A TRVE RELATION OF THE DEATH OF Cardinall Bellarmine, of the Society of IESVS.

ALTHOVGH this re­nowned Cardinall neyther vvhiles he liued in Capua, of which he was Arch­bishop, nor yet in the Court of Rome to which he was after called, euer preter­mitted his ordinary deuotion, euery day making an houre of meditation, saying [Page 2] his Masse, the offices of the Breuiary and our B. Lady, the Letanyes to his fami­ly & other prayers: yet had he obteyned of the late Pope Paulus V. some years be­fore his death, to retyre himselfe for a whole moneth togeather, euery yeare in the Nouitiate of the Society of Iesus in Rom. And this he did always in Septēber, in which month only, the high Priest of the old law did enter into Sancta Sancto­rum; His pre­paration for death long be­fore it hapned. and this high Priest prepared his en­trance into that Holy of Holies (wher­of the other was a figure) & not prepa­red himselfe only, but entred also in this moneth as we may well thinke into the same. In this tyme secluding all other af­fayres, he made the spirituall Exercises, bestowing foure houres dayly in me­ditation; and in the tyme betweene, of which his Masse, mattins, beades, and o­ther prayers did take vp no small part, he wrote the golden books that after he set forth of spirituall matters, printing euery yeare one, of all which the last (as if he had presaged what was next to fol­low) was the Art of dying well, whereof in his best health he was neuer vnmind­full. And this last yeare of 1621. as if he [Page 3] had receaued responsum mortis, a moneth sooner then ordinary, to wit, in the be­ginning of August, he began to thinke, not of a retiremēt only for one moneth, but of a perpetuall sequestration from al ordinary imployments, to attend to that one thing which the Psalmist no lesse thir­sted after thē the Hart the water, saying,Psalm. 26. Vnampetij à Domino, hanc requiram, vt inhabi­tem in domo Domini omnibus diebus vitae meae: One thing haue I desired of our Lord, that will I seeke for, that I may dwell in the howse of our Lord all the dayes of my life.

And to compasse the better this his desire, he made great sute vnto this pre­sent Pope Gregory the fifteenth, to be deli­uered from the Court, from al Consisto­ryes,He rety­reth from the Court. and Congregations, and what o­ther Office soeuer, that he might bestow the small residue of his life on God a­lone, alleadging many reasons for this his resolution, to wit, his great Age, and that which followes therof, his weake­nes of body, decay of sight, hearing, & memory; his auersion from these toyles to heauy for so weak shoulders; and fi­nally his feruent desire of returning a­gaine [Page 4] to the quiet hauen of Religion, out of which he was taken and aduan­ced to be Cardinal, and in which before his aduancement as the mirrour, & splē ­dour of that Order he had liued 38. years togeather, in the continuall practice of Religious discipline, and all Christian perfection. Wherfore hauing beene more tossed in the waues of worldly affayres by reason of his dignity, then he would, he now desired to strike saile and in that place to yield his owne spirit to God, where first God had so bountifully im­parted his holy spirit vnto him: there he began his religious life, there he would end it.

Pope Gregory albeit he were loath to loose the comfort and counsaile of so worthy a mā, whom the better to enioy he had before called to dwell with him in his pallace; yet seeing him so ear­nest in his demaund, & the demaund in it selfe so reasonable, at length yielded therunto; and forthwith the Cardinall left the Court, returned to the Nouiti­ate of the Society, & dismissed the grea­test part of his family, but yet so as they might remayne still in the pallace and in [Page 5] the same state they were before vnder him, and at his charge, vntill they could place themselues in some other seruice. Which tydings although it grieued them all, both for that they saw the losse they were like to find in the exchange, and for the great loue and most deere respect which they bare vnto his person, from whome nothing but his commaund, or their own death could haue drawn thē: yet seeing the constant & resolute mind of their Lord, euery one bare the Crosse as he could, more applauding his ver­tue then their owne fortune in this di­uorce; which the more grieued them in that they iudged him to haue lesse need of any other preparation to dye well, who euen from his infancy had still ex­ercised himselfe in that Art, which by practice he had obserued more then threescore yeares, before euer he left any thing written of that subiect in his prin­ted booke.

Being now arryued at the harbour of his so long, and much desired repose on the 25. of August last, when the feast of S. Bartholomew is kept in Rome, oneHe falleth sicke. busines of moment yet remayned in the [Page 6] Congregation of the Indice, which much required his prefence for dispatch, and the Cardinals being now assembled on the 28. day, thither also he repayred, and after that it was ended, he took his leaue and farefull of them all. All seemed to be sory therat: some would haue persua­ded him to continue, but as the Euange­list sayth of our Sauiour, Ipse faciem suam firmauit, vt iret in Hierusalem, he stedfastlyLuc. 9. bent his face to goe to Hierusalem, his mind was on heauen, he would not looke backe or be withdrawne from his iourney, which indeed was shorter then any one (or perhaps himselfe) did ima­gine: for that very night being the feast of S. Augustine (to which holy Doctour he was very specially deuoted, as all his workes doe testify) he fell sicke and was taken with a very sharp and violent fe­uer, that bereaued him of his senses for the tyme. Which rough entrance of the disease in one of his yeares made all a­fraid, and most of all his Phisitians (for there came foure euery day vnto him) who apprehended euident danger, and much grieued at this mischāce; but their griefe was not greater then his ioy, who [Page 7] desired nothing more then to leaue the world, as presently after appeared.

For when this fit was past, with great alacrity of mynd he began to discourse of the great gladnes and comfort he had, for that he was so neere his home, or as he did alwayes in this sicknes call it, a Heauen Bellar­mines howse. Casa mia, to my howse: and worthily did he call it his howse, for as S. Augustine sayth of the militant Church on earth: non magis est domus tua, quàm domus vhi ha­bes Aug. tract. 10. in Ioannem. salutem aeternam: There is no howse more thine, then that howse where thou hast euerlasting saluation: so might he no lesse fittly say of the triumphant howse, Kingdome, and inheritance of all Gods seruants on earrh, which he with so long and infatigable labour had purchased, that it was his house, for there had he fixt his hopes, there had he hea­ped vp al his wealth, there was his hart, his treasure, all his desired good: to this world he was not so much a stranger as an enemy. And although that euen here Honour did follow his noble labours as the shadow the body; yet did none more fly from it, none more contemne and condemne it, then he. The Cardinall [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 8] proceeding in his discourse sayd and of­ten repeated these wordes: satis di [...] vixi, I haue liued long inough, it is tyme to depart hence and rest with God in euer­lasting peace. What I haue to do more in this vvorld? I am now feeble and fit for nothing; I am only a meere burden & trouble to my selfe & others. And then further declared, hovv he did loath and abhorre, and had still loathed & abhor­red the course of this vvorld, that men vvere so deeply plunged in the desire of temporall and transitory things; grie­uing at their preposterous proceedings, that their endeauours vvere not directed to their right end, and that God was not sought for, knovvne, nor glorified as he ought to be: and this point piercing indeed his hart, he concluded vvith say­ing, that God had shewed him now a spirituall sauour to call him avvay, be­cause it vvas bitter and distastfull vnto him to stay any longer heere &c. Thus vvith more to this effect did he then speake, and of these things only vvas his continuall speach.

The Phisitians expecting the issue of the disease, and nature thereof, found [Page 9] it to be a continuall feuer per subintran­tiam, with proportion of a double Terti­an, the one more excessiue then the o­ther: the former bereaued him of his senses, the other vvas much more mode­rate. And truly it seemes this bereaue­ment to haue been sent him for the grea­ter manifestation of his vertue, for there­in he no lesse edifyed others that savvHis extre­mity of sicknes, & singular patience. him, then he did in the other, but rather much more; for according to the rule of the Philosopher In repentinis cognoscitur habitus, our disposition is best knovvne by suddaine euents: so the violent and suddaine pulls did shevv the habits of his Saint-like mynde, hauing no other ef­fect therein then to make him recurre to his prayers, which he did as soon as they began, and say them as farre as he vvas able. When this vehemency vvas a little relented he would make the signe of the Crosse, and begin another prayer; ne­uer so much as once in all these extreme fits speaking any idle word, or shew­ing the least signe of any impatience. In so much as my selfe in company of o­thers often visiting him, and that at such tymes as he was in this feuer, I doe sin­cerely [Page 10] protest, that I neuer saw man in his best health, repose more quietly, or make lesse shew of feeling the force of any disease, then alwayes I saw him in this. For the most part his armes were decently layed a Crosse on his brest, he neuer mouing (vnles he were willed) any part of his body, neuer sighing, ne­uer complayning, no though his tongue were scorched with the raging heat of the ague, did he euer so much as call for drinke, or once offered to refresh his mouth; so as the beholders could make no other iudgement of him, but that which the disciples made of Lazarus: si dormit saluus erit, if he sleep he will reco­uer;Ioan. 11. for his magnanimity was such he rather seemed to sleep then to be sicke and thereby gaue greater signes of life then death.

But notwithstanding this his great courage & patience, the disease still in­creased, and the increase caused the Phi­sitiās according to their wont to warneHis wil & testamēt. him to make his last will & testament, to the end he might be the more free in thinking on the life to come, towardes which he did now draw on apace. To [Page 11] this suggestion he made no other ans­were, but that all was dispatched, his te­stament was made, his goods disposed, euery thing determined many yeares a­go; adding withall that he had giuen to euery one of his seruāts somwhat accor­ding to their degree and place which they had in his seruice, and according to that small ability he had to gratify them withall. For other things, although he once intended to make no wil, as mind­full of that pouerty which he had vow­ed in Religion; yet afterward least such small things as he left, should come vn­to other handes then of poore men, he made a short Will agreable to his little wealth, which I shal after set down, lea­uing his Order (the Society of Iesus I meane) heyre not to his wealth which was none at al, but as he said vnto thē in his sicknes, propensae voluntatis ac pauperta­tis meae, of my affection and pouerty: & he might well say of his pouerty, for be­sides that which he had left for his owne diet (which was alwayes very meane) and the wages of his seruants, he had al­ready bestowed the rest on the poore, in so much as he had not inough left [Page 12] him for his buriall and exequies, in case the Pope had not fauoured him, as after shalbe shewed: and the Will it selfe vvas such as might beseeme Bellarmine, but to others will seeme perhaps as strange as any that hath beene made for many yeares by a Cardinall.

Now though this mention of ma­king his last Will gaue him to vnder­stand the danger of his disease, yet he much desired to be more particulerly enformed thereof, and to that end re­quested all the Phisitians to tell him plainly in what state he was, assuring them all that he feared not death but de­sired it: and so far (quoth he) I am from all feare as that I fynd a speciall comfort to thinke theron; yea life it selfe would be more grieuous vnto me then death. Wherfore I pray you aduertise me be­tymes, that I may receaue the holy Sa­craments ere I depart. Vpon these words the fourth day of his sicknes it was con­sulted amongst the Doctours whether it were not expedient that he should re­ceaue the B. Sacrament of the Altar per modum viatici; and they iudged it not ex­pedient to giue it him in that manner, [Page 13] but only by way of ordinary communi­cating, and their reason was because he might yet continue for many dayes, and in case some sodden accident should be­fall him, this receauing might suffice for the other.

Vpon this warning giuen, he pre­pared himselfe to Confession, & in suchHe de­uoutly re­ceaueth the B. Sa­crament. manner as if that Confession vvere to be the last that euer he should make in this life; and such was the innocency of the man, that albeit he were in his per­fect sense, yet could he hardly find what to confesse; in so much as his Ghostly Father was in some perplexity as wan­ting matter of Absolution, till by re­course to his life past he found some smal defects of which he absolued him: and when the B. Sacrament was brought he would needs rise to receaue it, as he did, and prostrated himselfe on the ground with singular deuotion and humility, to the great edification and amazement of all the beholders. And this his piety vpon euery occasion did manifest it selfe in all his sicknes, in so much as he desired the Phisitians leaue to say the Office of his Breuiary, and that so earnestly, as [Page 14] the Doctours, though they denied that (as a worke to great for his weakenes,) yet to satisfy his importunity they gra­unted that in lieu therof he might say his Beades, but with some pawse betweene euery decade, least his too serious appli­cation might hurt his head. And seeing that no more would be graunted him, he sayd to those about him: Me thinkes I am become a meere Secular man, and am no more Religious, for I neyther say Office, nor Masse, I make no pray­ers, I doe no good at all; and this see­med to afflict him more then his sick­nes, which yet was most violent and mortall.

After meate all his recreation was to heare the liues of Saintes read vntoHe cau­seth the liues of Saints to be read vnto him. him, especially of Bishops, and aboue all of S. Francis, and in the hearing their rare and eminent vertues, he would al­wayes weep and sigh after that perfecti­on of life to which they had so happily arriued, and from which (such vvas his humility) he thought himselfe to be much further of thē he was; for he could not but be neere them whom for so ma­ny yeares he had most diligently follo­vved. [Page 15] Besides this griefe conceaued for himselfe & his own vnworthines, ano­ther thing also seemed to afflict him, to wit, the continuall watch in the night with him, for he would ordinarily de­maund of such as he saw about him in the mourning, vvhether they had wat­ched vvith him all that night; & if they sayd yea, then would he reply; so much trouble, and of so many, for my sake! For me, I say, that am but a vvorme, a poore wretch and fit for nothing! and if he savv more togeather with him, he would say, one is sufficient to watch, let the rest sleepe, and let another watch whiles he doth sleepe, the trouble of so many is a trouble vnto me vvho deserue not so much attendance. Likevvise whē His chari­ty & con­tinuall re­mēbrance of the poore. he saw any extraordinary thing brought him to eate, as chickens or the like, he would say, that such expense was ill be­stowed vpon him, and would be better on the poore, whome he so loued, and was so bountifull vnto them, as he left himselfe so little, as could hardly main­teyne him and satisfy his family: & for that on his death-bed he was so carefull of them, it will not be amisse to put [Page 16] downe some example of his life in this kind, & it shalbe the first he did after his promotion, by which some coniecture may be made of the rest which I leaue in silence.

Pope Clement the 8. soone after he had giuen him his Cardinals Hat, made him also Archbishop of Capua: forth­with he left Rome, and like a true Pastor repayred to his flocke there to reside, & discharge all the dutyes of his function. And first of all finding the reuenews ofA liberall allowāce. that Church to amount to three thou­sand pounds sterling, he presently gaue vnto the poore, two thousand, mayn­teyning himselfe and his family with the rest, which for one of that ranke was very little, but he would no more; and when after the death of the said Cle­ment with other Cardinals he was to re­payre to Rome, for the election of the new Pope, the poore came flocking a­bout him, crying, and saying, that his departute would be their vndoing. Not so (quoth the Cardinall) for my going to Rome will not I hope take away my rents, and if they remayne to me, they shal rest where they are with you. They [Page 17] all replied with teares that they thought he should returne no more (as indeed he did not) and then that the rents should be neyther his nor theirs. And my selfe haue seene often in Rome when the Cardinal went abroad, at his returne all the lower entry of his house full of poore people, on whome he bestowed his ordinary almes. And in particular, which I may not omit, one shrouetyde an English man halfe distracted of hisHe giues halfe of his dinner vnto a poore En­glishman. senses came boldly to the Cardinall (for neyther his dores, eares, or purse were shut from the poore) and demaunded some reliefe, hauing as he sayd nothing to eate: the good Cardinall without a­ny further deliberation caused his owne dinner to be deuided in two, & gaue the one halfe thereof vnto the sayd English­man, and dined himselfe on the other: and my selfe coming that very day to the Cardinall, was aduertised thereof. But examples heereof are so many, as would make a volume, and I meane not to disgresse any further from his death.

Many other vertues were noted in him at this tyme, and so many as that this sicknesse may seeme to haue beene [Page 18] the abridgement of all which he had exercised in his life before. For besides the aboue mētioned courtesy in this ex­tremityHis great courtesy & respect vnto all. to all that did visit him, his re­signation of mynd was admirable. And for the first he neuer respected his owne inconuenience, payne or trouble, in so much as not only to Cardinals and Pre­lates, but to any other that came to see him (and there came many) he would take off his night-cap, lift himselfe vp in his bed, speake vnto euery one more or lesse as the quality of the person, or mat­ter that he spake of did require; & wold neuer endure that any should stand bare headed in his presence, and this euen vn­till the two last dayes of his life, when nature being far spent, the feuer with the decay of his strength stil encreasing, he eyther attended not to such as came, but vnto his prayers, or else his eyes and eares fayling, he neyther saw nor heard them, vnles they spake somwhat lowd: and euen to his owne seruants he bare that respect, as he would endure much rather then put them to any trouble. And when F. Minutoli once told him, [...]hat no man held it for a trouble to serue [Page 19] him, and such as there attended were his owne seruants; he answered only to these last words, & said they are not my seruants but my brethren, brethren they are, and for such I esteeme them.

And that indeed he esteemed them more like his brethren then seruants ma­ny wayes appeared, especially if any of his house fell sicke as there did two, im­mediatly before he [...]ell sicke himselfe: [...]or then his custome wa [...] to go to their chā ­bers, to sit and talke with them, to com­fort them, & euery way to assist & help them. And touching these two, the last of which Matthaeus Tortus was one, the o­ther an attendant of his chamber, this memorable thing is recorded; that wher­as Tortus was exceeding sicke, and held to be in great danger of death, and the other but in the entrance of his disease which he seemed not much to regard, yet the Cardinall hauing seene thē both sayd, that Tortus should recouer and the other dye, which as it seemed strange to all that heard it, who saw great signes of death in the one, & scarce the appearāce of any sicknes in the other; so the euent proued to be true: for the later within [Page 20] few dayes departted this life, and Tortus is yet liuing, and in perfect health.

His resignation and indifferency ofHis resig­nation & indifferen­cy. of mind was very exact, without all contradiction or reply: whatsoeuer hap­ned, whatsoeuer was determined, no­thing troubled his mind, no exception was made, one thing only excepted (if yet that thing be subiect to exception) for thus it hapned. He hauing from the beginning of his sicknes prepared him­self to dye, it fel out that the seauenth day held by the Phisitians for Critical, he begā to be somwhat better: much ioy was cō ­ceaued therat, & the same signified vnto the Cardinal, who weighing the matter in another ballāce, was somwhat trou­bled with this soden resolution, and said myldly vnto the Doctors: I had thought at this tyme to haue gone to my house and home, and now I see that you will hinder me: I pray you let me goe. Their answere was, that it belonged vnto their office to preserue his life as long as they could, and was pleasing vnto God, and he also was bound therein to concurre with them, to doe as they should or­dayne, and be contented to stay in this [Page 21] world vntill that God should otherwise dispose. Well then (quoth the Cardinal) his will be done: but if the choice were in my handes, I should rather dye then liue; wherfore doe as you will, I shall follow your direction. And when the Phisitians were gone, he seemed so much to be discomforted, that his Attendants vvere all mooued to comfort him, and that no lesse then ordinarily men vse to comfort others that are to dye, & would longer liue.

Agayne, at another tyme vvhen three of his foure Phisitians had consul­ted and determined to make tryall of a nevv remedy, he sayd vnto them: Will you not yet let me goe? Ah let me a­lone novv it is high time. Fa. Minutoli ansvvered and sayd, the Rule of our So­ciety doth bynde vs in sicknes to obey the Phisitians; he had no sooner named the Rule, but the other recalling his for­mer wordes sayd: you say well, there is a Rule, let them appoint what they wil, I wil do whatsoeuer they wil haue me: so punctual he was in obseruing the Rules of the Society in all thinges, eyther for life or death, with, or against his owne [Page 22] inclination. Some neere perhaps vvill say, that notvvithstanding he loathed this life, thirsted after heauen, and vvould gladly be vvith God, yet he was not to wish for his ovvne death. To vvhich idle fancy I ansvvere vvith S. Augustine▪ Aug. lib. 2. in Gau­dient. cap. [...]. in fine. Non est iniustum homimi iusto optare mortem, quando amarissima est vi [...]a: sed si Deus optatam non dederit, non erit iustum nisi tolerare eam amarissiman vitam: it is lawfull for a good man to vvish for death vvhen as life it selfe is very bitter vnto him: but if God yield not vnto his desire, he cānot lavv­fully refuse to endure his bitter life. So he. And so the Cardinall although he vvished for death vvas yet resigned vnto Almighty God, to vndergo the longer endurance of a bitter life.

But leauing his vertues for a vvhile vvhich euery vvhere occurre to be re­counted, let vs a little behold vvhat o­ther things hapned in the vvhole course and successe of his sicknes, in the begin­ning vvherof it vvas thought good for auoiding of recourse to speak little ther­of, & to extenuate the same as not mor­tall, but rather some casuall indispositi­on; and this persuasion continued for [Page 23] three or foure dayes till the Pope trulyPope Gre­gory visi­teth him on his deathbed. enformed by his owne Phisitian who repayred dayly vnto the Cardinall, & by the Generall of the Society in what state he was, came in person to visit him the fifth day of his disease, for then all apprehended the matter as it was, & made no other accoūt but to loose him. Whē the Cardinal saw his Holines enter into his chamber, he sayd with the good Centurion, Non sum dignus, vt intres sub tec­tum Luc. 7. meum, I am not worthy that you should enter vnder my roofe; with other wordes of great dutifulnes and humili­ty: & when the Pope shewed the griefe of mynd he conceaued for his sicknes, and how much he esteemed his losse; the other answered as he had alwayes done, that he had liued long inough, and ther­fore desired no longer respit on earth, & I will pray God (quoth he) to grauntThe humi­lity of Pope Gre­gory. your Holines as long life (for he is ten yeares younger then Bellarmyne was) as he hath vnto me. The Pope replied (but not in so lowd a voyce as the Cardinall could heare him) I haue more need of Bellarmines meritts, then of his yeares. Many wordes past betweene them of [Page 24] great affection in the one, and submis­siue humility in the other. The Pope af­ter that he had twice most louingly im­braced him, being to depart, sayd that he would pray to God that he might re­couer: not (quoth the Cardinall) that I may recouer being now fit for nothing, but that Gods will and pleasure may be done eyther for life or death. After that the Pope was gone, he seemed to be much more cheerful then he was before, the cause whereof he disclosed vnto F. Minutoli saying: Now truly doe I well hope that I shall dye, for the Popes are neuer known to haue visited Cardinalls but when they were in danger of death, or rather past all hope of life, to which effect he alleadged diuers examples.

Remayning therfore in this ioyfull hope, when diuers of the Society came to him and offered to say masse and pray for him, he would very louingly thank them all, but still accepted their curtesy with this Caueat, that they should not pray for his longer life, but contrariwiseHis desire to leaue the world. that he might soone make an exchange therof for a better, that his passage might be safe and soone. The cause of this his [Page 25] desire he alleadged to be, for that novv he had prepared himsel [...]e, and knew not for the tyme to come what in the rest of his life, if it were prolonged, might be­fall him: for, sayd he, I haue knowne di­uers, who if at some tyme when they were wel disposed had departed this life, had beene in very happy state, who re­couering their health, fell after very far from that feruour, and dyed so desperat­ly as in humane iudgement they may be rather thought the children of perdition then life: Now therfore (quoth he) see­ing I am ready, why should I liue lon­ger and expose my selfe to such an ha­zard? Now nothing troubles my con­science, for God (his goodnesse be still thanked therfore) hath so preserued me hitherto, as that I doe not remember in the whole course of my liue euer to haue committed any scādalous action, which perhaps if I should life longer, may be­fall me, for weakenes of body drawes oftentymes with it weakenes of mind, by which good men haue beene seene to haue relented from their former vigour and vertue. This with more to this effect did he speake to expresse the cause why [Page 26] he desired the dissolution of his earthly tabernacle, which was no other, but that least through the frailty of body & mind he should [...]eerafter offend God, whome hitherto, in sanctitate & iustitia omnibus die­bus Luc. 1. vitae suae, in holines and vertue all the dayes of his lire, he had so carefully, so continually serued, and whome now he had rather dye then displease.

This his feruent desire grounded on the foresaid motiue was so imprinted in his hart, and fixed therein so deeply, asHis disease is found to be mor­tall. euen then when his violent ague berea­ued him of his senses he was often heard to say: Signore, vorrei andare a casa mia: quando sarà quel giorno che io venga al vostr [...] Regno &c. O Lord I would gladly go to my howse; when will that day be when I may come to thy Kingdome? And the eleauenth day after his sicknes he sayd vnto all his Phisitians: When shal I heare from you that happy newes that I must depart to another life? when shall I be deliuered from this body of death? They answered as before, not so long as they could keep him aliue. Well (quoth he) God sees my desire, and how willing I am to come vnto him. And [Page 27] indeed non est fraudatus desiderio suo, God heard his prayer, and that very night he was seene to yex or sob in such manner, as a learned Phisitian watching with him held it for mortall, and forthwith aduertised the Generall (for so had the Cardinall before willed them, when they shold perceaue him in euident dan­ger) who came early the next morning, and seeing how matters went, thought it best, plainly to acquaint him with the truth, and sayd vnto him: My Lord, I thinke that the end of this sicknes will be the end your life, and by all likely­hoode you cannot escape long, for the Phisitians now giue a very ill censure of your disease, vpon some signes they haue seene, and more and more discerne in you: so as it seemes Almighty God will call you vnto him, and you shall do well to make your selfe ready, and dispose of what you haue, the time is short, and de­layes are dangerous.

At this vnexpected, but much desi­red message, the good Cardinall reple­nishedHis great ioy at the newes of his death. with inward ioy, presently with cheerfull countenance, and vndaunted courage brake forth into these wordes: [Page 28] Buona nuoua, buona nuoua, ô che buona nuoua è questa! that is, good news, good news, o [...] what good newes are these! Lo the se­curity of an innocent mynde, of a sin­cere seruant, and Apostolicall man, who ioyed in death, wherat others doe trem­ble; and made that his gaine which worldly mē esteeme their greatest losse: but these graces are not bestowed, but vpon such only as haue wholy bestow­ed themselues vpon God, for such alone, as S. Gregory saith (contēplatione quadam re­tributionis Gregor. 24. in Iob. cap. 7. pro­pe finem. inter [...]ae, etiam priusquā carne expo­liantur, hilarescunt; & dum vetustatis debitum soluunt, noui iam muneris laetitia perfruuntur) by the cōtemplation of that which their soule receaues within, doe, before they leaue their bodyes, become cheerfull; & euē then whiles they are yielding to the dissolution of their old nature, doe en­ioy the comfort of their new reward. So he of the vertuous in generall, which in this worthy man we see so particularly accomplished, who still prayed with the Apostle and sayd, Cupio dissolui, & esse cum Philip. 5. Christo: I desire to be dissolued, and to be with Christ.

After this ioyfull exclamation, tur­rning [Page 29] his speach vnto F. Generall, as answering vnto that which he had sug­gested, he sayd: For disposing of my thinges I haue nothing left to dispose, & it grieueth me that I haue nothing to be­stow vpon the Society, for I feare much that in making you mine heyres, as if IThe po­uerty of the Cardi­nall. had something to leaue you, I shall but charge you with new debts, which for my sake you will be forced to discharge. The Generall replyed, that therein he should not trouble himselfe, he had left the Society so much, and so much ho­noured it with his name and immortall labours, as it esteemed that treasure more then all the riches of the world. Well thē said the Cardinall, I came hither to be­stow one whole yeare in preparing my selfe to dye, but if it please not God that I bestow any more time heerin, neyther truly shal it please me; and therfore your message of death is most gratefull &c. After this he caused one to reade vnto him the death of S. Charles Borromaeus, asS. Char­les Borro­maeus. desirous in his owne to imitate it; which being ended he desired to receaue the Sa­cramēts of holy Church, & that as soone as might be, least after he should be lesse [Page 30] able for indisposition both of body and minde to receaue them, and to preuent also any suddayne accident that might in this weaknes take him away, ere he had armed himselfe with this so necessa­ry and soueraigne defence.He recea­ueth the [...]. Sacra­ment with great de­notion.

Forth with all thinges were made ready for receauing of the B. Sacrament of the Altar for his Viaticum, which was ministred vnto him by the handes of the Generall, and receaued with exceeding deuotion of the Cardinall: for notwith­standing his extreme weaknes of body, he would needs agayne, as he had done before, rise out of his bed, and kneele on the ground to receaue it; and so earnest he was to receaue it in this reuerent mā ­ner, as it was not possible, without his great griefe and distast, to hinder him. The Generall perceauing his will so fer­uently bent on that deuotion, wold not withstand him therein, least the inward griefe might more afflict his mind then that exteriour action endomage his bo­dy: wherfore he receaued it kneeling on the ground, with singular humility; & after some collection made according to his wōt which endured for some while, [Page 31] he began to talke with the Generall a­bout his buriall, and the manner of his funeralls, which he did with so great peace of minde, & so familiarly, as if in his health he had spokē of going to din­ner, or some other light and ordinary matter.

Much he desired to be buryed like a Religious man; & all his discourse ten­dedA true re­ligious Spirit. thereunto. For first he requested to be buryed in the common vault vnder the groūd (for so in Italy they vse to bury) where others of that Order are ordina­rily layed; then that his funeralls might be plaine, & in such manner as i [...] he had dyed in the Society; and had neuer been aduanced, being very earnest that no pompe or splendour accustomed for o­ther Cardinalls might be made for him; that they would not open and enbalme his body, but bury it entiere as they doe others; and finally that his dead body presently after his death might be con­ueied secretly to the Fathers Church cal­led the Casa professa, & there be interred, none intermedling with the Exequies but the said Fathers, as they vse to do for their own in such cases. The Generall not [Page 32] to trouble him, being in those tearmes, made no semblance of any mislike, how­soeuer he thought it not conuenient that all should passe in that order. Wherefore conferring with the Pope therin some things were reuersed, for his Holines would haue him buryed like a Cardinall, but with meaner pomp; he would haue him embalmed, & would haue the other Cardinalls to be present, sending also his owne Quiristers thither; in the rest he condescended to what he had determined, as after shalbe shew­ed.

The same day some six or seauen houres after his receauing, he demaun­dedHe is an­neyled. the other; and last Sacrament of the sicke, Extreme Vnction I meane, which he requested the sooner to receaue, because he would be sure, he sayd, not to be de­priued of it, or to take it when he should not know well what he did take; he was now in his perfect senses, and ther­fore might receaue it with deuotion; as he did, and answered Amen, with great compunctiō of hart at ech seueral vncti­on; and now with greater serenity of mynd then before he expected his last [Page 33] cal, and cōming of our Lord to take him out of this vale of misery and bring him where he might see, Bona Domini in terra Psal. 370 viuentium, the ioy of our Lord in the land of the liuing.

And for that some Sectaries of these dayes had bruted abroad that he had fa­uoured their cause (of which he was theHe ma­keth a Protesta­tion of hi [...] Fayth. destruction) or had recalled some of his opinions; he entreated Fa. Andraeas Eudae­mon-Ioannes then present, that he would testify in some writtē record, that what­soeuer he (to wit the Cardinall) had written or printed concerning matters of Fayth against the Heretikes and He­resyes of these tymes, that now on his deathbed, he did most resolutely auouch againe, ratify, and confirme the same, & caused this his attestation to be writ­ten, and subscribed by diuers that were present, as by his two Nephevvs, cer­tayne Fathers of the Society, & some of his owne seruants; and I doubt not but the sayd Father out of the great loue and dutifull respect which he alwayes bare the Cardinall, will very willingly discharge this debt in some work that he shall shortly set foorth, if his health doe [Page 34] not hinder him, as it hath done many o­thers of his most commendable, & pro­fitable endeauours.

Being thus armed for his last en­counter, and in great tranquillity and peace of mynd, he began agayne to cast backe his eyes on his life past to see what therein might trouble his conscience, or breed any feare in him at that straite ac­count before God, which now hourely he did expect to be called vnto: and af­terSee the tē ­der cons­cience of this most holy and innocent Cardinall. all his discussion & search he said vn­to Father Minutoli, that no one thing so much troubled him of all that he had done in his life past, as that he had left his Church & Archbishopricke of Capu­a, where by his continuall residence he might haue done more good to the ho­nour and glory of God, and good of those soules committed vnto his charge, then in any other place; & that heere in Rome it seemed that he had lost his time, and had done nothing of any weight or moment: wheras yet he was well knowne to leese no tyme that he could well spare, & was imployed in all mat­ters of most importance which concer­ned the whole Church, the proper office [Page 35] of a Cardinall, as the sayd Father told him, which is not so much to attend to a particular member, as to the common profit of the whole body: for as Saint Leo Leo. epist. will noteth: publica praeferenda sunt proprijs, & ibi intelligenda est ra [...]io vtiliatis, vbi vigi­lat cura communis. Moreouer, sayd the Fa­ther, you can haue no scruple in this matter which you did by commaund of the Pope, whome you were bound by your rule to obey, & consequently your aboad not being of your seeking but his enforcing, it cannot be imputed to you as a fault; but contrarivvise is com­mendable, as proceedinge from ex­act Obedience which you could not re­fuse.

Indeed, sayd the Cardinall, so theBellarmin would not leaue his Church and keep the rents. matter passed, and I plainly signifyed vnto Paul the fifth, that I could not in conscience, not residing in the place, keep the Archbishopricke in my handes, & therfore desired him in case he would haue me to remaine in Rome, that I might altogeather renounce the Archbishop­ricke, that men might not iustly charge me, and with reason say: He hath forsa­ken his wife, and yet keepes her dow­ry: [Page 36] and therfore leauing the one, I re­nounced the other, and yielded vp all entierly as well charge as profit into the Popes handes, without euer making any mention of allowance for my selfe to be deducted from thence. So he. And yet he might haue substituted a Suffragan, and kept at least two parts of three, had he beene so disposed; but he renounced all freely, and wholy, and after the re­nuntiation made sute to the Pope to al­low him somwhat for his maintenance, hauing now only left him the title of a Bishop without a Church, the dignity of a Cardinall without any liuing, and charge of seruantes without hauing so much rent as to pay his Cooke; the Pope allowed him, as he had in Capua allowed himselfe, foure thousad crowns, and for that one part of this summe was leuied by way of pension on the rents of the Church of Capua, though it were done much against his will, he neuer ceased til his death, yearly out of his smal allowance to bestow something on the poore Monasteryes of that Citty; so as al this matter passed with singular com­mendations of heroicall magnanimity [Page 37] on his behalfe, and in most honorable manner. But for that he had learned of his deare Maister B. Fa. Ignatius, not only to seek the glory of God, but maiorem Dei gloriam, the greater glory of God in all thinges; & because he thought that he might haue done more good in Capua then in Rome, therfore did he sorrow, & had this remorse. O noble Bishop, O zealous mynd, O rare example worthy of the name, renowne and eminent ver­tue of Bellarmyne! How holy was his life not stayned with mortall sinne? How secure a conscience, that had at his death no scruple, but for the exchange of one good worke for another, and that im­posed vpon him by an ineuitable com­maund? What shall I heere say, but that fecit mirabilia in vita sua, he hath, euenEccles. 31. in this mortall life, done vvonderfull things.

This scruple being remoued, andScipio Card. Co­bellutiu [...]. his mynd quieted, there remayned one difficulty touching his temporall estate, to wit for repayment of his Cardinalls Ring; for effecting of which he vsed the help of the Cardinall of S. Susanna to his Holines, alleadging this reason, that non [Page 38] erat soluendo, for he had not wher withall to bury him, much lesse to pay that debt; adding further that the same grace had beene before graunted vnto Cardinall Baronius, and another Cardinall. Vnto vvhich request the Pope most willingly yielded; and further at the request of the Generall, for the Cardinall sought it not, the Pope also condescended to giue a pension of three hundred crownes be­tweene his two nephews, & had doubt­les graunted more, if more had beene de­maunded; but the Cardinall little myn­ded his nephews or earthly preferments, hauing his thoughts on heauen, which he alvvayes called his Home; there was his reward layed vp: Et merces eius mag­na nimis.

When it vvas knovvne in the Cit­ty that the Pope had beene with the Cardinal, that he had taken his Viaticum, that he vvas anneyled, and that theremeanes to see the [...]eke Car­dinall. was no hope left of longer life, wonder­full it vvas, not to only heare the hono­rable reports which all made of him, but to see the meanes and inuentions vsed, & that by men of Quality, to come vn­to him. Some sued vnto the Cardinalls [Page 39] and great Personages; some intreated the Fathers; some vsed the help of his seruants, and others made other deuises, and this not only to see him, but to kisse his handes, his head, or some other thing about him; & when therin they had sa­tisfied their deuotion, they vvould touch his body with their bookes, their beads, handkerchieffs, Crosses, Medalles and other the like thinges, and that very reuerently on their knees: and in this kynde none were more forward then the Cardinalls themselues; who by rea­son of their more frequent conuersation did best know him, and some of them mentioned his Canonization: & when once they knew of his sicknes they came very often vnto him, and ten of them somtymes in one day, who all desired his blessing, but he constantly refused to giue it; and one of them taking him by the hand kissed the same, & thē touched his eyes and head therwith, at which Bellarmine meruayling when the other was gone asked those about him, vvhat kind of curtesy this was, and how long it had beene in vse amongst the Cardi­nalls?

Another tyme the Cardinalls that came would needs before they departed kisse his hands, at which he was muchGreat re­uerence done him by Cardi­nalls and Prelates. grieued, and would haue withdrawne them backe, but was not able to resist their importunity, and therefore only sayd, non sum dignus, I am not worthy of this honor especially frō you my Lords, & he offered to haue kissed theirs againe one by one, but they would not yield, & he was to weake to force thē; & some Cardinalls agayne togeather with other Prelats would needs haue his benedicti­on, which he vtterly refused to giue; & they continuing to aske it, he craued theirs, so as the contention grew who shold blesse ech other; which a Cardinal perceauing decided the matter by taking Bellarmynes right hand, and blessing him­selfe there with perforce, at which sight the others not vvilling to vse that violence, desired agayne so earne­stly his blessing on their knees, as he to auoyde so importunate molestati­on giue it, but sayd withall after he had giuen it: what will the blessing of a poore miserable wretch as I am aualye you? why doe you trouble me so much [Page 41] for it? And so in his death & life the ho­nours which with their sweet stings do deadly wound others, he alwaies tur­ned to his greater humiliation.

Two Cardinalls aboue the rest see­medCardinall Hippoli­tus Aldo­brādinus. to be more sollicitous of him, Aldo­brandino & Farnesius; the first was then in Rome, the other absent; the first came ve­ry oftē to the Nouitiate to enquire how he did, & out of courtesy forbare to visit him as not willing to trouble him with his presence, yet at length he resolued to see him, although his sight cost him teares; when he saw him past all hope of recouery, and measuring Bellarmyne by other men, he demaunded of F. Minutoli, vvhether the present apprehension of death did not affright him? Nothing lesse, quoth the Father, of which your Honour shall now see the experience, and then asked the sicke Cardinall, whe­ther he would not gladly depart to an­other life. I would to God said Bellarmyne that I might, and that very soone, I wish that I vvere already gone, for vvhat should I stay any longer in this world? with other lik words which shewed not a desire ōly, but a delight also that he had [Page 42] to thinke on death; in so much as vvhen any would comfort him in his sicknes, they would mention the same as a dis­course most pleasing vnto him.

Diuers wayes did this forsayd the Cardinall manifest his affection vnto Bellarmyne which I heere forbeare; and when he vvith others, requested that when he came to heauen, he would re­memberBellar­mine not­withstan­ding his singular confidēce in God had great distrust of himselfe. them, and pray for them; al­though the vertuous Cardinall alwayes shewed a great hope and confidence in Gods mercy; yet vvas this conioyned with no lesse distrust of himselfe, for he wold earnestly craue euery mās prayers, and to this petition of the Cardinalls he answered more thē once saying: To go to heauen so soone is a great mater, & to great for me; men vse not to come thi­ther in such hast, and for my selfe, I shall thinke it no small fauour to be sure of Purgatory, and there to remayne a good while in those flames, that must purge and cleanse the spotts of my offences, & satisfy the iust wrath & iustice of almigh­ty God. But when I am come Home, quoth he, I will not faile to pray for you all; and this he promised to doe not on­ly [Page 43] for these Cardinalls, but for all his be­nefactours & seruants, vnto whom, & to all those in the Nouitiate he gaue (being thereunto much vrged) very often his blessing.

Cardinall Farnesius was at this tymeCardinall Farnesius his [...]udge­ment and esteeme of Bellar­myne. at his house of Caprarola thirty miles frō Rome, who hearing of the sicknes of Bel­larmine wrote many letters to Father Mi­nutoli, desiring to be informed from time to tyme of the progresse of his sicknes, and, when it should happen, to haue the whole narration of his sicknes and death togeather; moreouer that Bellar­mine by him might be aduertised of the singular affection which he bare him, or as it pleased him to tearme it, dutifull res­pect: 6. Septēb. adding withall: Mà quando piacesse à Dio, di voler questo Signore per [...]l Ci [...]lo &c. but in case it should please God to call this Cardinall to heauen, I desire your Fatherhood to procure me of F. Generall some payre of beades of the Cardinalls, or else his Breuiary, and I will make that account of it, as the great opinion I haue of his singular sanctity doth require that I should▪ The same agayne he soli­cited in another letter written foure [Page 44] dayes after, at the end of which he added with his owne hand these wordes: Viuo con pena di questa imminēte perdita, mà insieme 10. Sept. godo dell'opinione che gia si comi [...]cia scoprire della santità di questo Signore. That is, I liue in paine of this losse so neere at hād, but withal I am glad for the opinion which already begins to manifest it selfe of the Sanctity of this honourable person. And in another which was written af­ter his death he sayth, that he will put [...]9. Sept. Bellarmine before his eyes, come vn essempla­re degnissimo d'imitatione &c. as an example most worthy of imitation: and I hope (sayth he) not a little to be holpen by the intercession of that holy soule, that I may a far of follow his stepps, who hath so much honoured the whole Church & sacred Colledge of Cardinals, & that no lesse with his vertue then learning. So Farnesius, with more to the same ef­fect.

This Cardinall in respect of the great obligation the whole Society hath euer had to that name, which his owneBellarmin did great­ly esteeme F [...]rnesius. merits haue much more encreased, and for the particular affection he bare vnto Bellarmine, was of him also had in speciall [Page 45] regard, & as often as Farnesius his letters, still full of loue, were read vnto him, he would in very effectuall wordes make remonstrance how far he was indeared vnto him, & how little able to discharge that duty which he did owe him, of which in his health he was neuer vn­myndfull, and had determined to dedi­cate a great worke vnto him which he had began vpon S. Pauls Epistles, con­teyning a literall, morall, and dogma­ticall explication of all the Apostles wordes; a worke worthy of Bellarmyne, necessary for these tymes, much vrged and desired by many; but hauing fini­shed some Chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, considering with himselfe the length and difficulty of the thing, his small helpes, with other great imploy­ments, his weake body, the short and vncertayne tyme of his life, he left off that enterprize, & wrote his other little bookes, as he insinuateth in an epistle, to the Cardinal himself prefixed before his booke of The eternall felicity of Saints. Lon­gitudo Operis (saith he) & breue spatium quod mihi superest vitae, & quotidianae occupationes quae parùm omnino ad scribendum mihi otij re­linqunt, [Page 46] effecerunt, vt de Opere illo perficiendo planè desperarem: the length of the worke, the short space that remaynes of my life, and my daily busines which leaues me very little leasure to write, made me des­payre of euer finishing that worke. So he: and for that it pleased Cardinall Bel­larmine to shew such singular gratitude to this his friend on his death-bed; & on the other side, for that Farnesiu [...] is further resolued to erect some honourable mo­nument of him in the place where he is buried, I could not let him passe vnna­med in this narration.

And for the other Cardinalls, theyBellarmin much ho­noured & loued of all the cardinals. did also so tenderly affect him, as few or none of all those which came to visit him, could forbeare weeping: and one of them a very graue man sayd vnto F. Minutol [...], that he did greatly glory to hane been made Cardinall by that Pope which had made Bellarmyne Cardinall; and that in toto genere (I vse his owne wordes) the world hath not had any of so singular learning accompanyed with so great humility and Religious maturi­ty as he, for many ages, & perhaps may expect long ere it haue another. And [Page 47] he did well to specify his humility, for though he were equall to any, yet he so stil demeaned himselfe as though he had beene seruant to all, and this euen vn­till death; for to all that came vnto him in his sicknes, although he did speake with all respect and duty vnto them, yet at their departure he would craue par­don of them, and say; My Lords I pray pardon me, if I doe not as I would, or as I am bound, for I am not myne own man, I vvant strength of body, I can do no more: and indeed he did more then was conuenient for one in his case to do, though much lesse then he desired to haue done to them, whom so hartily he did honour.

In fine, vvhen the danger of his di­sease vvas once diuulged ouer all the Citty, not only Cardinalls, but many Bishops, Prelates, and other of speciallNote the common opinion that all had of his sanctity. note repayred vnto him, especially the three last dayes before his death, when being sometymes sleepy, sometymes with his eyes closed in prayer and medi­tation, he neyther marked vvho they were that came, nor heeded much what they did: in which tyme the foresayd [Page 48] Cardinalls, Bishops, Prelates and others sent many little cappes of silke, such as they vse to were vnder their square capps; and others sent vvhite night-caps which they desired might be put on his head as they were, and vvith them they sent also little Crosses of gold and sil­uer, Reliquiaries, prayer-bookes, and o­ther thinges to touch him, and that in such multitudes, as there vvere more thē a hundred and fifty red, vvhite, and o­ther capps put on, and taken from his head during this tyme, and since his death that number hath beene much in­creased: many thinges vvere taken a­vvay by such as came to visit him, and those also by great personages; many more vvere begged and sought for from many places, as after in part I shall shew or rather touch only, for the particulars of this alone would much exceed the length of this Relation.

Honourable is vertue, and the root of all true honour, in regard vvherof the auncient Romans built the Temples of Vertue and Honour togeather, because the one must necessarily depend of the o­ther, as we see to haue hapned in this [Page 49] Cardinall whose vertues were conspi­cuous in the eyes and iudgement of all, as not only the good did deerely prize them and him for them, but also the bad did reuerence and honour them; in so much as hitherto I haue not heard of one in Rome that did not, and doth not honour him; yea the wicked Iewes ene­myesEuen the Iewes did honour Bellar­mines vertues. of all goodnes haue confessed thē, and (were their wordes of any weight) haue spoken of him in most honourable manner; in so much as a Prelate of great name sayd, that Bellarmyne had ouercome all enuy and wonne the harts of all. And for that the Iewes since his death haue so much extolled his vertues, I thinke it not amisse to let the Reader vnder­stand, what is now very opportunely come to my hands touching this point, out of Polonia, in a little booke written by a learned man of the Society of Iesus vnder this title: Vindiciae doctrinae Societatis Iesu, à calumnijs Patroni Turonensium Anony­mi. Auctore Georgio Tiszkiewic, who rela­teth a notable accident to this purpose which fell out vpon this occasion.

There was set forth in print in the yeare 1614. a most infamous Libell, cō ­posed [Page 50] (as is thought) by some Sacramen­tary Heretike in Dutch of the the deathA notable testimony giuen of Bellarmin by a Iew in Polo­ [...]ia. of Cardinall Bellarmyne, which related most strange & prodigious thinges of his life & death: for Africk is not more full of monsters thē these men are of most mō ­strous inuentions; amongst other things it was reported that he dyed in the yeare 1613. when he was then aliue, & wrote after that tyme all his spirituall bookes now in print. Besids this, the whole Li­bell was so full of villany, as that many more moderate and modest Protestants disclaymed in print from it, and none more vehemently then he who was re­ported to haue beene the printer, Lewis Coing dwelling in Basil, a Citty of the Switzers, who wrote a sharpe letter a­gainst the writer thereof, denying that euer he printed any booke, kept any presse, or had any thing to doe in setting forth of that Pamphlet; neuertheles the Caluinists in Dantz (a towne in Ger­many) reprinted the same againe, and vr­ged it, as a great argument for the truth of their Ghospell, seeing that God had punished the chiefe defendo [...]r of the Ca­tholike Faith of our Age with such a di­sastrous [Page 51] and dreadfull death; and had he indeed beene dead, the lye though ne­uer so lowd had found credit amongst the Brethren; but his life for so many yeares after quailed this fable; though yet some Merchants of more fayth then wit (for besides their iustifying Fayth, they haue also an Historicall) did con­stantly affirme and belieue it to be true; wherupon that fell out which the Au­thour aboue named doth report in these wordes.

‘Oliuae nonnulli Gedanensium Senatorum in­ter alia quae ante annum vnum miscebant cum admodum Reuerendo Patre Philippo Adlero dignissimo Oliuensis Monasterij Ordinis Sancti Bernardi Priore colloquia &c. At Oliue a­mongst other Conferences had between the chiefe Cittizens of Dantz, with the Reuerend Fa. Philip Adler Prior of the or­der of S. Bernard, they of Dantz related in one of them all those thinges which the nameles Authour of the foresayd Libell doth impudently report, or rather with which he doth most falsely calumniate the Cardinall. The Priour denyed all, affirming that they were impossible, & out of the great good will and affection [Page 52] he beares thereunto, did much com­mend the Society of Iesus: on the other side they accused all, and aboue all Bel­larmyne. Whiles they were in this debate, a Iew newly come out of Italy arryued thither, of which when the Prior was aduertised, he called for him to come be­fore them, and being come the Prior spake to him in this manner: hast thou a­ny newes from Rome to tell vs? what is become of Cardinall Bellarmyne? Is he aliue or dead? how, and in what man­ner doth he liue? Heere our Dantz Sena­tours stand attent, & expect very gree­dily the answere, which they thought would second their lewd reports; but contrarywise the Iew affirmed that Bel­larmyne was aliue, that he was in health, that his life for all vertue, grauity, and other deportment was most exemplar; that finally if the Iewes could see al Ca­tholikes, or the greater part, to liue as Bellarmyne doth, they would all of them presently become Christians. With this narration and their owne shame, the men of Dantz were not a little con­founded. And this haue I heard from a most Religious and sincere man, a Prior [Page 53] also of the same Order, called Andrew Clewsky, who was both an eare, and eye witnes of this matter. Hitherto that Au­thour.’ So as now of Bellarmines sanctity etiam inimici nostri sint Iudices, the Iewes themselues may be Iudges, who in this shevv themselues to haue much more conscience, then the forenamed Here­tikes.

The deuotion of others vnto the Cardinall hath made me make the lon­ger digression from his owne person: but now leauing them a little (to whom eftsoones I shall returne againe) let vs a while contemplate, and cast our eyes backe on the sicke man, who perceauing in himselfe so great decay of strength, and his vitall spirits to be so much ex­haust, prayed more instantly to be de­liuered from this body of corruption, &His great desire to be with God. sayd: Filthy flesh only fit for wormes to feed on, why doest thou keep me from God? and taking the flesh of one of his armes in his hand, he sayd in Italian: Carnaccia traditora, perche non si stacchi? sar­ria pur tempo: che indugi? che stai à fare? Treacherous base flesh, why doest thou not dissolue and seuer thy selfe from the [Page 54] soule? it is high tyme: why doest thou delay? why doest thou not dispatch and make an end? And then turning himselfe vnto God, and wholy relying on his mercifull disposition, he sayd: non mea voluntas, sed tua, fiat: not my will but thyne be done. And now drawing on apace to the last period of his life, he found more and more difficulty to take any meat, or keep what he had taken: and he had not only a great repugnance and auersion from eating, but a great loathing and horrour to see any thing brought him. Heere what should his attendants doe? to force him, seemed to violent for one so weake, so meeke, and of that ranke and dignity: to persuade him, was but lost labour, for such diffi­cultyes are hardly ouercome by persua­sion: nothing remayned but to vrge him the Phisitians commaund, and that he vvas bound vnder Obedience toHis exact obedience in thinges most re­pugnant to his na­ture. eate.

Hereat presently he would rise, take and eate whatsoeuer they brought him, and that very readily though it were neuer so much agaynst his stomacke, & though he did presētly cast it vp againe, [Page 55] neuer looking or respecting what was giuen him: and which is more strange, euen when he was besides himselfe in the extremity of his bad fit, the very name of Obedience would haue made him taken whatsoeuer they had brought him: so accustomed and affectioned he was to that Vertue, as nothing seemed hard vnto him, that came vnder that tytle, imitating therein his deere maister our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, who as S. Bernard witnesseth: Ne perderet obe­dientiam, perdidit vitam, lost his life that he might not loose his obedience: con­forme to that of the Apostle S. Paul: factus Philip. 3. obediens vsque ad mortem, he was obedient euen vntill death. So Christ, so his dis­ciple, & I doubt not but that those who shall write his life (if more then one vn­dertake it) will fynd many notable ex­amples of this vertue in the course ther­of.

This here I wil auerre vpon certaine knowledge, that after his promotion, he put himselfe vnder the Obedience of the Generall of his Order, and bound himselfe to obey him no lesse then be­fore in all thinges of any moment. And [Page 56] because the Rules of the Society doe by [...]d all in the tyme of their sicknes, notWhen he was Car­dinall he was obe­dient to the Gene­rall of the Society, yea euen to his owne ser­uants. only to obey the Phisitians, but al such as haue any care of them; the Cardinall ha­uing one of his chamber a most diligent and faythfull seruant to attend him in this sicknes, him he also obeyed in what­soeuer he bid him doe; and he knowing well his Lords pleasure, when any thing was to be done, would not say as other seruants vse to do, If it please your Honour to do this, or take that, and the like, but in resolute tearmes: My Lord, lift vp your selfe, Take this, Doe that &c. and presently without any reply he would doe it, neuer saying more, but, As you will, As it pleaseth you. Neither did this custome begin betweene them on his death-bed, but had still beene in vse and practice before, and that with all humility and alacrity, for he regarded not whome he did obey, but for whose sake he did it, and that made him euen in his seruants person to reuerence our Sa­uiour. And so much for his Obedience.

The nynteenth day of his sicknes, be­ing the beginning of the new moone, his pulse which hitherto had been strōg [Page 57] began much to fayle, and many other ill signes appeared which did euidētly pro­gnosticate his departure to be very neere at hand. The Cardinal still cōtinuing as he could in his accustomed deuotions, in making deuout Colloquies, and iacula­tory prayers vnto God, when any thing was suggested vnto him fit for that tyme and present occasion, he would thanke the suggestours, and giue them to knewPope Gre­gory gra­unted him a par­don. that he tooke great cōfort therof, which was in manner redoubled when he vn­derstood that the Pope had sent him a Plenary Indulgence, for the better gay­ning of which spiritual grace he sayd his Confiteor, with his diuers other prayers: & the last night of his life which was the 23. of his sicknes, the former signes still continuing, and increasing brought him into a certaine dulnes or insensibility, es­pecially some fiue or six houres before his death, which made all who were a­bout him to thinke, that now euery houre might be his last: yet euen in this state he made them all see, that he was present to himselfe, knew his own dan­ger, vnderstood what was sayd vnto him, and answered directly to whatso­euer [Page 58] was proposed: in so much as Father Minutoli speaking vnto him of the confi­dence he was now to haue in God, and recourse vnto his diuine mercy, by im­ploring his help in this passage, for par­don of his sinns, & defence against all as­saults of the enemy now most vigilant; he answered very deuoutly & directly vnto him in a low voice, that so he did, and that in the best manner he could, & to manifest the same vnto them, to the end they might both see, that he vnder­stood their wordes, and his owne case, he shewed this exteriour act of Christi­an piety.

Hauing a little Crosse of siluer in his hand, he kissed it very often, andHis great deuotion to the Crosse. blessed himselfe diuers times wherwith, saying some prayers by himselfe, some togeather with them that were with him, and kneeled at his bed side: after­wardes taking into his hand a greater Crosse that stood by which had the pic­ture of our Sauiors body fixed theron, he did oftentimes very deuoutly kisse the the same; a little after he layed it on his eyes, and taking it from thence he layed it on his left shoulder, imbracing it very [Page 59] hard between both his armes being put a crosse one ouer the other, and so con­tinued a good while, till remouing it a little towards his brest he lifted his hand vp to his head to take off his night-cap, but could not doe it, and such as knee­led by him knew not what he meant, til at last by coniecture Father Minutoli ga­thered that he meant to doe some act of deuotion, and therfore tooke off his cap for him: then the Cardinall tooke the Crosse, with both his hands, & so much forced himselfe, as he placed it on his bare head, and all this he did for the loue he bare to the death and passion of our Sauiour, whereof this Crosse is a liuely representation. Moreouer to shew theHoly I­mages. reuerence he bare vnto holy Images, for which point of Christian beliefe more martirs haue lost their liues by the hands of the bloudy & barbarous Iconoclasts, then perhaps they haue done for any o­ther article whatsoeuer.

Lastly, I doubt not but that he shewed this zeale to the holy Crucifix, to shew his zeale against the Heretikes of these tymes, the true children of these parents and liuely brood of these Progenitours; [Page 60] that the world might see how exact he was in adhering vnto that Faith in all and euery branch and member which in his workes he had lo learnedly defen­ded, and procured in this his last sicknes as before I said, to haue left registred in print after his departure: These reasons I say, made him so often & so earnestly to exercise these acts of Veneratiō to the ho­ly Crosse; which finally he layed on his brest vnder the couerlet where it remay­ned till he was dead: so as he seemed vn­willing to see, thinke or desire any thing but Christ, and him crucifyed, and to testify to the world the interiour loue he bare in his hart to Christ, by the exteri­our reuerence which he did shew to his picture, the true character of a Catholike Christian man.

Now was he come to the last houre of his life, and though his paines wereThe man­ner of his death. greater, yet his courage, his patience, his quiet & peaceable repose the same. The holy man began his prayers, sayd the Pa­ter noster, and Aue Maria, & began againe the Pater noster, which being ended he sayd distinctly the Psalme Miserere, to the end: and being vvarned to say al­so [Page 61] the Creed, in protestation of his be­liefe, and that he dyed a member of the Catholik, Apostolike & Romā Church, presently he began the same, and sayd it all through, and (which was much no­ted) with the end of the Creed he ended his speach, these being the last wordes that euer he spake cleerly and distinctlyVitam ae­ternam, Amen. in this life: Et vitam aeternam, Amen: & life life euerlasting, Amen. After which his voice so fayled, that they could scant with all diligence vsed, heare him, yet he sayd very softly to himselfe in such manner as he was able Iesus, Iesus, Iesus, and continued still in the same till the last gaspe, which of such as beheld him was in a manner insensible, without a­ny violent motion of his body or con­tracting of his countenance, any wri­t [...]ing of his mouth, any panges or gasps, in so still, quiet, and peaceable fashion as it seemed a sleep rather then death, ra­ther a mylde and voluntary passage, thē a matter of horrour or dread, rather a Saint-like repose then a finall departure out of this life. He left this world the seauenteeth day of September, betweene six and seauen of the clocke in the mor­ning▪ [Page 62] wanting not three weeks of three­score and nynteene yeares, for he was borne on the fourth of October being S. Francis day, and dyed on the feast of the same Saint, dedicated to his sacred woundes, which miraculously he had receaued; the solemnity of which feast the Cardinall much laboured with Paul the fifth, to haue graūted to the Religi­ous of that Order, with a speciall Office for that day.

His body soone after his departure by a secret way, for auoyding the resort of people, was conueyed in coach to the Church of the Fathers, where he was toThe de­uotion & reuerence shewed to hi [...] body. be buried: & because as yet nothing was prepared for his exposing, it was car­ryed into a priuate chamber of the house with expresse order of debarring as yet all accesse vnto it: but there came so many to see and kisse the same, and so great personages, as the prohibition was soone recalled, and leaue graunted vnto most to come. All kneeled thereat as to the body of a Saint, and with great de­uotion kissed the same: some commen­ded his learning, some his vertue, all his mylde, louing, and most affable beha­uiour: [Page 63] amongst the rest a great Prelate on his knees kissed the thumbe and two forefingers of his right hand, which had written so much to the glory of God, good of his Church, and comfort of ma­ny, no lesse then fifty tymes: and ano­ther not inferiour to the former, did the same after him; which deuotion of peo­ple and Prelates continued vntill it was an houre within night, and had done much longer, but that the Popes Phisi­tian, togeather with his brother a Sur­geon, came to open and enbalme the body, who earnestly requested this of­fice as a fauour at the Fathers hands, say­ing that they should both of them grieue much in case any other should do it.

As soone as they began the same, many were present with to wells, hand­kerchiffs,He is em­balmed & his bloud saued & kept for reliques. sponges, and other linnen to saue the blod & preserue it for Reliques, and so Religiously industrious and dili­gent they were, as nothing thereof was lost: the Phisitian himselfe in lieu of re­ward, cut away a little piece of the hin­der part of his which he esteemeth as a peerles Iewell and inestimable trea­sure: the other three Phisitians were al­ready [Page 64] prouided: for wheras in the begin­ning of his sicknes they prescribed that he should be let bloud, & another time to haue horseleeches applyed to dravv more; at both of these tymes they came with cleane handkerchiffs, and dipped, or rather dyed them in the bloud, which by them and others was so greedily ta­ken, as that no drop remayned; & the Phisitians were heerunto the more mo­ued, for that besides the common report and opinion of his vertue, they saw in this sicknes such liuely proofe therof, as none of them had euer seene the like in any before, which they neuer cease to admire and commend whensoeuer any mention is made, or occasion giuen thē to speake of his sicknes.

The next morning the Nobility & Gentry of the Congregation of our B. Lady got his body into their Oratory, or Chappell, where being all assembled they sayd the Office of the dead for him, two Gentlemen alwayes standing at his head to keep the multitude from kissing his beare face, permitting them only his handes and feet. He lay on a fayre hears [...], vested like an Archbishop, with [Page 65] his myter and pall, in so gratious man­ner as I neuer saw a fayrer corse, and the same was sayd by very many that saw him. The Office being ended, the nar­rownes of this place was not capable of so great concourse, & to auoid the incō ­uenience of such presse of people, the more hast was made to carry him into the Church, where being layd on a bedThe won­derful de­uotion of the people to his bo­dy, when it was ex­posed in the Church. prepared for the same, there came to be­hold it, or rather to reuerence and wor­ship it, as though, not the dead body of Cardinall Bellarmyne newly departed, but eyther the body of S. Augustine, or S. Ambrose, or S. Athanasius, or some aun­cient Doctour, Bishop, or Patriarke had beene exposed and layed open to be ho­noured: and I know not what more de­uotion the people could haue vsed vnto their sacred reliques, then now they did vnto the body of this Cardinall.

For they came not as ordinarily on such occasions they vse to doe, to gaze, & see the pompe of the funeralls (which heere was very litle) not to pray for the party deceased, not to enquire of his heires, his testament, his wealth, his bu­riall, or the like more curious then ne­cessary [Page 66] matters; but to see as they called him, the Saint, to pray vnto him, to re­uerence his body, and that in such sort, as if already he had beene canonized: & for that it was now placed higher then they were able to reach, and compassed by some of the Popes Guard, and Mace­bearers of the Cardinals that came to be present at the Dirige, they wearyed them all with giuing their beades vnto them, which the one on the top of their trun­cheons, the other of their Masses, lifted vp to touch his bare face; and so many beades being giuen to touch, and that so continually without any intermission, all looked or rather feared that his face would haue been disfigured therewith, for it was touched, as most coniecture by more then twenty thousand payre of beades; and there had beene no end of touching it, had not the Fathers with help of the Popes Guarde after more thē three houres within night caryed it a­way perforce, as presently shall be said: and notwithstanding that the body lay aloft, was well guarded with tronche­ous and halbardes, yet were there of these pious theeues so cunning, as that [Page 67] some of them cut away pieces of his my­terGreat in­dustry v­sed to get reliques of the Cardi­nall. that he wore, others the tassells and knots of his Cardinalls hat, others the skirts of his vestements, others other things; & what ech could get with great deuotion he kissed the same, lapping it vp in cleane linnen, silke &c. and two Prelates brought ech a short staff vnder his garment, and when they came ouer against one the other at the lower end of the hearse, where the hat lay at the Car­dinalls feet, they cast it off from thēce ve­ry dexterously with their staues into the bosome of one of their seruaunts ready at hand to receaue it, who had conuey­ed it cleane away, had not one of the Fa­thers by chance espyed him, who by help of the Pops Guard recouered it out of his hands, and carryed it into the Ve­stry. In fine had not his body beene well guarded, I thinke that neyther hat, or myter, or vestement, or any thing else had beene left, and perhaps the very bo­dy it selfe had been taken away & deui­uided for pious spoile.

And although his body were thus exposed in more plaine and positiue manner, with lesse splendour and ma­iesty [Page 68] then is accustomed for Cardinalls:Great cō ­course of Cardinals to his bu­riall. yet were his Exequies in other respectes very honourable. For contrary to that which both in his wil he had designed, & desired of the Generall on his death­bed to haue no Cardinals present ther at, there came so many as more haue not beene seene at any buriall: for excepting two or three for exceeding g [...]eat age, sicknes, or some other busines absent, all the rest were there, and stayed vntill the very end of the office, which was perfor­med by the General in his Cope, and the Fathers of the Society: and further there was such resort as none liuing euer saw more, or perhaps so many at once in that Church. When the Office was done, to satisfy the importunate request of so ma­ny as desired it, the body was taken downe, layed on a Beare couered with blacke veluet, and caryed to the Chap­pell of our Blessed Lady in the same Church, not without a strong Guard, where such as entred at one dore passing out at an other gaue way for more to sa­tisfy their desires; but it was not possible to satisfy all; for though it remayned there vntill after three houres in the [Page 69] night (as I sayd) yet were the Fathers forced to send away many that were stil flocking thither much agaynst their wil, and not without mayne force of the Guard and others, that commaunded & compelled them out of the Church, and shut the dores, to their no small regreet.

The multitude being excluded, the body was put into a plaine coffin of wood, and layed in the ordinary vaultHe is bu­ryed in a common vault. where others of the Society are wont to be buryed: therein condescending to the Cardinalls desire, who would needes lye with them in graue, with whome he had liued, whome he had loued, and to whome for many years before his death he would haue returned, and ledd a­gayne a Religious life, vnder the com­mon Rule, vvith the resignation of his Cardinalls Hat and dignity, if it might haue been permitted him, as I haue been informed by one to whome he impar­ted his mynd, and would haue vsed in the same; and my selfe haue heard him very hartily to wish it. But howsoeuer for some small tyme (for long as I heare it shall not remayne in that place) his body rest in a poore vault, yet his soule [...] [Page 72] yet vvere his other noble vertues so shrowded vnder the mantle of Humi­lity; as they could not be seene in their perfect nature; and such as best knevv them, had least list to speake them, lest them vvordes might disclose vvhat the Cardinall vvould haue to be secret: but novv hath that Glory ouertaken him vvhich he did still eschew, & beat backe vvith contempt of himselfe; novv he vvho seemed amongst the Cardinalls to be inferiour to all, is more honoured then any: novv that the earthen pot of his mortall body is broken, the shyning lamp of his vertues accompanyed vvith the trump and triumph of fame, yield their light to the vvorld, & consound all malitious inuentions of the Mad [...]a­nites. Novv is the candle no more layedIud. 7. vnder a bushell, but set on a Candle­sticke for all to behold: novv is the mouth of detractors stopped that would vvith their lyes haue blemished his life, and disgraced his death many yeares ere it hapned: novv (vvill they, nill they) truth shall trample falshood vnderfoot, and the cleere beames of Bellarmynes ver­tue ouerbeare all slaunderous reports of [Page 73] malignant Sacramentaryes. Let them forge infamous fictions, let them print as they haue done most exorbitantlyes, let malice ma [...]cht with learning, arme their pennes to write reproach, yet shall all their force and fury fal to the ground, & his name be renowned for euer. The warrāt is sure that is signed with his pro­mise, who sayd by the Psalmist: In me­moria [...]ter [...]a erit iustus, ab auditionemal [...] non Psal. 111. timebit: the memory of the iust shall re­mayne for euer, he shall not feare any ill report: and not only his life and death, but as the Prophet foretold of Christ, E­rit sepulerum eius gloriosum, euen his sepul­cher shall be glorious; for thither nowIsa. 11. come many to pray, thereon dayly they cast fresh flowers, thereof they speake, that specially they respect: it was com­mon before to many, but is now made famous by him alone.

The Habit, as the Philosopher sayth, is best knowne by his Priuation; the darke night makes vs more to esteem and valew the cleere day, and liberty is alwayes most gratefull after a long re­straint: so Bellarmines absence hath made his vertues more prized, and the sense & [Page 74] feeling which now all find in his want, makes them vvith griefe to recall to mynde, what a treasure they had whiles they did enioy him aliue. The Cardi­nals haue lost the prime flower & brigh­test starre of their Colledge, the Bishops a liuely patterne of a true Pastour; the Religious a perfect example of imitati­on; the learned a renowned Docto [...]r; the poore a Father; the afflicted a com­forter; the whole Church an ornament; and to renew still his happy memory in their neuer dying affection, many Car­dinalls, Prelates and others of great No­bility haue carefully sought, and alwaies do seeke for something of his; and so much is already gotten, as besides his bo­dy little or nothing else is left. One Car­dinall got his bed, another his Missall, another his Diurnall, Farnesius his Bre­ [...]iary. What others got eyther during his sicknes or since his death were to long to write; they got his dublet, hose, stoc­kings, caps, linnen, wollen, writings, pictures, shirts, handkerchiffs; and what else they could procure, leauing him so destitute of all thinges, as that the Fathers of the Society were forced [Page 75] after his death to cloath him of their owne, and to borrow a square cap of an other Cardinall to put on his head (whiles his body for a day and night lay in a lower chamber at the Casa Prosessa) his clothes and caps being eyther all ta­ken or giuen away before.

And not in▪ Rome only, but from o­therHis Reli­que [...] much de­sired by many. places abroad many letters haue beene sent, and meanes vsed to get something that had beene his, which I let passe, setting downe only the clause of one letter written by a very worshipfull Gentleman of our owne Nation, resi­ding in Naples, which came to my hands as I was writing this Relation. The par­ty wrote it in Italian, that the Generall (to whome he is well knowne) might see it, & in this manner. Son stato agrauato & questo con grandissima instanza della Sig^•. Duchessa di Santo Elia molto mia Signora, & Patrona, di sarli hauere qualche cosa che sosse della felice memoria dell▪ Illustrissimo Sig^•. Car­dinale Bellarmino; come a dire, qualche beret­tino di tela che ildetto haues [...]e portato, o qualche parte di vua sua camisia, e questo per la gran diuotione, che la detta Signora porta al morto: & essendo bisogno, pregarà N. N. in nome mio [Page 76] di cooperare quanto sia possibile, di trouar qualche cosa per consolare la diuotione di questa Signora. That is: I haue beene vrged, & that with exceeding importunity by the Dutches of S. Elias, my very good Lady and Patronesse, to procure hersom what of Cardinall Bellarmyne of happy memo­ry; that is to say, some linnen night-cap which he hath worne, or some piece of his shirt, and this for the great deuotion the sayd Lady beares towardes the dead Cardinall. And if need be, you may in­treate N. N. in my name to help as much as is possible to find out some­thing to comfort the deuotion of this Lady. So he. And although that this let­ter came soone after his death, yet were all these things eyther giuen, or taken, or stolne away ere it came, & her request satisfyed another way.Bellar­mines be­hauiour and car­riage.

In fine, no man in Rome of his ranke in the memory of any man liuing hath dyed with so generall good opini­on of all; no funeralls haue beene cele­brated with so great concourse and ho­nour; no sepulcher so much frequented▪ Two and twenty yeares he liued Car­dinall; fourty a Religious man; he be­gan [Page 77] betyme to beare the yoke of Christ; was neuer wearyed; neuer sainted till the end. A man of such lenity and meek­nes, as he would offend none; of such candour and sincerity, as he could not dissemble with any; of such kindnes & courtesy, as he was beneuolous vnto all. Of temporall emoluments he was ne­uer moued with losse, or delighted with increase; his wealth was the poore mans gaine, not his owne profit; his losse their hinderance, not his hurt; to men of our Iland as wel English and Scottish he al­waies shewed himselfe a worthy friend and speciall benefactour; neuer denying them any thing that conueniently he could graunt; neuer sparing his labour, his pen, or purse to pleasure them as far foorth as he was able; of which I could alleadge very many examples, were not that field to large, and this no place to recount them. Of all which, and what­soeuer else he did, we may now say, Lau­dant Prou. 31. [...]um in portis opera eius, his workes praise him in the gates; that is, at the tribunall and Iudgement seat of God, where their worth is valued, and their valour rewarded, and he in his euerla­sting [Page 78] revvardes glorious for all eter­nity.

Heere if any out of a curious mynd, should expect to heare somwhat spoken of some miraculous euent which hathWhē the sanctity is singular there nee­deth no miracles to cōfirme it. hapned in, or since his death, for fur­ther confirmation of his sincerity: I ans­were hereunto, that as the sanctity of S. Iohn Baptist did sufficiently warrant it selfe without any miracle at all, besides his miraculous vertues: so the happy life and death of this Cardinal being such as they were, need no other miracles then thēselues for their proofe. And to speake ōly of his death, what was his inuincible patience without the least signe of sor­row, or sillable of complaint? what his security of mynd ouerbearing all tenta­tions? what his purity of conscience vvithout all mortall remorse? vvhat his exact Obedience without reply? vvhat his reuerent receauing of the Blessed Sacrament, his constancy in faith, his deuout death, but a miracle, or rather many miracles in one? Who can esteeme othervvise of his courage agaynst death novv looking him in the face, when he desired it to [Page 79] draw neerer, to take him away, then that it was miraculous? Vnles he will contradict the iudgement of S. Bernard, who writing of his brother G [...]ds Bernard. [...] [...]6. in Cant. death, hath these wordes: Acci [...]s sum ad id miraculi, videre exult ant [...]m [...]n mor [...]e [...] ­nem, insultantem morti. I was called to that miracle, to see a man reioying in death triumphing ouer death. Truly this holy Cardinall, as you haue heard, so much reioyced in death, as he had no other sorrow in his sicknes, then to thinke that it was further from him, then in­deed it was, or greater ioy, then when he was to shake handes with it; the true effect of a well prepared mynd, for as Seneca sayth: mortem venientem nemo hila­rius Epist. 30. excipit nisi qui se ad illam diu compos [...]er [...]t: no man cheerfully imbraceth death, but he that hath long before prepared him­selfe for it.

These things, I say, need no other mi­racle then themselues to confirme them. For at S. Aug. saith of such a one as wold foure hundred years after Christ see someAug. l. 22. de Ciui [...]t. Dei cap. 8. initio. miracle that he might belieue: Magnum ipse prodigi [...]m est, qui mundo credeme prodigia adhuc inquiri [...] vt credat: he is himselfe pro­digious, [Page 78] [...] [Page 79] [...] [Page 80] who seeing the world to be­lieue in Christ, doth yet seeke for some miraculous wonder to belieue: So inThe san­ctity of Bellarmin very emi­nent and acknow­ledged by all that knewe him. this case, seeing the former miracles, see­ing the common opinion that all haue of his Holines, seing all that euer knew him, to haue canonized him with deuo­tion to his body, or constant report of his integrity; seeing all his writinges to haue beene to confound heresy, to erect the banner of truth, to comfort the faith­full, to teach the ignorant, to aduance vertue; seeing all his actions to haue beene signed with innocency, to haue proceeded from charity, and by pure in­tention to haue beene directed to Gods glory or good of his neighbour, with­out touch, spot, or reprehension in the vvhole course of his life; he may indeed be thought prodigious that would fur­ther seeke any other confirmation, any other miracle, or miraculous proofe; which I doe not say to condemne or a­ny way extenuate the force of other mi­racles, God forbid, for somtymes they are necessary, & heere they are not wan­ting: but only to shew that eminent sanctity may proue it selfe by the cleere [Page 81] beames of her owne beauty, without a­ny any borrowed light deriued from su­pernaturall power, as it did in S. Iohn Baptist aboue mentioned, and many o­ther Saints.

YET for further confirmation of thisThe time of Bellar­mines death re­uealed & foretold to Pope Gregory the xv. particular, ther are somethings reported, & not reported ōly but manifestly pro­ued to be mi [...]aculous. Or which that first occurreth to be remembred, that the Generall, after the death and [...]uneralls of the Cardinall repayring for audience to this present Pope, Gregory the fif­teenth, was willed by the sayd Pope to read a letter which he tooke from of a little table and gaue him, in reading wherof, he found these wordes: Be­tweene the sixtenth and seauententh of Septem­ber, Cardinall Bellarmyne shall go to heauen, and as his Holines testified the writer of that letter, could not then when he wrote it, so much as haue heard of the Cardinalls sicknes: and indeed about midnight of the sixteenth day he fell in­to his agony, and dyed the next mor­ning. Although out of humility the Writer desired to haue his name concea­led; yet doth the thing it selfe speake [Page 82] both Bellarmines sanctity, and thrice hap­py end, and the singular vertue of the said party, and great vnion with God: for he could not haue knowne this but by reuelation, no naturall causes to one so far absent, being able to yield so exact & punctuall assurance in so vncertayne a casuality as is the life of man, which dependeth on so many, and those so in­determinate circumstances, as are the meanes by which it may be eyther con­tracted and cut off, or else drawne on to a greater length. This knowledge a­lone appertayneth vnto him, from whō nothing can lye hid, & in whose hands alone are all our liues, all momentes, all tymes, which by vs can be no more or lesse knowne, then it shall please his mercifull Goodnes to open and disclose vnto vs.

The same morning that the Cardi­nall departed this life, his voyce wasHe reuea­leth his owne happines. heard to speake vnto some in the Citty (of the number I am vncertayne) and to say vnto them, Adio, adesso me ne vado in Paradiso: farewell, for euen now I go to heauen: which voyce amongst others was heard of the Dutches of Sforza, a ve­ry [Page 83] vertuous Lady now liuing in Rome: and one of the other who heard the like voice did not at that time know that the Cardinall was in any danger of death at all. The Vertue, Nobility, multitude of these personages, togeather with the vniforme report, is a sufficient warrant of their words. And euen now (though somwhat late) is come to my handes a briefe Relatiō of a miraculous cure done by a Relique of his, vpon a Religious woman of the order of S. Bennet, called Paula Landi, in the Monastery of our B. Ladyes in Campo Martio of Rome. Thus the thing fell out.

The said Paula the sixth day of Octo­berA strange and mira­culous cure done by a Relique o [...] the Cardi­nall. by a fall brake one of her rib-bones in such sort, as that one part thereof did stand out, and the other was turned in­ward towards her brest; the paine she felt was excessiue, and withall her weaknes was such, as she could not vest herselfe, eate, or vse her arme. The Surgeon in setting the bone right, increased her paine; and besides the extremity of her bodily griefe, she was in wardly also ve­ry much afflicted in mynde with the feare eyther of a continuall lamenes if [Page 84] she did recouer, or with the long end [...] rance of that insupportable torment which would haue no other end, then the end of her life. Whiles she remayned in the perplexity of these afflicting thoughts, there was brought to the Mo­nastery a piece of linnen, that had tou­ched the Cardinalls body, which she de­sired to haue, & when she had it, did ap­ply the same to the woūd much swolne with the concourse of humors: then be­taking herselfe to prayer, hartily craued the intercession of the holy Cardinall; & loe in the space of one houre she was de­liuered frō all paine, could vest herselfe, walke, and doe any thing as before, in so much as on the Sonday following (for this hapned on fryday) she serued the rest at table, and at this present is as well able to doe any thing as euer she was before. And this the party hath te­stifyed to my selfe, who purposely got leaue to speake with her about this matter; and not only the sayd Paula, but others of her Order, who were present when I speake vnto her, did testify th [...] same, adding further that all of the sayd Monastery would doe the like; & Paula [Page 45] herselfe wrote as much as here I report, subscribed the same with her own hand, and sent it to the Fathers of the Society of the Casa Professa, where the Cardirall is buryed.

Since the former cure there hath hapned another, & that vpon an Hono­rable personage, to wit, the Lord Riui­ullo Bishop of Bel-Castro. This man be­ing much afflicted with a payne in his sides, that wonderfully molested him, before he vvould apply any medicine thereunto, called for a little red cap of silke, which Bellarmyne did vveare vnder his square cap, and confiding much in his merits and intercession, touched those partes that grieued him therewith, and incontinently he was cured, and fully deliuered from all payne, as the said Honourable Personage hath testifyed and confirmed by his Oath, Hand, and Seale. More in this kind I might write; but for that I haue not such meanes to search out their truth, as I thinke is re­quisite, ere they be thus diuulged, I leaue them to others to relate, who doe better know them: and in the history of his life which already is thought vpon [Page 86] they will I doubt not be most faithfully recorded, to the Glory of God, Ho­nour of his Seruant, and Comfort of o­thers. These thinges thus testifyed, I thought good to set downe, which haue so soone hapned after his death, because in part they confirme vvhat before I wrote of his holy life and saint-like de­parture. God graunt vs his Grace so to imitate his Vertues, as we may shut vp this our mortall and fraile life, with so happy an end. Amen.

Cardinall Bellarmyne was borne in the yeare 1542. the fourth day of October being the feast of S. Francis. He en­tred into the Society of Iesus at Rome the 20. day of Sep­tember 1560. He vvas made Cardinall the third day of March 1599. he dyed in the [Page 87] Nouitiate of Rome the 17. of September 1621. being fry­day, and the festiuall day of the holy vvoundes miracu­lously imprinted in the hāds, feet, and side of Saint Francis, 24. dayes after he had left the Court, vvanting but sixteene dayes of threescore and nyn­teene yeares of age. He liued in the Society before his pro­motion 38. yeares, fiue mo­neths, and thirteene dayes; in his Cardinalate two and twenty yeares, six moneths, and fourteene dayes: Cuius memoria in benedictionibus dul­cedinis.