common in vs for our life is but a continuall death euen so long as we liue so long doo we die as we doo growe so dooth our life diminish We let not one step so soon into life but as soon we set an other into death Who so hath liued a third parte of his yéeres hath also passed a third part of his death and who the tone halfe is alredy halfe dead So much of our life as is passed is dead that whiche is present dooth liue and dye togither and that whiche is to come shall likewise dye That that is past is no more that that is to come is not yet and that that is present bothe is and is not To be bréefe all this life is but death It is as a candle lighted in our bodies In some y winde wasteth it in other some it putteth it out before it be half spent and in other some it suffereth it to continue to the end but be it as it wil according as it lighteth so dooth it burn his light is a burning his flame a vanishing smoke and his last fire is the vttermoste end of his cotton and the last drop of his moisture Euen so is the life of man. The life and death of man is all but one thing If we call the last breth death the like name must we giue to all the rest afore pasied for they all doo procéed out of one place and are all of a like fashion One only difference is there betwéen this liâ—…e and that whiche we call death which is that during the one we haue alwaies to die after th' other there remaineth nothing bâ—…t euerlasting life To be breef what soeuer he be whiche thinketh death to be simply the end of maÌ„ yet onght he not to fear the same for who so is desirous of loÌ„g life dooth also aske a continuing death who so feareth present death feareth to speak vprightly to haue no longer respite to die But vn to vs y are brought vp in an other maner of schoole death also seemeth an other thing We néed not as the heatheÌ„ haue any comforte against death but death should vnto vs bâ—… a coâ—…ort against all kinde of affliction We must not onâ—… ly with theÌ„ striue not to fear it but rather inure our selues to hope after it It is not to vs an issue vnto sorowe and euil but a path to all goodnes To vs it is no end of life but an end of death and a beginning of euerlasting life Better saith SalomoÌ„ is the day of death theÌ„ the â—…oure of birth why because it is not to vs a last day but y birth of an euerla sting day We shall during this bright nes no longer bewail the time past but shall stil liue in hope for the time to come For all shall to vs be time present and this time present shall neuer abandon vs We shall no longer consume in vain and sorowful pleasures but shall be replenished with a true and firme ioy We shall no longer labour to beap vp the exhalations of the earth for hea uen shal be ours This masse of Earth which accustomably drew vs towarde the earth shal be in the earth We shall no longer striue to mount from step to step and from honor to honor for we shal be exalted into Heauen abooue all worldly honors from abooue shall we laugh them to scorne that doo wunder at vs whiche doo striue for the válue of a point and like Children fight togither for lesse value then an Aple More combates shall we not sustaine within our selues for our flesh shal be dead but our spirite in ful life our passion buried and our reasoÌ„ set at libertie Our soule beeing deliuered out of this filthy and stinking prison wherin it hath so long lurked and crouched shal take aire and acknowledging his ancient dwelling place shall call again to minde his former brightnes and dignitie This flesh my fréend which thou féelest and this body whiche thou touchest is not the soule for the soule is borne in heauen and Heauen is his Countrie and aire In that he is inclosed in the body it is as it were by exile and banishment The soule properly is the life and spirite The soule is rather a heauenly and celestiall qualitie exempt from all grose and materiall substance and this body such as it is is no other then a bark or shel ouer the spirit and therfore must of necessitie flée a sunder when we come to our departure if we wil perfectly liue or cléerly beholdâ—… the day We haue as we thinck some life and some féeling but we are altogither impotent we can not stretch out our winges neither can we take our flight into Heauen vntil this earthly masse of flesh be takeÌ„ from of vs We doo sée but through deceitful spectacles We haue eyes but couered with a filme We think to looke but it is in a dreame wherby we sée nothing but lyes What soeuâ—…r wee haue or knowe is but abuse and vanitie death onely can restore to vs bothe life and sight and yet are we so beastly as to think that she taketh them from vs. We are say we Christians we doo beléeue after this life life euerlasting We acknowledge that death is but a separation of the bodye and the soule that the soule shall returne to his blessed rest for to reioyce in God who only is all goodnesse and that in the last day shee shall againe put on her body which then shall be no more subiect to corruption We doo fil all our Bookes with this goodly discourse and yet comming to the point the onely name of death as the moste horrible thing in the worlde maketh vs to quake and tremble If we beléeue that y we haue said what doo we then feare to be happie to be at quiet to liue in greater contentatioÌ„ in one moment then euer we could doo in all our mortall life how long so euer it hath beene Either we must confesse wil we nil we that we beléeue but to halues that we haue nothing in vs but woords and that all our discourses euen as of these valiant table Knights are but vaunts and vanities and therfore see what we say We knowe that departing out of this life we shall passe to a better and therof we doute not at all but we fear the great passage that is betwéen them both which we must ouercome O â—…aint hárted meÌ„ They wil slay them selues for the getting of their miserable life They wil suffer a thousand gréefs and wounds at the request of other men they wil passe a thousaÌ„d daÌ„gers of death without stumbling for the getting of transitorie goods whithe peraduenture wil cause them to perish with theÌ„ and yet hauing but one step or passage to go ouer for y obtaining of their ease not for a day but for euer not any kinde of ease but suche an ease as man is not able to coÌ„prehend doo
ordinarly vsed which dwel in other mens houses and yet béeing furnished of such vilanoê° bodyes we doo heer propound to our selues eternall matters and as far as mans age can exteÌ„d we doo through hope promise our selues all things We are not content with any welth or authoritie Is there any thing more shamelesse and foolish We are made to dye and yet at our death nothing séemeth sufficiente for vs For dayly we draw néerer the last point and euery houre driueth vs to the place from which we cannot escape beholde then the blindenes of mans vnderstanding If therfore a hie minde which finally knoweth a better nature then this Earthly dooth take order to liue honestly and painfully in that vocation wherto it is called it accounteth none of those things which be about it proper to it self but as a Pilgrime and trauailer vseth the same as things conuenient ¶ Out of his first booke of the tranquilitie of life LIfe is but a bondage wherfore we must vse our selues to the conditions thereof complaining against it so litle as may be and embrace whatsoeuer discoÌ„moditie is in it There is nothing so sharp wherein a milde minde findeth not some comforte Euil dooth he liue who knoweth not how to dye wel He that feareth death wil neuer doo déede of a liuing man But who so knoweth that this euen from his birth hath béene signified vnto him wil with like courage take order that what soeuer happeneth nothing shall come suddainly as vnlooked for Sicknesse imprisonment destruction burnings none of all this commeth suddainly vppon him For the wise man wil say I knewe in how troublesome an house nature had placed me Many an Alarum hath béene giueâ—… at my neighbours house many an vntimely funer all hath passed by my dooers many a crack of ruynouse houses hath sounded in myne eares The night hath caryed away many of those whome the Pallaice the Courte and familiaritie had ioyned vnto me cutting away in manner thâ—…ire handeâ—… from betwéene myne I meruaile how so many dangers comming on all sides of me could escape my self But many other men when they take their Shipping think not on the tempest No man thinkâ—…th that what so euer happeneth to another can happen vnto himself For who so had printed these things in his minde had considered what frée accâ—… the eâ—…ils of others haue to him self he would put on and prepare his aâ—…mour long before he were assailed After danger it is to late to exhorte his minde to take perils patieÌ„tly But wil he say I thought not that this would haue hapened I would neuer haue beléeued that suche a thing could haue come to passe And why not Where be the riches which pouertie fam sne and beggery â—…oo not follow euen at the héeles Where be thâ—… dignityes and Magistrates robes which the rags doo not accompany either by a banishment a blot a reproch or an extreme slaunder Where is the Realme whose destructi on is not nye and whose accuser formentor is not at hand c. Out of his book of the shortnes of life MOst part of mortal men oh Pauline doo coÌ„plain of the frowardnes of nature That we be ingendred for a short time and that the spaces of time that be graunted vs doo runne and flée so wiftly away that moste men doo leaue their liues before they can almoste prepare them selues to liâ—…e Our time appointed is not shorte but we lose much of it There hath been giuen vs life inough that not nigardly to accoÌ„plish great matters if it had béen all wel besâ—…owed but when it â—…des away in pleasures and idleâ—…es when we bestowe it not vpon any good matter in the end béeing pressed by extreme necessitie we finde our life wasted and yet cannot tel how This it is we haue not receiued any short life but we haue sâ—…ortned it We doo not make spare but are ouer prodigall of our liâ—…es As the innumerable treasures falling in the hands of an euil husband are sudainly dispearced and contrariwise the meane quantitie falling in a wise mans hand dooth through vse increase the more so likewise is our age verye ample to him that can well order the same Wherfore doo we then complain of nature she hath behaued her self 〈◊〉 toward vs Our life is long inough if we knew how to vse it One is holden with insatiable couetousnes an other vseth painful diligence in 〈◊〉 labours One is moystned in wine an other lingâ—…eth in loytâ—…ing an other is toyled and withered with ambition depending vpon the iudgement and voice of others An other for hope of gaines through an hedlong couetousnes of trafick coÌ„passeth all laÌ„ds seasâ—… Others are vexed with desire of war alwaies labouring either in their â—…wn dangers or in bringing other men into danger Others there are who can delight in folowing nokinde of course but euen languishing yawning for sorrow death taketh bolde of theÌ„ wheâ—…by I â—…ut nothing of the truth of y whiâ—… the chéefest poets haue pronouÌ„ced after maner of Oracles Of all our life that parte that we liue is the least and all the other space is not properly â—…ife but a time Euery man deuideth his life in to diuers things Some are hard â—…igardly in keeping their patrimonie others are as prodigal in losing the time I say the time the couetousnes wherof is honest and not lamentable I will therfore take one amonge the number oâ—… olde men Come on we sée that thou hast attained to the end of mans nature as far as mans age can reache Thou art about thy hundreth yeere 〈◊〉 therfore to me some parte of thine age Tel me how much of thy time hath thy creditor taken away from thée how much thy fréend how much thy common welth then how much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thy wife the 〈◊〉 of thy seruaÌ„ts and thy iorneys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the town for thy freends sake 〈◊〉 â—…ut the deseases whiche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 procured and then ad to it how much thou hast left to spare Thou shalt finde that thou hast fewer yéeres then thou â—…ast reckned Call to thy minde wheâ—… thou wert resolued in any determinati on how many dayes passeâ—…â—…uer according to thy fprcaâ—… how many haue pro fited thée when thy couÌ„tenance was in good estate thy minde deâ—…oid of fear what busines thou hast sustained ained in all this so long age afterward how many men haue raâ—…ished wasted thy life while thou hast not felt thâ—… losse how much a vain sorow a foolish ioy a sharp desire a flattering conâ—…ersation haue taken away â—…roÌ„ thée And after all this how much thou haste leâ—… of 〈◊〉 y was thine So shalt thou sée that yet thou dyest before thou béest ripe or thy time come And who is cause héeâ—…eof Thou lyuest as if thou shouldest alwaies liue Thou neuer thinkest vpon thy good husbandry Thou neuer markest how much time is gone Theu spendest and losest as if thou haddest 〈◊〉 Thou fearest as a
and wherunto with all his hart he hath aspired be it with fire swoord famin sicknes or otherwise with in thrée yéeres thrée dates or thrée houres it is all one to him wheÌ„ or by which gate hée departeth out of this miserable life for his woork is all doon all his prouision is redy and by the same gate that he goeth out at shall he enter into a far more blessed and immortall life They cannot threaten him of woorse then death and that is it that he assureth him self of The woorst they can doo to him is to take away his life and that is the best thing that he can hope for The thretnings of tirants are pro mises to him and his cheefest enemies weapons are drawen to his behoof for he knoweth that who so thretneth him with death promiseth him life and the moste mortall wounds that they can giue him 〈◊〉 make him immortall who that fereth God feareth not death and he that feareth not death careth not for the greatest iniuryes of this life Why wil you say theÌ„ by this accouÌ„t death is to be wished for therfore for the auoyding ofso many mischéefs and the obtaining of such infinit coÌ„modities we should me thinketh abridge our lyues Surely I dout not that notwithstanding allt his profit any one wil hasten any step forward yea although that spirit should aspire the runto yet the body that it hath to draw wil suâ—…cieÌ„tly restrain it Now be it I mene not so to coÌ„clude We ought indéed to indeuor to slay our flesh in our selues but to exempt our selues out of the worlde that is not permitted vnto vs A Christian ought willingly to departe this life bâ—…t he may not cowardly run away God hath ordained a Christian to fight and therfore he cannot without blame and reproche leaue his ranck But if it please this great Capitaine to call him home then must he willingly retire and fréely obey For the Christian is not for him self but for God of whome he holdeth his life to inioy the same so long as it shall please him and to who me he must yéelde the frutes of the same His life is at the disposition of the owner who at his pleasure may take it from him but he may not when he wil giue ouer the same Dyest thou young thank God who as a good Sailer with a freshe winde hath soone conducted thée to the Hauen Dyest y olde praise him likewise for that hauing a small winde thou haste peraduenture béene lesse molested with waues neither think to hasteÌ„ or slack thy pace at thine owne wil for that 〈◊〉 is not at thy bâ—…ck and so in striuing against the streme thou shalt peraduen ture incur shipwrack God calleth one from woork in the morning another at noone and another at night God exerciseth one vntill he sweate another parcheth he in the Sun another dooth he euen bake and wither vp altogither and yet leaueth he none of all his abrode but giueth them all rest paying them their wages in time conuenient Who that leaueth his woork before he be called loseth the same he that is im portunate before the time forgoeth his wages We must all depend vpon his pleasure who in the middest of all our labours graunteth vs rest To be bréefe the trauayles of this life must not cause vs to hate the same for that were but cowardise and want of hart Neither must the pleasures of the same procure vs to looue it for that were but folly vanitie but we must vse it to the seruice of God who after the same shall giue vs assured rest and shall leade vs into euerlasting pleasures whiche perish not We must not also flée from death for it were very childish to fear it and in fléeing away to méet with the same Again we must not séeke it for that were but rashnes neither dooth euery man die that wil. There is as much desperatenes in the one as cowardlines in the other and in neither of bothe is there any kinde of magnanimitie Let it therfore suffice vs to stay for it and that stedfastly and coÌ„tinually to the end it neuer finde vs vn prouided For as there is nothing more certain then death so also is there nothing more vncertain then the sorowe of the same which is knowen to none but to one God the onely Author of life in whome we should all laboure to liue and dye ¶ Die to liue and liue to dye Certain collections gathered out of the works of the lerned Philosopher Seneca concerning the same argument ¶ Out of his Epistles ¶ Epistle 24. CAll to minde I pray thee that which thou hast often heard and said and prooue in effect whether thou hast hard or said it in ernest or no. For to vs it were to great a shame to be cast in the téeth as many times we are that we doo deale onely with the woords but not with the woorks of Philosophie I remember that ere now I haue heard thée intreate vppon this common place That vve fall not suddainly into death but by little and little doo vvalke tovvarde the same We dye indéede dayly for euery day some parte of our life wasteth away What parte of our life soeuer is past or to come deaâ—… taketh holde of y same and stil as we doo growe our life fadeth away We lose first our infancie then our Childehod and then our youth All our time past euen vntill yesterday is perished and this very day which now is in hand doo we deuide with deathe and yet must wee prouide our selues bothe for the one and the other We must not to much looue our liues neither vnreasonably hate the same We must finish them when reason warneth vs and yet not rashly departe with the same but euen let them fréely run out their course The wise and valiaunt man muste not flée from this life but soberly departe with all and abooue all thinges eschew this vicious passion which hath ouer come many namely ouer greate desire of death ¶ Epistle 26. VErely I doo speake to my self and doo maintaine and still examine my self as if the proofe were at hande and the day that shall pronounce sentence ouer all my yéeres all redy comen What soeuer hetherto we haue doon or said is nothing it is but vaine aud light â—…ages of our courage wrapped vp in much painting and deceite Onely death shall perswade me that I haue profited in Philosophie I doo ther fore without feare make my self redy a gainst y day wherin vndoutedly I may iudge whether I haue afore tie fained or whether such iniurioê° woordê tauÌ„ts as I haue spokeÌ„ against Fortune haue procéeded of stoute courage or not Next to the reputation that men haue of vs she is stil doutful haÌ„geth down on euery side therfore setting back our study let vs examine our liues for death shall pronounce sentence vpon vs I meane that the disputations the learned sayings the sentences
often dooth come to passe that the longest liuer hath lyued but a while and he that hath lyued but a while hath liued very long Nature hath brought vs into the world capable of learning and hath giuen vs vnperfect reason which may be made perfect ¶ Epistle 57. OUr bodies doo swim down the streme like riuers what euer y 〈◊〉 fléeth away with the time No parte of y we sée hath any continuaÌ„ce my self eueÌ„ in telling thée that all things chageth altreth This saith Heraclites we all go down togither but go not al into one riuer for the name of y riuer may wel continue but the water is run away The like similitude is in maÌ„ though more easie to to be perceued in a riuer for with as swift a streme or course be we caried away wherfore I doo meruail at our folly who are so far in looue with the thinge that fleeth so fast I speake of the body whose death we do so much fear although eche momeÌ„t ofour life is the death of other Fearest thou lest y should come to passe which daily is accoÌ„plished or shouldest thou stand in dout of once dying séeing dayly by little and little death 〈◊〉 thy dayes c. ¶ Epistle 62. I Doo labour that eche day may be to me as all my life and yet doo I not take holde of it as of my last but surely as if if might be my last This letter doo I write vnto thée as if during that writing therof death would call me away I am redy to departe yet doo delight in this life because that making great account of that to come I haue before my age indeuoured to liue wel and in my age to die wel and to die wel is no other then to die willingly Take such order that what so euer thou must 〈◊〉 doo y doo it not by constraint for constraint and necessitie belongeth to such as doo resist and not to them that doo things of their owne accorde for he is not necessarily constrained that dooth things willigly wherfore I say he that willingly obeyeth lawes and commaâ—… dements hath alredy escaped the sharpest parte of bondage which is to doo the thing be would not It is no misery to doo the thing commaunded but to doo it whether a man wil or no. Let vs therfore so frame our courage that we be willing to what soeuer the case requireth and abooue all without heuynesse to think on our end for we must first prepare for death and theÌ„ 〈◊〉 life Life is sufficieÌ„tly furnished of itself and yet are we euer gréeâ—… of prouision for the same Stil we thinkt 〈◊〉 we want somewhat It is neither yeeres nor dayes that causeth vs to haue liued long inâ—…ugh but our harts and minde I fréend Lucilius haue liued long inough satisfied with this life doo wait for death ¶ Epistle 71. THe day wil come that we must ariue at this swéet Hauen should neuer shun the same If any man landeth there in his youth yet ought he not to complain otherwise then as one who hath soone ended his Nauigation for as y knowest the windes doo tosse and stay some vpon the Seas and somtime with the slownes of a calme werieth them others it bringeth home quickly filling their sailes ful and rudely Think theÌ„ that it is so with vs Life bringeth some in haste to the places wherto they might aswel haue come by leasure Others it stayeth long time scorching them by the way yet must we not still drawe back For to liue is not absolutely good but to liue well wherfore the wise man lyueth so long as he should but not as he could None of vs considreth that one day we must departe from this house We doo as the olde tenauntes who through customâ—… and continuance doo stil keep thir possession though not without infinit wroÌ„gê and iniuryes But wilt thou whether thy body wil or no be free Inhabit it as â—…f thou were ready to chaunge lodging propound to it that shortly thou must passe out of this â—…abernacle so shalt thou be the more couragious against thy necessary depâ—…ture But â—…ow can he think vpon his â—…nd who is continually couetous desiâ—…us of worldly wealth Ordinary vsuall meditation is moste necessarie in all things Epistle 78. NO man is â—…o ignorant but he know eth that one day he must dye and yet draming néer the point he turneth back quaketh aâ—…d lamenteth I pray you if any should weep because he hath not liued a thousand yéeres would you not think him the foolishest man aliue euen as foolish is he that lameÌ„teth that he shall not liue a thousaÌ„d yeeres hence These are like cases Thou shalt not be nor thou hast not béen These two times doo belong to others Wel thou art brought to the extremitie admitte thou doost lengthen it how long thinkest thou to lengthen it why wéepest thou why wishest thou thou loosest thy laboure Think not through thy importunacie to alter Gods determinatioÌ„ Hâ—… is firme stedfast guided by wuÌ„derful andâ—… euerlasting necessitie Thou shalt follow all other things What is it that is newes to thée Thou art borne héervnto The like hath happened to thy father to thy mother thy predcessors and vnto all that haue gone before thée and the like shall chauÌ„ce to all that are to come after thée It is an inuincible chain and vnchaungeable order whiche bindeth and draweth all things There is no way but hath his issue Oh wretch that thou art to make thy self slaue to men to goodê and to thy life For wher there is no vertue or courage to dye life is but bondage What hast thou I pray thée why thou shouldest stay Thou haâ—… wasted all the delights that might â—…acken and withholde thée There is none which is newes to thée no there is none but that thou shouldest lothe so greatly hast thou béene cloyed with them and yet those be they from whome thou art so lothe to departe For what diddesâ—… â—…hou euer worthy life confesse the trueth It is neither because of the desire of Pallaice or of the Courte neither for greefe to forsake the nature of thinges that thou art so slowe to dye Thou art lothe to go froÌ„ the market wherin thou hast left nothing Life is as a maske we care not how long it lasteth so it be wel handled End it where thou wilt it is all one end where thou wilt so y thou concludest with a good sentence ¶ Epistle 94. THus doo we dayly reprooue deâ—…eny Why dooth not death take away such a one wherfore dooth it cut of this maÌ„ in the mid way why dooth such a one liue so sorowful an age both for him self others I pray thée whether is more méet that thou obey nature or nature obey thee What carest thou wheÌ„ thou must depart séeing there is no remedy Thou shouldest not take thought to liue long but how thou liuest long To liue long
dependeth vpoÌ„ Gods wil to liue inough through his permission is in thy hand Life is long and life is ful It is ful and accoÌ„plished when thy wil is contented when thy minde hath yéelded vp all his goods is restored to the power of it self Contrarywise an other who dyed in his florishing youth hath neuerthelesse fulfilled the office of a good Citizen a good fréend and a good childe He hath omitted no parte of his dutie Notwith standing his age was vnperfect yet was his life perfect I pray thée therfore fréend Lucilius let our liâ—…e be to vs as moste precious thinge Let vs measure it not after the time but after the behauiâ—…urs not according to the continuance but to the effâ—…cts Let vs commend and accounte him happie who hath wel bestowed the short time of his life Age is an externall thing out of our power My béeing héer dependeth of an other but my béeing a honest man of my self Require of me that I passe not my age vnknowen as in darcknesse and that I may leade a true life which time may not out run Askest thou whiche is the longest life that is to liue vntil wisdome and who that hath attained therto although he hath not reached the farthest ende yet hath he gotten the principall Death go eth euery where He that hath killed followeth him that is â—…ain There is nothing for the whiche we take suche care What is it to thée how long thou escapest that whiche in the end thou canst not escape or that y shrinkest froÌ„ that that finally thou canst not auoide ¶ Epistle 100. COnsider me the breuitie of time mark the shortnesse of this carrier wherin we run so hastely Se the folow ing on of all mankinde tending into one place They which sée me far of are often néerer then the rest he whome thou thinkest perished is but gone before so that there is nothing more vnreasonable then séeing thy selfe must go the same way to be waile him that is gone afore thée He that complaineth of the death of any man complaineth because he was a man All the worlde is at one stay â—…e that is yet vnborne must neuerthelesse die We are deuided by spaces yet haue all alike issue Some go before some folowe all go one way All things are tossed and all things 〈◊〉 passe to their contrarie through the wil of nature In all this turmoile of humaine affaires there is nothing so certain as death and yet euery man complaineth of the thing wherein was yet neuer any man deceiued Well dyed be a Childe I will not yet say that it was so muche the better for him that he was deliuered out of this life But let vs come to the ancient man and aske him what this Childe hath gained Let him cast in his minde this profound distance of time comprehending it all togither then let him therwithall coÌ„pare the ordinary age of man so shall be sée what a trifle we doo desire how short a way we can reach Let vs therfore in this age first consider what parte therof the wéeping the thoughts the wishings for death before it commeth the sicknesse the feare and to be bréef these yung and vnproâ—…table yéeres doo take a way besides that we sléep away halfe the same wherunto let vs adde the labours sorowes and dangers therof and so shall you sée that euen in a long life the parte that we doo liue is the least of all Life is neither good nor euil but the place of bothe Who so dyeth in youth is in y he was as like to appaire as to amend like to him which at dice looseth the one of theÌ„ wheâ—… with he was as like to lose as to win Finally in case you compare the breuitie of age with the infinitnes of time then are we all alike yung and olde for euen the longest age of man is but one iote ¶ Epistle 102. EChe day and houre doo teach vs that we are nothing and by some fresh argument calleth those back to the remembraunce of their frailtie whiche would forget the same compelling theÌ„ to haue an eye to death when they would but once think vpon eternitie Oh saith one we wil now graft pear trées we wil at such a time plaÌ„t whole rancks of Uines Alas what folly is it to séeke to dispose of age and life we haue not so muche power as ouer the day of to morowe What follye dooth then possesse the hope of those whiche doo begin long and tedious woorks I wil builde I wil bye I wil take interest I wil exact I wil obtain honors and all with the time But when I am olde and that my age is wery and cloyed with all this theÌ„ wil I take mine ease Wel beléeue me all things euen the happiest are doutfull No man can promise him self ought in time to come for euen that that man is in possession of dooth many times scape through his fingers and at the very instaÌ„t that we lay sure holde on them some incoÌ„uenience commeth betwéen vs home Time passeth on according to an assured vnchaunge able law which is hidden from vs. Why what haue I to doo if it be mant fest and knowen to nature though to me it be secret and vnknowen We vn dertake long voyages from the which we shall not of a greate while return home vntil we haue straied costed ma ny vnknowen Contries and shores We take vppon vs war and the siack rewards of our warlike 〈◊〉 To be bréef we accâ—…pt commissions 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 from one office to an other During all this time death costeth vs but we neuer think on it vn til some exaÌ„ples of the death of other men doo set it before our faces froÌ„ time to time whiche also we doo no longer thinck vppon then whiles the wunder therof is fresh in minde and yet what â—…eater folly can there be then to wun der that the thing dooth sometime happen which is in danger dayly to come to passe Our bounds are limitted in place where y inexorable destinie hath planted them and yet can no man tell how nere they are Let vs therfore frame our mindes as if we were at the end of them let vs not defer the time For he who dayly se â—…th the last hand to his life hath nothâ—… to doo with time Wherfore fréend Lucilius hasten thée to liue and think that how many daies so many be thy liues The time neerest hand dooth alwaies escape froÌ„ him that liueth in hope he is so couetous of life that with the feare of death he becâ—…meth miserable and though the dout therof lameth him of one hand and of one leg of one thigh maketh him crooked and loseneth all his téeth yet so long as life continueth it maketh no matter all is wel such a miserable thing dooth death séeme vnto him He wisheth his paines more extreme and that which is hard to be abidden he desireth to
vs we were sick at our harts were desirous to vomit and therfore to discharge our stomacks we haue gone from Ship to Ship from a greate one to a little one We promise our selues quietnes but in vain for stil the same winde bloweth the same waues rise the same humors doo mooue Unto all meÌ„ is there no other hauen or porte of rest saue only death We lay sick in a Chamber on the stréet side or opening into the market place we remoued into a backer chamber where was no such noise but notwithstaÌ„ding the noise was lesse yet was the Ague no whit diminished neither therby lost any parte of his wunted heat Let â—…s chaunge bed chamber house yea and Contrie so often as we list yet shall we stil finde the same vnquietnes because our selues are there and that we séeke not so much to become other men as to remooue into other places We seeke solitarines to th' end to anoy solitarines we doo say we flée and withdraw our selues from among the wicked but we take with vs our couetousnes our ambition our royelous liuing all other our wicked affection which procure to vs innumerable remorses of conscieÌ„ce and a thousand times a day doo put vs in minde of the rootes and onions of Egipt They doo still go ouer the ferry with vs and therfore on eche side of the water are we at a perpetuall combate But if we could discharge this train whiche eateth vs and gnaweth our spirits vndoutedly we should haue rest not in solitarines only but euen in the middest of the preace of men Bréefly the life of man vpon Earth is a perpetuall warfare Béeing deliuered from outward enterprices we are to take héed of inward conspiracyes The Grecians are gone aside we haue a Sinon in vs whiche wil yéeld the place to them We must continually wake and haue alwaies an eye to the watch holding our weapons in our hands vnlesse we be minded at all times to be supprised and yéelded at the pleasure of our enemyes And I pray you whiche way may we in the end escape their daÌ„ger not through the woods the riuers or the mountaines not by preasing among company neither by running into an hole There is but one onely way and that is death which finally deuiding our spirit from our flesh the clene and pure part of oâ—…r soule from the vnclene which in vs is still bent against vs for the behoofe of the worlde appeaseth through this sepe ration that which béeing conioyned in one self person cannot without the vtter choking vp of the spirit remain with out a perpetuall quarrel and debate As for the contentation which might be in the solitarie exercises of the wise as the reading of holy scriptures prophane books of all sciences discipline I doo wel graunt that this is a far other matter theÌ„ these wilde huntings which maketh wilde moste parte of men vexed with these or such like diseases of their mides yet must all néedê passe vnder the arrest of the wisest of all wise Salomon who allegeth that all this comforted with the nature of man is no other theÌ„ vanitie and trauail of minde Some doo all their liues learn to speak of amendment and yet doo neuer think of amending their liues Others doo Logically dispute of reason of art and yet many times doo lose their natural reson them selues Othersdo learn by Arithmetick to deuide euen the least fractions yet cannot part one shilling with their néedy brother Others by Geometrie can measure the féeldê y townes the contry and yet vnskilful in mesuring them selues The Pusition can agrée the voice soundê and tunes togither and yet hath nothing in his hart whiche disagréeth not or any passion in his minde that is in his right tune The Astronomer can look vp and yet fall in the pit at hand he can foretel the things to come yet loose that which is present he can often haue his eye in Heauen when his hart is buried ver y lowe in earth The Philosopher can dispute of the nature of all things yet knoweth not hiâ—… self The Phisitian can heale others yet be blinde in his owne disease and can féel the least alteratioÌ„ of his pulses but not consider the hot burning Agues of his soule The Historiographer know eth the warres of Thebes or Troy and yet is ignoraunt of things doon within him self The Lawyer who maketh lawes to all the world caÌ„not prescribâ—… any law to him self To be bréef the Dâ—…uine can very wel dispute of faith but wil hear no talke of Charitie he can speake of GOD but make no account of helping of men These scâ—…ces doo continually forment the mindâ—… but not content the same The more that man knoweth the more he dâ—…reth to knowe All this knowledge appeaseth not the disagréement that man féeleth in him self they heale not the diseases of the minde they make a man learned but not good and cunning but not wise and this I say more that the more a man knoweth the more he graunteth him self to be ignorant of the fuller that his miÌ„de is the emptier dooth he finde the same because that how muche so euer of any science a man can know in this world it is neuerthelesse the lest parte of that which he is ignoraunt of and therfore his whole skill consisteth iâ—… knowing his ignoraunce and all his perfection in marking his imperfections and he that moste knoweth and marketh is in trueth accounted moste skilful and perfect among men To be short we must with Salomon return to this point that the beginning and ending of wisdome is the fear of God which wisdome is neuerthelesse in the world cryed downe as méer folly and pursued as a capital enemie and as he which feareth God néed not to feare any euil because all his euils are conuerted into goodnes euen so he must not look for any goodnes in this world hauing the deuil his formall ene mie whome the scripture termeth the Prince of this world Well in what exercise so euer we passe away our time sée age hath ouertaken vs before we were aware who whether we hide vs among the prease of meÌ„ or that we doo flée in any solitary place wil neuerthelesse be sure to finde vs out All men doo make account therwithall to rest from all their labours to take no farther thought saue onely to kéep them selues quiet and in helth and yet beholde contrary wise this age is no other but a taste of all euils aforesaid and for the moste parte the cheefest flourishing time of all vice wherwith they haue been occupyed and detained all the course of their life you haue therin the vnprofitablenes and weakenes of childehood yea and that is worst the same often ioyned with a superior authoritie You are rewarded for the excesse and ryots of your youth with the gout palsie stone such other like kiÌ„de of diseases which take away your mem bers
yet quake therat their hart faileth them at their néeds they be afraid and yet is the chéef cause of this their fear no other then the fear it self Let them not alledge that they doo learne to indure the sorowe for that were but bace and a simple couer for their scleÌ„der faâ—…th They had rather lan guish perpetually in y pain of y â— â—…oute the Sciatica y stone or such like theÌ„ at once to die of a swéet death which comprehendeth the least sorow in the world they had rather to die â—…eÌ„ber after meÌ„ber so as ye would say to ouer lius their sences moouings actioÌ„s theÌ„ alto gither to die to the end to liue eternally Let theÌ„ not aledge neither that they wold in this worlde learne to liue for euery man of him self is sufficiently taught that alredy no man is ignorant in that occupation But we must learne in this world to dye and for the obtaining of one good death we must in our selues dye dayly preparing vs as if the end of euery day were also the end of our life wheras contrariwise nothing dooth more offend our eares then to heare of death Oh sencelesse men we doo habandon our liues to th' ordinary hazards of war for twentie shillings matter In hope of some smal botie we be the first at the assaulte running into places froÌ„ wheÌ„ce there is no hope of return and that ma ny times with the danger bothe of our bodyes and soules And yet for the exempting of vs out of all dangers for the conquest of incoÌ„parable treasures and for the entrie into euerlasting life we doo refrain from setting forward of one step wherin is no dificultie or danger at all but only fear to witholde vs Yea we doo so stick there that were it not that whether we will or no we must passe the said step God euen against our willes wil doo vs good hardely throughout all the whole worlde we should finde any one how miserable or wretched soeuer he were that willingly would passe that way Others wil say had I liued fiue or six score yéeres I could euen be coÌ„tent I care for no longer life but me thinks to die so young it were against reason I would knowe the world before I go out of it Ah poor ignorant man y thou art in this world there is noÌ„e either young or olde Olde age compared with that is past with that that is to come is but one only period Hauing liued to the age that now thou disiredst all thy time passed will be as nothing thou wilâ—… stil gape after time to come Of the time past thou shalt haue only a gréef thou shalt wait for time to come of time present thou shalt reap no contentation Thou wilt be as ready to demaunde respite as be fore Thou fliest from thy creditor moneth after moneth tearm after tearm as ready to pay him at the last as at the first and yet seeing you must néeds pay him as good at the first as at the last Thou hast tasted all the pleasures which the world accounteth of none of them are dainty to thée drink thou neuer so often thou art neuer the fuller for this body which thou cariest is as the bottomlesse pail of the Danaides which can neuer be filled It wil be sooner worne out theÌ„ thou wery of vsing or to speak more truly of abusing the same Thou requirest long life but only to lose it to waste it out in triâ—…ing pleasures and to spend it in vain matters Thou art Couetous in desiring and prodigall in spending Tel not me that thou complainest of the Court or of the Pallaice either that thou wouldest yet doo some more seruice to thy common welth or Contrie or euen to God him self For he that hath set thée on woork knoweth the time and houre that thou shalt continue he can guide thy woork manship if he should leaue thée there any loÌ„ger it may be thou wouldest mar all If he be content liberally to paye thée for thy woork and to giue thée as much wages for thy half dayes woork as if thou haddest wrought al day long for labouring til noone as if thou haddest borne the heate of the whole day hast not thou so muche the more cause to thank and praise him But entring into thine owne conscience Thou be wailest not the cause of the Widowe or of the Orphane whome y hast left at the point of iudgement neither the end of the sonne the father or the fréend whiche thou protestest to restore The imbassage of the com mon welth whiche thou wert ready to take vppon thée either els the seruice that thou desirest to doo to GOD who knoweth much better what seruice to reap of thée then thou doost thy self Thou be waylest thy houses and thy Gardens Thou monest thy purposes and vnperfect deuises Thou lamentest thy life in thine eye vnperfect which neither dayes yéeres ne worlds were able â—…o finish and yet thy self in the least moment mayst ende if thou wilt but once earnestly thinck that it skilleth not how they be ended so they be wel ended And well to finish this life is no other thing then willinglye to end it following of our owne accorâ—…es the will and Conduct of God and not to permit our selues tobe haled after the necessitie of our destinie For to end it willingly is to hope for and not to feare death To hope for it is assuredly to waite for a better life after this and to wait for a better life is to feare God whom whoso â—…areth néed not certainly to feare any thing in this world but to hope foâ—… all things in the other Death can not be other then gentle and acceptable to all that in those points are throughly resolued because they kâ—…owe assuredly that therby they shall enter in to an habitation of all goodnes The sorowe that might be therin shall bée mixed with gentlenes The patient abiding shall be drunck with hope The sting of death it self shall be killed for all this sting is nothing but feare thus much 〈◊〉 wil say more that not only all the euil which we take to be in death shall be as nothing vnto them but also they shall laugh at the mishappes that others doo fear in this life and shall euen mock all their doubtes For I pray you what can he â—…eare which hopeth to die Doo his enemies thinck to driue him out of his cuntry he knoweth y he hath a countrie in another place from the which they cannot driue him and that all these Countryes are but so manye ny Innes from whence they must deparâ—… part whensoeuer it pleaseth their hosf shall he bée cast into prisonâ—… a straiter prison or more filthy darke sul of racks and forments can they not commit him into theÌ„ his owne body Wil they put him to death and so take him out of this world That is it that so long he hath hoped for
collected out of the precepts of y wise the eloquent spéech doo not set foorth that true force of the minde for the most cowards are greatest brag gers when thou fightest against death it wil appéer how much thou hast profited I accouÌ„t wel of the humain estate â—…ear not this iudgement which saith Thou art young what matter is that yéers are not héer accouÌ„ted of No man knoweth where death waiteth for thée watch thou therfore for it in al places Con sider saith a certain philosopher which is moste coÌ„modious for vs either that death should come and take holde of vs or that we should go and imbrace it Heerein cousisteth knowledge It is an excellent matter to learne to dye but peraduenture will thou say superfluous because we can but once vse the same Nay this is the cause why we should rather the more diligently learne and studie for the same for we must continuall studie for it because vntill the very instant we caÌ„not try whether we be perfect or no. He that willeth thée to think vpon death willeth thée to remeÌ„ber libertie he that hath learned to die hath forgotten to serue For death is abooue all power or at the least out of the iurisdiction of all things What careth he for Prisons kéepers or bolts He hath a doore alwaies open One on ly chaine can binde vs which is the looue of this life the whiche also indéede we should not quite cast away but by litle and little lessen the same to the end in case death should come nothing might let or stop vs from him ¶ Epistle 27. ABooue all things we must indeuor to sâ—…aye our vices before our selues yea we must leaue all these vain pleasurs which notwithstanding they â—…oo not gretly annoy vs yet doo soon wither and vade away Uertue onely is an assured firme and perpetuall pleasure which surmounteth what soeuer standeth before it euen as dooth the brightnes of the Sun all cloudes Epistle 30. TO departe out of this worlde with a good wil when soeuer this inuita ble hower shall come vppon vs fréend Lucilius is a great matter a thing which long time we ought to study for For he that hath not a desire to die desireth not also to liue and our life hath béen graunted vs with this condicion and clause that we should dye We must hasten toward death without feare bâ—…cause we are not better assured of any thing then of that and ordinarily we â—…ope for things certaine but doo feare such as be doutful Death vnto all men alike is equal and ineuitable who ther fore can complaine of his estate seeing all men are partakers in the same for the first parte of equitie is â—…qualitie And if thou seekest not to fear death theÌ„ think continually therupon Epistle 32. OH what a goodly matter it is 〈◊〉 prouide for the end and accomplishment of our 〈◊〉 before death commeth vppon vs Oh when shalt thou sée the time wherin thou shalt knowe that thou hast not to doo with time and so be quiet and at rest not carefull for to morowe but of thy self fully satisfied ¶ Epistle 36. IF a Childe borne in Parthia is by and by taught how to bend his bowe In Germanie to cast a Dart or in the time of our forfathers to manage an Horse and come vppon his enemie All these things doo the discipline of natiue soile inâ—…ne and commaund eche one But what of that We must therby consider y against all kindes of dartê enemies there is nothing more conuenient then not to make any account of death wherin eche man douteth to finde some terrible matter whiche offendeth the mindes and quaileth the courages of those who naturally are indued with a self looue For otherwise we néed not to prepare and seeke to frée our selues from the thing whereunto we should willigly of our owne mindes hasten as vnto that that is our owne conseruation Certainly no man learneth how in time of néed tolye vpon a bed of Roses but rather how he may strengthen him self against torments lest if the case so requireth he should vt ter any thing contrary to his faith or promise How in time of necessitie and béeing wonnded he might ouerpasse a whole night without sléep and how leâ—… ning vpon a pikes end he may abstain from drowsinesse lest the same prick him Death comprehendeth no kinde of discommoditie for otherwise there must be some discoÌ„modious matter in it If thou desirest long life consider that no thing which hideth it self out of thy â—…ght returneth again into the naturall habitation â—…roÌ„ whence it is proceeded or redy to procéed dooth coÌ„sume The time of it is past but it dooth not perish nether dooth death which we doo so much fear and shun take away life but only giueth truce 〈◊〉 The day wil come that wil restore vs to the light which many 〈◊〉 be afeard of were it not that they wil bring them à gain in such estate as they shall not remember things past Thou shalt sée that in this worlde nothing perisheth vtterly but descendeth and commeth vp againe by course Is Summer gone an other yéer bringeth it again Is winter passed within few moneths it wil returne Hath night wrapped vp the Sun the Morning wil discouer it again The Starres doo keep their first course Some part of the Element continually riseth some goeth down to be bréef I wil finally say this neither Children ne mad men doo feare death what shame then were it to vs that reason should not assure vs asmuch as their folly simplicitie dooth them Epistle 50. THe swistnes of time is wunderful and so dooth it shew it self especially to those that doo looke behinde them for she deceiueth them that be to ernest vpon present things so light is the passage of a heuy long Flight Our life time is but one iote yea lesse theÌ„ a iote and yet as little as it is nature hath so parted deuided it as if it were some long time Of this ioâ—…e she hath deuided one parte into infancie an other into youth another into mans estate and a nother into olde age it self Thus may you sée how many degrées she hath comprehended in so smal compasse Now that I haue discoursed this vnto thée this is a part of our life of the which we shall in time to come learne the shortnes I was not wunt to think time swift now dooth the course therof séeme incredible whiche maketh me meruail at those who of this small space doo consume the moste parte in su perâ—…uous things We must no longer stay at these trifles for we haue greater matters in hand Death foloweth me and life fléeth away Teach me ther fore some remedye and instruct me so as that I may not flée from death nor life abandon me Shew me then the the commoditie of this life consisteth not in the time therof but in the vse also that it may be yea and