When the yeare was ended, and the goddesse warned me againe to receive
this new order and consecration, I marvailed greatly what it should
signifie, and what should happen, considering that I was a sacred
person already, but it fortuned that while I partly reasoned with my
selfe, and partly examining the thing with the Priests and Bishops,
there came a new and marvailous thought in my mind, that is to say, I
was onely religious to the goddesse Isis, but not sacred to the
religion of great Osiris the soveraigne father of all the goddesses,
between whom, although there was a religious unitie and concord, yet
there was a great difference of order and ceremony. And because it was
necessary that I should likewise be a minister unto Osiris, there was
no long delay: for in the night after, appeared unto me one of that
order, covered with linnen robes, holding in his hands speares wrapped
in Ivie, and other things not convenient to declare, which then he left
in my chamber, and sitting in my seate, recited to me such things as
were necessary for the sumptuous banket of mine entrie. And to the end
I might know him againe, he shewed me how the ankle of his left foote
was somewhat maimed, which caused him a little to halt.
After that I manifestly knew the will of the God Osiris, when mattins
was ended, I went from one to another, to find him out which had the
halting marke on his foote, according as I learned by my vision; at
length I found it true: for I perceived one of the company of the
Priests who had not onely the token of his foote, but the stature and
habite of his body, resembling in every point as he appeared in the
night: he was called Asinius Marcellus, a name not much disagreeing
from my transformation. By and by I went to him, which knew well enough
all the matter, as being monished by like precept in the night: for the
night before as he dressed the flowers and garlands about the head of
the god Osiris, he understood by the mouth of the image which told the
predestinations of all men, how he had sent a poore man of Madura, to
whom he should minister his sacraments, to the end hee should receive a
reward by divine providence, and the other glory, for his vertuous
studies. When I saw my selfe this deputed unto religion, my desire was
stopped by reason of povertie, for I had spent a great part of my goods
in travell and peregrination, but most of all in the Citie of Rome,
whereby my low estate withdrew me a great while.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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