the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
gall to eate and vineger to drinke but himselfe neuer receiued such vsage at the Iewes hands but it was thou O sweet Lambe the true Dauid who didst tast the bitternes of this gall the sharpnes of this vineger Our Sauiour tormented ouer all his body The same Prophet sayd that they had numbred his bones of thee he did speake for he beheld with his foreseeing and Propheticall eyes thy precious body stretched out vpon the Crosse with such violeÌ„ce that men might tell thy bones and there was no part or member in thee which had not his proper torment Thy skinne was torne with the stripes of the roddes thy head crowned with thornes thy feete and hands nayled thine eyes striken with the sight not onely of thine enemies but also of thy friends and namely of thy sorrowfull mother whom I behold at the foote of thy Crosse Our B. Lady at the foote of the Crosse and whome thou seest also striken in her soule with that sword of sorrow which good old Simeon did foretell thou seest her alas with an eye watered with teares and bloud these are the torments of thine eyes Thine eares are beaten with the blasphemies and mockeries of thy persecutors thy hart is afflicted with our afflictions thy backe loaden with the waight of our sinnes and finally Dauid did forsee thee in the light of his spirit which knew things to come he did contemplate thee in this Crosse oppressed with torments and filled with reproaches as a man forlorne without all help or force The reproache of men and the refuse of the people who preferred a murderer and a thiefe before the author of life a man who was thought to be forsaken and abandoned by God there hence it is that thy grand-father wrote that verse which thou camest to pronounce O sweet Redeemer My God my God why hast thou forsaken me wordes that very emphatically doe declare the rigour of thy affliction Deus Dâ—â—â—meus Psal 21. Math. 27. Marc. 15. and with a diuine eloquence dost represent thee as forsaken of God yet by interrogation without affirming in apparence and outward shew not in truth For God had not forsaken thee yea he hath nothing so deere in heaueÌ„ or earth as thee his onely Sonne which he testifyed at that time by the dole and mourning of the whole world when he commanded the sunne to eclipse when he made the moone loose her light the earth to tremble the rockes to riue the graues to open in signe of thy griefes and sorrowes and in detestatioÌ„ of the malice of thy tormentors Why the death of our Sauiour was so long before figured foretold It was therfore the enormity of thy torments which these words declared and not any forgetfullnes of thy Father Heere suffer me O my sweet Sauiour to aske thee why thou didst cause the tenor and forme of so many torments to be so liuely expressed and fortold and why thou wouldest endure them Hast thou foretold them to proue therby that thou wert God that thy death was not by chance but a voluntary charity a designement of thy wisedome and infinite bounty towards man made long before hand a mercy proiected in the closet and counsell of thy Eternity for who could so particularly foretell so many and so diuers actions happened in this tragedy that knew them not Onely God perceiueth forseeth future things Esa 41.13 And who could know them being so remote and so vnlâ—kely but only God but thy self to whose eye all things are present And who could haue belieued that thou wouldest loue vs so soone and so happily and wouldest endure so much for vs if thou hadst not giuen vs aduertisement before hand of all that thou didest suffer vpon the Crosse But why wouldest thou endure so much O the Redeemer of my soule yea why wouldst thou suffer death or any paine at all seeing to the Redemption of man it sufficed that thou wert made man Why our Sauiour suffered so much though thou hadst suffered nothing but liued in the glory of a rich King in commanding the whole world and taking homage of all thy creatures which is due vnto thee by al titles of souerainty Why O Lord making thy selfe man wouldest thou abase thy selfe vnder our basenes after thou hadst left all and insteed of riches pleasures and honours didst choose pouerty paine and humility didst lead a life which was noâ—hing but a continuall pennance thou wouldst besides suffer death the death of the Crosse that is most bitter in griefes and anguishes most cruell in torments most shamefull and ignominious in iniuries a death armed with the fury of all the powers of hell irritated with all the vices conspired together of all notable sinners Kings Princes souldiers Iudges Priests all sorts of people wicked The 1. cause to shew his loue to his Father The 2. to shew his loue to man proper to performe an exploite of enormous cruelty Why O Lord hast thou chosen this thorny way And this field so full of asperities Is it to shew thy exceeding loue to thy Father suffering for him in our behalf whatsouer could be suffered For it is the touchstone of affliction that maketh the sure proofe of firme friendship to any man Or is it moreouer to make man see the treasures of thy charity towards him sparing nothing for his saluation not onely making thy self poore to enrich vs infirme to fortify vs little to exalt vs but also giuing thy life the most precious gift which a man can giue for his friend and vndergoing death with a thousand torments to deliuer vs from eternall death with a pleÌ„tifull aboÌ„dant fine of propitiation paiable to the diuine Iustice and therefore the same Prophet sayd that with our Lord is mercy and with him is found plentifull Redemption Hast thou not suffered so much to make man see the enormity of his sinne Psal 129. which must needs be purged with so precious a life painefull a death The 3. cause to shew the enormity of sinne My sinnes then are they that haue lifted thee vpon the Crosse they haue torne thy skinne they haue crowned thee with thornes they haue nayled thy hands and feete they haue entertained thee with gall and vineger O then my soule sinne no more for thy sinnes are the cause of this parricide bring no more forth the butchers of thy Redeemer after hauing receiued so many signes of his fauour towards thee Finally O gentle Lambe hast thou vndertaken and suffered this painfull and ignominious death To teach thy children how they must suffer 4. To giue vs example to suffer Giuing them an excellent patterne of thy life of thy death to imitate and to suffer for the honour of God and to carry his Crosse For seeing the head captaine is the formost in the fight and assalt seeing the King is the first hath the greatest part in paines and punishmeÌ„t
pride so in the sinne of Couetise and the rest Of the fiue senses he shall remember if he hath abused his eyes by any curious or lasciuious lookes his tongue by speaking detraction Of the 5. senses or his eares by hearing it and other vaine thinges and so of the other senses If he be a Church-man besides that which is common to all Christians he shall consider in particuler how he hath carried himself in his estate if he hath assisted at diuine seruice if he hath sayd his Canonicall houres if he hath learned what is required to his charge to heare confessiōs say Masse preach If he be Religious Religious he shall call his consicience to account about his Vowes and rules if he haue beene a proprietary against the vow of Pouerty if he hath committed any thing against Chastity or hath beene disobedient If he be a Prince Prince whether he hath maintained the honour of God if he haue kept iustice if he hath gouerned like a Father Gentleman or grieued his people A Gentlemā if he hath done wrong to his neighbours or abused them If he be a Magistrate Counseller President Iudge if he haue diligently examined the right of euery one Magistra◠Iudge and iustly rendred euery one his owne if he hath taken bribes or iudged against his conscience If he be a Consull Consul or chiefe Magistrate of the Citty if he hath beene willingly or negligently wanting to the publike good An Aduocate Aduocat if he hath vndertaken the defence of vniust causes or if he hath faithfully defended the right A Proctor Proctour if he hath dealt truely with his Clients if he hath not vsed craft and cunning in prolonging suites and hindering the course of Iustice Capitaine Captaine if he hath kept caused to be kept the military and martial laws if he hath faithfully serued his Prince if he hath beene cowardly or stricken any wrongfully A Souldiar if he spoiled poore men Souldier if he hath beene true and faithfull if he hath beaten or killed any man in villany out of warre If he be a Superiour or Prelate Superior whether he hath commanded iustly and prudently if he haue beene arrogant or impious in his charge A Regent or Maister if he haue diligently and faythfully taught his scholless Scholler giuing them in word and workes example of vertue A Scholler if he hath lost his tyme or kept the lawes and order of the Schoole Physitiā A Phisitain if he hath beene diligent and faythfull in attending his Patient if by his fault any haue dyed Apothecary or fallen into any inconuenience of body An Apothecary if he hath made his Medicines of sound entire Drugs not sophisticated if he hath faithfully followed the Physitians bill Surgeon A Surgeon if he hath beene negligent in attending his hurt and sicke patient if he hath prolonged the wound to get more money Merchant and fill his purse A Merchant if he hath sold to deare or vsed false weights or measures Printers or Booke-binders Printer Booke-binder if they haue printed or sould pernicious hereticall wanton or diflamatory libells Artificer if he hath done his work fraudulētly if he hath filched wrought vpon the holy dayes Artificer and thus of other estates Women and Maides shall also particulerly examine themselues about the vanity of their apparell their too much speaking or speaking euill of their too much care of their corps of impatience choler couetise of the goods of this world and of other vices more familiar to their sexe The Penitent shall discourse ouer all and shall note wherin he hath failed and shal make as it were a table of his sinnes and kinds in his memory or in paper to confesse them This examen being thus made he shal say the prayer following immediatly before he goeth to Confession A Prayer to say before Confession CHAP. LI. Mercy ready for the Penitent ALMIGHTY God who desirest the conuersion and life of a sinner and not his death and perdition and hast promised the grace of thy benediction and mercy whensoeuer and how often soeuer repenting and confessing he shall cry thee mercy with an humble and contrite hart giue me if it please thee a firme voice tongue to confesse the sinnes I remember and say wholsomly before thy secret Tribunall with the Prophet I haue sinned and done ill before thee alone Psal 50.5 Take frō me all feare and vicious shame that I may freely simply purely and entirely discouer all the faults woundes griefes of my wounded soule to him whome thou hast giuen me for Lieutenant of thy iustice for the iudgement and remission of my sinnes And if I haue dared with a damnable boldnes to incense thee with thousandes of sinnes that I may dare also now with an humble confidence to confesse them to aske and receaue pardon in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ who liueth and reigneth with thee in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer The order we must keep in Confession CHAP. LII THIS prayer being sayd and his sinnes noted he shall present himselfe at the place and houre appointed to the Priest and hauing asked and receaued his blessing shall say his Confiteor vnto mea culpae and shall beginne to confesse his sinnes according to the order of his examen and memorial runing ouer his whole conscience faythfully purely simply humbly and without affected ceremonies of wordes or gestures without accusing any other to excuse or diminish his owne fault without telling what he hath not done but accusing himselfe alone and only of his sinnes with the greatest sense and feeling of deuotion and compunction that he can and after he hath told all in his memory he shall make an end of his Confiteor and desire his Ghostly Father to aske him and to bring into his remembrance what he might haue forgotten and this done he shall receaue of him pennance absolution and shall prepare himselfe all the rest of the day and some part of the night to communicate the next morning and going from the place of Confession shall for thankes-giuing say this prayer following A prayer to say after Confession CHAP. LIII O sweet Iesu the true Physitian healer of my diseases the true life and peace of my soule the true solace of my hart I humbly thanke thee for all the benefites I haue receaued of thee since my first being and namely for this last wherby thou hast giuen me meanes to cast my selfe at thy feet to aske thee mercy reconcile my selfe vnto thy Maiesty iustly offended with my faults and to reuiue in me the ioy and riches of thy good fauour and friendship Alas O my souueraigne Sauiour what had become of my poore soule if thy iustice had according to my demerit drawne her out of this body and life in so miserable a plight all couered and infected with
to haue told the Tutour that he wanted a Head himselfe when he demanded of me why partridges were serued without heads I was not sory quoth Lazarus that the question of the head was proposed for the taile thereof proued good and Theodosius had a doctour who expounded his answere with an honourable glosse surely quoth Theodosius that fellow deserued to be well payed as he was God giue him grace to know himselfe Discoursing in this sort the Pilgrims had dispatched foure leagues which was more by halfe then they had to the house of Lazarus his Father which was called the Castle built neer vnto a towne they came to a place called Bonuoison where they dyned cheerfully and would presently haue beene gone but that a chance stayed them And that was that there were two poore men sicke in the Inne who the night before had confessed demaunded extreme-vnction and euen now entred into the agony of death hauing no body that in so dangerous a distresse might exhort them for the Curate was gone to the obsequies which that day were kept at the Castle They thought that charity bound them to assist vntill the Curate should come who they sayd would returne presently Lazarus tooke one in one chamber Theodosius and Vincent the other in another chamber and seeing that they had perfect memory they exhorted them both Lazarus exhorted his in this sort My dearest brother you know well that death is a common debt which all mortall men must pay without exception An exhortation to the sicke great and small soone or late according vnto the tyme which God the soueraine mayster of death and life hath prefixed He hauing giuen vs this world nor as a permanent Citty to dwell in alwayes but rather as an Inne to lodge like Pilgrims and passengers and to go out when it shall be tyme to walke to a better life then this present is Heb. 13.14 Of the which we must not make any great account for being full of miseries Math. 1.10 and wherein the longer we liue the more we offend and where our sinnes do multiply with our dayes and houres Remember acknowledge my most deere Brother the graces gifts which hitherto you haue receiued of God namely that he hath made you partaker of his grace calling you to his heauenly inheritance by the light of his true and Catholike faith and that in this last conflict period of your life he hath granted you your sense and reason to remember him tyme to repent you of your sinnes and to cry for mercy meanes to obtaine pardon and remission not suffering you to be surprised by sudden death nor to leaue this life loaden with sinnes to be condemned at the tribunall of the rigorous iustice haue therefore great sorrow for your offences and with a profound humility demaund if it please him to shew you mercy through the precious bloud of his onely deere sonne Iesus dead vpon the Crosse for vs and for all sinners Suffer patiently the dolours of your infirmity beseeching him to take your anguishes and your death with those of Iesus Christ in satisfaction of the punishmeÌ„t you haue deserued Recommend your selfe to the glorious Virgin to S. Peter and S Paul to your good Angell and other Saints if the enemy lay before your eyes the enormity of your sinnes to thrust you into despaire lift vp your eyes to the mercie of God which is infinitely more great then your iniquity If he tempt you with vaine glory by reason of your good workes oppose thereunto your owne sinnes to hold you in Christian humility Theodosius said the like to his Patient after this exhortation they sayd the Litaâ—ies which being sayd Lazarus went forward as also Theodosius for his part saying Dearest brother if you cannot speake vnto God with your tongue yet speake with your soule for God vnderstandeth the hart follow me and say I will liue and dye in the fayth of Iesus-Christ in his Catholike Apostolike and Romane Church I belieue the Contents of the Creede the seauen Sacraments and all that God hath commaunded me to belieue by his Church and detest all heresy contrary thereunto I humbly demand pardon of my sinnes and purpose fully to abstaine if God shall perhaps suffer me to liue any longer I pardon all my enemies and aske pardon of all I haue offended I desire to endure these dolouâ—s this death for the honour of God and for the satisfaction of my sinnes They had no sooner done but the Curate came and had leasure to anneile them after which they departed in great peace It came in Vincents mynde to thinke whether these two men should rise againe and if in them should be fulfilled the Hermits verses which he gaue to Lazarus whereof notwithstanding he spake not a word They sayd certaine praiers for the departed without informing themselues of any thing of the place whence the Curate came they went their way that they might come betymes to the Castle which was but a league a halfe distant they went ioyfully remembring now well the coastes of the country and the places they had not seene seauen yeares before Hauing gone halfe a league Lazarus met a country fellow all alone comming from the castle whome he knew well but was not knowne againe he asked how Monsieur of the Castle did I thinke quoth the fellow that he is in health but he hath beene very melancholy these last foure dayes for the death of his sonne whose obsequies were kept this day Lazarus was pierced with this newes and sayd not a word more vnto him but let him go on his way entred into an extreme apprehension and melancholy within himselfe for he ghessed by this newes that Francis his yoÌ„ger brother was dead who onely was left with their Father when he and Pauline vndertooke their voiage Theodosius and Vincent went before he followed alone after and lamented thus to himselfe in silence Alas how shall I present my selfe to this desolate old man this day bringing him newes of the death of one of his dearest children hard vpon the fresh funerals of another who was his onely stay What comfort can I giue him in this griefe for his sonne reporting vnto him the death of his Sonne and his Sonne Pauline whome he loued so tenderly and whome he recommended vnto me so fatherly at our departure Is it not inough to make him dye of griefe and to defile my selfe with the crime of parricide O Noble old man who shall sollace thy sorrowes O my deere Pauline who hast remained in the sepulchers of Africa that thou wert now present to comfort eyther thy father or thy brother O the bitter and dolefull conclusion of my pilgrimage Thus complayned he in his hart Theodosius and Vincent seeing him follow so slowly and so pensiuely stayed for him and perceiuing his countenance changed asked if he felt him selfe ill Alas yea quoth he Why sayth Theodosius I doubt me my good
soueraigne Maiesty hast thou loued man so as to make thy selfe man to be his Neighbour so happily hast thou made such account of humility as not only to annihilate thy self in ioyning thy selfe in an insoluble bond to so small a creature infinitely distant from thy greatnes but so to subiect thy selfe therunto O B. Virgin I behold thee rauished at euery moment in this chamber of Nazareth when thou sawest this little infant this great God whome thou didst adore to obey honour and serue thee O my soule fixe thy sight vpon this beautiful obiect and kindle the coldenes of thy will by the lightenings of this great wonder and follow with fiery feet the example of such a Lord. It shall not be besides the purpose also to meditate vpon the markable punishments of such as haue beene vngratefull to their Progenitours And so the pilgrime shall passe the day till his retire The ninth Day A Meditation vpon the fifth Commandement Thou shalt not kill CHAP. XXI THE morning meditation shall be vpon the fifth Commandement The preparation ordinary The first preamble shall propose the words of the fifth Commandement THOV SHALT NOT KILL The second shall demand grace well to vnderstand it and effectually to obserue it The first point shall note that as life is the most precious present which man hath and holdeth of his Creatour Life is the goodliest guift of God so to loose it is one of the greatest grieues he can incurre therfore with good reason it is prohibited to assault the life of our Neighbour and heerein shineth the prouidence and iustice of our Creatour prouiding for the safety and security of the principall good of his creature in his family of this world By the same law is forbidden sayth S. Aug. a mans killing of himselfe Aug. l. 1. ciuil c. 20 26. Lib. de poenit c. 13 Lib. 1. con Gaud. c. 30. ep 61. S. Tho. 2. 2. qu. 64. art 5. so much the more detestable by how much a man is neerer neighbour to himselfe then to another and for that he destroyeth himselfe with a double death that is with the temporall death of his body and the euerlasting death of his soule And this sinne is in such sort against nature that there is no creature though neuer so cruell that dareth kill himselfe and therefore the law doth punish with extraordinary ignominy such furious folkes after their death as guilty of an extraordinary crime The second point shall marke that by this commandmēt is also forbidden to hurt strike or otherwise to endomage our Neighbour in body though we kill him not yea euen with our tongue to touch his good name by any iniury or to beare any hatred to him in our hart or desire reuenge and therefore our Sauiour a sage interpreter of his owne law to shew what meeknes is required in his children to obserue this law Matth. 5. sayth VVhosoeuer is angry with his brother shal be guilty of iudgement and who shall speake iniury to his brother shall be guilty of hell fire This is to rule draw the first motions of the soule to meekenes and to barre and banish a farre off the occasions of man-slaughter Matth. 6. to cut vp that vice by the root in another place he forbiddeth reuenge and after him his Apostle S. Paul Heb. 10. and in the prayer himselfe taught and gaue vs for a patterne and modell of all our prayers he put in this clause of pardoning our Neighbour for iniuryes receaued Pardon vs our offences as we pardon them that offend vs. Matth. 6.12 The third point shall be to meditate vpon those killings which are not forbidden as those which the Prince or Magistrate ordayneth according to the lawes against malefactours such as are committed in a lawfull warre or in iust defence of a mans life being vniustly assaulted not otherwise able to saue himselfe The speach shall prayse God in his iustice of this Commandement and his Sonne Iesus in the perfect practise therof and shall beg grace to be able to follow his sweetnes and clmency and shall say All thy lawes O Lord are iustice and mercy Th prayer thou hast giuen life to man a guift worthy of thy goodnes and a law for the safegard thereof thou hast made man sociable and to make him liue peaceably with his Neighbour thou hast prescribed a law of peace and tyest therewith as with a stronge cord his handes and will that he hurt not neyther in hart or deed his Neighbour Thou hast at last sent thy deere Sonne into the world made man among men remayning alwaies God with thee Prince of peace and our true peace who hath honoured this commandement with his rare doctrine Esay 9.4 Eph. 12.14 and by the exploites of his singular sweetnes no man could euer complaine that euer he did him any wrong his hart was full of loue louing all the world friendes and enemies his eye was full of mercy and compassion towards all his handes full of liberality and his doctrine agreable to his actions For he taught his Disciples not to hurt any in word or deed to pardon vnto seauenty tymes seauen that is To par◠vnto 70. tymes 7. as often as we shal be offended and neuer leaue pardoning and what he taught he practised vnto death in the greatest conflict of his tormēts and reproches praying his heauenly Father for his very enemyes that crucifyed him The Captaines of this world triūph of killing many enemies in the battel his great triumph hath beene to dye for his enemyes vpon the Crosse and to giue life euerlasting to those that would take it O my Creatour and Redeemer how rich art thou in mercy and clemency O my sweet Iesus powre it to me this spirit of thy sweetnesse and graunt me for thyne own loue that I may exactly keep what thou hast commanded that I may perfectly follow what thou hast taught by word and example and that pardoning all and profitting all I may obtaine thy mercy and at thy great day be partaker of thy glory with thy elect So hauing walked a little and finished his ordinary deuotions he may if he will sing for his spiritual solace the Canticle following A Canticle of the loue of God and our Neighbour O worldly wights who loue this world so deere And prize so high the presents of this life Riches sports pleasures glory and good cheere Alas how can these last where all is briefe You that affect which perish shall And where with eke your selues shall fall All heere below is brittle and doth fade Al 's vaine deceitfull false and variable Loue thy Creatour then who all thinges made And is ' boue all he made most amiable The louely obiect of our hart VVho only doth true blisse impart Loue thou his louely Clemency whose brest Did from eternall times thy soule imbrace Loue him at last who loued thee thus first And shew
whole world shall be iudged when the iustice of the Iudge shall be made manifest to all the world when the iustice of the good shal be published by open iudgement in the full assembly of Angells and men and rewarded with a crowne of immortall glory There sayth one Saint shall be no complaint Aug. l. 20. ciuit c. 11. such as often in the presse of this world saying one to another why is this wicked man so happy in his wickednes VVhy is such a good man vnhappy and miserable in his vertue VVhy do Robbers prosper and poore Pilgrimes haue their throtes cut For then true felicity shall be reserued only for the good and extreme and true misery reserued only for the wicked This then is called the day of our Lord all other dayes are the dayes of men this which is the shutting vp of them all shall be our Lords day for therein he shall shew manifestly the treasures of his infinit mercy and iustice making for his glory the heauens and earth to leape all the most strong peeces of his power wisedome bounty O my soule tremble with feare The Prayer at the remembrance of this fearefull day for if Dauid Iob the Prophets if the pillars of vertue haue shaked how great ought thy feare to be poore sinnefull and feeble creature that thou art With what sense feeling shouldest thou meditate vpon the holding of this day the Iudgement of iudgements and the last of all What wilt thou then doe What Aduocate shalt thou haue Who dareth defend thee from this iust Iudge if he be offended with thee How shalt thou heare the irreuocable sentence when it shall be pronounced What shalt thou do if he condemne thee O sweet Iesus keep me from thy wrath to come if it please thee and giue me now a penitent hart that may deserue both now and then the voice of thy mercy Let me in this banishment suffer a thousand deathes but at that day let me liue with thee Afflict me whippe me cut me burne my soule my life my flesh my bones with al sorts of tribulation persecution trauaile and torments but may it please thee to pardon me then for euer O Lord. O Blessed Virgin my good Aduocate whome I often see represented in this Iudgement by the pious pictures of the holy houses in the Church of thy Sonne as suppliant for all mankind intreat I beseech O Virgin for al and for me who am of the number and the most needy and performe what the pictures represent They signify that thou art now Aduocate of mortall men to the end that at that day they may be out of paine and danger Aske now O B. Virgin for this is the tyme of asking and mercy and not then when there shall be no question but of iudging rewarding and punishing aske and in good tyme obtaine for me and for all those that seeke vnto thee obtaine for me O puissant Aduocate the grace throughly to bewaile my sinnes vertuously to correct my faultes wisely to order my senses and actions that at that day I may confidently behould the eye and countenance of that soueraigne Iudge set in his throne of Iustice ioyfully heare the sentence he pronounceth and happily be placed on the right hand in the number of his beloued The After-dinner and Euening of the nineteenth dayes Iourney The separation of the good from the wicked after Iudgement CHAP. XLIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall imploy his deuotioÌ„ in meditating what followeth Iudgement setting before his eyes how the one sort take their flight vp to heauen with Iesus Christ and his Angells there to reigne with him happy and blessed for euer The other full of misery and anguish broken-harted desperate shall be swallowed downe body and soule to the Center of the earth with the Diuells whome they serued and hauing gone foreward a while in this thought he shall also in the euening make some prayer to our Lord and to the B. Virgin his glorious Mother to the same end with that before dinner and shall looke about to lodge himselfe in some place proper for a poore wearied Pilgrime to repose The twentith Day A Meditation of Hell CHAP. XLIV THE Pilgrime hauing purposed to cleanse his soule in this his Pilgrimage and in good earnest to sweare emnity for euer against sinne the better to moue himselfe to peÌ„nance and to conceaue contâ—ition requisite for such an effect he shall help himselfe with the meditation of Hell the second death and reward of sinne as he helped himselfe hitherto with the meditation of the first death and iudgement This is a thundring peece Eccl. 7.40 to beat at the eares and soule of a sleepy sinner and with a wholsome alarum to awake him and make him take armes and looke to himselfe Good men are also holpeÌ„ therby for though they follow vertue rather for loue then for feare and serue God for himselfe which is the seruice of true children it profiteth them notwithstanding to meditate as well the punishmeÌ„t as the reward drawing from theÌ„ce matter to prayse God in his iustice and mercy and to stirre vp themselues to serue him well The Meditation shall haue his partes The prayer preparatory accustomed The first Preamble shall represent an obscure and darke bottomlesse dungeon in the Center of the earth ful of horrour and stench of fire brimstone and smoke and soules inclosed in their bodyes plunged in these flames The second shall demand particuler grace well to meditate of Hell for euer to auoyd it Hell most intollerable The first point shall consider that as there is nothing in this life more horrible then death nothing so dreadfull as Iudgement that followeth after so nothing is more intollerable then Hell and the punishments therof Matth. 8.33.22.24 There sayth the Scripture is weeping gnashing of teeth there is the worme gnawing of the soule and neuer dying and killing alway without killing Marc. 9.44 There is the fire that neuer quencheth there is the darke Countrey couered with the cloud of death There is the shaddow of death where no order but perpetuall horrour inhabiteth Iob. 10.25 Apoc. 21.14 There the portion of the damned is in a lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death where the wicked shall be tormented world without end The second point shall represent the diuers sortes of paines ordayned according to the diuersity of sins Diuers paines for diuers crimes for notwithstanding the horrour and disorder of this gulfe the order of Gods iustâ—â—e neuerthelesse shall be kept as the Apostle signifyeth when he sayth that he heard a voice from heauen condemning the Lecher to paynes saying Apec 18.7 Giue him torments in that measure that he hath had glory and delight in this life Therfore there the Proud shall be oppressed with an extreme confusion and shame The Couetous suffer an vnspeakable hunger and thirst The Adulterers buryed in fire and
brimstone with an intolerable stench and ech of all their partes and specially of those that haue been instruments of their villanies The Cholericke and cruell shal haue for their whips and scourges their owne passions and the fury of the fiends The Gluttons shall be serued at the table of Hell fed with serpents and toades and drinke of the cuppe of the wrath of God The Enuious shall beare in their bosomes euer-liuing scorpions who shall sting them to an immortall rage The Slouthfull shall be beaten with the rodes of his owne rechlesnes vexed with a particuler torment of body and soule These shall be the proportions of euery one and all in generall shall haue the horrour of that hellish company of darknes of cries howlinges one of another The eternity of hell torments The third point shall be to consider that al these torments besides that they are vnspeakable and continuall shall also be euerlasting This eternity is that which giueth the forme the name of Hell to that hellish misery and without it there should be no Hell of torments nor paradise of pleasure This shall be the great hart-breake to the damned The cause of the daÌ„neds rage and sting their soule with a raging grief that they shal suffer without ceasing they shall also see without ceasing that it shall alwayes be so They shall alwayes pay the interest of their sinnes committed and yet shal alwayes be behind in errerages they shal alwayes pay and their debt increase still that which shall be past though it were ten milions of ages shall be reckoned for nothing and the future tyme shall be followed with another future as long as all Eternity The forme of this Eternity shall flye as a fierce fury continually before their eyes beating her vnwearied wings and hissing her horrour into their eares shall couch it selfe in the depth of their imagination and grauing there the marke and round circle of these eternall ages shall breed therein the sting and immortall rage of a furious desperation O soueraigne bounty What monster may sinne be that could so incense either thyne anger or thy clemency against it O sinne how abhominable art thou seeing no payne is sufficient to punish and chastice thee but eternall O mortall men what thinke you of when you defile your soules with the familiarity of this plague this death this confusioÌ„ Where is your wit to loose glory delight and riches of heauen for a fond pleasure for a foule delight for a brutish vanity with this inestimable losse throwing your selues head-long into euerlasting damnation O my soule thinke heereof delay no longer thinke of it betymes all tyme of repentance is good tyme flye the danger of eternall euills whilest the mercy of God inuiteth thee and doth promise thee help and assistance and recompence for thy labour O my Lord I will serue thee with all my soule and withall my soule renounce all vanity and doe vow from henceforth eternal emnity to thy great and immortall enemy who hath furnished so much matter to thy iustice to build these mansions of darknes confusion death O Virgin Queene and Mother most pure most great and puissant further the desires of thy Pilgrime and deuoted suppliant and by thy credit obtayne that he may happily performe the good desires and designements which thy Sonne his Redeemer and Lord hath by thyne intercâ—ssion planted in his hart The After-dinner and Euening of the twentith dayes Iourney Other Meditations of the paynes of the damned CHAP. XLV THE two other partes of the day shall be employed in the consideration of the infinite number of soules lost The lost soules since the beginning of the world vnto this tyme also an infinit number that daily are and will be lost from this tyme to the end of this world Soules alas lost dead deadly groaning in the gulfe of their torments byting their tongue for fury that seeke for death and cannot find it Apo. 18.10 being buryed in the bowells of death it selfe dying alwayes and yet cannot dye liuing alwayes and yet cannot liue that curse the day of their birth and the name and memory of their Progenitours detesting the earth they so much loued the heauens and the starres that they could not see and foâ—â—ul measure of theâ— impiety they blaspheme the Maiesty of thy Creatour and haue no rest neither day nor night All thinges are to them affliction all is night and darkenes all is gall and bitternes all tears and gnashing all griefe and despaire Death can neither end them nor ouercome them wheresoeuer they cast the eyes of their vnderstanding they find themselues on euery side coÌ„passed and inclosed with the barres of eternity without all hope not only to escape out of the prison of this dolefull and lamentable being and worse a thousand times then not being at all but also to haue ease or respit By this consideration the Pilgrime shall learne more and more the malignity of sinne and shall harden himselfe to the hatred thereof and at night he shall yield thankes to the mercy of God for the tyme and respit he hath giuen him with a thousand meanes to do pennance in this life and to abstaine from sinne that he might auoyd these paines reserued for sinners in this euerlasting prison And after he hath in good time taken vp his lodging to prepare himselfe with leasure to the last meditation of his third weeke and the day of his arriuall The one and twentith Day Of Generall Confession and of the parts of Pennance CHAP. XLVI THIS one and twentith day is the last of the first part of this Pilgrimage wherin the Pilgrime must prepare him selfe with his best endeauour to pennance purgation of his soule which is the end of this part the more worthily to appeare in the house of the B. Virgin that he goeth to visit a Virgin of purity mother of purity and Queene of purity This preparation shall be in the chiefe foundation and exact and entire confession of all his sinnes since his last Confession or if need be To whoÌ„ generall confessioÌ„ is necessary generally of all his life since his yeares of discretion or from some other markeable time This is the Confession commonly called Generall necessary to him that was neuer so confessed or was ill confessed either by concealing any mortall sinne willingly or for want of good disposition necessary to a Penitent that is without sorrow for sinnes committed Sorrow and purpose of amendement necessary or firme purpose of amending or for hauing beene confessed to such as wanted either knowledge to help him or authority to absolue him to others that haue beene daily confessed this generall is not necessary yet to them also it is profitable for thereby gathering as it were into one heape the multitude of our sinnes we procure a confusion so much the more holesome by how much it is greater The profit of general
its first fall vntill the comming of the Sonne of God incarnate he shal consider the confusion and miserable condition of men plunged for the most part in the darke duÌ„geon of ignorance of God and heauenly thinges and oppâ—essed vnder the tyranny of him who inthralled our first Father and held all his posterity prisoners in the slauery of all sort of sinnes vices The prodence of God towardes man before his sonnes coÌ„ming infinitly more cruel then that which the Iewes suffered in Aegypt for that was only a figure and shaddow of this On the other side he shall behould the diuine prouideÌ„ce not ceasing still to prouide help and succours to prepare dispose this patient by conuenient remedies and to retayne men in their duty and vertue by good lawes and good workes by punishments promises threatnings as the examples of the deluge of the burning of Sodome of his protecting of the iust do teach vs. And heere he shall remember how the Father of mercy in what measure he seeth our misery increase increaseth also strengthneth his remedies more liuely stirring vp his friends to the fayth hope of his helpe and benediction which namely he performed in the person of AbrahaÌ„ Gods promises for the comfort of the world when hauing foretold him that his posterity should be captiue in a strange country he promised also that in the fourth generation they should be deliuered and should retourne from whence they parted which is according to the outward letter of the history the deliuerance of the Hebrewes the children of Abraham happening in the fourth generation that is foure hundred yeares after they entred into Aegypt allowing euery generation a hundred yeares Foure diuers generations and were put in possession of the land of Promise According to the interiour or mystical sense it is the redemption of man wrought by the comming of the Sonne of Man into the world in the fourth kind of generation which was this For the first was that of Adam without Father and Mother the second that of Eue made of the substance of Adam without a Mother the third is the ordinary of all men borne of Father and Mother by the common law of Nature the fourth then was this of the Sonne of God made Man and borne of a Mother without a Father He shall note also in the same place and marke that faith and hope were alwayes entertained and renewed among the people of God by diuers sacraments sacrifices ceremonies and prophecies which did figure and foretel this future Messias Redeemer of mankind as is euident in all the law of Moyses The third point of the Meditation The desires of the Saints dead and liuing of the comming of the Messias CHAP. XXIII FOR the third point the Pilgrime shall choose certaine places of Scripture which declare the desires and longing of the Saints who from the tyme of the law of Nature Moyses The Fathers desirous of the comming of Messias bewayling the great miseries of mankind and longing after the promised Redeemer were in an incredible expectation of his comming and ceased not to cry for him with prayers sighes teares so much the more feruent by how much the more they saw the greatnes of our euill and misery Moyses sayd Exod. 4. I pray thee O Lord send whome thou wilt send He spake to the Father Exod. 4. desiring him to send his Sonne How long sayth Dauid O Lord wilt thou turne thy face from vs How long wilt thou forget our pouerty and anguish Psalm 43. How long shall our enemies lift vp their hornes and glory in our destruction Arise O Lord arise and for the loue of thy name send vs help and succour As if he had sayd Lord if thou deferrest thy comming to the end by thy staying to make vs acknowledge our owne misery and pouerty alas we know already too well and cannot sufficiently bewayle it we know full well that without thy help we are lost Psal 8.20 help vs then O Lord and shew vs thy face we shall be safe Send vs this promised face this valiant woman this diuine seed Gen. 3.13 that should crush the head of our enemy shew thy image thy face thy Sonne incarnate which fully doth resemble thee to the end that we may be deliuered out of our misery And in another place as it were comforting himselfe in a holy hope he singeth out this diuine generation Psal 71. He shall descend like a showre of raine vpon a Fleece signifying the heauenly and virginall Conception of the Sonne of God And this was the rayne dew which Esay the Prophet demanded O heauens powre downe thy dew from aboue Isay 45. and let thy cloudes rayne downe the Iust. Let the earth open and bring forth our Sauiour Let it bring forth this iust man that must be borne of a Virgin and beare our iniquityes And againe Isay 64. I would thou wouldest open the heauens and descend the mountaines would melt at thy presence His meaning was O King of heauen when wilt thou descend from thy heauenly throne I would thou wouldest open the heauens and come downe to vs at thy only presence our spirituall enemies the mountaines of pride should be abased and confounded After these places of Scripture considered he shall cast his eyes vpon those great and holy soules The iust soules in Limbo or Purgatory who after the death of the first Iust Abel being shut in the prison of Limbo or wrapped in the flames of Purgatory did expect the comming of the Redeemer in whome they belieued and hoped in their life tyme and did inuocate him in this prison of hope did pray him and presse him for his mercy sake to make hast Genes 3.13 Adam sayd Send this woman and that seed O my Maker wherewith thou didst threaten the pride of that old Dragon the first cause of my fâ—ll and finish this my long banishment Abel sayd Gen. 4.4 O Father of the whole world send that Lambe which thou madest me to figure by my first sacrifice and open our prison gates Noe sayd O God Almighty make that Prince of peace to appeare signified in my tyme by the raynebow in the cloudes a figure of thy Couenant which thou didst promise to make with mortall men Abraham O Lord Genes 12.3.18.18.22.18 46 4. Act. 3.25 thou didst often promise to multiply my seed as the Starres of heauen and as the sandes of the Sea and to giue them the Country of Chanaan and didst sweare vnto me by thy selfe to blesse all Nations in my seed my race is multiplyed the country of Canaan is giuen according to thy word when will it please thee to accomplish the principall point of thy promise and rayse that branch wherein the world shall be blessed and draw vs out of these shadowes into the possession of thy light and euerlasting felicity Isaac and Iacob sayd as much Genes
find their prey yet we must not saith Lazarus of brauery cast our selues in their bosome perhaps they shal not haue leasure to seeke vs let vs go into this bush and do what necessity compelleth vs vnto and leaue the rest to God to help vs. So they entred that bush hard by them very conuenient to couer them they layd downe their slaues The Pilgrimes 〈◊〉 theÌ„selues theÌ„selues along vpon the ground Vincent espied a haâ—e squatted at their feet who stirred not and said softly Be of good cheere behold one peece of my dreame we haue Feare our fellow prisoner That is well saith Lazarus The 〈◊〉 a signe of â—eare and we are also in a greene castle The haâ—e had beene stroken with a crossebow retyred her selfe thither could not go which put them after in great danger The theeues came straight thither and with them certaine il-faced foot boyes And because they heard that the Captaine who hunted them was in these quarters with a great troupe of souldiers to entrappe them they sent forth certaine spies and Coureurs to see if they could discouer any thing they strayed about the bush talked together of places they must go vnto if they perceaued their enemies to be too strong Now these had in their company Theodosius Theodosius in the company of Theeues whome they had taken six dayes before cloathed after their owne manner and mounted vpon a good horse hoping to haue him their companion for they gathered all they could find fit for their maÌ„ner of life seruice they saw him to be of a good personage and faire behauiour marked with diuers signes of a man of honour quality able to do good exploits where he would vndertake them neither were they deceiued herein but onely in hoping to haue him of their company who had too pious generous a hart to forget himselfe so farre Now it happened very well that the Captaine asked him onely if he were of opinion that they should be gone who answered softly that he thought it the surest way Lazarus who had his eares open to harken heard him sayd with in himselfe This is the voice of Theodosius But Theodosius is a gentleman of worth a Pilgrime of Loreto shal he in 24. houres turne thiefe May I dare to thinke so And when he could neither belieue nor misbelieue that it was he he iogged Vincent to listen and marke his voice but he spake no more for straight came their spies all sweating who sayd they must saue themselues by their feet because the Captaine or Prouost Marshal was already within the wood with 60. horsemen many footmen who stayed all the passengers Being terrified with this aduertisement they dislodged without sound of trumpet and got farre within the forrest Theodosius found the occasion he sought for sooner then he thought for hauing forsaken his horse which had broken one legge he stole out of their sight whilst they were busy in sauing themselues drawing backe to seeke some fit place to hide himself commeth by good chance to the bush where his companions were who he thought had not beene so neere no more then they looked for him as he went about to find a handsome entrance and they thought it had beene some beast for they could not see him at last he found the way and was within before they did perceaue him They thought when he entred to haue cried out and he also thought to haue done the like wheÌ„ he saw them flat vpon the ground without knowing them or being knowne as he saw their Pilgrimes staues and weeds he came and looked nearer vpon them they lifted vp their heads and then seeing and knowing each others they would yet still haue cried out they were so greatly seized with amazemeÌ„t and ioy but they had not the meanes either to talke oâ— stirre for behold incontinent all the place was filled with souldiers that persued the theeues and had already taken some of them they brought also with them houndes which hauing the wynd of the hare in the bush The Pilgrimes found in the bush did nothing but baule about them and made a terrible noyse especially after they perceaued three men who frighted them and kept them from comming neere the hare They kept such a crying that at last two men lighted of their horses and came with some footmen to see what the matter was and seeing there 3. men Lo say they before God a fine nest Theodosius escaping the theeues was takeÌ„ prisoneâ— by the Marshal One of the Archers would haue shot at them persuading himselfe that vndoubtedly they were theeues the other with held him saying they must take them aliue to examine them to confesse their Confederates so they carried them to the Prouost the dogs in the meane tyme made their prey vpon the poore hare whome they tooke with smal paine and difficulty for she had but three legges and so was Vincents dreame fullfilled point by point and Feare deuoured The prisoners had their harts lifted vp to God and the B. Virgin they were examined a part and each one told the truth of his fortune Feare deuoured and namely Theodosius but they would not belieue them for the place made them suspected the wood being no ordinary way for Pilgrimes and the rather because they were found hidden at that time and one amongst them in habit of a souldier Besides a certaine footeman one of the robbers who was taken deposed that he had seene this yong man with his Captaine pointing to Theodosius and the merchant that was squatted the day before at the fountaine of Bees being there by chaÌ„ce to demand and recouer some Merchandise that they had takeÌ„ from him affirmed that but the other day he saw the other two running about the fieldes in pilgrimes weeds and that they had spoiled him if he had not saued himselfe behynd a bush The Captaine required no more proofe than these presumptions testimonies therefore aduised them to thinke of their conscience for they had but one houre to liue Lazarus answered Syr we are in your handes Lazarus his defence and in the disposition of the diuine prouidence If God permit vs being Pilgrimes of Loreto to dye as theeues we shall receaue the crowne of our innocency and of the ignominy which we endure for Gods sake But as you are sent to punish theeues and defend the innocent so thinke it to be your duty to informe your selfe wel of the truth that you may know the one from the other we demand neither life nor mercy if we be found faulty we request onely that you would giue vs time and leasure to certify you of our innocency and our request is not vnreasonable for as you haue some coniectures to doubt of our honesty so haue you no certayne proofe of any crime Our habit at least should make you suspend the execution of your iudgement For why should we
to take resolution of the best And to come to your selfe in particular if you haue already cast your mind to any Religion which hath the forsayd qualities I aduise you to set in good order your wordly busines and being rid of all impediments to confine your selfe as soone as you can to the seruice of God Syr sayd Gratian you haue cleared all my doubts giuen me firme hope that God will direct me to that house where I may best serue him I will follow your counsell and euer hold you for a fast friend Syr replyed Lazarus I haue not deserued such an acknowledgement but do take your friendship and your fortune for great fauours at the handes of God hoping that I shall haue part of your prayers and by their meanes some good help to prooue a good Pilgrime The end of worldly ioy Well yet I haue somewhat to say to you all three quoth Gratian made a signe to Theodosius Vincent to come neer that you do wisely depart quickly from this Towne For I feare me greatly that the day of these sportes will turne to some tragicall dolefull issue as it falleth out euery yeare by reason of the vices emnities that raigne amōg great small which will not faile to take euery occasion The qualitie of a worldly Citty to vtter their euill talent Gluttony Rebellion Adultery and all other vices are alwayes heere in their kingdome and fury and this compasse of Walles and buildinges which you see built in so great number is not a Citty and ciuill habitation of men but a fearefull desart of Africa full of Lyons Beares wild Boares Mastiues Serpents Asses Foxes and all sortes of Beastes which beat and eat one another And most of them that seeme men are so but in apparence for within they haue the soules of those Beastes I named Whilest the Merchant talked thus Theodosius beheld Vincent as making a signe for him to harken to the expositiō of Lazarus dreame And Gratian going forward I will not deny sayth he but that there be some small number of men of knowledge and piety for whose sake God suffereth the Towne to stand but they are as stangers and Pilgrimes At these wordes Theodosius began to speake and say to Vincent Behold the whole interpretation but he permitted the Merchant to conclude who sayd Well Maisters I will esteeme you happy that you haue directed the wayes of your Pilgrimage better then I haue done I entreat you by your holy prayers to obtaine for me that I may walke hereafter so happily and so hastily performe the rest of my way in this mortall life that God may be glorified the repose of my soule assured vnder the shadow of his mercy Lazarus answering for all we depart from this Towne sayth he comforted with your generous resolution with hope that God will preserue you from all the danger of this wicked world and accomplish with a full measure the good desire he hath giuen you we will beare in our hart the remembrance of your loue and friendship and will place you in the middest of our best prayers This being sayd they imbraced and tooke leaue one of another Gratian put into the hand of Lazarus some peeces of mony desiring him to take it to defray the charges of their iourney but he would none saying he had inough and thanked him of the almes he had giuen thē before so they went from the towne where Gratian taryed not long after Ludolph his companion continued his course of merchandize As they were out of the gate◠Theodosius forgot not to quippe Vincent and aske if he had now any list to laugh at Lazarus his dreame To whome Vincent let me quoth he make the examen of my conscience quietly and so remayned a quarter of an houre silent in their examen which they could not well dispatch before dinner So they walked vntill night without any disturbance or ill fortune and tooke vp their lodging for that night at a little towne called Bon-rencontre three leagues from the place wher they dined After they had supped and sayd their accustomed prayers they did conferre vpon their morning meditation which was the calling of the first fiue Disciples of our Sauiour in three points 1. How S. Iohn Baptist shewed our Sauiour and preached and his disciples followed him 2. How our Sauiour asked his Disciples whome seeke you who sayd Maister where dwell you 3. How Andrew brought his brother Simon to Iesus Christ who gaue him the name of Cephas that is a Rocke With the memory of these points they went to rest The fiue and thirteth Day and the fifth of his Returne Of the vocation of the first fiue Disciples of our Sauiour Andrew his companion whome the Euangelist not Peter Philip and Nathaniel CHAP. XIII AN houre before day the Pilgrimes did make their examen and a little after their meditation Lazarus made it as followeth Our Sauiour going victorious out of the desart came to preach publikely Pennance which he had practised hitherto priuatly he walked vpon the banke of the Riuer Iordan where S. Iohn his Precursor did testify of him S. Iohn sheweth and preacheth our Sauiour Behould O my soule and contemplate vpon these banks that blazing light which shewed the sunne heare the voice of him who came out of the desart cloathed in a Camells shin neither eating nor drinking but shewing in his life a patterne of perfect pennance cryed and sayd Behould the Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world Matth. 3. Marc. 1. Ioan. 1. O ioyfull newes O desired coming of this Lambe to produce so heauēly an effect needs must his bloud be precious which was to pay the fine for such a debt and very effectuall which must cancell such and so ancient an obligation and very powerfull which must deface so great a number of infernal spots and sinnes This is that Lambe which is shewed and called and drew Disciples to him to haue first familiar and domesticall witnesses of his doctrine and actions and afterwards trumpets to publish vnto the world what they had seene and heard O sweet Iesus make me gather profit of this to thy honour and glory Andrew and one of his companions both disciples of S. Iohn Saint Andrew the first disciple of our Sauiour hearing that their Maister in few words gaue so diuine acommendation to Iesus and vnderstanding that this was Messias they went and followed him But who is the companion of Andrew whome the Euangelist nameth not It is a Disciple which is written in the booke of life the Euangelist did not specify him because it was not necessary it is inough that he was named in generall Content thy selfe A disciple not named O my soule that thy name is written in the book of God although it were vnknowne to all mortall men desire that it might be written in heauen and not in earth The names of thousands are great
the world was busied in making good cheere some wicked Cittizens driuen with rage and enuy against them that had wonne the prize and against the Magistrates that by paâ—sicke senteÌ„ce had adiudged it them set fire to the towne house and raised in this publicke flame a most cruell sediâ—ion against the Cittizens diuided amongst themselues I found my self besieged in a lodging hard by the house with diuers othâ—â— merchants whome they sought to kill and had already broken downe the doores to enter fynding my selfe thus betwixt the fire and the sword without meanes to escape a miserable death I had recourse to God with al my hart making a vow to him that if it would please him to deliuer me from the danger of this dolefull day I would not deferre to dedicate my selfe wholly to his seruice and I was heard for I had no sooner pronounced this vow but I felt some body without seeâ—ng any that seized on me with great violence and carying me in the aire brought me hither in an instant into the orchard where I was found the last wednesday Therfore if it be God that hath giuen me will to doe well if it be he also that made me be thus caryed to follow his counsells your Fatherhood may iudge by the circumstances and not refuse to open if it please you the gate of mercy to a poore penitent with these wordes he began to weep and cast himselfe at the feete of Dom-Prior And continuing his discourse my Father saith he refuse not a prodigall child whome to saue the Sonne of God descended from heauen If you account me a thiefe I haue confessed and doe still that I am so but I am also penitent punish me here with you for satisfaction I will contribute my life and death with youâ— therefore reiect me not for being a thiefe our Sauiour would be crucified betweene theeues and at the tyme of his death he shewed so much and his last exploit of clemency and mercy was employed in the behalf of a thiefe But doe with me what you will I will not goe from that place where the Angell of God hath put me and so he held his peace sighing and weeping All that were present were much moued to compassion And Dom-Prior sayd vnto him with a graue and gracious countenance My friend your teares sighes make me belieue that you are touched by God and that your desire deserueth to be heard but weigh well your strength and the designement you vndertake and letting him kneele still to try his constancy and patience What he must doe who leaueth the world went forward with him saying My sonne you aspire to a high enterprise you must wholly renounce the world and all her vanities you must make deadly warre with your owne body by labours abstinence fastings watchings hairecloth disciplines other skirmishes troublesome painefull to a man that is worldly who hath nourished his flesh at a full table Math. 16.24 and a soft bed and which is most difficult of all you must renounce your owne selfe according to our Sauiours decree that is giue ouer your owne iudgement and will â—au 9.23 which are two of the most potent peeces of the soule and which a man can leaue with more difficulty then all the good of the world besides You must become a litle childe and when you shall iudge that any thing should be thus and thus done for you you shall be commanded the contrary when you would goe to the garden you shall be sent to the kitchen you will loue to sing they will set you to write and finally you must be ruled by the rules of religion and your superiours and not by your owne iudgement Are you content to contract with God and vs vpon these conditions My father quoth Gratian I desire not to be admitted vpon any other condition The world then to doe all that your rule and commandement shall bid me For as concerning the world I haue renounced it already and haue in horrour her vanities which to my cost I know to be deceitfull and pernicious experience hath taught me that lesson The flesh And for my Flesh I hope to handle it as it deserueth and payne shall be no great newes vnto it for it hath laboured allready and endured but too much for the world and for farre lesse wages then I expect for my labour in the seruice of God My iudgement and my will are no more my owne I now make an offering of them to God Proper iudgmeÌ„t and leaue them vpon his Altar in your hands and haue firme confidence in him who hath giuen me the desire to consecrate my selfe wholly to his seruice that he will also giue me strength to accomplish it This was Gratians answere which did woÌ„derfully content all the company and Lazarus turning to Dom-Prior My Father saith he your benignity cannot deny this request for it is iust the grant easy I am content quoth Dom-Prior but so that you will be content to yield to one small request which I shall make for him There is nothing in my power quoth Lazarus that I will refuse I require quoth Dom-Prior only that you would stay this day with vs nothing can be more reasonable nor more easy you shall comfort vs your friends to morrow is Sunday and this day a day of rest say the word and Gratian is receiued Father quoth he vnder correction you should haue demaunded some better thing you require nothing in this but to proloÌ„g your paine to your charge but seeing it pleaseth you that shall not hinder Syr Gratians contract with your Fatherhood Arise then my dearely beloued quoth Dom-Prior I imbrace you now as my litle brother you shall be no longer at prisoners table but sup with your host this night and to morrow god willing you shall haue a maister who shall begin to furnish you with the weapons of religion The rumour of this miracle was presently caryed ouer all the Conuent Dom-Procurator who was present all ioyfull beheld Lazarus I said wel Sir Lazarus that your coming would bring vs good fortune for not only you haue recouered vs our sacred moueables but haue also deliuered from suspicion this innocent and will be a cause to make him our brother It is not we answered Lazarus that brought good fortune hither but we found it heere But Dom-Prior was wonderfully glad of these good fortunes and namely that the Pilgrims would stay vntill the morning All the afternoone vntill Euensonge was imployed in seeing the parts and offices of the Conuent and the Cells of Religious They saw three goodly pictures in a faire chamber where they vsed to make their recreation The first represented on one side diuers persons who caryed their purses to the feete of certaine Prelates and on the other a great ship tossed in a terrible tempest the mast was brokeÌ„ the shipmen vpon the hatches casting all their merchandise
And as the Princes of the Church were visibly present at her departure so we may not doubt but that the most noble troopes of heauen were present also with Iesus comming himselfe Damasc de dorm it Virg. to receiue into his owne hands the soule of his glorious Mother being borne into heauen as the had first receiued him into her bosome being borne man into the world And heere Lazarus as if he had beene present in this noble company and had beheld with his owne eyes this heauenly starre ready to leaue the body and take her slight into heauen made this Apostrophe saying O my good Aduocate O faythfull Aduocate of all mortall men who in verity will call vpon thee I call vnto thee from the bottome of my hart and coniure thee by the great name of him who made thee great that it would please thee to succour thy poore suppliant frō thy throne of glory wherof thou goest now to take possession at the hand of thy Allmighty Sonne Obtayne of him for me O puissant Virgin what I demand of thee not gold nor siluer nor pleasures nor delights not renowne or glory of this life nor any other gift of this mortall world this is not the subiect of my suite O sacred Virgin but a feruent loue to his holy seruice a continuall exercise in his holy loue a resolute courage to suffer for his name a constant perseuerance in good workes vnto the last breath of my lyfe that my death may be of those that are precious in the sight of his Maiesty Diuers Farewells 2. A hunting 3. A supper 4. A knight saued a Priest carying his bowells in his hand 5. A spirituall discourse of hunting 6. Of hauking CHAP. XXIII THVS prayed Lazarus sighing and weeping Theodosius and Vincent ended at the same tyme and with the like affections Straight after they went to bid Tristram good morrow and whilst he made himselfe ready Lazarus got a breakfast ready After Tristram had sayd a few prayers they brake their fast togeather and had quickly done for it was too early to eate much Vincent payd their host for all for euery body Theodosius calling Tristram a part and taking his leaue of him Theodosius farewell I would I had the means quoth he to stay longer with you and to do you some seruice worthy of our friendship but seeing we must part I beseech you for the honour of him who hath called you from the fellowship of so dangerous a company as you were with and from certaine danger of death wherein we found you for the health of your owne soule for the loue and affection you beare me and that I beare vnto you that you will take to hart the execution of you purpose you made to forsake vice and to lead a life worthy of a man of a noble house God hath done you these fauours to giue you more if you vse these well And if you shall abuse them so much more rigorous will he be for your ingratitude how much the more liberall he hath beene to you of his mercy choose now for hereafter some estate or vocation wherein you may serue God and the publike profit there be inough such amongst Christians if you will follow armes you haue a faire field in the warres that are made against the Turke other enemies of God the Christiā faith there you may gaine a goodly crowne of imortality If you will serue God vnder the shadow of a peaceable quiet dwelling and at better wages you may enroll your selfe amongst the children of God in some religious house you know many you may choose the best You go now in Pilgrimage to Loreto aske deuoutly the assistāce of the Lady whom you go to visite that she will obtaine for you of her Sonne aboundant light to see and discerne what shall be most expedient for you and make you to touch and feele the breuity the inconstancy the vanity of this life the deceit of the world and worldly things the basenes of all earthly greatnes and to make you amorous and in loue of heauen This is the farewell which I leaue you for gage of my loue there Theodosius left Tristram answered him in few wordes Tristrā◠farewell Most deere friend Theodosius I esteeme the two meetings wherein I met with you amongst the greatest fauours that I haue receiued of the prouidence of God for in the first God hath by you opened the way vnto the liberty of my soule and gaue me courage to vndertake that which hitherto I haue executed In this second meeting he hath by you also deliuered me from the rage of men and beasts hath made me see by your instruction now what is meete for me to do hereafter I promise you my deerest friend that with the grace of him that guideth me I will performe frō point to point the resolution I haue made by your aduice I haue some experience of what is past which is sufficient to harden me against the flattery of the world and make me take part els where I haue begunne to estrange and sequester my selfe from it and to perceiue what od◠there is in seruing it him whome I adore I hope to remoue my selfe further from it to the measure of my trauaile and euery day to finde more and more tast and delight in the sweetnes of Vertue 〈◊〉 go ioyfully to Loreto with a firme hope that the B. Virgin will assist me make the bounty of her Sonne fauourable vnto me that I may choose what shall be best for his honour and myne owne saluation I beseech you remember me in your holy prayers as long as I shall be Pilgrime in this world I will carry in my hart the sweet memory of our cordiall and faithfull friendship Hauing sayd thus Theodosius taught him how he should carry himselfe in his pilgrimage how to pray and confesse and to vse other exercises of deuotion which Tristram learned with a wonderfull greedinesse and both beginning to weepe they imbraced ech other Tristram came after to Lazarus thanked him with a great affection for all his courtesies Lazarus agayne confessed himselfe obliged vnto him for his friendship and fauours afforded to his Cousin Theodosius in prison and in recompence thereof promised him all the seruice he could do him in France or els where as occasiō should be offered Tristram thanked him very humbly and made a reciprocall offer wheresoeuer he should meet him then imbraced him and so did Vincent Lazarus put about his necke a payre of beades like a scarfe for a noble chayne and gaue him three crownes the better halfe of their Viaticum Tristram tooke the beades as an honourable present but he refused the mony saying that it appertained not to Pilgrims to giue almes and seeing he was a Pilgrime he would begge At least quoth Lazarus Pilgrims may take it when it is giuen them and therfore you should not refuse it at