A world of vvonders: or An introduction to a treatise touching the conformitie of ancient and moderne wonders or a preparatiue treatise to the Apologie for Herodotus. The argument whereof is taken from the Apologie for Herodotus written in Latine by Henrie Stephen, and continued here by the author himselfe. Translated out of the best corrected French copie.

CHAP. XXVI. How that as there are stranger sinnes committed at this day then euer before, so God inflicts stranger punishments vpon the authors and inuentors of them.

SAint Augustine among many his memorable sayings, hath one very notable and worthy so excellent an author, viz. that if God should openly punish euery sinne and transgression in this life, it would be thought he reserued no punishment for the last iudgement. On the other side, if he should not inflict open and exemplary punishment vpon some offenders, men wold not beleeue that there were a diuine prouidence. Therefore when we see any breake forth into hainous enormities, and yet to scape scot-free, (at leastwise for aught we know) we should call not onely our religion but our wits also into question, if we should hereupon inferre, that wicked men es∣cape the heauy hand of God, and that their sinnes remaine vnpunished. And ve∣rily I cannot but wonder what should be the reason that this point cannot sinke into the heads of Christians, considering the very heathē haue by the dim candle-light of naturall reason attained to this secret of Gods prouidence: as we may see in Plutarch, and in the greatest part of Poets, as namely in certaine verses alleadged by Iustin Martyr. Notwithstanding there is a further point to be marked, viz. that God doth not onely inflict outward or ciuill punishments vpon men, such as ma∣gistrates are wont to do▪ but reserueth some to himselfe which the bodily eye can∣not see, which he manifesteth when it seemeth good vnto him. These are the ex∣quisite torments and tortures which wicked men endure in their consciences, not for an houre or a day, but for many yeares together. Nay he suffereth oftentimes the worme of conscience to gnaw vpon them almost al their liues long. But if this punishment (may some say) be so secret and hid from the eye of man, how can we reason or speake thereof? Verily to omit infinite testimonies as well in sacred as prophane stories, this hell of conscience discouereth it selfe in sundry persons by his effects, as Physitions do diseases by their symptomes, though neuer so secret and couered ouer with neuer so faire a skin. And as great men in times past were more obnoxious and liable to such distresse of conscience (as stories record of sun∣dry tyrants:) so we see it verified at this day▪ in such as are aduanced to the highest honors, and set (as it were) on the top of fortunes wheele, after they once forget themselues: and how they are necessarily inforced by their continuall cariage and course of life to verifie the old saying, Needs must he feare many, whom many do feare▪

whereof we haue a very pregnant proofe and notable example of one in these dayes, who dealt with France for a time, as Diogenes did with his tub, when he rol∣led it, tumbled & tossed it, ouerturned it, and knocked out the head of it, or rather played at tennis with that kingdome and the King thereof. For what ioy (may we thinke) can he haue to liue (what shew soeuer he make) who feareth nothing more then armes, and yet hath nothing wherein he may put more confidence then in armes? who dare trust no liuing man, nor yet make shew that he distrusteth any? Whose feare, which lodgeth with him at home, accompanieth him also abroade? who is constrained to put no difference betweene friends and foes, but equally suspecteth all? In summe, who the more he thinks vpon the occasions of his feare, the more he hath cause to feare? May we not well thinke that such a man begin∣neth his hell in this world, in stead of enioying some small pleasure in the remain∣der of his life? Could a man haue desired of God a better reuenge for his Cre∣tismes, Catelinismes and Phalarismes, then this? But to come to other wicked men, who are not aduanced to so high a degree of honor, but are glad to crouch to such gallants: All men might haue taken notice (at leastwise heard) how the Lieutenant who was graced by a French Poet with the title of Radamanthus, and (who deser∣ued in a double respect to be called Lieutenant criminall) was seized vpon with a grieuous disease (as I heard it reported by the Colledge of Phisitions which had him in cure,) during which sicknesse he had such a serious consideration of his life past, that he lay a long time before any man could perswade him but that he was condemned to be hanged. Alas (said he) I know I haue deserued death: for I haue committed such and such extortion: I had a hand in such and such rapine: I suffe∣red my selfe to be bribed and corrupted by malefactors, to the end they might es∣cape and go vnpunished: I haue too roughly and rigorously intreated poore inno∣cents: to be short, I haue made merchandize of my cōscience euery way. And not cōtent to houer thus in generalities, he came in particular, to name those of whose death he thought himselfe guilty, and to ask them forgiuenesse. At last he remem∣bred that the King had often shewed mercy on malefactors, and thereupon con∣ceiuing some wanne hope, he was euer harping vpon that string. Now albeit they laboured to confirme him in this conceiued hope of pardon, yet he no sooner con∣sidered the hainousnesse of his offences, but he was straight driuen from his hold againe, and said, that if the King should once know them, he would neuer pardon him. And in feare of this accursed death (whereunto he thought they were ready to leade him) had this poore patient died, had it not bin for one of his Phisitions who caused a man to come booted and spurred with letters patents in his hand, and to knocke boldly at the doore, and as soone as he was let in, to cry pardon, pardon: which was accordingly performed, yet not without putting him (poore soule) in danger of his life; for hauing heard him knocke in that maner at the gate, he perswaded himselfe that it was the hangman. And though the party suborned knew well enough how to play his part, yet could he scarce make him beleeue that the King had pardoned him. But being brought in the end to beleeue it, & so to pluck vp a good heart, he liued some few daies after. Howbeit ere long he chan∣ged this miserable life into a more miserable death, as we shall heare in the se∣quel of this discourse. In the meane time let the Reader consider in what misery he must of necessity be, who was thus assaulted of his conscience. For then doubt∣lesse by reason of his disease which distempered his braine and intoxicated his vn∣derstanding, he shewed himselfe to be the man which in truth he was. And we may well think that the Chancelour of France felt no lesse conflict in conscience,

when lying on his death bed he cryed out, Ah Cardinall, thou hast sent vs all to the Diuell.

2 But I passe from this secret punishment (which we may assure our selues hath seazed vpon many) to that which we see dayly before our eyes. First then, the holy Scripture teacheth vs to acknowledge the hand of God in warres, pestilence and famine, executing his iust iudgements vpon vs for our sinnes. Whereof the preachers (before alleadged) haue not bene vnmindfull to admonish vs. As when Menot saith, Quae est causa quod ••ames toties regnat super terram, nisi peccata & iniqui∣tates enormes quae nunc regnant? And Barelete, Nonne vidisti temporibus clapsis, Itali∣am peste percussam? Verè hoc totum propter peccata inaudita hominum & multerū. Fur∣ther, Menot saith of blasphemers in particular, that God sends them a red rose of Naples. Now then if such punishments be sure and certen testimoners of sinnes raigning in the world, and that they haue increased euen in these dayes: we may hereupon conclude, that sinne is likewise much increased. Howebeit, my purpose is not to insist vpon these ordinarie chastisements, but rather to shew (as the title of this chapter occasioneth me) that as our Age aboundeth with more rare villanies then euer were knowne or heard of in former time: So God inflicts farre stranger punishments vpon men for the same. For proofe herof, how many new & strange diseases are there at this day raging in all places? And surely great reason there is, that as men are not content with the sinnes of their ancestors, but adde new to the old: so God in like manner should not content himselfe with ordinary punish∣ments, but should adde vnto them extraordinary plagues. As he hath punished whoredome of late with that disease which the Frenchmen call the Neapolitane disease, they of Naples and other Italians, the French disease: But such hath bin the frowardnesse of the wicked will of man, that that which should haue bene as a bri∣dle to curbe and keepe him in, hath bene as a spur to prick him forward, especially since there were remedies to cure such maladies. And now the report goeth, that there is a new kind of French poxe, the Quintessence (as it were) of the former, which is simply incurable; which if it be so, we may assure our selues, God would therby teach vs how dangerous a thing it is to harden our hearts against his heauy hand. And may we not well thinke these so many strange maladies (in which Phy∣sitions are not onely put to their trumps, but euen at a non plus) such and so many fearefull iudgements which God inflicts vpon the meaner sort by the mighty: and vpon great potentates by poore paysants: so many sundry sorts of death more so∣daine and fearefull, yea and often accompanied with greater despaire and rage thē our Ancestors euer saw or heard of, to be new chastisements or rather punish∣ments sent of God? Yes doubtlesse, whereof we might find sundry examples if we would but open our eyes to behold such spectacles, as often as they offer them∣selues to our viewe. I haue heretofore shewed (where I spake of such as made a∣way themselues) how Bonauenture de Periers (author of that detestable booke cal∣led Cymbalum mundi) notwithstanding the pains that his friends tooke in keeping and watching him (for that they saw him in a desperate moode,) was found to haue run vpon his sword, hauing set the pomell to the ground, the point running in at his breast, and out at his backe. I haue further spoken of a secretary of a towne of Switzerland, who pressed with a sence & feeling of his wicked life (hauing made a scape from his keepers) cast himselfe (with Razes) from a high rocke and so dyed; since which time sūdry like stories haue come to my mind. But to omit those who by Gods iust iudgement haue bene their owne executioners; certen it is that there are many who dye in their beds, in no lesse despaire & rage then they: who doubt∣lesse,

would haue made the like end, if there had not bene a narrow watch set ouer them. The number of which would be found to be great if enquiry were made. But I will here onely speake of certain persecutors, who in the end haue bene pur∣sued (as I may say) and persecuted by the iust iudgement of God, and that vpon the open stage (as it were) in the view of the world. And I will beginne with the Lieutenant Criminall (mentioned in the beginning of this chapter) who be∣ing recouered of a dangerous disease wherein he had bene sore troubled in con∣science, was shortly after striken with another in his legs (called the wolfe) in such sort that he lost the vse of his limmes, and dyed in the end be••traught of his wits, after he had a long time barked (as it were) at God, as the dogge at the Moone, ha∣uing nothing in his mouth but wounds, blood, and blasphemy. The Chancellor and Legate du Prat made no fairer market, notwithstanding his braue hospitall (of which king Francis the first was wont to say, that it was not large enough to lodge so many poore people as he had impouerished. For he died at his Honor of Nan∣touillet, of a strange disease hauing his stomacke eaten thorow with wormes, not without fearefull cursing of God through extreame impatience, occasioned as∣well by extremitie of paine, as through spite and anger to see all his coffers sealed vp before his face: so that he could not refrain but breake forth into these words: See what is gotten by seruing the king with body and soule? This du Prat was the first that put vp a bil in the court of parliament for the detection of heresies, because (as he said) they were full of blasphemy; who also being wearied with that long and tedious suite in the cause of Berquin, gaue out the first commission for the exami∣nation, arraignement and condemnation of such as should speake against the Ro∣mane religion. And what befell the now deceassed Steuen Poncher Archbishop of Towres, whilst he laboured for the erecting of a new court, called the burning chamber? was he not seazed vpon by a feareful disease called Le feu de Dieu, which began at his heeles, and crept along to his head, so that he was constrained to cut off one limme after another, and in the end dyed miserably, vsing no better lan∣guage then his fellowes? The like befell one Iohn Ruzé counsellour of the Parlia∣ment; who was one of the greatest burners in his time (I mean one that raised the hottest persecutiō against the professors of the Gospel, that they might be brought to the stake) For as he returned from a court which he had kept against them, he was taken with the aforesaid disease in his stomacke and priuie parts, so that he had much ado to get home: the extremity whereof was such, that hauing in a manner burnt vp his entrals, it caused him to end his daies in great misery, the rather for that he did not once acknowledge the iust iudgement of God. And as the ven∣geāce of God was speedily executed vpō him, so was it also vpō another counsel∣lour of the same court called Claudius des Asses; for the very same day that he had sē∣tenced a Protestant to fry a fagot, as he was playing the knaue with one of his chā∣bermaids, he was taken with an Apoplexie in the fact, and so dyed. Likewise one Iohn Andrew, a Stationer (who serued these persecutors and their complices, for a spy) as he was walking for his recreation, was taken with a frenzie which neuer left him to the houre of his deth, which followed shortly after. We reade also of strāge iudgements which befell those that were the chiefe agents in the persecution rai∣sed against the poore people of Cabriere and Merindoll; by all which we learne, that those who escape the hands of men, ought alwaies to remember the old Prouerb, He is not escaped that traileth his halter. For verily such wretches (though quit and cleared by earthly Iudges) if we respect diuine Iustice, draw their halters after thē, not onely in this life, but after death also. Which I speake aswell in regard of Iohn

Menier Lord of Oppede, as of others, who were so sentenced for extortion, pilling and polling, spoiling and sacking, violence, and all manner of barbarous and sa∣uadge cruelties which they exercised vpō the inhabitants of those places, contrary to their oathes and promises, and the trust reposed in them; that whereas it was ex∣pected that after so many notable pleas & orations in which their knaueries were excellently displaied and laid forth (as it were) in orient colours, such exemplary punishment should haue bene shewed on them, as might remaine a memorial and perpetuall president to posterity: It appeared in the end, that all was nothing but a faire florish for fashion sake. Now albeit they escaped the punishment which Iu∣stice allotted them, through the iniustice of men: yet escaped they not the hand of the Iust Iudge, as hath bene said. Menier and the rest of that rout felt it very feare∣fully, by a strangury and a disease called Le feu de Dieu, which burnt him from the nauel vpward: which grieuous diseases he bare so patiently, that frō the time they seazed vpon him till the last gaspe, he ceased no to blaspheme and curse his creator; little remembring the examples of many holy Saints and seruants of God whom he had heard singing Halleluiah in the midst of their torments, euen then when he most cruelly butchered them. Neither is there any maruail to be made of this difference, considering hee suffered as a fellon and a murtherer, they as Mar∣tyrs. But to omit these cruell cutthroates of the Popish Clergie, who persecuted the poore Protestants of Prouence before the Lord of Oppede came amongst them; there was a Iacobin Frier called de Roma (of whose cruelties I haue spoken some∣what before) who felt the beauy hand of God as well as his fellowes: for vnder colour of his commission (being one of the holy Inquisition) he tyrānized as well ouer the bodies as the goods of those whom he had found to swarue from the Church of Rome, and withdrawing himselfe to Auinion, intended to make merry with the prey and pillage he had brought out of Prouence. But the polling extorti∣oner was spoiled of all that he had by his owne seruants, and brought to extreme beggery: and shortly after fell into a fearfull disease vnknowne to the Physitions which bred vlcers in sundry places of his body so full of crawling wormes that his flesh fell away by peacemeale, stinking so intollerably that no man (no nor yet himself) could endure the smell therof. In the end it grew to that extremity that he desired some man would kil him; and perceiuing that al was but in vain, he offered to lay violent hands vpon himselfe, but finding not how he might put his wicked purpose in execution, he was cōstrained to vndergo his torments vnto the end; not without many outcries or rather howlings, accompanied with cursing & blasphe∣ming the name of God: the common and ordinary refuge for such wicked wret∣ches when they feele themselues ouerwhelmed with dolor and greefe. And here another story comes fitly to my mind, of one who is not wont to be forgotten, when we speake of the iudgements of God, to wit, Petrus Castellanus, in whom we haue as notable an example of diuine Iustice as in any whosoeuer. For hauing bin a zealous professor of the Gospell, in the raigne of king Francis the first, in such sort that he incurred the ill will of the Sorbonists (which he then litle respected, by rea∣son of the great fauour he was in with the foresaid Prince) he turned coate in the raigne of king Henrie the second, because he saw the professors of the Gospell had no countenance in the court: in such sort that a man would little haue thought it had bene he which professed true religion before; and not content to temporize and turne like the wether cocke with euery waft of contrary wind, he went to Or∣leans (hauing bene newly installed Bishop of that See) to preach against the religi∣on which before he had professed: whither being come, he gaue them two or three

strawbery sermons. And as he was on a time belching out his blasphemies against the truth and his owne conscience, he was taken suddenly with a disease, which made his Lordship come downe after another manner then he went vp. The re∣port goes, that one halfe of his body was as hot as fire, and the other halfe as cold as ice, ioyned with a bloudy flixe, whereof he died not long after, not without ma∣ny throbs and fearfull grones. I am here to intreat thee (gentle Reader) not to take offence that I point out some men in particular, and describe them by their names, contrary to the course I haue taken almost throughout this whole treatise; desiring thee to remember that I am not the first that haue broken the ice, seeing I deliuer these things but at the second hand, as I find them set downe in three seueral books lately published. I shall further desire thee to consider, that such stories as these, seruing so notably to set forth the iust iudgements of God, ought authentically to be recorded. Notwithstanding I wil spare the naming of two others, for that I find them no where named. One of which (I take it) is yet liuing, who albeit he made profession of the Gospell at the first, yet after he had courted it a while, he did so turne and temporize, so apply and accōmodate himself to the fancies, fashions and humors of the Court, that like Hercules enthralled to Queene Omphale, or Sampson besotted with his Dalila, he was so lulled asleepe in his mistris lap, that he quite lost his former credit & reputatiō: so that he that had heard him, wold litle haue thoght he had bene the man whom God had endued with such exact knowledge in the tongues and arts, that since that time his match could hardly be found. The second is of one who had bene Counseller to the French king Henry the second, and em∣ployed by him in sundry Embassages; who giuing a finall farewell to the truth which formerly he had professed (fearing lest it would lie as a blocke in the way to his preferment) lost forthwith his sense and vnderstanding, in such sort that he became a meer sot and a senslesse thing. And we haue had within these few yeares such rare examples of Gods iudgements euen vpon Princes themselues, and of so late and fresh memory that they cannot easily be forgotten, and therfore I spare to name particulars.

3 Now the reason which moued me to alleadge such examples of the iudge∣ments of God as haue befallen persecutors rather then others, is for that such per∣secution is proper and peculiar to these dayes and times: wherein crueltie and all kind of impietie like a great deluge haue broken the bankes, and ouerflowed in more fearfull maner then euer before: whereof we haue seene what hath bene the issue and euent, and God grant that it may be both the begin∣ning and the end of all such tragedies and tur∣bulent garboiles.