before Judges a Cause betwixt a Father and his Son Most Reverend Judges Plaintiff against the Father HEre is the Son which ought to be his Fathers Heir whom for Marryig against his Fathers Consent his Father hath Dis-inherited which is against all Law or Right both of God Nature and Man Defendant Most Reverend Judges Disobedient Children ought to have no Part nor Parcel of their Parents Estate as Lands Goods or whatsoever for it the Parents have no Duty nor Obedience from their Child their Child can challenge no Part of their Parents Estate and since he hath Married Disobediently he ought to Live Poorly or to get his Living by his Own Labour or Industry Plaintiff Most Reverend Judges There is no Reason nor Law that if one man Commit a Fault to an other that man should Commit an other to be quit with him and put the Case the Son were unnaturally Disobedient must the Father be unnaturally Cruel to be Revenged of him Defendant Most Reverend Judges Parents are the Fittest Judges of their Childrens Faults and Crimes committed against them But howsoever Parents cannot be thought Cruel or Unnatural to Punish the Crimes of their Children no more than God can be said to be Cruel or Unjust to Punish Sinners for God who Made Creatures may do what he Pleases with them for being his own Work he may Dispose or Order them as he Thinks best or as he Pleaseth So Parents that Begot their Children may do the like in things concerning themselves Plaintiff But God is Mercifull wherefore Parents ought to be Natural Defendant God is Just and therefore Children ought to be Dutifull Plaintiff But if God Should Punish his Creatures according to their Desert no man would be Saved Defendant And if Children should do what they List there would be no Government for Parents would be made Slaves and their Children Masters so if God should not Punish Some of his Creatures All would be Damned and to make up the Fulness of their Sins they would Despise his Love and not Fear his Power and so they would neither Love nor Fear God so Children would have neither Duty nor Obedience to their Parents But to prove it a Clear cause his Estate is free from all Intails and wholly in his own Power to Dispose of it as he Pleases and to Give it to whom he will and therefore his Son can Challenge nothing by Law or Right SPEECHES TO The KING in Council PART V. A Privy-Counsellours Speech to His Soveraign Dread Soveraign HEre are many of your Noble Subjects chosen out to be I can not say Privy-Counsellours by reason there be too many to keep Secrets of State which shews we are rather Counsellours for Form than for Business Counsellours in Name rather than Counsellours in Nature Wherefore we shall not need to trouble your Majesty or our Selves the one to Hear the other to Speak long Orations or tedious Speeches for should we Speak we should rather speak like Fools than Wise men by reason we are not acquainted with your Majesties Cabinet Designs or Intrigues and so being your Majesties General and not Particular Counsellours must needs speak at Randome Wherefore we beseech your Majesty not to Censure our Judgements but our Ignorances in not knowing your Majesties most Private as Cabinet Desires Designs and Intrigues A Petition and Plea at the Council-Table before the King and his Council concerning two Brothers Condemned by the Laws to Dye May it Please your Most Sacred Majesty I Am come here to your Majesties Council-Table to Plead the Cause of two Brothers whose Cause hath been Heard Judged Cast and Condemned by the Judges of the Laws of this Land and must suffer Death unless your Majesty acquit or Pardon them Indeed their cause is Hard for they were Forced either to Offend the Laws of Government or the Laws of Honour the Laws of Government threatned Bodily Death the Laws of Honour threatned Infamy and being Worthy Persons they chose rather to Venture Life than to Live Dishonourably But their Crime or it may rather be called their Justice which the Laws of the Land have Condemned them for is for Killing or rather Punishing their Sister for the Impurity Immodesty Dishonesty and Dishonour of Inchastity which was an Offence to the Gods a Reproach to her Life a Disgrace to her Race a Dishonour to her Kindred and an Infamy to her Family As for the Sin they past that by to be Judged of by the Gods her own Reproach they regarded not the Disgrace of her Race they indeavoured to obscure But as for the Dishonour to her Kindred and Infamy to her Family her Brothers were resolv'd to Wash off the Dishonour with her Blood and to Rub out the Black spot of Infamy with her Death which Resolution they put in Execution forcing a Surgeon to open an Artery Vein through which she Bled to Death Besides had they let her have Liv'd the Laws of the Land would have Punished her which would have been a Double Dishonour and a Recorded Infamy receiving as much Dishonour by her Public Punishment as her Private Crime Wherefore to prevent as well as to take off all Disgrace they were her Executioners by forcing the Surgeon to strike an Artery a very Easie Death for so Great an Offender but the Natural Affections from Brothers to a Sister did desire she might Dye with as Little Pain as might be Now Dead she is and they Condemned to Dye for her Death unless your Majesty will Pardon them and it will be a Gracious Act to pardon VVorthy Men such men as preferr'd Honour before Life A Speech of one of the Privy-Counsellours which is an Answer to the former Plea and Petition May it Please your Majesty TO give me leave as One of your Council to Answer this man As for Parents to Kill their Children for Children to Kill their Parents for Brethren to Kill each other and Sisters their Brothers or Brothers their Sisters or Neeces or Nephews their Uncles or Aunts or Uncles and Aunts to Kill their Nephews or Neeces or Cousin Germans is Unnatural or to be the Cause of their Death is Unnatural I may say a Great Sin in Nature VVherefore these two Brothers that were the Cause indeed the Actors in effect of their Sisters Death have Sinned against the Gods Nature and the Laws of good Government for which they Deserve Punishment both in this VVorld and in the VVorld after this Life And as for that which is called Honour it is but the Opinion of some men a meer Fancy not any Real Good only a Name to perswade men to do Evil Actions as to Fight Duells to make VVarrs to Murder Friends nay to Murder Themselves all which is against Gods Mens and Natures Laws which is Inhuman Uncharitable Unnatural and Impious The Petitioners Reply Most Dread Soveraign SInce your Majesty is pleased to hear the Sutes of Humble Petitioners and the Causes of Pleaders and the Defences of Condemned Persons as
he shall have but a dark Lodging and cold Entertainment Thus Death is the most Absolute Conquerour that is for no Creature is able to Resist or defend themselves from Death whose Uncontroling Power makes him Dreadfull even to the most Valiant men not that they fear Death's Dart but Death's Oblivion for Valiant men love Life and fear Death more than Cowards or else they would not Venture their Bodies so often were it not out of Love to Life and Fear of Death Yet is it not that Life which Cowards are so Fond of nor that Death which they are so Afraid of but 't is the Life of their Fame and Death of their Name that Honourable and Valiant men so much Love and Fear insomuch that to gain the One and to shun the Other they will Sacrifize their Bodily Life and Imbrace their Bodily Death with more Delight and Pleasure than the Beautiful'st Woman that ever Nature made and they are to be Commended for it for it is Life that the Gods themselves take delight in for the Gods are pleased to Live in the Minds of their Creatures and are Angry if their Creatures Think or Speak not Of them as well as to Them So all Worthy men Desire and Indeavour to Live in the Minds of their own Kind and to be Praised at least Spoken of for they Desire and Indeavour to Live both in the Thoughts and Words of men in all Ages and in all Nations and by all Men if it were possible it being as Natural for Worthy men to desire to be Remembred as for all men to desire to Live and as Natural for men to desire to Live as to Love themselves But some say it doth a man no Good to be Remembred when he is Dead It may be answered that then it doth a man no Good to be Remembred whilst he Lives for Remembrance Lives in the Absent and Absence is a kind of Death but he is as Evil a Natured man that cares not to be Remembered by his Friends as those that never Remember their Friends also he is Unnatural to his Kind and it may be said that such men are Ungratefull Monsters or Monstrous Unnatural But this Noble Person was Remembred and and Spoken often of by his Absent Friends and did Remember and Spoke often of his Friends in their Absence whilst he was Living and his Worthy and Valiant Actions will be Remembred and Spoken of now he is Dead in which Remembrance and VVords he may Live so long as the VVorld lasts as being the only Reward this World can give to Worth and Merit as Piety Moral Vertue Valour and Generosity Wit and Learning for there is no other Reward in this World but Remembrance and Praise which Remembrance and Praise all Good men will give him as his due Thus will the Tongues and Minds of Living men Build him a Monument of Fame wherein all his Worthy Acts will be kept in Remembrance though his Body be Dead and Buried in Earth in which let us put it with devout Ceremony A judges Funeral Oration Dear Friends VVE are met together to see Judge N. N's Body laid into the Grave who in his Life-time was an Upright Judge for he Judg'd according to Truth and Right and not for Fear nor Favour he was free from Covetousness or corrupting Bribes he was both a Good and a VVise Judge for he would never Judge Over-hastily any Cause for or against untill he had Heard all Sides neither would he Retard or Delay Sutes Over-long but in All Causes he was very Attentive and in Doubtfull Causes very Cautious how to Judge and in all Criminal Causes or on Life and Death he would be very Inquisitive to Know the Truth for he would not Judge Rashly as to Judge Before he had Examined strictly and had sufficient Proofs and Witnesses or at least very Great Probabilities of the Truth Also he was neither a Temerarious nor an Over-bold Judge neither Cruel nor Foolishly Pittifull for as he would not Pardon so Much nor so Many as to Incourage men to Offend or Commit Crimes so he would not Condemn so Much nor so Many as to make a kind of a Massacre of Lives all which made him Live with a Good Conscience and Die with a Good Courage not Fearing a Condemnation neither in This World nor the Next but Desired to be Summoned to Gods Tribunal there to be Tried and Judged of the Course of his Life in This World to which Divine Judge we leave him bearing his Body to the Grave there to leave that but not to leave the Remembrance of Him nor the due Praise his Memory deserves A Sergeants or Barresters Funeral Oration Dear Friends YOu see the Body of Sergeant N. N. lies Dead ready to be put into the Grave which shews that he would not Plead for Life or else Death had no Ears to Hear his Sute but if he Pleads as well for Himself at Gods Tribunal as he did for his Clients at the Barr he will get Judgement on his side the truth is Nature as well as Education made him a Pleader for Naturally he had a Flowing Speech and a Fluent Wit to Turn Wind and Form any Cause as he Liked best for his VVit and Eloquence was such as to make a Doubtfull Cause seem Clear and had he not Known by Learning the Laws so Well as he did yet his Wit and Eloquence would have Covered his Ignorance and Supplied the Defect of his Learning but he was as Good and Learned a Lawyer as an Excellent Pleader and as Honest a man as Either for he took more Pains to Plead his Clients Cause than Pleasure to Take from his Clients Fees neither would he Prolong his Clients Sute to Drain their Purses nor yet make his Clients Cause more Doubtfull than it was to make them more Fearfull of the Success of their Sutes than they had Reason to fear and all this to get More Fees for Fears and Desires are Prodigal Givers as well as Promisers But rather he Pleaded Gratis for his Poor Clients wherein he shew'd more Charity to the Poor than Covetousness to the Rich. Thus he was a Good and Generous Lawyer a VVitty Ingenious Eloquent Pleader the truth is he did not only take Pains for his Clients but Pleasure in his Own Wit for he had more Delight than Profit by his Pleading and yet he did not take so much Pleasure in his Own Wit and Eloquency as Others did which Heard him insomuch as more went to Hear him Plead than those that had Causes to be Pleaded he Reproached not any man nor used Railing Speeches or Violent Actions in his Pleading as Many nay Most Pleaders do but his Behaviour was Civil his Wit Sweet and his Speech Gentle for though his Wit was Quick Ready and Free yet it was neither Salt Sour nor Bitter and though his Speech was Flowing yet it was not Rough for it ran in a Smooth though Full Stream and his Behaviour or Demeanour was
Terrible and Dreadfull Pit wherein is no Hope of Getting out The truth is Death carries many Evil Souls down into Hell but Good Souls he leaves at the Bottom of the Hill that leads up to Heaven from which those Souls Climb and Clamber up with great Difficulty for whatsoever is Excellent is Hard to Get or Come to whereas that which is Bad is Easie to be Had. But howsoever this Poor man is Dead and we shall see him Buried leaving his Soul in its Journey and his Body in the Grave A young Virgins Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren and Sisters in God VVE here meet not only as Funeral Mourners but as Marriage Guests to Attend and Wait upon a Young Virgin to see her Laid into her Nuptial-bed which is the Grave 'T is true her Husband Death is a Cold Bed-fellow but yet he makes a Good Husband for he will never Cross Oppose nor Anger her nor give her Cause of Grief or Sorrow neither in his Rude Behaviour Inconstant Appetite nor Lewd Life which had she Married any other Husband might have made very Unhappy whereas now she will know no Sorrow for there is no Whoring Gaming Drinking Quarrelling nor Prodigal Spending in the Grave for Death Banishes all Riot and Disorder out of his Habitations there is no Noise nor Disturbance in his Palace Indeed Death's Palace is a place of Peace Rest Quiet and Silence and therefore all are Happy that Dwell there for there is no Envy Malice Slander nor Treachery there Men are not Tempted with Beauty nor Women Flattered into Wantonness they are Free from all Tentation or Defamation neither are they Troubled or Tormented with Pain or Sickness for Death hath a Remedy for all Diseases which is Insensibility the truth is Death is not only Charitable to Help all Creatures out of Misery but Generous as to be so Hopitable that he sets Open his Gates for all Comers insomuch as the Meanest Creatures that are have a Free Entrance and the Same Entertainment with the Noblest for there are no Ceremonies of State All is in Common there is no Pride nor Ambition no Scorn nor Disgrace and Death's Palace is so Spacious as it is beyond all Measure or Circumference being sufficient to Receive all the Creatures Nature makes and since there is such Store of Company in Death and Death so Generous and Hospitable why should we Fear or be Loath to Dye nay why should not we Desire to Dye and Rejoyce for those Friends that are Dead especially Considering the Unhappiness of Life wherein Man is most Miserable because he is most Sensible and Apprehensive of what he Suffers or what he may Suffer But this Young Virgin is Happier by Death than many Others are because she hath not Liv'd so Long to Suffer so Much as those that are Older Have done or as those that Live to be Old Will do Wherefore let us Rejoyce for her Happiness and put her into the Grave the Bed of Rest there to Sleep Quietly A Young New-Married Wif's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are met together at this time to see a New-Married Wife which is here Dead to be Buried She hath made an unequal Change from a Lively Hot Husband to a Deadly Cold Lover yet will she be more Happy with her Dull Dumb Deaf Blind Numb Lover than with her Lively Talking Listning Eying Active Husband were he the Best Husband that could be for Death is far the Happier Condition than Marriage and although Marriage at first is Pleasing yet after a time it is Displeasing like Meat which is Sweet in the Mouth but proves Bitter in the Stomack Indeed the Stomack of Marriage is full of Evil Humours as Choler and Melancholy and of very Evil Disgestion for it cannot Disgest Neglects Disrespects Absence Dissembling Adultery Jealousie Vain Expences Waste Spoil Idle Time Laziness Examinations Cross Answers Peevishness Frowardness Frowns and many the like Meats that Marriage Feeds on As for Pains Sicknesses Cares Fears and other Troubles in Marriage they are Accounted as wholesome Physick which the Gods give them for the Gods are the Best Physicians and Death is a very Good Surgeon Curing his Patients without Pain for what Part soever he Touches is Insensible Death is only Cruel in Parting Friends from each other for though they are Happy whom he Takes away yet those that are Left behind are Unhappy Living in Sorrow for their Loss so that this Young New-Married Wife that is Dead is Happy but her Husband is a Sorrowfull Widdower But leaving Her to her Happiness and Him to be Comforted let us put her into the Grave there to Remain untill the day of Judgement which Day will Imbody her Soul with Everlasting Glory A Widdows Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren THis Widdow at whose Funeral we are met Lived a very Intemperate and Irregular Life all the time of her Widdow-hood for which not only Nature but the Gods might be Angry with her for though She did not Surfeit with Feasting yet She Starved her self with Fasting and though She did not Drink her self Drunken as many Women in this Age will do yet She did Weep her self Dry She grew not Fat and Lasie with overmuch Sleeping but became Lean and Sick with overmuch Watching She VVatch'd not to Dance and Play but to Mourn and Pray nor did She waste her Wealth in Vanities but She did waste her Life in Sorrow She Sate not on the Knees of Amorous Lovers but Kneeled on her Knees to God Her Cheeks were not Red with Paint but Pale with Grief She did not wear Black Patches on her Face but Black Mourning on her Body She was Adorned with no other Jewels than her Tears She had no Diamond Pendents in her Ears but Transparent Tears in her Eyes no Oriental Pearls about her Neck but Drops of Tears lay on her Breast Thus was She Drest in Tears She suffered not Painters to Draw the Picture of her Face but her Thoughts did Form her Husbands Figure in her Mind She hung not her Chamber with Black but her Mind with Melancholy She Banished all Stately Ceremonies and Ceremonies of State and set her self Humbly on the Ground She past not her time with Entertaining Visitors but Entertain'd her Self with the Remembrance of her Husband She did not Speak much but Think much In short She was so Intemperate in her Grief as her Grief Kill'd her it may be said she was Murdered with Grief and no kind or manner of Murder is Acceptable either to Nature or the Gods but some sorts of Murders are Hatefull to both Yet this Widdow howsoever she Offended in her Over-much Grieving She had Pardon for her Praying and to prove the Gods did Pardon her they Granted her Request which was to take her out of this World without Painfull Sickness and so they did for She was so free from Pains as She parted with Life with a Smiling Countenance and lay as Still as if She lay to Sleep She breathed out her last Breath
Dead laid Decently and Ceremoniously into the Earth and it is an Happiness for the Dead to be Inurned with their Fore-fathers for who knows to the Contrary but that there may be a Natural Sympathetical Intermixing with their Dust and an Earthly Pleasure in their Mixture for certainly there is a mutual Society In the Earth as well as On the Earth and why may not the Earth have a Sympathetical Intermixing and Conjunction as well as the other Elements I Perceive no Reason against it but whether there be an Incorporating Associating and Friendship as Dust with Dust I know not surely there is a Peaceable Abiding having not a Sensible Feeling or Knowledge whereas Life wherein Sense and Knowledge Dwells is Restless full of Troubles Misfortunes Pains and Sicknesses to the Body and Perturbations in the Mind so that the Body is Seldome at Ease or the Mind at Quiet But Life hath tried the Patience and Death the Courage of our Friend for he was neither Impatient with Life nor Fearfull of Death he had such Great Experience living so Long as to Know there is neither Constancy Certainty nor Felicity amongst or with the Creatures in this World and Time had made him so Wise a man as he knew by Himself that there was no man Perfect nor truly Happy for Happiness and Imperfection cannot Associate together yet by his Wisdome he did Inform Reform Rule and Govern himself as well as Nature and the VVorld would give way or leave to for he would never Command any but those that were Willing to Obey and he did Obey those he Could not Command he would never make a fruitless Opposition but was free from Faction and Sedition Ambition and Covetousness for he knew there is not any VVorldly thing worth an over-earnest Desire nor any thing so Permanent as could be kept Long he would Temperately make use of what he Had and what he VVanted for his Use he did Honestly Indeavour for it and what he could not have Easily and Freely he was Content to be without Moreover he was so Moderate in his Desires as he did Scarcely desire what was Necessary and oftentimes he would Part from his Own Maintenance to Relieve the Distresses of Others believing he could Suffer want more Patiently indeed he had such a Power and Command of Himself as the Appetites of his Body and Passions of his Mind were as Obedient to his Will as Saints on Earth or Angels in Heaven are to the Gods and this VVise Government of Himself made him fit for the Company of the Gods with whom we Leave his Soul and will Interr his Body as we ought An Old Begger-Womans Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren THis VVoman that is here to be Buried was Old when she Died very Old and as Poor as Old and though she was Old yet she had Longer Acquaintance with her Poverty than Age being alwayes Poor from her Youth indeed so Poor as she was Forced to Beg for her Livelihood Thus she was a Double Begger but now she is gone to Beg at Heavens Gate both for Food and Raiment where if Heavens Porter lets her In she will be Fed with Beatifical Food and Cloth'd with Celestial Glory a great and good Change for here she was Fed with nothing but Scraps and Cloth'd with Raggs and much ado to Get them not without long Stay and earnest Intreaties so Hard are men's Hearts and Cold are men's Charities the truth is men in Prosperity feel not the Misery of Adversity and being not Sensible of their Want are not Ready in their Relief besides they think all that is given from their Vanities and Luxuries ' is a Prodigal waste and it is to be Observ'd that those that are Richest are the most Uncharitable whereas those that have but Little yet will give to those that have Nothing to Live on feeling in some sort what Want is And to shew the Hard Hearts of Mankind to their own Kind this Woman although she had Begg'd almost Fourscore Years yet she got so Little as she had nothing to Leave not so much as to Bury her But as she Lived on Cold Charity so now she Lies with Cold Death a Cold Condition both Alive and Dead the first Cold she Felt to her Grief this last Cold she is Insensible of to her Happiness in which Happiness we will leave her and put her into the Grave of Peace A Young Brides Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren THis Young Virgin that lies here Dead ready to be Buried this very day had she Lived she had been Married for so her Lover and She had Design'd at which designed time she little thought Death should have been her Bridegroom and that her VVinding sheet should be her Wedding Smock and her Grave her Bride-Bed there to lye with Death but doubtless Death was as far from her Thoughts as her Lover neer to her Heart for had she Believ'd she should have Died so soon or but Fear'd it she would not have made such Preparations as usually Young Maids do for their Wedding daies indeed Young Maids have Reason enough to Esteem much of That day for it is the only Happy day of their Life it is a day which is wholly Consecrated to Love Joy Pleasure Bravery Feasting Dancing Mirth and Musick on that day their Hearts are Merry and their Heels are Light but after their Bridal Shoos are off their Dancing daies are done I mean they are done in respect of Happiness for though Married Wives keep more Company and Dance and Feast oftner than Maids having more Liberty yet they are not so Merry at the Heart nor have they so Lively Countenances nor are so Galliard after they have been Married some time as they were Before they were Married or as they were on their VVedding day for their Mirth is Forced and their Actions more Constrain'd though not so much Restrain'd whereas Maids and Brides their very Thoughts as well as their Persons Dance Sport and Play in their Minds But this Young Virgin and Dead Bride can neither Dance nor be Merry neither hath she Cause to Weep or be Sad nor she hath no Amorous Thoughts towards her Bridegroom she takes no Notice of him his kind Imbraces do not make her Blush neither doth she Hate or Fear him she Grieves not for the Change nor Thinks she of her Living Lover that should have been her Living Husband but is now her Living Mourner whose Tears like Raining Showers have all Bedewed her Hearse and though she was not led with Bride-maids to the Church yet she is brought by Virgins to the Grave her Hearse is Crown'd though not her Head and Covered with white Satin like as a Marriage Gown and all her Tomb is Strew'd with Flowers sweet like to a Bridal-Bed in which Tomb let us lay her and then Sing Anthems instead of Epithalamiums and so leave her to her Rest. A Child-Bed Womans Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are met together to see a Young Dead Woman who
against you your Acquaintance to shun you your Friends to Grieve for you your Posterity to be Ashamed of you and Disgraced by you for when After-ages shall mention you your Posterity if they have any Worth or Merit will hang down their heads for shame to hear of your Evil Deeds all which will be if you be Mutinous Conspirers Traitors or Cowards but if neither Honour Honesty Fidelity nor Love can disswade you from your Base Treacherous and Wicked designs or that your Design is against Me here I offer my Self to you to dispose of my Person and Life as you please for I am neither asham'd to Suffer nor afraid to Dye knowing I have not done any thing that a man of Honour ought not to do and as Fear hath no power over my Mind so Force hath no power over my Will for I shall willingly Dye An Oration to Souldiers who have kill'd their General BArbarous Souldiers or rather Cruel Murderers you that have inhumanely Kill'd your General your Carefull Painfull Prudent Valiant Loving and Kind General ought to be generally Kill'd but Death would be too great a Mercy and Happiness for such Wretches as you are for you deserve such Torments and Afflictions as are above all expressions and your Bloody Action hath made you appear to me so Horrid that me thinks Life is Terrible because you Live and Death is Amable since our General is Dead and Honour lives in the Grave with him and Baseness lives in the World with you Devils possess your Souls in your living Bodies when as Angels have born away his Soul from his liveless Corps to be Crown'd with Everlasting Glory You shall not need to Fear your Enemies now for surely they will Flye you not for fear you should Kill them but for fear you should Infect them they fear not your Courage but your Wickedness neither shall you fear Oblivion for you will be Infamous and the very report of your Murdering act will cause a trembling of Limbs and chilness of Spirit to all the hearers and you will not only be Scorn'd Hated and Curs'd but Prayers will be offer'd against you and Men will Bless themselves from you as from a Plague or Evil Spirit Thus your Enemies will despise you your Friends renounce you Honest men exclame against you men of Honour shun you good Fortune forsake you Heaven shut all mercy from you your Conscience torment you insomuch that you will be asham'd to Live and afraid to Dye An Oration to Souldiers which repent the Death of their General PEnitent Souldiers for so you seem by your Tears Sighs Groans and sorrowfull Complaints I cannot forbid you to Weep for your Fault requires great and many showers of Tears to wash away your Crime indeed there is no other way to purge your Souls and to cleanse your Consciences from the stains of your Generals Blood but by Penitent Tears Wherefore let me advise you to go to his Urn and there humbly on your Knees lamenting your Sorrow pray to Heaven for Pardon then make him a Statue and carry his Image in your Ensigns and set his Statue under your Banner Thus make him that was your General your Saint and let his Memory be famous by your Valour that his Enemies may know the power of his Name is able to Destroy them so will you make him Victorious in his Grave and appease his Angry Ghost An Oration to Distressed Souldiers Dear Country-men YOu know we are a people that have been Conquered and made Slaves to our Enemies which Slavery we did Patiently indure a long time but at last we had an Impatient desire of Liberty and had our Prudence been according to our Desires no doubt but we should have Gain'd it but our Over-hasty Desires have put us into a greater Misery for now we are not only like to Lose our Liberties again but our Lives or to Live in worse Bondage than we did before which we had better Dye than Indure but since we were not so Wise for our selves to Prevent our Danger as we were Just to our selves to Indeavour our Liberty yet we must not leave Indeavouring our own Good so long as Life lasts Wherefore we must consider what is best to be done in this Extremity First we have of our selves a Great Body though not so well Armed as I wish we were yet so as we are not left Naked to our Enemies but though we have a great Number yet our Enemies have a greater Number and though we be Arm'd yet our Enemies are Better Armed the worst of all is that we are in a place of such Disadvantage as either we must Starve or Yield our selves or Fight it out at all Hazards As for Starving it is a lingring and painfull Death and to Yield will be a miserable and painfull Life wherefore to Fight it out at all Hazards will be best for us to choose for Death is the End of Misery and Pain is not felt in a Raging or Acting Fury and if we Resolve let the worst come to the worst we can but Dye and that we must do in time had we no other Enemies than what are Natural as Sickness and Age and these Hopes we have that Desperate Men in Desperate Adventures have many times Good Fortune and those that are Desperate want no Courage but they are apt to be Careless of Conduct Wherefore let me advise you to Listen to Direction and be carefull to Obey your Instructions for if we should Overcome our Enemies we should not only save our Lives which we give for lost but we should have our Liberties and also Honour Power and Wealth too whereas our Enemies only venture their Lives to keep us in Subjection which will cause them to Fight but Faintly for where there is neither Profit nor Honour to be gain'd they will sooner Run away than Venture their Lives in the Battel so that our Poverty will Defend us and our Necessity help to Fight for us Prudence shall Guide us and then perchance Fortune may Favour us Wherefore let us Assault our Enemies before they Expect us and indeavour to Overcome them before they are ready to Fight with us for if we take them Unprepar'd we shall find them without Defence and in such Disorder as we shall Destroy them without Hazard ORATIONS TO CITIZENS IN THE MARKET PLACE PART III. An Oration to a dejected People ruined by Warr. Unfortunate Citizens and Country-men YOu now seem to be as much cast down and dejected in your Misery as you were puft up with Pride in your Prosperity in which Prosperity you were so Confident and so Careless of your Security as you would neither believe your Danger nor provide for your Safety insomuch that you Murmured and Mutined against all Assessments and Payments although it were to keep the Kingdome in Peace and to strengthen it against Forein force but now you do not Murmur at small Taxes but Mourn for your great Losses not for your Security but
Warning for what is to Come As for Spending their Means they will spend so much as to make themselves Sick and Poor with Surfeiting Feasting Drunken Drinking Pocky whoring Covetous Gaming Vain Shews Idle Sports and the like and when they Spare they are so miserable as not to allow themselves Necessaries so that they make themselves Unhappy through Want and yet have more than enough to Spend also they fear Pain and Sickness but will not indeavour to Avoid either for men Drink so much as they are sure to be so sick as to Vomit and will Eat such Meat or Drink such Drinks as they are sure to have painfull fits of the Gout after them But it may be said that the inticing Appetite is so Perswading and Over-ruling as they cannot Forbear but some men will Drink when they are not Dry and Eat when they are nor Hungry or have any desire thereto but will Drink meerly for Company or being perswaded by Others or out of a Humour and so for Eating Which is strange that men should be perswaded to suffer and indure great pain for the sake of idle Company or through the perswasion of Fools or out of a foolish or mad Humour Likewise all men are loath to Dye and yet most Men will Venture their Lives unnecessarily or for very small occasions and all men are Afraid of Damnation and yet they will not Indeavour Salvation nay they will venture Damnation for a trifle yea for nothing as for Example they will Lie Swear and Forswear when they are not Provoked or have any occasion to Swear Lie and Forswear and for Worldly Riches men are so Covetous and Greedy as they will Extort Coosen Steal Murder and venture Soul Body and Life for it yet when they Have it they Spend it as if they did not Care for it nay as if they did Hate such Riches and not any man would willingly be Poor yet they will spend their Wealth so Foolishly as neither to have Pleasure Thanks nor Fame for it The truth is that by mens Actions it could not be believed that Mankind had Rational Souls for though many men will Speak Wisely yet most Act Foolishly or rather Madly so that mens Rational Souls Live more in their Words than in their Deeds But if you have Rational Souls and a Saving Belief you ought to Build a Church wherein you may Gather together to Repent your Sins to Pray for Forgiveness to Promise Amendment and to Reform your Lives also to Hear Instructions and to give good Examples to each other and to accustom your selves to Devotion so shall you become Holy men Besides Churches ought to be Built not only for the Souls of the Living but for the Bodies of the Dead wherein they may be inurned Decently Humanly and Religiously An Oration perswading the Citizens to erect a Statue in Honour of a Dead Magistrate Noble Citizens N. N. who is now Dead was the Wisest Justest and Honestest Magistrate that a Common-wealth could Desire or Have and as he Served the Common-wealth Justly so he ought to be Rewarded Honourably for he did well Deserve it But his Death must not be an Excuse for Ungratefulness for Honours are given to the Dead as well as to the Living for mens Good Works Live after them although their Bodies Dye and Living men are Benefitted thereby but should the Benefit cease with their Death yet men ought not to Forget the Good they have Received for those are very Unthankfull Unworthy and Base men that will not acknowledge what they Have had but only respect the Present good indeed such men are worse than Beasts and ought to live and dye like Beasts as to live in Slavery and to dye in Oblivion whereas Virtuous Worthy Honourable and Noble men ought to live Free and be Remembred after their Lives and those that have done Wise or Ingenious or Good or Profitable or Valiant or Great Works Deeds or Acts ought to be remembred in the Minds of men mentioned by the Tongues of men and figured by the hands of Art so as to Live in the Minds Ears and Eyes of Living men as for their Merits to be Praised their Acts Recorded and their Bodies figured to the Life not only Pencilled but Carved or cast in Moulds as Carved in stone or cast in Metal that all Ages may not only hear of their Name read of their Acts but see their Figures all which are due Rights and right Honours to the Memory of Worthy deceased men Wherefore this Worthy Deceased man who was a VVife and Just Magistrate ought at the Common-wealth's charge to have his Statue in Stone or Metal and to be set up in the most Publick place in the City that every Particular Person may think of Him and remember his Acts when they see his Figure which will not only be a due Honour to him that is Dead but an Incouragement to those that Live after him to imitate and follow his Example and that such Magistrates and Ministers of State that are imployed after him may do as he hath done as to be Just Prudent Carefull and Industrious which the Gods grant for the sake of the Common-wealth An Accusing Oration for Refusing the Office of a Magistrate and so Neglecting the Service of the Common-wealth Noble Citizens I Have assembled you at this time to make a Complaint against D. D. who being chosen a Magistrate as believing him to be one of the Ablest men for his Wisdome amongst us and so Fittest to be imployed in the Service and Affairs of the Common-wealth hath refused the Office and Imployment choosing rather to live Idlely than to take Pains and Labour to do Good for which he ought to be Punished either in Body or Estate for it is not only an Obstruction to the affairs of the Common-wealth but a Dangerous Example for if all the Wisest men should refuse the Imployment and Management of State-affaris leaving the Government only to Fools the Common-wealth would be quickly brought to Ruine in which Ruine the Wise men would suffer as much as other men Wherefore for their Own sakes as well as for the sake of their Country they ought to imploy their Bodies and Minds in the Service of the Common-wealth otherwise Foolish Statesmen and Magistrates will make such Disorder as no particular family or Man could live Safely much less Plentifully for Peace and Plenty would be utterly destroyed with Civil Warr were there no Forein Enemies whereas Wise men can keep Peace and make a Common-wealth or Kingdome Flourish for it is as difficult and hard to keep a Common-wealth in Peace and Order as it is easie to cause Warrs and Ruine and more difficult to make Peace when Warr is begun Wherefore the best way to keep a Common-wealth in Order Peace when Warr is begun Wherefore the best way to keep a Common-wealth in Order Peace and Plenty is to choose Wise and Able Magistrates and not to let the VVise men follow their own Pleasures
Peace and Plenty as they have done with Me to whom I leave You and Him to you Farewell A Daughters Dying Speech to her Father FAther Farewell and may that Life that Issues from My young and tender Years be added to Your Age may all your Grief be Buried in my Grave and may the Joys Pleasures and Delights that did attend my Life be Servants unto Yours may Comfort Dry your Eyes God Cease your Sorrows that though I Die you may Live Happily Why do you mourn that Death must be your Son-in-Law since he is a Better Husband than any you could Choose me or I could Choose my Self it is a Match that Nature and the Fates have made Wherefore be Content for it is not in your Power to alter the Decrees of Fate for Destiny cannot be Opposed but if you could you would Rob me of the Happiness the Gods intend me for though my Body shall dwell with Death my Soul shall dwell in Heaven and Holy Angels that are my Marriage Guests will Conduct it to that Glory for which you have cause to Joy and not to Grieve for all Creatures Live but to Die but those that are Blessed Die to Live and so do I. Farewell A Souldiers Dying Speech to his Friends Dear Friends YOu are come to see me Die but I am sorry you shall see me Die in the Bed of Sloth and not in the Field of Action for now I shall Die like a Coward whereas had I Died in the Field of Warr I should have Died as a Valiant man indeed the Field of Warr is the Bed of Honour wherein all Valiant and Gallant men should Die but Fortune hath denied me that Honour she hath spar'd my Life to my Loss for those that Die in the Warrs have Greater Renowns and Gloriouser Fame than those that Die in Chambers of Peace for whatsoever Heroick Acts men have done for the most part Die if they Out-live them for such Actions Live by the Deaths of the Actors I do not say Alwaies but for the Most part which makes me fear the Service I have done my King and Country will Die with me and be Buried in Oblivions Grave yet should the Service I have done be quite Forgotten I should not Repent my Actions for Honourable persons and Gallant men should do what they Ought to do although they were certain Never to be Rewarded for though few men are Rewarded according to their Merits and many have Favour that did Never Merit a Reward so Unjust is the World Fortune and Fame yet their Injustice must not make men Unworthy but I have done my Part and Death will do His. Farewell A Dying Speech of a Loving Mistress to her Beloved Servant SErvant This day I should have been your Wife and so Your Servant as you have been Mine but Death hath Robbed Hymen of his Rights and now he Fights with Life which he will Overcome for Death is Conquerour of All and Triumphs in his Spoils Yet Death by taking my Life Prisoner will set your Person Free to choose an other Mistress to make a Wife in whose Imbraces I shall be Buried and utterly Forgotten I speak not this in Envy to Her Happiness nor Yours for Envy dwells with Life and not with Death nor am I Loth to Die nor Grieve to be Forgotten no not by those that I Loved most and equal with my Soul for those I Love I would not have them Mourn in Melancholy thoughts and Sad remembrance of my Death I only wish that She that you Love next may return Love again with as much Truth Constancy and Purity as I have Loved you and may she be the Glory of her Sex and Honour of her Husband and may you Live to Love each Other and Love to Live for One an others Sake may Nature Time Fortune Fate and the Gods joyn in your Happiness Farewell A Forein Travellers Dying Speech Dear Friends I Have Travelled Farr and have seen Much of the World and have gone Round about the World but now I shall Travel Out of the World from which I shall bring no News I shall not come back to Relate my Journies or to tell you what Strange Creatures there are in the Other World or what Dangers I escap'd or what Adventures I have made or what several Countries there are and which is good for Plantation or what Commodities there are or what Traffick there is or may be for though all Creatures are Transported yet no Returns are Sent back in Lieu of them unless we believe New-born Creatures are sent out of the Other World into This but that is not Probable because they are Made in this World and of the same Substances of the World But howsoever those that are Sent thither as by Sickness Casualties Fortune and Age Return no more wherefore I must take my Last leave of you for though I have been at the Confines of Death and am Return'd to my Friends again yet I never was in the Region of Death a place I never was Ambitious or Desirous to go to for though I had the Curiosity to see the several Countries Kingdomes and Places in the several parts of the World yet I never had the Curiosity to Travel into Death's Kingdome no nor to see the Mansions of the Gods which may be Accounted a Sin Indeed Travellers are accounted Atheistical but if they were yet when they come to Die they would change those Atheistical Opinions and as Bad as they are thought to be yet they are not Afraid of Death for then they would not Venture their Lives so Often as they do indeed Travellers have as Great Courage as Souldiers have and 't is believed as Little Religion but not so much Hate Envy Malice Revenge nor Covetousness unless they be Merchants nor they are not Robbers and Murderers they do not Take away mens Lives nor Goods as Souldiers do but of all men Travellers have most reason to Adore and Worship God Best for they see Most of his Wonderfull works which shew his Power Might Wisdome and Majesty the which makes his Creatures Admire him Praise him Fear him Love him and Pray to him as the Great Omnipotent Infinite Eternal Incomprehensible and Everlasting God to whom I Resign my Soul and Leave my Body to Death Farewell A Lovers Dying Speech to his Beloved Mistress Dear Mistress THough I must Die I leave my Life to Live with You for You are the Life of my Love and the Love of my Life you are the Palace of my Soul wherein it Lives and will Remain though Death doth take my Body hence for Souls Live though Bodies Die yet do not Drown my Soul in Tears nor Cloud it with your Sorrows but give it Light of Joy and Please it with your Kind remembrance But O my Jealous thoughts do Torture more my Mind than Pains of Death do Torture my Weak Body lest you should Banish the Love of Me to Entertain a Stranger which if you do the Gods
so Gracefull and Becoming as the One Delighted the Eyes of the Beholders as much as the Other the Ears of the Hearers but though his Body be Dead yet his Wit Eloquency Elegancy Honesty and Abilities are Living in the Memory of Living men which will Live by Tradition as Long as there are Men to Remember or Speak Wherefore let us Keep his Living parts in our Minds and Bury his Dead parts as his Body in the Grave there to remain in Peace as the other in Fame A Magistrates Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are met here together to Mourn for our Loss for the Death of This man is not only a Loss to every Particular man but to the whole Common-wealth for he was a Wise man and an Upright and Just Magistrate he did not Serve the Common-wealth to Inrich Himself as most Magistrates do but took Pains to Inrich the Common-wealth nor did he Sell Justice for Bribes but Punished Bribe-takers neither was he Partial either to the Rich or Poor but Judged according to Right and Truth at least to Great Probability also he kept the Rich from Riot and the Poor from Idleness and he took away Superfluities to help Necessities not that he Troubled any man for Living to their Degree and Quality but he would not Suffer any man to Live Above their Degree and Quality neither would he hinder men from their Lawfull Pleasures and Delights but he would not Connive at their Disorders and Misrules neither would he Pardon their Wickednesses He Regarded not the Slanders of his Enemies nor was he Revengefull for he Suffer'd not his Enemies to be Injured but gave them all the Justice he could neither was he Unjust to his Foes nor Ungrateful to his Friends he had a tender Regard to the Old Sick Poor and Shiftless Indeed he was such a Magistrate as he was a Father a Husband a Brother a Friend a Master a Servant a Slave for the Common-wealth all which adds to our Loss and Grief but not to his Happiness for his Happiness admits of no Addition he being as Happy as can be in which Happiness let us leave him after we have Interr'd him with his Forefathers A Funeral Oration of a Student Fellow Students VVE are met together to VVait upon the Dead Body of our VVorthy Brother in Learning to be laid in Peace into the Bed of Earth whose Life was so Studious as we may say he was Partly Dead whilst he Lived for the most of his Conversation was with Dead Authors and his Study was as his Grave so that our Learned Brother hath only Changed his Habitation and Lanlord as from his Study to the Earth from his Bodily Life to Death I confess his Lanlord Death is Covetous for Death Exacts or Extorts the Flesh from the Bones as his due yet the Body is more Happy dwelling more Peaceably with Death than with Life and as his Body hath made a Happy Change so hath his Soul but his Soul dwells not now with his Body for the Soul is an Fnemy to Death and Flies from it neither can the Soul live in the Body when as the Body is turned into Insipid Earth for the Soul being of a Celestial Nature cannot Live in a Terrestrial place but when Separated being Pure in it Self it is Light and being Free as having Liberty it is Agil through which Propriety it Ascends unto the Gods on High and Lives with them Eternally Thus our Learned Brothers Body Resting Peaceably and his Soul Living Blessedly both shall meet Gloriously and so Let 's lay his Corps into the Grave Humbly Ceremoniously and Piously A Funeral Oration of a Divine Beloved Brethren THis our Dead Brother was an Holy man both in Profession and Life as for his Profession he was a Divine and his Practice was as Pious as his Profession was Pure he was Bless'd of the Gods for they Indued him with Spiritual Graces Inspired him with Spiritual Knowledge and Inabled him with Spiritual Eloquence to Inform Reform and Perform the Church of God according to the Word of God amongst men but though his time of Life is Expir'd yet his true Doctrine will remain for the Satisfaction Comfort and Salvation of the Souls in Living Bodies Wherefore let us lay his Body into the Grave and leave it to the time of Glorification A Funeral Oration of a Poet. Beloved Brethren OUr Brother whose Body is Dead and is brought to this place to be Inurned was the most Fearfull man that ever Nature made not to Die but to be Forgotten also he was the most Ambitious man not for Wealth Title or Power but for Fame In truth he was so Ambitious as his Body and Mind was Restless indeavouring to Live like as Nature or the Gods of Nature which Live and are partly Known In their VVorks and By their Works which are their Creatures especially the Chief of their Creatures which are Mankind for we cannot Perceive but that the Chief Habitations of the Gods are in the Minds of men with which Habitations they are so Pleased and Delighted as they Punish those men that Neglect or Forget them nay the Gods Made Men or such kind of Creatures to Remember them as to Speak of them Think of them and to Admire them in their Praises Contemplations and Adorations also to have Visible VVorship to their Invisible Deities as to have Altars Priests and Sacrifices to Offer Praise Prayers and Thanksgiving So that the Gods are not Satisfied to Live only To or In Themselves but in their Creatures VVherefore those men Resemble the Gods most that desire Fame which Fame is to be Remembred and Prais'd by All Men in All Ages throughout the VVorld whereas on the Contrary those that Slight Neglect or Speak against Fame as being a Foolish Vain-Glory in that it doth a man No Good to be Remembered and Praised after the Bodily Life are Irreligious Ungratefull and Unnatural Irreligious not Desirous to Imitate the Gods Ungratefull not Divulging Natures Gifts and Unnatural caring not for the Memory of their Own Kind as not caring to Live with Them which is to Live in their Minds Also they are Unjust to Themselves not desiring their Own Good as their Perpetual Name Memory and Fame But this our Brother was not of that sort of Mankind as to be Contented to be Buried in a Terrestrial Oblivion but would have a Celestial Remembrance which the Gods Perpetuate for a Reward to his Merit So let us lay his Body in the Grave and let his Praise Ring out his Peal A Funeral Oration of a Philosopher Beloved Brethren THis our Dead Brother when he had Bodily Life he was a Close Student and had a Great Library wherein were more VVorks than he had Time to Learn and they were of more Several Languages than he was Capable to Understand but he Indeavoured and was Advanced far in Knowledge his Study was Natural and Moral Philosophy his Library the Universe and his Several Books the Several Creatures
therein As for Moral Philosophy he knew well how to Compose Common-wealths and to Settle and Govern them also he knew well the Natures Humours Passions and Appetites amongst Mankind as also to Divide and Distinguish them and to Order Form and Reform them As for Natural Philosophy he did not only Study the Outward Forms of several Creatures but their Inward Natures In truth his Conception was so Subtil and Peircing his Observation so Dilative his Reason so Strong his Wit so Agil his Judgement so Solid his Understanding so Clear and his Thoughts so Industrious as they went to the First Cause of several Effects and he did not only Converse with the Body but the Soul of Nature indeed he was Nature's Platonick Lover and She rewarded him in Discovering to him her most Hidden and Obscure Secrets by which he begot Great Wisdome and Everlasting Fame for though his Body be Dead yet his Good Laws VVise Sciences Profitable Arts VVitty Experiences Graces Vertues and Eloquence will Live for the Benefit and Delight of Living men in all Nations and Ages and though we have great reason to Mourn for his Bodily Death yet we have more reason to Rejoyce for his Glorious Fame but leaving his Merits to Life and his Body to Death let us lay him into the Grave to Transmigrate as Nature pleases A Funeral Oration of a Dead Lady Spoken by a Living Lady Dearly Beloved Sisters in God VVE are met as Sorrowfull Mourners to attend this Dead Ladies Corps to the Grave She was in her Life the Rule of our Actions and will be in her Fame the Honour of our Sex She was Favoured of Nature the Gods and Fortune Nature gave her Wit and Beauty the Gods gave her Piety and Charity and Fortune gave her Wealth and Education She was Adorned by the Graces Beloved by the Muses and Attended by the Arts She was Sociable in her Conversation Just in her Promises and Generous in her Gifts She was Industrious in all Good Actions Helpfull to all Distress'd Persons and Gratefull for all sorts of Courtisies She was Humble in her Own Prosperities and full of Magnanimity in her Own Adversities her Mind had no Passage for any Evil nor no Obstruction against any Good But to repeat or summ up the Number of this Ladies Merits is beyond my Rhetorick or Arithmetick for certainly she was Composed of the Purest Effence of Nature and the Divinest Spirits of Heaven She had the Piety of Saints the Chastity of Angels and the Love of the Gods in which Love let us leave her Soul and lay her Body in the Grave till the time of Glorification A Foreiners or Strangers Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren YOu shew your Charity and Humanity and that they are not Bound up to Particulars or to your Friends and Country-men but that they Extend to Strangers in coming to see this Stranger who Died out of his Native Country Decently to be Buried in a Forein Land I mean Forein as from his Native Country although the truth is that all the World is Common to Mankind for Nature hath not assigned Men to any Particular place or Part of the World but hath given All the World freely to them as if she made the World and all other Creatures only for Man's sake for all other Creatures are not so generally Disperst or rather so Spreading and Branching throughout the World as Mankind is by reason they Belong Breed Prosper or Increase in Particular Climates as some in Cold and others in Hot and some in one Part of the World and some in Another for some Creatures will be so farr from Increasing in some Particular Climates as they cannot Live in them but in all Parts of the World that are Habitable there be Men. 'T is true Different Climates may cause men to be of Different Complexions but what Complexions soever they have they are all of the same kind as Mankind and of the same sort of Animals for though all Beasts are of Beast-kind yet a Fox and an Ass is not one and the same sort or kind of Beast but there is no such different sort amongst Mankind for there is no difference of men in their Natural Shapes Proprieties Qualities Abilities Capacities Entities or the like unless some Defects to some Particulars which is nothing to the Generality for all the kind of Mandkind is all alike both in Body and Mind as in their Shapes Senses Appetites Speech Frowning Laughing Weeping and the like as also alike in their Rational Parts as Judging Understanding Conceiving Remembring Apprehending Considering Imagining Desiring Joying Grieving Loving Hating Fearing Doubting Hoping Believing and the like And therefore since not any man can be accounted as a Stranger in any Part of the World because he hath by Nature a Right as a Natural Inheritance to Inhabit what part or place of the World he will But all Mankind are as Brethren not only by Kind but by Inheritance as being General Sharers and Possessors of the World so this Dead man ought not to be accounted as a Stranger but a Brother VVherefore let us Mourn as we ought to do for a Dead Brother and Accompany his Hearse to the Grave with Religious Ceremony there leaving it in Rest and Peace A Post-Riders Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren YOu have Exprest your Humanity and Charity in coming to this Poor Unfortunate man's Burial which though he was a Poor man yet he was an Honest man and therefore is much the more Worthy to be Praised for Poverty and Necessity is a great Temptation to Knavery as much as Riches is a Temptation to Foolery which is Vanity nay Riches is not only Guilty of Vanity but Vice as Luxnry Pride and Wantonness whereas Knavery is Cheating Coosening Stealing and the like of all which this Poor man was Free And as he was an Honest man so he was a Laborious man for his Profession of Life was a Post-Rider an Unfortunate Profession for him for he Riding fast upon a Stumbling Jade fell down and Broke his Neck Thus we see that Misfortunes as well as Sicknesses bring many to their Lives ends and many times to a Miserable end for Misfortunes take Life away Unawares and sometimes Unprepar'd to Dye so this man did not Think when he got on the Horses back he should Ride Post to Death for had he thought so he would have Chosen to Run a-Foot a Safer though a Slower pace But could his Soul Ride Post on Death to Heaven as his Body Rid Post on a Horse to Death he might Out-strip many a Soul that is gone before him for though his Soul as all Souls are Light and of no Weight yet Death is no nimble Runner being Cold and Numb and nothing but Bare Bones a Hard Seat for a Tender Soul Besides the way to Heaven is so Narrow and Steep as Death cannot Get up for should he Venture his Soul would be in Danger to be Overthrown and cast into Hell which is a Deep Dark
so softly as those that stood Close by her Bed could not hear her Sigh and when She was Dead her Beauty that all the time of her Mourning was Obscured in her Sorrows Appear'd in her Death only the Gloss of her Eyes were Covered with their Lids for Death had Shut her Eye-lids down and Seald up her Lips which Lips seem'd as if they had been Seal'd with Red Coloured Wax although Death had Kist them Cold for now Death is her Lover not an Amorous but a Deadly Lover to whose Imbraces we must leave her Body after we have laid it in the Bed of Earth An other Widdow's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are met as Funeral or rather Marriage Guests of a Dead Widdow who is now Re-married to her Husband in Death and no question but their Souls will Joy in the Knowledge of each other for though Bodies Dye yet Souls do not but Live for ever Death having Power only over the Sensitive not over the Rational Life for Knowledge Lives though Senses Dye and if the Soul Lives no question but all that is Inherent in the Soul Lives as all the Passions Affections Thoughts Memory Understanding Judgement Conceptions Speculations Fancy Knowledge and the like which are the Parts and Ingrediences with which the Soul is Composed Form'd and Made Thus the Soul being made of such Thin Fine Pure and Rare Matter Death can take no hold of it for Death's Power is only on Gross Corporeal Substances or Matter not on Celestial Bodies but Terrestrial but this Widdows Soul was Purer than other Souls usually are for there are Degrees of Purity in Souls as well as Degrees of Grossness in Bodies The truth might easily be Perceived in her Life for there was as much Difference between her Soul and Other Souls as between Souls and Bodies at least as much Difference as between a Glorified Soul and a Soul Imbodied Nay her Soul was so Pure as it did Purifie her Body for it did Resine the Appetites which Cleared the Senses besides her Soul did Instruct the Senses which made them More Sensible so that they were kept Clean Clear and Healthfull by Temperance and made Apt Quick and Ready by Reason insomuch as Time had but a Little Power to Hurt them and was not Able to Destroy them without the Help of Death had she Lived Long but Death to shew his Power destroyed her Body without the Help of Time for she Lived not to be so Old as for Time to make a Trial yet her Body Lived Longer than she was willing it should have done desiring it might have Died when her Husband Died but the Gods Forbad it for though any Creature especially Man may Call Death when he Will and Force him to take his Bodily Life away yet the Gods are Angry if any man will not stay whilst Death comes of Himself without Inforcement Nevertheless Death did Favour this Widdow for though he did not take her so Soon as she would have Died yet he suffered her not Long to Live a weary Life for which Favour she received Death with Joy and a Smiling Countenance whereas Death for the most part is received with Fear and Sadness and since she Rejoyced at her Death we have no Reason to Mourn now she is Dead especially in that she Lived and Died Vertuously and Piously for which the Gods will Advance her to Everlasting Glory For this Glory let us Praise the Gods and Bury her Body in her Husbands Tomb or Grave that their Dust or Ashes may lye together A Young Child's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are the Funeral Guests to a Young Male Child an Infant who Died soon after it was Born and though all Men are Born to Live and Live to Dye yet this Child was Born to Dye Before it had Lived I mean in Comparison of the Age of men Thus this Child was Born Cried and Died a happy Conclusion for the Child that he had Finished what he was made for in so Short a time for he could not have had less Pain less Trouble nor less Desires to have left the World had he Liv'd longer for Life is Restless with Desires Sickly and Painfull with Diseases Troublesome with Cares Laborious with Labour Grievous with Losses Fearfull with Dangers and Miserable in all which Misery this Child hath Escap'd but had he Lived he could not have Avoided it besides he is not Guilty of Self-acting Sins and so Deserves no Punishment for neither Commission nor Omission can be laid to his Charge having no time for Either so that he is Free from Both as also from Suffering either in this World or the Next unless there be such a severe Decree as the Child shall Suffer for his Parents faults which Faults he could neither Hinder nor Annul neither did he Approve nor Allow them nor Assist them in Evil But it is not probable he shall Suffer being Innocent and Death that is Accounted the Wages of Sin may rather be taken as a Gift of Mercy also Death might be said to be a Purifier from Sin as well as a Punisher of Sin Wherefore this Child is past the Purgatory of Death and is in the Heaven of Peace Rest Ease and Happiness in which let us leave him after we have Covered his Corps with Earth An Old Ladies Funeral Oration THis Old Lady was Favour'd by Nature Fortune and Time Nature in her Youth gave her Beauty Fortune gave her Wealth and Time and Nature gave her long Life She was Courted in her Youth for the Pleasures of her Beauty and Flattered in her Age for the Profit of her Wealth but being Chast and Wise She was neither Corrupted with the One nor Deluded with the Other not Tempted with Courtship nor Coosen'd with Flattery and as She was Chast and Wise so She was Pious for the Gods gave her Grace to bestow her Wealth to Charitable uses Thus what she Got by Fortune she Gave to Heaven indeed she Bought Heaven with Fortune's Gifts for none can get into Heaven but by Faith and Good Deeds and her Faith did Believe that her Good VVorks would be as an Advocate to Plead for her and no question but they have gotten her Sute and her Charity will Live here on Earth though she be Dead and those she Relieved will make her their Saint Thus she will be Sainted both on Earth and in Heaven which is as Great an Honour and a more Blessed Condition than the Emperours had with all their Conquefts Power Pride and Vanity for the height of their Ambition was to be Deified on Earth and to be Sainted in as much They were Worshipp'd for Fear She Pray'd to for Love They had Idolatrous Worshippers She Sanctified Petitioners Their Idols lasted but a time She shall be Blest for Evermore An Ancient Man's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren AGe hath Ushered our Friend to Death and we are here met to attend him to the Grave it is an Human Charitable and Pious Service to see the
Died in Child-Bed to be laid into the Bed of Earth a Cold Bed but yet she will not take any Harm there nor we shall not fear she will Catch her Death for Death hath Catch'd her the truth is that although all Women are Tender Creatures yet they Indure more than Men and do oftner Venture and Indanger their Lives than Men and their Lives are more Profitable than men's Lives are for they Increase Life when Men for the most part Destroy Life as witness Warrs wherein Thousands of Lives are Destroyed Men Fighting and Killing each other and yet Men think all Women meer Cowards although they do not only Venture and Indanger their Lives more than they do but indure greater Pains with greater Patience than Men usually do Nay Women do not only indure the Extremity of Pain in Child-birth but in Breeding the Child being for the most part Sick and seldome at Ease Indeed Nature seems both Unjust and Cruel to her Femal Creatures especially Women making them to indure all the Pain and Sickness in Breeding and Bringing forth of their Young Children and the Males to bear no part of their Pain or Danger the truth is Nature hath made her Male Creatures especially Mankind only for Pleasure and her Female Creatures for Misery Men are made for Liberty and Women for Slavery and not only Slaves to Sickness Pains and Troubles in Breeding Bearing and Bringing up their Children but they are Slaves to Men's Humours nay to their Vices and Wickednesses so that they are more Inslaved than any other Female Creatures for other Female Creatures are not so Inslaved as they Wherefore those Women are most Happy that Never Marry or Dye whilst they be Young so that this Young VVoman that Died in Child-Bed is Happy in that she Lives not to Indure more Pain or Slavery in which Happiness let us leave her after we have laid her Corps to Rest in the Grave A Souldiers Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren THis Dead man whom you attend to the Grave was whilst he Lived a Valiant Gallant man and an Excellent Souldier for that was his Profession in times of VVarr a Noble Profession for all Valiant Souldiers are Honour's Sons Death's Friends and Life's Enemies for a Souldiers Profession is to Destroy Lives to get Honour and Fame by which Destruction Death is a Gainer In truth Death is a Souldiers Companion Camerade and Familiar Acquaintance but not a Souldiers Friend though Souldiers be Death's Friends he is no Stranger to Souldiers for they see him in all Shapes Postures and Humours yet the most Terrible Aspects of Death could not Affright nor Terrifie this Souldier nor cause him to Remove an Inch back for he would Venture to the very Jaws of Death Thus Bold Adventurous Souldiers do more Affright Death than Death doth Affright them insomuch that Death for the most part Runs away from Valiant men and Seizes on Cowards and daring not Assault Valiant men in the Fore-front he Steals upon them as it were Unawares for he comes Behind Valiant men when he takes hold of them or else he Seizes on them by Treachery or Weakens their Bodies so much by Sickness as they are Forced to Yield Indeed there was no other way for Death to take this Valiant Souldier but by Sickness for he could never take him in the Field But Death is of the Nature of Ungratefull men who Indeavour to do those most Mischief that have been most Bountifull to them and are Ready to take the Lives of those they were most Obliged to for Valiant men give Death Thousands of Lives to Feed on yet he is like some Gluttons the more they Eat the Leaner they are nay Death is so Lean as to be only Bare Bones and by his Empty Scul he may be thought a Fool having no Brains though he be rather a Knave than a Fool for the Deceives or Robbs Nature and Time of many Lives taking them away before Nature and Time had Ordain'd them to Dye But leaving Death to Ingratitude Cheats and Robberies we must also leave him this Dead Souldiers Body for to Feed upon for all Heroick men are Death's most Nourishing food they make him Strong and Lusty and since there is no Remedy let us place this Dead Heros on Deaths Table which is to put him into the Grave and there leave him An Oration concerning the Joys of Heaven and Torments of Hell Beloved Brethren YOu have heard of Heaven and Hell Gods and Devils Damnation and Salvation and that you shall have a Fulness of Bliss in Heaven and be Everlastingly Tormented in Hell also you have heard Hell and Heaven described to you as that Heaven is Composed and Built all of Pretious Stones and Rich Metall as Gold Diamonds Rubies Pearls Saphyrs and the like as also what Degrees and Powers there be and for Hell it is described to be Dark as Night and yet great Elemental Fires in which the Damned shall be Tormented the like for other Torments that Devils use as their Rods and Scourges to Punish the Damned also that the Devils do Curse and the Blessed Sing and Rejoyce Moreover you have heard by your Teacher and seen Painted in Pictures both the Shapes of Devils and Angels the Angels with Wings and the Devils with Horns and Cloven feet like Beasts all which may be True for any thing we sensibly know to the Contrary and yet Perchance all these Relations may be False as the Relation of the Situation of Heaven and Hell and the Architecture of either or the Shapes of Devils or Angels or the manner and wayes of their Pleasures and Delights and their Pains and Torments all which may not be so as they are Usually Described to us but made by men's Fancies for no Mortal man is come either from Heaven or Hell to tell us Punctually of every particular Truth Yet a Heaven and Hell Good and Bad Angels Pains and Torments Joys and Pleasures there are for both Reason and Faith informs us also God himself tells us in his Holy Writs and by his Inspired Priests and Prophets that there is Reward for the Good in Heaven and Punishment for the Bad in Hell but if we will give our Imaginations leave to Work upon that we cannot Know whilst we Live here in this World let us Imagine what is most Probable and first for the Situation of Heaven and Hell or the Architecture of either or the Shapes of Devils or Angels it is beyond my Imagination yet some Imagination may beget a Belief at least some Probability of the Joys in Heaven and the Torments in Hell Wherefore I 'le begin with the Glorified Bodies in Heaven which Bodies in their Glorified Condition shall have their Senses more Perfect and their Appetites more Quick the Body being Purified into a Celestial Purity than when their Bodies were Clogg'd with a Terrestrial Grossness which made their Senses Weak and their Appetites Dull these Glorified Bodies shall have their Senses Fill'd and their Appetites
have Terrestrial Shapes why should they believe them to have Mens Shapes and not the Shapes of other Creatures it might be Answered the Belief Proceeds from the Son of God who did Take upon Him the Shape of Man but then we may believe that Angels are of the Shape of Doves because the Holy Ghost which is Co-equal and Co-eternal with the Son did Take upon Him the Shape of that Bird. Also what Reason hath man to Believe that the Devils Shapes are partly of the Shape of Beasts as to have Tails Horns Claws and Cloven feet do they believe that the Shape of Beasts is a more VVicked or Cursed Shape than any other Animal Shape But these Opinions or Beliefs proceed from Gross Conceptions made by Irregular Motions in Gross Terrestrial Bodies or Brains in Mankind who make Hell and Heaven God Angels and Devils according to their Fancies and not according to Truth for Man cannot Know what is not in his Portion of Reason and Sense to Know and yet man will Judge and Believe that which he cannot possibly Know which is Ridiculous even to Human Sense and Reason But to Conclude Dearly Beloved men's Thoughts are too Weak their Brains too Little their Knowledge too Obscure and their Understandings too Cloudy to Conceive Gods Celestial Works or Workings or his Will or Decrees Fates or Destinies Wherefore Pray without Forming Obey without Censuring Fear his Power Love his Goodness and Hope in his Mercy and the Blessing of God be amongst you An Oration to a Sinfull Congregation Beloved Brethren YOu Live so Lewdly Riotously and Wickedly as if you did not Believe there are Gods or Devils Heaven or Hell Punishment or Bliss and as if there were none other Life after this Life but you will find you shall be so Punished for your Wickedness unless you Amend as you will Curse your Birth Life and Death for so Bad and Wicked you are that the Seven Deadly Sins are not sins enough for you but Daily nay Hourly you Study to make more Deadly sins nay you are so Ingenious in Devising Sin as you are the most subtil Artisans therein that ever were you are a Vitruvius for Desigining Sins a Pygmalion for Carving out Sins an Apelles for Painting out Sins a Galileus for Espying out Sins an Euclid for Numbring and Multiplying Sins so that your Sins are now past all Account an Archimedes for Inventing Sins an Aristoteles to Find out Sins a Cicero in Pleading for Sins an Alexander in Fighting for Sins an Homerus in Describing Sins and your Lives and Actions are the Foundations and Materials the Stones and Chisals of Sins the Boords and Planks the Light Shaddows and Colours of Sins the Perspective Glasses of Sins the Figures of Sins the Instruments and Engins of Sins the Lines Circles and Squares of Sins the Bodies Parts and Lives of Sins the Tongue and Speech of Sin the Arms of Sin the Brains and Wit of Sin Thus you are nothing but Sin Within and Without for Life Soul Thoughts Bodies and Actions are all Sin Indeed you seem as if you were neither Made by Nature nor God but Begotten or Produced from Devils for Nature Exclames against you and God Abhorrs you the Devils will Own you but God of his Mercy give you Grace to Repent and Amend your Lives that what Sin is Past may be Blotted out and that your Lives Thoughts and Actions may be such as may Gain upon Eternal Blessedness and Everlasting Glory for which let us Pray An Oration which is an Exhortation to a Pious Life Beloved Brethren YOu come here to be Instructed but yet you do not Amend your Lives for you Live Idlely and Wickedly you make no Profit of your Instructions or Exhortations for it seems by you that the more you are Taught the more Ignorant you are like those that become Blind or their Sight Dazled with Too much Light Indeed you Live as if you had not Rational Souls or that you thought Souls Die as Bodies do but you will find you have Souls that shall Live to indure Torment if you do not Reform your Lives 'T is true many have Strange and some Atheistical Opinions concerning the Soul for Some have had Opinions that Man hath no other Soul but such as Beasts have and Others that the Souls of all Creatures Go out of one Body into an other and that Death doth but Change the Souls Lodging and Some have had an Opinion that there is no such thing as a Soul but that which is called a Soul is only Animal Life and Others believe there be Souls but they Die as Bodies do Others that there is but One great Soul which is the Soul of the World but the Right and Truth is that men have Particular Souls which not any other Creature hath which are called Rational Souls and shall Live for Ever either in Torment or Bliss according to their Merit But the Best and Wisest men make no question of the Rational Soul of Mankind though many Learned men Trouble their Heads to prove What the Soul is for some believe the Soul is Corporeal others it is Incorporeal Also many Trouble themselves to know When the Souls of Mankind Enter into their Bodies some think Before the Body is Born others hold it enters not Untill the Body is Born and some think that the Body receives the Soul so soon as it receives Life in the Womb and some think Before as when it is newly Conceived but those that are of an Opinion that Life and Soul enters into the Body together believe their Departs together by Death and those that think the Soul enters not into the Body untill it be Born believe the Soul is but a Weakling at first and grows Stronger as the Body grows Older Thus they Trouble their Heads and Exercise their Wits concerning the Soul to know What it is and How it is but never take Thought as how it Will be when they Dye like the Dog that left the Substance to seek for the Shaddow so men leave the Salvation and Dispute about the Creation But my Exhortation is that you would Pray more and Dispute less for what shall we need to Trouble our Minds whether the Soul be Corporeal or Incorporeal or if Corporeal of what Matter it is made of so that it be Capable of Glory nor shall we need to Trouble our Minds When it Enters the Body so it Enters Heaven Wherefore those that are Truly Wise and Wisely Devout will Indeavour with all their Power Faith and Industry of their Minds Thoughts and Life to Do such Charitable Deeds and to Think such Pious Thoughts in Holy Contemplations and Pray with so much Zeal and Faith Penitence and Thanksgiving as God may be so well Pleased with them as to Glorifie their Souls in Heaven where there is all Joy and Happiness which Joy and Happiness I Pray the Gods may give you MARRIAGE ORATIONS PART IX A Marriage-Oration to a Congregation and a Young Bride and
Eat and Eat more than you have Appetite you are like Misers in your Feeding stuffing your Stomacks with Meat as they do their Trunks and Baggs with Money and the Superfluity of meat Destroyes the Gluttonous Eater with Surfeits Thirdly your Adorning or rather Deforming your selves in Antick Fashions and Toyish Vanities which sheweth your Heads to be Brainless and sometimes your Purses to be Moneyless for Spending so much on your Backs you cannot Keep any thing in your Coffers nor for your Necessary use Fourthly your Idle Visits and Unprofitable Discourses wherein is more Words than Wit and more Time lost than Knowledge gain'd for you become more Ignorant with Talking than Learned with Contemplating for Brains are not Manured with Foolish Discourses but Wise Considerations Lastly your Numerous Trains which are Unprofitable Servants being maintain'd for Shew and not for Use they Spending much and doing little Service is the Cause not only of great Disorders but the Ruine of many Noble Families The Short is you Drink to be Drunk Eat to be Sick Live to be Idle Spend to be Poor and Talk to be Fools Thus you Lose Time Waste your Estate Trouble your Minds and Shorten your Lives Living with more Cost than Worship and more Worship than Pleasure for you are Stewards for your Servants Hosts for your Guests and Slaves to your Vain Humours An Oration Contradicting the Former Noble Citizens THe Former Oration was against the Lawfull Delights and Pleasures of our Citizens nay of all Mankind which Expresses the Orator either to be so Poor of Means as he Cannot Attain to such Delights and Pleasures or that his Senses are Imperfect as not Capable to Receive them or that he is of so Evil a Disposition as to Desire all men to be Miserable or that he is a Fool as not Knowing how to Speak or Live wisely whereas had he Spoken against Hurtfull and Destroying Vices he had Spoken as a Good man ought to do for Vices are Vices no otherwise but that they are Hurtfull or Destructive to Mankind which makes them Vices for the Gods Forbid them because of the Evil Effects as Drunkenness which Disorders the Reason Distempers the Brain and Obstructs the Senses making men Senseless or to be as Mad and causes oftentimes Quarrels Wounds and Death at least Breaks Peace and makes Enemies of Friends besides Drunkenness makes men Sick and is apt to Shorten their Lives all which makes it a Vice and so a Sin But did Drunkenness cause no Evil Effect it ought not to be Forbidden nor could it be accounted a Crime The like I may say for Gluttony for would men Eat only to Please them and not so much as to Disease them it would be no Fault to Eat well or to Please their Palate but it is the Surfeits Sickness and oftentimes Untimely Death that makes Gluttony a Vice and for Adultery it would be so far from a Crime as it would be a Virtue in the Increase of Mankind were it not for the Loss of Propriety in that no man would Know his Own Child nor be sure to Injoy his Own Wife or that Woman he makes Choice of As for Theft and Murder they are not of that Sort to be named Vices only but Damnable Sins wherein can neither be Society Safety nor Security of Life for Thieves and Murderers indeavour an Utter Destruction without Mercy or Remorse Wherefore since Vices and Sins are Vices and Sins for their Hurt and Evil Effects those things that are call'd Vanities which produce Pleasure and Delight without Death and Destruction ought not to be Spoken against for Vanities are Profitable to the Poor and not Hurtfull to the Rich But yet Moralists and Divines Plead Preach and Write Rail and Exclame against all Honest Harmless Delights and Pleasures as if they were Sins to God and Nature as if Nature and the God of Nature should make Senses and Appetites in Vain or only to the Hurt and Dislike of the Creature and not for their Good and Pleasure as to make a Body for Pain and Sickness and not for Health and Ease and to make a Mind for Trouble and Discontent and not for Peace and Tranqullity to make Desires but not Fruitions Indeed Nature and the God of Nature is more Just to Mankind for as they have made Eyes and Seeing so they have made Light Splendour and Beauty to be Seen and as they have made Ears to Hear so they have made Harmony to be Heard and as they have made Nostrils to Smell so they have made Perfumes to be Smelt and as they have made Taste so they have made Relishes and as they have made Hunger so they have made Food and as they have made Appetites so they have given Satisfaction or Satiety Thus we may perceive that every Particular Sense is Fitted or Matched to Particular Pleasures but because Nature hath made some Aversion therefore Moralists and Divines would not have men Injoy the Pleasure in Nature whereas the most Rational men perceive that Aversions were only made to Highten and Re-double the Pleasures and Delights both of Body and Mind but these Men are so Rigid in their Doctrine I will not say in their own particular Practice as they would have men Choose the Worst part and Refuse the Better and would have all Mankind Struggle Strive and Oppose all Nature's Delights and Benefits the truth is they seem to Desire a Perpetual Warr between the Senses and the Objects as also between the Mind and the Body as between the Reason and Sense but in my opinion their Doctrine hath neither Sense nor Reason and their Authors would have as Little if they should Practise what they Preach Wherefore Noble Citizens my Advise is that you Take your Pleasures yet so as you may Injoy them Long as to Warm your Selves not to Burn your Selves to View the Light but not to Gaze out your Sight to Bathe your Selves but not to Drown your Selves to Please your Selves but not to Destroy your Selves with Excess An Oration against Usurers and Money-Horders Noble Citizens VVE have some Citizens amongst us that are Rich and yet Miserable they Covet Much yet Injoy but Little for they Hord up their Wealth and Starve Themselves and if they did Starve None but Themselves it were no great matter being fitter for Death than Life but their Hords impoverish the Common-wealth and so Starve the Poor for there cannot be a Greater Evil in a Common-wealth set a-side Warr than to have many Rich Usurers as Covetous Getters and Spare Spenders for their Great Wealth is like as a Great Dunghill which whilst it lies on a Heap together doth no Good but Hurt whereas if it were Dispersed and Spread upon the Barren Lands it would Inrich much Ground producing Increase and Plenty The like should Money or such sort of Riches be Spread equally to make a Common-wealth Live Happily Indeed a Prodigal is more Beneficial and Profitable to a Common-wealth than a Usurer for a
in a Short time besides Open House-Keeping in Christmas time All which makes Gentlemen Beggars and Beggars Gentlemen for the Servants and Tenants grow Rich but their Masters and Landlords become Poor the one sort Buyeth the other sort Selleth and the Title of a Gentleman is Buried in the Ruine of his Estate III. Noble Gentlemen THe Gentleman that Spoke last spoke rather like a Cottager than a Gentleman or rather like a Miser than a Noble Hospitable Person for he Spoke as if he would have Gentlemen rather to Follow the Plough than the Race the Cart rather than the Deer the Puttuck rather than the Hawk to Eat Cheese instead of Venison Sour Curds instead of Patridge Fried Pease for young Leverets Rusty Bacon for Chines of Beef Rye Bread instead of White Manchet all which is to Live like a Clown and not like a Gentleman Burying his Birth in the Dung of his Earth But Noble Gentlemen I have Observed that a Gentleman although of Small Fortune if he Live Wisely may Live Plentifully and Honourably without his own Personal Drudgery the Wisdome is to Look into his Own Estate Industriously to Know and Understand the Value of his Lands Justly to Indeavour to have his Rents Paid Duely and not Suffer his Servants to Coosen him either by Flattery or Excess all which will Cause a Country Gentleman to Live as the first Gentleman said like a Petty King yet not like a Tyrant but like a Generous Prince with Delight and Pleasure Generosity and Magnificence amongst his Tenants Servants and Acquaintance also he will be an Assistance to Travellers and a Relief to the Poor and his Fame and Name will not only Sound Loud but Long. IV. Noble Gentlemen THe Gentleman that Spoke last spoke well for those Gentlemen that can Content themselves in that Condition their Fore-fathers left them in but Gentlemen of great Estates desire great Titles Offices and Authorities which cannot be had in the Country but from the Court which Ambition perswades them to Leave the Country to Live neer the Court where they may be Seen and Known unto the Grand Monarch in which Courts are such Delights and Pleasures as the Country is not Capable to have as Masks Playes Balls Braveries and Courtships which Ravish and Transport their Thoughts beyond the Country Region indeed they are as if they were Transported into the Third Heaven untill such time as their Money is Spent their Land Sold and their Creditors are Numberless and then they are Cast out as Evil Angels into the Hell of Poverty and become Poor Devilish Sharks Living upon their Wits which is to Live upon their Cheats which cannot last Long. Thus Gentlemen in the Country are Proud in the Court Vain in the City Base and at last Unfortunate as being much Indebred and Miserably Poor V. Noble Gentlemen THe Gentleman that Spoke last Declares our Ambitions at Court but not our Luxury in the Country and though we have not Court Ladies and City Dames to our Mistresses yet we have Country Wives and Tenants Daughters for our Wenches and we Eat and Drink our Selves into Surfeiting Diseases and our Expences are far more in Riotous Hospitalities than the Courtiers in their Foolish Flattering Vanities for the Natures of Gentlemen and Noble men are for the most part Prodigal whether they be in Court City or Country and they will never Rest untill such time as their Money is Spent and their Land Sold and then they become Idle Drones for want of Stings which is Wealth to Imploy them VI. Noble Gentlemen VVE have Argued much of our Humours Actions and Estates of our Follies Vanities and Vices but we have not Concluded what is Best for us to Settle in as for the Course of our Lives there are but three wayes as to be either Meer Clowns or Perfect Gentlemen or Between both To be Meer Clowns is to be Drudges in our Estates To be Perfect Gentlemen is to be Careless of our Expences and to be Between both is to be Carefull Overseers and Moderate Spenders and of these three I judge the Last best as not to be so much a Gentleman as to be a Beggar nor so much a Clown as to be a Beast VII Noble Gentlemen VVE agreed to meet in this Town for Pastime and Mirth and not for Study and Disputation we came not hither to Learn Good Husbandry but to Spend our Money Freely our Intention was not to meet with Formality and Gravity but with Freedome and Jollity our Design was not to Return to our Dwelling houses with Heavy Hearts but Light Heads Wherefore Leave of Arguing and Settle to Drinking and let our Tongues Cease and the Musick Play and when we are Dead Drunk let the Fiddles Ring out our Knells and let our Coaches as our Hearses carry us to our Home-Beds as to our Designed Graves where after our Long Sleeps we may Rise and in our Resurrections be like either Saints or Devils In short let Good Wine and Good Brains be our Good Fortune VIII A Speech of a Quarter drunk Gentleman Noble Gentlemen YOu have made Eloquent Orations before you did Drink but let that Pass for now you must Speak only Witty Expressions and give me Leave to Tell you that Logick and Wine are as great Enemies as Poetry and Water Wherefore let the Orators Drink Water and Poets Wine for VVine begets Fancy and VVater Drowns Reason which is the cause Orators Speak so Much and Long untill they Speak Non-sense But O Divine Wine whose Sprightly Vapour doth Manure the Brain to a just Highth of VVit it is the Serene Air of VVit the Quint-essence of VVit the Sun and Light of VVit the Spirit and Soul of VVit for were it not for Wine the Mind would be as in a dark Hell of Ignorance and the Brain would be Lethargically Stupified for want of Lively Heat for Wine is the Food of Vital Life and Animal Reason IX A Speech of a Half drunken Gentleman Noble Gentlemen YOu have made Eloquent Speeches but of what I am a Rogue if I can Tell but that they were Full of VVords I did hear Many Words but I do not Remember any Sense or Reason in them the truth is that the Spirits of Wine have Burnt out the Sense of your Discourse and have Rarified my Memory so much as no Substantial matter will Remain therein so that your Oratory is Dead and Buried in the Vapour of Wine a Blessed Death and a Happy Funeral and may it Rest in Peace and Silence and not Rise to Disturb our Drinking to which Wish and Hope I begin a Health and Desire you all to Pledge it ORATIONS IN The Field of Peace PART XIII A Peasants Oration to his Fellow Clowns Fellow Peasants FOr we are all Fellows in Labour Profit and Pleasure though not Fellows in Arms Spoils and Danger and though we Live in the Fields of Peace and not in the Fields of Warr yet our Fields of Peace resemble the Fields of Warr for