University of Virginia Library

Patience exercised by Lying Wonder.

619

When as Kents King in wicked wayes did rowle
And outed Austins mates that touch his soule
For Wedding of his Fathers wife, Lawrence
About to fly, lodging as flying hence
Then in Saint Peters Church, Peter appears
And scourg'd him soundly, Charg'd him down with fears
He to the King ith morn doth shew his sore
And scourges saying these Saint Peter gave
And Charg'd me never from my Flock be drave.
Hence he his Idolls left, and was baptizd
Calld back Melit and Justus and them prizd.
Greg'ry the great, is said to give rebuke
To's successour Sabinian who rook
And slander did him, and did after smite

640

Him on his head, whence sprang his last good night.
When Dagobert King Clothair's Son did Chase
In Dionysu's Church, (which too did grace
Rush to, and Elutherius martyres bright)
An hunted hart, they savde it from his sight,
And after this he sanctuaries there,
Flying away to shield off's Fathers speare
They bid him build their tombs in greater State
That people might them better venerate
And for reward they promise him they would
His Fathers Anger from him back with hold.
Hence out he goes and battlements all ore
Saint Denyse then with solid silver store.
But now it being to be Consecrate
A Leper lodging in it did this relate
He saw Christ, Peter, Paul, and Denyse too
With Rustick, and Eleuthery come through
And bad him tell the Priests it and they take
His Leprosy and to a stone it glew
To be a witness that the thing was true.
Some think this was a trick that by the Priests
They for its Consecration be not fleec'de.

645

John Insulan told Pictairs Bishop he
Was by a Rev'rend Senior bid to bee
At fervent Prayer for Dagoberts poor soule
For whom that instant dead the bell did tole
Wherefore he fell upon it, and soon spide
An host of Divells in the sea so wide
Toughing the boat in which the Kings Soule was
Passing to hell. Hence he Cride loud alas
Oh! Martine, Mawrice, Denyse, Martyres help.
Then rose a storm and showers did often pelt
And those three Persons all in white who said
They being calld was come Dag'bert to aide
And forth with took from torments thus his soule
And bore it with them to the Heavenly pole.
In Dagobertus time livd Agil, who
When Satan in a Dragons shape came to
Lift up his head, and Poison on him spewd
Did varnish him by signe of th' Cross then shewd.
King Oswald slain at Maxfield gave arise

Bede 1. 3 C. 9. 10

To many stories Beda's pen up hoist
That in the place he fell, a king was Cur'de
And then a Maid that th'palsy had indur'de.
The Dust thence tooke heald many sicknesses
The post he hung on had no blemishes
By fire that did all other things there turn
To ashes quickly that there did burn.
Upon his Relickes there abode all night
From thence to heav'n streatcht out a stroke of Light
Which then was seen in Litchfield province cleare.
Nay by the water that did wash them, were
Possessed persons healed, and dust tooke thence
Chast divells all from men possesst. (brave sence),
And at his tomb a boy was Cured who
Was Fever sick, a man from death raisd too.

652

Brave Aidans Cruch sav'de in red flames, they say,
Cur'de many sick, diseases drove away.
Such as were sick of Fevers and diseases
The Biere of Eartanwald (as Beda pleases)
Did heale, hee London Bishop was and stood
Oh lying Wonders. Satan here deludes.
And Fursous now about an Irish man
A monkish Visionary clinkd his Can.
Did Angels in his Extasy behold
And a darke vally under him, its told,
And in the Sky four Fires nigh equally
A distant each from each. He now doth cry,
What mean these Fires? An Angell saith these shall
Burn up the World. One must on lyars fall
That their baptismall promise over slip.
Another Carnall Worldlings shall whip.
The third shall roast all janglers; and the last
Shall have ungodly persons in it Cast.
These fires so grew they make one mighty flame,
And nigh him got. He trembling out cries came
But hath this answer, that it shall n't thee burn:
Thou hast not kindled it, yet it shall turn
And try mens deeds, and then an Angell rose
Parted the flames, and twain on each side goes.
Then Divells through the fire flew to enfire
Wars up against the righteous with desire.
The wicked Spirits him accuse, the Good
Defend him, which once ore, three Angells stood,
By him, who to the body him Convay'd,
The other being fled to heaven its said,
But drawing nigh the foresaid fire, there came
An Angell as before, parting the same
But coming where a doore lay ope betwixt
The Flames, the filthy fiends a person fixt
There in the fires, whirle at him, and him smite
Upon his Cheek and shoulder by that weight.
He knew the man thus thrown was one, whose vest
He when he was departed, had possesst.
The Angell Cast him in the fire again.
The fiend reply'd, Cast not off him you've ta'ne
For as ye of the Sinners Goods are heir
So of his punishments ye ought to share.
Not so the Angell said. He tooke this not
For Covetousness, but as its justly got
To help support his life, then dy'de the fire.
The angell turnd then to him, and spake higher
That burns on thee that thou didst take of his.
And told him how he must shun all amiss.
But when this man in body was restor'd
The marke the fire unto him did afford,
Though given in his Soule his body bore
Most visible, as long as life therefore
Remaind, he would to all men open shew
A wonder strang: surely more strange than true.
Another of such purgatory props
Heare how it from the same mans lips out drops.
He being dead in Scotland his Soule
Is had by Angells to the heavenly pole,
And there is kept all night and back its sent,
And in the body once again is pent,
And after this when dead the Angells led
Him up to heaven, as he thither fled
The Divell did him way lay then with whom
After a mighty long brush he's ore come
Because he had a certain Vile mans Vest,
And back the second time he's also presst.
Into the body, there to satisfy
Among the living for's iniquity.
Oh Furseus where is thy face, and brow?

**8

Patience doth blush to finde thy bull thus low.
Blinde Audomar is said to gain good Eyes
By Vedasts Vertue, at the bishops Cries
Who lost the same again because he tooke
It ill, that hed his blindness for's health brooke.

*60

When in a Famine sore Clodove the King
Took down Saint Denyse Silver roofe to fling
Some Spills of bounty to the hungry poore
To feed them with, its said Saint Denyse bore
Him greate ill Will, hence he soon fell mad
And two years after Death's goad made him gad.

**4

When Sussex first sat in the Gospell Shine
And bright Eappa ore it stretcht his line:
A sore mortality therein did rage.
He and his pupills thereupon engage
Upon a Triduan Fast to supplicate
The Majesty of heaven in this state
To spare the sick, or when they could not stand,
To save their souls from being ever damnd.
Now in their Hive there was a Saxon boy
New won to Christ did of this sickness ly,
No small time bed rid, who was left alone
Upon the second turn of fast dayes, t'groane,
To whom the Chief of the Apostles came
Bout two a clock that day. (Here lies the game)
Saluting of him thus, Child feare not Death:
For we this day shall lead thee hence from Earth,
Unto the heavenly kingdoms, onely waite
A while till Mass is o're, they Celebrate,
The body and the blood of Christ must bee
Thy food Viatick till thou come to glee.
And being quit of sickness, death, and all
Wee bring thee to Celestiall Pleasures shall.
Call to thee then Elder Ea'tppa, tell
Him this, the Lord doth take your prayers well
And your Devotion: no more shall dy
Of this Disease, now in your Monestry
Nor in the towns about, but shall revive
Even all of them that are this day alive,
Except myselfe who must anone be freed
By Death, and to the sight of Christ make speed.
But God hath dignifide you with his Grace,
Through Oswalds intercession, of Blessed Face,
King of Northumberland, belovd of God,
Intently serving of him all a---
Who by the Power of temporall Realm and so
Of Christian Piety did fore you goe.
For on this selfe same day by's Enemy
He fell: and went unto Eternal joy
Sociated with Elect, in Heavenly stories,
And they to mass went in all Oratories
Of the said Hall, with thanks their prayer heard were
And for King Oswald who had reigned there.
And that he for them as his own had pray'de,
Then they the Heavenly Offerings assaid
Thus ending of their Fast, refreshment take
Into the body pincht with ------
But when the lad Eappa all had told
He askt what men they were he did behold.
Quoth he they were all brigh[t] in face and dress
Most Chearfull, Beautifull, I do confess
I never saw the like, and thought there could
Not any such bright persons eyes behold.
One like a Clerk was with a shaved Crown,
The other had a greate large Beard hung down:
One was Calld Peter, th'other Paul which were
Our Lord and Saviours Ministers, sent here
By him from heaven for the safe Defence
Of this Monastery, then out goes thence.
Eappa searcht his Annals, it was the day
In which King Oswald slain in battell lay.
Calld all together, Celebrated Mass
And chargd the same should to the sick lad pass.
Which being done, he soon gave up the Ghost.
And hereupon this Monestry indeed
And others rounde about began to heed
And Celebrate with Masses ev'ry year
King Oswalds birthday. Se the Monckry here.
In th'Countrey of Incanning in the land
Northumber, as Drithelm there did stand,
Fell sick, and in the Evning dies, and while
His Wife and Friends with tears and sorrows boile
About the Bier the morning after, he
Reviv'd and rose; all affrighted he doth flee
He calls and saith unto his wife, feare not
In truth I am from death, arose, and got
To live again with men: not as before,
Then up he gets, and to the Oratore
Continuing there in prayer, and doth divide
His State, a third doth to his wife ascribe,
A third to's Chi[l]dren, to himselfe a third
Which to the Poor he quickly doth afford.
And freed from worldly Cares he packs into
Mailros's Monastry shut up also
Nigh in a Cranke of Twedes brave river cleare
Is Abbated and with a shav'd Crown there
Continues till his dying day contrite.
As was most fitting unto --- a weight,
In heart, and life, and many things doth finde
The which he most conceald: yet one thus goes,
A glorious person quoth hee, came and throws
This speech out, lets walke silently due East
And so we to a Vale came as we prest
Still on, of vast Length, breadth, and deapth possesst
Which on our left hand lay. One side on't was
Extreamly terrible with flames that flash,
The other side Extreamly terrible
With furious Haile and Snow most horrible,
Whirling and overturning all things there:
Both filld with souls of men that tossed were
From side to side by th'fury of these gusts
A recompence unto their sins and lusts.
Th'Intolerable Flames did make them leap
Unto the other Side where th'Cold so Great
Did make them skip again into the flames.
And thus they torturde are in endless pains.
And while I saw innumerable Ghosts
And Ugly Spirits in those torments rost
I thought this might parhaps be hell whose flash
I oft had heard intollerable was.
My guide before me said deem no such thing.
This is not Hell these soules are tortur'd in.
He led me all amazd to th'further side
Where suddenly all Darkness did us hide.
Wherein I nothing saw except the shape
And Vest of him that thither did me take.
And going on in darkness through the shades,
There wallop up oft balls of Flames t'invade's,
As leaping out of a Deep Pit profound,
And down they flap again with dismall sound.
And here my guide slinks from [me] suddenly.
And left me here where balls of fire out fly
And down do flap again, in which I spide
Men's spirits wafted up, and down beside
Which those flames vomited like ashes light
And smoake, which fell down in the gulph from sight
Again, and in these vapours issued out
A Stinck incomparable all about.
And while I trembling stood and what to do
I could not tell, a dreadfull sound came to
Mine ears of Cruell wretched Weeping, and
Of yawling Laughter of Fowl Spirits Damn'd
To se the Souls of men thus ban filled
There in these fires, and never Cancilled.
So far as I could know one of these men
A Shavling was, Clarke like, another then
A laick, and a Certain woman too
Was there, and these the Wicked Spirits drew
To tumble in this pit of burning fire.
Then Horrid sound did less distinct me tire.
But some of the Black Fiends ascended yet
Out of the flame spitting deep Whirly pit
Surround me paw upon me gusting out
With flaming Eye: from mouth and Nosthrills stout,
A stinking fire, and threat'ned mee to take
Proabing with red hot tongues from th'firy lake.
I thus shut up on evry side with foes
And blindness great of Darkness, my Eye goes
Me round each way, if I could succor spy,
And back the way I came here I descry
Therein a Light as of a Star that shines,
In darkness, which grew lighter in its lines,
Which when it came unto me all these fi[e]nds
With firy tongs are scattred, fly like winds.
And he that brought me hither now appears
To Chase them all away. Thus farewell fears.
And turning on the Right hand way, begun
To have me to the Winter rising Sun.
Now soon he led me out, darkness goodnight,
Into the air of a most serene light,
Where I espide the fastest wall, whose length
This and that way, and height's beyond Extendth:
Without Gate, Window, Stares, whereat amazd,
Yet on its top, I knew not how, we're raisd,
And lo, there was a Field there lay most wide
And pleasant too with fragrant flowers beside,
And such a Light, that was more Cleare, full soon,
Above the shining Day, or Sun at noon.
Innumerable Packs of men and thrones
Of Joyous troops possesst it for their own.
And now methought this Heaven was which I
Had often heard held out, top full of joy.
My Guide replide, This is not Heaven, nay,
But going on I spide before me lay
A greater Grace of light by far than this,
Filld with the Voice of Singers most sweet, yes
And fragrent Oders wonderfull, that that
I felt before seemd very small thereat.
And when I hopt to enter in't, my Guide
Stood sudden still, and back again did slide.
But turning back, when we came nigh unto
Those joyous Mansions of these spirits who
Were all in White, Knowst what these things, saith he,
Are, which thou sawst? I answerd No. These be
Saith he, as follow, lo, the Vale of Fire
And Cold, 's the place where those that do expire
Without repentance till last gasp, are tride
And in their Souls Chasetisd, cause then they Cride.
And in the judgment day they savd shall bee,
By Prayrs, Alms, Fasts, and Masses of men free
Done for them here. But that Flame belching pit
Is Hells own mouth, none in't get out of it.
But that floriferous place wherein thou spidst
All sparkling Youth most beautifull reside
Is that wherein the Souls are welcom'd which
Went from the bodie forth in good works rich.
But such as are in er'y Word, Work, thought
Compleatly perfect, shall forth with be brought
Into th'Celestiall Kingdom when they die,
To which this place of sweetest songs lies by.
But seing thou must turn again to live
With men unto thy body, se thou give
Thy selfe to such an Exact, perfect life
That after death thy Soule with joys most rife
Unto these mansions of blesst Spirits may,
Conducted bee without all Stop or Stay.
But speaking thus, I did detest to goe
Back to my body, being enravisht so
With sweetness and the Glory of the place,
And with the Consorts there mine Eyes did trace.
Yet durst not ask my Guide a jot hereof.
But soon I know not how I was steerd of
And finde myselfe With men again am brought.

Beda Hist. Ecc lib. 5. C

What monkishness is this? Oh mischiefe fraught.
Poore Souls neglecting faithfull Teachers bright
Turning to Romish Ceremonies our plight
Are quickly gulld thus by the Divell who
Turns Monk and Ape to mock them so and so.

694

Saint Sebba, Beda said, spied three men gay
Who told him forehand right his dying day.
Whose Coffin all of Stone to narrow by
Four fingers for the Corps im'ediatly
Grew larger of itselfe and took it in.
This was a Miracle: or monkish thing.
Its irksom here to amble through the store
Of monkish sloughs, my Patience waits no more
These lying Wonders: for in ev'ry Crink
The Divell plays hide, and seek, while mortalls winke.
And under ev'ry leafe He and his lies
Do ly, that patience makes her Glory rise
While he by monkish stuff beguils souls thus.
Wherefore I leave this head and farther lash.