Part 4
When the morning Starre appeared, we imbraced the way marching towards Loretta, and these vermillion Nymphs, to let me understand they travelled with a chearefull stomacke, would oft runne races, skipping like wanton Lambes on grassie Mountaines, and quenching their follies in a Sea of unquenchable fantasies. Approaching neare the gate of the Village, they pulled off their shooes and stockings, walking bare-footed through the streets, to this tenne thousand times polluted Chappell, mumbling Paternosters, and Ave Mariaes on their beads. When they entred the Church, wherein the Chappell [Ignorant devotion.] standeth, I stood at the entry beholding many hundreds of bare-footed blinded bodies, creeping on their knees and hands: Thinking themselves not worthy to goe on foote to this idely supposed Nazaretan House, like to this saying;
Lauretum nudis pedibus, plebs crebra frequentat, Quam movet interius religionis amor.
To Lorett people haunt with naked feete, Whome Religion moves with loves fervent sprit.
Unto this falsely patronized Chappell, they offer yearely many rich gifts, amounting to an unspeakable value, as Chaines, & Rings of Gold and Silver, Rubies, Diamonds, silken Tapestries, Goblets, imbroudries and such like. [Romes avarice.] The Jesuiticall and Poenitentiall Fathers receive all, but who so enjoy all, let Camera reverenda Romana, graunt certification to this Loretan avariciousnesse, who fill their coffers twice in the yeare therewith. My foure Pilgrimes having performed their ceremoniall customes, came backe laughing, and asked why I did not enter? But I as unwilling to shew them any further reason, demaunded what the matter was? O (said the Italians) Jurando per il Cieloe Iddio Sacratissimo; This is the House wherein the Virgin Marie dwelt in Galile: and to the confirmation of these words shewed me a Booke, out of which I extracted these Annotations.
This Chappell they hold it to be the house, in which Mary was annunced by Gabriel, and wherein she conceived [Damnable illusions of Loretta.] Jesus, by operation of the holy Ghost, & in the meane time, that devotion waxed scant amongst the Christians of the Primitive Church in the Holy Land: strangers tirannizing over the territories of Canaan, as Heraclius, Costroes King of Persia, Sarazens, and Harancone King of Ægypt; it came to passe in the yeare of our Lord, 1291. and in the time of Pope Nicholas the fourth, that it being shaken off the foundation, was transported miraculously by Angels in the night, from Nazareth in Gallilee, to Torsalto in Slavonia: the distance being by sea and land 17. hundred Italian miles, O! a long lift for so scurvie a Cell. And in the morning, Shepheards comming to the place of pastorage, found this house, wherewith being astonished, they returned in hast, and told Saint George Alessandro, the Prior of Torsalto, who in that meane while was lying sick. He being stricken in admiration with these newes, caused himselfe to be borne thither, and laid before the Altar, and falling in a marvellous trance, [A Simonaicall vision.] the Virgin Mary by a heavenly Vision appeared to him, saying after this manner.
[A Papisticall Dreamd of Oration.] Behold, thou hast often pierced the heavens, with invocations for thy reliefe, and now I am come, not onely to restore thee to thy health, but also to certifie thee, that thou doubt nothing of this House; for it is holy in respect of mee, the chast immaculate Virgin, ordained before all eternity, to be the Mother of the most High. It was in this Chamber my Mother Anna conceived me, nourished me, and brought me up, in singing Psalmes, Hymnes, and Praises to the glory of God; and also I kept in this roome the blessed Infant Jesus very God, and very Man, without any grievance or paine brought him up with all dilgent observation: And when cruell Herod sought the Babes life, by the advertisement of the Angell, I, and my husband Joseph, who never knew my body, fled with him downe to Ægypt. And after his passion, death, and ascension to Heaven, to make a reconciliation of humane nature, with the Court Coelestiall: I stayed in this house with John, and the other Disciples: Who considering after my death, what high mysteries had beene done into it, consecrated and converted the same to a Temple, for a commemoration of Christs sufferings, the chiefe of Martyrs. Also that resplending Image thou seest, was made by Saint Luke (my familiar) for eternizing the memory of my portraiture, as I was alive, by the commandement of him, who doth all things, and shall reserve this sacred Image to the worlds end: That Crosse of Ceder, which standeth at the side of the little Westerne window, was made by the Apostles: These Cinders in the Chimney touch not, because they are the fragments of the last fire I made on earth: And that Shelfe whereon my linnen clothes, and prayer Bookes lay, Let no person come neere it: For all these places are sanctified and holy. Wherefore my Sonne, I tell thee, awake, and goe recite the same which I have told thee unto others; and to confirme thy beleefe therein, the Queene of Heaven giveth thee freely thy health.
[The shamefull opinions of the Papists concerning Loretta.] Frier Alexander being ravished (say they) with the Vision, went and reported it to Nicholas Frangipano, Lord of that Countrey. And incontinently he sent this Prior and other foure Friers to Nazareth, whereby he might know the trueth thereof, but in that journey they dyed. The Virgin Mary perceiving their incredulity, caused Angels the second time to transport the house over the gulfe of Venice, to a great wood neere by the sea side, in the territory of Riginati in Italy, being 300. miles distant. Which, when the country-men had found, and remarking the splendor of the illuminating Image, dispersed these newes abroad. And the Citizens of Riginati, having seene what great miracles was daily done, by the vertue of this Chappell, imposed then to it this name, Our Lady of Miracles. A little while after the people resorting to it with rich gifts, there haunted in the wood many theeves and cut-throates, who robd and murthered the Pilgrims. Which innocent spilt bloud, pricking their pitifull Lady to the heart, she made the Angels transport it the third time, and set it on the top of a little Mountaine, belonging to two brethren in heritage, being forty foure miles distant from the former place. But they upon a day quarrelling, and discording about the utility of the [Foure times transported.] Offerings to this House, the Angels did remoove it the fourth time, and placed it in a high broad way, where it standeth unremooved to this day, which place is now called the Village of Loretta; and from the last Station nine miles distant. [A confirmation by the Popes.] This was confirmed by the Papall authority to be of an undoubted trueth, after a hundreth and fifty three yeares deliberation. Loe, as briefly as I could, have I layd open to thy judicious eyes, the transportations, Originall, and Papisticall Opinions of Loretta; protesting I have added nothing to the Authours description, but onely collected these speciall Warrants; omitting other infinite foolish toyes, conceived for their blind-folded credulity.
This Chappell, or rather dwelling house, as they would have it, stood alwayes alone, till of late, that Pope Clement 8. caused build a glorious Church over it: And here by accident I encountred with a very courteous and discreet Gentleman, James Arthur, whose company was to me most acceptable: Our acquaintance being first made at the beginning of the same voiage upon the mountaines of Ferrara in Paese du Burbon, and bound to visite Venice, in his returning home for Scotland, as well as he had done Rome and other Cities of Italy.
Now I remember here of a pretty jest, for he and I going in to see the inravled image with sparrets of iron, and musing on the blacknesse of her face, and the richnesse of her gowne, all set with precious Stones and Diamonds; and because she is sightlesse, foure lampes of oyle they keepe alwayes burning before her face, that the people may see her, because she cannot see them. There was, I say, a young lusty woman hard by my elbow, busie at [A fleshly false-sprung miracle.] her Beades, who with the heate of the throng, and for lacke of ayre, fell straight in a sound: the women about her gave a shoute, and cryd that our blessed Lady had appeared to her; whereupon she was carried forth and layd upon the steppes, that discend from the Chappell to the Church-floore, five hundreth more come to visite her with salutations of Saint, Saint, O ever blessed Saint; Now it was Friday in the fore-noone, and the woman having travelled all night, and to save charges of fish, had eaten a cold bit of her owne meat privately in the Taverne, with halfe a Buckale of red Wine: The people more admiring this imaginary heavenly trance, than the reliefe of the woman; at last sayd I, brother Arthur, I will goe open yonder womans breast, and I did so: and holding up her head before all the people, there sprung a flood of vin garbo downe the Alabaster stayres, intermingled with lumpes of ill-chewd flesh: Whereat the people being amazed, from a Saint swore she was a Divell: And if my friend and I, had not made hast to carry the sicke woman from the Church to a Taverne, doubtlesse, they had stoned her to death; and here was one of their miracles.
Another time, comming backe from my second Travels in Affricke, it was my lucke to stumble in here againe, where I saw an old Capuschin Frier conjuring the Divell out of a possessed woman, who had stayed there, and two men keeping her above eighteene moneths, being twise a day brought before the Chappell. The Frier stood up before her, the two men holding both her armes; [A Capuschin Frier conjuring the Divell.] and sayd, laying his formost finger on her brow; In nomine Patris, &c. Io vi cargo a dirmi, per quale cagione, havete posseduto l'anima di questæ poveretta; & vati ne via io ti adjuro, alia quei luogi, dionde tu sei venuto: I charge thee to shew me for what cause thou hast possessed the soule of this poore wretch, and I adjure thee to goe backe unto these places from whence thou camest. Meane while the woman stood dumbe and silent for the space of a quarter of an howre, not being usuall before: the people gave a shoute, and cry'd, the Divell had left her, whereat he that held her right arme did let it fall downe by her side: But by your leave, in the twinckling of an eye, the Divell in the woman gave the Frier such a rattle in the face, that he was stroke downe upon his backe among the people: And if it had not bene that she was borne downe with strength of hands, she had torne the silly old conjurer in peeces: crying, O false and dissembling knave, pretendest thou to have power to cast out evill Spirits, when thou thy selfe is in a worser case than I, and all thy profession too; Hell, hell, is your reward.
This is another of our Lady of Lorettaes Miracles, though many moe I could recite: As for any more vertue of this Cymberian image, I have knowne sicke folkes loaden with all kinde of diseases, criples, lame, maimed, deafe, dumbe, and numbers possessed with evill spirits lie here before this Lady, till I returned againe from Asia & Affrick, that same way: imploring, fasting and penitentially weeping for health; But alas poore soules, they lost their labour. When they had both spent all their meanes, and perhaps the poorest of them three yeares attendance, and forced to my knowledge to returne againe to their severall stations with sorrowfull and comfortlesse hearts.
O strange and wonderfull frailty of men! what damnable imperfections domineere over their brain-sicke knowledge: Sathan, thou Prince of darkenesse, hast so over-sylled the dimmed eies of their wretched soules, that notwithstanding of Gods eternall word, ordained to call them through the spotlesse bloud of Christ Jesus; to be the heires and adopted sonnes of Salvation: yet thou all abhominable enemie of mankind, overthrowest both their spirituall and naturall understanding in a bottomelesse Ocean of darke ignorance; promising to thy obdurate souldiers, to build Castles in the Ayre; and contrarywise is busie, digging downe dungeons, to welcome thy hellish eternized guests, with horrible torments, and never-ceasing flames of everlasting fire. What wilfull-hearted man can be so apt to believe, that our blessed Lady, had such estimation of morter and stones, as to have (although she had, had power) caused Angells to transport a rotten house so often? No, I say, beleeve it who so will; questionlesse, the Judgements of God in the trueth of his all-seeing Justice, shall reward their too credulous mindes accordingly; Then shall they know their foolish and superstitious errours.
But now to leave them with their Idolatry to stones, mettall, and Images, I come to their blasphemies against the sacred Deity: Looke to the workes of Bernardini de Busti, Bonaventure, and Fereolus Lucrius, how shamefully they derogate the glory from God, and attribute all grace, mercy and omnipotency, to the Virgin Mary. So Ludolphus and Chrysostome affirme, that Velocior est non unquam salus invocato nomine Mariæ, quam invocato nomine Domini, vinci filii ejus: Men may oftentimes be sooner saved by calling on the Virgin Mary, than on Christ. Omnia quæ Dei sunt, Mariæ sunt, quia mater & sponsa Dei illa est, all things which are Gods, are the Virgin Maries, because she is both the Spouse, and the mother of God, saith a Rabbin of theirs: and as many creatures honour the Virgin Mary, as honour the Trinity, saith another: So, Imperio Virginis, omnia famulantur & Deus, all creatures & God himselfe, are subject to the Virgin Maries command. And in their Bonaventure Ladies Psalter, Monstrate esse matrem, & coge illum peccatoribus misereri, Shew thy selfe a Mother, and compell him (viz. Christ) to have mercy upon sinners. Infinit citations could I produce, of such like intollerable [The Virgin Mary divided in a thousand Ladies.] attributs, besides the dividing of her in a 1000 stiles, viz. The Lady of the wines, Lady of the oyles, Lady of the cornes, Lady of the woods, Lady of the mountains, Lady of the meeds, Lady of the sheepe and goats, Lady of the springs, Lady of the fire, Lady of the shepheards; from earthquakes, thunder and fire-flashes, Lady of the Angels which is at Asisi in Ombria, Lady of miracles in divers places, Florence, &c. Lady of life in Bullogna newly found, Lady of all noble Ladies, and Nunnes, Lady of the galley-slaves, Lady of shipwracking seas, Lady of rivers and waters, Lady of young children, and orphanes, Lady of all consolation, Lady of pure Virgins, Lady of distressed widdows, Lady of the sicke, and women with child, &c. Besides the powerfull Lady of Mountserrata in Catalogna, the aforesayd miraculous Lady of Loretta, and the clementious Ile-ruling Lady of Trapundy in Sicilia, &c. Thus they make it manifest, that Shee, that is Ladye of the one, is not Ladye of the other; each of them having divers gifts, divers graces, divers powers, as they alledge, divers Chappells, divers offerings, and divers pilgrimages, according to the severall seasons, eminent or past-perills, peculiar invocations, and the particular neede of each family, man woman and living creature.
Whereby it plainely appeareth, by their dividuall acknowledgements, she is neither superior in power, universall in power, nor equall in power to God: For if she were, one Chappell, one name, one place, one pilgrimage, one offering would suffice for all. They chatter over on their beads ten Ave Maries to our Lady, and but one Pater noster to Christ: They make their orations thrice a day in the streets to the Virgin, and none to God: they say God divided the Kingdome with the Virgin, reserving to himselfe Justice, graunted to his mother mercy, wherefore if any man be aggrieved with Gods Justice, he may appeale to the court of her mercy.
But to conclude their blasphemies, & horrible lies, blessed is the blessed Virgin Mary (the Mother of Christ according to the flesh) above all women for ever and ever.
Leaving both this and Loretta, and returning to my [Ancona.] purpose, James Arthur and I imbarked at Ancona, (15. miles from thence) in a Frigato; This City of Ancona, in the time of Trajanus the Emperour, flourished mightily in fame, and reputation, and yet a gallant place to this day;
Contemnunt omnes Ancona moenia Turcas.
This sea-strong Towne, set on a Promontore, Defieth the Turkes with its defensive shoare:
It glories not a little in giving name to the whole province lying betweene Ombria and Romania, and is situate on a hill that shooteth into the sea like a promontore, having a faire haven built by Trajanus. It hath but one gate, whence arose the proverbe, Un porto nel Ancona, un Petro nel Roma, e un Torre nel Cremona, One gate in Ancona, one Peter in Rome, and one Steeple in Cremona being exceeding high.
Along this Adriaticke Coast, I saw no remarkeable thing, save the two Cities Rimini and Ravenna: which were famous in the dayes of Octavius Cæsar, but now somewhat impoverished, in regard of divers incursions sustained, and shoaring along with them, the Duke of Urbines three sea-port Townes Sinigalia, Fanno and Pesaro, we sayled by the mouth of Rubicon, called now Pissatello (which Julius Cæsar passed over, against the ordinance of the Senate, and afterwards seazed upon Rome, putting Pompey to flight) I saw the place, where the bloudy battell was fought betweene the French and Spaniards, Anno Domini 1512. but the victory fell to the Gaules, with the losse of nineteene thousand men on every side, and they have erected singular Monuments there, in a perpetuall memory thereof. After three dayes sayling (having passed by Malamucko, which is the Haven of the great Venetian shippes) we arrived at St. Marks place in Venice.
Mine associate and I, were no sooner landed, and perceiving a great throng of people, and in the midst of them a great smoake; but we begun to demaund a Venetian what the matter was? who replied, there was [A Gray Frier burned for villanous Lechering.] a gray Frier burning quicke at S. Markes pillar, of the reformed order of S. Francis, for begetting fifteene young Noble Nunnes with child, and all within one yeare; he being also their Father confessor. Whereat, I sprung forward through the throng, and my friend followed me, and came just to the pillar as the halfe of his body and right arme fell flatlings in the fire; The Frier was forty sixe yeares old, and had bene Confessor of that Nunnery of Sancta Lucia five yeares: Most of these young Nunnes were Senators daughters; and two of them were onely come in to learne vertue, and yet fell in the midst of vice.
These fifteene with child, were all re-cald home to their fathers Pallaces; the Lady Prioresse, and the rest of her voluptuous crew, were banished for ever from the precincts of Venice. The Monastery was razed to the ground, their rents were allowed to be bestowed upon poore families, and distressed age, and their Church to be converted to an Hospitall. Most part of all which M. Arthur and I saw, before ever we either eate, drunke, or tooke our lodging in Venice: And I cannot forget, how after all this, we being inhungred, and also over-joyed tumbled in by chance, Alla capello Ruosso, the greatest ordinary in all Venice, neare to which the Friars bones were yet a burning: And calling for a Chamber, we were nobly & richly served: After dinner they layd up our budgets and our burdons, and abroad went we to see the Citie: Night come, we supd, and supd alone: [The chiefe Venetian Ordinery.] The next morne, I begun to remarke the grandeur of the Inne, and saw it was time that we were gone: I demanded our dependant, what was to pay? he answered, Un scudo all huomo par ciascun ripasto, A Crowne the dyet for each of us, being ten Julets or five shillings starling: Mr. Arthur lookd upon me, and I laughd upon him: In a word our dinner and supper cost us 40. Juletts twenty shillings English; being foure Crownes, whereat my companion being discontented, bad the divell be in the Friars ballocks, for we had payd soundly for his Leachery: many like deaths, for like causes, and worser, have I seene in all my three voyages, if time could permit me to particularize them; But from this thou mayst play the learned Geometrician till thou findest more.
Cingitur urbs Venetum pelago, ditissima nummis.
This Towne most rich, to dare the Maine is shut, In Neptunes bosome, and sea-streeted cut.
Venice is a Garden of riches, and worldly pleasures the chiefe flowre of Common-weales, and the perfect, mirrour of civill and politicke Governement. This sequestrat Citty, is situate in the bosome of Neptune, and divided from the world, with a part of his maine body, which invironeth the Iland.
[The territories of Venice.] The Common-wealth of Venice, containeth Marcha del Trevisa, which lieth in Lombardy, containing these Cities, Trevisa, Padua, Vincenza, Verona, Briscia, the second City for bignesse and beauty in all Lombardy, Bergamo, Chiozza, and Rovigno. Friuli, formerly called Forum Julii, lieth in the straite betweene the East end of the Alpes, and the sea Adriaticke, in length fifty, & in bredth forty miles. It hath bene often subject to the vicissitude of fortune: The chiefe towne is Treista in the bottome of the gulfe, and Palma lately built by the Venetians 1583. being the most impregnable, and best fortified towne in Italy: Friuli was a Dukedome, founded by the Lombards at the beginning of the Venetian Common-wealth: Afterward Luitprandus one of the Dukes, envying the increase of the dominion of Venice, made war against them, which ended in the losse of his owne countrey. The rest be Istria, a part of Dalmatia, the Ilands Candy, Corfu, Zante, Cephalonia, Serigo, Tino, Val di Campare, Lesina, and others of lesser note.
The Venetians howsoever of old, they have bene great warriours; they are now more desirous to keepe, then inlarge their Dominions, and that by presents and money, rather than by the sword or true valour; so that whatsoever they loose by battell, it is observed, they recover againe by treatise. The Venetians are sayd to have discended of the Hennets in Asia lesser, who assisting
the Trojans, and Troy being lost, their King Pterilimene slaine, they fled away with Antenor; and arriving in this part of Italy seated themselves, till the report of the Hunnes designe against Italy, made them, (avoyding the storme before it fell) to draw into these Ilands and [The first plantation of Venice.] Marishes, where now it standeth. It was first founded, and begun, Anno. 421. March 25. being distant from the maine land five miles, and defended against the fury of the sea, by a banke extending to fifty miles in length: Through which in eight places, there is passage broken for small boates, but no way for vessels of any burthen, save at Malamucco, and the castle of Lio: Yea, and so dangerous, that there is neither out-going nor in-comming, without a Pylot, which maketh the Citty unconquerable.
This Citty is seven miles in compasse, and from so base an abject beginning, it is growne (as it were) to be the chiefe bulwarke of Europe: The Duke of this Adriatick Queene, espouseth the sea, every Ascension day, by casting a golden ring into it. Which Stultitious ceremony by Pope Alexander the third was graunted, when he fled to Venice for succour, being persecuted by Fredericke Barbarossa: And the Venetians vanquishing Otho the Emperours sonne, restored the Pope, and for a reward, was honoured with this espousall.
The length of the Territory of Venice in Lombardy, lying along the foote and South side of the Alpes, amounteth to sixe score five miles: The breadth whereof in the planure is narrow, but stripeth larger among the hills and lakes, and very populous.