Francis

Filidinus was born of the noble and renowned family of the Puccii at Florence, from which had sprung before his time three Cardinals; educated from his Childhood in good Letters and in the R. Cath. Religion, exercis’d the trade of Merchandize at Lyons, where many differences and disputes arising concerning Religion, which were not then quite sopited, our Author Puccius, who was only a Spectator, laid aside his trade, and totally applied himself to the study of Sacred Letters, to the end that he might perfectly understand the grounds of his belief, and what was professed by the Protestants. At length being satisfied in Conscience that those of the Ro. Church were in an errour, he left France and Italy, retired into England, and being seemingly a Protestant, he went to the University of Oxon, got himself, thro commendations of his sincerity, to be entred into a Coll. or Hall, wherein he studied Philosophy and Divinity very severely, and took the degree of Master of Arts, an. 1574. About which time, maintaining certain opinions contrary to those of the Grandees of the said University, (which were Calvinistical) especially de fide in dcum, quae & qualis sit, had many private disputes with Theologists there, and at length publick. Which disputes being altogether displeasing to them, who esteemed them ridiculous, and the author no better than an arrogant and an opinionative person, they found means to remove him from the University, much about the same time that he was endeavouring to be a Theol. or Catechistical Lecturer, lest his Doctrine should take root among the juniors. For at that time they being very zealous for a thro Reformation, were jealous of all strangers that came among them, and particularly of him, whom they well knew to have been a zealous Papist, and then no well-grounded Protestant. From Oxford he went to London, had several disputes there also, and became acquainted with Ant. Corrano, who living about that time in Oxon also, his person could never be well relisht among them. Afterwards Puccius went (a)(a) Vide in Epistalis Faeust. Socini ad amico—Racov. 1618. in oct. Ep. 3. ad Math Radecium. p. 102, &c. to Basil in Germany, upon the invitation of Francisc. Bettus a Roman, then living there; where meeting also with Faustus Socirus, they had many discourses concerning the adventures of [〈◊〉] England, and at length had several disputes (*)(*) These disputes are remitted into the Biblietheca Fratrum P [•] l [•] norum, with this title, De statu frimi hominis [〈◊〉] disputatio, quam Faust. S [••] inus per scripia habuit. [〈◊〉] per blore [••] . an. 1578. [〈◊〉] himself; with which, he seeming [〈◊〉] Puccius wrote ten arguments de [〈…〉] primi hominis ante peccatum. All which being answered by Socinus, were by him, with several disputations that had passed between them, made publick. Afterwards Puccius was forced to leave Basil. because he had printed certain Theses to be disputed on, in which he asserted universum humanum genus in ipso matris utero efficaciter particeps esse beneficiis Christi & vitae immortalis & beatae, &c. Whereupon he went into England, and so to London, where he began to publish his paradoxical opinions, and that with such confidence, as if, Orpheus. like, he meant to charm all to follow him; but his waters being narrowly watch’d, he was seiz’d on, imprison’d, and suffered several calamities, otherwise Oxford would have once more tasted of his Doctrine. Afterwards, being let loose, he went into Flanders and Holland, where he corresponded by Letters with Socinus. From Holland he went to Antwerp, where he did the like, and had several cavilling disputes not only with such that he esteemed heterodox, but with those of his own opinion. Thence he removed to Cracaw in Poland, where he had frequent disputes with the Jesuits, and others, nay and with some of his own perswasion, (Socinus being there also) and wrote several matters in the Italian Tongue against the Church of Rome, in 1585. While he continued in the said City of Cracaw, it hapned that he became acquainted with two persons that had come to that place with Albertus Alaskie, Prince (or Vaywood) of Sirad, when he left England. Their names were John Dee and Edward Kelley, Magicians; who having partly known Puccius in England, did entertain (b)(b) See the Relation of what [〈…〉] and some Spirits. &c. Lond. 1659. [〈◊〉] p. 400. 410. 413, 419, [〈◊〉] &c. and admit him into their secrets, with great hope of some good to be done by his fellowship; and in August the same year, he was actually with them at Prague in Bohemia (to which place they conveyed him) while certain Spirits appeared to them, Kelley being then Seer, and Dee an observer or writer down of what was said by the Spirits, and Kelley’s seeing and interpreting. At length Puccius did not deal truely and sincerely with them, which much troubled Dee; and thereupon he desired to be rid of him. Puccius therefore perceiving it, wrote a large and submissive Letter to the said Dee and Kelly; and among other things, gave him a very punctual account of what had passed between Philip Bishop of Placentià (who was sent by the Pope, as his Nuncio, to have the said Magicians banished, or else sent to Rome) and himself, concerning their cause, apparitions, high attempts, &c. But so it was, that whither by the perswasions of the said Nuncio, or some things utter’d by the Spirits, that all the World should at length come to the Church of Rome, he forthwith recanted before certain Rom. Priests, and became a zealous Papist, and at length a Priest. All that I have seen of his works, besides what are already mentioned, are,

De Christi Salvatoris efficacitate in omnibus & singulis hominibus, quatenus homines sunt, assertio Catholica, &c. Goudae 1592. oct. Ded. to P. Clem. 8.

Epistola ad Jo. Dee & Edw. Kelly. Dat. at Prag. 15. Cal. oct. 1585. ’Tis a large Epistle in Latin, and is the same with the submissive Letter before mentioned. After the year fifteen hundred and ninty two,Clar. 1592. he went to Rome, and became Secretary to Cardinal Pompeius Arragon, from whom he expected great matters, but death snatching him untimely away, in the midst of his aspiring thoughts, about the year 1600, was buried in the Church of St. Onuphrius in Rome. I have more than twice sent to that place for the day and year of his death, with a copy of his Epitaph, but as yet I have received no answer. Therefore take this Epit [••] made for him, which I have met (c)(c) [〈…〉] [〈◊〉] in Select. [〈◊〉] detum, Col. Agup. 1626. p. 106. [〈◊〉] Nath. [〈◊〉] in [〈◊〉] in Europt [〈◊〉] deli [•] iis, Edit. [〈◊〉] with elsewhere.

Inveni portum, spes & fortuna valete,

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