Saint Augustines confessions translated: and with some marginall notes illustrated. Wherein, diuers antiquities are explayned; and the marginall notes of a former Popish translation, answered. By William Watts, rector of St. Albanes, Woodstreete

CHAP. 8. The Conuersion of Euodius. A discourse of his Mother.

1. THou that makest men of one mind to dwell in one house, didst bring Euodius a young man of our owne City, also to consort himselfe with vs. Who beeing an Officer of Court, was conuerted vnto thee and baptized be∣fore vs, and hauing quit his a 1.1 Colours in his secular war∣fare, had deuoted himselfe to fight vnder thy baenner. We kept company with one ano∣ther, intending still to dwell together in our deuout pur∣pose; and seeking out now for some place where wee might more conueniently serue thee in, wee remoo∣ued therevpon backe againe into Affrica: whither ward

being on our way as farre as a 1.2 Ostia, my mother departed this life. Many things doe I ouerpasse, because I make hast. Receiue my Confessions and Thankesgiuings, O my God, for innumerable things which I am silent in. But omit I will not whatsoeuer my soule can bring forth concerning that Handmaid of thine, which brought forth mee: both in her flesh, that I might be borne againe, to this temporall light; and in her heart too, that I might bee borne againe to the eternall Light. I will remem∣ber, not her gifts, but thine in her. For neyther did she giue birth nor education vnto her∣selfe.

2. For then createdst her, nor did her father and mother know, what kinde of crea∣ture was to proceede out of their loynesd And it was the Scepter of thy Christ, the di∣scipline

of thine onely Sonne, that educated her in thy feare, in a house of Christians, which was a good member of thy Church. Yet was shee wont not so much to commend the bare diligence of her mother in her education, as the care of a certayne decrepite seruant of hers, who had also carried her father being a Child, as little ones vse to be carried at the backes of bigger maid∣seruants. For which reason, * 1.3 and because shee was well in yeeres, and of excellent con∣uersation; was shee in that Christian family, very well re∣spected by her master and mistresse: hauing thereupon the charge of her mistresses daughters committed vnto her; which she with much di∣ligence performed, being sharp to hold them in, (when neede so required) with a ho∣ly seuerity, and vsing a graue

manner of discretion in tea∣ching of them. For except at those houres wherein they were most temperately fed at their parents table, would shee not suffer them (were they neuer so thirsty) to drink so much as a draught of wa∣ter; preuenting thereby a naughty custome, and gi∣uing them this wholesome Item withall; Goe to, now yee drinke water, because you are not suffered to haue wine: but when once you come to bee marryed, and bee made Mistresses of Buttries and Cellars, you will scorne wa∣ter then, but the custome of drinking will preuaile vpon you.

3. By this way of tuto∣ring, and the authority shee had in awing of them, did shee moderate the longing of their tender ages, yea and brought the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thirst to so

honest a moderation, as that now they would not of them∣selues take more liberty, then what was comely. But there stole for all this, (as thy hand-maide told mee her sonne:) there stole vpon her, a licko∣tish inclination toward wine. For when (as the manner was,) Thee, being thought to bee a sober mayden, was bidden by her parents some∣times to draw Wine out of the Hogs-head, she holding the d 1.4 Pot vnder the Tappe would at the mouth of it, be∣fore shee powred the Wine into the Flagon, wet her lipes as it were with a little sippe of it: for much would not her taste suffer her to take in.

For she did not this out of any drunken desire, but vpon such ouerflowing excesses as yo••th is subiect vnto, who boyle

ouer with gamesomenesse: which in youthfull spirits is wont to bee kept vnder, by the grauity of their el∣ders.

3. And thus vnto that Mo∣dicum euery day adding a lit∣tle more, (for who-euer con∣temneth small things, shall fall * 1.5 by little and little,) fell shee at last to get such a custome, that shee would greedily take off her Cups brimmefull almost of wine. Where was then that watchfull old woman, with all her earnest counter∣mending? was any thing of force enough to preuaile a∣gainst a secret disease, if thy physicke, O Lord, did not watch ouer vs? Her father, mother, and gouernours not being by, thy selfe being at hand, who createdst, who cal∣le•••• vs, who also by meanes of these people that are set ouer vs, workest somthing towards

the saluation of our soules, what didst thou at that time, O my God? how didst thou cure her? which way didst thou heale her? didst thou not out of that other womans soule bring forth a hard and a sharpe Checke, as it were a Chirurgions knife out of thy secret store; and with one blow quite cut off that putri∣fied custome of hers?

4. For that old mayd which shee vsed to goe with∣all into the Celler, falling to * 1.6 words (as it happened) hand to hand with her little mi∣stresse, hither in the teeth in a most bitter insulting manner, calling her Wine-bibber: with which taunt she being struck to the quicke, reflected vpon the fowlenesse of her fault, yea and instantly condemnd it in her selfe, ••auing it quite.

Euen as friends by flattering make vs worse so enemies of∣tentimes

by reproaching, make vs better:

Yet shalt not thou render vnto them according to that which by them thou doest, but according to that which themselues intended. For she being in choler, had a desire rather to vex her young mistris, then to amend her; and therefore did shee it thus pri∣uately: eyther for that the oportunity of the time, and place of their brabble found them thus alone; or else for feare her selfe should haue had anger, for discouering it no sooner.

But thou, O Lord, the Go∣uernor both of heauenly and earthly things, who conuer∣test to thine owne purposes the very depths of the run∣ning streames, and disposest of the trouble some reuolutions of all ages •• didst by the fury of one soule, thus cure the ill custome of another: And that

lest any man, when hee ob∣serues this, should attribute it vnto his owne power, if a∣nother man chance to bee re∣formed by a word of his, whom f 1.7 hee meant indeede to haue reformed.

Notes

• a 1.1

  These A∣gentes in Rebus, were of the Sol∣diery, out of which the Empe∣rour chose some to serue his person in Court, and other∣where. See our note vpon cap. 7 lib. 8.
• a 1.2

  The Port∣town•• next to Rome, where they tooke ship for Affrica.
• * 1.3

  Pick-pack according to the Country fashion perchance or else for sport sake.
• d 1.4

  I suppose the pot in∣to which the wine was drawn from the tap, had a little spout by which it was pow∣red into a handsomer flagon, which was to stand vpon the liuery cup∣boord.
• * 1.5

  Ecclus. 19. 1
• * 1.6

  Ad cuppam vnto the Pype or Hoggs-head.
• f 1.7

  The for∣mer Trans∣later is here bold to crosse the sence by putting in of a nega∣tiue whom be meant not to reforme.