Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	young_a	youth_n	590	4	8.1199	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42291	Spanish letters: historical, satyrical, and moral; of the famous Don Antonio de Guevara Bishop of Mondonedo, chief minister of state, and historiographer royal to the Emperor Charles V. Written by way of essay on different subjects, and every where intermixt with both raillerie and gallantry. Recommended by Sir Roger L'Estrange, and made English from the best original by Mr. Savage.	Guevara, Antonio de, Bp., d. 1545?; Savage, John, 1673-1747.; L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.	1697 (1697)	Wing G2182A; ESTC R216443	91,517	200

to grow great The one to share what you have with the Poor and your Friends the other always to lay up for Old Age The on● to be very Circumspect in talking the other to value your self much upon your Tongue The one to believe only in Christ the other to make it your business only to get Money If upon these Twelve Conditions My Lord you are willing to be a Roman much good may it do you but no doubt at the day of Judgment you will rather wish you had been a Plowman in Spain than Ambassador to the Holy See I will say no more but pray God to keep you and give both you and me an happy end Granada Iuly 20. 1525. LETTER XVIII To Doctor Micer Sumier Regent of Naples in Answer to several Moral Questions Magnificent SIR but Importunate Friend NEither is it Untrue nor am I Sorry for Saying and Affirming that as I make it my Business to Serve you you do nothing but Study to Plague me which is demonstrable in that you now send me a-new Questions never thought on nor I believe ever so much as heard of before Nevertheless I am of Opinion you do not so much Ask out of a desire to have 'em Answer'd as to try my Ability and therefore must tell you that on one hand your Letter caus'd me a great deal of Mirth and on the other no less Disquiet you being in some places extreamly Pleasant when in others extravagantly Curious I would not have you Proud because I say you are Curious since you do not fail to shew at the same time you have little else to do As it must be allow'd you are Prudent in most you say so it will as easily be granted you are over-capricious in what is said to you for should I take the same liberty as you have done no doubt you wôuld soon conclude I had either too much leisure or too little Judgment Nevertheless where you seem'd to Write but in Jest I am resolv'd to Answer you in good Earnest imitating herein the ancient Orators who were always wont to exert their Eloquence most where they found the least Occasion You first Ask me Sir How one Man shall do to know another so that he may either safely receive or carefully avoid him I Answer 4 ways By his Undertakings Productions Words and Companions For the Man that by Nature is Proud in Business Negligent in Words a Lyar and who keeps bad Company I am sure is neither fit to be Trusted nor proper to be Believ'd You Ask me How many things in this Life can have no Equal I Answer Four which are our Liberty Learning Health and Good Works For Liberty lightens the Heart Learning enriches the Mind Health preserves the Body and Virtue saves the Soul You Ask me What are those things that most easily deceive a Man and soonest ruin him I Answer Four Desire of having much Inclination to know much Over-experience of the World and too great Presumption of ones Abilities For too much Knowledge ends in Madness too great Wealth creates Pride Living long makes Men Negligent and Self-conceit renders 'em Unmindful of their Frailties You Ask me Sir What is to be requir'd in a good Judge I Answer Four Qualities That he hear with Patience Answer with Prudence Condemn with Justice and Execute with Mercy For he that is impatient in Hearing Foolish in Answering Partial in Sentencing and Cruel in Executing I am sure is rather fit to stand at the Bar to be Tried than sit on the Bench to Determine You Ask me What makes a Man Discreet in his Behaviour and Wise in his Words I Answer Four things Reading many Books Travelling many Kingdoms Suffering many Hardship and Managing great Affairs For to raise a Man to the true Estimation of Wisdom he must have seen the World been conversant in Books Undergone Troubles and Exercis'd no Ordinary Employments You Ask me What are those things a Man thinks himself frequently possess'd of and yet generally wants ' em I Answer they are Four Many Friends Much Knowledge Great Wisdom and Extraordinary Power For there is none so Great but may be Vanquish'd so Wise that do not sometimes Err so Knowing but are often Ignorant nor so Happy but have many Enemies Therefore we may well be said to have fewer Friends than we imagine To know less than we Fancy and in fine to have both our Power and even our Wisdom but very imperfect You Ask me Sir What frequently ruines a Man and from which he rarely recovers I Answer To Neglect his Business Forsake the Councel of a Faithful Friend To meddle with what he has nothing to do and lastly To spend more than his Income For he that is Negligent in what he Undertakes Rejects the Advice of his Wise Friend Concerns himself in anothers Affairs and Spends more than he has shall soon have a downfal and find no body to raise him You ask me what are those things a a Man would rather die than suffer I Answer in my Opinion they are Four Poverty in old Age Sickness in Prison Infamy after Honour and Banishment from his own Country For to be Poor when old Sick in Prison Infamous when Honour'd and Banish'd without hopes of return A Brave Man would sooner accept a Virtuous Death than such a Miferable Life You ask me Sir Who are those that both God Abhors and Man Abominates I Answer a Proud Beggar a Rich Miser an Old Leacher and Young Rakeshame For where Youth loses its Modesty Age its Chastity Riches its Charity and Poverty its Humility there can be no Virtue Cherish'd much less Practis'd You ask me Sir Who are those that may properly be said to have true Friends I Answer Four sorts of Men which are the Eloquent Liberal Powerful and good Natur'd For they who speak with a Grace give with a free Heart are wise in their Commands and Courteous in their Conversation shall live in every Bodies esteem and never want Friends You ask me What are the greatest troubles of this Life I Answer the Death of ones Children Loss of ones Estate Prosperity of ones Enemies and weakness of ones Friends For it must needs be a grear Torment to Bury a Child one has bred lose an Estate one has got be subject to an Enemy or have a Fool to ones Friend You ask me Sir What are those tryals wherein a Man commonly loses his Patience I Answer to Serve and not Please to Ask and not Receive to Give without Thanks and Hope without Success For a Mans endeavours to be ill Rewarded his Petitions Rejected his Debts with-held and Hopes Frustrated he may indeed Suffer but nevertheless can never prevail with his Tongue to conceal ' em You ask me Sir What are those things that sooner cease to be than care to be satisfied I Answer Four the Ears with Hearing Hands with Hoarding Tongue with Talking and Heart with Coveting For be a Man never so Old and Diseas'd his Ears are

order'd nothing but Still'd Water for our Patients Althô this was spoke out of Raillery yet I am apt to believe it in some measure true for I well reber you told me once in Madrid you never took Purge or knew what belong'd to Still'd Waters in all your Life Of all Arts the Practice of Physicians surprises me most since they always seem desirous of Curing others yet care not to be Cur'd themselves But since you desire it of me generous Doctor I will give you my thoughts of Physick in general as also what I have read concerning its first Inventors and Origin and herein I shall endeavour to comply with your Inclinations without any regard to many others for I know Blockheads will be offended where I doubt not the Ingenious will be pleased Of the first Inventors of Physick If we may believe Pliny none of the Seven Liberal Arts were ever so variable and Falacious as this for he tells you there was scarce any noted Kingdom or Nation in the World where it was not almost thrown out as soon as received As Physick is a Foreigner many are the troubles it will tell you it has undergone and more the Kingdoms and Provinces it has travell'd thro' but the cause was not that People had then no mind to be Cured but rather because they always found that Science very uncertain The 1st among the Greciansthat happen'd upon this Art was the Philosopher Apollo and his Son Esculapius both which grew so exceeding Famous that they were Flock'd to from all parts like an Oracle But at length Esculapius being left young and therefore not having yet communicated his Secrets to any Successor a Thunderbolt at once depriv'd him of Life and the Art of an Instructer Four Hundred and Forty Years remain'd this Science interrupted for all that time there was no known Person in the World who bore the Title of Physician or Cur'd publickly and this was to be computed from the Death of Esculapius to the Birth of Antaxerxes the Second in whose Reign the Famous Hypocrates was Born Strabo Diodorus and Pliny mention a certain Grecian Woman that flourish'd in this Art in those times of whom they relate many wonderful and improbable things but which in my opinion are either Feign'd or Preternatural for being true it must rather have been her business to raise the Dead than cure the Living Also in those times another Woman arose in the Province of Achaia who cured by Charms and Spels without any outward or inward Means but she was soon silenced by the Senate of Athens who order'd her to be Ston'd and Burnt Saying The Gods and Nature had not plac'd the remedies of Diseases in Words but in Herbs and Minerals only While as there were no Physicians in the World the Grecians when they made any Experiment with success obliged themselves to specifie it in a Table and hang it up in the Temple of Diana at Ephesus to the end that any might have recourse to and make use of it upon occasion Trogus Pompeius Laertius and Lactantius say the reason how the Grecians maintain'd their healths so long without Physicians was by gathering sweet Herbs in May and keeping 'em hang'd up and dry'd in their Houses Also by Bleeding once a Year and Bathing once a Month And moreover by Eating but one Meal in a day Conformable to which Plutarch tells us that Plato being once asked by the Athenian Philosophers what he had seen worthy remark in the Island Trinacria Sicily Answered Vidi Monstrum in Natura Hominem bis saturum in die Which imports He saw a Monster in Nature twice cram'd in a day meaning Dyonisius the Tyrant who was the first that introduc'd Eating twice in Four and twenty Hours for in Ancient times they were only wont to Sup without any other Repast This we have made curious search into and read all the Treatises upon and find the Iews did only Eat at Noon whilst all the rest at Night But to pursue our design you must know the Temple of Diana at Ephesus was the most famous of all Antiquity yet not so much for the Magnificence of its Structure or great number of Priests as the Physick-Tables hung up in it to relieve the Sick Strabo de situ Orbis tells us that eleven Years after the Peloponesian War the great Hypocrates was born in a small Isle call'd Coe in which also two Famous Men Licurgus and Bias had their Births Of this Hypocrates ti● observ'd he was small of Body a little Pur-blind had a great Head spoke Sparingly was very laborious in Study and above all had an excellent and refin'd Judgment From Fourteen to Thirty five Years he employed himself in Athens in Contemplation Philosophizing and Reading and althô many Learned Men flourish'd in his time yet he was justly Esteem'd and Prefer'd before ●em all Afterwards leaving Athens he made a Progress thro' many Provinces and Kingdoms enquiring and searching into ●heProperties and Vertues of Herbs and Plants all which he took Notes of and diligently confirm'd in his Memory He also made strict enquiry whether any Books had been Written by the Ancients on that Subject and Reports he met with some whose Authors did not lay down any general Scheme of Physick but only mention'd some particular Cases they had known to succeed What Kingdoms and Provinces Physick wander'd through Twelve Years successively Hippocrates spent in this Progress and after returning to the Temple of Diana he there Translated all the Physick-Tables he found hung up from many Ages all which he reduc'd to a Method and moreover added some Observations and Experiments of his own This Famous Physician was the greatest that ever was known in the World as well in regard he was the first that Writ and put that Art in Order as also that it is reported of him he never was deceived in Prognostick he attempted or Disease he undertook He was wont to advise Physicians not to meddle with disorderly Persons and Counsel Patients not to have to do with unfortunate Men affirming a Cure could never fail where a Patient was regular and Physician Fortunate This great Philosopher coming to Die his Disciples began to cure or rather kill many People in Greece the Art being then New and consequently their Experience but Little whereupon the Senate of Athens not only fo●bad any farther Practice but also commanded 'em forthwith to leave the Country They being thus excluded Greece this Art was not only Banished but forgot 160 Years none daring either to Teach or Learn it the Grecians having that profound regard to their Physician Hippocrates that they affirmd with him it came into the World and with him went out of it But these 160 Years being once past another Philosopher and Physician arose called Chrysippus who soon became as Famous among the Argians as the former had been with the Athenians This Philosopher altho' he was both Learned and Fortunate yet fail'd not to be very Opinionated and Fancyful in

with Reeds and on Paper with Pens The first Ink used by the Antients was taken out a Fish called Xibia afterwards they made it of Mulberries then of Soot then of Vermillion then of Verdegris and lastl● of Gum Galls Copperass and Wine Sir I have mentioned these Antiquities the better to consider whether your Epistle was writ with Knife Steel-Bodkin Reed or Finger for being so unintellegible I 'm certain could neither be with a Pen nor Pensil Moreover Sir the perfections of your Letter were that the Paper was course Ink white Lines awry Letters confus'd and Words blotted so that either you writ it by Moon light or else some Child that goes to School did for you Well but tho' the Letter was Stale Open Sweatty Torn and Blotted Yet it would have been the more tolerable had it been short but on the contrary it was so far from that there were above two Sheets and half close Writ so that when I unfolded and looked upon it I took it rather for a Bill in Chancery preferr'd against me than a Letter writ to me I cannot conceive to what purpose your Letters are Closed and Sealed for to deal freely I look upon 'em much safer open than your Money lock'd up I gave your Epistle to Peter Colonel thinking it might be Hebrew to Signior Prexamo to know whether it was Chaldea to Hamet Abducarin to be inform'd if it was Arabick to a Sicilian to see whether he could make Greek of it to Signior Alaya to tell me whether it contain'd any Figures of Astrology and in fine I show'd it to Germans Flemings English Scotch and French who all agreed it was either a jest put upon me or else it had been Enchanted Most People affirming it was certainly possest I resolv'd presently to send it to the great Negromancer Iohannes Barbota desiring him either to Read or Exorcise it but he answer'd he had conjured and put it into a Circle yet all he could find by his Art was there were no Spirits in the Letter but rather that he who Writ it was bewitched By the Love I bear you and Obligations I owe you I beg for the future you would either mend your Hand or keep Intelligence with this Learned Negromancer otherwise your Letters will pass as undefil'd out of my Hands as Potiphar's Wife did from Ioseph Sarah from Abimelech the Shunamite from David the Carthaginian Lady from Scipio Phocius his Wife from Dionysius Darius his Daughter from Alexander and Queen Cleopatra from Augustus In fine Sir I must tell you that either I know not how to read or you how to write Had the Letter King David sent his General Ioab concerning the Death of Uriah and Adultery of his Wife been writ in this Hand the King had saved the Sin and Innocent Uriah his Life Had the Articles between Escaurus and his Accomplices in the Conspiracy of Cataline been so ill writ as your Letter neither had they been put to Death nor so infamous a War begun in Rome Would to God you had been Secretary to Manicheus Arrius Nestorius Sipontinus Marius Ebius nay to Luther and all the other Hereticks that have been in the World for then though they had forced you to write their accursed Heresies neither we nor any body else could have understood ' em All ancient Authors severely reprove Pliny in his Natural History Clebius in his Astrology Pitus in his Philosophy Cleander in his Arithmetick Stilpon in his Morals and Codrus in his Politicks for that they all writ many things easie to read but very difficult to apprehend But Sir you may very well List among these Excellent Men and enter a Member of their Society for as their Writings are not to be understood it were impossible yours should ever be read I often reflect and consider how most things in use amongst us in process of time have been renewed or amended except the Alphabet only which since its first institution was never yet either increased or corrected The Alphabet contains Four and twenty Letters eighteen whereof were invented by Nestor and the other six by the General Diomedes at the Siege of Troy and it is worth observing that neither the Eloquence of the Greeks nor Curiosity of the Romans the Gravity of the Egyptians nor Wisdom of the Philosophers could ever find out any Letter to add or so much as alter but that though all Nations differ in other things yet their Alphabet continues still the same As Columbus Ferdinando Cortez Pedrarias and Pizarro have in India discover'd a new World to inhabit so you perhaps may have found out a new Alphabet to write by yet I fear none will go to your School to read if your Doctrine be no better writ than your Letters I am satisfied your Cloth will never fell well by that Pattern I 'll say no more as to your Letter only desire that the next time you write you will take this for a Copy and not let yours grow mouldy and moreover that you will be pleas'd to mend your Hand for I have learned long since to read but never yet to divine It has come into my thoughts that perhaps you purposely sent this Letter out of waggery to provoke me to answer after the same manner if that were your design you might well be assur'd that such as you sowed you should not fail to reap There is little worth Writing from this Court but rather much to rail at The greatest News at present is that the Emperor has conferred Titles of Dukes Marquesses Earls and Viscounts on many of his Subjects of great Desert as well for their Personal Merits as antiquity of their Families But if you would know what Revenues they enjoy or Lands possess I dare not meddle in it for certainly some of their Estates are so very small that did they belong to the Friers of St. Hierome they would undoubtedly Wall 'em in Roderigo Giron your Kinsman and my very good Friend desired me in his own Name and commanded me in yours to speak to Signior Antonio de Fonseca about a stop that was put to some Payments I did it as became your Authority and my Fidelity what is since become of that business I know not but this I can assure you that if he is as intent upon getting your Order as he has been in playing away his own Money you will be as well dispatched by the Tellers as he was the other night by the Gamesters for as one of them told me Roderigo Giron lost the very Cap off his Head and Spurs from his Heels My Blessing on the Man that takes so much after his Parents and follows the footsteps of his Family for as I well remember I knew his Father when Alcayde of Montauches often keep his Bed not that he was Sick but because at Madrid he had Gam'd and lost all he had God preserve you and give me Grace to serve him Burgos Sept. 15 1523. LETTER XIII To Don Alonso Manriquez

The difference between which was that the Meridones were hardy Gaditani resolute Saguntini fortunate but the Numantians both hardy resolute and fortunate all together None of the Roman Generals who waged War in Spain for a Hundred and eighty years could ever subdue the Numantians or so much as cared to fall out with them Of all the Cities in the Worlds this only never acknowledged Superior nor admitted Lord. Numantia stood somewhat high and was but half fortified had no Towers was not very populous and had no riches yet none durst make her their Enemy but all rather chose her for their Friend and the reason was because the Fortune of the Numantians was still superior to the Power or Policy ôf the Romans During the Wars between Rome and Carthage and the Factions of Rome among themselves there was no King or Kingdom but ingaged on one side or other except the haughty Numantia only which always answer'd those that solicited her Assistance That she was not to be made a Party under any Head but rather they to follow her as Supream In the first Punick Wars the Numantians could never be brought to follow the Carthaginians or assist the Romans for which reason or rather without any the Romans resolv'd to make War upon Numantia and that not through any fear of their Power but meer envy of their Fortune The Romans besieged Numantia the space of Fourteen years without intermission during which the Numantians sustain'd great damage and the Romans lost several brave Commanders such as Caius Crispus Trebellius Pindarus Rufus Venustus Escaurus Paulus Pilius Cincinnatus and Drusus Nine Consuls of very great Note as also Experienc'd Generals These Nine and many other Romans being slain it happen'd the Twelfth year after this Siege that Anneus Fabricius a Roman General concluded a League and Amity with 'em and agreed upon a Truce till the Articles could be Ratified from Rome But the Senate perceiving this Capitulation tended altogether to the Honour of their Enemies and was a perpetual Disgrace to them caused the Prudent Consul to be immediately put to Death and the War as instantly continued The next year which was the Thirteenth of the Siege they sent Scipio their Consul with a fresh Army against Numantia The first thing he did was to banish the Camp all useless Men and debauch'd Women saying That Pleasures allow'd are more dangerous to a great Army than known Enemies Scipio besieg'd this City a year and seven months in all which time he never gave any assault or made the least attack but only busied himself to cut off their Relief and Provisions One of Scipio's Officers one day asking him Why he never attack'd them within the Town nor fell upon those that came out he answered Numantia is so fortunate and the Numantians so very successful that we may well hope to tire out but must never expect to conquer their Fortune The Numantians made frequent Sallies on the new-come Romans and one day of all the rest the Fight continued so long and bloody it might well have been term'd a pitch'd Battle and the Romans were so hard put to it that had not the Fortune and Conduct of Scipio been on their side that day the Glory and Power of Rome had undoubtedly ended in Spain Scipio therefore perceiving the Numantians grew bold and the Romans slackned drew back about a mile and half from the Town to the end that he might not be so subject to surprize so that the distance being greater he might thereby receive the less damage The Numantians thus having lost many of their Men and Provisions growing short at length unanimously made a Vow to their Gods never to break Fast unless on Roman Flesh nor drink Wine or Water till they had tasted of their Blood It was monstrous then to see as it is still to hear how they every day sallied to hunt Romans as if they had been going to shoot Rabbets and how they did afterwards as savourily eat and drink their Flesh and Blood as if it had been Beef or Mutton Then it was the Consul Scipio daily sustained very great Losses for besides that the Numantians prey'd on the Romans like Wild Beasts they likewise fought no longer like Enemies but as Men in despair No Numantian ever gave Roman Quarter nor so much as suffer'd 'em to be Buried but as soon as any were kill'd they immediately carried 'em where they were flea'd quarter'd and weighed out in the Market so that with them a Dead Roman was then more worth than a Live one Scipio was often perswaded intreated and importuned by his Officers to raise the Siege and return home but he was always so far from consenting that he would not so much as endure to hear it propos'd And this because as he came from Rome a Priest had bid him not be discouraged or desist tho' he should run great hazards for that the Gods had decreed the end of the fortunate Numantia should be the beginning of his Glory How Scipio took Numantia Scipio perceiving he could neither gain the Numantians by fair means nor subdue 'em by force caused a vast Trench to be made round the Town which was seven Fathom deep and five in breadth so that no Relief could possibly come to 'em neither could they make any Sallies He often courted 'em to try the Clemency of the Romans and rely upon his Word But they always answered That having lived free Three Hundred Thirty three Years they were resolv'd not to die Slaves The Clamours of the Women in the City were sent up to Heaven the Priests called upon their Gods and all the Men cried out to the Consul Scipio to suffer them to come out and fight like Men and not to be shut up and starved like Beasts Also the more to move him they said Is it becoming you O Noble Scipio who are a Roman Youth Brave and Resolute to keep us here pen'd up like Sheep which is only a Stratagem of Policy when it would rather redound to your immortal Glory if you let us come out and overcame us in Fight When the Numantians saw themselves thus miserably inclosed and their Provisions daily consuming The ablest among 'em met and Killed all the old Men Women and Children then gather'd the Wealth of the Town and Temples into one great heap in the Market-place and having themselves first taken Poison immediately fired every corner of the City so that the Riches Houses Temples and Inhabitants of Numantia perished altogether in one Day Prodigious were the Actions of the Numantians in their Lives and no less wonderful at their Deaths for they left not Scipio any Riches to Plunder nor so much as a Man or Woman to Triumph over During all the time this Famous City was Besieged no Numantian was ever made Prisoner by the Romans for they all chose rather to die than take quarter Now when Scipio saw the City on Fire and entring it found all the Inhabitants Dead

do those that become Martyrs for the Faith Now to come to the purpose I say and affirm you have merited all these three Honours and they ought worthily to be conferr'd upon you since in Age you are Seventy five as to Mat●imony have had Eleven Children and then four of them been kill'd in the Wars of Granada Nevertheless I am of Opinion you would willingly resign the Honours you have gain'd by living so long having so many Children and losing four in the Wars providing you could but have escap'd the vast Troubles you have under-gone for in this unhappy World Reputation every day grows less when Troubles daily increase Sir I have computed my Age and find I am but Forty four yet as I hope to be saved am so very full of Discontent and exceedingly tir'd out with Sufferings that I covet not so much to live a great while as to Repent sincerely of my Sins and this because our Salvation depends not upon a long but Virtuous and Pious Life Vivere erubesco mori pertimesco cry'd St. Anselm as who would say Comparing the wickedness of my Life with the Punishment I deserve for it on one hand I am asham'd to live and on the other afraid to dye for with God no Merits pass unrewarded nor Guilt unpunish'd Suitable to the saying of which Saint I protest when I stand to consider how long I have liv'd and how little good have done I can neither forbear Sighing nor give over Weeping reflecting how at the hour of my death a strict Account will be taken not only of the ills I have committed but also the good Actions I have declin'd I find but one good quality in my self and that is I commiserate my own Failings and envy the Perfections of others and would to God I could with the same ease amend as I can discover my own Faults for then I assure you the Crime would be no sooner committed than I should begin to do Pennance for it Therefore now since you are past Seventy and I am onwards of Fifty methinks it is no ill Advice we should begin to lay aside superfluous Care and put in execution our good Purposes for frequently the best part of our Life is spent only in designing to grow better But yet when we least think of it death often preven●s us before we have begun and so leaves us in a State of Perdition Remember Sir in how many Wars you have been how many Famines have seen how many Friends have lost and how many Plagues escap'd from all which dangers Almighty God has deliver'd you not because you have not deserv'd a thousand deaths but that you might have more time to repent In order to be Healthy and prevent Diseases I confess a Man must live temperate and somewhat indulge himself yet at the same time I avouch we are neither to attribute to our Physician nor Care of our selves the length or shortness of our days for that depends only on the will and good Pleasure of our Maker Sir I intreat and charge you to be moderate in Discourse temperate in Eating charitable in Giving and grave in Advising so that you may value your self more upon your Gravity than Age otherwise as you reckon your Years others will not fail to count your Vices I remember this time twelve month when you were laid up of the Gout and I came to visit you you then requested the same thing you now write about that is to inform you of the Priviledges and Immunities of old Men. This Sir is what might very well have been asked of somebody else who were wiser and had more Years over their Heads chiefly considering tho' I am past my Youth I have not yet arrived at Old Age for as Aulus Gellius says the Romans enjoyed not the Priviledges of Age till they were Forty Seven Years Old Nevertheless I am willing to perform what you so earnestly desire on condition you shall neither be offended nor dissatisfied for I intend to write and acquaint you only with the Prerogatives of humoursome old Fellows without offering in the least to touch upon any whose Gravity and Age are equal and by whose Prudence States are frequently Govern'd and Youth as often directed It is only just my Pen should launch out upon such as me who am a Vagabond you that are Humoursome Alonso de Ribera who is an eternal Babler Pedro de Espinel a continual Gamester Roderigo de Orejon newly set up for a Spark Sancho de Najara for an Epicure and Gutierre de Hermosilla who is most immoderately Fretful Tullius Possidonius Laertius and Polycrates spent many Hours and writ several Treatises to prove that Old Age was Profitable and Advantagious and yet how far were they from the Truth and how little was their knowledge of what they affirm'd since we find by experience it is nothing less than a Disease whereof we never recover and a sickness which at last deprives us of our being Sir I will here reckon up some of the Priviledges which Old Men enjoy and Age carries along with it which yet will be nothing in respect of the many infirmities attend grey Hairs being so exceeding numerous and very grievous that they can hardly be comprehended much less recounted Several Remarkable Priviledges of Old Men full of Raillerie and Facetious Reflections It is a Priviledge of Old Men to be short Sighted and blear Eyed and very often where there is not a Cloud to be seen in the Air they are to be found in their Eyes It is the Priviledge of Old Men to have a ringing in their Ears and to be much troubled at their not hearing well and this is discernable in that they often turn their Heads on one side to listen and understand not what is said without hollowing But still the worst is they frequently imagine what is spoken and which they do not understand to be a design upon them and in their Prejudice It is the Priviledge of Old Men to have their hairs fall off without Combing and Itch grow in their Necks without Sowing wherefore will stand a whole day sunning their Heads and complaining the Dandrif makes 'em scratch when for Cure they should be washed in Chamber-lye but dare not for fear of the weakness of their Pericranys It is the Priviledge of Old Men to want Teeth in their Mouths to have some Loose and others Rotten but still the worst is that many of 'em complain when they Drink and Lif● when they Talk It is the Priviledge of Old Men to put Pepper-Corns into their hollow Teeth and afterwards to take a little Wine and Rosemary to wash their Mouths It is the Priviledge of Old Men I mean such as are past Three-score to give largely to Young Wenches to pick their Heads and scratch their Backs It is the Priviledge of Old Men whenever they complain or Limp by reason of some Swelling in their Legs hard Nodes nails grown under the Flesh or their Veins being