Death then Reason commands Sense all obey to this Apprehension of Frailty Pleasures by little and little abandon us the Sweets of Life seem Sowr and we can find no other quiet but in the Hope Before Death and the Funeral no Man is Happy of that glorious Life to come 'T was the Saying of a great Man Before Death and the funeral no Man is happy But that I may Die in Peace 't is requisite that I Die daily Philip of Macedon gave a Boy a Pension ev'ry Morning to say to him Philip remember thou art a Man My Purse won't allow of a Daily Monitor but I hope this Essay on my Why God wou'd have me ignorant of my last Hour funeral will serve me as well to bear Death in Mind as if Philp's-Deaths-Dead were set before me But God wou'd have me ignorant of my last Hour that suspecting it always I might always be ready and where can I get ready if not in a Cell where are few Temptations to Sin and Vanity And therefore I 'll never leave it but like the silly-Grashopper Live and Die and perhaps be Buried in the same Ground But however my Body is dispos'd of I shall still be Your Friend INCOGNITO The Ladys Answer to my Eight Letter Sir I Can easily believe you are the First that ever Writ an Essay upon their own Funeral for our Dissolution is no inviting Subject it has but a Melancholy Aspect even when 't is look'd upon as the only Remedy of the Afflicted But How bitter are the Thoughts of Death to those that Live at Ease Which if you Consider you may well conclude had Valeria's Kindness been such as you would have had it you had ne'er enjoyed the Blessing you do now of Contemplating the Miseries of this Life till in Ransacking your Memory for all that could possibly any more afflict or torment you you light upon Death as the last and most dreadful of all terrible Things which being once fix'd in your Mind sets you out of the reach of all Temptations In this she makes it appear she loves you as well at least if not better than her own Soul that she affords you a Happiness she denies her self and chuses to leave you to the full Enjoyment of it without robbing you of the least Share But if you are Serious in the Thoughts of Death 't will do you more good than all her Smiles however you may prize ' em The Gentleman that thought he was as good as Dead when his Money was gone might have some cause to think himself really Dead tho he walk'd about perceiving the Fear every ones Countenance discover'd at the sight of him the Case of most Persons in his Circumstance therefore never be surpriz'd at his having more Brains than he could be quiet with for were your Case his in one respect it might be so perhaps in the other every one is not able to hear the Contempt of the World Tho' if well consider'd when we answer the Designs of Providence it should be all one to us whether we stand for a Penny or a Crown for in God's Account we are equally as useful and acceptable And I am perswaded there has been many great Saints very little seen or known in the World and whose only Share in it has been but Obscurity and Contempt and truly speaking what are we the better for so large a share of earthly Enjoyments that shall both disorder our Minds and Bodies that we can't discern our true Interest but place our Happiness in catching at departing shadows while we forget we are all born subjects of Death and begin to die from the first moment of our Life And 't is no matter how soon one is discharg'd of a Debt one must certainly pay And were our Life never so long to think in time we should have enough of living is a great mistake for at Fourscore Years and we shall think our lives short and our past Enjoyments extremely imperfect and any one that dies at Twenty can do no more That in general Death is saluted with the same shy Air whenever he claims the debt they are not willing to pay as well those he has long forborn as those he deals with more severely Yet methinks aged Person 's Experience and some sort of good Nature and Compassion might prevail with 'em willingly to make room for others that by their Deaths young Persons to whom they leave their Places may have the opportunity of making the same Experiment they have done of the Emptiness of all humane Ioys which is best known and believed by dear bought Experience and never till then can they be freed from the Tyranny of Vain-hopes and wild Ambition the Disease of Youth I confess I can't but wonder at the vain curiosity of the Philosophers who set themselves so much to know exactly in the last Minute of their Life what Being Death has which is none at all The most that can be seen of Death is by its Operation on our Bodies in this Life our total Dissolution is but the last stroke not much differing from the rest nor perhaps the most painful we know enough of it to make us hate the thoughts of it as of a Molancholy Subject and if ever we are brought to love it 't is certain it must be by looking beyond it For 't is to the consideration of that happy change of Life to which Death brings us that we are obliged for all our Ease and Comfort in this Life and from the hopes that in Death the Soul shall be set at Liberty and be triumphant over that Enemy which had so long insulted and with the sight and feeling of his Tyranny kept it in bondage and slavish fear There 's nothing in this World that is not under his Dominion his Character is stampt on every thing which makes 'em change corrupt and die that we are tir'd with such perpetual Alterations tho'it shou'd sometimes supply the place of a comfort to one that has no better for if a meer change will mend their Condition they are sure of that Relief since nothing remains in the same state all tends to a Dissolution the Heavens wax old as doth a Garment and shall be changed nay Death it self must shortly yield to Destruction and till then the worst it can do is but to change us for the better 'T is much to be admir'd there should be any Pretenders to the making a Divorce between Death and Sin that the same Persons that abhor the Sight oâ— Thoughts of Death shou'd take Sin into their Embraces for what 's so sure to let in Death as Sin For 't is not only the Wages of Sin but it's natural Issue and one may say 't is the only good thing Sin ever brought forth for we have many Advantages by Death since every degree of Death in the Body adds to the Life and Vigour of any Soul that is not already dead in Sin and in the
which he bought for them that were dispos'd to Hang themselves b Plutarch Fabius the Consul was so little for being known that in 70 Years which he lived departed not once from his Village of Regio to go to Messana which was but two Miles off by Water and Apollonius Travel'd o'er three parts of the World to conser with ingenions Men and being returned he gave his Riches to his poor Kindred and lived ever after a Solitary Life Democritus plucked out his Eyes because the pleasures of this World shou'd not draw him from Contemplation St. Bernard got all his knowledge in the Woods and Fields Ierom forsook all the World to live Incognito Croesus after the Death of his Son did the same and so did Hiero a Tyrant of Syracuse Among Even the Mahometans there are many Vetaries they call Dâ—rveeses who relinquish the World and spend all their Days following in solitude and retiredness expecting a Recompence as they say and are very well content to suffer and wait for it in that better Life Those very sharp and very strict Penances which many of this People for the present voluntarily undergo far exceed all those the Romanists boast of for instance there are some who live alone upon the tops of Hills which are clothed or covered with Trees and stand remote from any Company and there spend the whole time of their following lives in Contemplation stirring not at all from the places they first six on but ad requisita naturae crying out continually in these or the like Expressions Alla Achabar c. that is God Almighty look upon me I love thee I love not the World but I love thee and I do all this for thy sake look upon me God Almighty These after they thus retire never suffer the Razor or Scissars to come again upon their Heads and they let their Nails grow like unto Birds Claws as it was written of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. When he was driven out from the society of men This People after their retirement will chuse rather to famish than to stir from their Cells and therefore they are relieved by the Charity of others who take care to send them some very mean Covering for their Bodies for it must be such otherwise they will not accept of it when they stand in need thereof and something for their bodily sustenance which must be of their courser Food otherwise they will not take it and no more of that at one time than what is sufficient for the present support of nature Neither is the Incognito Life of the famous Nostedamus less remarkable than the affected solitude of the Derveeses of which take the following account Some Leagues from Aix says the Author of the Historical Voyages stands a Burrough call'd Sallon where Nostredamus so Famous for his Predictions was Born and interr'd in the Church of the Francisâ—an Grey-Fryers his Tomb being half withithe Church and half without The Monk that shewed it us says this Author told us that Nostredamus himself had ordered it to be Erected after that manner for that finding the World to be so corrupt as it is he was desirous to leave it in singular manner For that having rais'd his Tomb to Mans height he caused himself to be enclos'd therein while he was living after he had made Provision of Oil for his Lamp Pens Ink and Paper and pronounced a Curse upon him that shou'd open it before such a time which by the Calculation of the Fryar was to expire at the beginning of the Eighteenth Age. I cannot tell says this Voyager whether Nostredamus repented or no but I am sure he was in an Ill condition if he let his Lamp goe out before he had finished what he had to write We also read that Hyginus after he was made Bishop took such a Fancy to Live Incognito that he retir'd to a Cave where he hid himself 't was here he writ an Epistle touching God and the Inearation of the Son of God But the Men are not Singular in their Love to a Private life for we find some Ladies too as well as the Men have delighted to live Incognito Elizabeth commonly called Ioan-Cromwel the Wife of Oliver Cromwel chose rather to be a great Person Incognito if you 'l believe the Author of her Life then to live in that State and Degree which her Husbands Grandeur allow'd of 'T is true says this Author she kept one Coach but to avoid Pomp her Coachman served her for Caterer Butler Cup Bearer and Gentleman Usher Her Daughter and She often went alone into the Country and there See a further Account of her private Life in the Book called Elizabeth the Wife of the late Usurper wou'd spend whole Days in riding in a Sequestred Caroach so that she seem'd to affect the Seythian Fashion who dwelt in Carts and Wagons and have no other Habitations She was also the same Recluse in her Habit rather Harnessing her self in the Defence of her Cloaths than allowing her self the loose and open Bravery thereof and her Hood till her Face was seen in her Highnesses Glass was â—apt on like a Head Piece without the Arr of â—nsconcing and entrenching it double and single in Redoubts and Horn works In sine she was Cap-a-pe like a Baggage Lady and was out of her Element in her Vieinity to the Court and City She never caâ—'d to be seen and was never easy but when she liv'd Inoogni'o And even of Animals Some live a Solilitary Life as the Hare the Pelican and the Swan the last of which is Merry at her Death So 〈◊〉 the wisest both of Men and Bruits have still preferr'd a Private Life to a Publick and the reason c See my Irish Conversation P. 365. why a Private Life is preferable to all others is because the first Minister of State hath not so much Business in Publick as a Wise Man hath in Private the one hath but part of the affairs of one Nation the other all the Works of God and Nature under his consideration And therefore 't was Scipio was never less alone than when he had no Company Tully when he was thought to be Idle Studied most And Mison the Philosopher that he might Study himself lived altogether a Solitary Life when one by chance met him laughing to himself and demanding the cause why he laughed having no Company Answer'd Even therefore do I laugh because I have no Company with me I might heap up Instances of this Nature but here 's enough to shew I ben't singular in desiring to live unknown certainly Madam the pleasantest and most profitable condiition of Life is to live Incognito This we find further verified in Charles V. Emperor of Germany for after conquering Four Kingdoms he resign'd up all his Pomp to other Hands and betook himself to his Retirement leaving this Testimony behind him concerning the Life he spent in the little time of his retreat from the World That the
Earth and your Eyes never satisfied with seeing you should like a Moroco Mounted upon a Barb give a sudden check to your Passionate Love to Rambleng in its highest career and confine your self to a lonely Cell Sure Hope has represenâ—ed to your Fancy some excessive fine Prospect of learning the Art of Living Incognito which must be New for I believe you never was before under such an Inchantment I 'll go no farther therefore for an Instance then your Self to find a proof of something new after all the Pains you take to prove the contrary and yet the method you take to procure this mighty Happiness you expect is to me more new and strange that knowing as you do how easy it is for an Authorwhose Book sells to write on till he ruins the Bookseller you should lay such a Project of writing so many Letters and chuse a Person to help you so proper for such a purpose of ruining the Bookseller especially if I must bepaid too for doing mischief which plainly shews you have some new and Ill design against the World But I 'll take no Pay for such Services and this again is something new so that there needs no more to convince you of your mistaking the sence of Solomon I shall add no more but conclude Your c. From my Cell January 18th 1699. LETTER V. Being a Defence of Speedy Marrying after the Death of a good Wife Madam I Have now made so great a Progress in the Art of Living Incognito as that I Live so now whether I will or no not that I like it the better that I must now do that for my Safety which at first I design'd for my Pleasure but this Necessity added to my Natural Inclination to a Private Life will have that good Effect as to perfect me in the Art of Living Incognito seeing 't is likely Now to be my Daily Study to the End of my Life But for what Reasons I Refer you to my Printed Case and as Dismal as that is seeing I Marryed a Second Time in hopes to be as happy as I was at first the Subject of this Letter shall be Defence of Speedy Marrying after the Death of a good Wife One wou'd think Madam my being Banish'd to a Private Cell shou'd raise in my Breast an Aversion to your Sex by Reason my Dear wou'd not prevent it yet I see nothing can change my nature for the Thoughts of the good Wife I lately Buryed and that kind one I yet hope to find in Valeria fills me with an Extraordinary Opinion of Marriage and truly Madam your Displeasure at this has strangely Mis-lead your Friendship if it makes you angry with me for being such a Loving-Creature Sure Sabina you were not in Earnest when after the Death of my first Wife you reflected on my design of speedy Marrying again That Widdower only loved at first as he ought who Marries again as soon as decently he can 't is a known Truth those love their first Wives best who Marry soonest there 's a Remarkable instance of this now at Hackney neither is it rational to think they 'd run Head-long into a State of Life wherein they had been unfortunate alas Madam a good Wife at first does but whet ones Appetite the more for another and make one e'en languish for a second part to the same Tune A good Wife is but Woman in Body alone and a Woman with a wise Soul is the fittest Companion for Man otherwise God wou'd ha' given him a Friend rather than a Wife but we find even in Paradice twon't good for Man to be alone and that even then a she-Companion was the meetest helper If Man in Innocency needed a Help Solace and Comfort and Marriage was all these how deficient were our now miserable Lives without it For besides that it doubles Ioys and divides Griefs it creates new and unthought-of Contenments So that I admire Marriage is so unfashionable and that you and others are so backwards to 't for it not only includes all the Sweets of Life but he that hath a Wife which Loves him hath two Selfs and possesses all his Faculties double his Hands his Eyes and Mind he can at once leave Faithful at home and carry Faithful abroad Cato was so taken with Marriage that he 'd have no Widower live a month single and he did not stick to maintain that it was more Honourable to be a good Husband then a great Senator Madam when you 're blaming of hasty Matches you quite forget that when Ieptha's Daughter Dyed they mourned for that she Dyed a Maid and the truth is tho' we we find many Enemies to speedy Marriage yet 't is rare to find an Enemy to the use on 't and I don't wonder at this for both Sexes made but Man at first so that Marriage perfects Creation by restoring our lost Rib. Surely He I won't say she was made Imperfect that is not tending to Propagation Now all are concern'd here even Sabina herself if she 's Flesh and Bloood and consequently shou'd Marry as soon as they can for to have an honest Remedy at Hand and yet to seek out forbidden Cures is a Phrensy that deserves more then a Chain and a Dark Room But tho' speedy Marriage be often a Duty yet let generous minds beware in their haste of Marrying Poor for tho' they care the least for Wealth yet they 'l be most gall'd with the want of it for my own share my Flesh is not over Malicious towards sweet meats yet shou'd I lose Valeria I 'd soon Marry again for the defence of a good Custom a great deal of Love and a little Money Nay Madam think what you please of this speedy Marrying to something I must dedicate my self for my Dear in her parting with me seems to take away even the substance of my Soul along with her and certainly I laid up my chief Treasure whatever you may think of my Marrying so hastily in the Frail and Sickly Life of that Tender Wife But now shee 's gone I must not weep as one without hope for she 's as happy as Heaven can make her and I as Earth can make me if Valeria for my sake and her own good wou'd despise the World These were the Reasons why I Marryed so soon after the Death of my first Wife and made me think Time lost 'till I went about it for Madam the Soul is framed of such an active Nature that 't is impossible but it must assume something to it self to delight in we seldom find any without Peculiar Delight in some Peculiar thing and mine consists in carressing a Vertuous Wife But tho' something I must Like and Love yet nothing so Violently as to undo my self with wanting it yet will never love a Wife so little shou'd I Marry 50 as that she shall not Command the All of an honest Man and what wou'd they have more Confess Sabina shou'd not these considerations weigh down all
of the Thousand Letters on as many Uncommon Subjects Written by IOHN DUNTON during his Retreat from the World and sent to that Honourable Lady to whom he address'd His Conversation in Ireland With her Ladyships Answer to each Letter To be continued 'till the whole Correspondence is finish'd Man ere he is aware Hath put together a Solemnity And drest his Hearse while he hath Breath As yet to spare Yet Lord instruct us so to die That all these Dyings may be Life in Death Herbert LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Oxford Arms in Warwick-Lane of whom is to be had the First and Second Parts Price of each 1 s. THE SECOND PART Of the ART of Living Incognito From my Cell April 10. 1700. LETTER VII Of every Thing Madam MY First Part of the Art of living Incognito having met with a kind Reception except from FOPPS who to shew their Wat a See my First Part of the Art of living Incognito p. 2. rail at every thing but the Product of their own Brain This has incourag'd me to Publish a Second Part For seeing ' was Sabina that first inspirâ—d me with the Resolution of living Incognito I now intend to proceed to the writing the Thousand Letters that must go to the perfecting of this ART except your Lady-ship should grow weary of the Correspondence or if you should my Project would be still Incognito for I 'm not so vain as to think that any thing but your Ladyships Remarks cou'd have given my Letters a Reputation in the World and without that tho I shou'd still have studied yet should no longer have Printed the Art of living Incognito But cou'd I doubt of that kind Reception it has met with when your Ladyship was pleased to say b In your Letter dared Ap. 10. That the World is much deluded with Appearances but if you are the Person that has raised their Expectation they 'l not grudge a Shilling to satisfie it but if their Envy is only raised they 'l content themselves with laughing at your presumptuous pretension of writing on a Thousand uncommon Subjects without ever reading it and spend some Wit upon the Lady concerned in it But whoever buyes it with indifference and so reads it will I believe find what 's worth his Money and commend it Soul of my Muse I thank thee and in that A short Poem dedicated to the Honourable Lady I pay the humble Tribute of my Fate How hast thou Crown'd my Head O what Divine Raptures inspir'd beyond the powerful Nine I will not call Rome's Caesars back again To shew their Triumphs one is in my Brain Great as all theirs and circl'd with thy BAYS My thoughts take Empire or'e all Land and Seas 'Gainst subtle Light'ning and fierce Thunder stroke I shall be safer than Augustus OKE With double Guard of Laurel and made free From Age look fresh still as my Daphnian-Tree And Printing still my Son and Heir shall be Criticks shall dread my Looks no Slander dare To approach my Books whilst your Idea's there Great Patroness of Cells I could create New Worlds methinks for thee and in a State As Free as Innocence shame all Poets Wit Could climb no higher than Elyzium yet Where they but build cool Arbors Shades and Groves Teach Brooks to murmur Songs 〈◊〉 please their Loves We will have other Flights erect new Things To call the Envy up of Queens and Kings Museus Homer and the sacred rest VVhom the VVorld thinks in their own Ashes blest Shall live again and only having wrot Our Friendship wish their other Songs forgot And themselves too but that our LETTERS must In spight of Time and Death quicken their Dust What cannot I command VVhat can a Thought Be ambitious of thus wreath'd but shall be brought By Virtue of your Charms I will undo The Year and at our pleasure make one New All Spring is Blooming Paradise but when You List shall with one Frown wither agen Astrologers leave poreing in the Skies Expect all Fate from fair Sabina's Eyes Thus exâ—asy'd with me scorn other Starr Admire and think it Heaven where we two are For he that learns to live Incognito Now lives in Heaven if quitting Earth be so Madam I have dedicated this short Poem to your Ladiship as a Poor Acknowledgment for your generous Remarks on my First Part of the Art of Living Incognito and as a Defiance to all Criticks I was willing the World should know your Opinion of what I A defiance to all Critticks Publish as believing none will presume to dislike what you approve of or if they do I shall not value it soâ— prefer your single Judgment to all others and therefore 't is the Honour of your Friendship is one of those things that I value my self most upon Then seeing the Art of Living Incognito has such an Ingenious and Honourable Lady to Protect and Defend it I shan't doubt but this Second Bart will be as well receiv'd as the FIRST however your consenting to my Printing of it is a sufficient Warrant for its Publication And I don't doubt after treating of every Ching in this Letter but to say something in my next which will be an Essay 〈◊〉 my own Funeral which shall justifie my Resolution to Live and Die in a private Cell Mâ— Resolution to live and die in a private Cell Whilst all the World is in an hurry busied here and there with Vanity and Vexation whilst few or none almost are looking after their Future State whilst most thus mistake their Happiness I shall endeavour to find it in a lonesome Cell which in my next I shall prove an Emblem of Death and I must needs love it as 't is a Place where I have nothing to do but to prepare for Heaven But tho' I live Incognito as I 'm charm'd with a quiet Life and partly as I am oblig'd to Privacy a For the Reasons tention'd 〈◊〉 my last 〈◊〉 Yet I have no such Pique to the World I mean that GREAT WORLD through which I am passing but that I 'm willing to give your Ladyship an Account what I formerly I observ'd in it and I shall think I 'm still advancing in the Art of living Incognito if in this Letter I treat Of every thing I mean every thing that affected me in my Cursory View of the GREAT â—ections 〈◊〉 every â—ing that â—fected me 〈◊〉 my curâ— view of â—e Word WORLD I call it a Cursory View as I hurry'd so fast through it to that private Cell where I now live Perhaps you 'll admire Sabina that the World should now take up my Thoughts when 't is my Happiness and Wish to be freed from it To this I Answer it must be confest That to avoid the Noise and Turbulency of the World the more quietly and undisturb'd to look into our selves has been the Practice of the most Discreet and Eminent Men even the
a God for what is the whole World but the Explanation of a Deity But if nothing reforms you but you 'l still be Atheists that you may sin securely you run your selves into Premunire out of Protection and will be undeceived by the Flames of Hell and perhaps sooner for the Atheist dreads that Deity he does deny We see this verified in that Great Commander Mr. Terry speaks See Terry's Voyage to the East-Indies p. 414. of who was a profest Atheist yet a Man of approved Valour But upon a time he sitting in dalliance with one of his Women she pluckt an Hair from his Breast which grew about his Nipple in Wantonness without the least thought of doing him hurt But the little wound that small Instrument of Death made presently began to Fester and in short-time after became a Canker incurable when he saw that he must dye he uttered these words viz. Who wou'd not have thought but that I who have The dying Spâ—ch of an Atheist been so long bred a Souldier shou'd have dyed in the Face of mine Enemy either by a Sword or a Launce or an Arrow or a Bullet or by some such Instrument of Death But now tho too late I am forc'd to confess that there is a Great God above whose Majesty I have ever despis'd that needs no bigger Launce than an Hair to Kill an Atheist or a despiser of his Majesty and so desiring that those his last Words might be told unto the King his Master died Till Sin into the World had made a Breach Death was not heard of Ever since in Each Poor Human Mortal it doth Couchant lie The Kernel of a Grape kills one a Fly Another choaks by a corrupted Breath of Air one dyes and others have found Death In a small bit of Meat or by a Corn Too closely cut or by a Prick of Thorn When Death comes arm'd with God's Imperial Word An Hair can pierce as deep as sharpest Sword Such Reflections as these I made upon viewing the Sun 〈◊〉 and â—tars c. and when I was weary 〈◊〉 looking upwards as he soon is that lives in a Hurry I would 〈◊〉 a Walk into my Garden to visit Madg I have writ an Essarupon this Owl of near twenty Sheets to which is annext the Elegâ— I writ in Ireland upon the News of his Death 't is the Bird of Athens or to please my senses with the curiousness of the Knots â—or variety of Flowers that were in it God the first Garden made and the first City Cain And indeed where does the VVisdom and Power of God shine in a more bright and sweet Reflexion than in a Garden which Cowly was so in love with that he tells us A small House and a large Garden with moderate Conveniencies join'd to them is all he desires in this VVorld Nor does this Happy Place only dispense Such various Pleasures to the Sense Here Health it selâ— does live That Salt of Life which does to all a Relish give Here fragrant Beauties still are seen 'T is only here an Ever-Green No Man possesses more private Happiness in a Garden than I have done for I was once such a Lover of Gardens that when I cou'd steal time from behind the Counter I made it my business to be well acquainted The Pleasures of a Garden with all the variegated Capesâ—ry of Nature in the several Seasons of the Year But I find no Pleasure is of long continuance with me for I had not applied my self to the Study of Gardens above five Years but I was banisht my little Eden and the Flowers that cost me a great deal are now expos'd to the mercy of Catorpillars Farewell dear Flowers sweetly your Time ye spent Fit while ye liv'd for Smell or Ornament And after Death for Cures I follow streight without Complaint or Grief Since if my Scent be good I care not if It be as short as yours Herbert How uncertain are Worldly Comforts for being banish'd from the Black-Raven the most pleasant House How uncertain are worldly Comforts I ever dwelt in I am now so far from taking Pleasure in GARDENS c. That I 'm like a Man fallen out with the World Fortune has deny'd me something I am fallin out with the World and I take pet and will be miserable in spight In plainer English I 've sent for my Dear Spouse and I shan't be so Rich as my Honoured Mother 'till I have Publish'd the whole Art of Living Incognito she refuses to come 'till I'm as Rich as her Mother which will scarce be 'till I have publisht the whole Art of living Incognito So that nothing pleases me now except some deep Tragedy A Charnel-House cover'd with Sculls A gloomy Vale wrapt with unpleasant Yews Or some dark Cell cut out by Nature's skill and whose Entrance is inviron'd with thick Trees like to that where I now live In a Word I 'm so peevish grown since Nothing pleases me no but some deep Tragedy c. I find I can't Out-rival the Baggs that I can scarce bear to see my own Brother Merry and wonder what Men can find to laugh at for my own share I think I shall never more draw my Lips to a Smile but I en't so I shall never Out-Rival the Baggs morose neither but still I can love a Garden but none pleases me NOW but what 's the vâ—ry Picture of Melancholy My First Garden was a little Eden my Second the very Picture of Melancholy 1. Fain wou'd I have a Plat of Ground Which the Sun shou'd never see Nor by wanton Lover found That alone my Garden be 2 No Curious Flowers would I crave To tempt my smelling or my Eye A little Hearts Ease if I have Place a faâ—ing TULIP by 3. My Counterfeit will best appear In the Violets drooping Head On which a Melancholy Tear The Discontented Morn hath shed 4. MY TIME be wither'd let no ROSE Her perfumed Bosom show And the Sweet-Brier when it blows No imbracing Wood-bine know 5. Weave a pretty Roof of Willow On each side the Black-Thorn Spring Raise a Bank where for my Pillow Wormwood Rue and Poppies bring 6. No Bird sing here unless my Soul Would Hear sad Phyâ—omels Disgrace The TURTLE shall awake the OWL To join her Melancholy BASE 7. Here let no Man find me out Or if CHANCE shall bring out hither I 'll be secure when round about I mote it with my Eyes foul Weather 8. Thus let me Sigh my Heart away At last to one as sad as I. I 'll give my GARDEN that he may By my Example Love and Die And so much for my little EDEN and that Melancholy-Garden where Valeria's Jointure has sent me to digg I shall now proceed to the Observations I made in my cursory view of the Word After I was tyr'd with my Two Gardens except 't was Post-Night or I had some Author to visit I wou'd next take a Turn to
a far more delightful Relish than can be found in any Humane Science The Royal Prophet David found it so which fill'd his Psalms with such high Elogiums of the Law of God where he found his Hearts Desire and as it was his chiefest Business and Concern not only by continual Exercise in it Day and Night to perfect his own Delight so he earnestly recommends it to others as that which would give 'em the Wisdom of the Aged and make them wiser than their Enemies and never rests 'till he has made it plain that the Word of God is the only Remedy for all the Miseries of Humane Life consider therefore what a Treasure you have got in your Resolution of putting your self with more diligence upon this Spiritual Literature where you will not only See but Taste the Divine Goodness after which the study of the Great World and your self the Little World or whatever serves for Matter of Contemplation will all be refer'd to the glory of God as its ultimate end which will encrease your Joy and Happiness in that Day when you shall awake from the Dead and may perhaps be KNOWN amongst the rest to Your c. Dunton Represented AS DEAD and BURIED IN An Essay upon his own Funeral From my Cell April 30. 1700. LETTER VIII Madam IN my Sixth Letter I acquainted your Ladyship That tho' God had blest me with a competent Fortune yet that I was A Cell the best place to resine our Thoughts streightned at present and that as long as I continued so a Private Cell was the best Place to resine my Thoughts and to preserve my Liberty But can I doubt my Liberty when I am only a Prisoner to my Wifes Iointure That Minute she pulls off the Shackles I 'll receive her as a Dutiful Wife but can she be so whilst she refuses to make me easie When all that 's desir'd is but 500 Pound out 'T is an Emblem of Death of 6000 l. and that to pay off a Debt which she knew of before Marriage She tells me a In the Letters she sent me since we parted indeed That she loves me as her own Soul and that she and I are one and if so to use her own Expression she shou'd not let her Member suffer in the midst of a good Estate in which she has but her bare Life and that neither 'till I am Dead and Buried not in Effigie but in good Earnest But Valeria like some other Wives thinking all the Duty lies on the MANs side won't release a Foot of her Jointure so that at present I do as 't were want what I possess however I the less admire â—me Wives â—ink all â—e Duty â—es on the â—an's side at my Change of Fortune when I consider the Divine Providence useth Men here below as Counters in a Reckoning which now stand for Pence and straightways for Crowns Some all the time of their Lives are buryed in a deep Night we neither know their Entrance into the World nor their Passage out except by a Sprig of Rosemary if their Estate will bear it and if we know them by a Title 't is by that of their Miseries But if the World be such a perfect Lottery Give me the pliant Mind whose gentle measure Complies and suits with all Estates Which can let loose to a Crown and yet with Pleasure Take up within a Cloyster's Gates Herbert This is my Case 'till Valeria smiles till then I 'm confin'd to my little Cell where turning over in my Remembrance all that cou'd further afflict or torment me I was brought at last to think on the last of all dreadful Terrible Things DEATH And â—hy I â—hou'd not â—dmire at â—y change â—f Fortune seeing my present Dwelling and Circumstance is so very private as to be an Emblem of Death I think I can't make a better Advance in the Art of living Incognito then by making this Subject An Essay on my own Funeral c. Whilst I liv'd in Ireland my Friend Mr. Larkin brought me acquainted with a Gentleman who in his perfect Health sent for Of an Irish Gentleman who in his perfect Health sent for a Sexton to ring his Knell the Sexton to ring his Knell being ask'd the Reason he reply'd because he was DEAD that is said he in a Civil Sense I am Dead tho' I walk about for my Mony is gone and I were as good be out of the World this seems to be my Case yet 't is not this DEATH I 'm writing of but tho' 't is not yet we see by this Man who wou'd have his Knell rung whilst he was living that some Men have more Brains than they can be quiet with and the Death of such if not a Triumph yet as Feltham observes is a repose to themselves and to those who were their Acquaintance Those also that grudge themselves the Conveniencies of Life may be said to be DEAD whilst they are yet breathing as much as Every Miser is a dead Man the ' foresaid Gentleman for the one is starv'd for the want of Money and the other is starv'd with his Abundance and in this Sense each Miser is Dead like a Dog in a Wheel he toils to roast Meat for others eating and therefore might properly write an Essay on his own Funeral Tho if he shou'd he now makes his Will against his Will settles his Estate assures all for the World and at last sends for a Preacher who finds him unfitting for God or the World Sickness and Death I see are Bold and Impartial Serjeants the World and Wealth are but poor Bail upon Deaths Arrests all Means are nothing when God strikes Yet when a Rich Man is sick what resorting is there to his House by Kindred Friends and Neighbours He wants not for Company Counsel or Help when as an honest Poor Man may lye long enough under a tedious Sickness and have no such Visitants But my Funeral Essay is intended for neither of these Persons My desigâ— in wriâ—ting an Essay on my own Funeral for what I design is only an Essay on my Dead Body and what will happen to it and I wou'd here by laying my self out for Dead learn to dye at my own Funeral I can't find this Subject was ever handled before for ' tho some have seen themselves buryed in Pomp as I shall shew anon 'T is a Subject that was never writ of before yet no Man 'till now ' ere writ An Essay on his own Funeral neither has Any courteous Ghosts told this great Secrecy What 't is they are and we must be Mr. Norris I have never met any one of those Milions of Souls that have past into the other World to learn from 'em what Death is and therefore pnthe re-resenting my self Dead and buryed nothing can be expected but meer conjecture in the representing my self Dead and Buryed when I am yet alive you can expect nothing but meer
Conjecture However I 'll close my Eyes on this vain World and dress out my Hearse in the best manner I can I went Yesterday to Stepny-Church to to view the Graves of others the better to prepare my Mind to write this Essay on my own Funeral I spent about Five Hours among the Tombs which tho' it be a Melancholy sight yet has something in it proper to instruct the Living In walking through What we may learn by walking through a Church-yard and by Viewing of Dead Mens Sculls a Church-yard especially that of Stepny and Chiswick we see a great number of Dead-mens-Sculls arranged one in Pile upon another which puts us in mind of the Vanity and Arrogance wherewith other while they have bin fill'd We need but walk through a Church yard to see what is this Foolish Animal Man Here we see what we Magnify what we call a King a Duke a Lord even a little Warm and Walking Earth that will be Ashes soon we came into the World crying and squalling and We consume our Lives in drivling Infancy in Ignorance Sleep c. so much of our Time 's consum'd in drivling Infancy in Ignorance Sleep Disease Trouble that the remainder is not worth the being rear'd to we see in walking through a Church yard how Time laughs us out of Greatness and shuts up our wide designs in a Dark Narrow Room Then what Midness is the Pomp the Noise Time shuts up our wids designs in a Dark Narrow-Room the Splendour the Frantick Glory of this Foolish Life we makeour selves Fools to disport our selves and vary a Thousand antick ugly shapes of Folly and Madness These fill up the Scenes and Empty Spaces of our Lives Folly and Madness fill up the Empty Spaces of our Lives The Thoughts of this one wou'd think shou'd abate our Pride and sensual Affections for why shou'd I be so Vain to Pride my selfe in outward Pomp and Bravery who within a few Hours may be a Dead Corpse carryed in Procession Methinks the Sight of a Funeral shou'd humble the Proudest Man or Proud Man that thou maist be humbled The Sight of a Funeral shou'd humble the Proudestman Go to the dull Church-yard and see Those Hillocks of Mortality Where Proudest Man is only Found By a small swelling of the Ground Here Crowds of Rich Bodyes are made Slaves to the Pick Ax and the Spade Dig but a Foot or two to make A cold Bed for thy Dead Friends sake 'T is odds but in that Scantling Boom Thou robbst some Great Man of his Tomb And in thy Delving Smit'st upon His Shin-Bone or his Cranion Some make a huge Noise in the World to have the Honour to fill out a more Splendid Epitaph Such Lessons as these we may learn by viewing the Tombs of those who make a huge Noise in the World that they may have the Honour to fill out a more Splendid Epitaph And as a walk through a Church yard shews us the Uanity and End of all Worldly Grandeur so it also shews us That Death is as Common as 't is Ingrateful Infants as well as Men dayly can direct us in it Witness every Church-yard where are to be seen Graves of all Sizes In ev'ry Church-yard are to be seen Graves of all Sizes This Treasury of Death Survey Where Young and Old like Tribute pay See what Acquaintance thou canst Spy Amongst those Skulls I prithee try Man of Science prithee shew Thy Darling Child or Aged Foe Mankind by thee alone are read And know'st thou nothing of the Dead No surely nothing at all for Alexander seeing Diogenes tumbling among Dead Bones ask'd him what he sought To whom the other Diogenes Tumbling among Dead-Bones Answered that which I cannot find The difference between the Rich and the Poor And as there be Graves of all Qualities and Sizes so who can see 'em covered with Green Turf and withering Grass and forget he must die Before we come into the Church we are presented with these Sights A 7th part of our Time is set a part to put us in mind of dying as if unfit to hear Gods Word untill we are put in mind of Death and this we are injoyn'd once in Seven Dayes as if it 7th part of our Time were to be set apart to put us in mind of dying And happy are those Christians whom the sight of Funerals and Graves Rings a Peal in their Ears of their own Dissolution which by most is so little remembred that 't is become a saying I thought no more on 't then of my Dying Day which tho' a wicked Expression yet I fear there 's a great deal of Truth in 't for my self must Confess That Living in a Country Uillage where a Burial was a Rarity I never thought of Death it was so seldom presented unto me coming to London where there is plenty of Funeralls so that Coffins and Corpse in the Grave Observations upon the Funerals in Country Villages and upon those in London justle for Elbow-Room for so they do both at Stepney and Chiswick and ev'ry Church-yard in this Populous Town I Slighted and neglected Death because grown an Object so constant and Common How soul is my Stomach to turn all Food into bad Humours Funerals neither few nor frequent work effectually on me London is a Library of Mortality Volumes of all Sorts and sizes Rich and Poor Infants Children Youth c. dayly dye I see there is more required to make a good Schollar than only the having of many Books Lord I therefore wish that thou wilt be my School-Master and teach me to Number my Days that I may apply my Heart unto Wisdom Thus Madam have I shewn what we may learn in a Church-yard where you 'l see me buryed ' ete my Letter is finisht It teaches us the Vanity and End of all Worldly Grandeur What little A Church-yard gives me hints about my own Death and fair warning to prepare for it reason such Worms as I have to be Proud That Death is the Fate of all that come into this World from the Man of 60 to the Infant that is just born And in this Particular it reminds me of my own Death and the consequence of it and therefore A walk toâ—a Church-yard I thought the most likely thing to prepare my Mind to write an Essay on my own Funeral And as a Church-yard gives me hints about my own Death and fair warning to prepare for it so it also shews us the Folly of murmuring that we are Mortal Creatures for shou'd I complain that there shall be a Time in the which I shall not be I may as well repent that there was a Time in the which I was not and so be greived that I am We have to Reason to murmur that we are mortal Creatures noâ— Old as Adam had bin had he liv'd to this present Year 1700 for not to have been 4000 Years before this Moment
is as much to be deplored as not to be 4000 Years after it we know something what Death is by the Thought of that Time and Estate of our selves which was ' ere we were our Nephews haue the same Reason to â—ex 〈◊〉 yes that they 〈◊〉 not â—ung in our Dayes which we have 〈◊〉 that we shall not be old in theirs they who so re-went us did give place unto us and shall we grieve to give room to them who come after us And I 'm apt to think there 's nothing in Death it self that can afright us 't is only Fancy gives Death those hidious Shapes we think him in 't is the Saying of one I fear not to be dead yet am afraid to dye ' tho I don't see why we should be afraid of Death but as 't is the inlet to What Life is Eternity for Death is no more than a soft and easy Nothing Shouâ—d you ask me then what is Life I 'd answer with Crates who being asked this Question said nothing but turned him round and vanish'd and 't was judged a proper Answer Life's nothing but a dull repetition What Death is a vain fantastick Dream and there 's an end on 't But what ever 't is to live sure I am if you credit Seneca 't is no more to dye T is only Fancygives Death those hideous Shapes we think him in than to be born we felt no pain coming into the World nor shall we in the Act of leaving it Death is but a ceasing to be what we were before we were we are kindled and put out to cease to be and not to begin to be is the same thing I have met with one arguing thus Death which is accounted the most dreadful of all Evils is nothing to us saith he because while we are in being Death is not yet present so that it neither concerns us as living nor dead Epicurus in Gassend Synt. for while we are alive it hath not toucht us when we are dead we are not So that we look upon Death with our Eyes not with our Reason or we shou'd find a certain Sweetness in Mortality for that Essay on knowing our Friends in Heaven p. 87. can be no loss which can never be mist or desired again But let Death be what it will 't is certain 't is less troublesome than Sleep for in Sleep I may have disquieting Pains or Dreams and yet I fear not going to bed For Sleep gives us a sip of Joy but Death the full draught This is my Notion what DEATH is but I can't be sure I ' ent mistaken for my writing of my own Funeral shews I 'm yet alive or were I laid in my Grave I shou'd know as little what Death is as I do now for dying deprives us of knowing what we are doing or what other state we are commenceing T is a leap in the dark not knowing where we shall light as Mr. Hobbs told his inquisitive Friend when he was going to dye But ' tho I know so little what Death is there have been Men that have tried even in Death it self to relish and taste it but as I said before there are none of them come back to tell us the News Canius Julius endeavoured to make Trial what Death was that he might come again to acquaint his Friends with it No one was ever known to make Who once in Death's cold Arms a Nap did take Lucret. Lib. 3. Canius Iulius being condemn'd by that Beast Caligula as he was going to receive the stroke of the Executioner was ask'd by a Philosopher well Canius said he where about is your Soul now what is she doing what are you thinking of Iwas thinking 〈◊〉 and the faculties of my mind setled and fixt to try if in this short and quick instant of Death I cou'd perceive the motion of the Soul when she starts from the Body and what this passage is and whether she has any resentment of the separation that I may afterwards come again to acquaint my Frâ—ends with it But we don't read that Canius after he was put to death ever came to life again to acquaint his Friends what Death was But ' tho he did not there be those that have for my sâ—lf had once the Curiosity to visit two certain Persons one had been hang'd the other drown'd and both of them very miraculously brought to Life again I asked Of two men that came to Life again after they had bin hang'd and drown'd with an account of what they felt in their dying what Thoughts they had and what Pains they were sensible of The Person that was hang'd said He expected some sort of a strange change but knew not what but the pangs of Death were not so intolerable as some sharp Diseases nay he cou'd not be positive whether he felt any other pain than what his fears exacted He added that he grew senseless by little and little and at the first his Eyes represented a brisk shining red sort of Fire which grew paler and paler till at length it turn'd into a black after which he thought no more but insensibly acted the part of one that falls asleep not knowing how nor when The other gave me almost the same Account and both were dead apparently for a considerable Time These Instances are very satisfactory in cases of violent Death and for a natural Death I cannot but think it much easier diseases make a conquest of Life by Essay on knowing our Friends in Heaven p. 88. little and little therefore the strife must be less where the in equality of power is greater However by these instances we see there is a certain way by which some Men make tryal what Death is but I never expect to know it 'till I make the Experiment But I do believe if there be any evil in Death it wou'd appear to be for that Pain and Torment which we apprehend to arise on the breaking of those straight-bands which keep the Soul and Body together But that the Sâ—ght Hearing Smellâ—ng Taste leave us without Pain and unawares we know most certainly and why should we not The Sight Hearing Smâ—lling Taste leave us without Pain and why should we not believe the same of Feeling believe the same of Feeling But ' tho we can have no perfect Notion of Death yet this we are sure that Death is a profound sleep in which Nature lets it self fail insensibly when she is tyr'd with the disquiets of this Life It is a Cessation of all those Services which the Soul renders to the Flesh. This is Death as near as I can judge of it And if Death be no more then this I shan't shed one Tear at the Thoughts of my own Death tho' I have shed many at the Death of others I think the Thracians were much in the right to weep when a Child was born and to rejoyce when it dyed We also read that Lodowick Coâ—tusius a
Lawyer of Padua forbid to his Relations Tears and Lamentations by his Will and desired that he might have Harpers Pipers and all sorts of Musick at his Funeral who should partly go before partly follow the Corps leaving to every one of them a small sum of Mony His Bier he ordered to be carried by 12 Virgins that being clad in Green were to sing all tâ— way such songs as Mirth brought to their remembrance leaving to each a certain sum of Money instead of a Dowry Thus was he buryed in the Church of St. Sophia in Padua accompanied with a hundred Attendants together with all the A Lawyers merry Funeral Clergy of the City excepting those that wore Black for such by his Will he forbid his Funeral as it were turning his Funeral Rites into a Marriage-Ceremony I can't say how far such rejoycing as this is proper for a Funeral occasion but this I declare when I am once dead I wou'd not have my Friends lay it to heart But however they may carry it towards my Dead-body 't is a comfort to me that I have no slavish Fears of Death I can be contented when I 'm fairly dead to undergo the tedious conversation of Worms and Serpents those greedy Tenants of the Grave who will never be satisfyed till they have eat up the Ground-Landlord By which it appears that The end of all other Creatures is less deform'd than that of Man We must not live in Sin if we would not be afraid of Death Plants in their Death retain some pleasing smell of their Bodies The little Rose buryes her self in her natural sweetness and Carnation Colour only mans dead-Carkass is good for nothing but to feed Wormes and the Worms â—re long will feed sweetly on me But tho' â—fter my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh shall I see God so that I am not solicitous how or when I shall make my Exit provided my Soul be happy and my Body buried in that manner I shall anon describe and therefore 't is I'm writing An Essay on my own Funeral The Worms will feed sweetly on me Job 24. 20. J b. 19. 26. why I am not terrified with the dismal knels the Blocks and Herses that attend Funerals that I may bid farwell to the World before I leave it that being in it the World may see I wou'd not be of it I wou'd willingly set all things in order before Death comes for the' I am not much terrified with the Solitude and Darkness of Graves as they resemble my present Cell nor with the Dismal Knellâ— the Blacks and Hearses c. that attends Funerals yet I must acknowledge Death is a serious thing for when a Man dyes he takes his solemn Leave of one World and gâ—es into another where he never was yet to receive his final Doom The Dread of this made Oldham cry out in his last Sickness Even I who thought I cou'd have been merry in sight of my Coffin and drunk a Health with the Seâ—ton in my own Grave now tremble at the least Envoy of the King of Terrors to see but the shaking of my Glass makes me turn pale and fear is like to prevent and do the Work of my Distemper 'T is strange to see Men of such great Curiosity so afraid of dying for who wou'd not be content to be a kind of Nothing for a Moment to be within one Instant of a Spirit and soaring through Oldham's Sunday-Thought in sickness p. 59. Regions he never saw and yet is curious to behold But Conscience makes Cowards of us all This made Lewis 2. so afraid of Death that when he was sick he forbid any Man to speak of Death in his Court. The wicked Liver ventures Eternity upon his last breath and therefore Death which lets him into it appears so gastly But the Rays of the setting Sun are the fairest and I desire to live in such a constant preparation for Death that my life may not set Reflections on a Death-â—ed Repentance in a Cloud as they generally do that croud up Repentance into so narrow a room as a sick-bed Solomon saith Man goeth to his long bome short preparation will not fit so long a Journey O let me not have my Oil to buy when I am to burn it they dreadfully mistake themselves that think a Man can live a Life of Holiness when he is just a dying and therefore when I come to dâ—e I wou'd have nothing to do but to dye For now I discover a Falacy whereby I have long dâ—eived my self which is this I I desired to begin my Repentance from my Birth-day have desired to begin my amendment from my Birth-Day or from the first Day of 〈◊〉 Year or from some eminent Festival that so my Repentance might bear some remarkable Date but when those days were come I have adjourned my Amendment to some other time Thus whilst I â—on'd not agree with my self when to start I have almost I aâ—journed my amendment to some other time lost the running of the Race I am resolved thus to befool my self no longer I see no time like to day Grant O Lord that to day I may hear thy Voice And if this day be obscure in the Calendar and remarkable in it self for nothing else give me to make it memorable in my Soul by now beginning the Reformation of my Life Not that I allow my self in any known sin none but an Atheist can do that But Bishop â—her tells us the best Man living does enough in the day to bring I 'le delay 〈◊〉 no longer â—im on his Kâ—s at Night and therefore I 'de now be more concern'd for my Soul then eyeâ— for having loyter'd too much in my way to Heaven I have noâ— a long Race to run by a sâ— Bâ—h a great way to go by a sâ—ing Sun Yet I hope I shou'd 〈◊〉 wholly despair if I 〈◊〉 but one moment left to repenâ— I shou'd not wholly despair if I had but one moment left to repent in for tho our Lord says 't is harder for a Rich-man â—o enter into Heaven then for a Camel to pass through a Needles Eye but yet he tells us 't is not Impossible for all that and 't is as hard for an old â—inner to enter into Heaven a for a Rich-man and doubtless very hard for a Death bed or momentary Repentance to obtain Salvation because 't is extreamly dubious whether it can be real but yet 't is not Impossible for we see the Thief on the Cross was sav'd with one single act of it exerted a moment ' Iis as hard for an old sinner to enter into Heaven as a Rich-man before he dyed that Example indeed is but one but yet it shews us there may be and is sometimes more or else that Example wou'd be to no purpose and as it evidences on one side that Continuation in sin is extream dangerous so on the other
am every minute going Every Thought I have is a Sand running out of the Glass of Life Then surely he is dead already that does not look for Death How stupid are we to think so little of DYING when not only the DEATH of men but every thing else dies to shew us the Way Sweet Day so cool so calm so bright The â—ridal of the Earth and Skie The Dew shall weep thy fall to Night For thou must die Sweet Rose whose hue angry and brave Bids the rash Gazer wipe his Bye Thy Root is ever in its Grave And thou must die Sweet Spring full of sweet Days and Roses A Box where Sweets compacted lye My Musick shews ye have your Closes And all must die There may be News of my Funeral before I can finish my Essay upon it Only a sweet and Virtuous Soul Like season'd Timber never gives But tho the whole World turn to Coal Then chiefly lives Herbert Besides the warning I have of my own DEATH in the death of every thing I meet abroad that I might want no warning when I go to SLEEP which is a Death in Scripture is compared to Sleep kind of dying too What is my BED but as it were a Passing-bell to remember me every four and twenty Hours of my Mortality and that the Grave must speedily be my Bed a Clod my Pillow and the Mold and Worms my Covering When I put off my Shirt it puts me in mind of my Winding-sheet and last My Night-Prayer c may be resembl'd to making my Will Shroud that must cover me when I sleep under ground Death in Scripture is compared to Sleep Well then may my Night Prayer be resembled to making my Will I will be careful not to die intestate as also not to defer my Will-making 'till I am not compos mentis 'till the Lethargy of drowsiness seizes upon me but being in perfect Memory I bequeath my Soul to God the rather because I am sure the Devil will accuse me when sleeping Oh the advantage of Spirits above Bodies If our Clay Cottage be not cooled with Rest the Roof falls The Devil will accuse me when sleeping a Fire Satan hath no such need The Night is his fittest time Rev. 12. 10. Thus Mans Vacation is the Terms for the Beasts of the Forest they move most whilst he lies quiet in his Bed Lest therefore whilst sleeping I be Out-lawed for want of appearance to Satans Charge I commit my Cause to him who An Appearance to Satan's Charge Lying along is an improper Posture for Piety neither slumbers nor sleeps Answer for me oh my God I wou'd not by this Expression be so understood as if I might defer my Night Prayer 'till I'm in Bed This lying along is an improper posture for Piety Indeed there is no Contrivance of our Body but some good Man in Scripture hath hanfel'd it with Prayer The Publican standing Iob sitting Hezekiah lying on his Bed Elijah with his Face between his Legs but of all Postures give me St. Paul's For this cause I bow my Knees to the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ. Knees when they may they must be hended I have read a Copy of a grant of liberty from Queen Mary to Henry Ratcliff Earl of Sussex giving him leave to wear a Night Cap or Coif in her Majesties presence counted a great Favour because of his Infirmity Job 18. 1 Kings 28. 42. Eph. 3. 14. Weavers Fun. Mon. p. 63. I know in case of necessity God would graciously accept my Devotion bound down in a sick-dressing but now whilst I am in perfect Health it is inexcusable Christ commanded some to take up their Bed in token of their full Recovery my Laziness may suspect least thus my Bed taking me up prove a presage of my ensuing Sickness Then Blessed Lord pardon the former Idleness of my Night-Devotion and I will never more offend thee in the same kind In case of Necessity God will accept my Devotion bound down in a Sick-Dressing And thus my Bed my Sleep and every thing else proclaims Death is on his March towards me And seeing my Sand runs faster than my Ink your Ladyship may have News of my Funeral before I can finish this Essay upon it How soon doth Man decay When Clothes are taken from a Chest of Sweets To swadle Infants whose young Breath Scarce knows the way Those Clouts are little Winding-sheets Which do consign and send them unto Death When Boys go first to Bed They step into their voluntary Graves Sleep binds them fast only their Breath Makes them not dead Successive Nights like rolling Waves Convey them quickly who are bound for Death When Youth is frank and free And calls for Musick while his Veins do swell All Day exchanging Mirth and Breath In Company That Musick summons to the Knel Which shall befriend him at the House of Death When Man grows staid and wise Getting a House and Home where he may move Within the Circle of his Breath Schooling his Eyes That dumb Inclosure maketh Love Unto the COFFIN that attends his death When Age grows loâ— and weak Marking his Grave and thawing ev'ry Year 'Till all do melt and drown his Breath When he wou'd speak A Chair or Litter shews the Bier Which shall convey him to the House of Death Man e're he is aware Hath put together a Solemnity And drest his Herse while he hath Breath I 'm here ringing my own Passing-Bell That 'T is impossible for a man to write of his own Funeral whilst he 's living As yet to spare Yet Lord instruct us so to die That all these Dyings may be life in Death Herbert Or had I not these Warnings of Death in the several Stages of Life yet I have such a Crazy Body as daily puts me in mind of my Grave and I 'm now by writing an Essay upon my own Funeral as 't were ringing my own Passing-Bell But perhaps you 'll say How can you write of your own Funeral when you are yet alive And were you dead you 'd be less able to handle your Pen as much at you love scribling Why Madam I am dead but don't be frighted that I appear again in this White Sheet For tho I 'm dead 'T is thus dead I was born seemingly dead I was born seemingly dead t was thought I was lugg'd out of my natural CELL into my Grave and I could have been content had I had no more than the Register or Sexton to tell the World that I had ever been However I may venture to say that from the first laying of these Mudd-Walls in my conception they have moldred away and the whole course of Life is but an active Death nay every Meal we eat is as it were a Ransom from one Death and lays up for another and while we think The whole Course of Life is but an active Death a Thought we die for the Clock strikes and reckons
David fasted and Prayed for his Sick Son that his Life might be prolonged But when he was dead this Consideration comforted him I shall goe to him but he shall not return to me 2 Sam. 12 13. And this likewise shou'd comfort me under the loss of Iris to think she is gone to Heaven and that if I die in Christ I shall goe to her but this she cou'd not do but by dying which makes me the easier forgive Death for the Treasure he has stole from me and my next comfort to her being in Heaven is to think in what a triumphant Iris Triumphant Death is like the putting out of a prefum'd Candle manner she went thither In a painful Sickness of near Forty Weeks she never once repin'd at it but wou'd still say God had dealt tenderly with her and that she was wholly resign'd to his Will Then certainly the Death of such a Good Wife is like the putting out of a Wax-perfum'd Candle she in some measure recompenses the loss of Life with the sweet Odour she leaves behind her All must to their cold Graves But the Religious Actions of the Just Smell sweet in Death and Blossom in the Dust. In a Word Iris both in her Life and Death was like a Rose in June which tho dead and dry preserves a pleasing Sweetness and for that Reason Her Life was a continued Act of Piety was strewed by the Antients upon their Kindred's Graves 'T was but reasonable to think that a Life which was one continu'd Act of Piety shou'd have a joyful and happy ending And as Iris dyed in this Triumphant manner and with uttering such Expressions as I have here mention'd So I desire I may expire with these Words ETernal and everliving God I 'm now drawing near the Gates of Death and which is infinitely more terrible the Bar of thy Judgment oh Lord when I consider this my My last Prayer Flesh trembleth for fear of thee and my Heart is wounded within me But one deep calleth upon another the depth of my misery upon the depth of thy mercy Lord save now or I perish eternally Lord one day is with thee as a Thousand Years oh let thy mighty Spirit work in me now in this my last Hour whatsoever thou seest wanting to fit me for thy Mercy and Acceptance and then tho' I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no Evil. There is but one step between me and Eternity then blessed Jesus have Mercy on me Pardon the Sins of my whole Life O let not my Sun go down upon thy Wrath but seal my Pardon before I go hence and be seen no more Dear Lord I neither desire nor expect of thee Life or Death may it be done unto me according to thy Will But since Death is my passage into thy Presence suffer not the Thoughts of it to be terrible unto me I can't without some Reluctance think of leaving my Friends and Relations and forever shutting my Eyes upon that World where I now live To go into a World where I never was but tho' the Light is pleasant and a joyful thing it is to behold the Sun yet let it abundantly content me oh Lord that whether waking or Sleeping dead or alive I shall be always thine tho' thou shouldst break all my Bones and from Day even till Night with pining Sickness and Aches make an end of me yet let me be dumb and not open my Mouth because it is thy doing suffer me not to whisper to my self what 's the reason the Lord will deal thus with me help me rather to consider what my Sins have deserved and what a poor Derivative thing I am What a meer dependant upon thee Lord I came into the World on thy Errand and I live only upon thy allowance Then let the consideration of thy Majesty and Glory swallow up all those petty Interests of my own which I create to my self and help me oh Lord in every Passage of my Life and Death to say thy will be done If it be thy will I shall dye now receive my Spirit and altho' I come In the Evening at the very last of all grant unto me that I may receive Eternal-Rest Blessed Lord as soon as ever the Chain of my mortality is broke let me take Wing and fly to thee Grant that sincerely reahing my Hands to thee from that Moment which is the upper Step of the Ladder of my Life next to Heaven thou mayest reach forth thy hand and receive me And when my Breath is gone grant oh Lord that I may see and know her again who dyed praying for my Everlasting-Happiness Into thy hand Lord I resign my Body and Soul Blessed Saviour receive my Spirit even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen I shall go to Iris but she shall not return to me I wou'd have these words be my last breath 'till my Lips fail and my Tongue cleaveth to the roof of my Mouth for as the Sun shines brightest at his setting so shou'd Man at his departing It is the evening crowns the day And now the Fatal Hour is come in which I must Resign to Dust This borrow'd Flesh whose Burden tires My Soul as it aspires Oh what a frail and undone Thing Is Man when his best Part is taking Wing But quake not Oh my Soul for Rest thou l't find This Pisgah Mount thy Canaan lies behind Look back and see the Worlds thin gaudy-Toys Look on and see the Crown of all thy Joys For such a Place is worthy to be sought Or were there none yet Heaven 's a pleasant Thought Nor for my bright Conductors will I stay But lead Heavens flaming Ministers the way In their known Passage to Eternal Day Where the blest CLIMES of Light will not seem fair Unless I meet my dear Redeemer there Unless I see my shining Saviours Face And grasp all Heaven in his sweet Embrace When the trembling Soul has Heav'n thus in sight Oh with what Joy and ravishing Delight She spreads her Wings and bids this World good Night Thus have I represented in what manner my Soul will leave that Body where it now dwells And have also considered in the Death of Iris with what tranquility and peace of conscience a Soul sequested from the World taketh her farewell of Earth Whilst thus I musing lay to my Bed side Attir'd in all his Mourning Pride The King of Terrors came Awful his Looks But not deform'd and grim He 's no such Goblin as we fancy him Scarce we our selves so civiliz'd and tame Unknown the Doom assign'd me in this change ' Tho justly I might fear Heavens worse Revenge Yet with my present Griefs redrest With curious Thoughts of unknown Worlds possest Enflam'd with Thirst of Liberty Long lovd but ne'er enjoy'd by me I su'd for leave the fatal Gulf to pass My vital Sand is almost run The Peace of Conscience with which a Soul sequestred from the-World
ta kes her Farewell of Earth A meditation upon the fight of a Dead-man And Death said I will strike anon Then to dull Life I bid a long Farewell And stretcht for flight But as the last grains fell Death fail'd my flatter'd hopes and turn'd the Glass But tho' my Soul and Body en't yet parted yet I have convers'd too long with the World already so that now I 'll suppose my self a dead Man At the Sight whereof were I living I wou'd thus meditate Teach me O Lord so to number my Days that I may apply my Heart unto Wisdom for I see by this dead Friend here lying before me we soon pass away and are gone All Flesh I see in this Instance is Grass and the Beauty of it as the flower of the Field Thou oh God hast determined the number of my Days which I cannot pass And I see here in my dead Friend what will follow the Separation of my Soul and Body As long as this Tabernacle lodged the Soul of my Friend it was sensible active cou'd hear â—ee speak or move but now that Guest is driven forth there is nothing in it but breeds my abhorence so that I now see all Confidence in Man is vain and that I shall soon become I 've said nothing of the manner of my Dying but what I 've observed in the Death of others as Pale and Wan at this Dead-Corpse which I here behold with Terrour and Amazement And Lord help me to consider that as this Body is dead without the Soul so both Soul and Body without Grace So much for the supposed manner of my Dying and for those useful Thoughts that a Sight of my Dead-Corpse might afford in which I 've advanc'd nothing but what I 've observ'd in the Death of others especially of my dear Iris My Breath being gone I 'll next suppose my self Laid out for â—ead I 'm now Stript and Dress'd in a Shroud and now the Cry of the House is Bury the Dead out of my Sight Being now Stript and Drest in a Shroud great Care is taken by my Executor for I know he 'll be punctual to observe my Will that my Body be kept veiled and secret and not exposed to curious Eyes neither shou'd Cyrus wou'd have no Man stare in his Face after his Death the Dishonours wrought upon the Face by the Changes of Death be star'd upon by impertiâ—ent Persons When Cyrus was Dying he called his Sons and Friends to take their leave of him to touch his Hand to see him the last time and gave in Charge that when he had put his Veil over his Face No Man spou'd uncover it And Epiphanius's Body was resâ—d from inquisitive Eyes by a Miracle But nothing A sight of my Dead-Body shou'd affect my Relations of this will disturb the Dead but a sight of my Dead-Body shou'd affect the Living Then now all my Friends if you ben't dâ—wn'd in Tears come and observe what a Change is here What a Change indeed For my trembling Soul being fled Lo how the Successors Valeria makes a shift to cry for my Death of Sin do trample upon these Mud-walls and demolish my House of Clay This dismal sight one would think shou'd squeeze out a few Tears if not from my Heir who has Sign'd Seal'd and deliver'd and is hasty to Bury me yet surely it will from the Dear Valeria for tho some Wives Bury their Husbands only with a sow'r Visage Mask'd over with Dissimulation contracting like the Ephesian Matron second Marriages before they have worn out their Mourning Garments But Valeria may pass for a better Wife For When her dear Spouse's last Departure's nigh See where this Fubbs has made a shift to cry But I 'm Box'd up the Parli'ment be thanked Whose Act has made my Rime in Woollen Blanket Being laid in my Coffin come hither Valeria and view me a little The Chinesses always before they Bury their Dead if he was a Marryed Man bring him to his Wife that so she might first Kiss him and bid him Farewel when you have done this prithee Valeria gaze upon me see in A good Iointure signifies nothing to a Dead Wife my Dead Phiz what Comfort you will have of your Iointure which you once kept to my Ruin when you come to this For pridâ—ee try the Experiment If you shou'd put a Bâ—g of Guineas into my Hand I shou'd let it fall or cou'd you give me Sampâ— ' twoud be too heavy to carry to the other World for don't you see that my Eyes are closed and I observe nothing Then Valeria view me well uâ—ver my Face again for A Dead Husband is worth observing a dead Husband is worth observing and you 'll find the Luminaries of my Body which us'd to shine with a living Brightness like the Gelly of a slâ—g Meteor lie now â—tombed in Darkness and that ruddy Hue which gave the Name of Flesh to this whited Earth hath either chang'd its Colour or its Place In a Word my Head Arms Body Legs c. have now left their Motion and lie as still as a Wife could wish who loves nothing of her Husband but the Iointure he has left her No wonder then she refused to come when I sent for her but has reserv'd all her Love for my dead Body which perhaps she 'll wash with a Tear or two as it looks kind and will cost her nothing neither need she make any use of an Onion for 't is observ'd of Widows they have Tears at command See where The Treasure of my Bosom doth appear Now coming to my Corpse with her drow'd Eyes For Iointure brings her where her Husband dies To whose pale Relick she devoutly Payes Obedience real as her Love and Brays With many Tears till quite dissolv'd in them She SEEMS contriv'd into a Walking-Sream As Destiny had meant her to descend From Rivers only but to serve this end Next let my Sisters drop their pious-Rain Larkin and Kenswell too will Weep in vain For none can soften my stiff Clay agâ—in Whilst my Eye thus amazedly wonders o'er my Dead Body methinks I In the supposed View of my dead Body I behold other Mens Fate as well as my own view in it other Mens Fate as well as my own Then blessed Lord let me Die daily that when Death shall be swallowed up in Victory and the numberless Atoms of my Dust shall by thy Almighty Power be new moulded into a Body my Soul may make a re-entry and be both glorified together Death we do now behold thee gay and glad As at Dooms-day When Souls shall wear their new Aray And all thy Bones with Beauty shall be clad Therefore we can go Die as Sleep and trust Half that we have Unto an an honest faithful Grave Making our Pillows either Down or Dust Herbert My Corruption belongs to the maintaining of of the Order of the Universe I lie merrily down in my
quarrel round his Bed Fight Nurse fight Lads Sirs make a Ring about E'en let 'em have fair Play and Cuff it out Having lain the time I desir'd there 's no fear of my living again as my There 's no fear of my living again My Friends have now leave to bury me Mother did then honest GEORGE Nail me down and bury me for the Mourners are come the Claret is drunk and here stands Azariah Reynholds ready to dress out the funeral Procession and that nothing may be wanting on this sad occasion here 's Weeping Dev'ral my old Servant coming with the Pall the Bier and the six Bearers to carry me to Church and from thence to the Grave Azariah Reynholds stands ready to dress out the Funeral See where my Friends surround my private Urne Where all my kind Relations fondly Mourn And When the solemn Bell does sadly call Weeping Dev'ral comes with the Fall Bier and Bearers The drooping Pomp attends my Funeral Now I from Fortunes store can only have A narrow Coffin and a scanty Grave However I am as Rich in my Coffin as a dead Monarch Death I 'am as Rich in my Coffin as a dead Monarch A small parcel of Earth will contain thâ—se who aspâ—re to the poâ—ession of the whole World makes us equal with Kings In the Grave the Spade may challenge equality with the Scepter A winding Sheet Coffin and Grave is all that the Greatest Possess when they leave the World Philip King of Macedon walking by the Sea-side got a fall and after he was risen perceiving the Impression of his Body upon the Sand Good God! said he what a small parcel of Earth will contain us who aspire to the possession of the whole World This great Monarch after many and great Victories at length he fell not only into his Bed but into his Tomb contented with a small Cossin Peter Alphonsus reports that several Philosophers flock'd together and variously discanted upon the King's Death one there was that said Behold now four Yards of Ground is enough for him whom the spatious Earth could not comprehend before Several Philosophers discanting upon the Death of the great Alexander Another added Yesterday cou'd Alexander save whom he pleas'd from Death to Day he cannot free himself Another viewing the Golden Coffin Yesterday said he Alexander heap'd up a Treasure of Gold now Gold makes a Treasure of Alexander Thus miserable and wretched is Man the very greatest of Men in their last Exit I might prove it by more Instances but for Brevity sake I 'll name no more than the Bier of Ablavius Constantines Speech to Ablavius concerning his Riches who being an insatiable devourer of Gold Constantine the Great takes him by the Hand and said Ablavius Tho' thou hadst all the Riches in the World yet after thou art dead a Place or Chest no bigger than this which I have here mark'd out must contain thee if so large a piece of Ground do come to thy Lot Constantine was a Prophet for Ablavius being cut in bits the Saladine had nothing but a black Shirt to attend him to the Grave next Hour had not a piece left big enough to be bury'd The great Saladine observing this order'd that before his Corps a Black Cloth shou'd be carry'd on the top of a Spear and this proclaimed with sound of Trumpet in the midst of his Army Saladine Conquerour of the East had nothing left him but this black Shirt to attend him to the Grave The Brags of Life are but a Nine Days Wonder And after Death the Fumes that spring From private Bodies make as big a Thunder As those which rise from a huge King Only the Chronicle is lost and yet Better by Worms be all once spent Than to have Hellish Moths still gnaw and fret Most Kings have Died a violent Death Thy Name in Books which may not rent Herbert The highest place is most obnoxious to Variation the Sun is never so near Caesars chair of State was his Death-bed a declension as in the Vertical Meridian May I not say many yea most that have been Scepter'd in the World have been wrapt out of it violently as if they perish'd by Fassination from the many ambitious Eyes that dart Crassus cou'd scarce obtain a Shrow'd to cover his Nakedness upon 'em Iulius Caesar that he may be wofully miserable his Chair of State shall be his Death-Bed where he feels no fewer than 23 Wounds and sees Brutus among the Conspirators Crassus for all his Bags shall be slain and scarce obtain a Shrowd to cover his Nakedness and so shall the valiant Pompey Sirnam'd the Great who tho' he got an old Shirt for a winding-Sheet Deaths of Roman Emperours yet he cou'd not be supply'd with Funeral-fire enough to consume his Body Lamentable was the Death of Mark Anthony and many other Emperours among the Romans Lewis the gentle afflicted with Amurath's Grave 3 Rebel Sons grieves to Death and has now no more to possess than just his length and breadth in the Earth and we find Charles the Great Bajazet had scarce a Coffin to bury him without Love or Honour House or Bread at his End I might name many others if you peruse Turky a little you shall find the mighty Amurath thrown down from the top of Victory and a Grave is now all his Riches You may see the renowned Bajazet who had hovered aloft like a Royal Eagle mewed up in an Iron Cage and the way to Darius and Alexander were both snatch'd away by unnatural Deaths go out of the World was so block'd up to him that he was forc'd to beat out his Brains against the Grates to invent a Death which was followed with so mean a Funeral that he had scarce a Coffin to bury him and but two Persons to carry him to his Grave And what better Fate had Darius and Alexander Heads of the Second and Third Monarchy for see how they knock'd one against another and both snatch'd away unnaturally I. Dunton is as frail and mortal as the greatest King alive and how little do they now possess of those many Kingdoms they were striving for I abound too much in these Examples yet I must not pass by the Monarchs of the World without their due Observance for tho' Kings be no Examples for private Men as they be Kings yet as they are Men they be especially as they are mortal Men and must dye like others Whilst I 'm viewing the Graves of Rich Men I forget that I 'm carrying to my own and therefore I hold it no Presumption to say I am as frail and mortal as the greatest King alive Thus have I prov'd that Death makes us equal with Kings and that I 'm as Rich in my Coffin as a dead Monarch But whilst I 'm viewing the Graves of these great Men I shall forget I 'm going to my own so 't is time now the
Sermon being ended to suppose me carrying to the new Burying-place where being brought to my Grave I I 'm now brought to my own Grave call it mine as I have paid for it the Parson declares Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great Mercy to take unto himself the Soul of our dear Brother here departed we therefore commit his Body to the Ground Earth to Earth Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust in sure The words used at the Burial of the Dead and certain Hope of the Resurrection to Eternal Life The Church in her Funerals of the Dead us'd to sing Psalms and to give Thanks for the delivery of the Soul from the Evils of this Life I think The Church in her Funerals of the Dead used to Sing Psalms and to give Thanks for the Delivery of the Soul from the Evils of this Life this a seasonable Devotion for Phil. now is cur'd of all Diseases and lies lovingly in the Bosom of his Mother Earth where my divided Parts in a few Years will revel in their loosned Motions which had before been crowded together in my sickly Composure and thus you see in my fleeting Life and Burial that Our Entrance and our Exit seem to meet Our Swadling Bands almost our Winding-Sheet Poor Man from Mother Earth does just arise Then looks abroad returns again and Dies Some Sixty Years perhaps with much ado Phil. lies lovingly in the Bosom of his Mother Earth He has prolong'd his tedious Life unto Then under Griefs and Cares he sinks away His Carcass mouldring into native Clay And now methinks I see the Bearers laying my Corpse as near to The Bearers laying my Corpse as near to the Bones of Iris as possible the Bones of Iris as possible and I suppose your Ladyship won't blame me for this part of my Will for Dr. Brown applauds those Tempers that desire to Sleep in the Urns of their Fathers and strive to go the nearest way to Corruption 'T was the late Request of a great Divine to lie by his Wife in Shore-ditch and for that Reason he was Buâ—yed there Sr. Nathaniel Barnardiston in his last Will desires his Executors that the See knowing our Friends in Heaven p. 54. Bones of his father might be digged out of the Earth where they were Buryed and laid by his own Body in a new Vault he order'd them to Erect for the same purpose that tho' he cou'd not Live with his Father as Sir Nathaniel Barnardiston and the Lady I. desire both to be Buried with their Father long as he wou'd have desir'd yet he design'd their Bodies shou'd lie together 'till the Resurrection The Lady I. made the same Request with respect to her Worthy Father and her Funeral Sermon tells us They lay down alike in the Dust. Neither is this fond Love any great Rarity for we read that in some Part of the Indies a Father of a Family being Dead the Law of the Country ordains that he be put in an Equipage for the other World and that such things as had been most dear unto him shou'd be Burned with him The best beloved of his Wives Dresseth In the Indies the Wives will be Burnt with their Husbands her self more Richly and with more care for Death than she had done for her Wedding-Feast the whole Kindred in Festival Garments Conduct her Solemnly to the Flaming-Pile and there she suffers her self to be Burnt with Ceremony with her Husband I am more desirous to be Buryed with Iris than these Indians were to be Burnt with their Husbands and I hope we shall rest in the same Grave 'till the Resurrection Here we must rest and where else shou'd we rest Is not a Man 's own House to Sleep in best If this be all our House they are to blame That Brag of the Great Houses whence they came What is my Father's House And what am I My Father's House is Earth where I must lie And I a Worm no Man that fit no Room 'Till like a Worm I crawl into my Tomb This is my dwelling this is my truest Home A House of Clay best sits a Guest of Lome Nay 't is my House for I perceive I have In all my Life ne'er dwelt out of a Grave The Womb was first my Grave whence since I rose My Body Grave like doth my Soul enclose That Body like a Corps with Sheets o'er spread Dying each Night lies Buried in my Bed O'er which my spreading Testers large extent Born with Carv'd Antiques makes my Monument And o'er my Head perchance such things may stand When I am quite run out in Dust and Sand. My close-low-Builded Chamber to my Eye Shews like a little Chappel where I lie While at my Window pretty Birds do Ring My Knell and with their Notes my Obiits Sing Thus when the Day 's vain Toil my Soul hath wearied I in my Body Bed and House lie Buried Then have I little cause to fear my Tomb When this wherein I live my Grave 's become So that a Grave and six Foot of Ground is all I can call my own some â—ome Athenian-Friend â—ay perhaps scatter â—me Lines â—n my Hearse and Mourning â—ay attend â—y Funeral â—ut nothing will tarry with me â—t my Grave Athenian-Friend perhaps on my Hearse will scatter some Lines and strew the Cloth with Rime Painting perchance may Guild some Flag or Banner and Stick it on my Coffin Musick may Sing my Dirge and tell the Mourners I lov'd that Art but when all is over nothing will tarry with me but my Grave And 't is most just for here I did receive them I found them when I came and here I leave them Neither the Things I want and others have Accompany their Owners to the Grave Will Beauty go Will Strength in Death appear Will Honour or Proud Riches tarry there They all say no for let grim Death draw near Beauty looks Pale and Strength doth faint for Fear There 's little Wealth or Pride in naked Bones And Honour sits on Cushions not cold Stones Nay ask our Friends that when we are in Health Wou'd Die for Love of us or for our Wealth Mark what they set their Hands to view it well Your Friend till Death but once dead Fare you well So that we are scarce sure of a Grave or were we sure of that 't is all 〈◊〉 Grave is â—ll that we â—an call our â—wn we can call our own for observe of a Man new Dead this was his Wife says one that was his Land This was his Brother That was He is a Wretch that won't part with the world when it lies in his way to Heaven his Building This was his Garden And thus they talk awhile of what WAS HIS but if we go to the Church-yard where his Body lies 't is said this IS HIS GRAVE and not his Friends so that when we are Dead we are sure of something but 't is only
total Dissolution of the Body the Soul is freed from any more sinning and all the sufferings of this Life a Condition much to be desir'd by all but those that are so blind to take their Misery for their Happiness and dore upon this present Life and such there are and ever was of whom St. Austin in amazement speaks when he says At what cost and labour do Men endeavour to prolong their Labours and by how many frights to fly Death to the end they may be able to fear it for the longer time 'T is true since Death was at first laid on Man as a penalty it must be allow'd to be that which Nature in it self abhors but God whose very Punishments are the effects of his Mercy and Goodness has ordain'd it to be the means to procure our Happiness both to wean our Affections from too much love of this Life and also to bring us to the possession of a better which if truly understood would more than overcome our natural aversion it wou'd make us long to be dissolv'd at least willing to die at our appointed time for those that believe and hope for a glorious Resurrection should they regret in Death the loss of their Bodies 't would look like the impertinent Folly of one that shou'd lament the loss of the Egg that was become a Chicken for sure it is for us to desire to be always what we are is to oppose the perfection of our Natures and speaks us degenerated to the lowest degree of Brutality Could we obtain a true Judgment of our selves we should like the Man you mention think it more Eligible to end than begin our Life again and 't is a great sign we have never labour'd for Heaven and Happiness when we are not weary enough to wish for Rest but like Children that pass their Day in trifling Follies are never weary but must be forced to Bed or else deluded to it by a false hope some such deceits are found for cheating Men as much as Children and often sends 'em to rest before they think on 't tho' were they not as insensible as Death it self can make 'em they cou'd scarce think of any thing else amongst the many Monitors the World affords us but yet I wonder how you can think it an easie matter to humble the preposterous Pride of Man 't is not the sight of a Funeral can do it nor yet your humbling Uerses he carefully secures his Pride from all Assaults while he lives and charges it to carry it to his Grave so dearly he loves it as his best Companion without which all worldly Enjoyments would be insipid and give him more pain than pleasure for Pride is the chief Ingredient in all our Pleasures to make 'em desirable and for that reason they do well to keep the thoughts of Death at an humble distance from their Pride for Death's the greatest Enemy it can encounter which first or last will get the Victory for how many Persons are in Mourning half their Life time for the Death of Pride Those who lament the loss of Youth the loss of Beauty or of Grandeur 't is all but Funeral sorrow for the loss of Pride the dear Companion of Beauty Youth and Grandeur which is gone before 'em but if that will satisfie 'em they shall soon follow This we must needs observe in the Death of our Friends and Relations who once enjoy'd this Life as much as we do yet cou'd not baffle Death but were forc'd to yield to his Summons which are so Arbitrary we have no Rule to take our Measures by to prevent surprize 't is therefore best to be always ready to entertain Death's Harbingers and make every thing our Monitor and almost all we see and converse with are naturally dispos'd to do us that courtesie wou'd we give leave for there is so much truth in what you call an Active Death that more of Death than Life appears in the imperfection of all humane Actions For Example Your ringing your Passing-Bell your laying your self out speaking your last Words describing your Looks and your Spouses Sentiments upon your Death and sight of you are very like the Dream of those that are under the Image and Similitude of Death and probably like Dreams may come to pass by contrarys For the Circumstances of your Death may differ so much from what you make account of that it may not permit you to Pray that Prayer you have prepared for obtaining the blessing to see and know again your Spouse in Heaven but let not this fright you for you may yet have this comfort If it is none of the Joys that belongs to Heaven you 'll be happy without it but if it is the common Blessing belongs to all beatified Spirits you 'll not want it Nor can I see the least reason to count our Death because 't is strange a dismal and mysterious Change for what shou'd we fear since there 's no being unhappy in God's Hands Had he never discover'd to us the Joys of another Life we have tasted so much of his Goodness in this as may well assure us there is nothing to expect but Happiness wherever he sends us for Death Sin and Misery was no portion of his providing 't was of our own procuring by Rebelion therefore 't is no matter what we are nor whether we go if we can leave Sin behind us How Beautiful were we made at first to enjoy an earthly Paradice till Rebellion and Sin changed all into misery and deformity But now how glorious shall we be made at the Resurrection to fit us for a heavenly Life where we are out of all possibility of any change for we are in no danger to forfeit that Life since all the Conditions we hold it by are already fulfilled for us You may well think what a bright and serene Morning the Resurrection will make and long for it at a great rate therefore to be provided for your happy Change is your chief care when you are once about to die you won't stay to be ask'd the least Question about your Funeral or disposing your Estate for you have not only made your Will but order'd every Circumstance of your funeral The Care and Fondness you shew for your Epitaph and the rich Monument you bequeath your self may very justly be imputed to your loving temper for had Iris been still alive you had never had such hot Thoughts and Concern for your cold Grave where you are laid in your Imagination with a Pleasure not inferiour to Kings and to assert your title to that Priviledge can prove your self as frail and mortal as the greatest Monarch alive But tho' you might think it necessary to make some Friendship and Acquaintance with Death before you fall into his Hands I can't see so much use of the Contemplation of your Funeral for to me 't is a care I shall never charge my Thoughts with but as I live and die Incognito so I wou'd
be buried and so wou'd you I 'm perswaded were it not to shew your Friends how much you valu'd a Wife that lov'd you but having such a President as Iacob you can't be thought vain or prodigal if like him you erect a Monument in Memory of your fair Wife and happy Marriage for 't is an imperfect Felicity according to the World that is but little known or talk'd of I am secured from mistaking the Person of your Executor by the Character you give him there are so few comes near that resemblance from whom you may well promise your self a speedy performance of your Will But how sluggish must that Vertue be that such an Encomium as you have made upon the Fidelity of a Friend in that occasion cou'd not animate with Life and Spirits to put every thing in execution for the Love and Honour of his deceased Friend I can't disapprove your Sentiment that 't is the truest Charity to your Presumptive Heir rather to leave him a necessary Instruction to Reflect upon and do him good than your Estate that will do him harm and the Character you give the Person you leave it to will extremely justifie your choice Your other Legacies are very generous and in particular to me who have done nothing for you equal to so kind a Concern but it seems to be your design to exceed all Persons Deserts I wish that be all for your leaving the Athenians and me Mourning looks as if you were resolv'd to engross to your self the sole advantage of living and dying Incognito and had sound out the way to discover us to the World for now we are not known but guess'd at for wherever Wit and Modesty appears in one Person he is presently suspected for one of the Athenians and perhaps some Woman may be supposed to be the honourable Lady if she is once discover'd to abound in her own Sense which are marks so near the Truth there needs no more than putting on Mourning for a Friend when all the Town knows you are dead to make a perfect discovery of those Persons who had liv'd till then unknown but I 'm more enclin'd to impute it to the great â—aste you made to have all your Business and dying Solemnity over thaâ— you might the sooner satisfie your longing desire to be happy with Iâ—is which may very well excuse your oversight of the danger your Kindness expos'd us to But I am to seek for the Reason of your giving so much for the Preaching your Funeral Sermon when you have but two Vertues to be commended and which in reality are none for what Vertue is there in abhorring Covetousness and Backbiting when all your Sufferings are owing to those two Vices 'T is but too Natural and far from a Vertue to hate your Enemies which they both are for the one keeps you from paying your Debts the other makes you pass for a Hypocrite However the Minister is not to deserve his Legacy for the Commendations he gives you but you are satisfied if a Sermon is Preach'd for the Benefit of your surviving Friends which is all it can pretend to when 't is the best perform'd nor is any thing more design'd in the Highest Elogiums that are given to any Persons Vertues 't is but to recommend 'em to our Imitation with the more advantage and as Humble and Modest as it looks in many Persons that decline the having funeral Sermons for fear there should be some mistaken Honour paid to their reputed Vertues I see but little Reason for it If in our Life-time We must let our Light shine that Men may see our good Works notwithstanding the Danger it may prove to our â—ailty then why at our Funerals may not God have the Glory of our good Works and our Friends the Benefit of having our Vertue proposed to their Imitation with all the just Praise it deserves for the better prevailing And as it is the most proper occasion for Instruction 't is pity any Consideration shou'd disappoint it I am of Opinion you might have spar'd your Ring and Inscription to Valeria for should she follow your Counsel it would deprive her of all the Satisfaction she should take in her Iointure when it fell to her for at present 't is only the Hopes of it that makes her cheerfully undergo all the Misfortunes relating to herself and her Dear Spouse whose Absence she is forced to bear having no means to redress this Ill but by a greater for she likes her Iointure just as it is and had rather endure any Misery than ever consent to make it better or worse Knowing this as you do let me tell you 't is a little unkind to order the cutting down the Woods which will not only alter but deform the Beauty of it and she may come to repent all the Sorrows she has endured for the Love of it But perhaps you 'll say you are as scrupulous of paying your Debts aâ— she of not breaking her Vow and she can't in Conscience but commend you for it all this alleged of both sides it seems to put it more in her Power than yours to procure a Remedy and 't is a little strange since She adheres so strictly to her Church as not willing to have a Grave out of their Bosom she should not have the Benefit of their Counsel in that difficult Affair but is left to her self to suffer so much Misery for want of a right Iudgment in the Case of a rash and unlawful Vow therefore you need take no more concern if things remain in the same State they are now till you Die you can't oblige her more than to leave her to her Iointure You are very kind to your Summer friends and give 'em great Gifts were they not accompany'd with so many Reproaches all thing consider'd you have no such Reason 't is possible to make so good a use of their Ingratitude as may turn more 〈◊〉 Advantage than all the Services of your tried Friends for they are 〈◊〉 only Persons can teach us to abhor in our selves what we see so odious 〈◊〉 them for to reflect upon our own Ingratitude to God how humble and modest should it make us in exacting Gratitude to us poor sinful Morâ— who never think how much we are indebted to God's Favour and Gooâ— for all the means he gives us of helping others and we ought to esteeâ— the Services we do 'em as special Blessings Heaven bestows upon us and recâ—on 'em as good Offices which those Persons have done us in procuring us those Favours nor can their want of Ackowledgment do us the least Injury for if you look into your self to see with what Mind you serv'd 'em and find you had no Worldly respects in it but was carried to it by a Châ—itable sense of their Wants and respect to your Duty they then by there Ingratitude turn you over to God for your Reward and how much better is that then the best of their Acknowledgments but if your sole aim had been to 〈◊〉 'em to you that they might repay you in the same Coin how well you deserve to lose so vain a Reward but should it have been a fawning and pretended Affection that deluded you a Misfortune Men of your Loving and Charitable Temper are most liable 〈◊〉 you have ample amends made you by shewing you the World is â—l'd with false Appearanceâ— and 't is a Folly to rely on humane Comâ—ts for Change of fortune changes friends for the most part All you haâ—e to regret is that your Pains and Cost should be so far lost as that the Kindness you intended should be turn'd to an Injury by making 'em Guilty of so black a Crime yet could you once put 'em into possession of the good Qualities you Bequeath 'em many might have cause to thank you and none will ever after be troubled with your 〈◊〉 But what ever your Thoughts are in my Opinion you have less reason to expect all should approve than to be surpriz'd that some should blame the Publishing your private Case who ever appeals to the World must resolve to stand the shock of many a harsh Judgment and tho' it looks like Vindicating our selves the Event makes it quite another thing ' tâ—s much more like a Design to find out an infallible way to be truly humbled for all our Faults and Fraâ—lties they will find so many Chastilers amongst the Rash the Envious and the Impertinent as will make 'em know themselves but if you your self judge you have done well in Publishing your Case as also your Friends who know your Reasons for so doing what need you heed the Judgment of those who can only judge by the Success not knowing but guessing at your Motives for it But if some Persons shall declaim against the Pains you have taken to Bury your self and say 't is a meet Whim they must then look upon the Presidents you have brought of so many great and good Men that have thought it necessary to fortifie 'em against the Fear of Death which the soft Pleasures of their Condition is apt to represent as the greatest of all Evils But this is not your Case you are sick of this Life and are impatient for a Change but for all that in this treacherous and deceitful World you think 't is good to be provided of a funeral Essay to remind you of Death least some tâ—e or other you may be Tâ—mpted to forget it as you see others who are so taken up with observing your Faults after you are Dead and Buried in your Cell which in Charity they ought to cover but true Mortification is insensible which Happiness I wish yoâ— Whâ— aâ— your c. FINIS
a Grave Then what a Wretch is he that won't part with the World when it lies in his way to Heaven for he can neither carry it with him or use above six foot on 't when he is Dead or scarce so much for the Chimistry of Cardan Misers gripe at all the World but it slips thro' their Fingers and leaves nothing but Dust. found but six Dunces of Dust in the Ashes of a Calcin'd Body We brought nothing into this World and can carry nothing out but Worldlings ne'er consider this and therefore like Men that clasp at Spirits they catch nothing but Air they gripe at all the World to satisfie their Avarice but it slips through their Fingers and leaves nothing but Dust. But as great a Vanity as this is we find Covetousness to be the only Sin grows young as Men grow old Old Men have their Coverousness natural to 'em their Blood is cak'd and cold and Nature as it grows again toward Old Men have their Covetousness Natural to 'em Earth is fashion'd for the Iourney dull and heavy The nearer Death we grow in Years the more scraping we are and this Sneaking-Vice Drowns not till we Sink and I don't wonder at it for Dying-men will grasp at all they see while they see any thing but when their Senses fail Covetousness is the only Sin grows Young as Men grow Old then Farewell Riches the World 's too heavy then they let it fall Tho' we were misery all our Days yet when we expire we spread our Palms and let the World slip by but when ev'ry thing else is gone the Grave remains And in this Cell I shall lie hid with Iris till the Resurrection Lie still where thou art John for th' quiet o'th'Nation Nor can'st thou stir more without slat Conjuration Being now laid to sleep with my Dear a Marble-Tomb was to be our Blankets for Tombs are the Cloaths of the Dead but we shall get Iris and Phil. being laid to sleep they want the Marble for their Blankets no Cold if we wait for ' em However as I lived and died in a Cell so to shew I 'd be still Incognito I 'll here Write my Epitaph and then as one expresses it If no Man goes to Bed 'till he Dies nor ' wakes 'till the Resurrection Good-night t' ye here and Good-morrow hereafter Dunton's Epitaph on himself HEre lies his Dust who chiefly aim'd to know Dunton's Epitaph on himself Himself and chose to Live Incognito He was so great a Master of that Art He understands it now in ev'ry Part But tho' 't was Solitude he did so prize He has it least whil'st in this Cell he lies For whil'st depriv'd my dearest Life of thee The World was all an Hermitage to me But mixt with Iris nought can lonesome be My Name inquire not for thou must not know For Phil. desired when he from hence did go That he might allways lie Incognito Thus Man goeth to his long home and the Mourners go about the Man goes to his long home streets Ring the Bells for Dunton is Dead and Buryed that is as Mr. Uincent's Friends make a PULPIT of his Grave for on his Tomb-stone are Ring the Bells for Dunton is Dead and Buried these Words Immortal Souls to benefit and save I thus have made a Pulpit of my Grave So I have endeavour'd to make An Essay on my own Funeral which I have been only burying my self in Effigie being a Representation of what will be done when I 'm Dead whereas I 'm yet alive 't is excusable if I have follow'd their Examples who fill their Maps with Fancies of their own Brains But tho' I have been only burying my self in Effigie yet having a longing desire to be happy with Iris which When I dye in earnest I hope the thoughts of my Death Funeral will be no more terrible to me than 't is now in Speculation I can't be but by dying 't is no matter how soon my Dying Solemnity were over and when I come to dye in earnest I hope the thoughts of my Death and Funeral will be no more terrible to me then 't is now in Speculation 'T was said Philostratus liv'd Seven Years in his own Tomb that he might be acquainted with it That Death may become thus Familiar to me I 'll walk every Day with Ioseph a turn or two in my Garden with Death and with Herbet as often dress out my own Hearse I wou'd be so well acquainted with Death as impatiently to desire it not that I wou'd dye of an Appoplexy by a private Stab or any sudden Death From sudden Philostratus liv'd 7 Years in his Tomb. Death good Lord deliver me for whenever I dye I wou'd have so much notice that I may leave nothing behind me that I shou'd take to Heaven with me not that I wou'd be deliver'd from sudden Death in respect of it self Of sudden Death for I care not how short my passage be so it be safe Never any weary Traveller complain'd that he came too soon to his Journies end but I wou'd not have a sudden Death so as to be surpriz'd beforo I 'm summon'd However The Divine Herbert drest out his own Hearse dye I wou'd and as pleasant a sight as Valeria may think my funeral I did not care how soon she saw it as here describ'd for then she 'll have more I can't say enough of the World and I 'm sick on 't and wou'd fain change I wou'd leave nothing behind me that I shou'd take to Heaven with me it for Heaven 'T is true the Mannour of Sampsil is a fine sight but he that looks up to Heaven will not care for the World Oh how amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts One Day in thy Courts is better than a Thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of God than live any longer in this vile World there 's nothing in it but Vanity Disappointments and black Ingratitude then oh that I was stript into a naked Spirit and set My Passionate Desire to be stript into a naked Spirit ashore in a better World Why lingrest thou bright Lamp of Heaven Why Do thy Steeds tread so slowly on must I Be forc'd to live when I desire to dye Lash thou those lasie Iades drive with full speed And end my slow pac'd Days that I may feed With Ioy on him for whom my Heart doth Bleed Post blessed Iesus Come Lord flee away And turn this Night into the brightest Day By thine approach come Lord and do not stay Take thou Doves Wings or give Doves Wings to me That I may leave this World and come to thee And ever in thy glorious Presence be I like not this bile World it is meer Dross Thou only art pure Gold then sure 't is loss To be without the Throne t' enjoy a Cross. What tho' I must pass through the Gates of
Death It is to come to thee that gav'st me Breath And thou art better Lord than Dunghil Earth When shall I come Lord tell me tell me when What must I tarry Threestore Years and Ten My thirsty Soul cannot hold out till then Come dearest Saviour come unlock this Cage Of sinful Flesh lovingly stop the Rage Of my Desires and thou my Pilgrimage Thus have I finish'd the Essay on my own Funeral and have prov'd to I have now finish'd the Essay on my Funeral your Ladyship that my Cell being an Emblem of Death is the fittest place to prepare for Heaven To get ready for Death and the Grave is a matter of great Consequence and no place so fit for it as a Cell where there 's no interruption I don't wonder that ev'ry Man commends Timon for his No place so fit to prepare for Death as a Cell hating of Men for we find so much danger in being in Company that even Adam cou'd not live one Day in it and live Innocent the first News we hear of him after Eve was Associate to him was that he had forfeited his Native Purity for having met with a Female she strait seduc'd him Adam cou'd not live one day in Company live innocent And what follows Why now he must return to that ground out of which he was taken Then being born to dye I love my Cell as 't will transmit me to the Darkness and Oblivion of the Grave and remind me of my own Funeral Neither is this describing my own Funeral without a President for we read of several that have Bury'd themselves in Effigie Being born to dye I love my Cell and have learn'd to dye at their own Funerals The Emperour Adrian entr'd into his Empire by the Port of his Tomb he Celebrates himself his own Funerals and is led in Triumph to his Sepuchre Several that have bury'd themselves in Effigie Now wâ— the Peoples Expectation high For wonted Pomp and glittering Chivalry But lo their Emp'rour doth invite 'em all Not to a Shew but to his Funeral This was self Victory and deserveth more Than all the Conquests he had won before The Emperour Adrian Celebrates himself his own Fun'ral Proud Spirits be ye Spectators of this Funeral Pomp which this great Monarch Adrian Celebrates to Day He invites the Heaven and the Earth to his Exequies since in their view he accompanies his Portraid Skeleton unto the Tomb his Body conducts thither its Shadow the Original the painted Figure Charles the 5th Maximilian the Emperour of the East and several others have done the like till a Metamorphosis be made both of one and the other Oh glorious Action where Garlands of Cypress dispute the Preheminence with Laurel and Palm But Adrian is not the only Person that has been buried in Essigie for Charles the Fifth long before the Resignation of his Empire caus'd a Sepulchre to be made him with all its funeral Furniture which was privately carryed about with him wherever he went Maximilian the Emperour did the same and wou'd often follow his Coffin to the Grave in a Solemn Manner We also read that Iohn Patriarch of Alexandria while he was Living and in Health caus'd his Monument to be Built but not to be Finisht for this Reason that upon solemn Days when he performed Divine-Service he might be put in mind by some of the Clergy in these Words Sir your Monument is yet unfinish'd command it to be finisht for to Morrow you 're to Celebrate your own Funeral When the Emperrour of the East was newly chosen no Person had Liberty to speak to him before the Stone-Cutter had shew'd him several sorts of Marble Genebald Bp of Laudanum lay in a Bed made like a Coffin The Study of Vertue is the best Preparation for Death and ask'd him of which his Majesty wou'd be pleas'd to have his Monument made And many others in perfect Health have thus attended their own Funerals Genebald Bp. of Laudanum lay in a Bed made like a Coffin for 7 Years together and â—da a Woman of great Piety long before her Death caus'd her Coffin to be made which twice a Day she filled with Bread and Meat and gave to the Poor And certainly the Study of Vertue is the best Preparation for Death But we need not look into Ancient Times for Persons that have provided for their own funerals when our present Age abounds with so many Instances of this Nature I shall first Instance in the Reverend Mr. Baxter who Dates most of his Books from the Brink of the Grave Being in Mr. Baxter drew up his own Funeral Sermon my Quarters says this Pious Divine far from home but so extreme Languishing by the sudden loss of about a Gallon of Blood and having no Acquaintance about me nor any Book but my Bible and Living in continual Expectation of Death I bent my Thoughts on my everlasting Rest and because my Memory through extreme Weakness was imperfect I took my Pen In his Book called The Saints everlasting Rest. and began to draw up my own funeral Sermon or some Helps for my own Meditations of Heaven to sweeten both the rest of my Life and my Death I cou'd next tell your Ladyship of a Gentleman who Markt all his Plate with a Death's-head My own Mother would often visit that Grave where she desir'd to the Buried Mr. Thorp being in Debt Other late Instances of Pious-men who have kept their Coffins by ' em retreats to the Mint where he falls to Writing a Poem on himself which he calls a Living-Clegy and invites all his Creditors to his Funeral to lament his Death I have no Reason to do this for I have taken that care that if any come to my Funeral that I 'm oblig'd to they may have Cause rather to lament the loss of my Life than any thing they can lose by me Mr. Stephens of Lothbury kept his Coffin by him several Years Mrs. Parry of Monmouth did the same and so did Mrs. Collins 'till Mr. Thorp's Living-Esegy her Husband was Buryed in it I don't pretend to live up to these Examples but I 've already purchast a â—rave and in these Sheets I 'm following my Hearse to it and I hope this Essay on my Funeral will remind Mr. Stephens kept a Memento of Death in his own House me of Death when I 'm most Tempted to forget it but that I may not I shall ev'ry Day my self make funeral Processions I mean visit in Meditation every Hour my Grave There is no fooling with Life when 't is once turn'd beyond Thirty and therefore I wou'd now Dâ—lly Celebrate my own Funeral and invite to my Exequies Ambition Avarice and all other I would now daily Celebrate my own Funeral Passions wherewith I may be attainted to the end that I may be a Conquerour even by my own proper Defeat For when a Man yields to the Meditation of