avvay I feele my youthful minde Yet who art thou so madde or greedye of lyfe as would take vpon thee such a condition wherin there is nothinge but sicknes cares contempte peril lothsomnes and sorrow So as I see not for what reason thou seekest to liue And if in lustye youth when strengthe sences beautye wit auctoritye were all in thee thou were notwithstanding oftentimes wearye of life what shalt thou doe at this age when thou hearest thy selfe called olde wretche and dootinge olde foole death doth neuer come so muche to sone to a yonge man as to late to them that be olde But if feare of deadlye paines do offende thee sicknes resembleth death and in sicknes by little and little the life is taken awaye Or art thou loth to dye alone Be of good cheare thou shalt finde more deade then are left aliue and those also shall or longe followe As the Poet sayth For eyther soone or late in order as men saye The vvretched flocke of vvordly folke to death do take their vvay Neyther doth GOD suffer any to deferre his destined tune The destines do driue all men and remayne as lawe for euer they are y happyer sort that are sonest dispatched of paynes And as amonge condempned folke the Lawe executeth those first that haue least offended to th ende that the greate offenders shoulde beholde the terror of death Euen so God doth first take those away whom hee loueth because they shall not be lokers on but messengers sente before vnlesse in consideration of profitte eyther to theyr frendes or the worlde hee suffereth such menne to tarrye more longe To conclude then seing in thinges that be euil there is nothinge more greuous then dailye and certaine expectatiō old age when it commeth hauinge in it both the one and the other doth force a manne to wyshe that in his youth hee had dyed I my selfe beinge a childe doe remember mine owne mother Clara Michera then a yonge woman was notwithstanding wonte to wishe that in her infancye she dyed beinge growen to greater age for euer more she continued y speach I asked the cause whye shee soe sayde where vnto this she aunsweared Loe now I know I shall dye and that with greater perill besydes that in the meane time who so doth marke it well shall see there is nothing that doth not bring with it greater griefe then pleasure because pleasure beinge passed doe chaunge to sorrowe And that deseruingly What is it in this life that can delighte dailye trouble to apparell and vnapparell thy selfe hunger thyrste sleepe not so plentiful nor quiet as dead mē haue heate in Sommer colde in Winter disorder of time terrour of warres controlemente of parentes cares of wedlocke studye for children slouthe of seruaunts contention of sutes and that whiche is moste of all the condition of time wherein honestye is disdayned as follye and crafte is honoured as Wysedome Artisans for theyr cunning not accompted of but for apparaūce and opinion of people preferred So as it is necessarye eyther to displease God or els to liue amonge men in miserye oppressed and disdayned I omitte all euils onely that which is cōmon to dead men is not euil all other thinges which wee do not accompte euil are worse then those which deade men suffer It is nowe requisite that somewhat be sayde of the diuersityes of death hytherto it hath beene deferred because they are many of diuers men thoughte worthy consideration For death doth seeme greuous to yong men both for that it is painful for that minde to leaue the body dishonourable and certen al which in common iudgement are ioyned to gethers And some cowardlye yonge men haue beene compelled to dye a knowen death but syth I see diuers of the common people pacientlye enough do take their deaths I know no cause why other should be greatly comforted considering that not the maner of death but the qualitye of the offence maketh death dishonorable For if thou respect only the maner of death thou shalt find that the greatest nomber of men put to vile death were those that antiquity prayseth and our age doe honour notwithstanding they fel into the handes of Tirantes in whose power it was to appointe the time and maner of death though innocencye be in them that suffer Neither can a publike death bee dishonorable if his life so dyinge be voide of foule vice because publike death without offence is not onely a signe but also a triall of vertue We fynde in the new law how Christ did first gayne the glorye of innocent death and after him followed innumerable martirs and prophets and the moore good and holy they were the more cruelly forced to dye Esayas cut with yron by commaundement of king Manasses Hieremias by the people stoned to death Iohn Baptist beheaded and fynally manie other cruelly murdered neither was the fortune of other Good menne muche better at the handes of heathen Kinges and in their Citties for Zeno Eleates when quietly he might haue liued in his house he conspired against the Tirant Nearcluis but his entent was discouered and he hanged yet at his deathe he perswaded the people to stone the Tyraunt to death When Lysymachus the kinge threatned Theodorus Cyreneus to hang him he answered thus what matter is it whether on the earth or hanging high my carkcas do stinke When Socrates myghte with sylence haue escaped death being condēpned only in a pecuniall paine did prouoke them y dyd condempne him to procure his death And when his wife Zantippe complained that vniustly he suffered he aunswered An mallet iuste senciens non esse malum preter culpam The dishonour therfore is not in dyinge but in the cause of death which procedeth of thine own euill doinge But as for paines youth and certaine knowledge of dying they add none encrease of grief to death nor make it moore greuous because the knowledge of that is not euill cannot be euil after and onely death after torments is most pleasant And torments either they can not be great or not long Christe for ensample to al men died that for ensample it might remaine Besides this seldome shalt thou finde any innocēt to dye of great torment no scantly once vnlesse it be at chaunge of lawes when innocentes are forced to suffer the insolency of nocentes as in hystories it appeareth most rarely is also founde example of violency in giltlesse men yf wilfulnes be not the cause for such as so murder good men do seme to do it of very will. But how easy a thinge death is eyther publike or by sword examples do beare witnes When Iulius Caesar was in the murdering and felte the daggers of diuers men stubbed into his body he sought neither to saue himselfe nor cryed for helpe but falling kept hidden his secrete partes Such memory hee had of comlines notwithstanding his woundes and readynes to yeld vppe his ghost And as Lucanus saith his sonne in lawe in such sort dyed He
life muste nedelye be the cause yet hereof whye is thy care so greate or what happines haste thou that mightest make thy lyfe so desyred doest thou alone possesse anye delight that we haue not tasted of whyche mighte make thee wyshe for longer life For euery of vs haue seene that starres the Heauen mountaynes seas ryuers lakes fieldes gardeines Cittyes and townes we haue also had sport dalliauÌ„ce musicke songes banquets venerye loue maskerye finally euery sort of earthlye folly neyther haue we wanted commendable exercise and indifferent skill of science and besydes that we know the manner of contentions disputacions publicke Orations Yea for our condition we haue borne dignitye and office we haue satisfyed the honest desyres of our children frends kinsefolkes and together wyth them liued in glorye moneye apparell and other necessaryes of life we haue enioyed and in euery of them find greater offence then pleasure so as we maye say with the Prophete Vanitas vanitatem omnia vanitas Yet if any man hath founde a more noble felicitye or can teache a waye more straight to happines or newe delight I know not but for my part in euerye thinge haue felte more griefe then pleasure But I thincke it happeneth to these men y luste so muche after life as it doth to those that laboureth alteration of mettals who fynde euerye thinge soner then that they seeke for besydes that they make neyther goulde nor siluer y little which they haue is also consumed Euenso such as with greatest care do seeke for felicitye not findinge it do wyth losse of theyr laboure also departe wyth quietnes of minde and become most vnhappye Wherefore sith this exceding desire of lyfe helpeth nothinge yea though life were good yet were it better without trouble to laye by his masse of cares and lyke a faithfull man restore that thou haddest borowed But if perhapps thou in vayne torment thy selfe what doest thou win thereby other then to consume in dyinge that lytle lyfe which is remayning seinge what soeuer time is spente in thinking of death may iustlye be so called Howe much were it better to follow the counsel of Agathius who right wel commeÌ„ded death saying that it did not onlye remoue sicknes al other grieues but also when al other discommodities of lyfe did happen to man often it neuer woulde come more then once Neither can death bee accompted anye extreme euil considering it commeth of most light occasions and is on euery side at hand Such thinges as we take for hurtful be also rare not lightlye founde but ther is nothing more commonnor more quickly had then death For death is takeÌ„ by ayre wynd thonder water fire earthquakes wild beastes fishes foules dust smoke serpents meate drinke bed trees sleape sorowe ioy laughter company anger discorde and fynallye of innumerable other occasions death doth procede Philomenes seing his Asse eating raysons said vnto his boy seeing thou hast lefte the Asse raysons to eate geeue him also wine to drinke fell into a great laughter and not being able to stay him selfe coughing hee dyed Coma the brother of Diogines y notable thief beinge by Rutilius the Consul taken and examined touching outlawes fled he required time to think of his answere putting down his head betwixt his knees he stopped his owne breathe and in the handes of his keeper dyed so quietlye as none of them perceiued when he toke the last leaue of lyfe Seing therfore with such ease men dye what should we accompt of death to be resembled to any thyng better than sleape for as in sleape and wakyng be we neuer so hedeful yet fele we not when yt cometh euen so when froÌ„ lyfe we passe towardes death our sences declyning without all sence at last we dye When Socrates had drunk poyson delyuered hys garment to hys seruant ready to dye dyd notwithstanding iest with Crito saying I pray the remeÌ„ber to sacrifyce a cocke to Asculapius for that was the auncient custome when anye man hadde drunke a holsome potion Doest thou then think he felte any extreame gryefe surelye no for in extreame pangues ieastynge is neuer seene nor the mynd knoweth not it selfe Thys is also greatly to be meruayled at that though euery man semeth to feare and flye death yet seke they to eschewe nothing lesse but rather follow euery thyng that bryngeth death withall Neither seme they lesse carefull to seke death then to shun yt The lecherouse man wythout regarde of lyfe preferreth hys pleasure the irefull reuenge the eater hys glotony the ambycious honour the couetous ryches the souldier spoyle the mother chyldren the marchaÌ„t traffycke the studient learninge and in somme there is nothyng that doth not occasion forgetfulnes of death So we plainly see that we both shoÌ„ and seeke for death but not wythout good cause for that there is nothynge that hathe in yt lesse euyll and they are therfore worthy prayse that do disdayne to dye yf those thynges for whych they neglect lyfe be eyther honest or necessarye and yet for lyght causes to seeke death is no token of courage but rather a sure sygne of an abiecte mynd Therefore the contempte of lyfe ys not so commendable as intemperancye is reprochfull and yet as the feare of death is not to be praysed so not to dye chyeflye at necessarye occasyons and tymes is moost reprochefull cowerdly and exceadeth all other vylety of mynde But some percase do allow the sayinge of Epicarinus Dye I would not but to be dead I care not As though that which followeth death is neither pleasaunt or not greatlye euyll Alas what euyll can it be to want honger thyrst gryefe labor â–ª sadnesse feare and fynallye the whoole heape of euylles whych the soule beynge parted from the bodye we must of necessitye want and seinge it dyeth not but in stede of these troubles enioâ—eth heauenly ioyes why should we not acoumpte thys chaunge good and most delectable Therefore Socrates was wont to say that death might be resembled eyther to sound sleape a longe iorney or destruccion as is the death of bruit beastes If the soule doth lyue and after death feeleth nothinge then is it lyke vnto a sound sleape because therein we rest without eyther felinge or vnderstanding and after a whyle return to the same exercyses Mooste assured it is that such sleapes are moste sweete as be most sound For those are the best where in lyke vnto dead men we dreame nothinge The broken sleapes the slomber and dreames ful of visions are commonly in them that haue weake and sickly bodies Whereupon Horacius sayth Vayne are the dreames of sickly folkes But quiet and sound slepes and such as weary men commonly haue are accompted sweetest So Homer â—doth cal those sleepes the beste that be moste lyke to deathe And Virgil. The svvete and soundly slepe vvhich death resembleth most I remember my father Faucius Cardanus while he lyued was wont to say that he euer desired death because whyle he
at the handes of a gentlewoman in Padoa wyth poyson procured his owne death One other in oure Cittye hauinge sustayned losse by the pryce of corne willinglye hanged himselfe One other and hee also of our Nation finding he could not with commoditye paye his dettes threw himselfe into a water and so drowned I my selfe did see a womaÌ„ who for verye sorrow that she had committed adultrye askinge God forgiuenes for her offence sodenlye dranke poyson Cleopatra although she might haue liued in honor yet because she would not be caried about in tryumphe caused a Serpent to bite her bodye thereof willingly dyed Porcia the daughter of Cato and wyfe to Brutus in honest life farre eâ—celling Cleopatra hearing that her husband was slayne didde eate burninge Coales and thereof died For cause more iust dyed Democles a Boy of notable beauty in Athens He being by the king watched when he should enter naked into a bath and knowing the king ment to abuse him caste himselfe into the bottome of the whot water and so presently dyed The death of Lucretia is wel knowen who violently bereft of hir honor sticked hir selfe The wante of successe and not will was cause that Alexander the greate escaped voluntarie death for hauing in dronken mode stain his frend Clitus he would presently in the house haue murdered himselfe from whiche doinge in space of three daies both by force sute he could scaÌ„tly be entreated to refrayn and afterwards being at y siege of Sudracarus a citie in India he leaped from the wall into the towne of purpose to dye For by meane therof he did both fal farre and alone among his enemies but fortune woulde not permit that successe he desired This booke would not receiue the nuÌ„ber of ensamples of such as for feare loue griefe anger other occasions of no waight haue sought theyr owne deathes Besides whom we reade of hole legions that haue offered themselues to apparant destruction As they did that were with Leonida against the PersiaÌ„s and fought nere vnto Thermopile What woulde these people haue aduentured for great cause or if death were a great euyl that vpon so light occasion did not refuse to dye From whiche determinacion no respect of age sexe or honor could feare them But I se what thou wilt say death I doe not feare for as it is not euill so is it necessarye and to feare that is of necessitye were vaine cowerdlye and hurtefull Yet woulde I dye easelye and olde suche a death as Augustus desired and did obtaine For by lyuinge olde I shall not onelye gaine a longer life but also a more easyer death Aristoteles in his Booke De Respiratione thincketh that verye olde men dyed not onelye withoute payne but also withoute anye feelinge of deathe because the heate of their bodyes was quenched whiche maye appeare by this example If thou goe aboute to drawe a tothe that is not loose thou feelest great paine but if of it selfe it were loose before withoute anye griefe at all it commeth awaye Euen so greene youthe wyth extreeme paine do yelde to death but olde folke in dying feele no griefe almost at al As the tragicall Poet sayth In slomber svveete the aged sprite departeth How can it be other theÌ„ that death is greuous to yonge men when as sleepe against nature is offensiue Oft times it happeneth that such as vppon custome seeke sleepe at vntimelye houres become thereby drye pyned and slouthfull so as in steede of delight they get disease Theophrastus beinge readye to dye thoughe he were an olde maÌ„ complayned of Nature because she had ordayned so longe life in Staggs Rauens al most vnprofitable beastes and to maÌ„ being the most noble wysest creature allowed so shorte a terme to 〈◊〉 in What may they say then that dye in y flower of theyr youth haue they not iust cause to lament Surely no. But here the reason why nature hath not among other creatures made man of longest lyfe and then that he that dyeth in youth doth suffer nothing more greuous then they that lyue old For fyrst it is doubted of manye and chiefelye of Aristotle whether anye creature the Elephant excepte doth liue more longe then man Because he maketh no mentioÌ„ either of the Phenixe the Crow the Rauen or the Stagge nor affirmeth them to be of longest life But let vs confesse that whiche is imputed in Virgill though it doth little importe to the matter where he speaking of men sayth A life more longe nyne times the cacklinge Crovve doth lyue But confessing with Aristotle that y Elephante doth liue more longe then man why neede we coÌ„tende whether man be of one or more creatures in longe lyuinge excelled Omittinge also that the holye Scripture affyrmeth lyfe more long to man then other lyuinge creatures let vs now dispute that that alreadye is taken in hande that is to say for what cause some beasts be of longer life then maÌ„ The reason is this seinge all creatures are made eyther for the vse or honour of man â–ª they were framed accordinge to the descretion of Nature at which time she made theyr minds as wel for their bodyes as theyr bodyes for their mindes were therefore made simple with fewe instruments as plaine thinges to enduer longe But the bodye of man being made onely for his minde neded many more instrumentes to th ende that the vnderstanding might the more fitlye do his office Therfore although Nature hath made for man the best proportion of bodye yet could she not geue therevnto the longest lyfe by reason of exceeding concauities and subtilnes of the members which if they were great besides that we should be al Giants they woulde bee troublesome eche one to other Which is wel proued in y no creature hath so infinite members or part of meÌ„bers which were of necessity made smal slender to y end they might the rather be fit to yeld so the breath an instrumeÌ„t of the soule became y more subtil Wherfore nature hath not in this behalfe omitted any parte of her duty â–ª but rather with such dilligence helped our life as for the length thereof wee haue no cause to complaine which is nowe wel proued in y people of India latest founde where men liue commonlye a hundreth and thirty yeres because there the ayre is good and the people without cares But wee coÌ„tinuing incares riot vntimely labour chosing ayre for profit not health yea altogether forgetting the length of life wee cast oure selues into extreame sickenes discoÌ„modities of body and preseÌ„t death without cause accusing nature for the shortnes of oure liues Howe muche better were it to know which way to vse the benefit of nature if so deare pleasaÌ„t a thing thou doest accompt this life what is y cause that Philosophers and Hermits haue liued so verye long yet theyr to great stinens and earnest contemplacion hindered their health vnlesse it were because they liued voide of care and
our selues our couÌ„try of god and that which is most our childreÌ„ al. So dotingly we do loue our children as we seme rather to hate theÌ„ â–ª We bring theÌ„ vp not in vertue but in iniury not in learning but in lusting not in feare of god but in desire of ryches not to liue long but to the performance of foule delites yet was it not nature y made this default of folish care of imoderate loue to whoÌ„ she gaue a certain modest desire of honger thirst to euery creature so far as was nedeful Yet though imperfection of mynd only man without honger eateth drinketh without thirst without necessity doth vse euery sorte of delighte And in like sort doth he loue his children so much as not only he suffereth them but for them the fathers wil also do euil and attempt al wickednes and thincketh them of his owne makinge But assuredly they are not but â—ee the woorkes of God who gaue them minde lyfe forme force maners wit and encrease And of these the Father made nothinge Then leaue I saye to lament for that is none of thyne hee that made yt hath called it agayne vnto hym to whose Commaundemente yt is boothe iuste and Godlye it shoulde obaye And if thou desyre to knowe whether this Loue bee Naturall or like vnto other desires an imperfection of mind Beholde other lyuing thinges who after education do neuer knowe their owne no nor loue them But if this were a gift of Nature it shold by reason of pitye and necessity rather be in children towardes their parents then in parentes towardes their children which example Nature as it semeth did not forget in brute beastes for among birdes the Stork Among four foted beasts the Dormouse doth feede his aged parents But after the first educatioÌ„ of loue borne to their parents no sinne is extant but men by study as it were doth passe other liuing things through the imperfectioÌ„ of mind esteming himselfe to much The pitie of brute beastes cometh altogether when both of education loue th end is one duringe which time the old beastes be weaker labersome leane careful and miseserable as to all men it doth appeare Surelye it seemeth a great madnes to torment thy mind coÌ„tinually with this nedeles care of posteritie for besydes that this desyre is neither reasonable nor necessary some man may iustlye meruaile why it is so common but the answere there vnto is not douted of If fyrst thou doest show me the cause why so many men became couetous ireful and subiecte to desyres of lust And all these besides they be vices not naturall nor reasonable are also dishonest Yet thonly loue of children after educatioÌ„ though it procedeth neither of nature nor reason yet is yt honest But I haue perhaps in so apparaÌ„t firme matter for wise men spoken more then was requisite And haue vsed reasons true though subtil and shorte Therfore let vs come to longer speache arguments more playne lest I seme not so muche to proue as to deceiue thy son therfore being dead consider fyrste whether hee was well reported or accompted wicked For manye times the son of a good father is seene to proue an euil man by reasoÌ„ the homely vices are hardlier discouered then y externall besydes that loue byndeth iudgemente Wherof a fable is come forth how the Cuckovv in old tyme for her young birdes contended in singinge with the Nightingale and hers appointing the asse to be their Iudge whose sentence was y he knew not which of them did synge most swetly but wel he was assured the Cuckovves did most playnlye and distinctly pronounce their notes So the children of euery one are not only best loued but also the euyll by the euyll are most allowed of In which cases as we haue also sene meÌ„ of right good iudgement mete it is that we should not only lameÌ„t but also reioyse And in auÌ„cieÌ„t time they did much more then this for both Manlius Torquatus agaynst his son Deciê° Silanê° pronouÌ„ced so cruel a seÌ„tence as with a cord he hanged himself And M. Scaurus finding his sonne among others fleinge being only giltye of feare did force him to returne to his enemies be slaine Lykewise a woman of Lacedemon killed her son for his slouth and returning from the wars of whom this noble verse was written Thou dastard knight Damatrion thy mother here haue slayne That doest both her and Spartayn bloud vvith covverdice distayne Such and more wicked sonnes being bereft of lyfe do thereby sease to offend their parents kinsfolke yea are also themselues saued froÌ„ greater infamy Some sonnes haue not forborne to coÌ„spyre the death of their fathers As Blandenius Zesides who slewe his mother and Euander that at the perswasion of his mother Nicostrata murdered his owne father and for that cause was banished Italye Such moÌ„sters as they are being left aliue are causes of many euils so Paris was the subuersioÌ„ of both Priamus house country notwithstaÌ„ding wheÌ„ he dyed Priamus weped So folish are mens cares that they wishe they wot not what excellinge as they think the Gods in wisdome reproue those that in their ignorance shall procure their good For if thy son were wise honest godly noblye mynded hauing hope of children that may support thyne vnweldiage What is wanting in the graund children if none be a fond thyng it was to hope that he would not nor could not do But how soeuer it be greater is y dauÌ„ger of them that are worse then death then hope of those he hath to proue better And misery vilety shame continuall griefe and disdain are al more euyl then death deathe is common to all men but these to fewe who also are all subiect to death Were it not better by dyinge to preuent all these iniuries then to haue thy desyre so dearlye bought For necessarye it is that who so wyll lyue old must suffer many euils Ther is almost no mortal creature liuing long but at somtimes before he dieth doth hate his life wherto put the saying of y Poet. Although vnvveldyage vvhen lyfe doth vveare avvay None other ill did bring vvithall but that as men do say By liuinge long ful oft vve see vvich vvee vvould not behold Truly if such desyre thou haue of children if thy sonne died thou beinge olde thy time to follow is next if in thy youth then hast thou hope enoughe to haue more Finally Sorowe is a womanishe thinge and not fytte for men Therfore the Licians were wont to constrayne mourners to weare womens garmentes to th ende their garment might agree with the mynd And surely not without occasion because among all people the more vile they be the more beastly they lament As women fyrste next children then barrennous men the greatest nomber of whom be effeminate Contrariwise meÌ„ the more valiaunt they bee the more they oppresse their griefe and soâ—er driue their Sorow away This sort of Sorrowe goeth