Works of Joseph Hall, Letter 5
To Sir THOMAS CHALLONER. EP. V. A report of ſome Obſeruations in my Trauell.
SIR, beſides my hopes, not my deſires, I trauelled of late; for knowledge partly, and partly for health. There was nothing that made not my iourney pleaſant, ſaue the labour of the way: which y… was ſo ſweetly deceiued, by the ſociety of Sir Edmund Bacon, (a Gentleman truly honourable, beyond all titles) that I found ſmall cauſe to complaine. The Sea brookt not me, nor I it; an vnquiet element, made only for wonder & vſe, not for pleaſure. Alighted once from that woodden conueyance, and vneuen way, I bethought my ſelfe how fondly our life is committed to an vnſteady and reeling peece of wood, fickle winds, reſtleſſe waters; while wee may ſet foot on ſtedfaſt and conſtant earth. Loe, then eueryevery thing taught me, eueryevery thing delighted me; ſo ready are we to be affected with thoſe forrain pleaſures, which at home we ſhould ouer-look. I ſaw much, as one might in ſuch a ſpan of earth, in ſo few moneths. The time fauoured me: for, now newly had the key of peace opened thoſe parts which warre had before cloſed; cloſed (I ſay) to all Engliſh, ſaue either fugitiues or captiues. All ciuill occurrences (as what faire Cities, what ſtrange faſhions, entertainments, dangers, delights we found) are fit for other eares, and winter euenings. What I noted, as a Diuine within the ſphere of my profeſſion, my paper ſhall not ſpare in ſome part to report; and that to your ſelfe, which hauehave paſſed a longer way, with more happy fruit of obſeruation. Euen little ſtreames empty themſelues into great Riuers, and they againe into the Sea. Neither do I deſire to tell you what you know not: it ſhall be ſufficient that I relate ought which others ſhall thinke memorable.
Along our way, how many Churches ſaw we demoliſhed! Nothing left, but rude heaps, to tell the paſſenger, there hath beene both deuotion and hoſtility. O the miſerable foot-ſteps of warre, beſides bloodſhed, ruine, and deſolation! Furie hath done that there, which Couetouſneſſe would doe with vsus; would doe, but ſhall not: The truth within, ſhall ſaue the wals without. And, to ſpeake truly (what-euer the vulgar exclaime) Idolatrie pull'd downe thoſe wals; not rage. If there had beene no Hollander to raze them, they ſhould hauehave falne alone, rather than hide ſo much impietie vnderunder their guilty roofe. Theſe are ſpectacles, not ſo much of cruelty, as iuſtice; Cruelty of man, Iuſtice of God. But (which I wondred at) Churches fall, and Ieſuits Colledges riſe, euerywhere. There is no city, where thoſe are not either rearing or built. Whence commeth this? Is it, for that deuotion is not ſo neceſſary as policy? Thoſe men (as we ſay of the Fox) fare beſt, when they are moſt curſed. None ſo much ſpighted of their owne; none ſo hated of all; none ſo oppoſed by ours: and yet theſe ill weeds grow. Whoſoeuer liues long, ſhall ſee them feared of their owne, which now hate them; ſhall ſee theſe ſeuen leane kine deuoure al the fat beaſts that feed on the medowes of Tyber. I prophecie, as Pharaoh dreamed: The euent ſhall iuſtifie my confidence.
At Bruxelles I ſay ſome Engliſh-women profeſſe themſelues Veſtals; with a thouſand rites, I know not whether more ridiculous, or magicall. Poore ſoules! they could not be fooles enough at home. It would hauehave made you to pitty, laugh, diſdain (I know not which more) to ſee by what cunning ſleights and faire pretences that weake ſexe was fetcht into a wilfull bondage; and (if thoſe two can agree) willingly conſtrained to ſerue a maſter whom they muſt and cannot obey: whom they neither may forſake for their vow, nor can pleaſe for their frailty. What followes hence? Late ſorrow, ſecret miſchiefe, miſery irremediable. Their forwardneſſe, for will-worſhip, ſhall condemne our coldneſſe for truth.
I talked there (in more boldneſſe perhaps then wiſedome) with Coſterus a famous Ieſuit; an old man, more teaſty then ſubtle, and more able to wrangle then ſatisfie. Our diſcourſe was long and roauing, and on his part full both of words and vehemency. He ſpake as at home; I as a ſtranger: yet ſo, as he ſaw me modeſtly peremptory. The particulars would ſwell my Letter too much: It is enough, that the Truth loſt leſſe then I gained. At Gaunt (a city that commands reuerence for age, and wonder for the greatneſſe) we fell vponupon a Cappucine nouice, which wept bitterly, becauſe he was not allowed to be miſerable. His head had now felt the razor, his backe the rod: all that Laconicall diſcipline pleaſed him well; which another, being condemned to, would iuſtly account a torment. What hindred then? Piety to his mother, would not permit this which hee thought piety to God: He could not be a willing begger, vnleſſe his mother muſt beg vnwillingly. He was the onelyonly heyre of his father, the onelyonly ſtay of his mother: the comfort of her widowhood depended on this her orphane; who now naked muſt enter into the world of the Cappucines, as he came firſt into this; leauing his goods to the diuiſion of the fraternity: the leaſt part whereof ſhould hauehave beene hers, whoſe hee wiſhed all: Hence thoſe teares, that repulſe. I pitied his ill beſtowed zeale; and rather wiſhed, then durſt teach him more wiſedome. Theſe men for deuout, the Ieſuits for learned and pragmaticall, hauehave ingroſſed all opinion from other Orders. O hypocriſie! No Cappucine may take or touch ſiluer: for theſe are (you know) the quinteſſence of Franciſcan ſpirits. This mettall is as very an Anathema to theſe, as the wedge of gold to Achan; at the offer whereof he ſtarts backe, as Moſes from the ſerpent: yet he carries a boy with him, that takes and carries it; and neuer complaines of either mettall or meaſure. I ſaw and laughed at it; and by this open tricke of hypocriſie, ſuſpected more, more cloſe. How could I chuſe? while commonly the leaſt appeares of that which is; eſpecially of that which is loathſome in appearance, much more in nature. At Namurs, on a pleaſant and ſteepe hill-top, we found one that was tearmed a maried Hermite; approuing his wiſedome aboue his fellowes, that could make choice of ſo chearfull and ſociable a ſolitarineſſe. Whence, after a delightfull paſſage vp the ſweet Riuer Moſa, we viſited the populous and rich Clergy of Leodium. That great Citie might well be dichotomized into Cloyſters and Hoſpitals. If I might aduenture, I could here play the Criticke, after all the ruines of my neglected Philologie. Old monuments, and after them our Lipſius, call this people Eburones: I doubt whether it ſhould not rather be written Ebriones; yet without ſearch of any other Records, ſaue my owne eyes: while yet I would thoſe ſtreets were more moiſt with wine, then with blood; wherein no day, no night is not diſmall to ſome. No law, no Magiſtrate, layes hold on the knowne murderer, if himſelfe liſt: for three dayes after his fact, the gates are open, and iuſtice ſhut: priuate violence may purſue him, publike iuſtice cannot: whence, ſome of more hot temper carue themſelues of reuenge; others take-vp with a ſmall pecuniary ſatisfaction. O ENGLAND, thought I, happy for iuſtice, happy for ſecurity! There you ſhall find in eueryevery corner a Maumet; at eueryevery doore a Begger; in eueryevery diſh a Prieſt. From thence we paſſed to the Spa, a village famous for her medicinall and minerall waters, compounded of Iron and Copperice; the vertue whereof yet the ſimple inhabitant aſcribes to their beneficiall Saint, whoſe heauy foot hath made an ill-ſhaped impreſſion in a ſtone of his*The name of the vpper Well of the Spa. Sauenir: A water more wholeſome than pleaſant, and yet more famous than wholeſome. The wyld deſerts (on which it borders) are haunted with three kinds of ill cattell; Free-booters, Wolues, Witches: although theſe two laſt are oft-times one. For that ſauage Ardenna is reputed to yeeld many of thoſe monſters, whom the Greekes call foreign; they, Lougarous; we (if you will) Witch-wolues; Witches that hauehave put on the ſhape of thoſe cruell beaſts. We ſaw a boy there, whoſe halfe-face was deuoured by one of them neere the village: yet ſo, as that the eare was rather cut then bitten off. Not many dayes before our comming, at Limburgh was executed one of thoſe miſcreants, who confeſſed on the wheele to hauehave deuoured two and forty children in that forme. It would aske a large volume, to ſcan this probleme of Lycanthropie. The reaſons, wherewith their relation furniſht me on both parts, would make an epiſtle tedious. This in ſhort I reſolued; a ſubſtantiall change, is aboue the reach of all infernall powers, proper to the ſame hand that created the ſubſtance of both: Herein the Deuill playes the double Sophiſter; yea, the Sorcerer with Sorcerers. He both deludes the witches conceit, and the beholders eies.
One thing I may not omit, without ſinfull ouer-ſight; A ſhort, but memorable Storie, which the Grephier of that towne (though of different religion) reported to more eares then ours. When the laſt Inquiſition tyrannized in thoſe parts, and helpt to ſpend the Faggots of Ardenna; one of the reſt, a confident Confeſſour, being ledde farre to his ſtake, ſung Pſalmes along the way, in a heauenly courage and victorious triumph: the cruell Officer enuying his laſt mirth, and grieuing to ſee him merrier then his tormentors, commanded him ſilence: He ſings ſtill, as deſirous to improue his laſt breath to the beſt. The view of his approaching glory, bred his ioy; his ioy breakes forth into a chearfull confeſſion: The enraged Sheriffe cauſes his tongue, drawne forth to the length, to be cut off neere the roots. Bloody wretch! It had beene good muſicke to hauehave heard his ſhreekes: but, to heare his muſick was torment. The poore Martyr dies in ſilence, reſts in peace. Not many moneths after, our butcherly Officer hath a ſonne borne with his tongue hanging downe vponupon his chinne, like a Deere after long chaſe; which neuer could be gathered vp within the bounds of his lips. O the diuine hand, full of iuſtice, full of reuenge! Goe now, Lipſius, Hiſtoire et miracles, &c. Que le 8. iour du mois de Septembre au dict an. 1603. eſtant Feſte de la Natiuitè de noſtre Dame, le nombre de Pelerins a eſtè enuiron 20000 p. 35. Virgo Hallenſ….and write the new miracles of thy Goddeſſe; and confirme ſuperſtition by ſtrange euents. Iudge you that hauehave ſeene, if euer the Chappel of Haelle or Zichem hauehave yeelded ought more notable. We meet eueryevery-where Pilgrims to thoſe his Ladyes: two Ladies ſhall I call them, or one Lady in two ſhrines? If two, why doe they worſhip but one? If but one, why doth ſhee that cure at Zichem, which at Halle ſhe could not? O what pitie it is, that ſo high a wit ſhould in the laſt act be ſubiect to dotage! All the maſculine brood of that braine we cheriſhed, and (if need were) admired: but theſe his ſilly Virgins, the feeble iſſue of diſtempered age, who can abide? one of his darlings, at Louan, told me from his owne mouth, that the elder of theſe two daughters was by him in ten dayes got, conceiued, borne, chriſtned. I beleeued, and wondred not. Theſe acts of ſuperſtition hauehave an inuiſible father, and mid-wife: beſides that it is not for an Elephant to goe three yeares with a Mouſe. It was told me in the ſhop of his Moretus, not without ſome indignation, that our King, when he had well viewed the booke, and read ſome paſſages, threw it to the ground, with this cenſure; Damnation to him that made it, and to him that beleeues it. Whether a true ſtory, or one of their Legends, I enquire not: I am ſure, that ſentence did not ſo much diſcontent them, as it ioyed me. Let me tell you yet, ere I take off my pen, two wonders more, which I ſaw in that wonder of Cities, Antwerp; one, a ſolemne Maſſe in a ſhambles, and that on Gods day; while the houſe was full of meat, of butchers, of buyers; ſome kneeling, others bargaining, moſt talking, all buſie. It was ſtrange to ſee one houſe ſacred to God, and the belly; and how thoſe two ſeruices agreed: The Prieſt did eat fleſh, the butchers ſold fleſh, in one roofe, at one inſtant. The butcher killed, and ſold it by peeces; the Prieſt did ſacrifice, and orally deuoure it whole: whether was the more butcher? The like we might hauehave ſeene at Malines. The other,Mechlinia. an Engliſhman, ſo madly deuout, that he had wilfully mur'd vp himſelfe as an Anachoret; One Goodwin a Kentiſhman.the worſt of al priſoners. There ſate he pent vp, for his further merit, halfe hunger-ſtarued for the charity of the Citizens. It was worth ſeeing, how manly hee could bite-in his ſecret want, and diſſemble his ouer-late repentance. I cannot commend his mortification, if he wiſh to be in heauen, yea in purgatory, to bee deliuered from thence: I durſt not pitty him; becauſe his durance was willing, and (as he hoped) meritorious: but, ſuch incouragement as he had from me, ſuch thanke ſhall he hauehave from God; who in ſtead of an Euge, which he lookes for, ſhall angerly challenge him, with Who required this? I leaue him now, in his owne fetters; you, to your worthy and honourable employments.
Pardon me this length. Loquacitie is the naturall fault of Trauellers: while I profit any, I may well be forgiuen.