torments. I do not belye them. I write nothing but a truth. There was at Gratz, about three years ago, a young man named Jacobus Clusseus, a youth of an excellent and pregnant wit; this man did they lay hands upon, and miserably tormented him, by whipping and scourging, for a matter of no moment, and because he told them plainly, that he would renounce their society, and complain publickly, if ever he got liberty, for this, and other such wicked dealing towards him, they clapped him up into such a prison, under ground, as aforesaid, from whence he was never seen to come out again alive.

Nor did any of us, that were novices, make question, but that he was made an end of, with most exquisite torments.

Which unparalleled piece of tyranny I purpose, in due time, to divulge to the whole world, with relation of all circumstances, being the thing which the poor wretched Clusseus had a purpose to have done himself, if he had not been hindered and prevented by death.

I shall withal make publick unto the world another such piece of villainy, committed by the Jesuits of Fulda in Germany, upon the body of one Martinus, whom they stole away most basely from his parents, who are yet living at Miltenberg, or Milberg.

And how many women, think you, have been devoured and eaten up in the same gulf? How many young children slain? How many young men, that have been sole heirs of very large and ample patrimonies, have been made away by them? I do not say, I think, but I believe, and am firmly persuaded, so often as shrieks, cries, sighings, and most woeful lamentations, were heard in the night-season, the hearing whereof would put a man into a cold sweat all over, and make his hair stand on end, though our simpler novices believed them to be the souls of some lately departed; it was nothing but the shrieks and mones of children lately murdered, or then a murdering.

Moreover, that the extreme and devilish malice of Jesuits may be in nothing defective, they are accustomed divers times, in those their vaults under ground, to make the devil very fine sport: Putting on terrible disguises, they cause some of their novices to be called down to behold their tragedy, upon whom they will rush suddenly, with a horrid yelling noise, to make trial, forsooth, of their courage and constancy.

For, if they find any to be timorous and fearful, they admit not such a man to the secrets of magick, as counting them cowardly and degenerate, but appoint them to some of the inferior arts: But such as appear to be of bold and undaunted spirits, they take especial notice of them, and reserve them for serious employments.

And yet they are not always successful for all this, as appeared by that which happened at Prague, in the year 1602. For whereas there were five principal Jesuits, who being habited as devils made sport with the youth: It so fell out, that there was found to be a sixth in their company, before they were aware, and he, questionless, was a devil indeed, who, catching up one of the personated devils in his arms, gave him such a kindly unkind embrace, that within three days after he died of it. The fact was common talk at bakehouses and barbershops, and at every table discoursed upon, all over Prague.

And yet, for all that, the rest of them, as nothing amazed with

this tragical event, dare still, in the height of obstinacy, proceed in that most ungodly and devilish study of magick.

Now, amongst that whole society, the prime man for a magician is a French jesuit, whom the King of France himself had in so high estimation, that he admitted him not only to his princely table, but also to familiar conferences in private; concerning whom the jesuits themselves did make their boast, that he had a glass made by art-magick, wherein he could plainly represent, unto the king, whatsoever his majesty desired to see: Insomuch that there was nothing so secretly done or consulted upon in the most private room of any cloister or nunnery of other orders, which he could not easily and instantly discover and disclose, by this his inchanted, or, rather, devilish glass.

And, indeed, it was by the art and means of this magician jesuite, that their society was confident, that they should be able to draw on their side one of the most potent princes of the empire, although a protestant; forasmuch, as he was observed to be somewhat delighted in the study of magick.

Now, as for those whom they take in as novices to be instructed in this way, they expound unto them those nine hundred propositions, which Picus, Earl of Mirandula, published at Rome: As, also, the book of Johannes Trithemius, together with a tract or treatise touching abstruse or hidden philosophy, written by Cornelius Agrippa: Likewise Theophrastus, concerning the constellations and seals of the planets, with the Steganographia of I know not what abbot, and the art of Paul to procure revelations: Meaning St. Paul, whom they affirm to have been instructed in the magick art, and thereby to have understood such high revelations, and profound mysteries.

Yea, they blush not to affirm, that St. John was an excellent magician: Nor do they stick to say, That even our blessed Saviour Christ Jesus himself was a most absolute and perfect magician, as mine own ears have heard it oftener than once or twice related by some of that society, and such as I am able to nominate.

And thus much for the jesuits church: Only take this direction along with you; those vaults and rooms under ground, which I mentioned even now, those secret conveyances, and Circean dens, are for the most part contrived to be under the choir, or cloister, not where the people do walk or stand.

And now when thou shalt pass from their temple into their study (for I will say nothing touching their parlours or chambers, refectories or places of recreation, instruction of novices who are newly admitted, and the training up of other scholars committed to the jesuits tuition; nor yet touching the method and order of their studies, but will reserve that for another discourse; seeing those passages are, for the most part, known abroad already, being discovered by another.) When, I say, thou shalt enter into their publick library, thou shalt find a most exquisite choice of authors of all sorts, all of them most curiously hound up in leather or parchment, with fillets of silver or gold: And as for such whereof there is daily use, they are laid in order upon desks, fastened with chains upon a long table.

But, as for the inner library; that is only reserved for the fathers of the society: It is free for none but them to go in thither, and to borrow thence what books they think good. Those ordinary books are only free for the juniors of the society, nor may they take a sentence out of the rest, without special leave obtained from the regent.

Moreover, in this first library, are no heretical books, as they call them, but only the writings of most approved authors and catholicks all: For they hold any other unworthy to be placed amongst them, as fearing, perhaps, they should infect the rest.

Look, therefore, upon thy left hand, and there thou shalt see the wretched books of hereticks, as they term them, standing all in mourning for the faults of their authors, bound up in black leather, or parchment blacked over, with the very leaves thereof dyed in black.

Of these, not one of the fathers themselves may make choice or use, without leave obtained from the regent before-hand: But your inferior jesuits, and younger novices, may not be so bold, as to desire the sight of any one of them, except he will, before-hand, with all virulency and bitterness, rail upon and disgrace the author, whom he desireth to see, by some infamous libel, and scurrilous satyrical verse, or writing.

In the midst of these several libraries, is placed a study, being divided into many seats distinct, and separate one from another, with a blue covering: On the right side whereof, sit the fathers; on the left, the under-graduates, who have already taken some degrees upon them. The other novices, or fresh-men, as we call them, sit mixed with the fellowcommoners, that they may take notice of them, and every man in his turn beat into them, by continual discourses, the sweetness and excellency of the order of jesuits; especially, into such as are of the richer sort, or wealthy heirs.

I will say no more at this time, as touching their studies; but I will describe briefly the manner of the visitation, which every provincial maketh; because it is a point, which as I think, and for any thing that I ever read or heard, hath been never hitherto divulged by any.

Now every provincial taketh his denomination from the province, or kingdom rather, which is committed to his charge and oversight. His place is to visit the several colleges, to take an account of their revenues, and oversee their expences exactly and punctually: To take notice what noble personages commit their sons to the tuition of the society, and how many they are in number? Whether there be not yearly an increase of scholars, as also of their means and revenues? Whether there be any converted from Lutheranism, and how many such?

If there be no such thing, or if the popish religion hath lost ground, or if there be any decrease of their wealth, he sharply reproveth their sloth and neglect, and chargeth strictly, that they make an amends for the wrong they have done, and loss they have received in this case: But, if they have bestirred themselves bravely, and converted, as they call it, or rather perverted many souls to popery; if they have been frugal, and scraped wealth together, he praiseth them very highly, and extolleth them to the skies. Moreover, he demandeth, What is the opinion of the neighbouring hereticks concerning them? What are the

projects of the nobles? What meetings they have? How many? And where? What they consult upon? What they resolve to do? Whether the heretical princes, as they term them, delight to live at home, or abroad? To whom they resort most frequently? What is the several disposition of every one of them? In what things he is observed to take most delight? Whether he take any care of his people, or not? Whether he be a religious prince, or not? Or rather, Whether he be not a man, who delights to take his pleasure in drinking, wenching, or hunting? Whether he has any catholicks about him, or that are near unto him? What the people report abroad concerning their own princes? Whether the churches of the adversaries be full of resort, or not? Whether the pastors of those churches be learned and diligent men in their place and calling, or otherwise lazy lubbers, and unlettered? Whether the profession of divinity thrives in the neighbouring university of hereticks? Whether their divines maintain frequent disputations, and against whom principally? What books they have published of late, and upon what subject?

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To these, and sundry such questions, if the regent and the rest of the fathers do answer punctually, he doth wonderfully commend their industry and vigilancy.

If he find them defective in answering to these, or any such demands, he reproveth them sharply, saying: What mean you, my masters? Do you purpose, like lazy companions, to undo the church of Rome? How do you suppose your slothfulness, in these weighty affairs, can be excused before his holiness? How is it, that you presume to take these places upon you, and to manage them no better? What, or whom are you afraid of? Why do not you buckle up yourselves better to your business, and perform your places like men? These things, if you had been such men as you ought to be, had not been to do now. things should have been done long before this time. Do you observe the incredible watchfulness of the hereticks, and can you be lazy? And, with these or the like speeches, he whetteth them on to their duty.

These

At the last he inquireth as touching the scholars, fellow-commoners, novices, and the rest, How many they are in number? How much every one hath profited? To what study, or delight, each one is inclinable? Whether there be any one amongst them that is scrupulous, or untractable, or not a fit subject to be wrought upon? For he adjudgeth every such an one fitting to be removed from the study of divinity, except he have been very well exercised in the disputations in schools, and have a very great and good conceit of their religion beaten into him. Moreover, he inquireth, If they have any one in the college, who can be contented, for the advantage of the catholick cause, to undertake any laudable attempt, and to spend his blood in the cause, if at any time necessity should seem to require it?

And, at last, he sendeth away all these informations, being sealed up, unto the father-general at Rome, by whom they are immediately made known to the pope himself, and his conclave of cardina's; and so, by this means, an order is taken, that there is no matter of action set on foot, nothing almost consulted upon, throughout the whole Christian world,

which is not forthwith discovered unto the pope by these traitors, that lurk in every state and kingdom. Also, it is not to be omitted, that the jusuits are translated by their provincial from one college to another, and that for the most part, once in three years, that so the provincial, out of their several discoveries, may attain to unlock all the most secret cabinets of the prince and state, where he doth reside.

In the last place, I will add, instead of a corollary, some strange and wonderful devices of the jesuits, which, being but of late newly hammered in the forge, they have earnestly endeavoured, yea, and at this day do labour, tooth and nail, to put in practice, by publick consent, for an innovation to be made, both in the church and state, throughout the whole Roman empire. To this end, their chief and only aim is, how to set the princes of the empire together by the ears, and, by taking off some of the principal doctors of the church, to bring the tyranny of the Spaniard, and the primacy of the pope, into Germany. Concerning which very project I have heard the provincial Del-Rio himself discoursing sometimes, whose plots and machinations were such as follow:

In the first place, saith he, care and pains must be used to estrange the affections of the princes of the empire one from another.

Now the means, said he, to effect that, is to work upon their contrariety of opinions in matters of religion: And, for this end, let the emperor be incited to make a declaration, That he will not grant liberty of conscience in matters of religion, except there shall first be a restitution made of such goods, as were taken from the clergy upon the treaty at Passau; for this is a point, whereat they will stick assuredly, and deny it.

Let the emperor thereupon send his princes, and demand the same of the cities of the empire. They will either obey or deny; if they consent, and obey, all is well; if they refuse, let him proclaim them rebels, and expose them to be seized upon by the next neighbouring princes; but still let the matter be so carried, that he be sure to oppose a Lutheran and a Calvinist, the one against the other.

Moreover, some device must be found out, that the Duke of Bavaria may fall foul, either upon the Elector Palatine, or upon the Duke of Wittembergh, for then may the emperor be easily won to proclaim him traitor, whom the Duke of Bavaria shall distaste, and all means be taken away of making pacification either with Papist or Calvinist for them; besides, thereby will be raised unreconcileable divisions in the empire, never to be quenched before an highway be made for the accomplishment of our desires. For the further ripening of which design, the jesuits bethought themselves further of this stratagem: It will follow, say they, necessarily when any city of the empire shall be proclaimed rebellious, that every several prince will be more ready and willing to serve his own turn, upon the spoil thereof, than to admit any other that shall be emulous of the same booty to prevent him. This for the generality. More particularly yet, means must be found out to set the princes of Saxony at difference, that their strength and power may be broken, or at least weakened.