The holy court in five tomes, the first treating of motives which should excite men of qualitie to Christian perfection, the second of the prelate, souldier, states-man, and ladie, the third of maxims of Christianitie against prophanesse ..., the fourth containing the command of reason over the passions, the fifth now first published in English and much augemented according to the last edition of the authour containing the lives of the most famous and illustrious courtiers taken out of the Old and New Testament and other modern authours / written in French by Nicholas Caussin ; translated into English by Sr. T.H. and others.

Moralities.

1. THe spirit of man is wretched, and makes it self business by being disquieted with pet∣ty little things: and tormenting it self with formalities, whiles it lives in a deep neglect of all that which is most essential to her salvation. The Pharisees did place their perfections in washing themselves every hour of the day; in bearing writs of the Law upon their foreheads, and thorns upon their heels; but made no scruple to take away the honour due to fathers and mothers from their children; to make spoil of the world by a ravenous avarice (which took upon it the appearance of piety) and to give up innocent bloud under shew of justice. The world doth now furnish it self with such like devotions. Some make it a sin to look

upon a fair flower with delight: to eat with a good appetite: to drink cool wine in hot weather: to burn a paper, upon which the name of Jesus is written: to tread upon two straws that lie a cross. But to set money to usury, to remember injuries for ever, to keep a poor workmans wages, to oppress the weak, to accuse the innocent, to spoil miserable persons: These are the little sins which pass for virtues in this world. Assure your self that such proceedings are abominable before God: and there can be no better devotion in the world, than to have a true and right feeling of God, and to live in honesty, not sophisti∣cated, but such as is produced out of the pure lights of nature. The conscience of hypocrites is a spiders web, whereof no garment can ever be made. Hypo∣crisie is a very subtil fault, and a secret poison, which kils other virtues with their own swords.

2. Jesus is our great Master, who hath abridged six hundred and thirteen Precepts of the old Testa∣ment within the Law of love. Do but love (saith Saint Augustine) and do what you will: but then your love must go to the right fountain, which is the heart of God. It is in him you must cherish and honour your nearest friends; and for him also you are bound to love even your greatest enemies. Be not afraid to shew him your heart stark naked, that he may pierce it with his arrows; for the wounds of such an archer are much more precious than rubies. You shall gain all by loving him; and death it self, which comes from this love, is the gate of life. If you love him truly, you will have the three condi∣tions of love, which are, to serve him, to imitate him, and to suffer for him. You must serve him with all fidelity in your prayers, and all your actions: you must imitate him (what possibly you can) in all the passages of his life; And you must hold it for a glo∣ry to participate (with a valiant patience) all the fruits of his Cross.