Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	comfort_n	life_n	live_v	4,359	5	5.5637	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05367	Hygiasticon: Or, The right course of preserving life and health unto extream old age together with soundnesse and integritie of the senses, judgement, and memorie. Written in Latine by Leonardus Lessius, and now done into English.; Hygiasticon. English	Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Cornaro, Luigi, 1475-1566. Discorsi della vita sobria. English.; Herbert, George, 1593-1633.; Ferrar, Nicholas, 1592-1637, attributed name.; Sheppard, Thomas, attributed name.; Landi, Ortensio, ca. 1512-ca. 1553. Esser miglior la vita parca della splendida & sontuosa. English.	1634 (1634)	STC 15520; ESTC S113348	68,762	319

Sometimes I ride to some of the neighbour-cities that I may enjoy the right communication of my friends as also of excellent Artificers in Architecture painting stone●utting musick and husbandrie whereof in this age there is great plentie I view their pieces I compare them with those of Antiquitie And ever I learn somewhat which is worthy of my knowledge I survey palaces gardens and antiquities publick fabricks temples and fortifications neither omit I any thing that may either teach or delight me I am much pleased also in my travells with the beauty of situation Neither is this my pleasure made lesse by the decaying dulnesse of my senses which are all in their perfect vigour but especially my Taste so that any simple fare is more savourie to me now then heretofore when I was given to disorder and all the delights that could be To change my bed troubles me not I sleep well and quietly any where and my dreams are fair and pleasant But this chieflly delights me that my advice hath taken effect in the reducing of many rude and untoiled places in my countrey to constivation and good husbandrie I was one of those that was 〈◊〉 for the managing of that work and abode in those fenny places two whole moneths in the heat of summer which in Italie is very great receiving not any hurt or inconvenience thereby So great is the power and efficacie of that Temperance which ever accompanied me These are the delights and solaces of my old age which is altogether to be preferred before others youth Because that by Temperance and the Grace of God I feel not those perturbations of bodie and minde wherewith infinite both young and old are afflicted Moreover by this also in what estate I am may be discovered because at these yeares viz 83 I have made a most pleasant comedie full of honest wit and merriment which kinde of Poems useth to be the childe of Youth which it most suits withall for variety and pleasantnesse as a Tragedie with old Age by reason of the sad events which it contains And if a Greek Poet of old was praised that at the age of 73 yeares he writ a Tragedie why should I be accounted lesse happie or lesse my self who being ten yeares older have made a Comedie Now lest there should be any delight wanting to my old age I daily behold a kinde of immortalitie in the succession of my posteritie For when I come home I finde eleven g●and-children of mine all the sonnes of one father and mother all in perfect health all as farre as I can conjecture very apt and well given both for learning and behaviour I am delighted with their musick and fashion and I my self also sing often because I have now a clearer voice then ever I had in my life By which it is evident That the life which I live at this age is not a dead dumpish and sowre life but cheerfull lively and pleasant Neither if I had my wish would I change age and constitution with them who follow their youthfull appetites although they be of a most strong temper Because such are daily exposed to a thousand dangers and deaths as daily experience sheweth and I also whe● I was a young man too well found I know how inconsiderate that age is and though subject to death yet continually afraid of it For death to all young men is a terrible thing as also to those that live in sinne and follow their appetites whereas I by the experience of so many yeares have learned to give way to Reason whence it seems to me not onely a shamefull thing to fear that which cannot be avoided but also I hope when I shall come to that point I shall finde no little comfort in the favour of Jesus Christ. Yet I am sure that my end is farre from me for I know that setting casualties aside I shall not die but by a pure resolution because that by the regularitie of my life I have shut out death all other wayes And that is a fair and desirable death which Nature brings by way of resolution Since therefore a temperate life is so happie and pleasant a thing what remains but that I should wish all who have the care of themselves to embrace it with open arms Many things more might be said in commendation hereof but lest in any thing I forsake that Temperance which I have found so good I here make an end A DISCOURSE TRANSLATED OUT OF ITALIAN That a Spare Diet is better then a Splendid and Sumptuous A PARADOX IVerily beleeve however I have titled this opinion yet it will by no means be allowed for a Paradox by a number of those whose judgement ought to bear the greatest sway And to speak freely it would seem to me very uncouth that any man that makes profession of more understanding then a beast should open his mouth to the contrary or make any scruple at all of readily sub scribing to the truth and evidence of this Position That a frugall and simple Diet is much better then a full and daintie Tell me you that seem to demurre on the businesse whether a sober and austere diet serves not without further help to chase away that wracking humour of the Gout which by all other helps that can be used scarce receives any mitigation at all but do what can be done lies ●ormenting the bodie till it have spent it self Tell me whether this holy Medicine serve not to the driving a way of Head-ach to the cure of Dizzinesse to the stopping of Rheums to the stay of Fluxes to the getting away of loathsome Itches to the freedome from dishonest Belchings to the prevention of Agues and in a word to the clearing and draining of all ill Humours whatsoever in the bodie Nor do the benefits thereof stay onely in the Bodie but ascend likewise to the perfecting of the Soul it self for how manifest is it That through a sober and strict diet the Minde and all the faculties thereof become waking quick and cheerfull How is the Wit sharpened the Understanding solidated the Affections tempered and in a word the whole soul and spirit of a man freed from encumbrances and made apt and expedite for the apprehension of wisdome and the embracement of vertue The Ancient Sages were I am sure of this opinion and Plato in particular made notable remonstrance of it when upon his coming into S●cilic from Athens he did so bitterly condemne the Syracusian Tables which being furnished with precious and daintie cates provoking sauces and rich wines sent away their guests twice a day full of good cheare But what wouldst thou have said Oh Plato if thou hadst perhaps light upon such as we Christians now adayes are amongst whom he that eats but two good meals a day as we term them boasts himself and is applauded by others for a person of great Temperance and singular good diet Undoubtedly our extravagancie in this matter having added P●ologues

contrarie effects and the faults of Nature are often amended by Art as barren grounds are made fruitfull by good husbandry They added withall that unlesse I speedily used that remedy within a few moneths I should be driven to that exigent that there would be no help for me but Death shortly to be expected Upon this weighing their reasons with my self and abhorring from so sudden an end and finding my self continually oppressed with pain and sicknesse I grew fully perswaded that all my griefs arose out of Intemperance and therefore out of an hope of avoiding death and pain I resolved to live a temperate life Whereupon being directed by them in the way I ought to hold I understood that the food I was to use was such as belonged to sickly constitutions and that in a finall quantitie This they had told me before But I then not liking that kinde of Diet followed my Appetite and did eat meats pleasing to my taste and when I felt inward heats drank delightfull wines and that in great quantitie telling my Physicians nothing thereof as is the custome of sick people But after I had resolved to follow Temperance and Reason and saw that it was no hard thing to do so but the proper duty of man I so addicted my self to this course of life that I never went a foot out of the way Upon this I found within a few dayes that I was exceedingly helped and by continuance thereof within lesse then one yeare although it may seem to some incredible I was perfectly cured of all my infirmities Being now sound and well I began to consider the force of Temperance and to think thus with my self If Temperance had so much power as to bring me health how much more to preserve it Wherefore I began to search out most diligently what meats were agreeable unto me and what disagreeable And I purposed to try whether those that pleased my taste brought me commoditie or discommoditie and whether that Proverb wherewith Gluttons use to defend themselves to wit That which savours is good and nourisheth be consonant to truth This upon triall I found most false for strong and very cool wines pleased my taste best as also melons and other fruit in like manner raw lettice fish pork sausages pulse and cake and py-crust and the like and yet all these I found hurtfull Therefore trusting on experience I forsook all these kinde of meats and drinks and chose that wine that fitted my stomack and in such measure as easily might be digested Above all taking care never to rise with a full stomack but so as I might well both eat and drink more By this means within lesse then a yeare I was not onely freed from all those ●vils which had so long beset me and were almost become incurable but also afterwards I fell not into that yearely disease whereinto I was wont when I pleased my Sense Appetite Which benefits also still continue because from the time that I was made whole I never since departed from my setled course of Sobrietie whose admirable power causeth that the meat and drink that is taken in fit measure gives true strength to the bodie all superfluities passing away without difficultie and no ill humours being ingendred in the body Yet with this diet I avoided other hurtfull things also as too much heat and cold wearinesse watching ill aire overmuch use of the benefit of marriage For although the power of health consists most in the proportion of meat and drink yet these forenamed things have also their force I preserved me also asmuch as I could from hatred and melancholie and other perturbations of the minde which have a great power over our constitutions Yet could I not so avoid all these but that now and then I fell into them which gained me this experience that I perceived that they had no great power to hurt those bodies which were kept in good order by a moderate Diet So that I can truly say That they who in these two things that enter in at the mouth keep a fit proportion shall receive little hurt from other excesses This Galen confirms when he sayes that immoderate heats and colds and windes and labours did little hurt him because in his meats and drinks he kept a due moderation and therefore never was sick by any of these inconveniences except it were for one onely day But mine own experience confirmeth this more as all that know me can testifie For having endured many heats colds and other like discommodities of the bodie and troubles of the minde all these did hurt me little whereas they hurt them very much who live intemperately For when my brother and others of my kindred saw some great powerfull men pick quarrels against me fearing lest I should be overthrown they were possessed with a deep Melancholie a thing usuall to disorderly lives which increased so much in them that it brought them to a sudden end But I whom that matter ought to have affected most received no inconvenience thereby because that humour abounded not in me Nay I began to perswade my self that this suit and contention was raised by the Divine Providence that I might know what great power a sober and temperate life hath over our bodies and mindes and that at length I should be a conquerour as also a little after it came to passe For in the end I got the victorie to my great honour and no lesse profit whereupon also I joyed exceedingly which excesse of joy neither could do me any hurt By which it is manifest That neither melancholie nor any other passion can hurt a temperate life Moreover I say that even bruises and squats and falls which often kill others can bring little grief or hurt to those that are temperate This I found by experience when I was seventie yeares old for riding in a coach in great haste it happened that the coach was overturned and then was dragged for a good space by the furie of the ho●ses● whereby my head and whole bodie was sore hurt and also one of my arms and legges put out of joynt Being carriedhome when the Physicians saw in what case I was they concluded that I would die within three dayes Neverthelesse at a venture two remedies might be used letting of bloud and purging that the store of humours and inflammation and fever which was certainly expected might be hindred But I considering what an orderly life I had led for many yeares together which must needs so temper the humours of the bodie that they could not be much troubled or make a great concurse refused both remedies and onely commanded that my arm and legge should be set and my whole bodie anointed with oyl and so without other remedie or inconvenience I recovered which seemed as a miracle to the Physicians Whence I conclude That they that live a temperate life can receive little hurt from other inconveniences But my experience taught me another thing

then alwayes to live under bit and bridle But they consider not of how great moment ten yeares are in mature age wherein wisdome and all kinde of vertues is most vigorous which but in that age can hardly be perfected And that I may say nothing of other things are not almost all the learned books that we have written by their Authors in that age and those ten yeares which they set at naught in regard of their belly Besides these Belly-gods say that an orderly life is so hard a thing that it cannot be kept To this I answer that Galene kept it and held it for the best Physick so did Plato also and Isocrates and Tullie and many others of the Ancient and in our age Paul the third and Cardinal Bembo who therefore lived so long and among our Dukes Laudus and Donatus and many others of inferiour condition not onely in the citie but also in villages and hamlets Wherefore since many have observed a regular life both of old times and later yeares it is no such thing which may not be performed especially since in observing it there needs not many and curious things but onely that a man should begin and by little and little accustome himself unto it Neither doth it hinder that Plato sayes that they who are employed in the common wealth cannot live regularly because they must often endure heats and colds and windes and showers and divers labours which suit not with an orderly life For I answer That those inconveniences are of no great moment as I shewed before if a man be temperate in meat and drink which is both easie for common-weals-men and very convenient both that they may preserve themselves from diseases which hinder publick employment as also that their minde in all things wherein they deal may be more lively and vigorous But some may say He which lives a regular life eating alwayes light meats and in a little quantitie what diet shall he use in diseases which being in health he hath anticipated I answer first Nature which endeavours to preserve a man as much as she can teacheth us how to govern our selves in sicknesse For suddenly it takes away our appetite so that we can eat but a very little wherewith she is very well contented So that a sick man whether he hath lived heretofore orderly or disorderly when he is sick ought not to eat but such meats as are agreeable to his disease and that in much smaller quantitie then when he was well For if he should keep his former proportion Nature which is alreadie burdened with a disease would be wholly oppressed Secondly I answer better That he which lives a temperate life cannot fall into diseases and but very seldome into indispositions because Tempe●ance takes away the causes of diseases and the cause being taken away there is no place for the effect Wherefore since an orderly life is so profitable so vertuous so decent and so holy it is worthy by all means to be embraced especially since it is easie and most agreeable to the nature of Man No man that followes it is bound to eat and drink so little as I No man is forbidden to eat fruit or fish which I eat not For I eat little because a little sufficeth my weak stomack and I abstain from fruit and fish and the like because they hurt me But they who finde benefit in these meats may yea ought to use them yet all must take heed lest they take a greater quantitie of any meat or drink though most agreeable to them then their stomack can easily digest So that he which is offended with no kinde of meat and drink hath the quantitie and not the qualitie for his rule which is very easie to be observed Let no man here object unto me That there are many who though they live disorderly yet continue in health to their lives end Because since this is at the best but uncertain dangerous and very rare the presuming upon it ought not to leade us to a disorderly life It is not the part of a wise man to expose himself to so many dangers of diseases and death onely upon a hope of an happie issue which yet befalls verie few An old man of an ill constitution but living orderly is more sure of life then the most strong young man who lives disorderly But some too much given to Appetite object That a long life is no such desirable thing because that after one is once sixtie five yeares old all the time we live after is rather death then life But these erre greatly as I will shew by my self recounting the delights and pleasures in this age of eighty three which now I take and which are such as that men generally account me happie I am continually in health and I am so nimble that I can easily get on horseback without the advantage of the ground and sometimes I go up high stairs and hills on foot Then I am ever cheerfull merrie and well-contented free from all troubles and troublesome thoughts in whose place joy and peace have taken up their standing in my heart I am not wearie of life which I passe with great delight I conferre often with worthie men excelling in wit learning behaviour and other vertues When I cannot have their companie I give my self to the reading of some learned book and afterwards to writing making it my aim in all things how I may help others to the furthest of my power All these things I do at my case and at fit seasons and in mine own houses which besides that they are in the fairest place of this learned Citie of Padua are verie beautifull and convenient above most in this age being so built by me according to the rules of Architecture that they are cool in summer and warm in winter I enjoy also my gardens and those divers parted with rills of running water which truely is very delightfull Some times of the yeare I enjoy the pleasure of the Euganean hills where also I have fountains and gardens and a very convenient house At other times I repair to a village of mine seated in the valley which is therefore very pleasant because many wayes thither are so ordered that they all meet and end in a fair plot of ground in the midst whereof is a Church suitable to the condition of the place This place is washed with the river Brenta on both sides whereof are great and fruitfull fields well manured and adorned with many habitations In former time it was not so because the place was moorish and unhealthy fitter for beasts then men But I drained the ground and made the aire good Whereupon men flockt thither and built houses with happy successe By this means the place is come to that perfection we now see it is So that I can truly say That I have both given God a Temple and men to worship him 〈◊〉 it The memorie whereof is exceeding delightfull to me

in the end to die without pain 35. The fourth Commoditie is That it brings not onely health but long life to the followers thereof and leads them on to extreme old Age so that when they are to passe out of this world their departure is without any great pain or grief inasmuch as they die by a meere resolution Both these things are manifest in Reason and in Experience For as for old Age it is evident That Holy men in the Deserts and Monasteries of old lived very long albeit they led most strict lives and almost utterly destitute of all bodily conveniencies which thing ought chiefly to be attributed to their sober Diet. So Paul the first Hermite prolonged his life to almost 115. yeares of which he lived about 100. in the desert maintaining himself the first fourtie of them with a few Dates and a draught of water and the remainder with half a loaf of bread which a Raven dayly brought him as S. Hierom writes in his Life S. Anthonie lived 105. yeares whereof 90. he spent in the desert sustaining his bodie with bread and water onely saving that at the very last he added a few herbs as Athanasius testifieth Paphnutius exceeded 90. yeares eating bread onely as is gathered out of Cassian Collat. 3. chap. 1. S. Hilarion although he was of a weak nature alwayes intent upon divine affairs yet lived 84. yeares whereof he passed almost 70. in the desert with wonderfull abstinence and rigour in his diet other ordering of his bodie as S. Hierom writes Iames the Hermite a Persian born lived partly in the desert and partly in a Monasterie 104. yeares upon a most spare diet as Theodorets Religious Historie in Iulian makes mention And Iulian himself surnamed Saba that is to say Old man refreshed himself onely once a week contenting himself with barley-bread salt water as Theodoret in the same place recounts Macarius whose Homilies are extant passed about 90. yeares whereof he spent threescore in the desert in continuall fastings Arsenius the master of the Emperour Arcadius lived 120. yeares that is 65. in the world and the other 55. in the desert with admirable abstinence Simeon Stylites lived 109. yeares whereof he passed 81. in a Turret and ten in a Monasterie But this mans abstinence and labours seem to exceed humane nature Romualdus an Italian lived 120. yeares whereof he spent a whole hundred in Religion with exceeding abstinence most strict courses Vdalricus the Paduan Bishop a man of wonderfull abstinence lived 105. yeares as Paul Bernriedensis witnesseth in the Life of Gregorie the VII which our Gretzer brought to light some few yeares ago Francis of Pole lived till he was above 90. yeares old using marvellous abstinence for he made but one repast a day after sun-set and that of bread and water very seldome using any of those kindes of food which belong to Lent S. Martin lived 86. yeares S. Epiphanius almost 115. S. Hierom about 100. S. Augustine 76. S. Remigius 74. in his Bishoprick Venerable Bede lived from 7. yeares old till he was 92. in a Religious Order It would be too long to recount all the Examples that might be brought out of Histories and the lives of the Saints to the confirmation of this matter I omit very many in our times who by means of a sober course of Life Diet have extended their lives with health untill 80. 90. 95. yeares space or upwards There are also Monasteries of women in which upon a most spare diet they live to 80. or 90. yeares so that those of 60. and 70. yeares old are scarce accounted amongst the Aged 36. Nor can it be well sayd That these whom we have recounted lived to so great ages by the supernaturall gift of God and not by the power of Nature Inasmuch as this long life was not the reward of some few but of very many and almost of all those who followed that precise course of Sobrietie and were not cut off by some outward chance or violence Wherefore S. Ioh● the Evangelist who alone amongst the Apostles escaped violent death lived 68. yeares after the Ascension of our Lord so that it is very probable he arrived to the age of a hundred yeares And S. Simeon was 120. yeares old when he was martyred S. Dennis the Arcopagite lived till he was above an hundred yeares old S. Iames the younger saw 96. having continually attended prayer and fasting and alwayes abstained from flesh and wine 37. Besides this Priviledge belongs not onely to Saints but also to others For the Brachmans amongst the Indians live exceeding long by reason of their spare di●t And amongst the Turks the Religious professours of their Mahometicall superstition who are very much given to abstinence and austeritie Iosephus in his 2. book of the warres of the Jews chap. 7. writes That the Essenes were m●n of long lives so that many of them lived till they were a hundred yeares old through the simplicitie of the diet which they used and their well-ordered course of living for there was nothing but bread some one kinde of gruell or pappe set before them at their meals Democritus and Hippocrates prolonged their lives to 105 yeares Plato passed 80. Last of all when the Scripture saith in Ecclus. 37. 30. He that is temperate addes to his life it speaks generally of all those that follow abstinence and not of Saints onely Neverthelesse I gran● indeed That wicked men in particular Homicides and Blasphemers do not for the most part live long albeit they be temperate in their diets for the divine vengeance persecuteth them And yet these commonly do not die by sicknesses bred through corruption of inward humours but by some outward violence used towards them And in like manner they who are studiously addicted to Lust cannot be long-lived seeing that there is nothing which doth so much exhaust the spirits and the best juice in the bodie as Lust doth nor which more weakens and overthrows Nature 38. But some will say There are many in the world who come to extreme old age who never keep this sober Diet that you speak of but when occasion serves give the reins to Gluttonie as you call it stuffing themselves almost every day with meat and drink to the full To which I make answer That these are but rare and must needs be of a rare strength and temper For the greatest number of Devourers and Gluttons do die before their time Now if these strong and irregular Eaters would observe a convenient moderation they would questionlesse live much longer and in better health and effect farre greater matters by their wit and learning For it cannot be but that they who live not frugally should be full of ill humours and oft times vexed with diseases Nor can they without great prejudice to their healths much or long intend hard and difficult businesses appertaining to the minde both in regard that the whole