Mr. Hawks I would suffer them all to be torn in pieces rather than Abjure or Recant ibid. 13. Mr. Rothwel called afterwards by the Devil in a posessed Person Bold Rothwel being recommended to the Lady Bowes for a fit Minister to be employed in the North in the Bishoprick of Durham after his first Days Labour there for Tryal being well liked of by the People and returning afterwards to the Lady Bowes he told her he would go she replied tho' for their sakes she was glad yet she was afraid to send him understanding that they were of a fierce Disposition and having never heard the Gospel might deal unkindly with him He answered Madam if I thought I should never meet the Devil there I would never come there he and I have been at odds in other places and I hope we shall not agree there See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 70. 14. King Charles the I. spending one Sunday in a serious debate of the Lord Strafford's Case in the Morning with the four Bishops of London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle the Arch-Bishop of Armagh not being there but Preaching in the Church of Covent-Garden as he used to do was sent for by a particular Order from his Majesty The Bishop descended from the Pulpit and told the Messenger that he was then as himself saw employed in God's business which assâ—on as he had done he would attend upon the King to understand his Pleasure See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 297. 15. In like manner Sir Thomas Moor sent answer to King Henry 8th when a Messenger came to call him from Mass as is elsewhere spoken of in this Book CHAP. XXIX Remarkable Patience THE Patience of Christian Confessors and Martyrs in the early Ages of the Church was a Potent Argument to persuade many of their Adversaries that they were bore up with somewhat more than the Principles of mere Philosophy or the stiffness of a depraved Nature and that the Christian Religion furnished them with a better Assurance and a clearer ground of Confidence in their Cause than was obvious to a common Age or to be found in any other System of Religion in the World and therefore it cannot be amiss to enquire what Examples of this kind we can meet with 1. Ignatius to the Church of Trallis exhorting them not to refuse Martyrdom useth these Expressions From Syria to Rome I had a Battle with Beasts as well by Sea as by Land Night and Day being bound by Ten cruel Leopards Soldiers which the more Benefits they receive at my hands became so much the worse to me but I being exercised and now well acquainted with their Injuries am taught every Day more and more to bear the Cross yet hereby am I not Justified Would to God I were once come to the Beasts prepared for me which I wish also to fall upon me with all their violence c. Vid. Dr. Cave's Prim. Christ Clark's Mar. of Eccl. Hist c. 2. S. Hierom Reports of Melania That her Husband lying dead by her she lost two of her Sons at the same time but she instead of bursting into a Passion fell down and said Lord I shall serve Thee more nimbly and readily by being eased of this weight which thou hast taken from me Dr. Cave's Prim. Christ 3. When Lucius one of the Primitive Martyrs for speaking in behalf of one of the Christians that he had very hard measure was Condemned forth-with he heartily thanked his Judge for it that by this
whom he might be Ordained he pitched upon the Bishop of Catalonia to whom when he came and had Conversed a while with him there grew a very strict Bond of Friendship between them Ibid. p. 105. 5. Under the Seventh Persecution Theodora a godly Virgin for her Religion was condemned to the Stews where her Chastity was to be a Prey to all Commers which Sentence being executed many wanton young Men were ready to press into the House but one of the Brethren called Didymus putting on a Soldier 's Habit would have the first turn and so going in perswaded her to change Garments with him and so she in the Soldiers Habit escaped and Didymus being found a Man was carried before the President to whom he confessed the whole matter and so was condemned Theodora hearing of it thinking to excuse him came and presented her self as the guilty Party desiring that she might Die and the other be Excused but the Merciless Judge caused them both to be put to Death Clark Gen. Martyr p. 82. 6. In Queen Elizabeth's Reign in a Fight between the Earl of Kildare and the Earl of Tir-Owen two of the Earl of Kildair's Foster Brethren were Slain whose Death he took so heavily that himself shortly after Died for Grief For there is no Love in the World comparable by many degrees to that of Foster-brethren in Ireland Camb. Brit. Irel. p. 116. 7. Dr. Cranmer was a Faithful Friend to the Lord Cromwel even in his Disgrace insomuch that he ventured King Henry VIIIth's Displeasure to excuse for him and absented from the Parliament when he was condemned Church Hist. by Dr. Burnet 8. Minutius Faelix saith that he and his Friend Octavius did both will and will the same things 9. Humphry Duke of Glocester being Wounded and Overthrown by the Duke of Alenzon at the Battel of Agincourt in France was rescued by his Brother King Henry Vth who bestriding him delivered him from the Danger Speed Chron. Clark's Mirrour c. 56. p. 231. 10. Pelopidas and Epaminondas were singularly noted and commended for the perfect Love and Friendship that was ever inviolable kept between them even till their Deaths having been joined together in so many Wars Battels Charges of Armies and in Government of the Common-wealth They were both alike born to all Vertue only Pelopidas took most pleasure in the Exercise of his Body and Strength and Epaminondas in the Exercise of his Wit and Learning the Recreation of the one was to wrestle hunt and exercise his Strength of the other to hear study and always to learn something in Philosophy Their great Love each to other was shewed in a Journey they made together unto Mantinea to aid the Lacedemonians who were now in League with the Thebans wherein they being both set in the Battel near together amongst the Foot-men against the Arcadians it fell out that that point of the Lacedemonian Army wherein they were retreated and many of them run away But these two gallant young Men resolved rather to die than to fly and standing close together they couragiously resisted the many Enemies that assaulted them till such times as Pelopidas having received seven dangerous Wounds fell down upon a heap of dead Bodies as well of their Friends as of their Foes then Epaminondas thinking he had been slain stept notwithstanding before him and defended his Body and Armour and he alone fought against many desiring rather to die than to forsake Pelopidas lying amongst the Dead but himself at last being thrust through the Breast with a Pike and receiving a sore Cut on his Arm with a Sword was even ready to sink when Agesipolis King of the Lacedemonians came with the other point of the Battel in an happy hour and so saved both their Lives when they were even past hope Plut. in vita Pelop. 11. Audamidas a Corinthian by Birth had two Friends Aretaeus and Charixcenus both wealthy himself being very poor This Man at his Death made this his last Will and Testament viz. I bequeath my Mother to be nourished and cherished by him in her Old Age. Item I bequeath my Daughter to Charixcenus to be placed out by him with as big a Portion as possibly he can give her The Girl was at that time Marriageable The Heirs as soon as they heard of the Will came forthwith and accepted those things that were given in charge but Charixcenus dying within five days Aretaeus undertook the whole Charge maintained the old Woman during Life and married the Man's Daughter together with his own on the same day allowing them out of five Talents two Talents apiece for their Portion Lucian in Toxar Dial. CHAP. XXXVIII Remarkable Hospitality BY a Hospitality I mean a Charitable Disposition of Soul to entertain and relieve such as are in real Distress And the Apostle enforceth this as a Duty upon Christians with a good Argument when he bids us Not to be forgerful to entertain Strangers because that some by so doing formerly had received Angels into their Houses unawares And who knows till after some time of Conversation with them what Graces may be lodged in the Breasts or what Commissions may be put into the Hands of those Persons that Lazarus like wait at our Gates 1. A religious and rich Matron at Anticch entertained Origen together with his Mother and his Brethren after the Death of his Father and the Confiscation of his Goods 2. Gregory the Great was much given to Hospitality so that when many Inhabitants from divers parts fled from the barbarous Cruelty of the Longobards and came to him he entertained and relieved them inviting daily to his House many of those Exiles He made also large Distributions unto others giving them Corn Wine Flesh Cheese and many other Refreshments in their several Seasons he sent often also large Relief to the Sick Lame and Impotent not only in Rome but in many other Towns and Villages round about insomuch that all that he had seemed to be a common Granary Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 98. 3. Mrs. Margaret Corbet was eminent for a charitable and bountiful Spirit She was another Dorcas Full of Good-Works and Alms-Deeds That high Elogium that Solomon gives to a vertuous Woman may properly be applied unto her Many Daughters have done vertuously but she excelled them all Prov. 31.19 Many there are that come far short of her but very few that went beyond her in Acts of Charity God gave her a liberal and plentiful Estate and that was a great Mercy But it was a far greater Mercy that he gave her a free and liberal Heart to do good and to distribute To cast her Bread on the Waters and to honour God with her Substance That Protestation which Job makes for his own Vindication Job 31.16 19. may fitly be applied unto her He would not withhold the poor from their desire nor cause the eyes of the Widow to fail He would not see any to perish for want of Clothing nor any poor
in French to this purpose Parlez peu parlez bien Parlez rien ou parlez bien The first is in English Speak little speak well And the second is Speak nothing or speak well If every a Man did observe that Rule punctually and followed those Proverbs exactly it was the Cardinal For except in Publick Meetings and when State-Business were in agitation he spoke very little or nothing at all We said afore that when the King himself did speak to him in the behalf of an English Gentleman he nodded only unto the Gentleman and gave him never a word See his Life by Dugres p. 34. 21. Thomas a Kempis is remarked likewise for his Silence in Company execepting where Discourse was moved upon Religious Subjects See his Life 22. Mr. Samuel Fairclough had it deeply engraven on his Heart for he highly approved that common Saying viz. Bene vixit qui bene latuit A retired Life is an happy Life 'T is true his Parts and his Employment would not permit him to be hid but he always endeavoured it and he counted a Life of Meditation and Study and sweetest Life in the World It was from this settled Judgement that he did avoid as much as he was able all places of publick Trust See his Life CHAP. LI. Good Wives Remarkable A Good Wife is the Gift of the Lord and a good Thing and rarely to be found said the wisest of meer Men And we have reason to believe him the rather because the first Man Adam the righteous Lot the faithful Abraham the meek Moses the strong Sampson the wise Solomon the zealous Peter the Philosopher Socrates the Orator Cicero were all either over-reached or over-powered or afflicted with Women Yet the Grace of God and the Doctrine of Christianity hath been able to make some Wives so good that they have been an Honour to their Sex and a Comfort and Crown to their Husbands Amongst the old Heathens we find these following remarkable viz. 1. Andromache the Wife of Hector noted by Ovid for one of the best of Wives 2. Laodomia the Wife of Protesilaus who hearing that her Husband was killed at Troy slew her self because she would not out-live her Husband Ovid. 3. Penlope the Wife of Vlisses a Woman of rare Chastity for though her Husband presently after Marriage went to Troy where he stayed Ten years and was Ten years more wandring out of his way home yet would the not by any means violate the Faith given to her Husband in Marriage no not when it was reported that her Husband was dead and her Parents perswaded her to marry and many Nobles came to woo her and some were ready to take her by force but she craving Patience till a Web of Cloth which she had in hand was finished undid that in the night which she did by day and so beguiled them At last her Husband returned and slew the Ruffians who had disturbed his Wife and House Idem 4. Amongst the Christians Marcella a Noble Matron of Rome with whom Hierom was acquainted and under his Instruction she profited so much that in Points of Controversy upon Points of Scripture People repaired to her as a Judge therein Clark 's Marr of Eccl. Hist 5. Livia is recorded to have been easy to Augustus feigning her self wholly at the bâ—ck of her Husband not for her Husband's sake but for her own and her Childrens And whatever Sempronius Gracchus and Caâ—us Caesar boast of their Cornelians M. Antony of his Octavia Germanicus of Agrippina and Trajan of his Plotina whatever the Brittish History vaunts of Marcia Proba the Wife of Guitheline of Maud the good Wife of Henry the First of Joan Beaufort married to James the First King of Scotland of Eleanor of Castile Wife of Edward the First Philippa of Haynault married to Edward the Third for their Manly Deeds for the Preservation of their Husbands or their Kingdoms or for their Conjugal Affection certainly William the Third of England might justly exalt his single Mary above all the Wives of former times than whom no Woman greater for her Courage more religious in her Affection more amiable in her Countenance more modest in her Habit more affable in her discourse or who with a more obedient Readiness to serve her Royal Consort whether present or absent was more his Counsellor his Hands his Ears his Eyes and every way more assistant to him Certainly this was the True Rose of York born indeed among Thorns yet free from Prickles her self as the August William told his mournful Bishops and Grandees That Mary 's Outside was known to them but her intrinsick and just value was only known to himself Fr. Spanhemius in his Funeral Orat. of Q. Mary II. p. 22. 6. Carlot a Portu Daughter of the Noble Peter a Portu Wife to Frederick Spanhemius was of such Innocency and Dove-like Simplicity free from Fraud and Guile and depended so wholly upon her Husband that she was willing to be governed in all things by his Advice which is the chief Commendations of a Wife and so had all things common with him Clark 's Eccl. Hist p. 499. 7. Clara Cervenda was one of the most beautiful and fairest Virgins in all Bruges she was married to Bernard Valdaura at that time above Forty four years of age The first night after her Marriage she found that her Husband's Thighs were rolled and wrapped with Clouts and that he was a Man very sore and sickly for all which she loved him not a whit the less Not long after Valdaura fell so sick that all the Physicians despaired of his Life then did she so attend upon him that in six Weeks space she put not off her Cloaths only for shift nor rested above an hour or two at the most in a night and that in her Cloaths This Disease was a venemous Relick of the Pox and the Physicians counselled Clara not to touch the sick Man or come near him and so also did her Kindred and Neighbours All which moved her not but having taken order for that which concerned the Benefit of his Soul she provided him all things that might tend to the Health of his Body she made him Broths and Juleps she changed his Sheets and Clouts although by reason of a continual Loosness and many Sores about him his Body never left running with Matter and Filth so that he never had any clean part about him All the day after she rested not the Strength of her Love supporting the Delicacy of her Body by this good means valdaura escaped that danger After this by reason of a sharp and hot Rheum falling from his Brain the Gristle within his Nose began to be eaten away wherefore the Physicians appointed a certain Powder to be blown up softly into his Nose at certain times with a Quill no body could be found to take such a loathsome Service in hand because of the Stench that came from him But Clara did it chearfully and when his Cheeks and
were very brave Minded and valiant Men. As for her Daughters over and besides their Happiness to marry with wise and worthy Knights so were they well Educated in Houshold-Discipline by their excellent Breeding and famous Houses of generous Nourishing Treasury of Ancient and Modern Times C. 8. p. 761. 14. Madam Margaret de Savoy Wife to the Deceased Anne de Montmorency Constable of France who had Five Children all worthily Educated and evermore most lovingly affected unto the Crown of France as being very remarkable for their Fidelity as also well provided of Honourable Estates When News was brought her That one of her Sons was dead named Mombrum whom she most dearly affected above all the rest and was slain in the Battel at Dreux fought against the French Protestants in the Year 1562 and also That her Husband being wounded was there surprized she said blessed be God as well for the bad as the good and gave him hearty Thanks not only because her Son was slain but that her Husband remained wounded and a Prisoner for the Service of the King c. Ibid. 15. Madam Katherine du Salaignat Wife to Messiere Geffrey de Saillet a brave and hardy Knight in his Life-time she sending her Sons in their very young Years to Paris for Instruction was advised by some familiar Friend to keep them as yet at home because they were but young and tender She made Answer That her Children resembled Vessels wholly new wherein if good Liquor were put at the first they would savour thereof so long as Nature lasted In like manner if Children embrace good Doctrines in their Young Age they will relish always after thereof even to Old Age. Which they cannot do being kept under the Mother's Wing as we term it where neither are like Masters or commodious Means as it is in such places where all Vertues are taught to such as will seek for them For this good Lady added That she desired rather to be without Children than that they should not be vertuous And indeed such did her Sons prove to be and good Servitors to their King notwithstanding all the partiality in France Ibid. p. 763. 16. Under this Head of Good Wives may very fitly be inserted a short Narrative of the Life of Mrs. E with whom I was well acquainted her Love to her Husband proved to be that Non-such Love which she was prest too in her Wedding-Sermon such an unpresidented Love and Tenderness she had for him that there has not been a greater Instance of Conjugal Affection on her part neither cou'd it be known which of the two were most obliging and therefore it was that once upon a very remarkable occasion she told a young Lady That he lov'd her even to an excess if such a thing cou'd be between Man or Wife This is certain if there was any Contest between 'em 't was only which of the two loved most or which of 'em was most happy in their Married State Before their Marriage there was a Day of Prayer kept in order to it and one of the Divines that prayed had this Expression Let 'em never give Ear to those that may go about even in the least thing to divide ' em Which they both promised when the Day was concluded and subscribed their Hands to a formal Agreement as to this matter to shew their hearty Consent to it This incomparable Person was Descended from very Honourable Parents and had an extraordinary Education and I may sincercly say of her as Dr. Walker did of the Countess of Warwick That there many Daughters yea all their Daughters did vertuously but she I shall therefore Draw her tho' but in little who had nothing little nothing mean but a little esteem of her own Perfections and being mean in her own Eyes She was a Person of that great Piety that when the was but in the 34th Year of her Age I sound she had kept a Diary of her Soul-concerns for above Sixteen Years Her Honoured Father has given this Character of her That of all his Children she was the only one that had never once disobeyed him in her whole Life And her Husband lately told me for he 's still living and has enjoyn'd me to conceal her Name it being contrary to her Inclinations to have any thing she ever said or writ publish'd to the World for the whole time he was married to her which was many Years she never once omitted Secret Prayer twice a Day and was for all that time as constant in Reading the Scriptures in private besides what they read in the Family Her Husband by going to Bed before her has been often wak'd out of his Sleep by the extraordinary Goings-forth of her Soul in private Devotion And as to Publick Worship she never omitted going to the Sacrament and hearing two Sermons every Lord's Day from the Sixteenth Year of her Age to the time of her Sickness 'T will be of no small use to the Reader to insert here what I find in one of her Diaries it being the Rules she walked by in the management of her whole Life and I shall first insert Her Resolutions about Marriage which I found in the Journal of her Life written with her own Hand Her own Words were these viz. What I intend to do if it please God to bring me into a marry'd State For the Choice of a Husband his Person shall be such as I can entirely love and delight in His Humour as near as I can judge suitable to mine so that we may delight in each others Company I would not have him Hasty nor Passionate no not to others A Competency of Estate so that we may live and not be beholding to Friends is all I desire For I do not nor never did reckon that the Comforts of ones Life will or doth consist in having abundance of the World I would chiefly and above all have one that doth truly fear God not only a Professor but one that is seriously Godly and whose chief Delight is as near as I can judge and learn by others in the things of God I will if I can possibly have my Judgment go before my Affection in the Choice of a Husband If it please God my Parents live to see me married I will not entertain any Discourse with any that I intend to marry without their consent and liking If I am able too keep Servants they shall be as near as I can discover and by enquiring know of others those that truly sear God at least they shall be Civilized As for Men-Servants if I should marry a Citizen I shall think it my Duty to let my Husband alone with them but if he doth neglect his Duty to them by not calling them to an Account for the Sermons they hear Reading c. If I can't perswade him to it I shall then think I may and must take some care of their Souls As for Maids I 'll before ever I hire them tell them
to a Judge's place in the Common-Pleas and he was much urged to accept of it by some eminent Men of his own Profession who was of the King's Party as Sir Orlando Bridgeman and Sir Geoffery Palmer He accepted of the place and was afterwards chosen a Parliament-Man Thus he continued administring Justice 'till the Protector died but then he both refused the Mournings that were sent to him and his Servants for the Funeral and likewise to accept of the New Commission that was offered him by Richard and when the rest of the Judges urged it upon him and employed others to press him to accept of it be rejected all their Importunities and said He could act no longer under such Authority He lived a private Man 'till the Parliament met that called home the King to which he was returned Knight of the Shire from the County of Gloucester Soon after this when the Courts in Westminster-Hall came to be settled he was made Lord Chief Baron and when the Earl of Clarendon then Lord Chancellor delivered him his Commission in the Speech he made according to the Custom on such occasions he expressed his Esteem of him in a very singular manner telling him among other things That if the King could have found out an honester and fitter Man for that Employment he would not have advanced him to it and that he had therefore preferred him because he knew none that deserved it so well As last 1671 he was proved to the Lord Chief Justice of England See his Life by Dr. Burnet CHAP. LXXI Present Retribution to the Temperate SOlomon amongst the Elogiums he bestows upon Spiritual Wisdom gives this for one That length of days is in her right hand and upon Observation it will be found true For besides other Considerations the Rules of Temperance prescribed by our Religion for the Government of our Appetites de mightily conduce to the preservation of Health and long Life and many other Commodities which shall be hinted at in the following Paragraphs 1. Johannes de Temporibus may justly go for an Antesignanus in the Front of this Chapter Armour-bearer to Charles the Great a Man of great Temperance Sobriety and Contentment of Mind and lived to the Age of 361. Hackwel Apol. L. 3. C. 1. Sect. 6 c. 2. Lescius in his Hygiasticon speaking concerning Sobriety reckons up the several Commodities of it thus 1. It frees from almost all Diseases Catarrhs Coughs Wheezings Dizziness Pains of Head and Stomach Apoplexies c. 2. It fortifies against outward Causes Heat Cold Labour Wounds Bruises putting out of Joynt breaking of Bones for Flux of Humours doth much hinder the Cure and causeth Inflamations against the Plague c. 3. It mitigates incurable Diseases as ulcers in the Lungs Hardness in the Liver and Spleen c. 4. It conduceth to long Life and an easie Death except in Cases extraordinary 5. It makes the Body agile lightsome fresh 6. It maintains the Senses in their integrity and vigour 7. It mitigates the Passions especially Anger and Melancholly 8. It preserves the Memory 9. It helps the Wit and Understanding 10. It quencheth Lust and doth wonderfully prevent the Temptations of the Flesh c. 3. Hippocrates to one asking his Advice concerning the preservation of his Health made Answer Let Meat Drink Sleep Venery all be moderate Nor did he only prescribe so to others but practised himself and accordingly he lived One hundred and Four Years Verulam History of Life and Death 4. Galen who lived in Health except One Day 's Sickness the space of an Hundred Years being asked what Diet he used answered I have drank no Wine touched no Woman eat nothing raw or unripe kept my Body warm and my Breath sweet Some say he lived One hundred and forty Years Fulgos L. 8. C. 14. 5. Cicero prescribeth thus for the Health Concoction Chearfulness Walking Temperance Recreation and the Belly soluble Marcil in Pyth. Carm. 6. Sir Matthew Hale with some other young Students being invited to be merry out of Town one of the Company called for so much Wine that notwithstanding all that Sir Matthew Hale could do to prevent it he went on in his excess 'till he fell down as dead before them Mr. Hale thereupon went into another Room shut the Door and pray'd earnestly to God both for himself and his Friend making a Vow to God That he would never again keep Company in that manner nor drink a Health while he lived His Friend recover'd and he religiously kept his Vow to his dying Day and though sometimes roughly treated because he would drink no Health but especially the King 's yet he fared never the worse either in God's Favour or the King 's as appears by the Divine Blessing upon his Practice and the Preferments he had at Court See his Life 7. Ludovicus Cornarius a Venetian and a Learned Man wrote a Book of the benefit of a Sober Life and produceth himself as a Testimony thereof saying Vnto the Fortieth Year of my Age I was continually vexed with variety of Infirmities I was sick at Stomach of a Fever a Pleurisie and lay ill of the Gout At last this Man by the Perswasion of Physicians took up a way of living with such Temperance that in the space of One Year he was freed almost of all his Diseases In the Seventieth Year of his Age he had a fall whereby he brake his Arm and Leg so that upon the Third Day nothing but Death was expected yet he recovered without Physick for his Abstinence was to him instead of all other means and that was it which hindred a recurrency of malignant Humors to the Parts affected In the Eighty third Year of his Age he was so sound and chearful so vegete and so entire in his Strength that he could climb Hills leap upon his Horse from the even Ground write Comedies and do most of those things he used to do when he was young If you ask how much Meat and Drink this Man took his daily Allowance for Bread and all manner of other Food was Twelve Ounces this was his usual Measure and the said Cornarius did seriously affirm That if he chanced to exceed but a few Ounces he was thereby apt to relapse into his former Diseases All this he hath set down of himself in Writing and it is annexed to the Book of Leonardus Lescius a Physician which was Printed at Amsterdam Anno Dom. 1631. Drexel Oper. Tom. 2. p. 794. Lescius Hygiastic C. 4. Sect. 25. p. 86. 8. Mr. W. Garaway of whom I have made mention elsewhere in this Book is now going upon the Eighty first Year of his Age very healthful and stout in his Body of perfect Sence and good Memory to a wonder but the wonder is abated when we consider his Caution used in Dieting of himself for he keeps a Fast and abstains from all Fond at least One Day every Week and at other times ordinarily abstains from Wine and strong
History of Britain tells us That Richard the First besieged a Castle with his Army they offered to surrender if he would save their Lives he refused and threatens to hang them all Upon this an Arbalaster charged his Bow with a square Arrow making first his Prayer to God that he would direct the Shot and deliver the Innocent from Oppression it struck the King himself whereof he Died and they were Delivered Concerning success of Prayer Mr. Baxter gives us these following Relations 1. When at Milborn in Derby-shire I was given up for dead by bleeding an Hundred and Twenty Ounces at the Nose after other Weakness and Bleedings many Years my Father and Mother-in-law dwelling in Shrewsbury the Report came to them there that I was Dead My Mother-in-law was by the Governour and other Friends exhorted to bear it patiently She presently retired to secret Prayer where she professeth that a Trembling and Concussion of her Body surprising her she felt that which constrained her to say what she did when she came forth to her Friends viz. He is not dead but shall live for farther Service And hereupon they sent a Messenger from Shrewsbury to see who found me alive and brought them the Tidings This was in February 1646. My Mother-in-law is yet living about Ninety two Years of Age the Daughter of Sir Thomas Hunkes two of her Brothers Sir Foulk Hunkes and Sir Henry Hunkes were known Soldiers for the King the one Governour of Shrewsbury and the other of Banbury Castle a while She is one that hath spent a great part of her Life in secret Prayer with great neglect of the Flesh and World and longing to die and be with Christ which she hath not yet obtained but will ere long Since the writing of this dead at 96 in full Understanding and great Holiness 2. After long Pain and Weakness reading a Latin Book of one Grehard a foreign Physician I found in him that his own Father had been cured of some of my Distempers as I then thought by daily swallowing a Bullet of purest Gold I got one of the Weight of a twenty Shilling price and swallowed it but it remained in me And hearing of a Gentleman within twelve Miles of me that lately did the like and it never passed from him but he died quickly made me take Clysters and Purges but none of them stirred it My poor praying Neighbours not then fearing the Canon which strictly forbiddeth it set apart a Day to Fast and Pray for my Deliverance and that Morning it came away after many Weeks abode three or four and they spent the rest of the day in Thanksgiving 3. In my Weakness being under Physick with Dr. Wright then living in Shrewsbury there suddenly rose upon one of the Tonsils of my Throat a round Tumor seeming to me as hard as a Bone and about as big as a great Pea or small Button half out of the Flesh and half in I feared lest it would prove a Cancer but the Doctor told me he did not think so but what it was he knew not but perwaded having first tried dissolving and dissipating means in vain to quiet it only with Gargarisms of hot Milk It increased but little but no means altered it till as I remember about a quarter of a Year after my Conscience reproved me that having had so many great Mercies upon Prayer I never gave God the Honour or Thanks of publick Mentioning them for fear of seeming to seek some Glory to my self being the next morning to preach my Lecture I obeyed my Conscience and mentioned them in the Words since Printed and Published in the second part of Saints Everlasting Rest being then upon the Proof of the Truth of the Scriptures I had before constantly felt it and too oft looked at in Galss As soon as I had Preached and spoken those Words I felt no more of it As I came out of the Pulpit I put my Finger in my Mouth to feel it but could feel nothing I hasted home to the Glass and saw that there was neither Vola vel Vestigium vel Cicatrix no Cavity Tumor Discolouring nor any sign where ever it way and I am sure I neither spit it out nor swallowed it and to the last Hour it seemed as hard as a Bone 4. Richard Cooke a Mercer in Kniver was long a Man of a pious unblameable Life and on of the chief of good old Mr. John Gross since Minister here in Friday-street his Congregation When I came to Kederminster he removed thither and took a House the next Door to me which proved Old Dangerous and so ill a Bargain as cast him into melancholy Doubts that he did not well to leave his Habitation His Father before him had long lived and at last died in Distraction taking too much hot Waters to comfort him in Sadness Nature Trouble and those together prevailed to his utter Distraction He so continued from 1642 to 1646. The best means by such as were most noted for Curing that Disease were used and all in vain My Neighbours of Kederminster resolved not easily to give over Fasting and Praying with and for him till he was recovered divers Days all seemed in vain but at last he amended and hath been recovered without any other Remedy now from the Year 1646 to this present time 1678 though not altogether of so perfect strength of Brain as before yet of competent Understanding About a Year or two ago I saw him in London and I hear he is yet alive and well 1678. 5. Thomas Giles the Son of Mr. Giles of Astley was sent to be an Apprentice in Worcester where after a Feaver he had a violent Epilepsie after much Physick in Worcester and opening his Head and all in vain hs Mother took him home with her into Kederminster his Fits were sometimes twice a day we were fain to put a Key into his Mouth lest he should bite off his Tongue At last the aforesaid praying Persons resolved to try the old Remedy of Fasting and Praying till he was recovered the first day they found no success as I can remember it was the second day while they were together Praying he was suddenly cured Hist of Appar Witches p. 187. CHAP. LXXVI Present Retribution to the Charitable Dr. Hammond in his Sermon on Deut. 26.12 13. layeth down this Proposition That Alms-giving or Mercifulness was never the wasting or lessening of any Mans Estate to himself or his Posterity but rather the encreasing of it And thereupon addeth If I have delivered a new Doctrine which will not presently be believed such as every Auditor will not consent to I doubt not but there be plain Texts of Scripture more then one which will assure every Christian of the Truth of it Consider them at your leisure Psal 41.1 2. Psal 112. all to this purpose Prov. 11.25 and 12.9 and 19.17 and 28.27 Add to these the Words of Christ Mark 10.30 which though more generally delivered of any kind
sick the King carefully enquiring of him every day at last his Physician told him there was no hope of his Life being given over by him for a dead Man No said the King he will not die at this time for this Morning I begged his Life from God in my Prayers and obtained it Which accordingly came to pass and he soon after contrary to all expectation wonderfully recovered This saith Dr. Fuller was attested by the old Earl of Huntington bred up in his Childhood with King Edward to Sir Thomas Cheeke who was alive Anno 1654 and Eighty Years of Age. Lloyd's State-Worthies p. 194. 11. Mrs. Savage Wife of Mr. Savage a Schoolmastet and Minister living in Horse-shooe-lane who having had a very troublesome Lameness in her Hand from a Child her Fingers being so contracted that her Hand was become almost wholly useless to her And in December 1693 having had withal some ilness and weakness of Body and having used some other means for the Cure but without Effect at last by Fasting and Prayer found real amendment and after they Duty ended fitting by the Fire-side the Story of the French Girle came into mind and her Husband having heard of it only by two Persons did not presently give present and full Assent to it but blessed God if it were true at length a strong Impression came into his Mind that his Wife's hand might be cured by that same means as the Girle 's Foot Thereupon he takes the Bible reads St. Matth. 8th chap. and at those Words Lord if thou wilt thou can'st make me clean with an extraordinary Emotion of Spirit he took hold of his Wife's Hand ask'd her If she had Faith adding That his Faith was as much as the Leaper's for though he did absolutely believe the Power of Christ yet he put an If to the Will of Christ. To which she Replyed That she had Faith in the Power of Christ that he was able now he is in Heaven to cure her as he was when upon Earth but whether it was his Pleasure or whether be saw it good for her she could not tell but if he thought fit for her she doubted not but he would heal her or to that purpose Her Husband proceeded Reading till the came to the Faith of the Centurion about his Servant when on a sudden she felt a Pain in her Knuckles and Fingers and pulling off her Glove her Hand instantly stretched out straight and became like the other and she was immediately cured of what was judged by all incurable Her Hand likewise received strength as well as streightness and whereas it used to be extreamly cold it is now as warm as the other And whereas formerly she was not able to go a Mile through weakness of Body she is now able to walk three or four For confirmation enquire at their House afore-mentioned See also the Appendix to the General History of Earthquakes p. 173 174. Take here another Relation as it came in a Letter from Hitchin in Hartford-shire as followeth Hitchin June the 6th 1693. Dear SIR 12. YOurs I received the last Night as to the Person you enquire after and the Lord's Work upon him take it in short as follows His Name is David Wright about twenty seven or twenty eight Years of Age he lived two or three Miles hence for some Years in the capacity of a Shepheard his distemper of Body by the Evil rendring him uncapable of hard Work At Michaelmas 1693 he desired a Religious Woman to take him into her Service which she was not willing to do because he was a profane Wretch and much given to Swearing and other Vices but upon his promising a Reformation and that he would go to hear the Word preached she hired him yet he afterwards went on his evil Courses and would not go to hear But Novmeber 29th last past having Notice that there was a Sermon to be Preached by one Mr. Edward Coles a worthy Minister his mind was so much fixed to go and hear him that notwithstanding the same day he had a Brother came for him with a Horse to go some Miles another way about urgent Business of his own yet he could by no means be prevail'd with to go with him of which Resolution he saith he can give no reason to himself he came to hear and the Word made such deep Impression upon his Mind that his Soul was converted and his Body healed at the same time He declares that while the Minister was Preaching his hard Heart was softened and the Eyes of his Mind enlightened whereby he had Faith in his blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that at the same time he found his Body cured of the Evil under which he had long languished and is fully perswaded he shall never have it again But however God may please to do as to that this is certain that he hath been very well from the 29th of November to this very day But the Change upon his Soul is more remarkable then the Cure of his Body to see such a poor grosly ignorant Wretch so suddenly changed and to hear him blessing and praising of God and admiring his Grace and Love to him that he who knew nothing one Hour before should now speak so sensibly of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Things This is to the Astonishment and Admiration of all that knew him As to his bodily Distemper he had the King 's Evil for about fifteen or sixteen Years past and was formerly touched by King Charles the Second At first he was forced to keep his Bed for several Weeks together with great Pains and divers running Sores upon him but for about twelve Years past he hath been in Service for the most part yet never in Health all the while but had running Sores which were sometimes skined over and swelled and then he was at the worst and felt most Pain till they broke and run again He hath had these Sores in many parts of his Body of which the Scars are visible and two continued in the same place in the Small of his Back a long while and at the time when he came to hear the Sermon aforementioned they were skined over and swelled so that he was in very great Pain and cound not keep pace with his Company But while he was hearing the Swelling of his Sores sunk insensibly and he was well on a sudden and all his Pain was gone so that as they returned home he went before them leaping rejoycing and praising God for his great Mercy and loving Kindness to him all the way he went After he came home he continued to admire the exceeding Grace of God to so vile and ignorant a Sinner as he was and spent most part of the Night in this heavenly Exercise and still remains in this admirable frame of Heart Much more might be mentioned but this may suffice at present from Yours c. We whose Names are hereunto Subscribed do hereby attest and declare That
of destroying herself and have had oftentimes a Knife put into her Hand to do it so that she durst not be left by herself alone and when she had considered what the Cause of it might be her Conscience did hint most her neglecting of Duties to have performed they being the Ordinances of God Thus she continued 'till two Years ago she buried her Child the which was a very great trouble to her to part with and then was she more convinced of Sin which caused her Burthen to be the greater so that she could seldom have any other Thoughts but of Desperation but the Lord keeping her by his great Mercy so that sometimes she could pray with Devotion and discerning the Lord to remove this great Trouble from her she did plainly find that those great Temptations were very much lessened the which is a great Comfort unto her Spirit Believers Experiences p. 25. CHAP. XCI Satan Hurting by Dreams That God hath made use of Dreams and Visions of the Night to awaken Men to their Duty and a Sence of the Dangers they were in is demonstrated already and it is not unreasonable to believe that the Devil can in this Case too transform himself into an Angel of Light and impose upon the Imaginations of Men by strange deluding Fancies and Idea's formed on purpose to trick their Minds into a Snare and to allure them into some Trap of either Sin or Misery that he hath laid for them 1. King James the Fifth of Scotland was a great Enemy to the Light of the Gospel which in his Days broke forth in that Kingdom viz. about the Year 1541 and out of a blind and bloody Zeal was heard to say That none of that Sort should expect any Favour at his Hands no not his own Sons if they proved guilty But not long after Sir James Hamilton being suspected to incline that way was falsly accused of a Practice against the King's Life and being Condemned was Executed Shortly after the King being at Linlithgow on a Night as he slept it seemed to him That Thomas Scot Justice-Clerk came unto him with a Company of Devils crying Wo-worth the Day that ever I knew thee or thy Service for serving thee against God and against his Servants I am now adjudged to Hell torments Hereupon the King awaking called for Lights and causing his Servants to arise told them what he had heard and seen The next Morning by Day-light Advertisement was brought him of this Scot's Death which fell out just at the time when the King found himself so troubled and almost in the same manner for he died in great extremity often uttering these words Justo Dei Judicio comdemnatus sum by the righteous Judgment of God I am condemned Which being related to the King made the Dream more terrible 2. Another Vision he had in the same place not many Nights after which did more affright him Whilst he lay sleeping he thought He saw Sir James Hamilton whom he had caused to be Executed come with a Sword drawn in his Hand wherewith he cut off both his Arms threatning also to return within a short time and deprive him of his Life With this he awaked and as he lay musing what this might import News was brought him of the Death of his two Sons James and Arthur who died at St. Andrews and Strinling at one and the same Hour The next Year viz. 1542 being overcome with Grief and Passion himself died at Faulkland in the Thirty second Year of his Age. Arch-bishop Spoteswood 's History of the Church of Scotland Clark's Mirrour Ch. 7. p. 34 35. I am not sure that these particular Instances are properly placed under this Head I leave it to my wise and judicious Reader to consider whether or no these were Divine Admonitions or Satanical Illusions Mr. Clark hath accounted them as Satanical But 't is certain the Vulgar sort of People are so fond of observing their Dreams and some pretended wise Men and Women of a superstitious Kidney do promote this Fancy extreamly and undertake to prescribe Rules for the making a Judgment upon them and by that means do no small hurt to some weak hypochondriacal and melancholick Spirits How often shall we hear them whining out their Complaints upon the Account of some late Dream in expectation of some sad Disaster or Malady that they believe with much Confidence will befall them And sometimes fretting and pining to that extremity that no Comfort will down with them 'till the Date of their Dream be fully expired And I doubt not but Comfort will down with in promoting these silly and troublesome Conceits CHAP. XCII Satan Hurting by Witchcraft ATheism and Sadducism have got such Ground in the World of late Ages that 't is no vain Vndertaking to write of Devils and the Mischief done by them to Mankind by the Mediation of a sort of People that have Familiar Communion with them To transcribe all has been writ upon this Subject by Dr. More Mr. Glanvil Mr. Baxter Scheggius Remigius Delrio Mather c. would make up a large Volume enough to confute any whose Faces are not harder than Brass and their Hearts than Iron it shall be enough to say so much as shall suffice to convince those who are industrious enough to read patient enough to deliberate and have humility and honesty enough to be serious and impartial And as for the rest Qui vult Decipi decipiatur 1. In Pinola there were some who were much given to Witchcraft and by the Power of the Devil did act strange Things Amongst the rest there was one Old Woman named Martha de Carillo who had been by some of the Town formerly accused for Bewitching many but the Spanish Justices quitted her finding no sure Evidence against her with this grew worse and worse and did much harm when I was there two or three died withering away declaring at their Death That this Carillo had killed them and that they saw her often about their Beds threatning them with a frowning and angry Look the Indians for fear of her durst not complain against her nor meddle with her Whereupon I sent saith my Author unto Don Juan de Guzman the Lord of that Town that if he took not Order with her she would destroy the Town He hearing of it got for me a Commission from the Bishop and another Officer of the inquisition to make diligent and private Enquiry after her Life and Actions Which I did and found among the Indians many and grievous Complaints against her most of the Town affirming that she was certainly a most notorious Witch and that before her former Accusation she was wont to go as she had occasion about the Town with a Duck following her which when she came to the Church would stay at the Door 'till she came out again and then would return with her which Duck they imagined was her beloved Devil and Familiar Spirit for that they had often set Dogs at
shall deliver into their Hands take heed of them and cleave fast to Christ For they will leave no corner of his Conscience unsearched but will attempt by all guileful and subtle means to corrupt him and to cause him to fall from God and his Truth The Night after he had Subscribed he was greatly troubled and through Affliction of Conscience could not Sleep neither could his Mind be eased till he had procured his Subscription and tore out his Name Being Condemned to be Burned he thus said My Mind and Conscience I Praise God is now quiet in Christ and I by his Grace am very willing and content to give over my Body to the Death for a Testimony of his Truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 28. 7. In Suffolk among others there was one Peter Moon and his Wife who were Charged for not coming to Church and for neglecting other Popish Ceremonies Moon was first Examined Whether the Pope was not the Supreme Head of the Church Whether the Queen were not the right Inheritrix of the Crown Whether Christ's Body was not Really Present in the Sacrament c and being of a timorous Disposition he so answered as his Adversaries were satisfied His Wife also by his Example was drawn into the same Dissimulation and so they were dismissed But when they came home and began to bethink themselves what they had done they fell into such Trouble and Horror of Conscience that they were ready wholly to Despair And Moon seeing a Sword hanging in his Parlor was tempted to have slain himself with it which yet the Lord was pleased to prevent and afterwards upon their unfeigned Repentance to restore and comfort them Ibid. 8. Sir John Check who had been Tutor to King Edward VI. in the Reign of Queen Mary was cast into the Tower and kept close Prisoner and put to this miserable choice either to forego his Life or that which was more precious his Liberty of Conscience Neither could his Liberty be procured by his great Friends at any lower Rate than to Recant his Religion This he was very unwilling to accept of till his hard Imprisonment joyned with threats of much worse in case of his refusal and the many large promises made upon his Submission with what other means humane Policy could invent wrought so upon him whilst he consulted with Flesh and Blood as drew from him an Abrenuntiation of that Truth which he had so long Professed and still Believed upon this he was Restored to his Liberty but never to his Comfort for the Sense of and Sorrow for his own Apostacy and the daily sight of the cruel Butcheries exercised on others for their constant adherence to the Truth made such deep Impressions upon his broken Spirit as brought him to a speedy yet through God's Mercy and Goodness to a comfortable end of his Miserable Life A. C. 1557. ibid. p. 28. 9. There was one Ralph Allerton who coming into his Parish Church of Bently in Essex and finding the People idle or ill imployed he exhorted them to go to Prayers and after he had read to them a Chapter out of the New Testament for which being Apprehended he was carried before Bishop Bonner who by his subtle perswasions and flatteries so prevailed with this poor Man that he drew him to Recant his former Profession and so dismissed him But this base Cowardice of his brought him into such Bondage and Terrors of Conscience and so cast him down that if the Lord had not been exceeding gracious unto him he had Perished for ever But the Lord looking upon him with the Eyes of Mercy after he had Chastned raised him up again giving him not only hearty and unfeigned Repentance of his Back-sliding but also a constant boldness to profess his Name and Gospel even unto Death ibid. 10. In the City of Bristol there was one Richard Sharp a Weaver who being Apprehended for Religion was carried before Doctor Dalby the Chancellor who after he had Examined him about the Sacraments of the Altar so wrought upon him by Perswasions that he drew from him a promise to make a publick Recantation and the time and place were appointed for it But after this Promise Sharp felt such an Hell in his Conscience that he was not able to follow any Business and he decayed in his bodily Health and wholly lost his Colour Whereupon on a Sabbath going to his Parish-Church he pressed to the Quire-door and with a loud Voice said Neighbours bear me Record that yonder Idol pointing to the Altar is the greatest and most abominable Idol that ever was and I am sorry that ever I denied my Lord God For this he was carried to Prison and Sealed the Truth with his Blood Ibid. p. 29. 11. When Jerome of Prague came to the Council at Constance they sent him to a Town where they tied him fast to a great Block and set his Legs in the Stocks his Hands also being made fast unto them the Block being so high that he could not possibly sit thereon but his Head must hang downward where also they allowed him nothing but Bread and Water But within eleven days hanging thus by the Heels he fell very sick Yet thus they kept him in Prison almost Twelve Months and then sent to him requiring him to Recant and to Subscribe that John Huss was justly put to Death which he did partly out of fear of Death and hoping to escape their hands Yet they sent to Examine him again but he refused to Answer except he were brought in Publick before the Council and they presuming that he would openly confirm his former Recantation sent for him May 25. 1416. subborning False Witnesses to Accuse him But he so learnedly cleared himself and refuted his Adversaries that they were astonished at his Oration which he concluded with this That all such Articles which Wickliff and Huss had written against the Enormities Pomps and Disorders of the Prelates he would firmly Hold and Defend even unto Death And that all the Sins he had committed did not so much gnaw and trouble his Conscience as did that most Pestiferous Act of his in Recanting what he had justly spoken and to the consenting to the wicked Condemnation of Huss and that he repented with his whole Heart that ever he did it For this he was Condemned and Burned Ibid. p. 30. 12. Some of the Friends of Galcacius Garacciolus Marquess of Vico having promised to accompany him in his voluntary Exile but afterwards looking back and turning again to their Vomit they were Apprehended and cast into the Inquisition were they were forced publickly to Recant and to Abjure their Religion and so they became the Subject of Misery and Infamy and were equally Odious to both Parties Ibid. p. 30. 13. Tho. Bilney A. C. 1531. of Cambridge Professor of both Laws Converted Thomas Arthur and Mr. Hugh Latimer but after recanting his Principles for the space of two
Blessings but when by the King and Pope's leave he had dissolved Forty small Monasteries to Erect two Colleges the one in Oxford the other in Ipswich the King seizeth upon his Palace at Westminster takes the Great Seal Wealth and Liberty from him his College at Ipswich destroyed before it was built that at Oxford receives a new Name himself is arrested of High Treason and to prevent a Publick and Ignominious Death Poisons himself 10. The Cardinal in dissolving his Forty Monasteries had made use of five Men besides Cromwel whereof two fought a Duel in which one was slain and the other hanged for Murder a third drowns himself in a Well a fourth a Rich Man too lives to beg his Bread from door to door the fifth a Bishop was cruelly murdered in Ireland by Tho. Fitz-Garret Son to the Earl of Kildare Pope Clement the Seventh that gave consent to this Dissolution is forced out of his Palace besieged at his Castle constrained there to eat Asses Flesh and at last dies of a miserable Disease Cromwel Cardinal Woolsey's Servant and Successor whilst sitting at the Council-Table is suddenly Apprehended sent to the Tower and thence to the Place of Execution 11. King Henry the Eighth who engrossed Sacrilege and entailed it to Posterity is afflicted with the Rebellion of his Subjects in Suffolk Lincoln Somerset York-shire the North Ireland c. with a great Dearth falls from one sin to another in the case of his Wives the three last die Childless the Children of the two first are declared Illegitimate And though he entail'd the Crown upon his Children and they all successively wore it yet they all die Childless and his Family is extinct and not to be mentioned but with his Crimes 12. Charles Brandon was an Active Man and aiding to Henry the Eighth in the Dissolution of Monasteries and received great Rewards out of his Church-Spoils and though he had four Wives yet by the fifth of Edw. 6. the Name Title and Family of Brandon was extinct 13. The Duke of Norfolk had by the Statute of Hen. 8. c. 13. the Monastery of Sibaton in Suffolk and the Lord Cobham the Chantry of Cobham in Kent since which time my Author remarks how heavy the Hand of Justice hath fallen upon those two Families 14. The Duke of Somerset had in the First Year of Edward the Sixth procured the Dissolution of some Chantries Free-Chapels and Hospitals defaceth part of St. Paul's Church converts the Charnel-House and a Chapel by it into Dwelling-Houses destroys the Steeple and part of the Church of St. John's of Jerusalem and with the Stone begins to build his House in the Strand but the consecrated Stone becomes unsuccessful so as the Builder doth not finish his House nor his Son Inherit it Afterwards the Duke was Indicted of Felony found Guilty and suffered by a Law that was but the year before passed by himself Sir Hen. Spelman De non Temerand Eccl. Epist to the Reader p. 28-38 CHAP. CXVII Divine Judgments upon Treachery TReachery had ever an ill Name and not undeservedly for it discovers the falseness of a Man's Heart and represents him to the World as a Man to fit to be trusted For who dares lean with any confidence upon a broken Reed And accordingly though it meets often with fine Promises yet is often served in self as it serves others with poor and miserable Performances Every one is ready to retort upon the traitor in the words of the Emperor Aâ—no proditionem odi proditorem I love the Treachery but hate the Traitor 1. Sir Robert Carre afterwards Earl of Somerset a great Favourite of King James admitted Sir Thomas Overbury into his Favour and put him in Trust with his most Secret Employments in which he behaved himself so discreetly and honestly that afterwards when the Earl of Somerset falling in Love with the Lady Frances Howard late Wife of the Earl of Essex but then divorced or intended to be divorced consulted with Sir Thomas about it and Sir Thomas freely disswading him from the Match with words reflecting much on the Countess's Reputation and doing this upon a Principle of unfeigned Love the Earl with the Advice of the Countess resolved upon Revenge and contrived the murdering of Sir Thomas afterwards in the Tower but after a mighty Celebration of the Wedding the Murder was discovered the Instruments hanged the Earl and Countess both convicted their Estate seized only their Lives by the King's favour were reprieved Select Lives of England 's Worthies p. 286 287. Detect of the Court and State in the Four last Reigns p. 39 40 c. 2. Nicholas Keretschen Governour of Gyula in Transylvania betrayed the same unto the Turks for a great Sum of Money but when he expected the Reward he was by the Command of Solyman the Great Turk thrust into an Hogshead stuck full of Nails with the points inward with this Inscription upon it Here receive the Reward of thy Treason if thou beest not faithful to thy Master neither wilt thou be so to me And so he was rolled up and down till he died Turk Hist p. 824. 3. Banister Servant to the Duke of Buckingham in the Reign of Richard the Third upon the Promise of a Thousand Pounds basely betrayed his Lord and Master from whom he had formerly received great Favours but after this base Treachery he never had the Reward promised and beside had these Judgments befel him His Eldest Son fell Mad and so died in a Swine-stye His second Son became deformed in his Limbs and fell Lame His third Son was drowned in a small Puddle of Water His Eldest Daughter was suddenly struck with a Leprosie and himself in his Old Age was arraigned found guilty of Murther and escaped Hanging very narrowly Speed Chron. p. 97. 4. One Mr. Roscadden going on Pilgrimage according to the Blindness and Superstition of those Times his Wife had in his absence one if not more Children Whereupon at his return one John Tregoss advised and perswaded him to settle his Estate upon some Friend for the Use and Benefit of his Wife and Children lest after his Death the Heir at Common Law should turn his Wife and Children out of Doors Mr. Roscadden entertained and approved the Motion and entreated him to accept of the Trust which Request the said John Tregoss readily embraced But instead of a Deed in Trust he made it Absolute to himself and his Heirs for ever And accordingly so soon as Mr. Roscadden was dead he entred upon all his Lands and turned his Children out of Doors who for some time were fain to lie in a Hog-stye and every Morning went forth to the Dunghil and there upon their Knees imprecated and prayed that the Vengeance of God might fall upon this Tregoss and his Posterity for this so perfidious and merciless dealing And after this God's severe but righteous Judgments fell upon Tregss's Family For his Son Walter one day riding upon a Horse in a fair way
thee to Morrow Sigismund the Second King of Poland because of his perpetual delay and heaviness in weighty Affairs was called the King of to-morrow Such are we certainly Men of to-morrow we delay all things most willingly also if we could to put off Death it self but the business of dying admits of no delay suffers no put-offs Francis the First King of France being taken by Charles the Fifth when he had read at Madrid Charles's Impress upon the Wall Plus ultra Farther yet added thereto To day for me to morrow for thee The Victor took it not ill but to shew that he understood it wrote underneath I am a Man there is no Humane Accident but may befal me Barlaam the Hermit an Old Man of Seventy Years when Jehosaphat the King asked him how Old he was Answered Forty five at which when the King admired He reply'd that he had been absent rom his Studies Twenty five Years as if those Years which he had spent upon the Vanity of the World had been quite lost Sir Tho. Moor that no Age might delude a Person with the hopes of a longer Life gives this Admonition As he that is carried out of a Prison to the Gallows though the way be longer yet fears not the Gallows the less because he comes to it a little the later and though his Limbs are firm his Eyes quick his Lungs sound and that he relish his Meat and Drink yet this is still his Affliction that he is upon his Journey Thus are we all carried to the Gibbet of Death we are all upon the way only parted by some little Intervals The Elector of Brandenburg came to Visit Charles the Fifth being Sick of the Gout and advised him to make use of his Physicians To whom Charles replied The best Remedy in this Disease is Patience The compleat Armour of a Sick Man is Patience being so guarded he need fear neither Sickness Pain nor Death He is Proof against the blows of his Enemies and shall certainly overcome for Patience overcomes all things St. Austin Bishop of Hippo went to visit another Bishop of his Familiar Acquaintance lying in Extremity to whom as he was lifting up his Hands to Heaven to signifie his Departure St. Austin replyed That he was a great support of the Church and worthy of a longer Life To whom the sick Person made this Answer If never 't were another thing but if at any time why not now Thus Sitenus being taken by Midas and asked what was the best thing could happen to Man For a while stood silent At length being urg'd to speak he answer'd That the best thing was never to be born the next to die the soonest that might be This I must not omit very wonderful unheard-of and pleasant in the Relation Lodowick Cortusius a Lawyer of Padua forbid to his Relations all Tears and Lamentations by his Will And desir'd that he might have Harpers Pipers and all sorts of Musick at his Funeral who should partly go before partly follow the Corps leaving to every one of them a small Sum of Money His Bier he ordered to be carry'd by Twelve Virgins that being clad in green were to sing all the way such Songs as Mirth brought to their remembrance leaving to each a certain Sum of Money instead of a Dowry Thus was he buried in the Church of St. Sophia in Padua accompanied with a Hundred Attendants together with all the Clergy of the City excepting those that wore black for such by his Will he forbid his Funeral as it were turning his Funeral-Rites into a Marriage-Ceremony He died the 17th of July 1418. Admirable was the saying of St. Bernard Let them bewail their Dead who deny the Resurrection They are to be deplor'd who after Death are buried in Hell by the Devils not they who are plac'd in Heaven by the Angels Cyrus being about to die My Son said he when I am dead close up my Body neither in Silver nor in any other Metal but return its own Earth to the Earth again His last words were Be grateful to your Friends and you will never want the Power to punish your Enemies Farewel my dear Son and tell these my Words to your Mother also Wisely said Theophrastus upon his Death-Bed Many fine and pleasant things doth Life impose upon us under the pretence of Glory than the love of which there is nothing more vain Hither may be referred the saying of Severus the Emperor I was all things but nothing avails Alexander after many and great Victories overcome at length he fell not only into his Bed but into his Tomb contented with a small Coffin Peter Alphonsus reports That several Philosophers flock'd together and variously descanted upon the King's Death One there was that said Behold now four Yards of Ground is enough for him whom the spacious Earth could not comprehend before Another added Yesterday could Alexander save whom he pleas'd from Death to Day he cannot free himself Another viewing the Golden Coffin of the deceased Yesterday said he Alexander heaped up a Treasure of Gold now Gold makes a Treasure of Alexander This was their Learned Contention yet all ended in this Then he fell sick and died Lewis King of France gave these his last Admonitions to his Son Beware my Son that thou never commit any deadly Sin rather suffer all manner of Torments First chuse such about thee as will not be afraid to tell thee what thou art to do and what to beware To thy Parents give all Obedience Love and Reverence Ferdinand the Great King of Castile falling sick of his last Sickness caused himself to be carried to the great Church in all his Royal Robes where putting off all his Royal Ornaments and as it were restoring God his own he put on a Hair-Clâ—â— and casting himself upon the Ground with Tears in his Eyes Lord said he the Kingdom which thou gavest me I return to thee again seat me I beseach thee in Eternal Light Charles King of Sicily spoke these words Oh the Vain Thoughts of Men Miserable Creatures we are delighted with Honour heap up Treasure and neglect Heaven O the happy Fate of the Poor who content with little sleep in Tranquility What does now my Kingdom what do all my Guards avail me I might have been miserable without all this Pomp. Where is now the power and strength of my Empire The same necessity involves me as hampers the meanest Beggar Of so many Thousands of Clients Servants and Flatterers there is not one that will or can accompany me to the Tribunal of God Go Mortals go and swell your Breasts with great Thoughts to Day or to Morrow ye must die Farewel Earth would I could say welcom Heaven Dionysius the Areopagite being condemned to lose his Head with a Christian Generosity contemning the Reproaches of the Spectators Let the last words of my Lord upon the Cross said he be mine in this World Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit
J. with whom I only leave for their Direction and Encouragement 1 Cor. 15.58 Mat. 28.20 The Lay men whom I put in Joynt-Trust are Mr. B. Mr. M. Mr. B. and plain-hearted T. H. all whose Faces I hope to see in Heaven with them I leave for their Refreshment when taking some steps about it Mat. 25.39 40 for Eternity is the place I would be for to which when gone I am but a little before and you a little behind This Lecture he kept up by his constant cost and care from Aug. 4. 1653. Monthly until Jan. 2. 1659. whereof he kept an exact Account in a Catalogue wherein he took notice of the day of the Month the Place the Persons that Preached and their Texts some hints of the Congregation both number and seriousness See his Life And having thus made use of some of his Memorials we shall add what himself said of the ' writing of them in these words The occasion of making and writing these things was a thought I had what was become of all my Fore-fathers and what what Price I should set upon one of their Manuscripts concerning the state of our Family Nation or Church of God in it 500 Years since Whereupon I resolved this Work formy Son's sake and Posterity's imitation when it may be said of us in this Generation as of Israel once in that Exod. 1.6 And Joseph died and all his Brethren and all that Generation I John Machin called by him who separated me from the Womb Gal. 1.15 to the hope of having my Name in the Book of Life and likewise to be an Embassador of my Lord Christ Jesus was in my great Master's Work at Astbury in Cheshire Anno 1655. when I first set Pen hereunto See his Life 67. Part of Mr. Richard Baxter's Last Will as I find it published by Mr. Sylvester in the Narrative of his Life I Richard Baxter of London Clerk an unworthy Servant of Jesus Christ drawing to the end of this Transitory Life having through God's great Mercy the free use of my Understanding do make this My Last Will and Testament My Spirit I commit with Trust and Hope of the Heavenly Felicity into the hands of Jesus my glorified Redeemer and Intercessor and by his Mediation into the hands of God my Reconciled Father the Infinite Eternal Spirit Light Life and Love most Great and Wise and Good the God of Nature Grace and Glory of whom and through whom and to whom are all things my absolute Owner Ruler and Benefactor whose I am and whom though imperfectly I serve seek and trust to whom be Glory for ever Amen To him I render most humble Thanks that he hath filled up my Life with abundance of Mercy pardon'd my Sins by the Merits of Christ and vouchsafed by his Spirit to renew and seal me as his own and to moderate and bless to me my long-sufferings in the Flesh and at last to sweeten them by his own Interest and comforting Approbation who taketh the cause of Love and Concord as his own Now let the Reader Judge adds the Reverend Mr. Sylvester in his Preface to Mr. Baxter 's Life whether any thing in all this can in the least infer his doubting or denyal of a fature state as some have reported 68. The Reverend Mr. John Dunton late Rector of Aston Clinton in Bucks after he had in his Last Will bequeathed his Soul to God who gave it speaking next concerning his Funeral he adds That 't is his desire that his Funeral might not be performed till Five days after his decease Which Request was occasioned by his first Wife 's lying seemingly dead for three days and afterwards coming to Life again to the Admiration of all that saw her 69. A Copy of the Will made by the Reverend Dr. Samuel Annesly who departed this Life on Thursday Decemb. 31. 1696. in the 77th Year of his Age. IN the Name of God Amen I Dr. Samuel Annesly of the Liberty of Norton-Folgate in the County of Middlesex an unworthy Minister of Jesus Christ being through Mercy in Health of Body and Mind do make this my Last Will and Testament concerning my Earthly Pittance Formy SOVL I dare humbly say it is through Grace devoted unto God otherwise than by LEGACY when it may live here no longer And I do believe that my BODY after its sleeping a while in Jesus shall be reunited to my Soul that they may both be for ever with the Lord. Of what I shall leave behind me I make this short disposal My Just Debts being paid I give to each of my Children One Shilling and all the rest to be equally divided between my Son Benjamin Annesly my Daughter Judith Annesly and my Daughter Ann Annesly whom I make my Executors of this my Last Will and Testament revoking all former and confirming this with my Hand and Seal this 29th day of March 1693. SAMVEL ANNESLY 70. Cardinal Richelieu was visited by the King in his last Sickness which saith my Author was the greatest Favour he could receive from any Mortal Man seeing that having lived altogether for his King he was to die near him and almost in his Arms. He desired in his Sickness That he might live no longer than he was able do the King and the Kingdom of France Service He expired Decemb. 4. St. N. 1642. aged 58. He was buried in the College of Sorbonne where he had caused his Monument to be built during his Life Gabriel Du-gres in the Life of Jean Arman Du Plessis D. of Richelieu p. 65. 71. Cardinal Mazarine thus expressed himself to the Queen-Mother of France before his Death Madam your Favours have undone me were I to live again I would be a Capuchin rather than a Courtier This with some others following I am not now able to cite my Authors for having taken the Abstracts out of borrowed Books several Years ago 72. Sir John Mason Privy-Counsellor to four Princes expressed himself thus Seriousness is the best Wisdom Temperance the best Physick a good Conscience the best Estate and were I to live again I wold change the Court for a Cloyster my Privy-Counsellor's Bustles for an Hermit's Retirement and the whole Life I have lived in the Palace for one hours enjoyment of God in the Chapel All things else forsake me except my God my Duties and my Prayers 73. Hugo Grotius wish'd that he might exchange all his Learning and Honour for the plain Integrity of Jean Vrich who was a Poor Religious Man that spent Eight hours of his Day in Prayer Eight in Meat and Sleep and Eight in Labour 74. Salmasius his last Reflections were to this purpose Oh! I have lost a World of Time Time that most Precious thing in the World whereof had I but one Year more it should be spent in David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles O Sirs mind the World less and God more The Fear of the Lord this is Wisdom 75. Mr. Selden to Archbishop Vsher Notwithstanding my curious Enquiries
and Books and Collections I can rest my Soul on nothing but the Scriptures and above all that Passage lies most upon my Spirit Titus 2.11 12. The Grace of God that brings Salvation c. 76. Dr. Donn on his Dying-bed told his Friends I Repent of all my Life but that part I spent in Communion with God and doing good 77. Sir Walter Rawleigh in a Letter to his Wife after his Condemnation hath these words If you can live free from Want care for no more for the rest is but a Vanity Love God and begin betimes in him shall ye find True Everlasting and Endless Comfort My dear Wife Farewel Bless my Boy Pray for me and let my True God hold you both in his Arms. 78. Mr. Herbert the Divine Poet to one going about to Comfort him with the Remembrance of a good Work he had done in Repairing a ruinous Church belonging to his Ecclesiastical Dignity made answer 'T is a good Work if sprinkled with the Blood of Christ In the Preface before his Poems 79. Mr. Tho. Cartwright the last Sermon that he made was Dec. 25. on Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth c. On the Tuesday following the Day before his Death he was two Hours on his Knees in private Prayer in which as he told his Wife he found wonderful and unutterable Joy and Comfort and within a few Hours after he quietly resigned up his Spirit to God Dec. 27. 1603. Mr. Clark 's Martyrol p. 21. 80. Mr. Paul Baines in his last Sickness had many Fears and Doubts God letting Satan loose upon him so that he went away with far less Comfort than many weaker Christians enjoy Ibid. p. 24. 81. Mr. William Bradshaw exhorted all that came to him to lay a good Foundation for a comfortable Death in time of Life and Health assuring them that their utmost Addresses and Endeavours would be little enough when they came to that Work Ibid. p. 51. 81. Mr. Richard Rothwel foretold his own Death I am well and shall be well shortly said he to some that sent to enquire how he did And afterwards whispering one in the Ear there present said Do you know my meaning I shall be with Christ e're long but do not tell them so And after Prayer smiling said he Now I am well Happy is he that hath not bow'd a knee to Baal He called upon the Company to sing Psal 120. And in the singing of it he died An. 1627. Aged 64. Ibid. p. 71. 83. Dr. Preston the Night before he died being Saturday he went to Bed and lay about three Hours desirous to sleep but slept not Then said My Dissolution is near let me go to my Home and to Jesus Christ who hath bought me with his most precious Blood About Four of the Clock the next Morning he said I feel Death coming to my Heart my Pain shall now be quickly turned into Joy And after Prayer made by a Friend he look'd on the Company turned away his Head and at Five a Clock on the Lord's-Day in the Morning gave up the Ghost An. 1628. Aged 41. or near it Ibid. p. 113. 84. Mr. Hildersam sickening with the Scurvy in the midst of Winter on March 4. being the Lord's-Day was prayed for in the Congregation of Ashby His Son also prayed with him divers times that Day and in the last Prayer he departed March 4. 1631. Had I time to pause upon it methinks the Death of many worthy Persons happening upon the Christian Sabbath is worthy of a special Remark Mr. Hildersam had given order in his Will that no Funeral Sermon should be preached at his Burial Ibid. p. 123. 85. Dr. Tho. Tailour of Aldermanbury expressed himself thus O said he we serve a good Lord who covers all our Imperfections and gives us great Wages for little Work And on the Lord's-Day he was dismissed hence to keep a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven in the Climacterical Year of his Age 56. Ibid. p. 127. 86. Mr. John Carter likewise Feb. 21. 1635. being the Lord's-Day ended his Life with a Doxology The Lord be thanked Ibid. p. 140. 87. Dr. Sibs died Anno 1631. Aged 58. Ibid. Dr. Chaderton Anno 1640. Aged 94. Ibid. 88. Mr. Ball being ask'd in his last Sickness whether he thought he should live or die answered I do not trouble my self about that matter And afterwards how he did replied Going to Heaven apace He died 1640. Aged 55. Ibid. 89. Dr. Potter died about the great Climacterical Year of his Age being suspected to have laid to Heart the Reproaches of some thrown upon him for a Sermon preached a little before at Westminster as too sharp against Innovations in the Church Ibid. 90. Mr. Julines Herrings the Night before his Departure was observed to rise upon his Knees and with Hands lifted up to Heaven to use these Words He is overcome overcome through the Strength of my Lord and only Saviour Jesus unto whom I am now going to keep a Sabbath in Glory And accordingly next Morning March 28. 1644. Aged 62. on the Sabbath-Day he departed Ibid. 168. 91. Mr. John Dod was tried with most bitter and sharp Pains of the Strangury and great Wrestlings with Satan but was Victorious To one watching with him he said That he had been wrestling with Satan all Night who accused him That he had neither preached nor prayed nor performed any Duty well for manner or end but saith he I have answer'd him from the Example of the Prodigal and the Publican One of his last Speeches was with Eyes and Hands lift up to Heaven I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Which desire was granted him Anno 1645. aged 96. Ibid. p. 178. 92. Mr. Herbert Palmer after Isa 38 Chap. being read prayed himself to this purpose First for himself That God would heal the sinfulness of his Nature pardon all his Transgressions deliver him from Temptation accept him in Christ c. Then for the Publick the Nation King and Parliament Ministers c. For Scotland and the Churches in France New-England c. Queen's College Westminster the Country his Benefactors c. He departed December 25. 1647. aged 46. He desired his Friends not to Pray for his Life but Pray God saith he for Faith for Patience for Repentance for Joy in the Holy Ghost Lord saith he cast me down as low as Hell in Repentance and lift me up by Faith to the highest Heavens in confidence of thy Salvation The Tuesday before he departed This day Seven-night said he is the Day on which we have used to remember Christ's Nativity and on which I have preached Christ I shall scarce live to see it but for me was that Child born unto me was that Son given c. Ibid. p. 201. 93. Mr. John Cotton to Mr. Wilson taking his last leave of him and praying that God would lift up the Light of his Countenance upon him and shed his Love into his Soul presently answered
how Happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake send me Life and Death I suspect some Mistake in recording these last Words perhaps Life or Death that I may truly serve thee O my Lord God! bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy People of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and thy People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake His last Words were I am faint Lord have mercy and take my Spirit He died aged 17. 108. The Lady Jane Grey by King Edward's Will proclaimed Queen of England the Night before she was beheaded sent her Sister her Greek Testament in the end whereof she wrote as may be seen under the Head of Love of the Holy Scriptures She spoke on the Scaffold thus GOod People I am come hither to Die and by a Law I am condemned to the same My Offence against the Queen's Majesty was only in consenting to the Device of others which now is deemed Treason yet it was never of my seeking but by Counsel of those who should seem to have further understanding of those things than I who knew little of the Law and much less of Titles to the Crown But touching the Procurement thereof by me or on my behalf I do here wash my Hands in Innocency before God and the Face of you all this Day and therewith she wrung her Hands wherein she had her Book I pray you all good Christian People to bear me Witness that I die a true Christian Woman and that I look to be saved by no other means but only by the Mercy of God in the Blood of his only Son Jesus Christ And I do confess That when I knew the Word of God I neglected the same and loved my self and the World and therefore this Plague and Punishment is justly befallen me for my Sins And I yet thank God of his Goodness that he hath been pleased to give me Respite to Repent in And now good People while I am alive I pray assist me with your Prayers She died 1554. aged 16. Tu quibus ista legas incertum est Lector ocellis Ipsa equidem siccis scribere non potui Fox 's Martyrol 109. Queen Elizabeth is reported upon her Death-bed but by what Author I confess I do not presently remember to complain of the want of Time Time Time a World of Wealth for an Inch of Time yet finished her Course with that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good Fight c. 110. The young Lord Harrington professed in his Sickness That he feared not Death in what shape soever it came declaring about two Hours before his Death that he still felt the assured Comforts and Joys of his Salvation by Jesus Christ And when Death approached he breathed forth these longing Expressions Oh that Joy Oh my God! when shall I be with thee And so sweetly resigned up his Spirit unto God An. 1613. aged 22. See in his Life in the Young Man's Calling and my Christian 's Companion 111. Henry Prince of Wales eldest Son to King James in his Sickness had these Words to one that waited on him Ah Tom I in vain wish for that time I lost with thee and others in vain Recreations Which puts me in mind of what Mr. Smith relates in the Funeral Solemnity of Mr. Moor Fellow of Gaius College and Keeper of the University Library viz. That he often lamented the Misery of our English Gentry who are commonly brought up to nothing but Hawks and Hounds and know not how to bestow their Time in a Rainy Day and in the midst of all their Plenty are in want of Friends necessary Reproof and most loving Admonition 112. The Earl of Strafford made this Speech on the Scaffold May 12. 1641. MY Lord Primate of Ireland and my Lords and the rest of the Gentlemen it is a very great Comfort to me to have your Lordship by me this Day in regard I have been known to you a long time I should be very glad to obtain so much silence as to be heard a few Words but I doubt I shall not My Lord I come hither by the Good Will and Pleasure of Almighty God to pay that last Debt I owe to Sin which is Death and by the Blessing of God to rise again through the Merits of Christ Jesus to Eternal Glory I wish I had been private that I might have been heard My Lord if I might be so much beholden to you that I might use a few Words I should take it for a very great Courtesie My Lord I come hither to submit to that Judgment which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented Mind I do freely forgive all the World a Forgiveness that is not spoken from the Teeth outward as they say but from the Heart I speak it in the Presence of Almighty God before whom I stand that there is not in me so much as a displeasing Thought to any Creature I thank God I may say truly and my Conscience bears me witness that in all my Service since I have had the Honour to serve His Majesty in any Employment I never had any thing in my Heart but the joynt and individual Prosperity of the King and People If it hath been my Hap to be misconstrued it is the common Portion of us all while we are in this Life the Righteous Judgment is hereafter here we are subject to Error and apt to be misjudged one of another There is one thing I desire to clear my self of and I am very confident I speak it with so much clearness that I hope I shall have your Christian Charity in the belief of it I did always ever think the Parliaments of England were the happiest Constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under and under God the happiest Means of making King and People happy so far have I been from being against Parliaments For my Death I here acquit all the World and pray God heartily to forgive them and in particular my Lord Primate I am very glad that His Majesty is pleased to conceive me not meriting so severe and heavy a Punishment as the utmost execution of this Sentence I am very glad and infinitely rejoyce in this Mercy of his and beseech God to turn it to him that he may find Mercy when he hath most need of it I wish this Kingdom all the Prosperity and Happiness in the World I did it living and now dying it is my Wish I do now profess it from my Heart and do most humbly recommend it to every Mâ—n here and wish every Man to lay his Hand upon his Heart and consider seriously whether the beginning of the Happiness of a People should be written in Letters of Blood I fear you are in a wrong way and I desire Almighty God that no one drop of my Blood may
the promised Land Methinks I hear God saying to me as to Moses Go up to Mount Nebo and die there so Go thou up to Tower-Hill and die there Isaac said of himself That he was Old and yet did not know the day of his Death But I cannot say thus I am Young and yet I know the Day the Kind and the Place of my Death also It is such a kind of Death as two Famous Preachers of the Gospel John the Baptist and Paul the Apostle were put to before me we have mention of the one in Scripture-Story of the other in Ecclesiastical History And Rev. 20.4 The Saints were Beheaded for the Word of God and for the Testimony of Jesus But herein is the disadvantage which I am in in the thoughts of many who judge that I Suffer not for the Word or Conscience but for meddling with State-matters To this I shall briefly say that it is an old Guise of the Devil to impute the cause of God's Peoples Sufferings to be Contrivements against the State The Rulers of Israel would put Jeremiah to death upon a civil Account tho' it was the Truth of his Prophecy made them angry because he fell away to the Chaldeans So Paul must die as a Mover of Sedition The same thing is laid to my Charge whereas indeed it is because I pursue my Covenant and will not prostitute my Principles to the Lusts of Men. Beloved I am this Day to make a double Exchange I am exchanging a Pulpit for a Scaffold and a Scaffold for a Throne and I might add a third I am changing this numerous Multitude upon Tower-hill for the innumerable Company of Angels in the Holy Hill of Sion and I am changing a Guard of Soldiers for a Guard of Angels which will receive and carry me into Abraham's Bosom This Scaffold is the best Pulpit I ever preached in God through his Grace made me an Instrument to bring others to Heaven but in this he will bring me to Heaven and it may be this Speech upon a Scaffold may bring God more Glory than many Sermons in a Pulpit Before I lay down my Neck upon the Block I shall lay open my Case and that without Animosity or Revenge God is my Record whom I serve in the Spirit I speak the Truth I Lye not I do not bring a Revengeful Heart unto the Scaffold this Day Before I came here I did upon my bended Knees beg Mercy for them that denied Mercy to me I have forgiven from my Heart the worst Enemy I have in the World and this is the worst I wish to my Accusers and Prosecutors who have pursued my Blood that I might meet their Souls in Heaven I have no more to say but to desire the Help of all your Prayers that God would give me the Continuance and Supply of Divine Grace to carry me through this great Work I am now to do that I who am to do a Work I never did may I have a Strength that I never had that I may put off this Body with as much Quietness and Comfort of Mind as ever I put off my Cloaths to go to Bed And now I am to commend my Soul to God and to receive my fatal Blow I am comforted in this Tho' Men kill me they cannot damn me and tho' they thrust me out of the World yet they cannot shut me out of Heaven I am now going to my Long Home to my Father's House to the Heavenly Jerusalem to the innumerable Company of Angels to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect to God the Judge of all in whose Presence there is Fulness of Joy and at whose Right Hand there are Pleasures for evermore Then he kneeled down and made a short Prayer privately Then after rising up he said Blessed be God I am full of Joy and Peace in believing I lie down with a world of Comfort And then saying The Lord bless you he lay down with his Head over the Block and when he stretched out his Hands the Executioner did his Office 118. The Last Speech of Sir Walter Rawleigh MY Honourable Lords and the rest of my good Friends that are come to see me die know That I much rejoyce that it hath pleased God to bring me from Darkness to Light and in freeing me from the Tower wherein I might have died in Disgrace by letting me live to come to this Place where tho' I lose my Life yet shall I clear some false Accusations unjustly laid to my Charge and leave behind me a Testimony of a true Heart both to my King and Country Two things there are which have exceedingly possess'd and provoked His Majesty's Indignation against me viz. A Confederacy or Combination with France and disloyal and disobedient Words of my Prince For the first His Majesty had some Cause though grounded upon a weak Foundation to suspect mine Inclination to the French Faction for not long before my Departure from England the French Agent took occasion passing by my House to visit me We had some Conference during the time of his abode only concerning my Voyage and nothing else I take God to witness Another Suspicion is had of me because I did labour to make an Escape from Plimouth to France I cannot deny but that willingly when I heard a Rumour that there was no hope of my Life upon my Return to London I would have escaped for the Safeguard of my Life and not for any ill Intent or Conspiracy against the State The like Reason of Suspicion arose in that I perswaded Sir Lewis Steukly my Guardian to flee with me from London to France but my Answer to this is as to the other that only for my Safegard and nough else was my Intent as I shall answer before the Almighty It is alledged That I feigned my self Sick and by Art made my Body full of Blisters when I was at Salisbury True it is I did so the Reason was because I hoped thereby to deferr my cooming before the King and Council and so by delaying might have gained time to have got my Pardon I have an Example out of Scripture for my Warrant that in case of Necessity and for the Safeguard of his Life David feigned himself Foolish and Mad yet it was not imputed to him for Sin Concerning the second Imputation laid to my Charge That I should speak Scandalous and Reproachful Words of my Prince there is no Witness against me but only one and he a Chymical Frenchman whom I entertained rather for his Jests than Judgment This Man to incroach himself into the Favour of the Lords and gaping after some great Reward hath falsly accused me of Seditious Speeches against His Majesty against whom if I did either speak or think a Thought hurtful or prejudicial Lord blot me out of the Book of Life It is not a time to Flatter or Fear Princes for I am a Subject to none but Death
in Ireland without a Foe By their own barbarous Hands the Mad-men die And Massacre themselves they know not why Whilst the kind Irish howl to see the Gore And pious Catholicks their Fate deplore If you refuse to trust Erroneous Fame Royal Mac-Ninny will confirm the same We have lost more in injur'd Capel's Heir Than the poor Bankrupt Age can e're repair Nature indulg'd him so that there we saw All the choice strokes her steady hand cou'd draw He the Old English Glory did revive In him we had Plantagenets alive Grandeur and Fortune and a vast Renown Fit to support the lustre of a Crown All these in him were potently conjoyn'd But all was too ignoble for his Mind Wisdom and Vertue Properties Divine Those God-like ESSEX were entirely thine In his great Name he 's still preserv'd alive And will to all succeeding Times survive With just Progression as the constant Sun Doth move and through its bright Ecliptick run For whilst his Dust does undistinguish'd lie And his blest Soul is soar'd above the Sky Fame shall below his parted Breath supply 4. WILLIAM Lord RVSSEL THE next who fell under their Cruelty and to whose Death Essex's was but the Prologue was my Lord Russel without all Dispute one of the finest Gentlemen that ever England bred and whose Pious Life and Vertue was as much Treason against the Court by affronting them with what was so much hated there as any thing else that was sworn against him The Last Speech and Carriage of the Lord Russel upon the Scaffold c. ON Saturday July the 21st 1683. about Nine in the Morning the Sheriffs went to Newgate to see if the Lord Russel was ready and in a little time his Lordship came out and went into his Coach taking his Farewel of his Lady the Lord Cavendish and several other of his Friends at Newgate In the Coach were Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet who accompanied him to the Scaffold built in Lincoln's Inn-Fields which was covered all over with Mourning Being come upon the Scaffold his Lordship bowed to the Persons present and turning to the Sheriff made this following Speech Mr. Sheriff I expected the Noise would be such that I should not be much heard I was never fond of much speaking much less now therefore I have set down in Paper all that I think fit to leave behind me God knows how far I was always from Designs against the King's Person or of altering the Government And I still pray for the Preservation of Both and of the Protestant Religion Mr. Sheriff I am told that Captain Walcot Yesterday siad something concerning my Knowledge of the Plot I know not whether the Report be true or not Mr. Sheriff I did not hear him name your Lordship Writer No my Lord your Lordship was not named by any of them Lord Russel I hope it is not for to my knowledge I never saw him nor spake with him in my whole Life and in the Words of a dying Man I profess I know of no Plot either against the King's Life or the Government But I have now done with this World and am going to a better I forgive all the World heartily and I thank God I die in Charity with all Men and I wish all sincere Protestants may love one another and not make way for Popery by their Animosities I pray God forgive them and continue the Protestant Religion amongst them that it may flourish so long as the Sun and Moon endures I am now more satisfied to die than ever I have been Then kneeling down his Lordship prayed to himself after which Dr. Tillotson kneeled down and prayed with him which being done his Lordship kneeled down and prayed a second time to himself then pull'd off his Whig put on his Cap took off his Crevat and Coat and bidding the Executioner after he had lain down a small moment do his Office without a Sign He gave him some Gold Then embracing Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet he laid him down with his Neck upon the Block The Executioner missing at his first stroke though with that he took away his Life at two more severed the Head from the Body The Executioner held up the Head to the People as is usual in cases of Treason c. Which being done Mr. Sheriff ordered his Lordship's Friends or Servants to take the Body and dispose of it as they pleased being given them by His Majesty's Favour and Bounty His Body was convey'd to Cheneys in Buckinghamshire where 't was buried among his Ancestors There was a great Storm and many loud Claps of Thunder the day of his Martyrdom An Elegy was made on him immediately after his Death which seems by what we have of it to be writ with some Spirit and a great deal of Truth and Good-will only this Fragment on 't could be retriev'd which yet may not be unwelcome to the Reader 'T is done he 's crown'd and one bright Martyr more Black Rome is charg'd on thy too bulky score All like himself he mov'd so calm so free A generall Whisper question'd Which is he Deckt like a Lover tho' pale Death 's his Bride He carne and saw and overcame and dy'd Earth wept and all the vainly pitying Croud But Heaven his Death in Thunder groan'd aloud His CHARACTER For his Character if we 'll believe the best Men and those who knew him best 't is one of the most advantageous the Age or indeed our Nation has yielded Those are great words which Mr. Leviston Gower speaks of him on his Tryal but yet not a Syllable too big for his Merit tho' they are very expressive of it That he was one of the best Sons the best Fathers the best Husbands the best Masters the best Friends and the best Christians By other That he was a most Vertuous Prudent and Pious Gentleman A Man of that Vertue that none who knew him could think him guilty of such a Conspiracy A Man of great Honour and too Prudent to be concern'd in so vile and desperate a Design A Person of great Vertue and integrity One whom those he had long convers'd with never heard utter so much as a word of Indecency against the King And others of the highest Quality who had been often in his Company say That they had never heard any thing from him but what was Honourable Just and Loyal His Person was tall and proper his Temper even and aggreable and such as rendred his Vertues even more lovely than they did him His Piety and Devotion as unaffected and yet as remarkable as his Love to the Church of England The True Church of England as he himself calls it not those Tumours and Wens that grow upon it and pretended to be not only part but all of it in our late bad Times to whose Heighths and Extravagancies he thinks it no shame in his Speech to confess he could never rise He was of a Noble Courage which he did not express by
Quarrels or Duelling but serving his Country at Sea in the most dangerous Wars and at Land in the Parliament in more dangerous Councils and Debates He was there a true Englishman still the same you knew where he would be for he never mov'd A strenuous Asserter and Defender of his Country's Religion and Rights against all Opposers and that in a Lawful and Parliamentary Method He spoke little there but always very home and much to the purpose And that was as true a Character of him formerly recited as if it had come from a better Man That every one knew the Lord Russel to be a Person of great Judgment and not very lavish of Discourse Lastly which will give no small heightening to his Character He had Mr. Johnson to his Chaplain An Abstract of the late Noble Lord Russel's Speech to the Sheriffs as also of a Paper delivered by him to them at the Place of his much-lamented Execution on July 21. 1683. IN his Speech to the Sheriffs he tells them That for fear of not being well heard he had couched what he had to say upon that sad occasion in the Paper he delivered them only he Protest his Innocence of any Designs against the King's Person or the then Government and Prays for the Preservation of both and of the Protestant Religion and in short declares that he forgives all the World and wishes that all True Protestants may love one another and not make way for Popery by their Animosities In the Paper He first declares himself compos'd for Death and weaned from this World Then he affectionately thanks God as in general so in particular for his advantageous Birth and Religious Education of which in that important occasion he found such happy and powerful Effects as kept him up against the fear of Death and all other Discomposures and armed him with such Assurances in God's Love and Mercy as made the most joyful of the visibly saddest Moments of his Life He professes to die as he had lived a sincere Protestant of the Church of England though he never could come up to the heighths of some wishes more Moderation both in Church-men and Dissenters and that the Common Danger of Popery might move them to lay aside their Differences and all Persecuting Inclinations as more unseasonable then than at any other time He declares he had a Notion of Poperey as of an Idolatrous and Bloody Religion and thought himself bound to Act in his Station against it notwithstanding the Power of the Enemies he was sure to meet with on that account c. But yet he professes he never thought of doing any thing against it basely or inhumanely against the Maxims of Christian Religion or the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom for his sincerity in which he appeals to God renouncing all Passion By-End or Ill Design as also all Designs of changing the Government which was in his Opinion the best in the World and for which as well as his Country which he valued above his Life he was ever ready to venture it Disclaims all thoughts against the King's Life denying even the Lord Howard to have said any thing tending to prove it Frays sincerely for the King and Nation and wishes they may be mutually happy in one another that the King may be truly a Defender of the Faith that the Protestant Religion and Kingdom may flourish under Him and He be happy in both Worlds As to his share in the Prosecution of the Popish Plot he declares he acted sincerely in it as really believing as he still did the truth of such a Conspiracy and disclaims his knowledge of any Practices with the Witnesses which he protests against as abominable and disowns Falshood or Cruelty ever to have been in his Nature He persists in his Opinion that Popery was breaking in upon the Nation and grieves to see Protestants Instrumental to it declares his fears of the Sufferings the Protestant Religion was like to undergo and bewails the publick and shameless Impiety that abounded and modestly admonishes all Persons and particularly his Friends well-wishers to the Protestant Cause that were defective to live up to its Principles Then he declares his Submission to God's Pleasure freely forgives his Enemies and desires his Friends to seek no Revenge for his Blood After which he looks back and gives some little touches concerning his past behaviour and the manner of his Treatment at his Tryal He confesses he moved much for the Bill of Exclusion as the only effectual Remedy to secure both the King's Life the Protestant Religion and the Frame of the Government he thinking none of them could be safe so long as there was any hopes of a Popish Successor and that the Limitations proposed to bind the Duke were effectual Remedies against those Fears because the Nation could never be easie and safe under a King without a Prerogative But yet imputes his present Sufferings to the Revengeful Resentments some Persons retained for his Earnestness in that matter Next as to his Conspiring to seize the Guards he disowns that ever he was concerned in any such Design or ever heard talk of any such thing as designed but only one as of a thing feazible against which likewise he warmly declared himself and said the consequence of it was so like to end in Massacring the Guards in cold Blood that he could not but abhor the thoughts of it as approaching too near the Popish Practice at which the Duke of Monmouth taking him by the hand cried out affectionately That he saw they were both of a Temper he adds on that occasion that he always observed in that Duke an abhorrence to all base things He proceeds to shew how he went to the Meeting at Mr. Shepherd's at the Duke of Monmouch's earnest Request chiefly to endeavour to prevent any such disorderly Proceedings as the Duke feared would be otherwise put on by some hot Men whose rash courses he did accordingly most vigorously oppose and yet was condemned only for not discovering them though he endeavoured to reform them because he would not stoop to so mean a thought as that of going about to save his Life by accusing others for Crimes that they only talk'd of and that as we may partly gather from his Discourse he had effectually disswaded them from too so that his Intention was good and his part in that Transaction even in the strictest sense of Law but a Misprision of Treason and therefore he declares he cannot but think the Sentence of Death past against him to be very hard and he by a strange fetch brought within the compass of the Statute of Treason of Edward the Third He moreover adds That he had so convincing a sense of his own Innocence in that Case that he would not betray it by flight tho' much pressed to it He next excuses his saying so little at his Tryal saying he hoped it look'd more like Innocence than Guilt Adding that he was advised not to
Innuendo's to the then King of England never considering adds he that if such Acts of State be not allowed Good no Prince in the World has any Title to his Crown and having by a short Reflection shewn the Ridiculousness of deriving Absolute Monarchy from Patriarchal Power he appeals to all the World whether it would not be more Advantageous to all Kings to own the Deerivation of their Power to the Consent of willing Nations than to have no better Title than Force c. which may be over-powered But notwithstanding the Innocence and Loyalty of that Doctrine he says He was told he must die or the Plot must die and complains that in order to the destroying the best Protestants of England the Bench was fill'd with such as had been blemishes to the Bar and Instances how against Law they had advised with the King's Council about bringing him to Death suffer'd a Jury to be pack'd by the King's Sollicitors and the Vnder-Sheriff admitted Jury men no Freeholders received Evidence not valid refus'd him a Copy of his Indictment or to suffer the Act of the 46th of Edw. 3. to be read that allows it had over-ruled the most important Points of Law without hearing and assumed to themselves a Power to make Constructions of Treason tho' against Law Sense and Reason which the Stat. of the 25th of Edw. 3. by which they pretended to Try him was reserved only to the Parliament and so praying God to forgive them and to avert the Evils that threatned the Nation to sanctifie those Sufferings to him and tho' he fell a Sacrifice to Idols not to suffer Idolatry to be established in this Land c. He concludes with a Thanksgiving that God had singled him out to be a Witness of his Truth and for that Good Old Cause in which from his Youth he had been engag'd c. His EPITAPH ALgernoon Sidney fills this Tomb An Atheist by declaiming Rome A Rebel bold by striving still To keep the Laws above the Will And hindring those would pull them down To leave no Limits to a Crown Crimes damn'd by Church and Government Oh whither must his Soul be sent Of Heaven it must needs despair If that the Pope be Turn-key there And Hell can ne'er it entertain For there is all Tyrannick Reign And Purgatory's such a Pretence As ne'er deceiv'd a Man of Sense Where goes it then where 't ought to go Where Pope and Devil have nought to do His CHARACTER There 's no need of any more than reading his Trial and Speech to know him as well as if he stood before us That he was a Person of extraordinary Sense and very close thinking which he had the Happiness of being able to express in Words as manly and apposite as the Sense included under ' em He was owner of as much Vertue and Religion as Sense and Reason tho' his Piety lay as far from Enthusiasm as any Man's He fear'd nothing but God and lov'd nothing on Earth like his Country and the just Liberties and Laws thereof whose Constitutions he had deeply and successfully inquired into To sum up all He had Piety enough for a Saint Courage enough for a General or a Martyr Sense enough for a Privy-Counsellor and Soul enough for a King and in a word if ever any he was a perfect Englishman 9. Mr. JAMES HOLLOWAY MR. Holloway declared That Mr. West proposed the Assassination but none seconded him That he could not perceive that Mr. Ferguson knew any thing of it and HOlloway said It was our Design to shed no Blood He being interrogated by Mr. Ferguson's Friend Mr. Sheriff Daniel whether he knew Ferguson he answer'd That he did know him but knew him to be against any Design of killing the King 10. Sir THOMAS ARMSTRONG HE had been all his Life a firm Servant and Friend to the Royal Family in their Exile and afterwards He had been in Prison for 'em under Cromwel and in danger both of Execution and Starving for all which they now rewarded him He had a particular Honour and Devotion for the Duke of Monmouth and push'd on his Interest on all Occasions being a Man of as undaunted English Courage as ever our Country produced In his Paper he thus expressed himself That he thanked Almighty God he found himself prepared for Death his Thoughts set upon another World and weaned from this yet he could not but give so much of his little time as to answer some Calumnies and particularly what Mr. Attorney accused him of at the Bar. That he prayed to be allowed a Tryal for his Life according to the Laws of the Land and urged the Statute of Edward 6. which was expresly for it but it signified nothing and he was with an Extraordinary Roughness condemned and made a precedent tho' Holloway had it offered him and he could not but think all the World would conclude his Case very different else why refused to him That Mr. Attorney charged him for being one of those that was to kill the King He took God to witness that he never had a Thought to take away the King's Life and that no Man ever had the Impudence to propose so barbarous and base a thing to him and that he never was in any Design to alter the Government That if he had been tried he could have proved the Lord Howard's base Reflections upon him to be notoriously false He concluded that he had lived and now died of the Reformed Religion a Protestant in the Communion of the Church of England and he heartily wished he had lived more strictly up to the Religion he believed That he had found the great Comfort of the Love and Mercy of God in and through his blessed Redeemer in whom he only trusted and verily hoped that he was going to partake of that fulness of Joy which is in his pesence the Hopes whereof infinitely pleased him He thanked God he had no repining but chearfully submitted to the Punishment of his Sins He freely forgave all the World even those concerned in taking away his Life tho' he could not but think his Sentence very hard he being denied the Laws of the Land On the Honourable Sir Thomas Armstrong Executed June 20. 1684. HAdst thou abroad found Safety in thy Flight Th' Immortal Honour had not flam'd so bright Thou hadst been still a worthy Patriot thought But now thy Glory 's to Perfection brought In Exile and in Death to England true What more could Brutus or just Cato do 11. Alderman CORNISH TO make an end of this Plot altogether 't will be necessary once more to invert the Order in which things happened and tho' Mr. Cornish suffer'd not till after the Judges returned from the West as well as Bateman after him yet we shall here treat of 'em both and so conclude this Matter Cornish on his Tryal is said to have denied his being at the Meeting and discoursing with the Duke of Monmouth Which they 'd have us believe
Nunnery of Pict Royal des Champs whither it was carried after it was dead and put up in an Urn with this inscription Juveni Postum spes fortuna valete The two following Letters between Mrs. E and her Husband may properly be inserted here as they contain the Last Will and Dying Request of two Persons very Remarkable for their conjugal Affection as was mentioned before under the Chapter of Good Wives The HUSBAND's Letter My Dearest Heart I Rejoyce in the entireness of thy Affection which many (a) (a) I suppose he means his late Voyage to America and the Low-Countries c. at which time he presented her with a Ring with this Inscription Many Waters cannot quench Love Cant. 8.6 Waters could not quench nor thy two Years Sickness abate so that were there Hopes of thy being well I shou'd think my self still in Paradise or had met with this Life but as an Earnest of the Happier to come But the dearest Friends must part and thy languishing State makes it necessary for me to impart a few things relating to my own and thy Decease which I must say is the greatest Affliction that can befall me not only as thou wert the Wife of my Youth but as I ever thought my truest Friend Thy Sympathy with me in all the Distresses of my Life both at Sea and Land will make thy Vertues shine with the greater Lustre as Stars in the darkest Night and assure the World you love me not for my Fortunes Thy love to me in this very Respect has exceeded the Generosity of that Dutch Lady who having the Choice of all she cau'd carry at once out of a besieged Castle instead of taking her Rings and Jewels as was expected she locks her Husband up in a Chest and carries him thence on her Back as her chiefest Treasure and by that Stratagem saved his Life Mrs. Katharine Clark was another singular Instance of Respect to her Husband both in Words and Deeds She never rose from the Table even when they were alone but she made a Courtesie she never drank to him without bowing his Word was a Law to her and she made it her Business to please him The Lady Eleanor Wife to King Edward I. saved his Life by sucking Poison out of his Wounds which had otherwise been incurable Queen Mary II. was also a Royal Pattern of Conjugal Affection being both Hands Ears and Eyes to the King in his Absence Neither was William less obliging in all the Instances of a tender Husband Fair course of Passions where two Lovers start And run together Heart thus yok'd in Heart But tho' these are mighty Instances of a pure Love yet all inferior to thy Garden Walks and something else I forbear to mention Nothing can love like the generous Daphne or be so constant as Mutius who strives to become Not (b) (b) This was the Motto in a Ring he gave her before Marriage thine alone but even the same with thee There is such a Union between us that we seem as two Souls in the same Body or rather two Souls transformed into one This makes such an even Thread of Endearment run through all we think or do that as you ever command me in any equal Matter by your constant obeying of me so I as readily scruple every thing that is not agreeable to your Will But nothing happens that is not so for like Spanheimius's Wife thou art willing to be govern'd by me in all things If any Quarrel is 't is who of the two shall live the most Content so that 'Tween you and me now the Accounts are even A Chain of Hearts and the first Link is Heaven I enjoy both Worlds in such a Spouse and were I to wed again and this I speak after (c) (c) They had now been Marry'd about Ten Tears long Tryal I 'd preferr thy self to the Richest Nymph (d) (d) This was the Posie of their Wedding-Ring God saw thee most fit for me and I cou'd not find such another had I a thousand Advisers and as many Worlds to range in to please my Eye and Fancy Then never think thy long Sickness can tire me for (e) (e) Cant. 8.7 True Love is stronger than Death And I could be content to be Tost Weather beaten and even Ship-wrack'd that you might get safe to Harbour which shou'd you miss at last yet you may take this Comfort even in Death it self that you can die but half whilst I am preserved neither need you fear the Consequence of Death who have liv'd so good a Life 'T is true Conscience makes Cowards of us all Lewis II. King of France when he was Sick forbad any Man to speak of Death in his Court But there 's nothing in Death it self that can affright us 'T is only Fancy gives Death those hideous Shapes we think him in 'T is the Saying of one I fear not to be Dead yet am afraid to Die There is no Ponyards in Death it self like those in the way or prologue to it And who wou'd not be content to be a kind of Nothing for a moment to be within one instant of a Spirit and soaring through Regions he never saw and yet is curious to behold My Dear Thou hast nothing to fear in thy Passage to the other World for thy Interest in Christ secures thee against the Devil and as to Death which sets thee ashore 't is no more than a soft and easie Nothing Seneca says 'T is no more to die than to be born We felt no Pain coming into the World nor shall we in the act of leaving it Death is but a ceasing to be what we were before we were We are kindled and put out to cease to be and not to begin to be is the same thing But you 'll say perhaps what do I mean by the same thing and that you are still as much in the Dark as ever Why truly Daphne so am I 't is true Bradshaw tells us There have been Men that have tried even in Death it self to relish and tast it and who have bent their utmost Faculties of Mind to discover what this Passage is but there are none of them come back to tell us the News No one was ever known to ' wake Who once in Death's cold Arms a Nap did take Lucret. Lib. 3. Canius Julius being condemn'd by that Beast Caligula as he was going to receive the Stroke of the Executioner was ask'd by a Philosopher Well Canius said he Where about is your Soul now What is she doing What are you thinking off I was thinking replied Canius to keep my self ready and the Faculties of my Mind settled and fix'd to try if in this short and quick Instant of Death I cou'd perceive the Motion of the Soul when she starts from the Body and whether she has any Resentment of the Separation that I may afterwards come again to acquaint my Friends with it So that I fansie there
her Death With some Remarkable Passages relating both to her Person and Government I Shall conclude this History of Providence with a Collection of the memorable Speeches and Sayings of our never-enough lamented Sovereign the late Queen MARY and shall here and there add some remarkable Passages relating to her Person and Government as a Noble Testimony to Religion from one whose Parts and Endowments were as high as her Dignity as if Providence would not leave the prophane Age room to say that Religion was only pretended to by the Mean and Ignorant but convince them by the Vertuous Life and Dying Breath of a Princess every way so Glorious and Great So extraordinary strict says Bishop Fowler in his Preface relating to the Queen was Her Majesty's Life even from her Youth that for the Seventeen Years of her Married State the King as he hath professed could never see any thing in her which he could call a Fault and no Man continues this Learned Author can keep a stricter Guard upon his Words than His Majesty is always observed to do Then certainly a Collection of the Memorable Speeches of such a Princess must needs be very useful and so much the more so as there are several remarkable Sayings of this Royal Person scattered in so many Books which its hardly possible for any private Person to have all of them by him and therefore a View of them all at once in a Collection from the best Authors that have writ upon this Subject may perhaps be very acceptable to the serious Reader 1. That we may begin from her Cradle The most August Queen MARY II. was born in the Sixty second Year of this Age upon the Tenth of May James then Duke of York and the Lord Chancellor's Daughter being her Parents Many and conspicuous were the Prognosticks of a true and far from counterfeited Piety that glitter'd in her and shin'd forth in the early Dawn of her Infancy For when in her tender Years she had lost an excellent Mother and under the Tuition of Persons less concern'd was deliciously bred up in a Court full of all manner of Pleasure and Voluptuousness such was always her Constancy such her Temperance and Modesty that no Example of others no Allurement of Vice no Contagion of Neighbouring-Courts could force her to go astray from the right Path. She was instructed in the Fundamentals of the true Reform'd Religion by the Bishop of London which he so happily laid and she so cordially imbib'd that she could never be shaken by any treacherous Insinuations any Promises or Threats any Punishments or Rewards choosing rather to die than never so little to recede from the Truth wherein she had been grounded After she had spent the rest of her Childhood in those Studies by which generous and illustrious Souls are rais'd to the Expectations of great Fortune and had abundantly furnish'd herself as well with Christian as with Royal Vertues in the Fifteenth Year of her Age she was auspiciously Married to William the Third of that Name Prince of Orange William marries Mary a Kinsman a Kinswoman and thus by a double Tye and a firmer Knot than hitherto the most Noble Families of all Europe are joyn'd together She for her Ancestors claims the Family of the Stuarts He the Nassavian Race She the Monarchs of Great Britain He the Governours of Germany and the Caesars themselves The Nuptial Solemnities being over the Royal Bride cross'd over out of England into these Parts together with her Husband and chose for her Seat and Residence the Hague the most pleasant and delightful place not only of Holland but almost of all Europe Where belov'd of all Men and fix'd in the Good-will of all the People propensly devoted to her for the space of some Years she so charmingly and affectionately liv'd with her Husband the best of Men and no less cordially affectionate to her not only without the least Contention or Quarrel but without the least suspicion of Lukewarmness that she might well be said to be a conspicuous Example of Conjugal Affection not only to Kings and Princes and Men in high Degree but also to private Persons After some Interval of Time when they who bare ill will to our Princes and us to Liberty and Religion and more especially to this Republick stirr'd up new Troubles in England and the Nobility of the Kingdom call'd to their Aid our Prince While he strove one way and the Winds drove another at length wafted over with favourable Gales and Wishes safely arriv'd in England and without Resistance but rather with the general Applause of the Nation and as it were born upon the Shoulders of the People came to the Royal City When afterwards he invited his dearest Consort then the Companion of his Bed now of his Kingdom to partake of the Honour offer'd him and the Dignity soon after to be conferr'd upon him and the equal share of his Fortune in the Eighty ninth Year of this Age luckily and auspiciously both Husband and Wife were declar'd King and Queen with equal Power and Authority by the common Vote and Suffrage and unanimous Consent of both Houses In the Morning she rose with the Sun and worship'd the Lord of Heaven and Earth But when she was sometimes forc'd to rise at Midnight by reason of the urgent Affairs of the State and could not afterwards sleep she commanded either the Holy Scripture or some other pious Book to be brought her If any Persons came to visit her in a Morning before she had pour'd forth her Prayers she sent them back with this Expression That she was first to serve the King of Kings If any persons were said to seek her life by Treachery and Conspiracy her Answer was That she submitted to the Will of Heaven Francius 's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 2. Such was the Sanctity of Mary's Life that King William after her Decease calling to mind her Piety towards God the Integrity of her Life and her Extraordinary Knowledge of Sacred Things brake forth into this expression That if he could believe that ever any mortal Man could be born without the contamination of Sin he would believe it of the Queen And she preserv'd herself so chast and spotless that while she resided upon Earth she liv'd the Life of the Saints even in the Hurry of the Court where there are so many Incitements to evil Grevius 's Oration on the Death of the Queen 3. We had very admirable Accounts of the late Queen from her Court at the Hague during her Abode there from most unquestionable Testimonies which made us envy our Neighbours Happiness in such a Princess who knew their Happiness as 't was impossible they should not and had an extraordinary Value and Veneration for her And since her Return to her Native Country and her Advancement to the Throne here we never knew a more eminent Exception than she was to that common Observation Minuit praesentia Famam The Fame
Man living from those Opinions concerning Religion wherewith she was so throughly seasoned Nor would he be the occasion that any one should attempt to Discourse her any more upon that occasion unless he intended to lose his Labour And this was what he also wrote to K. James In this Conference with the English Agent the most prudent Princess added thus much farther That she could not sufficiently admire nor indeed imagine how it should come to pass that any Man not void of Reason or Sence or that had a right Judgment of God and Divine Matters or had comprehended in his Mind the true manner of Worshipping him could prove a Deserter and run from our Religion to the Ceremonies of Rome When the Agent replied That her Father the King of Great Britain was a living Example of a better Approbation of the Romish Worship She made answer That there was nothing griev'd her more and the only thing she wonder'd at by whose Seduction upon what Occasion by what Arguments he could be induced to betray the Bulwark of purest Truth and having left that upon what Supporters the Security and Tranquility of his Mind could rely These things the most wise and prudent Mary Not long after when there was no question but the King James had been certified of all these things by his Agent 's Letters the Father sends a long and weighty Epistle to his Daughter wherein he set forth at large the Occasion the Reasons and Methods he had followed in abandoning our Worship and embracing the Opinions of Rome This Letter from King James was delivered to Mary upon Tuesday in the Evening the Messengers who brought it being to return into England the next Day Wherefore when she had read it over and over again with extraordinary attention and studiously considered every thing she set herself to return an Answer wherein she spent the greatest part of the Night and thô frequently put in mind that it was time to go to Bed and that it behov'd her to take care of her Health which would be much disorder'd by watching the most prudent Queen made answer That the Duty of Answering the King's Letters was to be preferr'd before Sleep lest she should be straitned in time the next Day and thereby be hindred from performing what she ow'd to her Father That therefore she made the more haste lest if the Messenger should slip away without her Answer it might be suspected that she had made use of help and got some Divine to write her Letters for her which if her Father should believe they would want that weight and effect which by the Favour of God she promised herself from dispatching 'em with all speed she could The King 's chief Argument was taken from the Antiquity and the long and immovable Endurance of the Roman Church establish'd and founded upon the Promises of Christ Thou art Peter c. To which were added other Places Arguments and Testimonies heaped together to corroborate that Opinion All which the most ingenious Princess answered and refuted in so short a time and with so much Politeness and Judgment that an eminent Divine and some few other Persons conspicuous for their Quality and Integrity who afterwards were permitted to see a Copy of that Epistle ravish'd into admiration asserted that they could never have perswaded themselves that such a Letter so full of grave and efficacious Arguments could have been written by any Man much less by a Woman unless by one who had devoted his whole Life to the Study of the Scriptures and true Divinity Grevius 's Oration on the Queen at Utrecht 57. Such was also the Sanctity of Mary's Life that King William after her Decease calling to mind her Piety toward God the Integrity of her Life and here extraordinary Knowledge of Sacred Things brake forth into this Expression That if he could believe that ever any mortal Man could be born without the Contamination of Sin he would believe it of the Queen And she preserv'd herself so chast and spotless that while she resided upon Earth she liv'd the Life of the Saints even in the hurry of the Court Ibid. 58. When the News was sent from England That Mary the Eldest Daughter of King James was by Decree of Parliament to be the next Day proclaim'd Queen of England the Messenger was to pass through the Hague and to impart the News in the Resident's Name to a Person of high Authority and no less high both in William and Mary's Esteem He immiedately hastens to the Court and informs Mary of this Vote of the House and congratulates her Advancement to the Royal Dignity She according to her wonted Good Nature mildly indeed but with a less familiar Countenance and a more contracted Brow made answer That she neither hop'd those Things to be true which he related neither did she believe that William would accept the Kingdom as a Substitute to Female Authority or as one that was to be beholden to a Woman for a Crown Ibid. 59. When it was admir'd that Mary should be so implacable to deny her Pardon to one that had done nothing against her nor had injur'd her either in Word or Deed when William justly offended had pardon'd the Delinquent she order'd this Answer to be made That had the Crime been committed against her she would not have been either severe or inexorable but that she could not forget an Attempt against her Husband nor grant her Pardon so easily to him who had so highly offended William Who can sufficiently extol this Conjugal Fidelity this unusual Affection of a Queen toward a Husband For my part I am not able to admire it as I ought to do Nor was the Queen belov'd with less Affection by the King that the King was belov'd by her there was no need of falling out to renew their Love but such was the harmonious Agreement of their Minds and Counsels from the first Day of their auspicious Marriage that their Wills were still the same whatever pleas'd whatever dislik'd the one always dislik'd still pleas'd the other such an Agreement of Opinion in all Things both private and publick that thô in Persons divided by long Intervals of distant Leagues yet by an unaccountable Sympathy they were always of one Mind in all Affairs most difficult and of dubious Event which would have puzled the most acute and experienc'd Politicians So that they might be said to be born under one Constellation or rather that one Soul resided in two Bodies And that you may not think I speak a Fiction behold an Example of a real Harmony of Minds almost beyond belief When the King sent word That Forty of the Men of Wwar with the Admiral should steer away toward the Coast of France with the Design That if they found an Opportunity they should burn all the Enemies Transport-Ships Before the Yachts and the Messenger who was sent with the King 's Expresses arriv'd in England the Queen's Letters were brought
by the force of his Love and Loss as having lost the most certain and faithful Companion of his Fortune of his Counsels this Cares his Labours and his Thoughts who far exceeded all the Excellencies of the Female Sex that hardly the Vertue of any Woman in any Age can be compar'd to hers For that Reason perhaps in was that Heaven deny'd her Off-spring lest she should bring forth a worse than herself and here Husband seeing Nature could go no further Ibid. 68. Thou best and greatest of Queens thou departest this Life in the Flower of thy Age but what remorsless Death has abstracted from the Number of thy Years Men will add as much and more to the Eternal Glory Fame and Remembrance of thy Name This Life will prolong thy Consecrated Memory to after Ages Nor Marble Mausoleum nor Golden Urn shall hide thee thy Tomb shall be our Breasts Ibid. 69. Being once put in Mind of her approaching End with an undaunted Countenance she return'd this Masculine and truly Royal Expression I am not now to prepare for Death it has been my Study all the Days of my Life Francius 's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 70. Upon the Death of the Queen His Majesty 's otherwise invincible Courage gives way to raging Grief and he who had so often contemn'd the Bullets and Swords of his Enemies he who dreaded neither Flames nor Steel nor Death itself languishes falls and swoons away upon the Death of his dearest Queen He remembers himself to be but a King finds himself a Man and not unwilling acknowledges the Excess of his Grief Miserable Man that I am said he I have lost the best of Women and the most pleasing Companion of my Life Ibid. 71. When she was sometimes forc'd to rise at Midnight by reason of the urgent Affairs of the State and could not afterwards Sleep she commanded either the Holy-Scripture or some other pious Book to be brought her If any Persons came to visit her in a Morning before she had pour'd forth her Prayers she sent 'em back with this Expression That she was first to serve the King of Kings If any Persons were said to seek her Life by Treachery and Conspiracy her Answer was That she submitted to the Will of Heaven Ibid. 72. When any new-fashion'd Garment or costly Ornament was shewed her she rejected 'em as superfluous and answered The Money might be better laid out upon the Poor Ibid. 73. The Mind of Man is better discern'd by his Death than by his Life for Man is apt in his Life-time to conceal and dissemble his Affections but at his Death the Mask being remov'd he appears what he is What was more noble and signal than the Death of this Queen What more becoming a wise Man and a Christian than that Saying of hers This is not the first time that I prepar'd my self for Death Ibid. 74. When the more solemn Duties of Religion were over she never gave her Mind to the frivolous Stories of Amadis and impertinent Fictions of Amad. but attentively studied the Volumes of those Authors by which she might improve her Knowledge and her Prudence I shall relate not what I gathered from the common Reports of Fame but from the Lips of a most worthy Person and my Friend who being admitted in the Morning to kiss her Hands found before her Cambden's Annals of Queen Elizabeth and Doctor Burnet's History of the Reformation But Piety is never to be accounted solidly accomplish'd unless accompanied with Liberality otherwise it would be Piety only in Words and not in Deeds as she herself would say upon the approach of her expiring Minutes Ortwinius's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 75. While Her Majesty was sick the King refus'd to stir from the languishing Queen's Bed-side assiduous to serve her and careless of the Infection that many times accompanies the Malady she had and being often requested to spare His Royal Person and not to inflict another Wound upon suffering Europe made answer That when he Marry'd the Queen he Covenanted to be the Companion not only of her Prosperity but of whatever Fortune befel her and that he would with the Hazard of his Life receive from her Lips her last expiring Gasps All hope of Recovery now was fled away and the most Reverend Father in God the Arch-bishop of Canterbury being admitted into the Room in order to perform the last Duties of his Function Such harsh and disconsolate News would have struck another Person with Horrour and Trembling But what said the Queen to this Full of Faith and Constancy she receiv'd the Tidings with a chearful and undaunted Countenance saying withal That she did no way seek to shun the Stroke of Death but was ready prepar'd for the dark Mansion of the Grave for that she had always so led her Life that whenever Death gave her his last Summons she should be a Gainer by it Ibid. 76. In the first Years of her Youth this Princess display'd the best Natural Disposition in the World a sweet Humour agreeable and always equal a Heart upright and sincere a solid and firm Judgment and a Piety beyond her Age. And it was upon this sincere Report that the great Prince who espous'd her desired to be united to her declaring That all the Circumstances of Fortune and Interest did never engage him so much as those of her Humour and Inclination Funeral Orations upon the Queen recited by the Learned Author of The Collection of Canons Printed at the Hague 77. They who had the Honour to be acquainted with the Character of this great Queen well knew that the Lustre of a Crown did never dazle her 78. She has been heard to say and I have heard her myself when she was congratulated upon her Advancement to the Crown That many times so much Grandeur was a Burthen That in such Stations People liv'd with less Consent to themselves than others and that she should wish she were in Holland again And indeed she had Reason to say so For it may be said of those that Govern that they resemble the Stars that shine with a bright Luster but are never at rest Ibid. 79. I have let no Day pass said the pious Queen when they told her what a dangerous Condition her Life was in I have let not Day pass without thinking upon Death So that she did not look upon it as the People of the World are wont to look upon it with dread and horrour but she look'd upon it after a most Christian-like manner as the end of her Time and the happy Entrance into Eternity She had frequently thought upon that Sentence which will be pronounced to every one of us at the Hour of Death You shall be no more Ibid. 80. With what Goodness did she still inform herself of the Wants and Necessities of those that were in Affliction With what Care did she order 'em to be provided for Her Alms had no other Bounds than those
back from a Miller Anno 1667 fasted a Twelve Month is no Wonder in comparison with the former Stories nor that of the Shropshire Maid whose Mother I was acquainted with who fasted as â—ong mentioned in the former part of this Book CHAP. XXII Children Petrified in the Womb. THE Story of Niobe turned into a Marble Statue is a Fable Children are often converted into Stones in the Womb and I would to God Men were not so in their ripe Age at least in a Metaphorical Sense but as to the Petrification of Infants it is not much more strange that a Juyce fit for Concretion should be carried to the Womb than to the Reins or Bladder or that a Spiritus Lapidificus should prevail in the one and never in the other 1. Columba Chatry of Sens in Burgundy Wise to Ludovicus Chatry by the report of Mr. John Alibaux an Eminent Physicians and who also was present at the Dissection of her went 28 years with a Dead Child in her Womb When she was dead and her Belly opened there was found a Stone having all the Limbs and exact proportion of a Child of 9 Months old This happened Anno 1582. Sennertus confesses this accident so rare that he never met with the like instance in the whole History of Physick Sennert Prax. Med. l. 4. par 2. Sect. 4. c. 7. p. 311. 2. Horstius tells of a Woman aged 37. at the time of his Writing whose Womb was all turned to Stone to the weight of 7 pound Her Spleen Globular her Bladder Stony and her Peritonaeum so very hard that it could scarce be cut with a Knife and yet this Woman lived without any manifest sign of Sickness all her life time Addit ad Donat. per Greg. Horst l. 7. c. 2. p. 663. 3. Hearnius affirms That he saw at Padua a Woman whose Breast was turn'd into Stone by this means as she lay dead that Breast of hers lay covered in the Water of a certain Spring there Ibid. p. 664. 4. Pompilius Placentinus tells of a Venetian Woman who being Poisoned by an Apple when Dead she grew so stiff and congealed that she seemed to be transformed into a Statute of Stone nor could they cut open her Belly by Knife or Sword Zacch qu. Medico-Legal c. 4. Tit. 1. p. 235. 5. The Body of a Man that was killed and cast into the River Anien having lain some time at the Root of a Tree that grew upon the Bank-side when it was found and taken up it was turn'd into Stone Titus Celsus a Patrician of Rome affirmed that he had seen it Cornman de Mir. Morc par 3. cap. 36. p. 18. 6. I my self saw a Maid born in Ireland exposed to view at Arundel in Sussex a few years ago who besides strange Moles upon her Body had a great Excressence growing between her Legs hard as Stone very bulky and weighty so that was not able to carry it about without a Truss CHAP. XXIII Accidents upon Persons Birth-Days c. I Am not sure that the Matter of Fact in all the Cases hearafter mentioned was in right Judgment so remarkable as is pretended Perhaps Persons may sometimes be too fond in the Observation of such Days out of a peculiar respect to them and at the same time pass over a hundred Accidents more worthy of Note upon other days of their Life See what follows in the end of the Chapter 1. The Poet Antipater Sidonius every year upon his Birth-day was seized with a Fever and when he had liv'd to a great Age he Died upon his Birth-Day Schenck Obs Med. 1.6 Obs 1. p. 721. 2. The like befel Johan Architectus who spent with Age Died upon his Birth-Day Ibid. 3. Elizabeth Wife of King Henry VII Died in Child-Bed the 11th of February the very day of her Birth Bak. Chron. 4. Amatuâ— Lisitanus tells of one who every year on his Birth-Day was seized with a Fit of a Fever Thom. a Veiga of another who every year had a Fever for three days and no longer Schenck Ibid. p. 721. 5. Alexander the Great was Born upon the 6th day of February and Died on the 6th day of February Alex. l. 4. c. 20 fol. 233. 6. Attalus King of Pergamum and Pompeins the Great both Died on their Birth-Days Plut. in Camilo p. 135. 7. Julius Caesar was Born and Slain on the Ides of March. Sabel l. 9. c. 4. Zuin. Thaat p. 561. 8. Antonius Caracalla the Emperor was Slain at Carris on the 6th of the Ides of April being his Birth-Day Zuin. Ibid. 9. Pope Gregory the Great was Born and Died on the 4th of the Ides of March. Zuin. Theat Ibid. 10. Garsias Great Grand-Father to Petrarch having lived 104 years died as also did Plato on his Birth-Day and in the same Chamber where he was Born Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 7. p. 561. 11. The Emperor Charles the Great was Buried at Aquisgrane on his Birth-Day Anno 810. Ibid. 12. Ph. Melancthon Died Anno 1560. in the 63th year of his Age and on his Birth-Day being 13 Cal. May. Ibid. 13. The Emperor Charles V. was Born on St. Matthias's Day on which day also in the course of his Life was King Francis taken by him in Battel and the Victory likewise won at Bicâ—â—que he was also Elected and Crowned Emperor on the same day and many other great Fortunes befel him still on that day Treasury of Ancient and Modern times l. 4. c. 12. p. 330. 14. Augustus had certain Anniversary Sicknesses which did return at a stated and certain time He commonly languished at the time of his Birth which was the 9th of the Calends of October a little before Sun-rise Sweton in August p. 55. 105. 15. Timoleon obtained most of his Victories on his Birth-Day which was therefore Celebrated Annually by the Syracusans Alex. ab Alex de Gen. l. 4. c. 20. 16. Philip King of Macedon had a Triplicity of Good Tidings on his Birth-Day That he was Victor in the Olympicks that Parmenio his General had gain'd a Conquest and that his Queen was Delivered of Alexander Ibid. 17. Baudinus an Abbot and Citizen of Florence Died upon his Birth-Day Coman de Mir. Mort. 18. On Wednesday Pope Sixtus V. was Born made Monk General of his Order Cardinal Pope and Inaugurated Heyl. Geogr. 19. On Thursday Henry VIII Died Edward VI. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth 20. Friday was observed to be fortunate to the Great Captain Gonsalvo and Saturday to Henry VII c. CHAP. XXIV Children mark'd in the Womb. WHEN we read the Story in Genesis of Jacob 's Success in his Pastoral Office by the help of his straked striped hazels and poplars c. we wonder at the effects and are puzzled in quest of the Cause Certainly tho' there was a special Providence concerned in the Fact yet there seems too a concurrence of inferior Nature in the Agency Imagination is strong and operative even in Bruits but much more in Mankind where Reason gives a
in the Womb both Suck together or are both equally desirous of Nourishment together They were Christned by the Names of Aquila and Priscilla See the Printed Relation 22. Anno 1691. March 25. There was Calved about 8 miles from Bath in Somersetshire a Calf having the resemblance of a Woman 's Head-dress call'd a Commode near half a yard in height growing on its Head which hath been exposed to publick view in the Tower of London CHAP. XXVIII Instances of an Early or rather Ripe Wit THere is something in earliness of Parts that pleaseth mightily whether it be the preciousness of time much whereof is saved by this means or the hopes it gives of growing apace towards an Excellency and Perfection or the security of a present improvement which future Aâ—cidents of Life cannot endanger Whatever 't is it delighteth and obligeth and allureth both Eye Admiration and Affection And I was the more willing to insert this Chapter and muster up these instances for a spur to Childhood and Youth to provoke tender years to a virtuous Emulation and to make dull Flegmatick Souls that are overtaken with the Noon-Sun before they have done any thing of any value Ashamed and Penitent 1. Salmasius interpreted Pindar very exactly in the 10th year of his Age. L. Ant. Clement de ejus Laud. Vitâ 2. Avicenna born at Bochara at 10 understood human Sciences and the Alchoran and went through all the Encyclopedia before 18 during which time he slept not one whole night and minded nothing but Reading In and difficulty he went to the Temple and Prayed Hottinger 3. Thomas Aquinas is reported when a Child to take his Book always to Bed with him Pontan Attic. Bellar. 4. Cardinal Bellarmine whilst at School Interpreted publickly Cicero's Oration pro Milone at 16 began to Preach and openly Read the Grounds of Divinity Author of the Education of Young Gentlemen 5. Torquato Tasso spoke plain at 6 months old at 3 years went to Schook at 7 he understood Latin and Greek and made Verses before 12 he finished his Course of Rhetorick Poetry Logick and Ethicks At 17 he received his Degrees in Philosophy Laws and Divinity and then printed his Rinaldo Idem 6. Cardinal du Perron Read over all the Almagest of Ptolomy in 13 days before he was 18 years old Ibid. 7. Augustus at 19 contrary to the Advice of his Friends put himself upon the Management of Affairs claimed his Fathers Inheritance and Succession of his Uncle Julius Ibid. 8. Cosmo Medici took upon him the Government of Florence at 17. Ibid. 9. Vesalius when a Child began to cut up Rats and Mice Ibid. 10. Mich. Angelo when a Child began to draw Figures Ibid. 11. Galen when a Child began to compose Medicines Ibid. 12. Joha P.c. Mirandula out-went his Teachers The 900 Conclusions which he proposed to Defend against all Opposers he being but 21 years of Age shew what he was and he never retired till his Death Ibid. 13. Jos Sealiger all the time he lived with his Father in his Youth ever day Declaimed and before 17 he made his Tragedy of Oedipus Ibid. 14. Grotius at 8 years old made Verses and performed his publick Exercises in Philosophy before 15 he put forth his Comment upon Martianus Capella at 16 he pleaded Causes and at 17 he put forth his Comment upon Aratus Idem See his Life 15. Lipsius writ his Books Variarum Lectionum at 18 years old Ingenium habuit Docile omnium capax praeter Musices Ibid. 16. Sir Philip Sidney saith Sir Foulk Grevill though I knew him from a Child yet I never knew him other than a Man with such staidness of Mind and early and familiar Gravity as carried Grace and Reverence above greater years Lanquet and William Prince of Orange kept a Correspondence with him when a Boy 17. Calvin Printed his Iustitutions before he was 25. 18. Tostatus learned all the Liberal Sciences without being Taught and writ in the 40 years he lived as much as most in that time can Read And yet at the same time he was Councellor to the King Refendary Major of Spain and Professor of Philosophy Divinity and Law in Salamanca 19. Chreighton the Scotch-man at 21. understood 12 Languages and had Read over all the Poets and Fathers disputed de omni Scibili and answered ex tempore in Verse 20. Monsieur Pascal observing the Sound of an Earthen Dish at Table enquired the Reason and presently after made a Treatise concerning Sounds about 11 years of Age At 12 he read and comprehended Euclid's Elements with great Facility without and Master At 16 he composed a Treatise of Conics At 19 he invented that Instrument of Arithmetick now in Print At 23 he added a great number of Experiments to those of Torricelli 21. Mr. J. Janeway of Hertfordshire born Anno 1633. at 11 years of Age took a great fancy to Arithmetick and the Hebrew Tongue Before he was 13 he read over Oughtred with understanding whilst a Scholar at Eaton he made an Almanack at 17 was chosen Fellow of King's Colledge Cambridge See his Life 22. King Edward VI. with his Sister Elizabeth in his tender years was committed to the Tuition of Dr. Cox and Sir John Cheek wherein he profited to Admiration having in a short time attained to speak most usual Languages as Greek Latin French Italian Spanish and Dutch and also to know many other Sciences that he seemed rather to be Born than Brought up to them Nor was he ignorant in Logick Natural Philosophy or Musick and as he wanted not Happiness of Wit Dexterity of Nature nor good Instructions so neither was he himself wanting in Diligence to receive their Instructions for in the midst of his Recreations he would always be sure to observe his hours for Study where he was serious and intent during that time and would then return to his Pastime again Bishop Cranmer observing his readiness in the Greek and Latin Tongues declared to Dr. Cox That he could never have thought that to have been in him if he had not seen it himself When he was not above 7 years of Age he wrote two Letters to his Godfather Archbishop Cranmer in Latin Thus Englished Most Reverend Father and my most Dear God-Father I Wish you all Health and Happiness having been a good while from you I should be glad to hear of your good Health however my Prayers are continually for you that you may live long and may go on to promote the Gospel of God Farewell Your Son in Christ Edward Prince Another Letter of King Edward's to Archbishop Cranmer written in Latin which is thus Englished Most Reverend God-Father ALthough I am but a Child yet I am not altogether insensible or unmindful of your great love and kindness towards me and of your daily care for promoting my Good and Benefit Your kind and loving Letters came not to my hands till the Eve of St. Peter and the reason that I did not answer them all this
from making a Dishonourable Peace with King Pyrrhus Val Mar. l. 8. c. 13. p. c 236. 11. Gorgias Leontinus the Master of Isocrates when he was in the 107 year of his Age being asked why he would tarry solong in this Life because saith he I have nothing whereof I can accuse my Old Age Val. Max. l. 8. c. 13. p. 237. 12. Lemnius tells of one at Stockholm in Sweden who at the Age of 100 married a Wife of 30 years and begat Children of her this Man was of so fresh and green Old Age that he scarce seemed to have reached more then 50 years Cam. Hor. Sub. Cent. 2. p. 277. 13. Isocrates in the 94th year of his Age put forth his Book Intituled Panathenaicus he lived 15 years after it and in that extream Age of his he was sufficient for any work he undertook both in Strength Judgment and Memory Zuin. Theat Vol. 2. l. 4. p. 337. 14. Agesilaus King of Sparta though he had attained to a very great Age yet was often seen to walk without Shooes on his Feet or Coat on his back in Frost and Snow and this for no other cause then that being now an Old Man he might give those that were young and Example of Patience and Tolerance Ibid. 15. Asclepiades the Prusian gave it out Publickly that no Man should esteem him as a Physician if ever he should be Sick of any Disease whatsoever and ideed he credited his Art for having lived to Old Age without Alteration in his Health he at last fell down a pair of Stairs and died of the fall Ibid. 16. Mithridates King of Pontus who for 40 years managed a War against the Romans enjoyed a prosperous Health to the last of his Life used to Ride to throw Javelins and on Horses disposed at several Stages Rode 1000 Furlongs in one day and also could drive a Chariot that was drawn with 16 Horses Cel. Rhod. Ant. lect l. 29. c. 17. p. 1365. 17. Mr. Patrick Wian Minister of Lesbury Read the Divine Service David's Psalms one Chapter out of the Old Testament and one out of the New without the use of Spectacles he had two New Teeth his Sight much decayed was restored unto him about the 110th year of his Age Hair was restored to his bald Scull and he could Preach a Sermon without the help of Notes he gave this Accunt of himself October 19. 1657. 18. A certain German living in Italy had at 60 years of Age recovered his Teeth and black Hair and had extended his Life to a great many years with the only use of black Helebore White-Wine and Roses Bartholin Hist Anat. cent 5. Hist 28. p. 51. 19. At Tarenturn there lived an Old Man who at the Age of 100 years was grown young again he had changed his Skin like unto a Snake and had recovered a New Being withal he was become so young and fresh that hose who had seen him before could then scarce believe their own Eyes and having continued above 50 years in this Estate he grew at length to be so Old as he seemed to be made of Barks of Trees Hakewell's Apol. l. 3. c. 1. p. 167. 20. in Anno 1536. Noâ—nio de Cugne being Vice-Roy of the Indies for the King of Portugal it was averred by good Proofs and sufficient Testimony that an Indian brought unto him was 340 years Old he had grown young again 4 times changing his white Hair and recovering his New Teeth when the Vice-Roy did see him he then had the Hair of his Head and Beard black This Man was born in the Realm of Bengala and did affirm that he at times 700 Wives whereof some were dead and some were put away The King of Portugal being advertised of this wonder did often enquire and had Yearly News of him by the Fleet which came from thence He lived about 370 years Camerar Hor. Subs c. 2. cap. 68. p. 278. 22. An Old Abbatess being decrepit suddenly became Young her Monthly Courses returned her rugged and wrinkled Skin grew smooth her hoary Hairs grew black and New Teeth in her Head and Paps swelled after the manner of Virgins Donat. Hisi Med. Mir. l. 6. c. 2. p. 300. 21. Mr. John Craig of Scorland a great Divine and excellent Preacher sincere and inclining to no Faction lived 88 years thô he endured many Toffings Troubles and Dangers in his Life time after many Troubles for his Religion in his own Countrey he went to France and from thence to Rome where by the favour of Cardinal Pool he was received among the Dominions of Bononia he was employed in all their Affairs throughout Italy and was sent in Commission to Chios where he behaved himself so well that at his return he was made Rector of their School where having access to their Libraries he met with Calvin's Institutions by which and the Advice of a Reverend Old Man he was confirmed in the Opinion he had entertain'd for which being accused of Heresie and sent to Rome where after 9 Months Miserable Imprisonment he was condemned to be burnt the next Day But the same Night Pope Paul the Fourth died upon the Noise whereof the People in a Tumult broke open the Prisons by which means Mr. Craig had his Liberty As he sought to escape he met with one of the Banditi who remembring a Charity received from him gave him Money to bear his Charge to Bononia trusting to find Friendship from his Acquaintance but fearing to be intrapt fled from thence And being in a wild Desart Pensive and without Money a Dog with a Purse in his Teeth fawned upon him and gave it him From thence he came to a Village and meeting Travellers to Vienna he went with them whilst at Vienna professing to be a Dominican he was brought to preach before the Emperour Maximilian the Second from whence Pope Pius the Third sent for him but the Emperour sent him away with Letters of safe Conduct so returning to Scotland where he preached painfully many Years till spent with Age he died in Peace Anno 1600. Arch-Bishop Spotswood 's Hist Church of Scotland p. 461. 22. The Reverend Dr. Annesley appeared of a hale and hardy Constitution of Body which was such as to endure the coldest Weather without Hat Gloves or Fire For many Years he seldom drank any thing besides Water His Sight so strong that to his Death he read the smallest Print without Spectacles and in a Life lengthen'd do his 77th Year he was rarely Sick His Natural Capacity was good and his Temper vigorous and warm which his Grace over-ruled mostly to undertake those most excessive Labours and sustain the Difficulties which without a Body and Mind so fashioned had been impossible in so long a course of Service And this Vigour he so retain'd to his very Death as if God would give an Instance that the Fervour of some Men's Souls in his Work were either in dependent on the Body or their Bodies with Moses were still
at each Stroke of the Clock Moreover there be the Statues of the Spring Summer Autumn and Winter and many Observations of the Moon In the upper part of the Clock are four old Men's Statues which strike the quarters of the Hour the Statue of Death coming out at each Quarter to strike but being driven back by the Statue of Christ with a Spear in his Hand for three Quarters but in the fourth Quarter that of Christ goeth back and that of Death striketh the Hour with a Bone in his Hand and then the Chimes sound On the top of the Clock is the Image of a Cock which twice in the Day croweth aloud and clappeth his Wings Besides this Clock is deck'd with many fine Pictures and being on the inside of the Church carrieth another Frame to the outside of the Wall wherein the Hours of the Sun the Courses fo the Moon the Length of the Day and such other things are set out with great Art Morrison's Itenerary Part 1. Cap. 1. Pag. 31. 8. At Dresden a Cockoo sings by Clock-work a Horseman rides a Ship sails an old Woman walks a Centaur runs and shoots and a Crab creeps upon a Table so well as to amaze and delight Dr. Ed. Brown's Trav. p. 167. CHAP. VI. Improvements in Navigation NONE of the Elements have escaped the Inquisition of Humane Study Men have adventured not only to Travel upon the Surface of the Waters and cut thro the Surging Waves but to dive to the bottom and examine all the Secrets of the vast Ocean and to that end have made considerable Improvements in the Art of Navigation But being my self a Land-Animal I am not able to say much upon the Point only for a Spur to the Industry and Emulation of others take these few subsequent Remarks 1. The Chard and Compass is well known to be a late but ingerrious and useful Invention far beyond the old wild way of Sailing by the Coasts of the Land and much conducive to the mutual Traffick and Commerce of divers Nations I wish I could say it had been more so to the Propagation of Learning and True Religion 2. The Longitude upon the Sea complain'd of lately by Seamen and Pilots who having lost sight of the Land and knowing by Observation of the Compass and Altitude at what Distance they were from North and Sourth but not able to discern the Longitude viz. the Distance from East to West hath been lately put into a fair way of Discovery by Mr. Huggens by the help of the Pendulum whose Exactness is such that it fails not one Moment And the Certainty of this Experiment is recommended by Captain Holms in a Letter written from London January 1665. c. 3. Sir William Petti invented a Vessel or Ship of a new Form called the Experiment like two little Ships joyned together by a Platform so that between the two there might be a space almost as large as the two Ships together thro' which the Water had an entire Liberty to pass the Keel of each being 80 Foot long the bigness with the Platform only 32 Foot the height from the Keel to the Platform 14. In War it would carry 50 pieces of Canon 200 Men with three Months Provision if used for Merchandize it would carry 300 Tuns The Advantages expected from it were that it would be swifter than other Ships as being capable of carrying twice or thrice as many Sails as others and having no Ballast it would be higher and surer because the figure of its sides with the Water which runs between the two Ships would keep it from running aground and having no Ballast it would not sink what Breaches soever it might meet with especially if assisted by some pieces of Canon besides its Keel would defend it being supported by many straight Planks if it should touch the Ground with all its weight and lastly it would turn more speedily than those Ships whose Rudder receives only the broken Water by the round Sides of them and ross less in a Tempest and in calm Weather would to with Oars betwixt the two little ones beneath the Platform c. but what the Event of this Experiment is I am not able to say This Description that I have given is taken out of a Letter written from London about it The Young Students Library p. 208. 4. A Doublet of Buoyant Matter lately invented which being put over or under a Man's Cloaths will bear his Head above Water for 24 Hours tho he cannot swim was tried this Month of June A. 1696. below London-Bridge and proved effectual as we are informed by the Flying-Post Numb 167. CHAP. VII Improvements in Law THAT Law might be reduced into the Method of an Art or Science hath been the wish of many Learned Men I dare not undertake any such Work my self yet for the Curiosity of my Reader I will present him here with something of a Scheme which I had lying by me Extracted out of Sir Mat. Hales Pleas of the Corwn Sir H. Finch 's Common Pleas c. 1. Pleas of the Crown have a Respect either to 1. Capital Offences 1. Against God as 1. Heresie 2. Witchcraft 2. Against Man 1. Capital 1. Treason 1. High as Compassing the Death of the King Queen Prince Levying War against him Violation of the Queen Princess killing of the Chancellor Treasurer Justice of one Bench or other Justice in Eire of Assizes of Oyer and Terminer in their place Counterfeiting and Clipping of the King's Coin Refusing the Oath of Supremacy on the Second Tender Extolling the Bishop of Rome Priests coming into the Realm 2. Petit A Servant killing of the Master a Wife her Husband Ecclesiastick his Superiour Son his Father c. 2. Felony against Life as Felo de se Chance medley doing a lawful Act without Intent of Hurt and Death following Death per infortunium without procurement of another the Cause is Deodand ex necessitate viz. Murder proceeding from Malice precognitated Manslaughter on a sudden Falling out Against Goods Larceny simple and grand of the value of 12 Pence feloniously taken Complicated Larceny or mixed with Robbery viz. Taking from the Person and putting him in fear or from the House Piracy Burglary viz. or Breaking by Night and entering into a House with a Felonious Intent Arson maliciously and voluntarily burning the House of another Hindrances of Amesning a Felon to publick Justice by breaking of Prison Rumper Prison Escape Rescure in a Person that 's a Stranger Felonies by Statute Conspiring to kill the King Witchcraft Buggery Penetratio emissio cum carnali cognitione Rape taking a Woman against her Will. Malicious cutting out Tongues or pulling out Eyes Stealing or avoiding Records Multiplication of Gold or Silver Hunting unlawfully in Forests Chases Wartens Embezilling of the King's Armour Subjects passing Sea to serve Foreign Princes c. Purveyors and wandering Soldiers in certain Cases Marrying a Second Husband or Wife the First living except the Man be under
the Indians owed him a vast Sum of Money he offered to take that Statue in full Satisfaction of his Debt Plin. l. 7. c. 38. p. 175. 7. Arthur Gregory of Lime in Dorsetshire had the admirable Art of forcing the Seal of a Letter yet so invisibly that it still appeared a Virgin to the exactest Beholder Secretary Walsingham gave him a Pension Full. Worth p. 284. in Dors 8. Clavius saith That when he was a Student in the Mathematicks for the great Honour we had for Alex. Farnesius we invited that Prince into our School and among other Gifts and Shews that were presented him by the Ingenious a Mathematical One was imposed upon me Then was it that the force of a Concave was happily Serviceable to me for by the virtue and power of it I erected on high the Name of Alexander Farnesius impressed it in the Air all the Letters of it being radient and shining Fortes â—eriae Aca. p. 150. 9. Junellus Turrianus to delight the Emperor Charles V. sent wooden Sparrows into the Emperor's Dining Room which flew about there and returned at other times he caused little Armed Men to muster themselves upon the Table and artificially move according to the Discipline of War which was done so beyond example that the Superiour of the Order of S. Jerome being unskilled in the Mathematicks suspected it for VVitchcraft Hist of Man Arts. c. 2. p. 22. I shall not here say saith Gafferel any thing of that admirable Instrument which is to be seen in the hands of Mr. de Peyresk one of the King's Council which shews the Hours of the Day and the just time of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea by the motion of a little blueish VVater which is shut up within a little circular Pipe of Glass in which you shall sometime see this VVater quite conveyed away I shall also pass by Architas his wooden Fly saith he and Eagle which have in our Days been made to Fly at Norimberg the Author whereof hath also made admirable Hydraulicks and a perpetual Rain-bow as Antonius Possevinus reports As also the burning Glass which Proclus made in imitation of that wherewith Archimedes burnt the Ships of the Romans at the Siege of Syracuse The Statue of Memnon which always yielded a strange Sound at the Rising of the sun and those of Severinus Boetius so much admired by Theodoricus King of Italy who as Cassiodorus saith made Serpents of Brass to hiss Birds of Brass to sing and in a word gave as it were Life and Soul to all kind of Metals The Art of Flying which Lucian affirms that himself hath seen practis'd and which was publickly shewn upon the Theatre in Nero's time as Suetonius Reports The admirable effects which Roger Bacon promised as a raising ARtificial Clouds and causing Thander-claps to be and flashes of Lightning to be seen and afterwards to have all this end in a Shower again The Figure of the Heavens made in Brass by Turrianus of Cremona much more admirably done than that of Archimedes and was to be seen not many Years since in Spain together with a little Mill which on one side made a noise as of a Mill-Clack and on the other cast forth the Meal ground The Tree which they call Vegetal which is made to grow in a Glass in less than a Nights space The Rofe and all other Flowers which by Art are raised up out of their own Ashes The burning Lamp found in the Temple of Venus which the Violence of VVind could not extinguist and that other Candle made of a certain Stone lighted which was harder than any Iron whereof Lucas Tudensis and Tostatus make mention Lastly saith he for I still pursue the Pen of my Author I shall also omit to speak of the Invention of divers Hydraulicks in our own times which they do not imitate as also those Statues of Men and VVomen that Speak though inarticulately that move of themselves and play upon divers Instruments of Birds that fly and sing of Lions that roat of Dogs that bark and others that fight with Cats in the very same manner as living Dogs do and a thousand other wonderful Inventions of Men which are enough to aftonish our Senses Gaffarel unheard of Curios Part 2. 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Malbranch of the Oratory at Paris with an Account of his VVorks and several particulars of his Controversie with Monsieur Arnaud Dr. of Sorborn and Monsieur Regis Professor in Philosophy at Paris writren by Monfieur le Vassor lately come over from Paris done out of French from the last Edition by Mr. Sault Author of the New Treatise of Algebra Both Volums 10 s. Bishop Barlow's Genuine Remains containing near 100 distinct Subjects Theological Philosophical Historical c. Published from his Lordships Papers by Sir Peter Pet Kt. Advocate General for the Kingdom of Ireland Price bound 6 s. 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A Compendious History in Folio of the Lives and Deaths of all the most eminent Persons from the Crucifixion of our Blessed Saviour to this time By a Learned Hand who will add a Collect on of several 100 modern Lives omitted in all other works of this Nature The Church-History of New England is now almost finished including the Lives of the most eminent Divines of that Country from the first planting of it down to this present Year 1696. 'T is written by Mr. Cotton Mather Pastor of a Church in Boston from whom I shall receive the Manuscript Copy as oon as compleated and being a large Work 't will be Printed in Folio by way of Subscription The third and fourth Volumes of the French Book of Martyrs The Lord Faulkland's VVorks Secretary of State to King Charles the I. in Folio The second Edition of Right Christianity by the Reverend Mr. Matthew Barker Debates upon several Nice and Curious Points Price 2 s. 6 d. Conferences about the ill Practices of some vile Persons FINIS
a Staff only And now he is greatly increased in Strength feeds moderately sleeps well and his Intellects and Faculties are become exceeding clear and strong His Wife behaved herself toward him all the while he lay under this great Affliction with great Care and Affection and by an honest and industrious course of Life supported him and his Children Attested by Rich. Parr D. D. of Camerwel Tho. Gale D. D. Will. Perry M. A. N. Paget M. D. Elias Ashmole And. Needham Curate of Lambeth c. 6. In the Year 1676 about the thirteenth or fourteenth of this Month October in the Night between one and two of the Clock Jesch Claes being a Dutch Woman of Amsterdam who for fourteen Years had been Lame of both legs one of them being dead and without feeling so that she could not go but creep upon the Ground or was carried in peoples Arms as a Child being in Bed with her Husband who was a Boatman she was three times pulled by her Arm with which she awaked and cryed out O Lord What may this be Hereupon she heard an Answer in plain Words Be not afraid I come in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Your Malady which hath for many Years been upon you shall cease and it shall be given you from God Almighty to walk again But keep this to your self till further Answer Whereupon she cryed aloud O Lord that I had a Light that I might know what this is Then had she this Answer There needs no Light the Light shall be given you from God Then came Light all over the Room and she saw a beautiful Youth about ten Years of Age with curled yellow Hair Clothed in White to the Feet who went from the Beds-head to the Chimney with a Light which a little after vanished Hereupon did there shoot something or gush from her Hip or diffuse it self through her Leg as a Water into her great Toe where she did find Life rising up felt it with her Hand crying out Lord give me my Feeling now which I have not had in so many Years And further she continued crying and praying to the Lord according to her weak Measure Yet she continued that Day Wednesday and the next Day Thursday as before till Evening at six a Clock at which time she sate at the Fire dressing the Food Then came as like a rushing Noise in both her Ears with which it was said to her Stand your going is given you again Then did she immediately stand up that had so many Years crept and went to the Door Her Husband meeting her being exceedingly afraid drew back In the mean while she cryed out My dear Husband I can go again The Man thinking it was a Spirit drew back saying You are not my Wife His Wife taking hold of him said My dear Husband I am the self-same that hath been Married these thirty Years to you The Almighty God hath given me my Going again But her Husband being amazed drew back to the side of the Room till at last she claspt her Hand about his Neck and yet he doubted and said to his Daughter Is this your Mother She answered Yes Father this we plainly see I had seen her go also before you came in This Person dwells upon Princes Island in Amsterdam This Account was sent from a Dutch Merchant procured by a Friend for Dr. R. Cudworth and contains the main Particulars that occur in the Dutch Printed Narrative which Monsieur Van Helmont brought over with him to my Lady Conway at Ragley who having enquired upon the spot when he was there at Amsterdam though of a genious not at all credulous of such Relations found the thing to be really true As also â—hilippus Lambergius in a Letter to Dr. Henry Moor sent this Testimony touching the Party cured That she was always reputed a very honest good Woman and that he believed there was no Fraud at all in that Business Glanvile's Saducism Triumph p. 427. 7. In this place may be accounted the strange way of curing the Struma or Scrophula commonly called the Evil which took its Derivation first of all from King Edward the Confessor and hath in after Ages been effected by the Kings of England and of France Concerning which take only this Story discoursing upon a time with Mr. Philip Caryll of Shipley in Sussex a Roman Catholick concerning Miracles done in this last Age in this Nation he produced this for an Instance That his Son being affected with that Distemper he having no Faith in the case was earnestly perswaded to address himself to King Charles the Second for a Touch of his Hand which having procured his Son was restored to perfect Health which he declared to me calling his Son into company and shewing him perfectly healed 8. Galen had a Man in Cure that had an Artery in his Ankle-bone half cut in sunder whereby he lost all his Blood before any Remedy could be applyed to him He writeth That he was advertised in his Sleep by some God or Angel that he should cut the Artery quite in sunder and the Ends would retire to each side and so lock together again When he awaked he executed what his Dream had represented to him and by that means cured the Man Treas of Ancient and Modern Times l. 5. p. 475. 9. A young Woman Married but without Children had a Disease about her Jaws and under her Cheek like unto Kernels and the Disease so corrupted her Face with Stench that she could scarce without great shame speak unto any Man This Woman was admonished in her Sleep to go to King Edward and get him to wash her Face with Water brought unto him and she should be whole To the Court she came and the King hearing of the matter disdained not to undertake it but having a Basin of Water brought unto him he dipped his Hand therein and washed the Womans Face and touched the diseased Part oftentimes sometimes also signing it with the Sign of the Cross When he had thus washed it the hard Crust or Skin was softned the Tumors dissolved and drawing his Hand by divers of the Holes out thence came divers little Worms whereof and of corrupt Matter and Blood they were full The Kings still pressed it with his Hand to bring forth the Corruption and endured the Stench of it until by such pressing he had brought forth all the Corruption This done he commanded her a sufficient Allowance every day for all things necessary until she had received perfect Health which was within a Week after and whereas she was ever before Barren within one Year she had a Child by her Husband This Disease hath since been called the Kings Evil and is frequently cured by the Touch of the Kings of England Stew's Annals p. 98. 10. Sir John Cheeke was once one of the Tutors to King Edward the Sixth afterwards Secretary of State much did the Kingdom value him but more the King for being once desperately