and millions of other Sins besides but Death will stay no longer for Blessed Angels bear away my Soul Farewell A Fathers Speech to his Son on his Death-Bed Son I Have Lived a Long time so Long that were not you a Good Son you would have Wished my Death before Nature had Ordained me to Die but as Heaven hath blest me with Long Life so with a Good Loving and Dutifull Son which hath been a Help and Comfort to my Old Age and as Heaven hath given you Grace and Nature a Good Disposition to Love and Obey your Father so Heaven and Nature hath given you Health and Ability to beget Posterity in which I shall Live in Name and Fame though I Die in Body But Son as you have been a Helpfull and Dutifull Son so I have been a Loving and Carefull Father for I have been more Prudent for my Sons Good than Vain for my Own Pleasure I have been more Industrions to Advance and Inrich my Son than to Please or Delight my Self and I have thought my Self Happier in my Sons Life than I have done in my Own Thus Son I have and do Love You better than my Self and all the Desire and Request I have to you is that as I have been a Father to You so you to be a Father to Yours and so I Pray the Gods to Bless you Fortune to Favour you Wisdome to Help you Nature to Strengthen you Time to Prolong you and when your Time comes to Die that we may meet in the other World with Joy and Happiness The Gods have Mercy of Me and Bless You. Farewell FUNERAL ORATIONS PART VIII An Oration to the People concerning the Death of their Soveraign Dear Country-men and Loyal Mourners WE may see our Loss by our Love and our Love by our Grief and our Grief by our Tears but we have reason for our General Mourning and Sorrow in every Heart that our Dread Soveraign is Taken from us He was our Earthly God as our Protector Defender Assister Subsister Ruler and Governour he Protected us with his Justice Defended us with his Arms Assisted us with his Prudence Subsisted us with his Love Ruled us with his Power and Govern'd us by his Laws and such a Prince he was as he was Dreadfull to his Enemies Helpfull to his Friends and Carefull of his Subjects he hath Inlarged his Dominions with the Sword and Inriched his People with the Spoils and hath Increas'd his Power both by Sea and Land and so Strengthned and Fortified his Kingdomes as his Subjects have no cause to Fear any Forein Invasion but may safely sit with Pleasure under their own Vines And so Wise and Good a Prince he was that though he be Gone yet he hath left Peace and Plenty amongst his People and Power Dominion and Strength to his Successors with which Heaven grant they may Inherit his Wisdome Moral Vertues Divine Graces Heroick Spirit Good Fortunes and Great Fame that though our Old Soveraign is gone to the Gods above yet our New Soveraign may be as a God to us here for which let us pray to our Soveraign Saint to intercede for us to the Gods on High to indue their Deputy on Earth with Divine Influences and Humane Wisdome to Govern and Rule us as he did A young Noble man's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are met together as Funeral Guests to a Dead man who died in the Flower of his Age and whilst he Lived was Favoured of Nature Birth Breeding and Fortune for he was Handsome of Body Understanding in Mind Noble of Birth Knowing in Learning and Rich in Wealth He was Generous Valiant and Courtly he had a Pleasant Speech and a Gracefull Behaviour He was Beloved of the Muses Admired by the Sciences and Attended by the Arts he was Entertained with the Pleasures of the World and Feasted with the Varieties of Pleasures yet all could not Save him from Death Indeed Death appears more Cruel to Youth than to Age because it takes Youth from the most Flourishing time of their Life although Youth Fears Death less than Age not that Youth hath more Courage but Youth doth not Think of Death so often as Age doth for if Youth had Death in their Mind they would Fear Death more than Age doth by so much more as they are Younger and know the World less but Youth thinks Death a Long time off from them although to many he is so Near as ready to Seize on them Wherefore if those that are Young did think they should Die Soon they would not be so Eager and Fond of the World as they are nor be so Vain and Intemperate as many Young Persons be the brave Gallants would take little Pleasure in New Modes Gay Cloaths and Fair Mistresses a Young Gallant would be but a Dull Courtier a Melancholy Lover not Melancholy for his Mistress disfavour but at Death's approach not for Love but for Life neither would he take Pleasure in Musick or Dancing for the thoughts of Death would make him Dance false and put his Hearing out of Tune and the Musick would Sound to his Ears as his Passing Bell neither would he Eye Beauty but if he did the Freshest Beauty would appear Faded In truth all his Senses would be as Rough and troubled VVaters disturbed by the Storms of Fear raised in his Mind for the most Valiant minds are somewhat Disturbed with the thoughts of Death by reason the Terrors of Death are Natural to all mankind not so much to Feel as to Think of not only for the Parting of Soul and Body and the dark Oblivion in Death but for the Uncertain condition after Death for though Death is not Sensible of Life yet Life is Sensible of Death so that it is the Thoughts of Death that are Fearfull and not Death it self that is so Terrible as being neither Painfull to Feel nor Dreadfull to Behold because Invisible and Insensible having neither Shape Sound Sent Tast nor Touch But this Noble Person is past Thinking and therefore past Fearing also past Wishing for he doth not Desire to live in this VVorld again he Thinks not of the World or of any thing in the World he is free from all Trouble of Mind or Body in which Happiness let us lay him in the Tomb with his Forefathers there to rest in Peace and Ease A Generals Funeral Oration Beloved Friends THis Noble Person that lies here Dead was once our General a Valiant man he was a Skilfull Souldier a Wise Commander and a Generous Giver he Loved his Souldiers more than Spoil and Fame more than Life he was full of Clemency and Mercy he would give his Enemies their Lives Freely when he had Overcome them Valiantly and he was so Carefull of his Own Souldiers Lives as he would never Adventure or put them to the Hazard but when he saw great Probability of Victory Yet this Gallant man this Excellent Souldier whom his Enemies could never Overcome Death hath Taken Prisoner with whom
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
we are an Army of Clowns though not of Souldiers and our Commanders are our Landlords who often Deceive us of the Increase of our Labours as the Warring Commanders Deceive their Common Souldiers of the Profit of their Spoils also we have our Infantery and our Cavallry for all those that belong to the Keeping and Breeding of Beast as Shepherds Grasiers Herdmen Goat-herds Swine-herds and Carters are of the Cavallry but all they that belong to the Earth as Sowers Planters Reapers Threshers Hedgers Ditchers Diggers Delvers are our Infantery also we have Arms and Ammunition for we are Arm'd with our Beast Skins and our Arms of use are Pikes Forks Cutting Sickles Mowing Sithes Pruning Knives Thrashing Flails Plough-sherds Shepherds Hooks Herd-mens Staves and the like and our Match Powder and Bullets are Puddings Pease and Porradge and our Granadoes are Eggs of all Sorts and Sizes our Carts are our Waggons our Cottages our Tents and our Victuals and Country Huswives our Bagg and Baggage and the Lowing of our Herds and Bleating of our Sheep are our Drums and Trumpets not to Alarm us to Fight but to Feed also we have Enemies which are Unseasonable Seasons Rotting Moistures Drowning Showres and Over-flows Chilling Frost Scorching Heat and Devouring Worms all which we Fight against not with Force but with Industry And our Army of Clowns is more Skilfull to Destroy our Enemies than an Army of Souldiers is to Destroy their Enemies nay our Army is an Army wherein is Peace and Plenty whereas in their Army is Warr and Want we become Rich with Safety they become Poor with Danger we be Gentle to Beast they be Cruel to Men they Thrive by Blood we by Milk we get Health by our Labours and Long Life by our Temperance and they get Diseases in their Riots and Death in their Warrs Thus they Live Painfully Die Violently and only Leave their Bare Name to their Posterity and Beggarly Race we Live Healthfully Die Peaceably and Leave our Goods to our Posterity who by their Wealth come to be Gentlemen A Peasants or Clowns Oration Spoken in the Field of Peace concerning Husbandry Fellow Peasants I Must tell you we Live in a Happy Age where Peace Sows and Plenty Reaps for whereas VVarrs Destroy our Increase now Peace Increases our Stores also I would have you Know that our Profession which is Husbandry is one of the Noblest and Generousest Professions which is to Imploy our Selves like as the Gods and Nature for though we cannot Create Creatures as Nature doth yet we by our Industry Increase Nature's Creatures not only Vegetables that we Produce in our Fields and Store in our Barns but Animals which we Breed in our Farms and Feed in our Fields But as Nature Commits Errors and Defects in Producing her Creatures so we for want of Knowledge have not the Good effect of our Labours for though we are Bred up to Husbandry yet we are not all so Knowing in Husbandry as to Thrive and Grow Rich by our Labours for as all Scholars are not Learned that have Lived and Spent most of their time in Studies in Universities but are meer Dunces or as Artisans are not all Excellent VVorkmen although they have been Bound to their Trade and have Wrought long in it yet are but Bunglers So for Husbandry all Husbandmen are not so Knowing in their Profession as to Thrive but they Labour at Randome without Judgement or Observation and like those that Learn to Read by Rote may Understand the VVords or Letters but not the Sense and Meaning So we may be brought up to Labour but not Understand to make a Profitable Increase not Knowing the Nature of the several Soils as what for Pasture or Meddow or Tillage nor to Fore-see the Change of VVeather nor to Take the most Seasonable Times nor to Observe the Course of the Planets all which is very Requisite for the Breed of our Animals and Increase of our Vegetables VVherefore in my Opinion it were very Necessary for us to Choose the most Observing and Experienced men amongst us that Understand Husbandry best to be our Publick and General Teachers Instructers Informers and Reformers in our Profession of Husbandry For as there are Divine Teachers for the Souls of Men Moral Teachers for the Manners of Men Human Teachers for the Bodies of Men and Physicians for the Lives of Men so there should be Natural Teachers and Informers for the Profitable Increase for Men such as have not only Experience by Practice and Judgement by Observation but have both Learning and Conceptions of Natural Philosophy as to Learn and Search into the Causes and Effects of Natures VVorks and to Know and Observe the Influences of the Heavens on Earth and on the Diverse and Sundry Creatures In and On the Earth also the Sympathies and Antipathies of the several Creatures to Each other as also the Natures and Proprieties of every Kind and Sort of Creature so shall we know how to Increase our Breed of Animals and our Stores of Vegetables and to find out the Minerals for our Use for as Learning without Practice is of No Effect so Practice without Knowledge is of Small Profit yet many will Take upon them to Instruct Others that want Instructions Themselves but such Instructers Instructions are more in Words than for Use as Plutarch's Common-wealth or Virgilius Georgics two Famous Men the One a Moral Philosopher the Other a Poet the One did Form such a Common-wealth as Men would nor could not Live in it and so not fit for Use the Other could better set his Wit to VVork than his Hands for if Virgil had left his Husbandary in Verse to Practise it in Prose he had Lived Poorly and Died Obscurely as having more VVit and Fancy to VVrite of Husbandry in his Georgics than Knowledge or Experience to Practise it in his Farms Thus Poets get Fame and Farmers VVealth the One by their VVit the Other by their Experience the One by Imagination the Other by Practice for a Clown or Peasant Gains more Knowledge by his Practice than a Poet by his Contemplations but when Practice and VVit are joyned together they beget Wisdome and Wealth the One being Adorned with Gold the Other Inthroned with Fame for Emperours have Ascended from the Plough and Kings from the Sheep-coats Converting their Plough-sherds to Thrones their Sickles to Crowns and their Sheep-hooks to Scepters Thus Clowns Boors or Peasants by Name are become Princes in Power and Princes in Power are become Beasts by Name and Nature witness Nebuchadnezzar A Peasants Oration to his Fellow Peasants Fellow Peasants GIve me Leave to Tell you we are the most Unhappy People in the VVorld for we Live to Labour and Labour to Live and we are not only the Unhappiest but the Basest men in the World for we are not only Bred with Beasts and Live with Beasts and Dye like Beasts but we are the Bawds and Pimps too to bring Beasts to Act Bestially together also we