St Paul's late progres upon earth, about a divorce 'twixt Christ and the Church of Rome, by reason of her dissolutenes and excesses. With the causes of these present commotions 'twixt the Pope, and the princes of Italy. A new way of invention agreeable to the times. Published by James Howell, Armig.

SECT. XVII.

The Angell readily offers to do Saint Pauls will, but first he relates to him what he over-heard in a Parlatory of Nuns, whither out of curiosity he betook himselfe

I Shall obey, O holy Paul, your in∣structions, and will instantly carry your Letter consign'd to the Princes, inspiring them for the recovery of your sword from Ʋr∣bans

hand: But be pleas'd to hear what I lately understood in a Parla∣tory of Nuns; for perchance it will not be impertinent for you to annex this to your proces, expressing the grievances of the unhappiest crea∣tures, living under Christs Law.

You know already, O Apostle of God, that I am of those Angels, which never descended before to Earth, and if in strange Countries the curious mind of the Passenger desires to satisfie it self, I confes that amongst other things which I de∣sir'd to see, one was a Monastery of Nuns, who were so much spoken of in Heaven, that I took them to be Angels on Earth. Being come therfore to one of the prime Cities of Italy,, I took the forme of a

strange youth, and entred at the privatest hower I could into a Mo∣nachall Parlatory. I found at the windowes a young Nun, which had no other busines it seems, but to attend the comming of some body. I was scarce spyed by her, when she ask'd me an account of my Country, and what fancy took me to traverse the world up and down in that manner, I, bethinking my self of Heaven, answered, my Country, most gentle Sister, is too far distant from this place, and wherunto few of this Region arrive Touching the fancy that leads me thus to traverse up and down the world, it is no other, then a curiosity, which often drawes youthfull lightnes to neg∣lect their own profit, and to regard

others. Foolish youthfulnes, which canst not learn how to value thy Countries good but afar off; then I added, happy are they, who never departing from within the Paradise of these holy wals, seem as so many Angels alwayes appearing before the face of God. She being as full of spirit as she was, of beauty, an∣swered thus:

O how many os us would wil∣lingly change our Paradise for your Peregrination, wherfore then do you complain so causlesly of your Travels? which being no other then the motions of a civill life, it cannot chuse but be so much the sweeter to elevated minds, by how much the higher the motions of their souls are: Behold the Sun, behold the

Planets, which never staying still in one place, delight to be continuall Travellers in the Vnivers. I being much taken with the vivacity of her spirit, replyed:

It is true Lady, that the Sun and the Planets are in a kind of continu∣all peregrination; but ther are in Heaven fixed Stars also, which, be∣cause haply they are more noble, are superior to the other, and conse∣quently nearer to the Throne of the Almighty. Those Nuns then, who to serve God are alwayes permanent in one place, like the fixed Stars, may more then any other Mortals, com∣fort themselves with an assurance that they are nearer God. The beau∣tuous mayden sigh'd at these words, and then answered:

God, I deny not, dwels nearer to the fixed Stars, but not to desperat souls; And now you discover your self to be a true stranger, that you are not acquainted with our miserable condition. The cruelty of our pa∣rents, and the rigor of our destiny hath penn'd us in here for ever; the Church of Rome concurring herunto by admitting any pretext whatso∣ever, bear with me Sir, that I speak thus. It is a hard fate to be borne to a perpetuall prison, while 'tis seen, that all other living creatures have the whole world to solace themselves in; And that prison, which it seems the very Infants do fly from, when they sally out of their mothers wombs, before they have as it were any sense of life, we are constrain'd

to endure, after that nature hath gi∣ven-us the perfect use of sense, and life, and the knowledge of our own miseries; the destiny of that Mortall must needs be a hard one, who is born to live in restles infelicity. This Cloyster, which surrounds our liberty, is not as you imagine, a Para∣dise; for in Paradise there dwels no discontentment; It is rather a Hell, where in the flames of inextingui∣shible desire, the naturall affections of our humanity are condemn'd to be tortur'd every minute. I will not stand to expresse the cause why our Parents are so inhumanly cruell unto us, for it is too well known, that for to spare that dowry which is due to our sex, they condemne us 'twixt these wals, to be depriv'd for ever of

any worldly delight, for no other cause, but because we are borne wo∣men. Yet you must know, that the shutting us thus by force between these stones, cannot deprive us of those carnall affections, which may well be cover'd, but not quench'd in that religious habit which you see about us; Nor can this kind of life conduce to Heaven, considering ther is no concurrence of the will, which is so acceptable to the all-knowing Lord. We are rather destinated to an Abisse, by a cours clean contrary to our genius, being bereft also of that common priviledge, which other souls use to have to go to Hell what way they please. In ancient times it was the custom to slay the Victimes first, and then sacrifice them to good,

because haply the principall Seat of the corporeall affections lying in the bloud, 'twas not held convenient to offer his divine Majesty any Holo∣caust, which was not first purg'd by effusion of that bloud from all earth∣ly passions; But this is not observ'd in us by our Parents, who do make sacrifices of us, with all our bloud and passions about us▪ then how can we beleeve that it is gratefull to God? and being not gratefull to him, consider in what a despair our souls are plung'd in, which see them∣selves shut out of the world here, without any assurance to enter Hea∣ven herafter, in regard we have not power to extinguish our naturall affections, and so are in danger to precipitat our selves headlong into

Hell, through a kind of suppos'd in∣nocence, If Christ died to reduce us to such a hard condition, O how better were it for us that he had not died. Be not offended, O stranger, at these words, for the toungs of the damned can bring forth nothing but blasphemies: Yet we know that Christ hath no hand in this our hard condition, for▪ his death had for it's principall object the freedome and enlargement of souls, not their cap∣tivity. The Popes are most in fault, by yeelding to the cruell covetousnes of our Parents, to transvert the keyes of Paradise iuto the keyes of a prison. It was not Christ, no, it was the im∣piety of Herod, that, by reason of the humanation of our Saviour caus'd so many Innocents to be slain. Behold,

we are in a case equall to theirs, be∣cause we being yet innocent chil∣dren, under a mark of holines, we are segregated and cut off from the society of the living, ther being no difference 'twixt us and them, but that they died before buriall, and we are buried before death. Nor can our innocency, or our fears pre∣vaile any thing; nor are those privi∣ledges sufficient, which nature hath granted these faces of ours (for which peradventure you stiled us Angels) to implore from others piety any succour, having found the Church of Rome so ingratefull, while we consider that the time was when Saint Peter was freed by an Angell out of prison; but now clean contrary Angels are cast into

prison by the Successors of Saint Pe∣ter.

But whither doth the violence of a just passion transport me thus to rave? Helas, the name of Angels doth not suit with our condition, and lesse with our operations: For although we are brought Innocents hither, yet we cannot preserve our selves long in this Monastick life from the motions of desperat passi∣ons; The Religion which clap'd us in here is not ador'd, but detested by some of us; vanity and feminine wantonnes is here in the height; Here dwels curiosity in exces, and desire of knowledge in worldly matters without end; Ambition, envy, discord, and hatred, is never wanting amongst us: Lastly, her's

observ'd neither constitution, Law, or vow, but out of pure necessity, and unavoydable violence. But what shall I say of that mayden cha∣stity for the conservation wherof we are principally penn'd in here? I leave that for you to imagine, it being not permitted to femal modesty to make any further expressions in this kind; I only tell you this, that we procure all means possible to outrage and abuse it, and not without reason, for if this chastity hath bin the principall thing that hath retrench'd our Li∣berties in this manner, we ought to aym and bend our chiefest forces to be reveng'd of our chiefest Enemy. And here this beautuous Nun blush'd, and broke the thread of her discours.

I confssse unto you, O holy Paul, that if I had a breast capable of ter∣rene affections, I would doubtles have tenderly resented the misery of this discontented soul; but compas∣sion is vain, wher ther is no power to comfort; therfore I held it expe∣dient to take my leave, that I might not imbitter her passions any fur∣ther; so at my departure I said, when I came in hither, O most beautuous Nuns, I look'd upon you as on so ma∣ny Seraphims; but hearing the state of your hard condition, I find you to be the unhappiest creatures that live under the Law of Christ. Were it permitted me to help you, I pro∣mise you I would batter down these wals, and give you that liberty which others take from you; but since 'tis

not lawfull for any to do so, comfort your selves at least, that Heaven is reserv'd for your suffrances. And al∣though you protest not to suffer for Christ; yet Christ is so mercifull, that he can give beatitudes to those Cyre∣neans, who carry his Crosse, though forc'd therunto: And I dare assure you, that if you cannot gain Heaven as Virgins, you shall gain it at least as Martyrs.