shortnes of the paine the immeÌ„sity of the reward the vanity of the world aboue all the aboundant grace which in the space of so few houres our Lord had communicated to his soule and had giuen him with all such a pregnant signe of his Predestination wherein the Noble Youth did (l) And so he might most iustly doe shew to find extraordinary gust Amongst the many disoourses which were made to this purpose as wel by the Confortatori as by our Fathers I vsed this And what thinke you Signor Troilo will the grace which God hath giuen you be sufficient to make you beare this punishment Nay I tell you that in imitation of Christ you should do well to desire it and that desire would serue to make it a small matter to you Nay it would make it seeme no punishment at all lastly it would make it seeme sweet Euen as it hapned to Christ our Lord himselfe to (m) The immense loue which our lord Iesus bare to man made all that he suffered seeme little to him whom his Passion seemed 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 doth call it but a Cupfull Calicem quem dedit mihi pater non vis vt bibaÌ„ illum Againe after that huge heape of bitternes and tormentes which he had endured it seemed nothing to him For being asked by those disciples who were going to Emaus if he knew of that vast cruelty which had lately then bin executed at Hierusalem vpon the person of the greatest Saint of God he answeared by asking Quae for in fine he esteemed it all as nothing Therefore speaking of his Passion he vsed the word Baptisme saying Baptismo habeo baptizari et quomodo coarctor c. And you know that bathes do serue for delicacy What say you then Signor Troilo Doth not your punishement by this time seeme small to you Small saith he it seemeth nothing Yet can I not say either that it is nothing or yet very pleasant but yet neuerthelesse it is deare to me and as such I prize it And (n) How mightily this noble man grew vp in grace euen by momeÌ„ts I do assure you that 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 laboured for it and I know not what of that kind But I had not then that knowledg of my selfe which now by the fauour of God me thinkes I haue in such sort that now I can affirme to you in the worde of Truth that I (o) This so ardent desire of suffering for his sinnes must needs be a great dispositition towardes the obtayning of pardon for them through the mercy of Christ our Lord. desire my end how painfull soeuer it may be towardes the remission of my sinnes To this another Father said Your Lordship speaketh wisely for in fine God knoweth whether otherwise you should euer haue beene so well prepared for death Whereupon one of the CoÌ„nfortatori proceeded saying If your Lordship had dyed naturally in your bed what with the paine of your body and the anguish of your mind it may be you would scarce haue beene maister of your selfe And if you had dyed by any other accident perhaps you would not haue had time to bring forth so much as the name of Iesus Whereas now it (p) Supposing first the grace of God as is declared afterward is in a manner in your owne power to dye as well as you will your selfe with what greife of your sinnes you will with what loue of christ you will and in a word in that best manner which the grace of Almighty God will impart to you which we perceaue euen so to ouerflow your soule that we are as much astonished as comforted by the knowledge therof Heereunto the constant Noble Man made this answere You shall know that by the goodnes of God I find not in my selfe any trouble or tentation and me (q) Nothing but the very hand of God was able so to haue coÌ„ducted him through these stony wayes And it seemes that God communâ—cated himselfe to the delinquent in a very particuler manner thinks I am in a hand which beares me vp I desire and I resolue to dye in that manner which I shall be taught to be the best and I am most ready to obey in all that which for the sauing of my soule shall be commanded me This said I you shal therfore do You shal barre you selfe in that houre of some ease That is you shal for the loue of Iesus and in imitation of what he did and suffered for you depriue your selfe of somewhat which you might haue and which at that time might be agreeable to you For if you doe well remember it they gaue twice vnto our Lord to drinke The first time when they gaue him vinagre he drunke but wheÌ„ they gaue 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 dye it was the custome to giue wine with an infusion of myrrhe that by the comfort thereof they might faint the lesse vnder their torments Now our Lord who was pleased to depriue himselfe entierly and fully of all consolation for loue of vs and for our example refused that but he accepted of the vinagre which was mingled with (r) With Gall. another most bitter ingredient that so he might suffer the most he could both for our example and benefit otherwise The Proueditore sayd that this was most certainly true whereupon some expound those wordes which Christ spake vpon the crosse Deus Deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me That Christ our Lord did greiue thereat because the Diuinity began as it were to hide it selfe from the Humanity consequently by little little his life was leauing him by occasion thereof he was able to suffer no longer which the most enamoured Iesus obseruing did complaine of the matter to his Father by the wordes aforesayd To these thinges a Father of ours adding other deuout and short discourses the Confortatore sayd That for the tyme his soule was sufficiently fed that it would be well done to refresh his body The Baron answered that there was no neede But they pressing it much there was brought in some wine by a seruant of the Lord (s) This Gouernement is the place of greatest confideÌ„ce which the Pope bestowes Gouernour of the Castle which one of the Gentlemen there present powring forth into a glasse presented to the Baron who sayd again that it was wholy needles And yet sayd he turning then towardes me if I should need it your (t) A good memory he had and a more pious will Reuerence told me a whyle agoe that in imitation of
who were so pernicious to the State of Italy and of whom this yong Lord was growne a leader did suffer the law to passe vpon his person for his state was not confiscated but went to his heyres in bloud Being euen yet therin more Iust then Clement though perhaps he would haue been more Clement in pardoning then Iust in punishing if he could by way of anticipation haue seene the beauty and brauery of that noble spirit which deserued to liue as longe as a world can do as a patterne of a mind most rarely compounded between perfect Christian piety and vndaunted incomparable magnanimity But whylest the (k) This Lady dyed in the year 1611. and was buryed on the 21. of October in the Theatines Church at Sant Andrea della valle wher she erected ten masses to be sayd euery day for euer She was of the house of the Dukes of Cesi and sister to the Marquesse of Riano her name was la Signo a Flaminia Mother and the Sonne are both of them restinge now in peace and glory as we may piously belieue I know not how in this particuler to be silent concerning the powerfull and wise and infinitely good (l) The prouidence of God deserueth to be deeply pondered in this particuler prouidence of Almighty God towardes both these seruantes of his For by the way of the (m) The Crosse is the high way to heauen Crosse he brought the sonne in a few momentes of time to haue a soule in state of great perfection and he gaue him in the last houres of his life that most happy kind of Purgatory wherin he might not only suffer in satisfaction of the diuine Iustice but passe on by merittes all grounded vpon the mercy of Iesus Christ our (n) No action of man is meritorious but by the merits and first mercy of Iesus Christ our Lord. Lord as all merits are towards instant and eternall felicity And this he did by as contrary meanes as in the Ghospell he cured a certaine Blind man by (o) The omnipotency of God is not tyed to meanes but workes his will how he will casting durt vpon his eyes For heer be vsed the most indulgent tender care of the mother who loued that Sonne as her owne soule towardes the bringing that about which was indeed to make him happy in the end but in the meane tyme was the occasion of his suddaine and reproachfull death whereby her very hart was to be broken Taking him so from her sight that so she might enioy a glorious sight of him for euer depriuing her of all humane comforts which for as much as concerned her were abridged locked vp in him alone that so she might with contempt of the world send her whole hart vp to heauen 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 (p) The blind blockeheaded discourse of worldly men matters not much what the blind and dull world conceaues which placing fayth in fancy and religious reason in the treacherous sense of flesh and bloud thinkes all that to be misery which carryeth the face of paine or shame or any difficulty and that true happines consistes in rowing for a whyle in some boate (q) A fit emblem to shew the vanity of worldly pleasure of musike downe the tide though it carry them soone after where they are either to be split vpon rockes or swallowed vp by quick-sandes Wheras God knowes yea men whohaue his grace are not ignorār therof that a course of felicity not interrupted or checked by contrary windes is a kind of fortune for as much as concerneth the next life which in this deserueth rather pitty then enuy and that euer fince the death of Iesus Christ our Lord the way of the Crosse is (r) The crosse of Christ our Lord hath made misery to become happy not only the more safe but euen the more honorable and that the pleasures and pastimes of this life ar but a kind of butterfly for boyes to play withall that the greatest earthly felicity that euer was enioyed by man if it dyed not as soone as it was borne which yet is the ornary case of (s) Worldly pleasure speakes faire but it lyes worldly pleasure at least if it liued til it could learne to speake it told as many lies as it vttered wordes and charmed them first whom quickly after it might lead towards a precipice How desolate would a worldling thinke that the case of Signor Troylo Sauelli was in that night when he receaued the newes of his so instantely approaching cōtumelious death And of that deare Mother of his when she heard the blow was giuen which parted that head from those shoulders And (t) Affliction made the Mother the Son seeme miserable and be happy yet with all is it both well knowne that the Mothers losse of such a sonne did cast her much more close vpon an vnion and sole dependance for all her comfort vpon Almighty God wherein the happines which we can haue in this life consists and it is morally certaine that the abundant grace of Contrition and Charity which God infused into the hart of the Sonne euen by the occasion of his very sins so vastly infinitely good is God did put him instantly after his death into a state so blessed as that the Pope himselfe vnder whom he died and those Princes amongst whom he liued and all the Monarches of the whole world may be accounted to haue bin miserable according to their present state in respect of him Our deare Lord Iesus be eternally thanked not only by vs who know not how to do it well but by all his holy Angells and Saintes for his owne infinite goodnes since he vouchsafes to (u) He could easily honour himselfe otherwise without any benefit to vs if he were so pleased place the point of his Honour in shewing mercyes and working wonders vpon man so instantly so sweetely so powerfully and so like a God And for hauing suffered in his owne sacred soule body such desolations and torments as obtained at the handes of the eternall Father not only the remission of our sinnes if we will serue our selues of the Sacraments and other remedyes which he hath left in the bosome of his holy Catholike Church but the adorninge also of our soules with the inherent giftes and graces of the holy Ghost And yet further for that he hath knowne how to make our very sinnes and greiuous crimes themselues the meanes some times wherby we obtaine greater graces then (x) This indeed is a mercy which may wel become the greatnes of our God we should haue done if we had not committed those very sinnes Let the whole world therfore adore thee O Lord and sing prayses to thee and let all the powers of all soules cry out and say with that holy King
intertained both for many other reasons which will occurre to him that readeth the Relation and because as I sayd before these exact tearmes of Honour and other respects to the company which then is present are is it were naturall to men of his country and quality and there would cost them more paines to omit them vnlesse their mindes were put into disorder by some passion then it would cost others to obserue them where they were not so naturall as being learnt by industry and art But yet that in so sad a case this man would for good manners forbeare to set vp his leggs or would not so much as stretch himselfe in the sight of others though his body did much incline him to it according to that mention which the Relation makes therof may wel go for a great argument in him of ciuility of modesty and of magnanimity And this is that which I thought fit to represent to you by way of Preface to this Story You will find the traces foot-steps of putting men to death and of the proceedinge which is held with (l) The seuerall māners of treating delinquēts in soueral coūtryes delinquents to be very different from that of our Countrey both concerning the body and the soule I take not vpon me to say which are better and which are worse With vs the Processe of criminall persons is euer made in the face of the world but they are not suffered to haue any aduocates who may defend their causes In most other Countryes the delinquēts are permitted to haue Aduocates but the Processe is made though in publique Court yet only in presence of the Iudges and some few Aduocates and Officers With vs the delinquēts are suffered to liue some dayes after their comdemnation which certainely is meant in compassion to them in other parts after they are iudged to dye and that so it is declared they thinke they do men a greater courtesy in putting them quickly out of paine With vs there is no difference in the manner of death between a Clowne the best Gentleman of the Kingdome vnder the degree of a Baron vnlesse it be in some very rare case by most particuler fauour of his Maiesty but in all other places that I haue seene all Gentlemen are beheaded to distinguish them frō such as are ignoble With vs no indignity is euer done to a Noble man of (m) such as Barōs are and al aboue them Title by binding of his hands or armes or the like and that custome I commend as full of Honour but in many other places they beare no such respects in regard of the experiēce which they haue found and I feare which still they are in of insolencies But for as much as concernes the comfort of criminalls in the preparation of their soules towards the death of their bodyes I cannot but note it as a point of charity and piety most (n) It is the greatest charity to help mē to dye well remarkeable that in very many of the good townes of Italy and Spayne there are certain Companies or Confraternities of Gentlemen well borne and bred who put this obligation of duty vpon themselues to visit the prisons especially in the night precedent to any executiō And togeather with Religious persons and Ghostly Fathers they watch and pray and exhort and comfort the poorest criminalls of the Country with the same industry charity which is heere affoarded to this Noble man And they accompany them all to their death and sometimes they discharge their dying harts of care either by vndertaking to pay some of their debtes or by assisting the poore wife and children which are left behind or by obliging themselues to get (o) S. Monies vpō the point of her death desired S. Augustine her Sonne that he would pray for her soule at the altar whē she should be dead and so he did Vide August Confes l. 9. cap. 11◠13. Masses celebrated for their soules And in conformity of these good endeauours we see men dye in those partes with another manner of disposition towardes God then vsually they haue with vs. Where it is a lamentable thing to see many of so profane stupidity that after liues most lewdly lead they go either drunke or dauncing to the gallowes As if they were but to dye in a play or as if after this life there were no immortality of the soule or els at least no account to be rendred I say not of idle words which yet must be done but of most wicked deeds wherof many of them are guilty The example which heere we haue in hand will read to all the Readers of it in generall a good lesson of humility patience courtesy magnanimity obedience and charity And (p) All kind of people may profit by the good lessons which are heer deliuered it may serue for an instruction not only to such as dye by the hand of human Iustice but to al them also who are to dye by the hand of God as we al shal be sure inough to do That so we may the better take heede of sinne which is to be so bitterly bewayled and the more deeply we be fallen into it the more instantly we must implore the mercy goodnes of Almighty God and dispose our selues to the doing of pennance that so by his fauour we may secure our soules from the danger of being plunged into that lake of eternall paine This lesson I say may reach to al Readers in generall But particuler Readers may friend (f) The earely humble resignation of this Noble man sayth he behould I am heere ready to obey thy will and the will of all the world since the will of God is such Hauing manicled him they (g) By this time others were come in lead him towardes the Chappell when at the issue out of his chamber he blessed (h) He armed himselfe with the signe of the holy Crosse Ad omnem actum ad omnem ntcessum manus ping at Crucem At euery action and in euery motion let thy hand make the signe of the Crosse D. Hier. epist ad Eustoch 22. cap. 16. himself the best he could with the signe of the holy Crosse with both his hands and casting vp his eyes to heauen he profoundly sighed For seeing perhappes that there was more people then might beneedful for the changing of his lodging This sayth he is another manner of busines then to change me only from one place to another but by the grace of God I am ready for all Thus filently going downe to the Chappell he was mett by the (i) There are Congregations of Gentlemen in Rome as there are also in other great Cittyes of Italy Spayne who imploy themselues for the helping of condemned men to dye wol The Gouernour and Broueditore are chiefe officers of these Congregations Gouernour the Proueditore and by three others of them who are called Confortatori della misericordia
in a fashioÌ„ very sutable to the occasion Then one of them sayd to him in this manner My Lord the houre which God hath prefixed for you is euen run out render your selfe into his mercifull handes And he without being troubled otherwise then by fetching a sighe which yet was both soft short did answere thus Let God be blessed behold I render my selfe to him and dispose you of me And so those good and charitable Brothers of that Congregation with some Fathers of the Society of Iesus casting theÌ„selues round about him and endeauouring to sweeten the bitternes of that newes by discreet decent meanes did comfort him the best they could He yielded to all did euen preuent them then knocking his brest and bowing down his head and kissing the Crucifixe he demanded pardon and like gentle waxe did suffer himself to be managed by them all One of those Confortatori did before all other thinges put him in mind of making his Confession Vpon the very first naming whereof recollecting himselfe he sayd And (k) The first thing he did was to confesse himself where is the Confessour And they shewing him a Priest of their Company with his Albe (l) These are some of the sacerdotall vestmentes which are vsed in the celebrating of Masse vpon his backe and his Stole about his necke that afterward he might say Masse in the proper tyme the first thing he did was to be confessed and we all went out to leaue the place free to them He being confessed and we returned we began to dispose him towards a good end by diuers spiritual exercises fit for that purpose And after many had spokeÌ„ I also beganne thus to say Signor Troilo This is that passage which whosoeuer doth once make well doth acquire eternall felicity if once it be ill made it draweth after it an euerlasting misery It now imports your Lordship to make it well that you may escape that eternity of torment This passage is narrow vneuen hard full of stones and thornes all the world doth see it and your Lordship finds it by experience but (m) Our Lord Iesus doth euen the vneuen way of death behold sweet Iesus who by his goodnes will euen it all Cast your selfe my Lord vpon him and then you will be able to say with courage Omnia (n) I can do al thinges in him that coÌ„forts me possum in eo qui me confortat He answered thus with a cheerefull and euen smiling couÌ„tenance Omnia possum in eo qui me comfortat By the mercy of my deere Iesus I know the necessity of making this passage well I acknowledge his prouidence ouer me and to his prouidence I add that of his ioue Ror as much as with extraordinary loue it is that he hath brought me hither I see it I coÌ„fesse it And how often deere Father haue I beene as I may say in the very iawes of death which if at that tyme it had seized vpon me infallibly this soule and body of myne had perished Behold (o) He acknow ledgeth and accepteth of Gods prouidence with great alacrity the cunning of my Christ to saue me he hath made choyce of this way And then bowing baring his head and with great life of spirit raysing himself from his chayre he further added I accept of this election which God hath made then casting himselfe vpon his knees before the Altar Nay I thanke thee sayth he O my good Father for thy so faythfull and louing care of me who haue not only beene a wandring but a contumacious Sonne of thyne To thee it doth belong to smooth and euen the ruggednes of this way since thou hast been pleased to addresse me by it And so bowing his face euen almost downe to the ground he remayned a while in menâ—all Prayer Being therfore wished to sit downe he was scarce setled in that posture when turning towardes me he sayd thus in myne eare You whom through my good fortune I haue heere to help me in this so weighty and high affayre in the place of God do yow commaund me I (p) He giueth himselfe away to his Ghostly Father giue my selfe as bound into your hands The Prince hath disposed of my body do you as much with my soule I sayd therfore to him I first desyre my Lord that you make the protestation (q) This is a declaration of his fayth with an entiere submission to the good will of God which is wont to be beliuered by such as are going to God Which being publikely pronounced by him with great sense and spirit he taking vp repeating my wordes I aduised him further thus Yow shall now make all those actes of Contrition which I shall call to your mind hauing the eyes therof first bent vpon God being offended as a Creatour as a Preseruer as a Iustifier and as a Glorifier Next vpon your selfe who haue offended him being his creature his household seruant his Christian slaue and one so deeply obliged by his benefits Thirdly vpon the offences themselues which you haue committed and be sory at your hart for hauing committed them and (r) For who can euer call to mind all his particuler sins if not in particuler for them all at least for the (h) He had already confessed his sinne now he is but exhorted to renew his sorrow for them most greiuous of them which shall represent theÌ„selues to your memory Fourthly vpon the good which you haue omitted the tyme which you haue lost and the yeares that you haue mispent Fiftly vpon the scandall which you haue giuen And if any thing more be to be done if (t) We cannot be saued vnles first we make restitution as well of fame as of goods if it lye in our power to make restitution eyther of fame or goods if to pardon others or to aske pardon your self restore and pardon and aske pardon If to perfourme any vowes or fulfill any promises performe and fullfill them Or finally if you leaue any debts or if you will make any signification of your repentance and pious end you are now to put your hand to worke To these thinges he offered himselfe most readily and did execute them all with so great deuotion that euery one now began to change his style in speaking to him And finding that whereas before they thought they should haue to do but with a yong man or rather but with a youth and weakeling (u) He infinitly ouercame their expectatioÌ„ they were now to treate with a manly generous and ripe Christian far superiour to that which might peraduenture haue been expected of him one of the Confortatori began with greate discretion to discourse vpon the horrour of Death which our most sweete Christ Iesus did by his agony dispossesse of bitternes Confide saith he and cast your thoughts vpon him and say Pone (x) Place me O Lord neere to thee let
holy Church and I wish all the Readers of this to procure to see reade them te omnipotenti deo c. And that other which followeth Deus misericors Deus clemens c. And at the end of these he sayd with a loud voice the Pater Noster the Aue maria the Credo the Salue Regina and so he returned to sit downe the others making the accustomed circle about him And so one with representing some sentence of Holy Scripture another some example another some other spirituall Consideration we alwaies kept him aliue and quicke and euen all kindled in deuotion till such time as the houre of colebrating Masse approached Then the Noble Man sayd thus If these (r) This rigour is vsed in those partes for the great insolencies which haue sometyms been expressed in the like extremityes by delinquents manicles be put vpon me to giue me payne or punishment let the will of my Prince be done who is pleased to haue it so but if the meaning be but to make me sure in vaine is he tyed without who is bound (s) Because his hart was more chained by the loue of God then his handes could be by a load of yron within Vpon which wordes all of vs being full (t) They had great reason of tendernes and in particuler one of those Confortatori who shewed himselfe throughout that whole night as a most compassionate Gentleman in seruice of this Noble Man caused the keyes to be instantly giuen him and so tooke the manicles off which yet the Baron would needs (u) An humble naturall most Noble Soule kisse and kissing them he sighed and so held his peace When he had been silent a while and hauing made a signe that he desired to confesse againe and when he had blessed himselfe with the signe of the Crosse Father (x) He is much solicued by the memory of his disobedience to his Mother sayd he I who haue giuen so many disgustes and so bitter ones to my most deare Lady Mother through the whole course of my life what comfort doth your Reuerence thinke that I might be able to giue her in my death By dying wel sayd I in a holy manner To which he answered thus How shall the vnfortunate woman come to know it I told him that I would relate it to her by word of mouth and in fine I would write it for her and I will not only notify it sayd I to her but to any other whome it may import to know it It is inough sayd he he reached his hands out to me that I might giue him one of myne and withall my word And so he kissed it often and holding it betweene both his he continued to speake after this manner I could wish deare Father that in my place your Reuerence would often visit and comfort my Lady my Mother after my death And when so you shal see her first I desire that you will aske forgiuenes of her in my name a thousand and a thousand tymes as heer I haue done both now and the other day since I came to prison And especially begge pardon of her for such and such a particuler offence and then say to her thus Your Troilus who is dead begs that blessing froÌ„ your most afflicted Ladishippe which being aliue he neither deserued nor had time to aske He further recommendes the care of his soule to your Ladiship He praieth he beseecheth he coniureth your Ladiship to graunt him this his last now only suite that hauing put your soule in peace you will not so much as resent or call to mind and much lesse procure to (y) If she thought that the aduerse parties whome he had wronged had prosecuted him with too much eagernes reuenge your selfe for any iniury but that you will remit the whole and your selfe withall to the Eternall Prouidence of God Put her in mind that it is the part of a Roman and Christian hart after a generous manner to pardon offences And giuing her all comfort do you assure her that I haue particulerly reâ—â—sed all those irreuerent worâ—â— that I haue formerly vsed towardes her and that I haâ—â— remembred all those most sweet deare benefits which I haâ—â— receaued from her and all those Maternall fauours which she hath vouchsafed me And aboue all let her know the inâ—â—stimable contentment that I haue to thincke of the (z) This was a Mother not only of her sonnes body but of his soule also Christian loue which she hath expressed to me in this last passage without euer reflecting vpon those offences and great demerits of myne Say to her moreouer that I dye her sonne a sonne who is most profoundly penitent for all the ill wordes and deeds that I haue euer vttered and performed against her and that in the other world I will by Gods grace be as gratefull to her as I haue beene vngratefull heer Relate to her my last passage in most particuler manner and oblige her liberally to reward al my followers who haue been in prison vpon my occasion Of whome I doe with all the very bowells of my hart aske pardon for the payne and perill wherinto I did idly and absurdly cast them And assure her in a woâ—â— that if for nothing els yet euâ—â— for the very disgustes which 〈◊〉 haue giuen to her I shall dyâ— content finding a kind of ioy in my hart that I performe this pennance in this manner which I haue so well deserued And so I dying in such sort a your Reuerence may be pleased to let her know she cannot but receaue some coÌ„fort in my death and she will also find that she is euen engaged so to range her selfe to the will of God as by his mercy I haue done To my Lady my Grand-Mother what shall I say deere Father O how compassiue am I of her great age VVhat paine doth my soule feele for that paine of hers Giue her also to vnderstand that I begge pardon of her for so many disgustes as in this old age of hers I haue giuen her beseeching her in my name that as long as she shall liue she will weekly cause a Masse to be celebrated for my soule And in like maÌ„ner I humbly aske pardon of my Lord Marquesse my Vncle from the most inward parts of my soule as I also doe of the rest of my bloud beseeching them all to 〈◊〉 cuse this youth or rather ignâ—rance of myne Putting also thâ—â— in mind that once we shal al meâ—â— in heauen And if euer your Râ—uerence can procure to be in my Castles aske pardon I beseech you in my name a hundred tymes of all my vassalls Making a promise to them that insteed of the ill example which 〈◊〉 haue giuen them I will not forget them in heauen when by the mercy of God I shall be there and let them in the meane tyme excuse my youth Forget not also to do this office
A RELATION OF THE DEATH OF THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS LORD Sig. r Troilo Sauelli a Baron of Rome Who was there beheaded in the Castle of Sant-Angelo on the 18. of Aprill 1592. With a Preface conteyning diuers particulers which are wholy necessary to be knowne for the better vnderstanding of the Relation it selfe Domine quis similis tibi Psal 34. O Lord who is like to thee Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XX THE PREFACE TO THE READER THE Relation following hath beene translated into diuers languages though not at all into ours nor yet so carefully into others out of the true Original Italian as I could haue wished The differences between the copies which walke vp and downe the world are not great sauing that when there is question of truth and that concerning a noble subiect and the same accompanyed with variety of naturall and liuely circumstance I cannot find in my hart to let any difference goe for small I haue therefore at once taken both paynes and pleasure to draw store of copyes into my hand and it hath not beene without successe For if I haue not layd hold vpō the very first Original which was written by the Relatour himselfe I dare say that I am growne very neere it that it is precisely true And this Elogium I will be bold to giue to the Discourse which we haue in hand that it hath beene reade in seueral countryes with extreme auidity Nay perhaps there hath not issued in many of these last ages any one historicall Relation of a particuler accident the (a) The relation following hath been seldome read without tendernes consideration whereof hath more often beene attended by teares then this The (b) The birth person parts of this Noble Man Person whome it concerneth was a Baron of Rome Sig. r Troilo Sauelli a braunch which sprunge vp from a root of as noble bloud as a most certaine extractiō from the ancient Romans could tell how to make it His person the parts of his generous mind are best described in the Relation it selfe which followeth so that I will not heere by putting you to paynes preuent the pleasure which there you wil haue to ouertake them The cause for which he suffered is not specified there at all because his ghostly Father was the penner of this narration and it became not him who was the others Iudge in foro Conscientiae to become his Accuser in foro Curiae For although his crimes were extant then and are so stil vpon Record and that the penitent did besids for his owne greater confusion and the exaltation of the inuincible Patience and Mercy of Almighty God giue his Ghostly Father expresse leaue to declare his sinnes to the whole world the Father yet would by no meanes accept of that liberty but speaking only in generall wordes of sinne at large he (c) The inuiolable seale of the Sacrament of Confession how tender a good Ghostly Father is and ought to be burieth the particulers in profoūd silence and vnder the seale of Confession for reuerence of that holy Sacrament which must neuer vpon any termes be defaced But I who am free will not consent to haue my handes tyed vp but doe think it fit to let you know that although his yeares were few his crimes were great many as doth stil appeare vpon the Record of his Processe And betweene the sixteenth and the eightenth yeare of his age till the former of which tymes his vigilant and holy Mother was able to keep him in the discipline of piety vertue he sprouted out into great exorbitances and in the Company and at the head of the (d) These are men who for murthers other extreme insolencyes vse to be banished and proscribed They were wont in Italy to go in great troopes vp and downe to infest the passages Sixtus Quintus was one of the first who broke their backe Banditi he committed both rapes and murthers with a most tempestuous and transported mind Ominis (e) The bane which is brought vpon young noble men by ill company inimica amicitia seductio mētis inuestigabilis He did too early cast himselfe into the hands of flatterers wicked followers and they made the way of sinne so smooth to him as that he could not hold frō sliding through it Nor was his tender youth so innocent nor his education so excellent but that the moath and canker of lewd company did soon corrode it Yet euen heerein was not his misery so great as the (f) It is proper to God alone to draw good out of euill mercy of God vpon this occasion was infinite His crims were not known but by such alone as would not easily aduenture to draw vpon themselues the displeasure of so greate a house as his by detecting them The manner only of his life in respect of excesse and riot was such in the exteriour as wounded his noble and tender Mother to the very soule The passages and proceedinges whereof are deliuered in the Relation it selfe with so greate tendernes in the person of her sonne as strikes the hart of him that reades the wordes I will not therfore touch that flowre for feare of strikng off the dew euery dropp whereof is a pearle One circumstance only which is not mentioned there I will heer expresse because it wil not faile to serue towardes the increase of compassion in all their mindes who reade this story You (g) A circumstāce of great importance towards the mouing of compassion shall therfore vnderstand that when the Mother had vsed all other possible endeauours both diuine and humane for the reduction and reformation of her sonne and all in vaine for ought that she was able to perceiue she caused him for some offences which yet were farre from being Capitall to be committed to Castle k S. Angelo (h) This is the chiefe prison in Rome as the Tower may be in London in hope that such a disgrace with the help of tyme would make him returne into hmself To this course she was the more encouraged in this hope the more confirmed because by this restraint he would be cut off from that ill company which was the very pest and poison of his soule But see and wonder at Gods prouidence He (i) Any little entrance into publique disgrace carryeth danger with it was no sooner in prison but the fire of eager opposition brake forth of their hartes whom by his other more enormous insolencyes he had offended for till then it had beene smoothered vnder the ashes of that respect and reuerence which they carryed towards the Dignity Nobility of his house But now publique Iustice taking notice of his excesses and Pope Clement the eight in the beginning of his Pontificate being desirous to shew a strong example of what vnpartiall Iustice the world was to expect at his hands especially in repressing extinguishing that aforesaid damned crue of Banditi
the hand of any other fight against me me Domine iuxta te cuiusuis manus pugnet contra me And if now you find any bitter tast in death in this short night as without fayle you will say Pater (y) O my Father not as I will but as thou wilt thy will be done mi non sicut ego volo sed sicut tu fiat voluntas tua The contrite Lord made answere thus The wickednes of my life doth fright me more then the bitternes of my death O how wrechedly haue I spent these eighteene yeares How ill haue I vnderstood my Sauiour How vngratefull haue I beene for his noble fauours How rebelliously haue I liued against his lawes And now haue I run like a wild vnbridled horse in these later yeares of mine without any manner of restraint wheresoeuer the present occasions or conuersations or (z) The sinner is only to blame himselfe for hauing sinned rather for I haue sayd ill wheresoeuer myne owne passions and blind affections had a mind to plunge me It is I and none but I who did precipitate me and yet you bid me fixe my thoughts and hopes vpon God and say Pone me Domine iuxtate cuiusuis manus pugnet contra me fiat voluntas tua Vpon this another of the Confortatori did thus proceed It is an acte of magnanimity not to feare the angry face of death of humility to acknowledge our offences but of confidence to hope for pardon as your Lordship doth who well may say Propter nome tuum Domine propitiaberis peccato meo muitum est enim For thy names sake O Lord thou shalt forgiue my sin for it is great O how great sayd Signor Troilo Euen as greate after a manner as is the mercy of God which is immense The Proueditere then sayd Your Lordship may if you so be pleased make your last VVill and Testament to the end that no other thought may sollicite you but of your soule alon Heereupon the Baron without the least delay by way of answere did bid thē write And hauing taken out of his pocket a little note which he carryed about him he did suddainly dictate his Testament wherin he deliuered some particulers which in my opinion are very considerable First (a) The considerations which may be made vpon the manner of penning his will of tender Deuotiō for he recommended his soule to God by most deare and religious wordes Secondly of Ripenes which was more then of a young man because in a most particuler manner he had remembrance of all his seruants Thirdly of a most liuely Contrition because with a most profound internall affection of mind he demaunded pardon of many euen by name Fourthly of great Magnanimity because he coniured the Lady his Mother that she would pardon all his aduersaryes as he himselfe did pardon them a thousand tymes ouer Beseeching (b) what a true and noble Christian hart was this her by a long and christian circuite of wordes that she would neuer resent his death but he layd the fault vpon himselfe in al things Fiftly of Religious Piety leauing large almes to many Churches other holy places accommodating many poore (c) This is a deuotion and charity much vsed in Italy Virgins with dowryes at the particuler discretion and to be performed by the care of his heyres that God might the rather haue mercy on him Sixtly of entiere Iustice because he tooke care that euen more then was due by him should be restored Seauenthly of noble Gratitude because he rewarded whosoeuer had done him any scruice in prison Eightly of affectuous Reuerence because he did in a most sweet and deere manner aske pardon of the Lady his Mother of the rest of his kinred besids the expressing of other complements Hauing ended his last VVill VVell Syrs sayth he behold we haue this residue of tyme now wholy free for the care of our soule And turning towards me he sayd It (d) He speakes of his soule for as much as concerned the guiding of it vnder God is in your hand and therefore dispose of it for this only is now in my power to giue you I then by way of answere sayd Giue your selfe my Lord to IESVS I do so sayd he and he sayd it instantly And I againe Giue your selfe wholy to him He sayd I do Consecrate yourselfe he stil sayd I do Make your selfe sayd I entierely his But how sayth he O Father shall I make my selfe entierely his if I be vnworthy and if perhaps I be an enemy (e) As al grieuous sinners are if they do not throughly repēt which no man can be sure that he hath sufficiently done though he may haue great hope thereof of his But in the meane tyme whilest the VVill was in writing he that wrote it put vs in mind that it was to be publikely read that so it might be shut vp with a due (f) A restament is not valide there if it haue not seauen witnesses at the least number of witnesses And whylest this was in doing that is whylest the Notary was reading of it three thinges of some consideration did occurre The first that whē he read how he recommended his soule to God My body sayth he drawing neere me according to his custome I dispose not of for now it is no longer myne It once was myne and I would it had not beene so but (g) He acknowledgeth the prouidence and iustice of God in al things it is more thē reason that I hauing had so great care of it in my life tyme for my punishment should not be suffered to haue any power ouer it now in my death Let them therefore doe with it what they will for I sacrifice it to God whatsoeuer it be Father will not such an oblation as this doe me good It will said I without doubt it will and what (h) For he that giues his body doth shew in good earnest that he hath already giuen his soule more acceptable oblation can be made to our Lord then that of the body The second That when the Legacies were read it being obserued by the manner of expressing one of them that he deliuered himselfe as faulty in a certaine thing wherein indeed he was not so and therefore the VVill was to be redressed as I desired which serued not only as before for securing of his conscience but for the sauing also of his honour Vpon this putting off his Montiera or capp O Father saith he and he did it halfe smiling are you now taking care of my reputation and of the puntillios of Honour and of that smoake or vanity of the world Let my soule be saued let al the vaine Honour perish which I eyther had or might haue had Do you not remember that which euen (i) This is not mentioned heer before but he said also many other thinges which are not mentioned in this short Relatiō now you
restore my selfe to the seruice of God Nor could euer any Sonne desire any fauour or contentment of a Mother which myne did not of her selfe impart to me And I on the other side haue serued but to make her life most vnfortunate by this period of myne I beseech our Lord forgiue me to receaue the future affliction of her hart in present discount of my offences Then towardes the end of his Confession I desire sayd he a fauour of you now deare Father which you must not deny me It is that I may haue liberty to lament my sinnes with teares and that by them I may giue testimony to the Diuine Maiesty of the (g) That so the penitent himselfe by finding it might haue increase of comfort griefe wherewith my harte aboundes within Weepe out sayd I since our Lord doth giue you such a desire of weeping I had scarce brought forth this last worde when allready there beganne to fall a most aboundant showre of teares from his eyes in such sort (h) An admirable and almost miraculous Contrition as that he bathed a good part of one of my armes and my sleeue was as wett through as if it had rayned from aboue Which accident I obseruing after some halfe quarter of an houre and doubting least his hart might so discharg it selfe by his eyes rather for the apprehension which he might haue of death then otherwise I desired that for the loue of Iesus he would quiet himselfe not multiply his affliction nor continue to torment his mind in that manner To this he answered Father I giue you my fayth that I do not at all be wayle my death but I do only and purely lament the offences which I haue committed against Almighty God And (i) A happy coniunction of Christiā sorrow with noble coutage I haue so much hope in the mercy of my deare Lord that not only I shall shead no teares for my death but not so much as change my countenance Father I bewayle my most vnfortunate life and not my most happy death That life was indeed most vnfortunate whereas this death is most happy for in fine if in that I liued an enemy to God I hope in this I shall dye his friend Well then sayd I proceed in your Confession that so you may dye the friend of God and lay a part of your tears aside the whyle Whereupon The most obedient young Gentleman accommodatinge himselfe to my direction did iust proceed where he had left At this I wondred so much themore for as much as I my selfe had forgotten it though I also had one of those little bookes in my hand which instruct how a Confession may be well made But he going on did lay before me as if it had bin in one single prospect the whole course of his life with so great clarity and breuity that I found my selfe as obliged to aske him if during many dayes before he had not applied himselfe to make such a preparation To which the yong Noble man made this very answere So great is the light as I haue already insinuated which my deare Lord Iesus vouchsafes to giue me at this instant of my whole life that euen whylest I am confessing me thinkes I behold all my actions (k) This was a very extraordinary supernaturall fauous of Almighty God as in a glasse and I read all my thoughtes and wordes as in a booke And without doubt so it was For he without euer mistaking a worde did so call all his sinnes to minde that by that time he wanted little of hauing declared them al distinctly Only at the very end as it were of his Confession he returned to repeate some thinges which he had already said and I doubting that he did so as hauing forgotten what he had expressed before I told him of that inaduertence as I reputed it when yet he made me this answere I know well deare Father that I repeate some thinges but I do it to the end that I may now more perfectly detest them be confounded in my selfe And especially (l) How desirous this soule was to make God amends since I haue passed the greatest part of my life in such thinges as these to the displeasure of our Lord I do now for the better pleasing of him passe this tyme of my death in a misliking remembrance of the same And if it be troublesome to your Reuerence as I know it is so often to heare my so many offences do you remember once for all that this soule is of a sinner for whome Christ dyed Nay said I if your Lordship haue any such apprehension you may repeate as much and as often as it pleaseth you for I only aduised you of it before as thinking that perhaps you might haue done it by errour The errour sayth he was myne and a grieuous errour it was to offend them so many wayes who did euer stand in my defence But howsoeuer that be in this respect as in some others I shall dye contented in that I can neuer satisfy my selfe with cofessing my faults to you deare Father VVhich now by the goodnes of God are as well knowne by me as heeretofore they were little esteemed are now as bitterly lamēted as heertofore they gaue me gust though it were a false one I (m) The man did euen melt betweene griefe loue wish Othou most sweet Sauiour of my soule that I had as wel a thousand tongues that so I might fully confesse them a thousand eyes that so I might bitterly bewayle them and a thousand harts that so eternally I might detest them And that this grief for my sinnes committed against God might so breake my hart as the instrument of Iustice will take my head for them which I haue committed concerning men I do good Father by the goodnes of God know what a sinner I am As a sinner I lamēt my selfe and as a sinner I will dye but a sinner all humbled contrite and with my teares I will make my Funeralls then suffer me to performe them after myne owne fashion And heer cuen I not (n) I cannot blame him being able to containe my selfe from weeping he obserued it and said thus Most happy Funerals are therfore these of mine which are solemnized by the seruāts of God Yet this part belonges not to you but only as being a Father to my soule VVho knowes but that by these mutuall teares and this exchange of tendernes my impure conscience may indeed be cleansed Thus both of vs being silent for a while he then proceeded VVell my good Father it is now high time that by the (o) This authority was giuen to his true Church by Iesus Christ our Lord in his name by his power it is exercised Authority which God hath giuen you to loose and bind men on earth you loose me from so many chaines of sinns which hang vpon me To the en◠that as
you haue taught me 〈◊〉 may say Auditui meo dabiâ— gaudium laetitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata 〈◊〉 And first do you giue me Absolution and then I may performe my Pennance Though indeed what Pennance carrying proportion to my sinnes is your Reuerence able to impose At this he cast himselfe at my feete and bowed his head to my knee where I had layd my left hand and he all bathed it with teares and kissed it and expected the Penance and Absolution Which I gaue him fully in forme of a (p) This is an application of the superabundant merits of Iesus Christ our Lord to the soules which stand in need thereof Plenary Iubiley according to the most ample priuiledges (q) By the Popes which are granted to them of that Congregation which is called of the (r) It is called a congregation of Misericordia because it is so great a worke of charity mercy wherupon they imploy themselues Misericordia Being absolued and hauing done his Pennance with incredible affection of mind he sate downe againe by my direction and then the rest did come and circle him in round about after the accustomed manner I then spake first to him after this sort Most Illustrious Lord Troilo our Blessed Saniour IESVS Christ whom here we haue present did by dying vpon the Crosse gine remedy in his person this night to three thinges amongst many others He (s) An application full of life comfort dyed in the flower vigour of his youth that your Lordship might not haue too much tendernes compassion of your owne tender youth and so might say O but why is my life taken away in so tender years And this is the first He dyed and he dyed of a violent death that to your Lordshippe it might not seeme insupportable to dye vpon necessity and so you might say O but why is the flower of my yeares cut off by a violent hand and this is the second He dyed of the most reproachfull death which in those times was inflicted that it might not seeme strang to your Lordship to dye by the hand of Iustice and so you might say O but why died not I in my cradle or at least by some other natural accident Nay if your Lordship will accept this death in so tender yeares you offer him the best part of your tyme. By dying of a violent death you may make that which is necessary to be voluntary and by dying of a dishonourable death taking it as a Pennance for your sinnes you may fly the shame of that last terrible day And so much the better you may accept therof for that you are not to dye in publique vpon the Bridge as the ordinary Custome beares but (t) It is there accounted of lesse dishonour to be put priuatly to death They who dye priuatly dye within the Castle they who publâ—kely at the foot of the Bridge priuately heere below in the Court as is wont to be vsed towards your Peeres I added also some other coÌ„siderations so ended my speach To which the Baro who was euer ready made this answere And (u) How wise the grace of God is able to make a very yong man vpon a suddaine I O Father for as much as concernes the first dye willingly in this fresh age of myne because thus I shal be sure not to offend my Lord any more And from this instant I offer him my yeares my age my life and a hundred yeares and a hundred ages and a hundred liues As for the second I will make a vertue of necessity and being to dye perforce and according to reason I will dye willingly that so I may yield willingly vnto force willingly giue satisfaction to reason But as for the third I could wish for a more ignominious death And be you pleased to know that to haue dyed in publique would haue giuen me I know not what increase of consolation gust For so I might haue hoped by (x) Because publike sinnes require publike satisfaction publique Pennance to haue made a better amendes for my publique crimes And God doth know that I take no contentment to receaue the fauour of dying priuately But yet howsoeuer if the determination which is made be such I resist it not Our Lord will accept the promptitude of my wil. Heereupon the Proueditore tooke vp the speach and sayd Let your Lordship accommodate it selfe to the will and prouidence of God who hath not only one way of ariuing to saue our soules nor one only means of drawing them to him He leadeth one by one meanes and others by another It importeth not that (y) Mony of Gods iudgements are secret but they are all iust his Iudgmentes be hidden from vs but it sufficeth that they are iust Who can tell if your Lordship should haue dyed in any other sort theÌ„ this whether or no you should haue bin saued I am he sayth the Baron who can tell you that for I should haue tumbled headlong into hell Do you not know how God hath proceeded with me It is iust as a Huntes-man would do when he would take a wild beast but he would haue him brought to his hand whole and sound and not to be torne by the teeth or pawes of doggs nor strocken by the bow nor bruized by nets or snares He driues this beast sometymes one way and sometymes another but neuer lets slip the doggs nor dischargeth the arrow nor spreads he the net or Toyle vpon the ground or sets the snare but at the most with some outcryes or els by throwing of some stones he rowseth him and addresseth him towardes the place designed so long doth he driue the beast by seuerall wayes that at last he bringes him thither where he would haue him The Huntes-man knowes this well and did long expect him there he takes him and enioyes him all sound and safe I am (z) Note how wittily and piously he makes this application to himself he O my Good Iesus who haue beene this beast hunted hither and thither but thou hadst a mind to haue me safe thou hadst a mind to haue me sound And so thou didst not permit that I should be torne with dogs nor pierced by arrow nor taken by nets or Toyles or snares when thou deliueredst me out of so many dangers of death in which though very young I haue found my selfe wherin if I had dyed without faile I had perished for all eternity Thou didst only throw stones at me and thou cryedst out after me when by so many admonitions and inspirations thou didst solicite me And now I repent my selfe that I was so deafe to them But what meruaile if I were deafe who after a sort was (a) By sinne dead And thus hath his goodnes conducted me to this straite pace without my knowing of it that so I may be forced to leap into his lapp For whither am I able to
turne my selfe more securely then to my deare Iesus Yea and yet if I were able I would not turne any way but to him It is true that I am forced but yet I am content withall One of the Confortatori then replied It is inough Signor Troilo So great and so liberall is the goodnes of God that he accepteth all and he doth it with delight And one of the Chiesa nuoua said That although our Lord receaued a Precept or Commandment that he should dye yet neuerthelesse it is affirmed it is true that he dyed voluntarily And hauing accompanied this speach of his with diuers choice examples one of our Fathers shut vp that discourse with shewing by what means that which was necessary (b) That punishment which is imposed by necessity may be made voluntary by a voluntary acceptation therof might so grow to be voluntary by a voluntary accepting of it and that so much more it would be meritorious as it should more willingly be imbraced Then teach me sayd the Baron how I may make this necessary death truly voluntary And then certaine deuout and apt waies how to do it being declared by the Gouernour of the Congregation of the Confortatori and imbraced by the Baron I said Perhaps Signor Troilo we weary you to much How can you weary me said he These discourses make the night short to me and they make my disastre fortunat And heere all were silent for a while when he rising vp for he was sitting said That he would speake with the Father And drawing neere me the (c) Whome the patient did accompany therin Confortatore said the Confiteor that being ended I desire saith he if it please you Father to call againe to mind some of the things aforsaid both for the better repetition of them for the additiō of some others Which I refusing out of the assurance I had that it was not necessary he said And it is possible deare Father that you will not giue me this last contentment VVill you not permitt at least that I may satissiy myselfe with confessing the offences which I haue committed against God And besides doth not your Reuerence remember that we must speake togeather of (d) The Father it seems had made him som such promise before pennance And I answered Let that Pennance be to dye and to dye well Then teach me that said he And I thus to him Offer now this death of yours to God with your whole hart in pennance for the sinnes with you haue committed I do saith he offer it with my hart and with my mouth and it grieues me as our Lord doth know that I haue not this night a thousand heades that in this one of mine they might be al cut off and a thousand liues that they might all be lost Nay (e) How much doth he giue to God how little doth he thinke it to be yet how faythfully doth he acknowledge it all to be of God I confesse and know that euen that pennance would yet fall short but since more I cannot more I know not what to do and since more I haue not I can giue no more and euen the doing and giuing of this little do I acknowledge to proceede from the hand of God I told him by the way of reply that it was well and that he should still be doing so And when sayd I you are laying your head vpon the blocke say thus in your hart O Lord by this act of myne I protest to do pennance for my sins as if I had a thousand heads and a thousand liues and I acknowledge and confesse that it is all but little But I doubt Signor Troilo whether then you will be able to remember this for then perhapps you will be as it were not your self It is no trifle to looke death in the face take my word for that The magnanimous Lord made this answere I wil not presume so much vpon my selfe but I (f) He can neuer faile who putteth all confidence in God none in himselfe hope well and confide greatly in God that he will not let it fall out of my memory And if by many accident you should perceaue that I were vnworthy of so great a grace doe me the fauour to bring me in mind of it for you shall find me ready to put it in execution In the meane whyle I beseech your Reuerence tell me somewhat els towardes this end of myne and that quickly for the tyme hath winges I bad him leaue the care of that to me For I wil sayd I go intimating from time to tyme whatsoeuer you are to thinke vpon whatsoeuer you shall be to say euē til your last breath And (g) He exhorteth him to a great deuotiō to his good Angell very now you shall begin to make a strait friendship with your Good Angell And first aske pardon of him with your hart for the little gratitude which you haue expressed for the Custody that he hath affoarded you which hath binso incessant so patient so diligent so full of loue Vpon which wordes he sayd casting himselfe vpon his knees Yea not only with my mouth but with my hart I begge pardon of him for the much and much ingratitude which I haue vsed notwithstanding his so great benignity and loue to me and so kissing my knee he sate downe againe So that I proceeded and said Consider then with your selfe that your (h) Saint Hierome sayth expresly That euery soule hath an Augaius Custos assigned to it by Almighty God from the first instance of the birth till the last of life Vide Hier. lib. 3. conc in 18. cap. Matt. The holy Scriptures and holy Fathers doe also abound in proofe of the ministery of Angella in the help of men good Angel now is heer who euen from your very first beginning when you were borne so much more at this houre which is so full of danger doth assist you and especially in six particulers First he hinders the impetuous assaults of the diuell and weakens the force of all those maligne spirits who do at this instant conspire to the damnation of your soule Secondly he breathes into your hart Preparation Generosity Deuotion and Contrition Thirdly he lightneth this Darcknes this Anguish this Death Fourthly with great sollicitude he carrieth foreward and backward those messages which passe betweene God and you he gathers vp your sighs your very countenances and the humiliations of your hart there is not one of them which he suffereth to loose his way Fiftly he negotiateth with other Angells of superiour (i) We read in holy scripture Daniel 10. how one Angell helpeth another for the good of men both the holy Scriptures and holy Fathers do euery where abound with shewing the tender care that the holy Angells haue of all thinges that concerne vs either in soule body or goods Quiers so to procure effectual assistances for your
not being risen he accepted thereof and commanded a Gentleman who serued the Gouernour that he should thanke him in his name And hauing demanded pardon of many of the Assistants exhorting them in some very few wordes to vertue by the example which there they had before their eyes of the contrary he went on with the very same verse of the Miserere where he had left before And sometymes turning towardes me he would be saying Come (t) See whether this Baron were afraid of death or no. Father come to heauen to heauen And it was a strang thing that he being in pantofles going downe such a long paire of staiers as that is which stayers are much broken by reason of the Artillery which vpon frequēt occasions is drawne vp downe by that way yet did not his foot once slipp Nay I failing to tread right many tymes though I were in shoos he willed me to take care of my selfe When he was arriued to the other open stayres where many persons of the Castle were to see him one of the Confortatori who was well experienced in those occasions and stood on the one hand placing a Crucifixe before him and as it were couering him therewith cryed out with a stronge voice Let (u) Viua Giesu Christe Christ Iesus liue be not frighted my Lord. To which he after he had ended the Verse which he was pronoūcing made this answeare Yea let Christ Iesus liue in whome whilst I am hoping I do not feare to be confounded And then said I In te Domine speraui non confundar in aeternum which being repeated by him he spake thus to them Take (x) A noble courage the Crucifixe aside let all the people see me For if I be good for nothing els at least I may serue them for an example There passed one that way with a bottle of wine in his hand who saluted the Baron vpon his knee and the Baron courteously resaluted him and so returned to the same verse of the Psalme which he had formerly begunne Soone after passing through the people which stoode there a little thicke he sayd Learne (y) Few wordes and well chosen It is not there the fashion for a man to stand preaching at the place of his execution by my example to liue well and pray for me And thus with Psalmes Iaculatory prayers he came to the blocke where there was store of lookers on The intrepide Baron pausing there sayd thus I would desire in these last moments of my life to see at least and salute thanke the Lieutenant Gouernour of the Castle since I cannot see my Lord the Gouernour But the Lieutenant by no means resoluing to go towardes him for the extreme tendernes wherewith he was taken the Noble Youth perceauing it and turning to me sayd Father his hart serueth him not to come and perhaps I make the people stay too longe O most valiant most vndaunted mind which was troubled more with the sleight incommodity of others then with the apprehension of his owne imminent death At last he cheerefully aduauncing forward the Lieutenant came before him the Baron casting himselfe vpon his knee said to me In courtesy Father take off my hat Which the good Gentleman obseruing (z) A kind cōtention who should most exceed in courtesy did with a most bitter lowd crye of teares euen spread himself all vpō the groūd and the by-standers vpon that occasion did cast thēselues all vpon their knees nor was there any thing heard but a loud voice of teares This generous yong Lord sayd thē thus to him Syr do not weepe I had no designe but to salute you to thank you and to begge your pardon as now I do both of your selfe and in your person at the hands of al them who are present heer desiring them to learne at my cost and to pray for my soule This he sayd with so stronge a voice as that he was heard notwithstanding the noise of their weeping I also was not able to stay my teares when he leaning towardes myne eare spake these very wordes now below as before he had done aboue Behould your Reuerence is weeping and yet still you tell me that I must haue a Noble Hart. Then hauing repeated diuers times In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum and Suscipe me Domine secundum eloquium tuum non confundas me ab expectatione mea he was wished to ascend and then to lay himselfe downe vpon the Scaffold At the same instant one of the Confortatori saying to him Cheerefully Signor Troilo couragiously Signor Troilo and a whole crye of prayers being raised and made by all the company for him that valiant Hart did answere euen with a smiling countenance Know (a) A noble and holy valiant hart Gentlemen that I dye cheerefully for the Loue of Iesus Christ in Pennance for my sinnes As therefore he was laying down his head where said he is the Father And turning towards the Executioner he sayd Stay a whyle for I will be reconciled And beckning me first towards him with his countenance Father sayd he on this hand I place my (b) These Saines he vsed as intercessours for him to Christ our Lord. Good Angell and on that S. Paul and S. Iohn the Baptist our B. Lady shall stand before Your Reuerence must remēber to performe the promise which you made me I will say O bone Iesu esto mihi Iesus O good Lord Iesus be thou a Iesus to me and when you shall see that the corde is in cutting you must say Ego te absoluo c. that so when I shall inuoke the name of Iesus and you absolue me my soule may begin her iourney from this body of myne towards heauē by the mercy of my Lord as I confide it shall I do ingenuously confesse that I was so mightily amazed within my selfe I fell into such an excesse of weeping that I had not a word to answere at the instant but in the language of teares And he in laying his head vpon the blocke expresly spake these very wordes Deare Father draw neere me Let it suffice and I take you to witnes That (c) So that his memory and courage was far from fayling him perhaps there is hardly to be found in any history a nobler Character of wisdom presence of mind magnanimity and sanctity I protest my seife in my desire to lay downe a thousand heads in this one head of myne and in this one life to offer vp a thousand liues I accuse my selfe for not doing it with that feruour of deuotion that vehemency of Contrition and that promptitude of resignation which I haue beene told and taught But I know not how to do more I accuse my selfe as truly of all the sinnes which I haue confessed vnto your Reuerence as if now I did repeate them to you one by one In Pennance if it please you I will giue my head to Christ as a punishment which is most deserued by me and of you I desire Absolution So did this Noble hart which neither was nor was to be conquered or daunted lay downe that head vpon the blocke And saying then Bring (d) See how this true Christiā courage cōtinues euen to the end and in the end hither the Crucifixe that I may see it he began also to say O bone Iesu sis mihi Iesus O good Lord Iesus be a Iesus to me being accompanyed by all the people who were already vpon their knees and who also inuoked the name of Iesus And my self standing close at the one side of his head and looking still when the Executioner would go about to cut the corde as soone as I saw that the knife was lifted vp for that purpose I said outright Ego (e) I absolue thee frō all thy sinnes in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost te absoluo ab omnibus peccatis tuis in nomine Patris Filij Spiritus Sancti Amen He did then both more speedily and more lowdly then was his custome say Iesu sis mihi Iesus O Iesus be thou a Iesus to me And at the instāt his head flew off at once from his body And my selfe with many others also did see that his head being already cut off did produce the last syllable of the name of Iesus with a strong kind of hisse or whisper And the soule I trust did fly vp free into (f) His body was interred in the Chiesa Nuoua Heauen adorning all his former life with a holy end vpon that very day of the yeare whervpon the most Illustrious Lord his Father had departed out of this life before this Sonne of his was borne that former being the 18. of April Anno Domini 1574. FINIS
and Prophet Dauid O Lord who is like to thee A great example and proofe of this power of God and of the diuinity of Christ our Lord and the vnspeakable bounty of the Holy Ghost was the so speedy illuminating inflaming the soule of this Baron Who as soone as he receaued the notice of his death did in his proportion follow the example of the Blessed Apostle For as he to Christ our Lord appearing sayd O Lord what wilt thou haue me doe so did this noble Caualliere of Christ when the Preist Lieutenant of God spake to him giue himselfe away by these words as the Relation sheweth Do (y) The instant quiet resignatiō of this Baron to the good wil of God you in the place of God commaund me I giue my selfe as bound into your hands and further it affirmeth that he suffered himselfe to be managed as if he had beene made of the softest waxe It is not impossible for a man to meete with some Roaring Boy who may thinke that the Baron was to submisse But it is one thing to be a Roarer of the damned Crue and another to be an humble member of the body of Christ who assured vs by his owne sacred mouth That (z) Humility is the true badge of true Christianity vnlesse we became as children we should neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen The world was lost by the pride and presumption of the first Adam repaired by the humility of the second And (a) The incomparable humility of Iesus Christ our Lord. he that considers well how greate that Humility was and whose it was and for whose sake and at the will of whom he exercised the fame had need of a great proportion of stupidity to make him thinke that since God himselfe vouchsafed to be at the command of those base and impure wretches who tooke of his cloathes and required him to submit himselfe to those scourges those thornes those nayles those blasphemies for our sakes and sinnes yet on the other side this (b) An vgly and abhominable presumption man this proud rebellious worme this crumme of dust this drop of filth might keep forsooth a kind of State and should not rather submit himselfe in imitation of the humility of Christ our Lord not only to Superiours but to equalls and euen inferiours also and in fine to al (c) This is the aduice of S. Peter Subdits estote omni creaturae the world when iust occasion should be offered The soule of this noble Man was so well softned sweetned by the vnction of the Holy Ghost as that neither the greatnes of his Nobility nor the ardour of his youth nor the naturall boyling courage of his hart nor the fresh memory of his prosperity nor the vnexpected arriual of his mifery could make (d) A hart which is truely touched by Gods holy spirit will ouercome strange difficultyes him once repine or keep him from instantly abasing himselfe But falling deeply vpon the consideratiō of his sinnes and weighing duely how full of demerit he was in the sight of God and knowing exactly that nothing is so truly ignoble as a soule which hath forfeited his grace and that rich or poore is little to the purpose but (c) wherin eternal true Nobility doth consist that the thing which imports is to be or not to be the seruant or sonne of God it is not strange to see him cast himselfe at the feet of common soldiars and to stretch out his hands with such meeknes at the will of the meanest laylours for the loue of our Lord to signify therby the detestation wherein he had himselfe for hauing so presumptuously offended that Eternall Maiesty which by all the Angells is adored From (f) The reasons why he was so frequent in confessing his sins hence also did it proceed that he so frequently confessed himselfe in that last night of his life could neuer thinke that he had sufficiētly deplored his errours and detested the discorrespondence and ingratitude wherewith he had answered the vnspeakable benefits of Almighty God Wherein if any man should thinke that he did vse excesse it will be much more lawfull for me to doubt that himselfe either hath a meane conceit of the Infinite Maiesty which is offended or an ignorant apprehension of the deformity of al sinne which is committed or a proud paltry mistaking of the Nothing which man was till he was created and the worse then Nothing which afterward he grew by sinning For (g) If you weigh these thinges wel you will change your wondring at him into wondring at your selfe he that pōders these particulers as he ought and knoweth that the offēces into which he falleth are innumerable and that the least of them which is committed against an infinit Maiesty in respect of the obiect is also infinite and that as no one good deed shal be vnrewarded by the rich Mercy of God in Christ our Lord so no one trāsgression shal be left vnpunished by his exquisite Iustice will easily belieue that in the space of a night it is hard for one to be too curious too carefull in setting straight the accoūt of his whole life vnder the piercing eye of Almighty God But this Baron did euen by moments in that short tyme which was left by the goodnes of God acquire new (h) Great light of God is wont to breed greate loue of him greate sorrow for hauing so shamefully offended him light gaine new loue of our Lord and new contempt detestation of himselfe and in the strength thereof he found some actions to confesse which he had not conceaued to be sinnes before others which he had confessed he had confessed with a sorrow far inferiour to that which then he felt For abstracting from the consideration which he had of his sinnes against God in respecte whereof no soule is sufficiently able to quake and tremble vnder him I trust there is not a readers eye in the world so dimme as not to discerne his vndaunted hart And (i) The vndaunted courage of this Baron that no thought of death had any power to take the least clarity from his vnderstandinge the least presence from his memory the least agility from his witte the least order from his speach or so much as the least puntillio from the ciuill respects and complementes which are vsed amongst persons of his Nation and Condition Nor yet on the other side shall any man haue reason to thinke that the punctuality which throughout the processe of this Relation he shall find to haue been obserued by the Baron in this last (k) This courtesy complement was not affected but free and naturall kind of courtesy did proceed from the least affectation thereof Perhaps if we looke neere home we may find some example to haue been giuen of this not longe agoe but in the present case no suspition of it can be