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
even that would serve the turn But forasmuch as to my thinking he did melt as it were by so enlarging himself in his Confession I had an eye upon him and I ventur'd to say thus to him My dear Signor Troilo be not so excessively curious and particular in accusing your self especially of those your former sins whichly not now upon your soul O (r) See how truly this heart was touched with sorrow for his sins and the knowledge of himself Father said he I have wasted my whole life in offending God and will you have me or shall I content my self in one single hour to demand pardon for so many offences So long in sinning and so short in confessing my sins That I am troublesom to you my dear Father I well discover but how can I help it if I be forc'd to it And here again he began to make for himself a very bath of tears And interpreting what I had said after his own conceit he added with â—ears redoubled And this also do my sins deserve by way of punishment that having cast so much so very much time away in prejudice of my salvation I should now want time wherein I might even confesse my sins Pardon me dear Father and endu e this trouble for the love of God for you shall (s) To do a good work by the grace and for the love of God is meritorious for so Christ our Lord hath made it merit in his sight by helping this poor soul of mine towards salvation and I will remain with obligation to you when I shall go by the mercy of God and your good meanes into the place of rest And finding that his teares still increased I confesse my weaknessâ— was such that I could not contain my self from expressing also a tendernesse by tears As soon as he perceiv'd this he said Father your Reverence weeps yet you weep not for your self but for me and yet you will not have me weep for my self But then both of us being silent for a time he after began again to confesse with those accustomed short words but full of substance and propriety making me write down all those things he confided to me for the discharge of his conscience Whilst I was writing he would needs for his contentment hold the Standish in his own hands and read those lines when I had done and kisse them and then bath them in tears But of nothing did he accuse himself so much as of all that which had any relation to the Lady his Mother Nor am I able by any means to expresse with what abundance of tears he accompanied those accusations of himself For beginning even from his very Infancy Father saith he I (t) A large expression of the unspeakable grief he had for his disodedience and ingratitude to the Lady his Mother have committed many offences against God yet at this time methinks I am not so much afflicted for any thing as for not having known how to serve my self of that tender love and prudence and patience which my Lady Mother expressed in the education of me For even when I was yet a child she gave me in charge to certain learned and religious Preceptors who till I arrived to have sixteen years of age did with great fidelity and sufficiency teach me not only the literature of Humanity but Philosophy also And they further shewed how I was to address my self towards piety by their good example and advice Nor yet content with this how sollicitous was she also to procure by many other means that I might proceed both in Learning and Vertu For u See here the Image of a holy and tender hearted mother concerning that of Learning she gave me store of books of time of oportunity and a thousand tender favours which were convenient for those years of mine And for the inducing mee to Vertu she addressed me to choice of good Conversations spiritual Discourses excellent Sermons and Persons who might from time to time give me counsail Commanding and causing me to be lead to Confession not only upon all the principall Feasts of the year but once also every moneth And till this very time when I am speaking to your Reverence you may if you will take the payns find among my papers most evident testimonies of what I am now saying and especially x Note her diligences for the pious education of her son a short manner of Instruction how to spend the whole day well The things besides whereof shee did admonish me were in a manner infinite When I was yet a little one shee kept mee in awe by threats yea and by stroaks sometimes and when I was grown elder she endeavourd to do it by the fair means of requests and promises and oftentimes with so many tears as that now they are as many lances to passe through my my heart She likewise procured that y Blessed Philippo Neri was his Godfather at Confirmation The Chiesa Nuova was a new Church then and now belonging to the fathers of the Oratory of Iesus whence they are called Oâ—atorians blessed man Philippo of the Chiesa nuova to assist bold me when I was confirm'd and that afward I should make particurar friendship with him She kept me far off from looking upon ill examples and held me neer her self after the manner as I may say of a Religious life exhorting me often day and night that I would live Nobly z True Christianity is true Nobilily and like a Christian Nor did that blessed mouth of hers ever cease to say Troilo my Son fear God and love God To this end she took upon her the government of all my (a) Castello in Italian signifies both the mansion house and the Town or vilage belonging to it Castles and the care of all my affairs living in a continual state of between hope and fear of the proof I should make Nor was there a Religious House or Monastery to the prayers whereof she recommended me not Nor came there any Religious persons to her nor did she meet with any abroad to whom all forgetful of her self she would not say Pray (b) Som body prayed so well for him as to make him a Saâ—nt for my Son And I ungrateful to her so great benefits when I grew to have sixteen years of age did render her so ill payment for such a huge sum of love as that I even parted house with her did outrage her both by words and deeds in such sort as that the uttermost of all punishment seems a hundred times lesse to me then my demerit And when dear Father I think upon the tears she was ever sheading for me both by day and in those nights so sadly spent and on the agâ—nies she sufferd upon my occasion I find contentment in that I am to dy whereby me thinks I may in part over-shaddow so many of my lewd behaviours Neither (c) The invincible love of this
〈◊〉 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