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Life of Cardinal Borromeus.

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provofts of these brothers of Humility
entered into a confpiracy to cut him
off, and one of their confederates, cal-
led ferom Donat, whofe furname was
Farina, took upon him to carry the
defign into execution. For this pur-
pofe he mixed with the croud that
went into the archiepifcopal chap-
ple, where the Cardinal spent an hour
every evening in prayer with his do-
mestics, and other pious perfons; and,
having watched his opportunity, he fi-
red an harquebufs at him, which was
loaded with a ball fuited to the bore of B
the piece, and with a confiderable
charge of leaden fhot. It is faid that
the ball ftruck him on the spinal bone,
but fell down at his feet without doing
any other damage than foiling his ro
chet, and that one of the thot penetra-
ted his cloaths to the skin, and there
ftopped, without imprinting any
wound, which was considered as a mi-
racle, efpecially as the other thot tore
away part of a wall, and went quite
through a table. Farina, tho' in the
tumult and confufion he got out of the
chapel undiscovered, was afterwards
taken and put to death, his accompli-
ces were also discovered and punished,
and the whole order, notwithstanding
the inftances of Charles himself, was
fuppreffed by a Bull of Pope Pius the
Vth, in 1571.

In the year 1576, the city and diocefe of Milan were vifited by the plague, which swept away incredible numbers, and the behaviour of Borromeus, on this occafion, was truly chriftian and heroic: He not only continued on the spot, but he went about giving directions for accommodating the fick, and burying the dead, with a zeal and attention that were at once ardent and deliberate, minute and comprehensive ; and his example ftimulated others to join in the good work. He avoided no danger, and he fpared no expence ; nor did he content himself with eftablishing proper regulations in the city, but went out into all the neigh bouring parishes where the contagion raged, distributing money to the poor, ordering proper accommodations for the fick, and punishing thofe, efpecially the clergy, who were remifs in the duties of their calling.

The reformation of the clergy was, indeed, the principal object of his attention, and, in order to effect it, he made frequent vifitations to the feveral diocefes of his province, particularly into the valleys of the Grifons, which afforded an ample field for his

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paftoral authority: The valley Mefol cina, one of the five, did not only share in the common depravity, but, accor ding to a contemporary author, abounded with forcerers, who had, or pretended to have, a commerce and compact with the devil; the priest of the parish who refided in the collegiate church of Roverete, was convicted of being the chief or head of those affociates of Satan; many were converted, but the priest and 11 others, all old men, perfifting in their wickedness, were delivered over to the fecular arm, and burnt. This execution touched Charles with great compunction, but it greatly facilitated the work of reformation.

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Charles, notwithstanding the fatigue and perplexity which he fuffered by thus executing his paftoral charge, abated nothing of the ufual aufterity of his life, nor omitted any of his ftated devotions, for,whatever approached to luxury or magnificence, he confidered as incompatible with the propriety of his character. It happened, that being once on a vifit to the archbi fhop of Sienna, at his palace, a very fumptuous entertainment was provided for him: Borromeus, tho' he had been ufed to content himself with bread and water, yet fat down at the table, where, however, he eat but little, and gave fufficient intimation that he was much difpleafed with fuch oftentatious prodigality; but what was his furprise when he faw the table again covered with a defert, confifting of whatever was most rare, exquifite, and coftly? He immediately rofe haftily from his feat, as if he had fuddenly recollected fome preffing business, and gave orF ders for his departure, notwithstanding the rain, and the most earnest entreaties of the Archbishop: My Lord, 'faid the Cardinal, if I fhould tarry

here to-night, you would give me another fuch treat as that I have just 'feen, & the poor will then fuffer anoGhave been fed with the fuperfluities 'ther lofs,great numbers of whom might

that have been now set before us.'

The continual labours and austerities of Borromeus naturally shortened his life; he went to Vercal to put an end, if poffible, to the divifions which threatened the most fatal confequences, Hand, when he was there, he received a meffage from the Duke of Savoy, requefting his prefence at Turin; Borromeus was by no means averse to this journey, for he had a great defire once more to see the holy Sindon, or wind

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manner as can now be believed, fince the lives already written might by that means, be gradually fuperceded, which are a better antidote against Popery than the arguments of the best reason

Ing fheet of our Lord, which, at his
inftance, had been removed from
Chamberry to Turin, where it still re-
mains. From Turin he retired to a
place called the Sepulchre, on the moun-
tain Varais, where he was feized with A er in the world.
an intermitting fever, which scarce
permitted him to return alive to Milan,
where he arrived on the 3d of Novem-
ber 1584, and died the next day.

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He was lamented by the city, and the whole province with fuch marks of fincere forrow as are rarely feen; and he was immediately worshipped as a Saint without waiting for the Pope's approbation. The Pope, however, when he was told of it by Cardinal Baronius, gave directions that the devotion of the people should not be restrained, though Borromeus was not canonized till the ift of November 1610, in the Ponti- C ficate of Leon the XIth. Since that time many churches and chapels have been erected in honour of this Saint,

OBSERVATIONS on feveral Passages in the Old and New Teftament.

Genefis xxxvii. 2. Whether instead of, there may originally have

? היה been

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1 Sam. xxv. 6. 2. Whether instead

it may originally have לֶחָי וְאַתָּה of

been "viz. And thus fhall ye fay unto him, Art both thou well, and is thy boufe well, and is all that thou haft well?

2 Sam. i. 18. 2. Whether instead of up, it may originally have been

and many religious focieties inftituted,, viz. He commanded to teach

and put under his protection.

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Upon a comparison of this life of Borromeus with that written by Ribadeneira, a Spanish Jefuit, above a century ago, it appears, that the improvement of knowledge has made a very striking difference in this kind of biography: Ribadeneira, who lived in the midst of ignorance and fuperftition, did not fufpect that the time was at hand when the incredible and ridiculous fables E he recites could not be believed; his life of this Saint therefore abounds with particulars, which Touron has judiciously omitted: We are told that a miraculous light was feen over the chamber of Borromeus's mother when fhe was in labour. That Borromeus, feeing two perfons carried violently down a rapid river on their horses, and juft ready to perish, caused their horfes fuddenly to leap with them out of the water, by giving them his benediction. Oclavian Varefe, a gentleman of Milan, who was confined to his bed by fickness, when Borromeus died became inftantly, G well, by recommending himself to the Saint's interceffion. A daughter of Julius Bonacina was inftantly cured of a diforder in her eye, which had taken away the fight of it, by performing an act of devotion in honour of this Saint. A Count of Ferrara was inftantly seized with a violent difeafe upon fpeaking irreverently of Borromeus's picture, but was cured upon confeffing his fault. It would certainly be a work of infinite fervice to the Romish church, to newwrite the lives of her faints in such a

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עַתָּה of the former

the children of Judah the lamentation? 2 Sam. xviii. 3. 2. Whether instead there may originally have been AN, (Do not the LXX feem to have taken it so?)

Job, ch. xxvi. When one is studying the meaning of this chapter, perhaps it may be of fome fervice towards the right understanding of it, to compare the original with the Hebrew of the following paffages, viz. Pfal. lxxiv. 12, &c. Pfalm lxxxix. ro, &c. Prov. viii. 17, and Isaiah li. 9, &c. May one particularly obferve, as to the word, which in this chapter of Job, verfe 12, is tranflated, proud, (and which, perhaps, in Job xix. 3, is tranflated so and justly, yet) that there are paffages of fcripture where it is tranflated as a proper name, viz. Rabab, See Pfalm Ixxxix. 10, and Ifaiab li. 9.-And again, whereas in this chapter of Job, ver. 13, we, in our tranflation, read, His band bath formed the crooked jerpent, is not much the fame word which we here tranflate, formed, elsewhere tranflated, wounded, see Isaiah li. 9. And, as to crooked ferpent, may it seem from comparing Isaiah xxvii. 1, that this may poffibly mean the fame that is elsewhere called Leviathan, or the dragon, fo as that the expreffion here might feem fomewhat to answer to what we find in Pfalm lxxiv. 13, 14. and Ifaiah li. 9, last claufe. May we therefore have fome ground to fuppofe, that, in these paffages of this chapter of Job, there poffibly might be a reference

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Critical Obfervations on the Old and New Teftament.

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fhould be fetting themfelves to walk honeftly or decently as in the day, which had even now already as it were begun to dawn upon them, and they fhould put on the Lord Jefus Chrift, &c?

a reference to fome event which had, in the courfe of God's providence, happened prior to the penning of this book of Job, and that this was the fame event which is referred to in Pfalm Ixxiv. and Ifaiah li, and which is there reprefented as having happened in an tient time.-Further, may we compare verfe so, of this chapter, with Prov. viii. 17.-And again, What we in ver. 5, tranflate, are formed, might it fignify, are made to tremble, and if the paufe in the Hebrew may admit, might one understand the verfe in this fenfe, viz. "The dead are made to tremble from beneath, q. d. God can even make as it were, the dead to tremble before him, as likewife the waters and the inhabitants thereof." Or will any rather chufe to take the paffage thus, viz. The giants, (NDT) the migh-ing brought under, and fo long conti

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ty ones, are, by the power of God,
wounded, or made to tremble, as are
likewife the waters from beneath, and
the creatures that dwell in them; or,
and likewife the creatures which inha-
bit the waters, are wounded, or made
to tremble from under the waters where D
they dwell.

Pfalm cxlvii. 16. He fcattereth the boar froft like afhes.-When wood, or the like, is burning in the open air, fome of the athes being light, are ufually carried up along with the flame and fmoke, and after floating a-while in the air, fall down again in a foft and gentle manner; may the falling of the final particles of which the hoar froft is compofed, 'be here compared to this; thefe particles likewife coming down, perhaps in much the fame ftill, filent, gentle, and almost imperceptible manner.

Romans xiii. 11, &c. Q. Whether the Christian converts, to whom the Apoftle here writes, be reprefented as expecting the coming of the light of a great and glorious day, even the day of their falvation in another world; and does the Apoftle here intimate to them that this day was already fo near at hand to them, and already fo much beginning as it were to dawn upon them, that it was already (zon) time for them to awake and to think of rifing and putting on their daycloathing, and dreffing themfeives in fuch a drefs as it would be proper to have on in the day which was coming upon them? And does he intimate to them, that if they would be in a dress fuitable to, and in a situation proper for that great and glorious day, they

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Genefis xix. When we are confidering the dreadful deftruction of Sodom, perhaps it may be worth while to attend to what we may learn from scripture as to the preceding difpenfations of providence towards the people of that place, and as to their character under fuch difpenfations. About 28 years before this awful event, it seems they were brought under fubjection to a foreign power, viz. to Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and continued under his power for 12 years, (fee chap. xiv. 4.) Perhaps their fervice to him might not be very grievous, but furely their be

tinued under a foreign yoke, was a
circumstance that should have engaged
them to serious thoughts. However,
this circumftance does not feem to have
had its due influence upon their cha-
racter, for at the time of Abrabam's
nephew, Lot's going amongst them
(which, it feems, was either during
this their fubjection to Chedorlaomer,
or about the time of their revolting
and attempting to caft off their fubjec-
tion to him, I fay at the time of Lot's
going amongst them) it seems we have
a bad account of their character; we
read Genefis xiii. 13. That the men of
Sodom were wicked, and finners before
the Lord exceedingly. They met with
another rebuke upon occasion of their
revolting from Chedorlaomer, though
the affair turned out afterwards more
favourable to them. In the fecond
year of their revolt, and in the 14th
year after they had been brought into
fubjection to Chedorlaomer, see ch. xiv.
4, and about 14 years before the final
deftruction of the place, (fee note the
next page) Chedorlaomer and his compa
ny came upon them, and had fuch an
advantage over them, that it seems all
the inhabitants of Sodom, except fome
that fled to the mountain, were either
flain, or carried away captive with their
fubftance, and Lot, with his fubftance,
was taken captive amongst the rest,
(fee ch. xiv. 1o, &c.) This was a fore
calamity to Sodom, but, however, the
divine being, as perhaps it may feem,
much out of regard to Abraham, and
his nephew Lot, was pleafed to give a
fudden unexpected favourable turn to
their affairs. For Abraham, who lived
at fome diftance, upon hearing what
had happened to Sedom and to Lot, took

Critical Obfervations on the Old and New Teftament.

his fervants, together with fome who were his confederates, and pursued after these conquerors, and fmote them, and brought back all the goods, and alfo brought again his brother Lot, and A his goods, and the women alfo, and the people, chap. xiv. 13, &c. But neither it feems had this fore defeat, and the furprifing deliverance fo foon following it, I fay, neither it feems had thefe things an effectual influence upon the people of Sodom, to produce in them a thorough amendment; it seems they B ftill continued wicked. Perhaps one may fuppofe that Lot, who lived amongst them at least for the space of 14 years, before their destruction *, would be making serious remonftrances to them as to their bad character, (fee ch. xix. 9,) and confidering what hand his uncle Abraham had under providence in C their deliverance, one perhaps might have thought, that furely they would be likely to have fuch a regard for Lot, as to mind what he might fay ; but, however, it seems they continued to be of fuch a character as gave him great concern. We read 2 Peter ii. 7, 8, of juft Lot's being vexed with the filthy eonverfation of the wicked, for that righteous man dwelling amongst them in feeing and hearing vexed his righteous foul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. Providence had, it feems, caft their dwelling in a plentiful, fruitful tract of ground, (fee xiii. 10,) but notwithstanding the mercy E they enjoyed in that respect, and notwithstanding the judgments and the deliverance above-mentioned, notwithstanding any means which Lot might ufe with them, and, notwithstanding God's waiting fo long upon them after the deliverance he had given them, that is, waiting after that F for 14 years before he proceeded to deftroy them, (fee note,) notwithstanding all, they ftill continued wicked. Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idlenefs was amongst them, neither did they strengthen the hand of the poor, and needy, and they were haughty, and committed abomination before G God, therefore he took them away as he faw good; such as this, it seems, is

That from the deliverance of the people

of Sodom, by Abrabam, &c. chap. xiv. 13, &c. to the destruction of the place there were 14 years, perhaps one may argue thus, viz. it feems Abrabam was but 85 years old, at chap. xvi. 13, (which I fuppofe was after what hap pened, chap. xiv. 13, c, fee chap. xv. 1, 3.) and perhaps he was about 99 when Sodom was deftroyed, fee chap. xvii. 24, xviii. 14, xxi. 5.

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the account we have of them in Exekiel xvi. 49-50. And elsewhere, juft before their deftruction, we find the Lord obferving, Genefis xviii. 20, that the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great, and their fin was very grievous; and xix. 13, we find the angels faying, We will deftroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord bath fent us to deftroy it. This chapter makes mention of one particular fort of wicked attempt, in which many of them, it seems, were concerned. Wickednefs in one fort or other it seems was fo general amongst them, that there were not ten righteous perfons to be found in the place, if there had, it may feem God would have spared it for those ten's fake, ch. xviii. 32. Even Lot's fons in-law, which married his daughters, when he faid, Up, get ye out of this place, for the Lord will deftroy this city, we have an account that he feemed as one that mocked unto his fons in-law. Such, as has been reprefented, it feems was the bad character of the inhabitants of the place, and as they proved fo unreformed by the methods God ufed with them, their destruction was very awful, as we have an account in this chapter. "The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimftone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven, and he overthrew thofe cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground," verfe 24, 25.

fo that the fmoke of the country went up as the fmoke of a furnace," verfe 28. Thus God turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an enfample unto thofe that after fhould live ungodly, 2 Peter ii. 6. fee likewife the Epiftle of Jude.

The following Particulars are gravely re-
ported in Dr Plot's Natural Hiftory of
Oxfordshire, which may ferve as a
Warning to the Public to be upon their
Guard against all Impostures of the_like

Kind.

ΟΟΝ

SOON after the murder of King

Charles I. a commiffion was appointed to furvey the king's house at Woodstock, with the manor, park, woods, and other demefnes to that manor be

longing, & one Collins, under a feigned name, hired himself as fecretary to the commiffioners, who, upon the 13th of October 1649, met, and took

up

their

64 Remarkable Anecdote from Dr Plot's Hift. of Oxfordshire.

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their refidence in the king's own
rooms; his majesty's bed-chamber
they made their kitchen, the council-
hall their pantry, and the presence-
chamber was the place where they fat
for the difpatch of bufinefs. His ma-
jefty's dining room they made their
wood-yard, and ftored it with the
wood of the famous royal-oak from
the High Park, which, that nothing
might be left with the name of king
about it, they had dug up by the roots,
and fplit and bundled up into faggots
for their firing. Things being thus
prepared, they fat on the 16th of the
fame month for the dispatch of bufi-
nefs, and in the midft of their first
debate, there entered a large black
dog (as they thought) which made a
dreadful howling, overturned two or
three of their chairs, and then crept
under a bed and vanished; this gave
them the greater furprize as the doors
were kept conítantly locked, fo that no
real dog could get in or out; the next
day their furprife was increafed, when
Atting at dinner in a lower room, they
beard plainly the noife of perfons D
walking over their heads, though they
well knew the doors were all locked,
and there could be no body there;
prefently after they heard alfo all the
wood of the king's oak brought by
parcels from the dining-room, and
thrown with great violence into the
prefence chamber; as alfo all the E
chairs, tools, tables, and other furni-
ture, forcibly hurled about the room;
their own papers of the minutes of their
tranfactions torn, and the ink-glafs
broken.

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When all this noife had fome time ceafed, Giles Sharp, their fecretary, propofed to enter first into thefe rooms, and in prefence of the commiffioners, of whom he received the key, he opened the doors, and found the wood spread about the room, the chairs toffed about and broken, the papers torn, the ink-glafs broken (as has been faid) but not the leaft tract of any human creature, nor the G leaft reason to fufpect one, as the doors were all faft, and the keys in the cuftody of the commiffioners. It was therefore unanimoufly agreed, that the power who did this mischief, must have entered the room at the key-hole. The night following, Sharp, the fecretary, with two of the commiffioners fervants, as they were in bed in the fame room, which room was conti guous to that where the commiffioners lay, had their bed's feet lifted up fo much higher than their heads, that

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they expected to have their necks
broken, and then they were let fall
at once with fo much violence as hook
the whole house, and more than ever
terrified the commiffioners. On the
night of the 19th, as all were in bed
in the fame room for greater fafety,
and lights burning by them, the can-
dles in an inftant went out with a ful-
phurous fmell, and that moment ma-
ny trenchers of wood were hurled a-
bout the room, which next morning
were found to be the fame their ho
nours had eaten on the day before,
which were all removed from the pan-
try, tho' not a lock was found opened
in the whole house. The next night
they still fared worse, the candles went
out as before, the curtains of their
honours beds were rattled to and fro
with great violence, their honours re-
ceived many cruel blows and bruises
by eight great pewter dishes, and a
number of wooden trenchers being
thrown on their beds, which being
heaved off, was heard rolling about
the room, tho' in the morning none
of these were to be feen. This night

likewife they were alarmed with the
tumbling down of oaken billets about
their beds, and other frightful noifes,
but all was clear in the morning, as if
no fuch things had happened. The
next night the keeper of the king's
house and his dog lay in the commiffi-
oners room, and then they had no dif-
turbance. But on the night of the
22d, tho' the dog lay in the room as
before, yet the candles went out, a
number of brick-bats fell from the
chimney into the room, the dog howled
piteously, their bed-cloaths were all
ftripped off, and their terror increased.,
On the 24th they thought all the wood
of the king's oak was violently thrown
down by their bed-fides, they counted
64 billets that fell, and fome hit and
fhook the beds in which they lay; but
in the morning none were found there,
nor had the door been opened where
the billet-wood was kept. The next
night the candles were put out, the
curtains rattled, and a dreadful crack
like thunder was heard, and one of
the fervants running to fee if his maf-
ter were not killed, found three dozen
trenchers laid fmoothly under the quilt
by him, but all this was nothing to
what fucceeded afterwards; the 29th,
about midnight, the candles went out,
fomething walked majestically through
the room, and opened and fhut the
windows
; great ftones were thrown vi-
olently into the room, fome of which
fell

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