as a pattern of a mind most rarely compounded between perfect Christian piety undanted incomparable magnanimity But whilst the (k) This Lady died in the year 16â—1 and was buried on the 21. of Octob. in the Theatines Church at St. Andrea della valle where she erected ten Mâ—sses to be said every day for ever She was of the house of the Dukes of Cesi and Sister to the Marquess of Riano Her name was la Signora Plaminia Mother and Son are both resting now in peace and glory as we may piously believe I know not how in this particular to be silent concerning the powerful and wise and infinitely good (l) The providence of God deserves to be deeply pondered in this particular providence of Almighty God towards both these servants of his For by the way of the (m) The Cross is the high way to heaven Cross he brought the son in a few moments of time to have a Soul in state of great perfection and he gave him in the last hours of his life that most happy kind of Purgatory wherein he might not onely suffer in satisfaction of the divine Justice but pass on by merits all grounded upon the mercy of Jesus Christ our (n) No action of man is meritorious but by the merits and first mercy of Jesus Christ Lord as all merits are towards instant and eternal felicity And this he did by as contrary means as in the Gospel he cured a certain Blind man by (o) The omnipotency of God is not tied to means but works his will how he pleases casting dirt upon his eyes For here he used the most indulgent tender care of the Mother who loved that Son as her own soul towards the bringing that about which was indeed to make him happy in the end but in the mean time was the occasion of his suddain and reproachful death whereby her very heart was to be broken Taking him so from her sight that thereby she might enjoy a glorious sight of him for ever and depâ—â—ving her of all human comforts which for as much as concerned her were abridged locked up in him alone that so she might with contempt of the world send her whole heart up to heaven whither now her treasure was gone before and so be rewarded for that tender and entire care which she had taken for his pious education It matters not much what the blind and dull world conceives which placing Faith in fancy and religious reason in the treacherous sense of flesh blood thinks all that to be misery which carries the face of pain or shame or any difficulty and that true happiness consists in rowing for a while in some boat (q) A fit emblem to shew the vanity of wotldly pleasure of musick down the tide though it carry them soon after where they are either to be split upon rocks or swallowed up by quick-sands Whereas God knows yea and men who have his grace are not ignorant that a course of felicity not interrupted or check'd by contrary winds is a kind of fortune for as much as concerns the next life which in this deserves rather pity then envy and that ever since the death of Jesus Christ our Lord the way of the Crosse is [r] The Crosse of Christ has made misery to become happy not only the more safe but even the more honourable and that the pleasures and pastimes of this life are but a kind of butterfly for boys to play with and the greatest earthly felicity that ever was enjoy'd by man if it died not as soon as it was born which yet is the ordinary case of (s) Worldly pleasure speaks fair but it lies worldly pleasure at least if it lived till it could learn to speak it told as many lies as it uttered words and charm'd them first whom quickly after it might lead towards a precipice How desolate would a worldling think the case of Signor Troylo Savelli was in that night when he received the news of his so-instantly-approaching contumelious death And of that dear Mother of his when she heard the blow was given which parted that head from those shoulders And (t) Affliction made the Mother and the Son seem miserable and be happy yet with all is it both well known that the Mothers loss of such a son did cast her much more close upon an union and sole dependence for all her comfort upon Almighty God wherein all the happiness we can have in this life consists and it is morally certain that the abundant grace of Contrition and Charitie which God infused into the heart of the Son even by the occasion of his very sins so vastly and infinitely good is God did put him instantly after his death into a state so blessed as that the Pope himself under whom he died those Princes among whom he lived and all the Monarchs of the whole world may be accounted miserable according to their present state in respect of him Our dear Lord Jesus be eternally praised and not onely by us who know not how to do it well but by all his holy Angels Saints for his own infinite goodness since he vouchsafes to (u) He could easily honour himself otherwise without any benefit to us if he were so pleased place the point of his honour in shewing mercies and working wonders upon man so instantly so sweetly so powerfully and so like a God And for having suffered in his own sacred soul body such desolations and torments as obtained at the hands of the eternal Father not only the remission of our sins if we will serve our selves of the Sacraments and other remedies he has left in the bosom of his holy Catholick Church but the adorning also of our Souls with the inherent gifts and graces of the holy Ghost And yet further for that he has known how to make our very sins and grievous crimes themselves the means sometimes whereby we obtain greater graces then x This indeed is a mercy which may well become the greatness of our God we should have done if we had not committed those very sins Let the whole world therefore adore thee O Lord and sing praises to thee and let all the powers of all souls cry out and say with that holy King and Prophet David O Lord who is like to thee A great example and proof of this power of God and of the divinity of Christ our Lord and the need of a great proportion of stupidity to make him think that since God himself vouchsafed to be at the command of those base and impure wretches who tooâ— off his cloaths and requireâ— him to submit himself tâ— those scourges those thornâ— those nailes those blasphemies for our sakes and sins yet on the other side thiâ— b An ugly and abominable presumption man this proud rebellious worm this crum oâ— dust this drop of filth mighâ— keep forsooth a kinâ— of State and should
in mine ear You whom through my good fortune I have heere to help me in this so weighty and high affayr in the place of God do you command mee I (p) Iâ—e gives himself away to his Ghostly Father give my self as bound into your hands The Prince has disposed of my body do you as much with my soul I sayd therefore to him I first desire my Lord that you make the protestation (q) This is a declaration of hâ—s faith with an entier submission to the good will of God which is wont to be delivered by such as are going to God Which being publikly pronounced by him with great sence and spirit he taking up and repeating my words I advised him further thus You shall now make all those acts of Contrition which I shall call to your mind having the eyes thereof first bent upon God being offended as a Creator as a Preserver as a Iustifier and as a Glorifier Next upon you self who have offended him being his creature his househould servant his Christian slave and one so deeply obliged by this benefits Thirdly upon the offences them selves which you have committed and be sory at your hart for having committed them and (r) For who can ever call to mind all his particuler sins if not in particular for them all at least for the (s) He had already confessed his sinns and now he is but exhorted to renew his sorrow for them most greivous of them which shall represent themselves to your memory Fourthly upon the good you have omitted and the time you have lost and the yeares you have mispent Fifthly upon the scandal you have given And if any thing more be to be done if (t) We cannot be saved unlesse first we make restitution as well of fame as â—f goods if â—â—lyâ— in our powâ—â— to make restitution either of fame or goods if to pardon others or to ask pardon your self restore and pardon and ask pardon If to perform any vows or fulfil any promises perform and fulfil them Or finally if you leave any debts or if you will make any signification of your repentance and pious end you are now to put your hand to work To these things he offered himself most readity and did execute them all with so great devotion that evâ—ry one now began to change his stile in speaking to him For finding that whereas before they thought they should have to do but with a young man or rather a youth and weakling (u) He infinitely overcame their expectation they were now to treat with a manly generous and ripe Christian far superior to that which might peradventure have been expected of him One of the Confortatori began with great discretion to discourse upon the horror of Death which our most sweet Christ Jesus did by his agony dispossesse of bitternesse Confi e saith he and cast your thoughts upon him and say Pone (x) Place me O Lord nearthee and let the hand of any other fight against me me Domine juxtate cujusvis manus pugnet contrame And if now you find any bitter taste in death during this short night as without fail you will say (y) O my Father not as I will but as thou wilt thy will be done Pater mi non sicut ego volo sed sicut tu fiat voluntas tua The contrite Lord made answer thus the wickednesse of my life frights me more than the bitternesse of my death Oh how wretchedly have I spent these eightein years How ill have I understood my Saviour How ungrateful have I been for his noble favors How rebelliously have I lived against his laws And how have I run like a wild unbridled horse in these later years of mine without any manner of restraint wheresoever the present occasions or conversations or (z) The sinner is only to blame himself for having sinned rather for I have said ill wheresoever mine own passions and blind affections had a mind to plunge me It is I and none but I who did precipitate my self and yet you bid me six my thoughts and hopes upon God and say Pone me Domine juxta te cujusvis manus pugnet contra me fiat voluntas tua Upon this another of the Confortatori proceeded thus It is an act of magnanimity not to fear the angry face of death and of humility to acknowledg our offences but of confidence to hope for pardon as your Lordship doth who well may say Propter nomen tuum Domine propitiaberis peccato meo multum est enim For thy names sake O Lord thou shalt forgive my sin for it is great O how great said Signor Troilo Even as great after a manner as is the mercy of God which is immense The Proveditore then sayd Your Lordship may if you be so pleased make your last Will and Testament to the end no other thought may sollitcie you but that of your soul Hereupon the Baron without the least delay by way of answer bade them write And having taken out of his pocket a little note which he carryed about him he suddenly dictated his Testament wherein he deliver'd some particulars in my opinion very considerable First (a) The considerations which may be made upon the manner of penning his Will of tender Devotion for he recommended his soul to God by most dear and religious words Secondly of Ripenesse which was more than of a young man because in a most particular mannâ—r he had remembrance of all his servants Thirdly of a most lively Contrition because with a most Profound internal affection of mind he demanded pardon of many even by name Fourthly of great Magnanimity because he conjured the Lady his Mother that shee would pardon all his adversaryes as he himself did pardon them a thousand times over Beseeching (b) what a true and noble Christian heart was this her by a long and christian circuit of words that shee would never resent his death but hee laid the fault upon himself in all things Fiftly of Religious Piety leaving large almes to many Churches and other holy places accommodating many poor (c) This is a devotion and charity much used in Italy Virgins with dowryes at the particular discretion and to be perform'd by the care of his heirs that God might the rather have mercy on him Sixtly of entire Iustice because hee took care that even more then was due by him should be restored Seaventhly of noble Gratitude because hee rewarded whosoever had don him any service in prison Eighthly of affectionate Reverence because hee did in a most sweet and dear manner ask pardon of the Lady his Mother and the rest of his kinred besides the expressing of other complements Having ended his last Will Well Sirs saith he behold we have this residue of time now wholly free for the care of our soul And turning towards me said It (d) He speaks of his soul for as much as concerned
〈◊〉 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
THE Penitent Bandito Or the HISTORY Of the Conversion Death of the most Illustrious Lord Signor Troilo Sauelli a Baron of Rome The second Edition more correct By Sir T. M. Knight Matth. 20.16 Sic erunt novissimi primi MDCLXIII THE PREFACE THE History following has been translated into divers languages though not at all into ours nor yet so carefully into others out of the true Original Italian as I could have wished The differences between the Copies which walk up and down the world are not great saving that when there is question of truth and that concerning a noble subject and the same accompanied with variety of natural and lively circumstances I cannot find in my heart to let any difference go for smal I have therefore at once taken both pains and pleasure to draw store of Copies into my hand and it has not been without successe For if I have not laid hold upon the very Original which was written by the Relator himself I dare say I am grown very neer it and that it is precisely true And this Elogium I will be bold to give the Discourse we have in hand that it has been read in several Countries with extream avidity Nay perhaps there has not issued in many of these last Ages any one historical Relation of a particular accident the consideration whereof has more often been attended by tears then this The birth person and parts of this Noble Man The Person whom it concerns was a Baron of Rome Sig. Troile Sauelli a branch sprung up from a root of as noble blood as a most certain extraction from the ancient Romans could tell how to make it His person and the parts of his generous mind are best described in the History it self so that I will not here by putting you to paynes prevent the pleasure which there you wil have to overtake them The cause for which he suffered is not specified there at all because his ghostly Father was the penner of this Narration and it became not him who was the others Judge in foro Conscientiae to become his Accuser in foro Curiae For though his crimes were extant then and are so still upon Record and that the Penitent did besides for his own greater confusion and the exaltation of the invincible Patience and Mercy of Almighty God give his Ghostly Father express leave to declare his sins to the whole world the Father yet would by no means accept of that liberty but speaking onely in general words of sin at large he (c) The inviolable seal of the Sacrament of Confession and how tender a good Ghostly Father is and ought to be buries the particulars in profound silence and under the seal of Confession for reverence of that holy Sacrament which must never upon any termes be defaced But I who am free will not consent to have my hands tied up but think it fit to let you know that though his years were few his crimes were great and many as still appears upon the Record of his Process And between the sixteenth and eighteenth years of his age till the former of which times his vigilant and holy Mother was able to keep him in the disciplinâ— of piety and vertue hâ— sprouted out into great exorbitances and in the Company and at the head of the d These are men who for murthers and other extream insolencies use to be banished and proscribed They were wont in Italy to go in great troops up and down and to infest the passages Banditi he committed both Rapes and Murthers 〈◊〉 with a most tempestuous 〈◊〉 and transported mind Omnis inimica amicitia seductiâ—mentis investigabilis He did too early cast himself into the hands of flatterers and wicked followers and they made the way of sin so smooth to him that he could not hold from sliding through it Nor was his tender youth so innocent oâ— his education so excellent but that the moath and canker of lewd company did soon corrode it Yet even herein was not his misery so great as the (f) It is proper to God alone to draw good out of evil mercy of God upon this occasion was infinite His crimes were not known but by such alone as would not easily adventure to draw upon themselves the displeasure of so great a House as his by detecting them The manner only of his life in respect of excesse and riot was such in the exterior as wounded his noble and tender Mother to the very soul The passages and proceedings whereof are delivered in the History it self with so great tenderness in the person of her son as strikes the heart of him that reads the words I will not therefore touch that flowre for fear of striking off the dew every drop whereof is a pearl One circumstance only which is not mentioned there I will here express because it will not fail to serve towards the increase of compassion in all their mindes who read this story You (g) A circumstance of great importance towards the moving of compassion shall therefore understand that when the Mother had used all other possible endeavors both divine and humane for the reduction and reformation of her son and all in vain for ought she was able to perceive she caused him for some offences which yet were far from being Capital to be committed to Castle (k) This is the chief prison in Rome as the Tower in London S. Angelo in hope that such a disgrace with the help of time would make him return into himself To this course she was the more encourag'd and in this hope the more confirmd because by this restraint he might be cut off from that all company which was the very pest and poison of his soul But see and wonder at Gods providence He (i) Any little entrance into Publick disgrace carries danger with it was no sooner in prison but the fire of eager opposition brake forth of their hearts whom by his other more enormous insolencies he had offended for till then it had been smoother'd under the ashes of that respect and reverence which they carryed towards the Dignity and Nobility of his House But now publick Justice taking notice of his excesses and Pope Clement the eight in the beginning of his Pontificate being desirous to shew a strong example of what impartial Justice the world was to expect at his hands especially in repressing and extinguishing that damnd crue of Banditi who were so pernicious to the state of Italy and of whom this young Lord was grown a leader did suffer the Law to pass on his person for his Estate was not confiscated but went to his heirs in blood Being even yet therein more just than Clement though perhaps he would have been more Clement in pardoning than just in punishing if he could by way of anticipation have seen the beauty and bravery of that noble spirit which deserved to live as long as a world can do
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
descending from his bed Give mee leave saith he for so long as that I may be ready And so casting an earnest countenance towards a little picture of our B. Lday with Christ in her arms which there he had of purpose he recommended himself in great earnest to the mercy of Jesus and in ercession of his Mother as afterward he related to me And the same night some hour before the arrival of this news he had raised himself out of his bed and kneeling down before that (e) He prayed before the Picture but hee prayed to the B. Virgin to pray for him and hee thought it no ill way to go by the M ther to the Son as the Fathers Saints of Gods Church had done before him Picture he sayd with abundant tears O blessed and glorious Virgin O that I might dy if dy I must with this very disposition which now I find in my heart He told me that the same night when first he went to bed he did in a manner assure himself his life would be saved but that yet more suddainly then he ever used he rose up and could not hold from discharging his heart towards his dear Redeemer and the blessed Virgin This was an ordinary use of his as afterward those souldiers under whose custody he was related to me for they often feigning not to see him did many times perceave that by stealth he cast himself upon his knees As soon as he was apparail'd the Officer returning and doubting lest by reason of his fresh youth being encountred with such a terrible and suddain accident he might through a kind of despairfull rage either do hurt to himselfe or others would needs upon a suddain cast the manicles upon his hands but gently stretching them out My friend (f) his early and humble resignstâ—on saith he behold I am here ready to obey thy will and the will of all the world since the will of God is such Having manicled him they lead him towards the Chappel when at the issue out of his chamber he blessed (h) He armed himself with the sign of the holy Crosse Ad omnem actum ad omnem incessum manus pingâ—t Crutem Hier. epist ad Eustach 22. cap. 36. himself the best he could with the sign of the holy Crosse with both his hands and casting up his eyes to Heaven he profoundly sighed For seeing perhaps that there were more people then might be needful for the changing of his Lodging This saith he is another manner of businesse then to change me only from one place to another but by the grace of God I am ready for all Thus silently going down to the Chappel he was met by the (i) There are Congregations of Gento in Râ—me as theâ—e are also in other great Cities of Italy and Spain who imploy themselvs for the helping condemned men to dy wel The Governor Proveditore are chief officers of these Congregations Governor and the Proveditore and by three others of them who are called Confortatori della misericordia in a fashion very sutable to the occasion Then one of them said to him in this manner My Lord the hour which God has prefix'd for you is even run out render your self into his merciful hands And he without being troubled otherwise then by fetching a sigh which yet was both soft and short did answer thus Let God be blessed behold I render my self to him and dispose you of me And so those good and charitable Brothers of that Congregation with some Fathers of the Society of Jesus casting themselves round about him and endeavouring to sweeten the bitternesse of that news by discreet and decent means did comfort him the best they could He yielded to all and did even prevent them and then knocking his breast and bowing down his head and kissing the Crucifix he demanded pardon and like gentle wax sufferd himself to be manag'd by them all One of those Confortatori did before all other things put him in mind of making his Confession Upon the very first naming wherof recollecting himself he said And (k) The first thing he did was to confess himself where is the Confessor And they shewing him a Priest of their Company with his Albe (l) These are some of the sacerdot al vestments which are used in celebrating Divine Service upon his back and his Stole about his neck that afterward he might say Masse in the proper time the first thing he did was to be confessed and we all went out to leave the place free to them He being confessed and we returnâ—d we began to dispose him towards a good end by divers spiritual exercises fit for that purpose And after many had spoken I also began thus to say Signor Troilo This is that passage which whoever does once make well acquires eternal felicitie and if once it be ill made it draws after it everlasting misery It now imports your Lordship to make it well that you may escape that eternity of torment This passage is narrow uneven hard and full of stones and thorns all the world sees it and your Lordship finds it by experience but (m) Our Lord Jesus doth even the uneven way of death behold sweet Jesus who by his goodnesse will even it all Cast your self my Lord upon him and then you will be able to say with courage Omnia (n) I can do all things in hâ—m that comforts me Possum in co qui me comfortat He answerd thus with a cheerful and even smiling countenance Omnia possum in eo qui me comfortat By the mercy of my deer Jesus I know the necessity of making this passage well I acknowledge his providence over me and to his providence I add that of his love For as much as with extraordinary love it is that he has brought me hither I see it I confesse it And how often dear Father have I been as I may say in the very jaws of death which if at that time it had seized me infallibly this soul and body of mine had perished Behold (o) He acknowledges and accents of Gods providence with great alacrity the cunning of my Christ to save me he has made choyce of this way And then bowing and baring his head and with great life of spirit raising himself from his chair he further added I accept of this election which God has made and then casting himself upon his knees before the Alter Nay I thank thee says he O my good Father for thy so faithful and loving care of me who have not only been a wandring but a contumacious Son of thyne To thee it belongs to smooth and even the ruâ—godness of this way since thou hast been pleased to addresse me by it And so bowing his face even almost down to the ground he remayn'd a while in mental Prayer Being therefore wished to sit down he was scarce setled in that posture when turning towards me he sayd thus
Lordship have any such apprehension you may repeat as much and as often as you please for I only advised you of it before as thinking perhaps you might have don it by errour The errour says he was mâ—ne and a grievous error it was to â—ffend those so many waies who did ever stand in my dâ—fence But however that be in this respect as in some others I shall dy contented in that I can never satisfie my self with confessing my faults to you dear Father Which now by the goodnesse of God are as well known by me as heretofore they were little esteem'd and are now as bitterly lamented as heretofore they gave me gust though it were a false one I (m) The man did even melt between grief and love wish O thou most sweet Saviour of my Soul I had as well a thousand tongues that so I might fully cenfesse them a a thousand eyes that so I might bitterly bewail them and a thousand hearts that so eternally I migh detest them And that this grief for my sins committed against God might so break my heart as the instrument of Justice will take my head for those I have committed concerning men I do good Father by the goodnesse of God know what a sinner I am As a sinner I lament my self and as a sinner I will dy but a sinner all humbled and contrite and with my tears I will make my Funerals then suffer me to perform them after mine own fashion And here even I not (n) I cannot blame him being able to contain my self from weeping was observ'd by him who said thus Most happy Funerals are therefore these of mine which are solemnized by the servants of God Yet this part belongs not to you but only as being a Father to my Soul Who knows but that by these mutual tears and this exchange of tendernesse my impure conscience may indeed be cleansed Thus both of us being silent for a while he then proceeded Well my good Father it is now high time that by the (o) This authority was given to his true Church by Iesus Christ and in his name by his power 't is exercised Authority which God has given you to loose and bind men on earth you loose me from so many chains of sin which hang upon me To the end that as you have taught me I may say Auditui meo dabis gaudium laetitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata And first I besceech you you give me Absolution and then I may perform my Penance Though indeed what Penance carrying proproportion to my sinns is your Reverence able to impose At this he cast himself at my feet and bowed his head to my knee where I had laid my left hand and he all bathed it with tears and kissed it and expected the Penance Absolution Which I gave him fully in form of a p This is a ful remission of all Canonical Penances requir'd by the ancient discipline of the Church Plenary Iubiley according to the most ample priviledge (q) By the Popes granted to those of the Congregation of the (r) It is called a congregation of M sericordia because it is so great a wo k of charity and mercy wherein they imploy themselves Misericordia Being absolv'd and having don his Penance with incredible affection of mind he sate down again by my direction and then the rest camâ— and encircled him after the accustomed manner I then spake first to him after this sort Most Illustrious Lord Troilo our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ whom here we have present did by dying upon the Crosse give remedy in his person this night to three things among many others He (s) An application fâ—ll of life and comfort dyed in the flower and vigour of his youth that your Lordship might not have too much indulgence and compassion of your own tender youth and so might say O but why is my life taken away in so tender years And this is the first He dyed and he dyed of a violent death that to your Lordship it might not seem insupportable to dy upon necessity and so you might say O but why is the flower of my years cut off by a violent hand and this is the second He dyed of the most reproachful death which in those times was inflicted that it might not seem strange to your Lordship to dy by the hand of Justice and so you might say O but why died not I in my cradle or at least by some other natural accident Nay if your Lordship will accept this death in so tender years you offer him the best part of your time By dying a violent death you may make that which is necessary to be voluntary and by dying a dishonorable death taking it as a Penance for your sins you may avoid the shame of that last terrible day And so much the better you may accept it because you are not to dy in publique upon the Bridg as the ordinary Gustom bears but (t) It is there accounted of less dishonor to be put privatly to death They who dy privatly dy within the Castle they who publickly at the foot of the Bridg. privatly here below in the Court as is wont to be used towards your Peers I added also some other considerations and so ended my speech To which the Baron who was ever ready made this answer And (u) How wise the grace of God is able to make a very yong man upon a sâ—ddain I O Father for as much as coneerns the first dy willingly in this fresh age of mine because thus I shall be sure not to offend my Lord any more And from this instant I offer him my years my age and my life and a hundred years and a hundred ages and a hundred lives As for the second I will make a vertue of necessity and being to dy per force and according to reason I will dy willingly that so I may yield willingly to force and willingly give satisfaction to reason But as for the third I could wish for a more ignominious death And be you pleased to know that to have dyed in publique would have given me I know not what increase of consolation and gust For so I might have hoped by (x) Because publick sinns require publick satisfaction publique Penance to have made a better amends for my publique crimes And God knows I take no contentment to receive the favor of dying privatly But yet however if the determination which is made be such I resist it not Our Lord will accept the promptitude of my will Hereupon the Proveditore took up the speech and said Let your Lordship accommodate it self to the will and providence of God who has not only one way of ariving to save our Souls nor one only means of drawing them to him He leads one by one means and others by another It imports not that (y) Many of Gods judgments are secret but they
let her know she cannot but receive some comfort in my death and will also find herself even engaged to conform her self to the will of God as by his mercy I have done To my Lady my Grand-Mother what shall I say dear Father O how compassive am I of her great age What pain does my Soul feel for that affliction of hers Give her also to understand that I beg pardon of her for so many disgusts as in this old age of hers I have given her beseeching her in my name that as long as she lives she will cause a Masse every week to be celebrated for my Soul And in like manner I humbly ask pardon of my Lord Marquesse my Vncle from the most inward parts of my Soul as I also doe of the rest of my Blood beseeching them all to excuse this youth or rather ignorance of mine Putting them also in mind that once we shall all meet in Heaven And if ever your Reverence can procure to be in my Castles ask pardon I beseech you in my name of all my vassals Making a promise to them that instead of the ill example I have given them I will not forget them in Heaven when by the mercy of God I shall be there and let them in the mean time excuse my youth Forget not also to do this office with a This was a person of great authority who took his examination Monsignor the Governour of Rome who about some four times has examined me with so much respect and curtesiâ— Give him assurance from me that though my death grieve me yet I accept it willingly And beseech him that when time shall serve he will also b With how great piety he speaks of the Pope as he was his supreâ—â— Pastour and with observance as his Prince assure our Lord Pope Clement his Holinesse that I dy his most devoted Son and most satisfied with the proceeding of his Holiness towards me With this moreover that I am grieved at the very roots of my c A noble circumstance of civility courtesie heart for having given his Holiness so much cause of trouble and grief especially in this beginning of his Pontificate and in the midst of the joy which has been expressed for his assumption to the Sea Apostolique And let him be further told that by placing my self as I do at your feet I make accompt I lay my head under the feet of his Holiness that so he might vouchsafe to give me his benediction I having this comfort in the midst of all my afflictions that his sentence and my death will serve to his whole State for a lawful and plentiful example of his Justice And verily if it grieve me at this time to dy it also grieves me that even by my death I am not able to give compleat satiisfaction to his Holyness For d What a noble civil Soul was this as much as he being my Father and Pastour cannot in fine but feel the death of a Son and Sheep of his with displeasure and grief Upon which words he finding even more then before that there fell some tears from mine eyes to his hands This is well indeed said he your Reverence commends my courage but why then do you weep your self At least let not others see you I reply'd Do you beleeve my Son that I have no sence in me Do you think perhaps I am some piece of marble Proceed you on to the rest And then nameing divers of his particular friends he desired me to ask pardon for him of them all and this he did with words of extream sweetness and prudence This being then said by him with a most admirably intrepid heart he concluded with this desire I beseech your Reverence that in the last place you will beg pardon for me of Almighty God as I my self do now with the most internal part of my heart and of your self I ask my Penance and Absolution Which as soon as I had given him the Brothers of that Congregation of the Misericordia did put us in mind that it was time Masse should be celebrated and so the Priest as soon as he was vested began The devout yong Lord and I kneeling together against a form he said thus to me The Priest is beginning Masse and I with your good leave will have a new Reconciliation according to that which my good Angel shall bring to my remembrance of whom I have desired this favour The Priest was saying the Confiteor at the foot of the Altar to whom one of the Congregation making answer was so overwrought with tenderness that he could not get to the end of it in such sort as that it was necessary some other should do it for him Then the good Noble Man who answered softly to the Confiteor leaning towards me said thus Give e He had the gift of tears in a strange measure me leave to weep whilest I say the Confiteor since that Gentleman weeps so bitterly to whose office it belongs not greatly that he should weep I answer'd he might weep in the name of God since he had given him such great desire so to do And it was an admirable effect of divine grace that instantly I saw the tears streaming down his cheeks and pouring themselves even upon the cushion that lay before him When the Confiteor was don all f Till after the Gospel the while the Priest was reading with a loud voice he did not move at al but waâ— most fixedly attentive as it were rapt towards the g The Crucifix was of stone but his mind was upon the Original not upon the Original not upon the picture Crucifix upon the Altar which was there most devoutly made And shortly after turning towards my ear he accused himself of divers little things which then suddenly surpriz'd his mind And the Priest being com to h About the middle of Masse Sursum corda Father said he do you think indeed that by such a death as this and so well deserved I may yet go strait to heaven And why said I may not your Lordship undergoe this death with so great and so wel condition'd affectuousness of mind as that your soul may be sure to fly up instantly from the block into heaven O my God! said he And what kind of affectuousness must that be O teach it me a little O that our Lord would grant it me Pray said I very earnestly unto him for it and peradventure he will grant it At which time the Priest being in the very act of the Elevation of the Body of our Lord the yong Noble Man spake these very very words O bone Jesu sis mihi in hac hora Jesus O dear Lord Jesus be thou in this hour a Jesus to me And this he said with so ardent affection of mind though with a low voice as that after it he was wholly immove-able till the Priest went on to The 〈…〉 of