NOs Ant. Maria , miseratione diuina tit . S. Agnetis in Agone S. R. E. Presb. Card. Gallus nuncupatus , Dei & Apostolicae Sedis gratia Episcopus Auximanus , Almae Domus & Ciuitatis Lauretanae Protect . & Guber . perpetuus .

Vidimus & probauimus Historiam Lauretanam R P. Horatij Tursellini è Societate IESV , in quinque libros distinctam . consentit enim in omnibus cum antiquis traditionibus & scripturis Almae Domus Lauretanae . In cuius rei fidem , hoc ei testimonium dedimus . Auximi in nostris aedibus Episcopalibus , Die XIV . Maij , Anno M.D.XCVII .

WHEREAS a custome hath long preuailed among mortall men ( most singular Queene of heauen ) to dedicate their labours and workes to great men on earth , either to aduance the glorie of their familie , by recording the worthie memorie of their vertues , for the perpetuall view of people & nations , or els to gaine their singular loue and fauour by so speciall a grace , towards them and their posterity . Which albeit it be the full intent ( if my mind deceiue me not ) of them that labour to fill the world with knowledge : yet this kinde of gratitude ( not to be misliked nor censured according to euery mans conceite ) doth little auaile to further and helpe the imbecillity of humane vnderstanding , and to infuse the true spirit of the worke into the Readers minde , wherby he may attaine ( specially in the Treatises of spirituall discourses ) to the knowledge of true Christianity , which onely by the direction and grace of the heauenly spirit , leadeth a deuout soule out of the banishment and peregrination of mortality , to the sacred fountaine of euerlasting felicity . Which happines being the whole intent , and the onely desire of the Author and Translatour of this worke , and the true cause wherefore thou ( most mercifull Mother of Loreto ) by so great a miracle , hast made thy most deare & most beloued house to follow the religion & honour of the Christian name from Country to country , & from place , to place , to incline the hartes of sinners to repentance , that the Father of heauen might be truly scrued & honoured vpon earth , and the worke of our Redemption take such effect in the fraile harts of thy deuout suppliants , that with great zeale they might wish themselues wholy deuoted to the seruice of Allmighty God , & most desirously tast of that happines , which doth not onely giue life , but life without end , purchased and bought with the dearest bloud of the immaculate Lambe of God , for the inhabitants of the whole worlde . Among which that thy Owne Dowry may haue the grace once againe to reape the singular benefit of so heauenly a fauour , vouchsafe , most glorious and before all creatures the most happy Mother of God , to receiue from the handes of an vnworthy seruitour of most B. Mary of Loreto ( vnfaynedly desiring that true honour should be donne vnto thee ) this labour , as a small token of his seruice , and euer bounden duty to the most B. Queene of Heauen : being most willing heerby ( if so be it may stand with thy good liking ) to aduance & propagate the worthy and most comfortable name of most B. Mary of Loreto in euery angle , yea and in euery Christian hart of this distressed Iland : which indeed vnles it be performed by thee the generall Patronesse of our miseries , my slender endeuour ( not worthy to obtaine for poore Lazarus the least crumbe that doth fall from the rich table of those heauenly bankets ) will little auaile . For these outward wordes may sound to small increase of sincere deuotion , if the hart be shut from the true feeling of diuine mysteries : which by none more willingly , more admirably , and with lesse intreaty than by thee , eyther can , or are reuealed to those soules , which now sit in darknes , and in the shadow of death ; drawne thither by the deceipt and fraude of thy enemies , with such lamentable woe , as most of thy Clients ( heretofore much deuoted to thy holy Name ) now by euill information and damnable doctrine , seeme to make it an honour to their God , and a point of their religon , to renounce thy seruice , to contemne thy prayer , and from their hartes to reiect thy thrice fortunate protection & helpe . But ( O vouchsafe to heare ) will the Mother of mercy , the gate of heauen , the glory of Hierusalem , the ioy of Israëll , turne her desired countenance , her mercifull eyes , her melting bowells , her inflamed zeale of soules from her Owne Dowry , besieged and fiercely assaulted with the deadly enemies of Mary , euen of Mary the Mother of God ? Do not respect , looke not at abuses and great wrongs , thinke not of iniuries donne vnto thee ; for now mercy is expected , now fauour is sought , now pardon is obtayned for the greatest offenders , and by whome but by B. Mary of Loreto ? The more peruerse , the more obstinate , and greater that the offenders conuerted be ; the more glory doth come to Loreto the beloued Cell of thy habitation , and to Mary the giuer of all gifts and graces next after God : Which at thy beloued Loreto , are most aboundantly bestowed on them , that by thy holy intercession and meane , craue humble pardon of their sinnes from God . Therfore for the beloued name of Mary , for the Mother of God , for Loreto it self , mollify and mercifully incline the hartes of them , that shall reade these thy wonders & miracles , inspire into them the light of grace , giue them ( by thy holy intercession ) true vnderstanding , prompt will , and willing perfourmance to imbrace all which belongeth to know the seruice of the true omnipotent God , and of Iesus Christ , his and thy only Sonne . Which once performed , is not the straied sheepe found out , and carried on the Pastours shoulders to his fellowes , and placed in the cherishing bosome of his dearest Mother the holy Catholike Church ? Is not the prodigall Child receiued with all exultation & ioy againe into his Fathers fauour ? Is not dead Lazarus reuiued ? doth not all heauen reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner ? and doth it not sound with the praises of B. Mary of Loreto , whome Allmighty God hath so glorified , that he hath made her the instrument and the meane to haue all the chosen sheepe of Christs flocke to returne to Paradise , and to tast of the immortall fountaine of saluation by her , that as the most wretchedest of all women was the occasion of bringing all misery on our heads so the most glorious : not only of women , but of all creatures whatsoeuer , should direct and guide vs vnto our former state of blisse againe . Wherfore blessed Mother of mercy , and the most comfortable refuge of all offenders , giue eare and harken , I beseeche thee , to these plaints of thy vnworthy suppliant . Neyther the voice of a wretched sinner , nor his poore wishes and praiers alone durst presume to present themselues before so singular a Patronesse , to intreate so great a benefit , as pardon , peace , and grace for thy distressed England ; if the merits of all holy Apostles , Prophets , Martyrs , Confessours , Virgins , deuout Matrons ( yea and that nothing at all may be wanting ) euen thy owne aboundant & well-deseruing merits themselues did not come to intreate , to request , and to call vnto thee in behalf of this out-cast and abandoned Iland . If it be exceeding ioy and contentment to thee to haue Loreto glorified and most reuerenced of all places in the worlde , worke meanes with thy beloued Sonne , that this vnfruitfull vineyard may haue the earth and soile of her harte sowne with that heauenly seede which at Loreto is most aboundantly powred from heauen into the soules of thy deuout Clients : that all the people of our Countrey may reioyce , not only to haue vnderstanding , but also to see planted in their soules the beautifull flowres of the mysticall Paradise , where the spirituall Adam CHRIST IESVS our Lord and Sauiour was framed and made man of the virginall earth of thy body , where he found all delicacies and dainty fruites of vertues , the sweetest flowers which heauenly grace could produce , and the comfortablest nourishment and food which Angells taste . Amidst which was made and framed the Lord of Angells in thee , the earthly Paradise of this world , and the ioy of our God : which doth well shew , that thou indeed ( O glorious ) art the Paradise which was neuer defiled , neuer was stained with any imperfection , nor neuer sawest the least blemish of earthly corruption . Witnes herof not only the glorious Resurrection of Christ our Lord thy Sonne , thy most happy Assumption into heauen both in body and soule : but the very precinct , the circuite , and the place where this Paradise was planted ; those very walls ( I say ) and the rest of the sacred House of Loreto it self , which by a great miracle haue stood from the very time that you liued till this day , without any alteration or change at all , either by default of antiquity or iniury of the weather : declaring vnto vs the rare wonders and mercies of Allmighty God , who by his only will doth make mortall things immortall in a sort for euer . Wherfore that the gate of this Paradise may allwayes be open , and that all may haue free passage to gather the sweete flowers & seedes of vertue , which vndoubtedly do cure both spirituall & corporall infirmities ; request , intreate , importune thy Lord , thy Creator , thy Sauiour , & thy Sonne , that the Angell may terrify & prohibite no longer , that the fiery sword of wrath & reuenge may be remoued , that in Loreto all may come to tast of the tree of life , whose fruit doth not only heale and take away sinne , but also doth so comfort all them that be in distresse and misery , that neyther death nor the fruites therof can haue power to raigne in them any longer , but that the sacred fountaine of life it self , which there was made man to saue man , by thy B. merits , and most holy prayer , may most happily be planted , giuen , and bestowed on man to the well-fare of his euerlasting felicity , and desired saluation .

AMONG all the wonders which haue happened on earth since the mysteries of our Redemption , what more meruailous , more wonderfull , & profitable to man , than to haue an infallible refuge and harbour of security , against the fury and storme of the diuine wrath , where he may be deliuered from the imminent blow of that dreadfull sword , which perceth with so great woe , as the extreme and insufferable paine which it causeth , can neuer be mitigated , nor in any sorte abated , but rather more and more increased : as by meditating , considering , and reading the holy Scriptures , it is playne to all , that can conceiue the misfortunate state of sinners . Which is the chance of all that dy the children of wrath , and are plunged into the fiery pittes of damnation , bycause they did not succour themselues in their life on earth , in the harbour of Gods vnspeakable mercies : which very specially do appeare at his beloued Loreto , the precinct , the walls , and the circuite of that Paradise , where Christ our Lord was not only made man , and the Sauiour of our soules : but also the sentence of malediction was taken from the damned posterity of Adam , and happily changed into the former benediction . If that the place where our first Father was created , was the delight and ioy of man ; yf the place where the sentence of death was pronounced against vs , were holden of such wonder , estimation and desire , that no wordes can declare it : what I pray thee ought that to be , where Christ himself was framed of our nature ; where in steed of damnation , benediction was brought from heauen and giuen to all well deseruing people ? Which was not made the barre , the tribunall , and the throne of the rigorous and seuere iudgment of our death , but the Paradise , the treasury , and the sacred Fountaine , where that heauenly salue was made , that cureth the grieued woundes of our manifold sinnes . If Allmighty God destroied the former Paradise , as the place of our damnation , and by a miracle vnheard of from the beginning of the world , hath preserued this in the very same state , wherin it was , when he himself was there made man : can any imagine , dare any say , will any iudge that it is for no end ? This speciall wonder was for some greate purpose , as indeed the meruailous , the dayly , and the manifold benefits bestowed there on mankinde , by the praier of the immaculate Mother of our God , do vndoubtedly declare ; yea and do signify to all , that God , Allmighty hath made this a very speciall harbour of refuge and succour vnto vs , in the manifold dangers of our earthly peregrination : which not only many thousands of supernaturall wonders , wholy surpassing the power of all naturall meanes , but also the incredible deuotion of all Christians , doth acknowledge , testify , and approoue the same , with more effectuall zeale , than any words can deliuer to the godliest Reader : in so much indeed , that they who haue not seene & tasted this wherof I speake , at first will not so easily belieue to be true . For the like concourse , the like feruour , and such continuall deuotion , was neuer heard of from the beginning of the world . And what is the cause of all this so great feruour and reuerence ? The reuiuing of dead men ? the curiug of diseases , that by naturall meanes were vtterly despaired of , and past all hope of cure ? the heauenly visions and reuelations , which haue beene shewed to deuout people in this most Maiesticall Seate of the whole world ? No , no , not only these , but chiefly the aboundance of Gods grace , the Fountaine of heauenly ioy and consolation , which seemeth still to flow , and to be powred into mens harts beyond all measure in this celestiall place : which is so euident and so manifest , that 〈◊〉 one nor two hundred thousands of people , which dwell neere at hand , but euen very many of the remotest parts of the world , yearly pilgrimage thither , to drinke of this fountaine and sacred Riuer o● heauen . Seing therfore that these things are so euident , that the very enemies of the Christian name neither do , nor can deny them : what will they say , who deny that Saintes can heare our prayers ? That their sacred Reliques can worke any effect aboue nature ? What answere will they frame and shape to this ? Well may they blush and be much ashamed , to haue denied , hated , contemned , and reiected Christ himself , by reiecting these things with such malicious contempt and hatred ? But what ? can any answere be made to the inscrutable iudgments of Allmighty God , who doth worke thus meruailously by the things , which he and his B. Mother touched and sanctified by their owne habitation , whiles they liued on earth ? If in the old Law , allmighty God did worke these and such like wonders , in the Pond vpon Probatica ( Ioan. 5. ) which he neuer commanded to be made , either for the cure of infirmities , or for people to resorte vnto it , for that , or any other end , but approoued their deuotion and godly reuerence by miracles from heauen : will he then be lesse beneficiall to Christians in the new law , than to the Iewes in the old ? Or will he do lesse honour to the Reliques of his deere Saintes , than to the waters which only washt the sacrifices of the old Law ? Or haue people lesse need of these things now , than at those times they had ? Or be there not now as many diseases in the new , as before in the old Law ? Why therfore should not Christ bestow benefits on his beloued in this and in other places , by the merits of his B. Mother ? Why should not diseases be cured in this deuout House before the Image of our B. Lady now a dayes , aswell as in the waters of that Pond , in the tyme of the former people ? Is Christ power lesse now in his owne House , than in tyme past in the waters of that place ? But why by more wordes should I seeke to prooue and declare the possibility of Gods grace & power , which so admirably , so comfortably , and most merueilously doth not only shew it self ; but also doth flow into mens soules in the sacred House of Loreto : that by his holy Conception and education there , Christ our Lord doth seeme to haue made it the gate of heauen , for our comfort and euerlasting ioy . Haue not all nations Christian by their vowes , votaries , gifts and donaries approoued and most religiously desired to tast ( as indeed they haue ) of the sweetnes of Loreto ? And which is more , do not heathenish nations admire and confesse the diuine power , which allwaies is so present there , that to them it seemeth as it were to dwell in the most sacred House of Loreto ? All Barbary is full of the reuerence of Loreto , and doth tremble to heare the name of Mary of Loreto mentioned , whome many times that country-people thinking to haue robbed & spoiled of her wealth , were taught by many great miracles , and infinite losse of men , not to touch , nor approach vnto her , but to reuerence and honour her with religious respect and deuout wordes . Only England of all nations vnder the sunne doth not know , doth not honour and reuerence this glorious Paradise of the earth . What , is she worse than Turkes and heathen people , who dare not attempt any hostility , nor vtter any irreuerent thing of Loreto , being taught this fruitfull lesson by their great harme ? Truly for that presumptuousnes , which maketh thee O England to say that Saints cannot heare our praiers , that Mary the Mother of Christ is no better than other women , that she can not heare , nor help her Suppliants . But if the Catholicke Church can not teach thee , if Turkes , if heathenish people cannot informe thee ; let wonderfull workes of God , this miracle of the world , the meruailous benefits bestowed on mankinde in this most sacred place by the praiers of the Mother of God , make it manifest vnto thee , that Christ doth heare his Mothers praiers , and that the contrary , irreuerent , impious , and blasphemous opinion doth bring damnation of body & soule to all those that belieue such fancies & diuellish inuentions , as to contemne , to deride , & to detract the Saintes of Allmighty God : wheras the contrary , that is , to honour , to reuerence , and by humble praier to intreate the help , the assistance , and the aid of his Saintes , is so pleasing , acceptable , and deere in the sight of his diuine Maiesty , that he doth confirme this beliefe of his Catholike seruants with dayly & innumerable miracles from heauen : wherby the contrary is so cofounded , detested & hated by Allm. God himself , that he can do no more to make than to know & see their detestable & damnable errour , & indeed their heresy , as palpable Christs Conception ? who would not see the ouershadowing of the holy Ghost , and the vertue of the Highest descend on the B. Virgin in her litle house of Loreto ? who would not be present at all the wonders that Christ wrought in that litle place of his aboad ? who would not allwaies most effectually desire to pray with his body in Loreto , before the glorious Images of IESVS & MARY , that his mind may be carried to greater ioy than wordes can expresse ? O what increase of vertue will come to your soules , to thinke that B. Mary the Mother of God doth worke in your hartes all those miraculous cures which she hath donne in the bodies of her suppliants ! what ioy will it be to your harts to see your sinnes taken away , to feele the working of the holy ghost in your breasts , to see damnation turned into saluation , & deepe auersion into sweet imbracing loue ! These things are so wonderfull and admirable , that nothing can be more desired of your soules . Therfore giue your selues to Mary , offer your selues to Mary , consecrate your harts and wills wholy to Mary , and Mary will allwaies be with you in Loreto ; she will teach you to pray , she will be an example still before your eyes , & in your behalf before the Altar of his diuine presence , she will also offer vp euery Aue Maria , & euery deuout naming of Iesus , to the increase of your holines on earth , to your great confort in all your tribulations , & to the full accomplishment of your heauenly Crowne in the Paradise of eternity .

THE prouidence of Allmighty God doth appeare in many great and wonderfull things ( Right honorable Cardinall : ) but specially in this , that he hath made his B. Mother the Patronesse and parent of mankind . For seeing that humane imbecillity was subiect to innumerable chaunces , he euer determined to appoint such a keeper and defendresse vnto the same , as chiefly aboue all others , both would & could deliuer their health euery way beset with dangers , & blesse their life with true & happy goodnes . For our mighty God hath made his B. Mother a companion of his diuine maiesty and power , as far as may be lawfull ; long agoe bestowing vpon her the speciall prerogatiue and principality of all heauenly and earthly creatures . According to whose will ( as much as the protection of mankind doth require ) he moderateth the earth , the sea , heauen and nature it self : at whose intreaty , and by whome , he bestoweth diuine treasures and heauenly gifts on mortall men : that all may vnderstand that whatsoeuer doth flow from that eternall and most sacred Fountaine of goodnes to earth , that it doth flow vnto vs by Mary his most B. Mother . What region therfore , what people , what nation is there , where the Patronage of Mary is not illustrated with miracles , consecrated with Houses , adorned with titles ? But among all the sacred Houses dedicated to the B. Virgin Mother of God , one House of Loreto doth excell : which with the fame of her name , hath both filled the whole world : and also for the space of these many ages , is reuerenced dayly more and more with the concourse and frequency of all people and nations . For as other Churches of our B. Lady are ( for the most part ) the refuges of particular Citties & Countries : so this seemeth to be the common refuge of all people and nations . And therfore to you ( Peter Aldobrandino ) I specially dedicate the History both of this House & Church , aswell in the name of our whole Society , which you fauour with singular beneuolence , as in my owne , who for the same cause must needes confesse my self to owe more to your singular humanity , than I am able to performe . Nether must any meruaile why we write this History in Latin , for they erre ( by some mens leaue be it spoken ) and measure the thing rather by the loue which they beare to their natiue tongue , than by the truth it self , if any thinke , that more fruite of a History may be receiued by this our late and Tuscane language , than by the old & Latin tongue . For the Tuscane tongue doth not much passe the bounds of Italy it self , which heerafter an interpreter of this History may satisfy : but the Latin tongue doth go far & neere , almost through all people and nations , that the Roman language may extend further than in times past the Roman Empire did . And if the protection of the B. Virgin of Loreto be shewed to all Countreys of the world : truly with good reason we may wish , that her glory and fame , may go as farre , as the Christian Religion & reuerence hath donne . Wherfore ( most honorable Cardinal ) with that benignity wherwith you are wont to receiue our Men , receiue this small gift of our Order ; and permit the most famous name of Peter Aldobrandino to be carried ouer most remote nations and countreys , togeather with the History of Loreto , that it may be a monument of your singular deuotion towards the B. Virgin of Loreto , and a pledge of our gratefull & propense good will towards your name .