Mother to her Son yet after I had separated my self from her did she give over to sollicite me with notes and letters and messages and a thousand other inuentions that I would be induced to retire my self from vitious conversations and she would pâ—â—y me importune me and coniure me that I would take to good And well I know that no kind of devotion was omitted by her for my reformation by visiting both as many Churches and Religious persons as she knew in Rome In fine she came often to me both by day and night whilst I was wandering up and down in such company and (d) It seems to have been a kind of strife and war between how kind a Mother could tel how to be and how unkind a Son when she found me out she would cast her self even at my feet that so I might once be drawn to open mine eys and consider the precipice I was approaching and the ruines besides the Shame that would inevitably come upon me and that I would return to Christ and once truly weigh for these were her very words whose Son I was and that I would consider what thing that was which had ever been wanting to me whereby in that desperate fashion I should abandon all care of my Estate Life and Honour And usually she accompanied these admonitions and requests of hers with most tender tears Somtimes again she would turn aside and casting up her eyes to God beseech him either to convert me or else (e) Her prayer was heard in a better though in another manner then she most desired to take me to himself And this I can say with all truth that from the very beginning to this instant wherein now I lâ—ve she has never ceased to endeavour my salvation For even from the first time she (f) She was in Rome at his commitment but when she saw how the World would go with him sheretired thence with her load of sorrow came to see me here in prison she exhorted me to Confession and ever since she has come as thick as hail upon me somtimes with Religious men and somtimes with pious Books So long as that now at last I am by the favor of God returnd a little into my self And besides the cutting off all occasions of doing ill she gave me many great opportunities of good with fervent exhortations that I would restore my self to the service of God Nor could ever any Son desire any favor or contentment of a Mother which mine did not of her self impart to me And I on the other side have served but to make her life most unfortunate by this period of mine I beseech our Lord forgive me and to receive the future affliction of her heart in present discount of my offences Then towards the end of his Confession I desire said he a favour of you now dear Father which you must not deny me It is that I may have liberty to lament my sins with tears and that by them I may give testimony to the Divine Majesty of the (g) That so the penitent himself by finding it might have increase of comfort grief wherewith my heart abounds within Weep out said I since our Lord gives you such a desire of weeping I had scarce brought forth this last word when already there began to fall a most abundant showre of tears from his eyes in such sort (h) An admirable and almost miraculous Contrition as that he bathed a good part of one of my arms and my sleeve was as wet through as if it had rained from above Which accident I observing after some half quarter of an hour and doubting lest his heart might so discharge it self by his eyes rather for the apprehension he might have of death then otherwise I desired that for the love of Jesus he would quiet himself and not multiply his affliction nor continue to torment his mind in that manner To this he answer'd Father I give you my faith that I do not at all bewail my death but I do only and purely lament the offences I have committed against Almighty God And (i) A happy conjunction of Christian sorrow with noble courage I have so much hope in the mercy of my dear Lord that not only I shall shed no tears for my death but not so much as change my countenance Father I bewail my most unfortunate life and not my most happy death That life was indeed most unfortunate whereas this death is most happy for in fine if in that I lived an enemy to God I hope in this I shall dy his friend Well then said I proceed in your Confession that so you may dy the friend of God and lay a part of your tears aside the while Whereupon the most obedient young Gentleman accommodating himself to my direction did proceed just where he had left At this I wondred so much the more for as much as I my self had forgotten it though I also had one of those little Books in my hand which instruct how a Confession may be well made But he going on layd before me as if it had been in one single prospect the whole course of his life with so great clarity and brevity that I found my self obliged to ask him if during many daies before he had not applyed himself to make such a preparation To which the young Noble man made this very answer So great is the light as I have already insinuated which my dear Lord Jesus vouchsafes at this instant to give me of my whole life that even whilst I am confessing me thinks I behold all my actions (k) This was a very extraordinary supernatural favour of Almighty God as in a glasse and I read all my thoughts and words as in a Book And without doubt so it was For he without ever mistaking a word did so call all his sins to mind that by that time he wanted little of having declared them all distinctly Only at the very end as it were of his Confession he return'd to repeat some things which he had already said and I doubting that he did so as having forgotten what he had expressed before I told him of that inadvertence as I reputed it when yet he made me this answer I know well dear Father that I repeat some things but I do it to the end I may now more perfectly detest them and be confounded in my self And especially (l) How desirous this Soul was to make God amends since I have passed the greatest part of my life in such things as these to the displeasure of our Lord I do now for the better pleasing of him passe this time of my death in a misliking remembrance of them And if it be troublesome to your Reverence as I know it is so often to hear my so many offences do you remember once for all that this is the Soul of a sinner for whom Christ dyed Nay said I if your
time being run out For the (l) In those Countries there rings a bell every morning noon and night when all men recite three short prayers in remembrance of the Incarnation of Christ our Lord. This they do whereever they be when the bell rings though it be in the streets and there they salute one other with a wish of the good day or night Ave Maria bell did sound Upon the hearing whereof we all recited that Prayer and he said it also upon his knees Then saluting all the company he sate down and was silent And whilest he held his peace we spake among our selves with astonishment at many things we had observed in him and they were these He did never sweat nor ever complain'd of any thing He never placed himself with any shew of weariness upon his chair nor ever shew'd any unquietness He never wept but whilst he was making his Confession nor ever sought to ease himself in the course of Nature He never had any thirst nor ever fainted He was never sleepy nor ever over-wrought with sorrow He was ever fresh and strong though in that night he had bin so many and very many times upon his knees He ever answer'd readily and with a lively voice His memory never failed or so much as wavered He was handsomly and modestly apparell'd He (m) A strange image of perfection was this young Noble man spake not so much as an inconsiderate word He never expressed a desire of any thing He had at certain times and upon certain occasions a discharged and smiling countenance He did compleatly give every man those titles of respect which were his due without failing so much as once as to one of Râ—verence to another of Honour to another of You. He declared most currently his last Will which was a sheet of paper long He was not taken by passionate tenderness but only upon the speech of the Lady his Mother He spake most honourably and Christianly of the Prince and Judges and even of those who prosecuted the cause against him All which particulars or the most part of them happen otherwise in others who fall into the like condition So that all those old experienced Confortatori of that Congregation of the Mâ—sericordia were amazed to see how abundantly the grace of God had wrought upon that Soul in the space of a few hours When this most devout Noble man had thus held his peace and we had been discoursing among our selves of the things aforesaid he calling me towards him who yet was standing not far off spake to me in this manner Dear Father let us make our last Reconciliation with God And then he made a short recapitulation of all his faults and began (n) A happy soul to be so speedily and so intirely purified to accuse himself of things so extreamly small as gave occasion and matter to this Soul of mine even till this day wherein I write and will till the hour of my death both to be comforted and confounded Being upon the end of his Confession he fell into a most ardent weeping in such sort as that bowing down his head towards my hand I was not able to endure the heat of his breath And when I said to him Troilo my Son Cast a bridle upon those tears of yours do not exasperate your own wound it is now enough and again enough you have wept enough you will have time to weep yet again when you come to lay your Head upon the block for (o) He was to suffer death for his misde eds but he was to bear it patiently and willingly for the love of Christ Christ His answer was this I have already told you Father and now I tell you once again I weep for my sins not for my death And when your Reverence shall have given me Absolution and I have perform'd the Penance you will impose which only deserves to be accompanied with tears you shall find I will weep no more And just so it hapned for wiping his face when I had absolved him and I having acquainted him with some necessities of mine own to the end he might give me (p) By his holy prayers in heaven assistance in the sight of our Lord he remain'd with eyes as full of serenity and void of tears as if in all his life he had never wept But then having rais'd himself it was thought fit by all the Company that certain Psalms should be repeated whereof I with the Confortatorâ— were to ponder some of the verses till such time as his hour should arrive Whereupon he said It is now broad day and there cannot be much time remaining Our (q) Great Piety and gratitude Lord be blessed for making me pass through this night so happily and so holily I thank you dear Father and you Gentlemen for your so great favor The good God reward you for it And here all of us recommending our selves again to his prayers we also again began the Psalms At this time the Executioner came in and no man had the heart to tell my Lord of it but he perceiving there was a preass of people gently turn'd his face about and as soon as he had set eye upon him he was not troubled with it at all but (r) Undauored holy courage arm'd himself only with the sign of the Holy Cross and making a countenance to me who stood close by him he rose and said Well the hour is come Gentlemen let us go and that cheerfully And they all answering thus Yea let it be done cheerfully Signor Troilo cheerfully for the love of Jesus He turn'd towards the Executioner who kneeling down at his feet to ask his pardon Do yâ—ur office said he in the name of God for so He will have it Your Lordship said he is to unbutton the Coller of your doublet And he being as ready on the one side as he was modest on the other with his own hands began to unbutton It is not enough said the chief Executionâ—r the doublet must be put off But the rest of those Officers of Justice were not willing he should put it off Yet the generous Noble man said That however he would do it if they thought it fit For said he it shall not greatly trouble me and if you have a mind to it I will strip my self from head to foot for the love of God Already therefore he was beginning to unty himself but it sufficed that he was unbutton'd to the shoulders Then one of the Confortatori putting him in mind of Non crubescam c. and the Officer coming to tie his arms in such a fashion as that when he should be arrived at the block his body might not have much leave to move In the name of God saith he bind hoth my arms and my hands too if your will be such For (s) This man had true faith in Christ our Lord and his sacred Passion who in contemplation and imitation thereof
to lay down a thousand heads in this one head of mine and in this one life to offer up a thousand lives I accuse my self for not doing it with that fervour of devotion that vehemency of Contrition and that promptitude of resignation which I have been told and taught But I know not how to do more I accuse my self as truly of all the sins I have confessed to your Reverence as if now I did repeat them to you one by one In Penance if it please you I will give my head to Christ as a punishment most deserv'd by me and of you I desire Absolution So did this Noble heart which neither was nor was to be conquer'd or danted lay down that head upon the block And saying then Bring (d) See how this true Christian courage continues even to the end and in the end hither the Crucifix that I may see it he began also to say O bone Jesu sis mihi Jesus O good Lord Jesus be a Jesus to me being accompanied by all the people who were already upon their knees and who also invoked the name of Jesus And my self standing close at the one side of his head and looking still when the Executioner would go about to cut the cord as soon as I saw the knife lifted up for that purpose I said outright Ego (e) I absolve thee from all thy sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost te absolvo ab omnibus peccatis tuis in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen He did then both more speedily and more loudly then was his custom say O Jesu sis mihi Jesus O Jesus be thou a Jesus to me And at the instant his head flew off at once from his body my self with many others also beholding that head thus separated from the body to produce the last syllable of the name JESUS with a strong kind of hiss or whisper And I doubt not but the Son flew up immediately into (f) His body was interred in the Chiesa Nuova Heaven adorning all his former life with a most holy end upon that very day of the year whereon the most Illustrious Lord his Father had departed this life before this Son of his was born that being the eighteenth of April Anno Domini 1574. this the eighteenth of the same moneth 1592. FINIS The CONTENTS With an Explication of the ITALIANISMS THe hirth person and parts of this noble man pag. 5. 125 His Crimes both Rapes and Murders p. 8. The Banditi in Italy are out-laws and Rebels condemned and proscribed by Proclamation in that language termed Bando like our Moss-troopers or the Turries of Ireland p. 8. Castle Sant Angelo the chief Prison in Rome p. 10. This haâ—ned in the beginning of P. Clement 8. his Fontificate p. 12. Theatins an Order of Religious persons instituted by John Peter Caraff Bishop of Theate in Naples p. 13. His Mother became unwillâ—rgly the occasion of her sons reproachful death p. 15. The vanity of worldly pleasure exhibited by a fit Emblem p. 16. The way of the Cross is the most safe p. 17. The benefits of affliction p. 18 The resignation and humility of the noble Youth p. 22 The often confessing his sins p. 24 25. The several manners of proceeding against Delinquents in other Countries compar'd with ours p. 30 31. The Fathers of the Chiesa Nova 1. the new Church are Priests of the Oratory of Jesus instituted by S. Philip Nereus p. 39 65. How the young Lord behav'd himself when he receiv'd the first news of his death p. 40 The manicling his hands p 42. The manner how he was met by the Confortatori 1. the Comforters p. 43. The first thing he did was to confess himself p 44. Accepts of Gods providence with great alacrity p. 46. Makes a declaration of his Faith p. 47. The pious Instructions Communications of the Confortatori p. 50 51 111 114. His Will made and the particulars of it p. 52 53. It must have seven witnesses in Italy to make it valid p 55. How he dispos'd his body p. 55. His admirable Contritiâ—n p. 60 61 69.70 His unspeakable grief for his disobâ—â—tance to his Mother p. 63 97 117. How she educated him p. 64 65. Her invincible love and care of him p. 67 68 69. His exact method in Confessing p. 60. He did even melt between grief and love p. 62. His willingness to dy p. 67. Punishment impos'd may be made voluntary by a voluntary acceptation of it p. 83. His Devotions to his good Angel p. 86 87 88. His ejaculatory Prayers p 92. He said the Litanies and all the Fathers wept p. 94. The Providitore in Italian signifies a Provider but here it is takâ—â— for an Officer amâ—ng the Conforâ—atori della misericorcia or Sodality of mercy p 43 64. His last message and recommendatioâ—◠〈◊〉 his Mother p 97 98. To his Grandmother p. â—00 His humble message to the Pope p. 102 He found no trouble nor temptation in himself p. 112. His dovout receiving the Blessed Sacrament p. 107. His pious and prudent Answers to several questions p. 115 118. His Devotion to our B. Lady p. 119. The Confortatori wept bitterly p. 125. He asked pardon of the Souldiers p. 127. Remarks of his admirable Carriage p 128. He fell into an ardent weeping p. 130. For his sins not his death p. 131. His great piety and gratitude p. 132. His words to the Executioner p. 133. A loud voice of tears among the Spectators p. 139. His chearfulness at the last moment p. 135 140. His advice to the people 137.139 The L. Governour wept passionately p 138. S. Troilo's last jaculatory Prayers 139 142 His last words at the block p. 144. His Ghostly Fathers tears p. 141. His Execution p. 143. The death and burial of Signora Flaminia his Mother p. 13. ERRATA Page 29. line 19. de le not p. 41. l. 3. r B. Lady p. â—6 l. 3. p 6. r consortat p 27. l. 11. r from off p. 58. l 74. r ones sins p. 65. l. 18 r particular p. 67 l 2.3 r whereby p. 59. l. 1. r comitted p 62 l. 23. r might p. 83. l. 23. r â—he night p. 83. P. 91 l. 6. r occasion As. p. 95. in margin r whole ofice of p. 1 26. l. 6. r peace p. 1 18. l. 10. r said he p. 121. in mergin r entrance
such as are ignoble With us no indignity is ever done to a Noble man of m such as Barons are and all above them Title by binding his hands or arms or the like and that custom I commend as full of Honour but in many other places they bear no such respect in regard of the experience which they have found and the fear which still they are in of insolencies But for as much as concernes the comfort of criminals in the preparation of their souls towards the death of their bodyes I cannot but note it as a point of charity and piety most n It is the greatest charity to help men to dye well remarkable that in very many of the good Towns of Italy and Spayn there are certain Companies or Confraternities of Gentlemen well born and bred who put this obligation of duty upon themselves to visit the prisons especially in the night precedent to any execution And together with Religious persons and Ghostly Fathers they watch and pray and exhort and comfort the poorest criminals of the Country with the same industry and charity which is here afforded to this Noble man And they all acompany them to their death and somtimes discharge their dying hearts of care either by undertaking to pay som of their debts or by assisting the poor wife and children which are left behind or by obliging themselves to get o S. Monica upon the point of her death desired St. Austin her Son to pray for her soul at the Altar when she should be dead so he did Vid. Conf. l. 9. cap. 11. 13. Masses celebrated for their souls And in conformity of these good endeavours we see men dy in those parts with another manner of disposition towards God than usually they have with us Where it is a lamentable thing to see many of so prophane stupidity that after lives most lewdly led they go either drunk or dancing to the Gallowes As if they were but to die in a Play or as if after this life there were no immortality of the Soul or else at least no account to be rendred I say not of idle words which yet must be done but of most wicked deeds whereof many of them are guilty The example we have here in hand will yield all the Readers of it in general a good lesson of Humilitie Patience Curtesie Magnanimitie Obedience and Charitie And p All sorts of people may profit by the good lessons here deliver'd it may serve for an instruction not only to such as die by the hand of humane Justice but to all those also who are to die by the hand of God as we all shall be sure enough to do That so we may the better take heed of sin which is to be so bitterly bewailed and the more deeply we are fal'n into it the more instantly we must implore the mercy and goodness of Almighty God and dispose our selvs to the doing of Penance that so by his favour we may secure our souls from the danger of being plung'd into that lake of eternal pain This lesson I say may reach to al Readers in general But particular Readers may take out particular lessons for themselvs The Mother wil admonish Mothers to be incessantly careful for their Children the Son will conjure children from being insolent or disobedient towards their Parents and the q These are they who comfort the Delinquents in their death Confortatori will exhort all men to shew charity to their distressed neighbors And I beseech our Lord Jesus to grant such graces both to them and me as divine Majesty knowes to be most needful for us T. M. THE HISTORY OF THE CONVERSION and DEATH Of the Most ILLUSTRIOUS LORD SIGNOR TROILO SAVELLI Who was beheaded in Rome in the Castle Sant Angelo on the 18. of April 1592. THE Writing the lives or deaths of others if they be full of extraordinary accidents does usually make the Readers wonder if they be dolorous they cause compassion if prosperous men grow thereby into a desire if adverse into a fear But this death which now I am about to deliver does-so imbrace the accidents of all these kinds that whoever shall read it as he ought will (a) The power which this discourse will have over many affections all at once easily perceive his mind to be filled at once with all those affections And though what I write be in fine no more then a meer Relation of a Noble mans death yet perhaps it may serve for a guide and example of men through the whole course of their lives I will nakedly therefore declare the progresse and period of this accident as in the night when it hapned I went observing it pace by pace to the comfort of mine own Soul For (b) This Relation is purposely written in a natural and plain manner here all affectation and ornament of speech would but prophane the majesty of the thing and no endeavor or strife of wit would ever arrive to the expression of it I will direct it only to those who if perhaps they have not personal and proper experience of the admirable effects of Gods grace at least they will either have believed them of others or read of them in good books or heard them often delivered by Preachers For as to such who are meer strangers thereunto these things will seem incredible Though even by such they may yet be thought the more probable when at length they shall understand that at the instance of his excellent Mother one of the Fathers (c) These are the good Priests of the Oratory instituted by that great servant of God B. Philip Neraeus of the Chiesa nova had with most diligent and devout charitie exercised his life for the space of a month in spiritual things whose conversion and death I have undertaken to describe and whatsoever effect it may have more or lesse I will be sure to write it for the benefit of souls and upon no other motive It was then upon the 17. of April at (d) This might be about eleven of the clock at night after our account four hours of the night of that Friday when the news was brought to the Lord Troilo Savelli of his death by an inferior Officer Who coming to that chamber where the Noble man was at his rest sayd to him in this manner Your Lordship may be pleased to rise and apparel your self Whereunto he answer'd This indeed is an hour which has a little of the unseasonable but yet whither wilt thou conduct me The fellow told him That place was to be made ready for new Prisoners so devising this excuse that he might not fright him all at once I beleeve saies the young Lord what thou hast told me but I confesse thou madest me half afraid and then sitting up in his bed he said Let us apparel our self in the name of God Having begun to put on his cloaths as he was
the guiding of it under God is in your hand and therefore dispose of it for this only is now in my power to give you I then by way of answer said Give your self my Lord to JESVS I do so said he and he said it instantly And I again Give your self wholly to him He said I do Consecrate your self he still said I do Make your self said I entirely his But how saith he O Father shall I make my self entirely his if I be unworthy and perhaps his (e) As all grievous sinners are if they do not throughly repent which no man can be sure he hath sufficiently done though he may have great hope of it enemy But in the mean time whilst the Will was writing he that wrote it put us in mind it was to be publickly read that so it might be closed up with a due (f) A Testam nt is not valid there if it have not seven witnesses at least number of witnesses And whilst this was in doing that is whilst the Notary was reading it three things of some consideration did occur The first that when he read how he recommended his soul to God My body says he drawing near me according to his custom I dispose not of for now it is no longer mine It once was mine and I would it had not been so but (g) He acknowledges the providence and justice of God in all things it is more than reason that I having had so great care of it in my life time for my punishment should not be suffer'd to have any power over it now in my death Let them therefore do with it what they will for I sacrifice it to God whatsoever it is Father will not such an Oâ—lation as this do me good It will said I without doubt it will and what (h) For he that gives his body shews in good earnest that he has already given his soul more acceptable oblation can be made to our Lord than that of the body The second That when the Legacies were read it being observ'd by the manner of expressing one of them that he deliver'd himself as faulty in a certain thing wherein indeed he was not so and therefore the Will was to be redressed as I desired which served not only as before for securing his conscience but for the saving also of his honour Upon this putting off his Montiera or cap O Father saith he and he did it half smiling are you now taking care of my reputation and of the puntillios of Honour and of that smoak or vanity of the world Let my soul be saved and let all the vain Honour perish which I either had or might have had Do you not remember that which even (i) This is not mentioned here before For he said many other things which are not mentioned in this short Relation now you said Mihi mundus (k) The world is crucified to me and I to it crucifixus est ego mundo In a word let not the Soul be touched but let my Honor be blasted according to that accoumpt which the blind world is wont to make of Honour that it may serve as a part of the punishment which is due to me The Third that at the same instant his hat was brought him and one of his people being desirous to take his Montiera from off his head what are you doing saith he They answerd they would give him his hat But he bad them let it alone saying it imported not and he added with a soft voyce Look here a while they would fain honor this head of mine which I am to lose within few hours for my sinns The Will being then read and closed up he threw himself as it were upon me with a most modest kind of sweetnes and said Father I am already reconciled but I would fain make a general Confession of my whole life to your Reverence And though since I came into prison I did the same in effect at the instance of my Lady-Mother yet know I had then no light or feeling of my sinns in respect of that I now discover in my heart It being One thing dear Father for a man to confesse himself when be is in the sight of death and another to do it not thinking of death or at least but considering it as afar off And so calling for a (l) There are litle bookes of addresse whereby men are taught how to confesse their sins exactly little book which he had obove in the prison shewing the way how to confesse ones exactly well which his good MOTHER had brought him som dayes before he began his Confession Wherein my Lord God knowes that as it is lawful for me by that ample authority himself gave me to declare as much thereof as I should think fit so if I were able to expresse it I say not that Rome would be astonished at it but all Italy would be so For if I speak of the exact manner he held for as much as concern'd the particular descending even to idle words and any other (m) Confession is no such cursory or superficial thing as they who know it not conceive and say such peccadillo methought I was hearing som well exercis'd Religious man In the explicating of circumstances and the unfolding of intricate and intangled cases it was as if he had been some profound Divine In relating the determinate number and the various kinds of his sins he made proof of one who had a most fresh and happy memory This rare Gentleman pawsing now and then between the Confession of his sins and suffering certain tears to fall quietly upon my knees would be wiping them away and that being don he would often say with sighs O Father how (n) He had great reason to say so good has our Lord been to me Let him now be blessed as often and yet more often than I have offended him in my former life Whilst he was accusing himself of his faults he would express them in certain few but those all lively and most pious words and in som particular eases so dearly tender that in his countenance one might see evident signs how his very heart was even rent within So that between (o) He pawsed sometimes both to rest himself and to recall his sins more freshly to his memory for though it were interrupted it was all but one Confession till Absolution was given the times of his Confession the Confortatori doubting left perhaps he might incline to faint would be asking him if he needed not somwhat to restore and comfort himself To which he answer'd speaking privately and more than once to me This (p) An admirable Conâ—râ—tion only comfort or restorative I would desire That my very heart might burst for grief and satisfaction might so be (q) To the justâ—ce of God his sorrow being dignified by the death and passion of Jesus Christ our Lord. given for my sins if perhaps
〈◊〉 Domine non sum dignus c. And then he said thus to me I have not Father been attentive either when the Pater Noster or the Agnus Dei was said may I yet nevertheless communicate I answered that for the present he should do such a k This was perhaps the knocking of his breast or some such other thing which might be done at the instant Penance whilest I was giving him Absolution Which being done he went of himself to the Altar and kneeling down did with exemplar devotion receive the most Blessed Sacrament and soon after he came back towards me where he remain'd without any motion at all After this turning about to all those who assisted he said I give thanks to you all for your Charity and courtesie and I beseech you pardon the painful night I have brought upon you And then he desired me for the love of him to repeat those words to every one of them in particular and so I did Being then intreated to sit down the wonted circle was made about him Where every one endeavour'd to animate him towards the combat then at hand by representing the shortness of the pain the immensity of the reward the vanity of the world and above all the abundant grace which in the space of so few hours our Lord had communicated to his Soul and had given him withall such a pregnant sign of his Predestination wherein the Noble Youth seem'd to find extraordinary gust Amongst the many discourses which were made to this purpose as well by the Confortatori as by our Fathers I used this And what think you Signor Troilo will the grace which God hath given you be sufficient to make you bear this punishment I tell you truly that in imitation of Christ you should do well to desire it and that desire would serve to make it more tolerable to you Nay it would make it seem no punishment at all and lastly it would make it seem sweeâ— As it hapned to Christ our Lord himself to m The immense love which our Lord Jesus bare to man made all he suffered seem little to him whom his Passion seem'd so small a matter that whereas others called it by the name of a huge thing an Ocean a deep sea Veni in altitudinem maris tempestas demersit me himself calls it but a Cup ful Calicem quem dedit mihi Pater non vis ut bibam illum Again after that huge heap of bitterness and torments which he had endur'd it seem'd nothing to him For being ask'd by those disciples who were going to Emaus if he knew of that vast cruelty which had then lately bin executed at Hierusalem upon the person of the greatest Saint of God he answer'd by asking Quae for in fine he esteem'd it all as nothing Therefore speaking of his Passion he used the word Baptism saying Baptismo habeo baptizari quomodo coarctor c. And you know that bathes serve for delicacy What say you then Signor Troilo Does not your punishment by this time seem small to you Small saith he it seems nothing Yet can I not saâ— either that it is nothing or yet very pleasant but nevertheless it is dear to me and as such I prize it And (n) How mightily this noble man grew up in grace even by moments I assure you at the present it would be as it were a kind of trouble for me to escape it Before I desired to escape I sighed for it I labour'd for it and I know not what of that kind But I had not then that knowledge of my self which now by the favor of God methinks I have in such sort as now I can affirm to you in the word of Truth that I (o) This so ardent desire of suffering for his sins must needs be a great disposition towards the obtaining pardon for them through the mercy of Christ our Lord. desire my end how painful soever it may be towards the remission of my sins To this another Father said your Lordship speaks wisely for God knows whether otherwise you should ever have bin so well prepared for death Whereupon one of the Confortatori proceeded thus If your Lordship had dyed naturally in your bed what with the pain of your body and the anguish of your mind it may be you would scarce have been master of your self And if you had dyed by any other accident perhaps you would not have had time to bring forth so much as the name of Jesus Whereas now it (p) Supposing first the gâ—â—ce of God as is declared afterward is in a manner in your own power to dy as well as you will your self with what detestation of your sins you will with what love of Christ you will and in a word in that best manner which the grace of Almighty God will impart to you which we perceive even so to overflow your Soul that we are as much astonished as comforted by the knowledge of it Hereunto the constant Noble Man made this answer You shall know that by the goodness of God I find in my self no trouble nor tentation and me (q) Nothing but the very hand of God was able so to have conducted him through these stony wayeâ— And it seems God communâ—caâ—ed himself â—o the Delinquent in a very particular manner thinks I am in a hand which hears me up I desire and I resolve to dy in that manner which I shall be taught to be the best and I am most ready for the saving of my Soul to obey whatever shall be commanded me This said I you shall therefore do You shall bar your self in that hour of some ease That is you shall for the love of Jesus and in imitation of what he did suffered for you deprive your self of somewhat which you might have and which at that time might be agreeable to you For if you well remember they gave twice unto our Lord to drink The first time when they gave him vinegar he drank but when they gave him wine as soon as he had tasted it he put it by But do you know the reason It was this To such as were condemned to dy it was the custom to give wine with an infusion of myrrhe that by the comfort of it they might faint the less under their torments Now our Lord who was pleased to deprive himself entirely and fully of all consolation for love of us and for our example refused that but accepred the vinegar which was mingled with (r) With Gall. another most bitter ingredient that so he mighâ— s ffâ—r the most he could for our example and benefit The Providitore said that this was most certainly true whereupon somâ— expound those words which Christ spake upon the cross Deus Deus mâ—us ut quid dereliquisti me That Christ our Lord did grieve thereat because the Divinity begâ—n as it were to hide it self from the Humanity and consequently by little and
little his life was leaving him and by occasion thereof he was able to suffer no longer which the most enâ—mor'd Jesus observing complain'd of it to his Father by the words aforesaid To these things a Father of ours adding other devour and short discourses the Confortatori said That for the time his Soul was sufficiently fed and that it would be well done to refresh his body The Baron answered there was no need of that But they pressing it much there was brought in some wine by a servant of the Lord (s) This Government is the place of greatest confidence the Pope bestows Gâ—vernour of the Castle which one of the Gentlemen there present poâ—ring forth into a glass presented to the Baron who said again it was wholly needless And yet said he turning then towards me if I should need it your (t) A good memory he had and a more pious will Reverence told me a while ago that in imitation of Christ I should do well to deprive my self of it Father is it not so Nevertheless being intreated by all the Assistants that he would drink or at least so much as wash his mouth this last he did twice without swallowing any wine at all And this was so much more remarkable because such as are in that case use to be extremely taken with thirst which is held to be one of their greatest torments The wine being then carried away divers questions were ask'd this most illustrious Lord to which he (u) Note and wonder at these answers which are so full of piety wisdom and courage answered with so great prudence and judgement that more could not be imagin'd He was asked first for of many I will mention only a few this first question he was asked often Signor Troilo will your Lordship have any thing He still answer'd that he desired nothing saving that once he held his deace but made a sign up to heaven Besides he was often asked Signor Troile of what are you thinking Sometimes he answered upon nothing in particular Sometimes upon our Lord Sometimes upon my sins Sometimes upon my approaching end Sometimes he said I think upon the so many gifts which God has bestowed upon me and that I have been so very ungrateful yea and even unmindful of them all Being then asked in this manner Does your Lordship dy willingly He answered And what would you have me bustle against the order of the Prince Or should I not be content with the providence and good pleasure of God Is it possible said one that the Devil should not strive to make you think your death unjust I do not said he esteem it only to be just but most just and as for the Divel I neither have nor will have any more to do with him I have had enough and too much of him already Another asked him what he said of the Lady his Mother his Friends his Kindred and himself if he were not much afflicted with the thought thereof Concerning my Lady Mother said he I confess in the most inward parts of my heart I find extreme affliction but on the other side I rejoyce that I am paying the offences I have committed against her with my bloud And I hope the readiness wherewith I imbrace this Penance for my wicked carriage tâ—wards her will be so well accepted by Almighty God that he may through his goodness give her no small comfort even by this very death of mine I think of my kindred with grief as having been a cause of Sorrow and trouble to them of my friends as having given them ill example of my selfe I take no care for behold who (x) A great faith hope love does it for me making a sign towards the Crucifix which he had hard by him Being asked whether the time did seem long to him or short Neither (y) This I find to be a strange answer in the superlative deâ—â—ee of strangenes long say he nor short And another replying to him thus Is it possible that you are not griev'd you must die I do not says he deny but I am grievd at it but yet it neither troubles me nor so much as alters me more then you see It being wished that he should suffer his chair to be drawn a litle forward that so he might sit at greater ease To what end said he should I give my body ease I am wel here with the help of God I shall be shortly free from needing that or any thing else Being desired to raise rest his feet upon a place of advantage where they used to kneel that so he might be in a more commodious posture he said drawing near my ear Father it is a piece of ill manners to sit with a mans legs raised up in the presence of others But I advising him however that he would set them up he did instantly accommodate himself to my desire Being asked to what devotions he had bin most particulerâ—y affected He answer'd Above all the Saints in Heaven to that of our (z) He was ever much devoâ—ed to our B. Lady Blessed Lady in whose honour I did daily recite her Office but with an impure mouth and how then could that be accepted by her And till within these two years I made said he much account of going to Confession whâ—ch through the mercy of my Lord I resolv'd never to intermit unlesse it were by some very unlucky accident that should interpose iâ— self And I ever carried living in my heart the memory of many things which formerly upon several occasions had â—â—en represented to me by â—undâ—â— Religions Fathers with whom I had much conversed insinuating therby as I conceive the Fathers of the Chiesa Nuova And When I had means to do it in private I never failed any day to salute the Blessed Virgin upon my bare knees And then I saying I know not well upon what occasion Ah poor Signor Troilo Poor said he I was when I was without the the grace of my Lord God but now I take myself to he rich But then the time of his end drawing on apace we rising up from our seats did encircle him upon our knees And after the manner of two Quires interchâ—ngeably answering one another we began the seven Penitential Psalms pondering some of the verses now then causing him to resume divers of them They being ended he was advised to say often Recordare Jesu pie c. And then (a) These are parts of some Hymns which are recited by the holy Church in honour of ouâ— Lord Jesus and our B. Lady Eia ergo advocata nostro c. And then again Maria mater gratiae and the like Which he pronounced with so clear a voice so constant a memory and with a countenance so serene that all who were present himself only excepted did weep outright Which he observing made silence and taking his own face into his hands stood still a while in mental
was so willing to suffer as you see my Lord Jesus was yet much worse bound for me Being therefore thus accommodated they cast a gown about him and he kneel'd down before the Altar in act as if he had craved a benediction at the hands of our Lord. And without the least change of colour beginning the Psalm Miserere of himself and being come as far as the outward room he paused there with an incredible decency and grace And said to some of the by-standers Might I not thank my Lord the Governour of the Castle before I dy But they presenting I know not what excuse of his not being risen he accepted thereof and commanded a Gentleman who served the Governour to thank him in his name And having demanded pardon of many of the Assistants and exhorting them in some very few words to vertue by the example which there they had before their eies of the contrary he went on with the very same verse of the Miserere where he had left before And sometimes turning towards me he would be saying Come (t) See wheâ—â—â—r the Bâ—ron 〈◊〉 â—fâ—aid of death or no. Father come to heaven to heaven And it was a strangâ— thing that he being in pantoflâ—â— and going down such a long pair of stairs as that is and much broken by reason of the Artillery which upon frequent occasions is drawn up and down them yet did not his foot once slip Though I who was in shoos failing to tread right many times was willed by him to take care of my self When he was arriv'd to the other open stairs where many persons of the Castle were to see him one of the Confortatori who was well experienced in those occasions and stood on the one hand placing a Crucifix before him and as it were covering him therewith cried out with a strong voice Let (u) Viva Giesu Christo Christ Jesus live be not frighted my Lord. To which he after he had ended the Verse he was pronouncing made this answer Yea let Christ Jesus live in whom whilst I am hoping I fear not to be confounded And then said I In te Domine speravi non confundar in aeternum which being repeated by him he spake thus to them Take (x) A noble courage the Crucifix aside let all the people see me For if I be good for nothing else at least I may serve them for an example There passed one that way with a bottle of wine in his hand who saluted the Baron upon his knee and the Baron courteously resaluted him and so return'd to the same verse of the Psalm which he had formerly begun Soon after passing through the people who stood there somewhat thick he said Learn (y) Few words and well chosen It is not there the fashion for a man to stand preaching at the place of his execution by my example to live well and pray for me And thus with Psalms and Jaculatory prayers he came to the block where there was store of lookers on The intrepid Baron pausing there said thus I would desire in these last moments of my life to see at least and salute and thank the Lieutenant Governour of the Castle since I cannot see my Lord the Governour But the Lieutenant by no means resolving to go towards him for the extreme tenderness wherewith he was taken the Noble Youth perceiving it and turning to me said Father his heart serves him not to come and perhaps I make the people stay too long O most valiant and most undaunted mind which was troubled more with the slight incommodity of others then with the apprehension of his own imminent death At last he cheerfully advancing forward the Lieutenant came before him and the Baron casting himself upon his knee said to me In courtesie Father take off my hat Which the good Gentleman observing z A kind contention who should most exceed in courtesie did with a most bitter and loud cry of tears even spread himself all upon the ground and all the by-standers upon that occasion did cast themselves upon their knees nor was there any thing heard but a loud voice of tears This generous young Lord said then thus to him Sir do not weep I had no design but to salute you to thank you and to beg pardon as now I do both of your self and in your person at the hands of all those who are present here desiring them to learn at my cost and to pray for my Soul This he said with so strong a voice as that he was heard notwithstanding the noise of their weeping I also was not able to stay my tears when he leaning towards mine ear spake these very words now below as before he had done above Behold your Reverence is weeping and yet still you tell me I must have a Noble Heart Then having repeated divers times In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum and Suscipe me Domine secundum eloquium tuum non confundas me ab expectatione mea he was wished to ascend and then to lay himself down upon the Scaffold At the same instant one of the Confortatori saying to him Cheerfully Signor Troilo couragiously Signor Troilo and a whole cry of prayers being raised and made by all the company for him that valiant Heart did answer even with a smiling countenance a A noble and holy valiant heart Know a Gentlemen that I dy cheerfully for the Love of Jesus Christ and in Penance for my sins As he was laying down his head where said he is the Father And turning towards the Executioner he said Stay a while for I will be reconciled And beckning me first towards him with his countenance Father said he on this hand I place my (b) These Saints he used as intercessors for him to Christ our Lord. Good Angel and on that S. Paul and S. John Baptist our B. Lady shall stand before Your Reverence must remember to perform the promise you made me I will say O bone Jesu esto mihi Jesus O good Lord Jesus he thou a Jesus to me and when you shall see the cord is in cutting you must say Egote absolvo c. that so when I shall invoke the name of Jesus and you absolve me my soul may begin her journey from this body of mine towards heaven by the mercy of my Lord as I confide it shall I ingeniously confess I was so extremely amaz'd within my self and fell into such an excess of weeping that I had not a word to answer at the instant but in the language of tears And he in laying his head upon the block expresly spake these very words Dear Father draw near me Let is suffice and I take you to witness That (c) So that his memory and courage was far from failing him and perhaps there is hardly to be found in any history a nobler Character of wisdom prudence of mind magnanimity and sanctity I protest my self in my desire