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
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
thus sharp upon their poor Debtors For in the whole Course and Frame of Nature we see that nothing is made for it self but each hath a Bond of Duty of Use or of Service by which it is Indebted to others The SUN by his splendor to enlighten all the World by his warmth and heat iâ— cherish and comfort each living and vegetable Creature Yea even Man the Lord of the Creation is so framed of God that not only his Country his Parents and his Friends claim a share in him but he is also indebted to his Hound and to his Ox the one for Hunting for his pleasure and the other for labouring for his profit and therefore a good Man is merciful to his Beast His Iudgment Wit Discretion he hath them for others as much as for himself and as to his WEALTH he han't a Penny but what he 's accountable for But such is the mystery of this Stewardship where even GOD himself is Debtor and Mail Creditor for is it not said He that hath pity on the Poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will be pay him again Prov. 19. 17. That present payment is the least and worst the Lender oweth more then the Receiver the Poor whose Prayers are heâ—rd bestowing more then he receiveth and his Box is more the Rich Mans Treasury than his own Then wou'd we have a Policy on Heaven of our uncertain Riches we must make the Poor our Insurers Sure I am evâ—ry Man stands in need of this Advice seeing had he the Riches of Solomon whose Wealth was so Great that it wou'd puzzle our Accomplants to find New Names for Sums of all we may say as he said of the Ax Head that fell off to Elijah the Prophet 2. Kings 6. 5. Alas Master it is but borrowed Do â—ou Ouaâ— such a one rich saith Seneca because of his â—ich Sumpter Horse or because he has a Plow going in ev'ry Province or for his large Account-Book oâ— sâ—ch large Possessions near the City When you have said all he is Poor But you will say why Why because â—e oweth all unless you make a difference between borrowing from Men and from Providence Then let not him that has lost an Estate Mourn for another lost it before he had it perchance if he had not lost it now it had lost him for ever and therefore in such a Case as this let us rather think what we have escaped then lost And what we Owe rather than what we are Even Kings owe Protection to their Loyal Subjects and their Subjects of all Ranks owe Allegiance to their Sovereign Lord Our Lands and Lives if we are Loyal are the Kings and nothing can we call our own but Death Then again let us look into our selves and see how our constitutive parts are Debtors each to other The Soul doth quicken and give Life to the Body and the Body like an Automaton as one expresses it doth move and carry it self and the Soul Again if we Survey Man in his parts the Eye sees for the Foot the Foot standeth for the Hand the Hand toucheth for the Mouth the Mouth tasteth for the Stomach the Stomach eateth for the whole Body the Body repayeth again that Nutriment which it hath received to all the parts discharging the Retriments by the Port Esquiline and all this as an Eminent Physician observes in so comely an Order and by a Law so certain and in so due a time as if Nature had rather Man shou'd not have been at all then not to be a Debtor in every part of him The ALCHIMISIS who promise to themselves to turn Tin into Silver and Copper into Gold how will they be transported out of themselves with Joy if they shou'd but see a happy issue of their attempt How much more a Creditor when he shall recover a desperate Debt It is like the Joy of a Father that receives his lost Child Again He that is in Debt hath this great Priviledge above other Men that his Creditors pour out Hearty Prayers for him they wish that he may Live Thrive Prosper and grow Rich and all for their own Advantage They seem to be careful for their Debtors that they may not lose the many Hundreds they owe them Witness those usurers of Rochel who when they heard that the Interest of Money was fallen went and hang'd themselves for Grief and truly Madam I can't altogether blame 'em for most Men owe not only there Learning to their Plenty but likewise their Vertue and their Honesty For how many Thousands live now in the World in great Reputation for their Honest and Just Dealings with all Mankind who if they were put to their Shifts as others as Honestly inclin'd are wou'd soon lose their Reputation â—ea turn Rogues and Knaves too as the Vulgar think and generally ca lt such as are not able to pay their Debts I question not but Want and self Preservation for Hunger will break through Stone Walls wou'd put some of them upon those very hard Shifts they now blame so much in others But for all they are so often put to their Shifts I must say this to the HONOUR OF DEBTORS that they have a great Influence over their Creditors they become in a manner their Land-Lords to whom they Cringe Kneel as if they did owe them all Imaginable Services and are as Ambitious of their Debtors Favours as they who in King Charles's Reign did carress the Royal-Misses to attain the Lives of their Condemn'd Friends or some Place at Court. Without DEBT AND LOAN the Fabrick of the World will be dis-jointed and fall asunder into its first Chaos I might first Instance in what it owes for Drink For as Cowly tells us The Thirsty Earth soaks up the Rain And Drinks and gapes for Drink again The Plants such in the Earth and are The Sea it self which one wou'd think Shou'd have but little need of Drink Drinks Ten Thousand Rivers up So fill'd that they o'er flow the Cup. The busie Sun and one wou'd guess By 's Drunken fiery Face no less Drinks up the Sea and when h 'as done The Moon and Stars drink up the Sun They drink and dance by their own Light They drink and Revel all the Night Nothing in Nature's sober found But an ETERNAL HEALTH goes Round And if the World Runs thus in Debt for Bubb what does it owe for its other Supports Or rather what does it not owe For first the Beauty of the Stars what wou'd it be but Vastness and Deformity if the Sun did not lend 'em Light The Earth wou'd remain unfruitful if it did not borrow Refreshing Dews from the Watery Signs and Planets The Summer is pleasant and promiseth great hopes of Plenty but it is because it taketh up much upon Trust from the Friendly and Seasonable Temperament of the Elements And to say the Truth there is NOTHING GOOD or GREAT in the World but that it BORROWETH something from others to
on our Portion of Eternity nay we even form our Words with the Breath of our Nostrils and we have the less time to live wan't we dead already Eor ev'ry word we speak I say it again wa n't we dead already for Anaxagoras undertook to prove what 〈◊〉 we call Life is actual Death and that what we call Death is Life And as I am dead as dead as I 've here described so if I take a view of my My Father Mother c. and most of my Friends are dead Generation and Friends about me tho I enjoy them a while I find at last they follow the necessity of their Generation and are finally removed some by Age some by Sickness and some by casualty what a Bubble what a nothing What a wink of Life is Man Most of my Friends are gone and all by Death My Father is gone in one Friend my Mother in another Dear Ben in another Daphne the MATCHLESS DAPHNE in another Harris in another Showden in another and S. Darker in another the Delight of mine Eyes the pleasure of my Ears the Fellow of my Bed The Servants of my House my old School-fellows are either all gone or much impair'd Time was their Race but newly was begun Whose Glass is run They on the Troubled Sea were heretofore ' Tho now on Shore And 't is not long before it will be said Of me as 't is of them Alas he 's dead Now when I consider the Diminution I daily suffer in this kind methinks I stand as Aaron once did in the Camp betwixt the Living and the Dead and while I reflect on my self I find I so participate of both that I am indeed but half alive and half dead for half my Body by reason of the Stone c is dead and hath already taken Seizin of the Grave for me And as I hinted before I 'm half alive and half dead Five Parts of my Relations are dead the Companion also and Fellows of my Apprentiship are gone before So that if I wou'd adhere to the greater number as Many so in Factions I must repair to the Dead if I en't with 'em already for my Habitation My own Body moulders apace and the very top and Cover my THATCH above turns Colour grows Gray and withers But tho' my Friends are dead and I 'm dying apace my self yet I am so much My Body moulders apace the same with my Reverend Father which I dare not say of the other Persons I have here mention'd that he cannot die whilst I am alive THE youthful Blood that beat the winding Maze Within your Veins gave length unto my Days The active Heat distil'd a crimson Dew Through those warm Limbecks and made Me of you That to such full proportion I am grown People do still Me for Your Figure own Then since I have deriv'd a part from Thee Thou canst not dye whilst Thou hast part in Me. Thus Sabina having given you some general thoughts on my Death and Funeral I shall next lay my self out for Dead for I 'm now supposing what will I 'm now laying my self out for Dead happen one time or other And now when my Breath is gone my Eyes closed the Bell toll'd and my Body coffin'd up for the Grave where wou'd I have my Soul whether in Heaven or in Hell Sure not in Hell least I shou'd want Lazarus to cool my Tongue but in Heaven where there be Rivers of Pleasures c. I thus descend to a particular Application of Death to my self for the common No fight so terâ—ible as to see a man breathing his last sounds of Death-post's through our Ears without any stop whereas the seeing a Dead Friend the Spectacle thereof by a self Application Inns even in our Hearts Much more then shou'd the Representation of our own Deaths affect us for there 's no sight more Terrible then to see a Man breathing his last but It must be done my Soul tho' 't is a strange A dismal and mysterious change When thou shalt leave this Tenement of Clay And to an unknown Some-where wing away When Time shall be Eternity and thou how Shalt be thou know'st not what and live thou know'st not When Life 's close Knot by Writ from Destiny Disease shall cut or Age untye When after some delays some dying strife The Soul stands shivering on the ridge of Life With what a dreadful curiosity Does she lanch out into the Sea of vast Eternity Norris My Soul and Body Two old Friends being now parting methinks I see how The parting of Soul and Body my Mind wou'd fain utter it self and cannot for Respiration or Breathing is thus perform'd The outward Air is drawn in by the vocal Artery and sent by the mediation of the Midriffe to the Lungs which dilating themselves as a pair of Bellows reciprocally fetch it in and send it out to the Heart to cool it and from thence now being hoâ— convey it again still taking in fresh but How the Body is encoldned to a Fashionable Clay these Organs being now quite disabled the Spirits shrink inward and retire to the vanquish't Heart as if like Sons prest from an Indulgent-Father they wou'd come for a sad Farewell while that in the mean time pants with afrighting pangs and the hands and feet being the most remote from it are by degrees encoldned to a Fashionable Clay as if Death crept in at the Nails and by an insensible surprize suffocated the invirond Heart Curiously didst thou make me saith David in the lowest parts of the Earth but now to see those Elements which compounded made the Body to see them thus divided and the Man dissolved is a rueful fight And now methinks I see all my Friends like conduits dropping Teares about me while I neither know my wants nor they my cure Nay now my very Doctor tho' the most able Physitian I know in London stands as one that gaâ—es at a Comet which he can reach with nothing but his Eye alone To see The Doctor knows not what to prescribe all this happen to one whose Conversation has endear'd him to us is very dreadfull Oh the Pangs I felt when Iris was breathing her last for even then she lay uttering such Expressions as these I 'll love thee as long as I live Thou art a dear Child to me I pray God bless my Dear Yok-fellow and give him Grace I pray thoe give him grace to live so here as he may live What 's meant by a Lightning before Death with thee hereafter And all this she utter'd at the Time when she was actualy dying Which we found to be a Lightning before Death t is observed of sick Persons that a little before they die their Pains leave them and their Understanding and Memory retuns to them as a Candle just before it goes out gives a great Blaze This is what is call'd a Lightning before Death Iris had a kind of
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
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
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
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
thing so the Athenian Itch chiefly affects the Ear and 't is no small Misfortune that this Mental Itch shou'd lie more in the Ears than in any other part of the Body For the Ears are the Doors of the Soul without these we were but Artificial Creatures Men only in shew Hence we know we discourse we believe we learn to speak to God and hear God speak to us without these we cou'd not speak nor know nor understand In a word by these under God we are what we are Then e'nt it pity such useful Organs shou'd be defil'd with the Athenian Distemper But so it is and I scarce know a Man but has itching Ears I was pester'd with this Itch for 5 years my self witness the Athenian Mercury which continued for that time but being cured I wou'd do my best to cure others more especially those Nice Querists that my Athenian Mercury has any ways infected But I undertake the Cure of these Men with small hopes of Success for tho with common things Men are little affected while Moses doth only what the Magicians can he is slighted yet Men are taken with something that is not ordinary All Samaria will run out to see a Man can tell them all that ever they did and I doubt whether the Apostles drew not more after their Miracles than their Doctrine when they begin to heal and cast out Devils once Simon Magus will be one too But this Athenian Itch is Destructive to Soul and Body when Adam wou'd better his knowledge he lost his dwelling in Paradise and when those Builders of Babel wou'd mend their Dwelling they lost their knowledg The Itch of finding the Philosophers Stone or of being great or pointed at how many hath it undone For my share I will never more care to be or to know that which I know shall repent me What Honour is it to Iames the Second that he was once King or to me in my Private Cell that I ha' once been Some-body 'T is clear that in some Cases and some things a Man may know too much It is not good to be prying into the Privy Councels of God St. Austin being asked what God did before he made the World Answered He was making a Hell for such Curious Inquirers Thus dealt Demaratus with a Curious and Importunate Fellow that had oftentimes asked of him Who was the honestest man in Sparta He that resembleth thee least quoth he unto him The Answer also of an Egyptian was not unsitly made to one that sk'd him What he carryed there folded It is wrapt up quoth he because thou shouldest not know what it is A vain Curiosity is hateful and greatly to be blamed in every one The Example of Socrates is very memorable and to be imitated who being demanded What the World was Answered That since be had any Judgment he gave himself to seek out the True Knowledge of Himself which yet he cou'd never find But so soon as he had attained thereunto then he wou'd seek for other things that wou'd do him no Service or Pleasure And Aristotle burn'd with such a desire of Curiosity in understanding the Causes of Natural Things that because he cou'd not know and conceive the Cause and Nature of the Flowing and Ebbing of the Sea flung himself into it And I liny the Elder whilst he was over-curious in searching out the Cause of the Burning Aetna was burned therein There are others also no less hurtful who have been such Curious Inquisitors of the Causes of all Natural Things that through frivolous and unprofitable Questions they have fallen into that Impiety as to seek for another beginning of all things than God whereupon this Proverb arose Of Three Physicians one Atheist Neither are they less to be blamed who hearken and enquire so curiously after other mens Faults and Imperfections This Cariosity says Plutarch is commonly joyned wich Envy and Evil-speaking and is by that Excellent Philosopher compared to Adultery which may be called a Curious Enquiry after another Bodies pleasure If there be any One Imperfection in a Stock or Kindred if any Infamy Fault Error or Evil Government in a House it is the Delight of Curious Folks to learn that throughly that they may sport themselves and tell long Stories of them by that means using their Memory for a Loathsome Register of other Mens Vices and yet neither see or know any Fault of their own And therefore Diogenes beholding one of his Scholars in a publick place talking very earnestly with a Young Man that was thought to be Leâ—d demanded what Talk they had To whom the Scholar answered That the other rehearsed unto him a Notable Trick of Youth which his Brother had played the Night before Then Diogenes said to them both My will and pleasure is that each of you have 40 Stripes with a Whip within the Amphitheatre thou quoth he to his Scholar for giving Ear unto him and he for the Folly related because a Philosopher deserves as much for hearkening to Folly recited as doth the Vagabond that rehearseth it And certainly to shun all Curious Enquiry into others Imperfections is the way more diligently to look into our own but this is little consider'd for as fatal as a Vain Curiosity has prov'd to Several as you 'll hear anon Yet still methinks we fain wou'd be Catching at the Forbidden Tree We wou'd be like the Deity Cowley There 's nothing the Nature of Man is more desirous of than Knowledge he pursues it to a Fault and will fly even to Hell it self to advance it I doubt whether some mens over-boldness with the hidden things of God have not made them an accursed thing to them and pressing before their Time or Leave into the Holy of Holies have barr'd themselves from ever coming thither at all 'T is true God Almighty cou'd send one frow the Dead to reveal to us those things we are so Curious to Know But from God's Power to argue 't is his Will is no good Logick in the School of Heaven He does what e'r he pleases both in Heaven above and in the Earth below and what he pleases to reveal to us we know and what he has not so reveal'd are Secrets lock'd up in his own Eternal Counsel which 't is a bold and presumptuous Curiosity for any Creature to Enquire into There is no doubt but he can make as many Worlds as there are Stars in Heaven if it pleases him but that he has done so he has not yet reveal'd nor is it therefore our Duty to enquire Why shou'd we call for Light where God will have none and make Windows into Heaven I will admire God in Himself and be content to know him no farther than in his Word Where this Light leaves me I will leave enquiring and boast of my Ignorance To be wise unto Sobriety is an Excellent Rule prescribed us by the Apostle and the Reason says a Mr. Turner is obvious enough to any Man of competent
shou'd buy this Painted Apple and thereby lose that Paradice of Innocence and sweet Serenity of Mind which before I enjoy'd and therefore that I may check this Curious Temper in others as well as my self when ever I meet with those that are too inquisitive I never answer One of their Questions for I have observed that your Open Ears are Open Mouth'd and they that are craving to hear are apt to tell The Ambassadors of the King of Persia were at Athens invited to a Feast whereat also Plutarch's Morals p. 506. were present divers Philosophers who to improve the Conversation discoursed of many things both for and against amongst whom was Zeno who being observed to to sit Silent all the while the Ambassadors pleasantly demanded what they should say of him to the King their Master Nothing said he farther than this That you saw at Athens an Old Man who knew how to hold his Tongue And Metellus the Roman General being once asked by a Young Centurion what Design he had now in hand He told him That if he thought his own Shirt was privy to any part of his Counsel he wou'd immediately pluck it off and burn it That I may imitate these Grave Examples I never desire to know much of another Man's Estate nor impart much of my own Never any Man repented him of being satisfied with plain Truths and of saying nothing Then Sabina weary not your self with Scruples and Empty Niceties in Divinity but leave them to the Learned Dens for I have shewn in the Instance of Dr. Dee and others that these would not be Ignorant of God's Secrets as if it were a matter of nothing to be sav'd unless we also know what God will have unknown For my own share I think that sufficient which God hath thought enough for me to know and do only seek to know what is just necessary to salvation what that is is couch't in a few words * Eccl. 12. v. 13. Fear God and keep his Commandments is the whole Du y of Man and therefore King Iames was much in the right when he told us Disputations were the Scab of the Church 'T is Practical Divinity that must bring us to Heaven When Dr. S h and Dr. S k have vented and banded all their subtiâ—ty each against other many Pious Men will judge it no other than a Witty Scolding As Curious as our Wits are which of 'em can tell me what my Soul is except in Terms more dark than those by which I know it already and how it acts in a separate State Where 's the Divine can unriddle the Doctrine oâ— the Trinity Resurrection and Incarnation of the Son of God He that is Just in his Dealings and practices those plain Truths delivered by a Dod or a Preston lives as if he out-knew our greatest Disputants The Iews proceeding this way infinitely taketh me who as often as they fell upon any difficult place in Scripture wou'd say We know that Elias will come and tell us all things But Dr. Brown has a better way of Resolving Doubts and therefore I make his Religio Medici my Pocket-Companion The Physick he prescribes for the Athenian Itch is a certain Cure and which shews him a good Christian tho Physician to Charles 2. he does not make the way to Heaven more difficult than it really is But when I meet with Doubts that neither he nor the Divine can decide I have recourse to this sure Decider of all Differences Dominus Dixit and that makes me easie for my Cell has cur'd my Vain Curiosity and I am satisfied with a Plain Trath But these Busie Wits that Itch to propound Acute Questions are fitly compared to the Sun in March who then exhales Humours but dissolves them not Were their Positions only frivolous they were more tolerable but they commonly end in horrid Blasphemy Laurentius Valla hearing a Cardinal dispute sublimely of God and his Subordinate Spirits said to his Companion And I could produce too such Keen Arguments against my Christ but I spare so Great a Majesty And some of late years whose Curiosity and Wit has not led to such Blasphemy yet have been so Fool-hardy as to presume to be more of the Cabinet Counsel of God Almighty than the Angels themselves by whose Ministry some say he created the World These have pointed at the precise Time of the World's Dissolution others have been so curious as to find out the Antient Place of Paradice there was lately a Book publisht on that Subject and what sort of Fruit that was which Eve gave to her Husband But these Curious Observations like our small Watches not one in an hundred goes true And how shou'd they for Man's proper place is the Earth if he 's raised up into the Air he 's disordered in the Water he drowns in the Fire he burns the Spirit 's place is the Body which soaring above the Matter afflicts and destroys it self When a Soul shall proceed in Matters of Religion by Politick Ways and suffer it self to be pleased with Curiosity which incessantly moveth it to draw the Curtain of Holy Mysteries to see what passes in Heaven such Spirits are Weak and Ignorant since they fail in the first Rule of VVisdom which discovereth to us that it is an absolute Folly to be desirous to measure things Divine by the Rule of Sence and Humane Experience The Wit and Mind of Man if it worketh upon Matter which is the Contemplation of the Creatures of God it worketh according to the Stuff and is limited thereby but if it worketh upon it self as the Spider worketh upon his Web then it is endless and brings forth indeed Gobwebs of Learning admirable for the fineness of the Thread but of no substance nor profit Oh Athenian Itch to what daring Height does thy Disease carry Men But Uain Curiose with Sabina's leave a word in thy Ear Like Prometheus filch no Sacred Fire Lest Eagles gripe thee let thy proud desire Suit with thy Fortunes Curious Minds that shall Mount up with Phaeton shall have Phaeton's Fall He that knows enough for Practice and yet spends his time in search after more Knowledge 't is a labour and search like unto his who not contented with a known and safe Ford will presume to pass over the greatest River in all parts where he is ignorant of the depths for so doth the one lose his Life and the other his Understanding even as that man who not contenting himself with the abundant Light of the Sun-Beams but seeking with his Eyes to pierce through the Brightness thereof even unto the midst of the Circle of the Body must questionless become blind so falleth it out for the most part to those who go about too curiously to enquire after that which is not lawful to be known We behold the Sun and enjoy its Light as long as we look towards it but tenderly and circumspectly We warm our selves safely whilst we stand near the Fire but
innocent ways of contracting Debts 't is much to be admir'd Men could be so Ignorant of the Condition of Human Life as to insult over the misfortunes of others and not think ' emselves as liable to ' em But this is the priviledge Adversity carries with it to give in Experience of our own Imbecility and the many changes we are subjected to in this Life which brings us to the pursuit of a more lassing Happiness in another World and to Retirement from this in which we find full leisure for usefull Thoughts and Reflections upon our pass'd misâ—es The Debtor now sees plainly there 's not a weaker Threatner nor stronger Flatterer then Fortune while the World was his Friend he had the same Partial Affection for it as most persons usually have for those that loves 'em but the Treatment Debtors receive from it soon opens their Eyes to see the change their Fortune makes in it and can with Hannibal resolve to follow a better Guide that will deal more truly with 'em and convince 'em of the HAPPYNESS OF POOR DEBTORS that can't Pay For the World takes so many ways of payment by exposing 'em to the Publick in all maâ—r of ill reflections will they have given their Pride and Malice more then full Satisfaction for the want of their Money that at last they make themselves their Debtors no less tho' in another kind which such an Adversity will teach 'em that Humlity to bear and the Charity to forgive and tâ—'s a blessed condition that brings 'em acquainted with two such Graces And this condition is no lesâ— Friend to true Mortification which till we have attain'd our Soul is not in a right State for 't is like a Man Hen-Peck'd by his Wife the Body domineers over the Soul and â—gages it in all the Follies that Chaâ—m its Brâ—ish Senses and so ranverses all Peace and Order till the Soul assumes its Authority by Subjecting the Body which is so hard to do tho' the Happiness of this Life and the Next depends upon it One may well esteem it the heighth of Felicity to be many condition that facilitates it And in this consists the Debtors Priviledge the World accounts all Favoâ— lost upon him and so withâ—raws all Temptations and his necessitous Fortune ours off all Eâ—ess from his depâ—ed Appetites and the Devil will then leave him as he did Iob 〈◊〉 he had no Accomplices left to assist him and so a Debtor seeâ— his Thâ— Great Enemies Conquered by his Patient Suffering This may be every Debtors Case that Studies to gain by his Afflictions the Improvement of his Vertues rather than give up himself to base and wicked compliance with the Rich and Powerful or râ—ing into vain Presumptuous Projects in hopes of a more speedy relief when by waiting upon God and using only such meane as he appoints he may expect a Blessed End of his troubles in this Life or if he patiently submits to Gods Will 〈◊〉 full as â—appy for 〈◊〉 is uneasy to think others should suffer upon his accâ—unt yet if he spares what 's possible from himself using all the means in his power God will not be wanting either to assist him to pay or to support his Creditors under the loss This in general may be said of the Happiness of being in Debt nor does the oddness of your CASE exclude you from any of the Priviledges that poor Debtors enjoy tho your Prospect is not so desperate as theirs but no DEPENDANCE can be fix'd on in this 〈◊〉 certain World therefore must wait the issue In the mean time I perceive you study to pay with thanks and grateful acknowledgments what ever you owe or think you owe and your mistake GIVES ME A SHARE tho' I know nothing of any such â—retence I can have therefore to own it would be very unconscionable and unbecoming Your c. POSTSCRIPT WHilst I was finishing the last Sheet of this Book my Ingenious Friend Mr. GEORGE LARKIN Senjor sent me the following Lines Intituled An Acrostick to his Worthy and much Esteemed Friend Mr. JOHN DUNTON Upon his Art of Living Incognito J â—ognito to Live's an ART indeed O Happy 's he that can therein succeed H e only knows how to Command his Fate N othing can make that Man Unfortunate D oing to Aâ— what you 'd have done to You U sing the World yet bidding it Adieu N ot to be Seen yet ev'ry thing to See T his sure to Live Incognito must be O Happy Life of which I only know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can live â—er than Incognito 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—d if thou do'st this Aâ— Pursue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy â—cholar be and learn it too FINIS 〈◊〉 Written by JOHN DUNTON 1. THE Second Part of the Art of living Incognito will speedily go to the Press if this First meets with Encouragement and contains the following Letters viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of every Thing Letter 8. Dunâ— represented as Dead and Buried on an Essay upon his own Funeral Letter 9. A Morning 's thought on these Words The time of Singing of Birds is come Latter 10. â—d to my Summer Friends Letter 11. In Praise of Sore-Eyes Letter 12. On the Riding made for Women that beat their Husbands Letter 13. An Essay upon dead Mens Shoes Letter 14. On the Royal Sport of Coâ— Fighting Letter 15. In Praise of the Tooth Ach. Letter 16. The Character of that HONOURABLE LADY to whom these Letters were sent 17. Of Bargaining for a Wife or an Essay upon Jointureâ— Letter 18. Of being ask'd in the Church with the Answers that have been given to this Question Do any of you know cause or â—st Impediment why these two Persons shou'd not be joyn'd together in Holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Letter â—9 〈◊〉 the doing Penance in a White Sheet 〈◊〉 other Uncom◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To each of these Letters which are all written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LADâ— has return'd a particular Answer which is 〈◊〉 to each Letter Price Stitch'd 〈◊〉 2. An Essay proving we shall know our Frieâ— in 〈◊〉 occasioned by the Death of my First Wife and dedicated to her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ— in a 〈◊〉 to a Reverenâ— Divine The 〈◊〉 Edition is ready for the◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6â— 3. The Dublin 〈◊〉 with some account of my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In several Letters to the Spectators Price bo◠〈◊〉 4. The Case of Iohn 〈◊〉 Citizen of 〈◊〉 with respect to his Mother in Law M◠〈◊〉 Nicholâ— of 〈◊〉 â—ans and her only Child Sarah Dunton with the just Reasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaving her In a Letter 〈◊〉 Mr. Georgee Larkin Senior To which 〈◊〉 his Letter to his Wife Price 〈◊〉 3â— Reflections on Mr. Duntons leaving his Wife in a Letter to himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ☞ All 5 sold by A. Baldwin near the Oxford 〈◊〉 in Warwick Lane THE SECOND PART Of the ART of Living Incognito OR DUNTON Represented as Dead and Buried In an ESSAY upon his own FUNERAL To which is added His Essay upon every Thing Being a Continuation
is the resting of the feeling Faculty the Sleep how caused Cause is a cooling of the Brain by a pleasant abounding Vapour breathing forth of the Stomach and ascending to the Brain when that Vapour is concoâ— and turned into Spirits the Heat returneth and the Senses recovering Wâ—ing 〈◊〉 how caused their former Function cause waking The Affections of Sleep are Dreams If 't is asked Dreaâ—s what they are I answer A Dream is an inward Act of the Mind the Body sleeping and the quieter that Sleep What they be is the easier be Dreams but if Sleep be unquier then the Minde is troubled The Uâ—iety of Dreams is according to the divers constitution There variety of the Body the clear and pleasant Dreams are when the Spirits of the Brain which the Soul useth to imagine with are most pure and thin as towards Morning when Concoction is perfected But Troublesome Dreams are when the Spirits be thick and impure All Natural Dreams are by Images either before proffered to Memory or conceived by Temperature alone or by some Influence from the Stars as some think But I shall say no more upon this head designing my 40th Letter shall treat of the Sentiments of the Soul in Infancy Dreams Trances Dotage c. Thus we see NIGHT serves us for a Curtain and Halfe our Life runs out in a Sleepy Vacation of Senses that whether we Sleep Wake or Dream the half of the Term of our Life runs out in a Sleepy-Uacation of Senses and is most pleasureable tho least delightsome Blessed Lord How finely dost thou Times and Seasons Spin And make a Twist checker'd with Night and Day Which aâ— it lengthens Winds and Winds us in As Bowls go on but turning all the way Herbert In this I adore a Sâ—pream Wisdom The withering Grass likewise is no less beholding to the Night then The Heavenly Lâ—beck 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their may be a Growth in Vegtables our heavy Heads for now the Heavenly-Limbâ—ks do distill theâ—r chearing Influences that there may be a Growth in Uegetables the Nightly Moisture â—gles it self with the Heat by Day But while I stand admiring thus Câ—thius Aurem Velliâ— here is one within tells me I need not go fish for Wonders in the Deep or camb the height of Heaven for Heaven for my self is aâ— amazing wonder Indeed when I reflect on the Structure of my Body Meditations on the structure of my own body I see it is not ordinary I see it is erect when other Creatures Grovel I have a Priviledge of looking up when the rest stand motto'd by the Poet with A Pronaque cum spâ—ant c. Os Homini sublime dedit c. Is there a more exact Work then our Head here all The Sâ— keep their Rendivouz in the Head the Senses keep their Rendeâ—ouz lie Leaguer to give Intelligence if an Object that carrys any Colour with it comes the Eye notes it immediately If it makes a noise the Ear catches it and so of the rest Man is all Symmetry Full of Proportions one Limb to another And all to all the VVorld besides Each part may call the â—arthest Brother For Head with Foot hath private Amity And both with Moons and Tides We see MAN is a Creature that hath Reason and What Man is and the manner of his Generation as he is most excellent so hath he a more perfect shape in Body than others Physitians tell us His Members are formed and begin to appear distinctly about the Six and twentieth Day And they are all perfect in Males at 30 Days and in Females at 36 Days About this time the Child beginneth to live and to feel The Male is moved in the Third Month but the Females in the Fourth Month then 't is nourish'd and encreased till the Ninth Month when it is Grown great it is brought forth This is the forming and procreating of Man for whose sake all other Creatures were made Then what a wonder in Nature is Man and where ever we Ramble we find the Wonder the greater by the diversity of Faces we see in Publick in Ten Millions of Faces there are not two alike or not so alike but they are easily known one from to'ther and their â—aices are different as their Faces ' Tho the Face of the Creation hath ' its variations of Senses oâ—ward Prospect and Beauty by the alternate Intermixtures of Land and Waters of Woods and Feilds Meadows and Pastures God here mounting a Hill and there sinking a Vale and yonder levelling a pleasant Plain designedly to render the whole more delectable and ravishing to the Eyes of Men 〈◊〉 they see his wonders in the Land of the Living yeâ— hath he no where given us more admirable expreâ—ons of his infinite Power and Wisdom than in the 〈◊〉 â—brick of Mans Body wherein he hath contrivâ—d to Sum up all the Perfections of the Greater tâ—at lye here and there scattered about nor is it possible for the Heart of Man to adore enough the Tranâ— of his Divine hand in the Perfections that he bears about him But amongst them all omitting the curtous Contexture of the whole Frame to survey only the a A Breif Survey of Glories of the Face and of the Admirable Graces that God has lodged in 〈◊〉 Feature of it Glories of the Face and the admirable Graces that God has â—odged in each Feature of it and then to remember how many Millions of them have passed through his Hands already flourished out with a perfect diversity of appearance every one as I hinted before discernably varying from all the rest in different Feature and â—ein and yet every one excellently agreeing with all in the same Identity of Aspect All this variegated-Work miracusously performed within the compass of a Span to let us see what a God can do when as the Wise Potter he turneth his Wheel and molds Nature into infinite Ideas and Formes The several Sences in Man are also Matter of Wonder Sences Outward These are Outward or Inward The Outward only perceiving Things persent And every one of these have their Proper Subject The Sense in the whole Body is TOUCHING This Touching is a Sence by means of Flesh full of Sinews apprehending Tactil Qualities His Instrument is Flesh full of Sinews or rather a Nerve like a Hair disperst thoughout the whole Body Sences of certain parts are more or less Noble The Seeing Nobler are Seeing and Hearing whose means are the Water and Aâ— Sight by the Eye perceiveth bright and coloured Things the Subject where of is Light c his Instrument is the Nerv-Optick which from the Brain cometh to the Eyes Hearing is a Sense perceiving Sounds his Instrument is a little Skin in the lowest winding or turning of the Ear dry and full of Holes The Skin is double one Hearing below which covereth a little Bone like an Anvile another above containing a little Bone
as it were a small Mallet The upper stricken by the Sounds striketh the Lower and stirreth up the Spirits in the Nerves to perceive the sound The more Ignoble Senses are Casting and Smelling Tasting apprehendeth Tastes His Instrument is a Nerve stretched like a Net upon the Flesh of the Tongue which is full of little Pores His means is a Temperate Tasting Salt Humor which if it do exceed the just quantity it doth not exactly perceive Tastes but if it be altogether consum'd no Tastes are perceiv'd Smelling judgeth qualities fit for Smell His Instrument is the Entrance into the first Ventricle cover'd with a Smelling small Skin the dryer it is the quicker of Smell as in Dogs and Vultures but Man for the moistness of his Brain hath but a dull Smell Were there no more in MAN then these five outward Senses to be wonder'd at well might David say he was wonderfully Senses inward made and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth a Ps. 139. 15. But besides these Five outward Senses to raise our Wonder yet a little higher there are inward Senses which beside Things presently offered do know Forms of many absent Things By these the Creature doth not only perceive but also understandeth that which he doth perceive These have their Seat in the Brain they are either Conceiving or Preserving Conceiving exerciseth Conceiving his Faculty by discerning or more fully judging it is called common Sense and the other is Phantasie Common Sense more fully distinguisheth sensible Things his instrument is the former Ventricle of the Brain made by dryness fit to receive Thantasie is an inward Sense more diligently examining the Forms of Things This is the Thought and Iudgment of Creatures his Place is the middle part of the Brain being through dryness apt to retain The preserving Sense is Memory which according to the Constitution of the Brain is better or worse It is weaker in a moist Brain than in a dry Brain â—is Instrument Preserving is the hinder part of the Brain Memory calling back Images preserved in former time is called Remembrance but this is not without the Use Remembrance of Reason and therefore is only attributed to Man I wou'd next say something of the Wonders found in the Brain whence Tears proceed by the Angles of the Eyes and Tears proceed from the Brain the greater the Flesh of those Angles be so much more plentiful be Tears but Sabina shou'd I inlarge you 'll take me for some Quick-Doctor who confounds his Auditors with his learned Nonsense However the Structure of Man's Body c. being what took up much of my Thoughts when I liv'd in publick I can't leave this Subject 'till I have said something of his breathing Parts which next to the EYE I take to be one of the greatest Wonders in the Body of Man The Principal Parts of breathing are in the Breast being either Lights o Heart wherefore these being touched The breathing Parts breathing is immediately hurt and such Wounds be deadly The Lungs are a spongious and thin Part soft and like Foam of congeal'd Blood declining something to the Right-side Breath is brought into the Lights by a rough Artery kâ—it to the Root of the Tongue This Artery is a long Channel made of many Gristle-Rings on a Row which endeth in the Lights If any thing falls into the hollowness of this the Breath is hindred and there is danger to be Choaked but this is a Nice Subject I shall therefore treat of it more at large in an Essay upon my own Death Thus having told your Ladyship what I discover'd in the Celestial Bodies and likewise what I observ'd under the Sun but more especially with respect to the Wonders â—f the Beasts Fishes and Birds but just mentioned and why Deep The Tapestry of Nature And the curious Frame of the Body of Man c. I shou'd next proceed if I'â—e treat of every thing to what Remarks I made upon Beastâ— Fishes and Birds more especially on the OWL on whom I have written As is hinted before a large Essay but I am forc'd to drop these Subjects with just naming of 'em for when I remember THAT whereby I observe all this I am so nonpluss'd I can go no further If you ask me any Question about it I will say it is some strange Divine Thing but what I well know not it is The Soul is some strange Divine Thing call'd a SOUL a most active Being I 'm sure it is it is ever grinding if you rake it up in the Ashes of a Sleep it will glow in a Dream It is fixed in the Orb of the Body but raiseth it self further then the Sun It will pierce the most solid Substance rests not in a few Objects tho a single one sometimes may like a Glass collect its Beams to a Flame O the Soul that can drag the past and future Times to the Bar of present Consideration that will in the most retir'd Cell discourse to me of various Matters This Cosmographical Spirit that can shew me the Heavens and the Earth as in Landskip in the darkest Room Oh It can shew me the Heaven and the Earth as in Land â—ip in tâ—e darkest Room the swiftness of its motion it will beat against East and West like a Bean in a Bladder with less noise and more nimbleness which made Randolph say And when I walk abroad Fancy shall be My skilâ—ful Coachman and shall hurry me Through Heaven and Earth and Neptune's watry Plain And in a Moment bring me back again This nimble Soul forgets sometimes 't is espoused to It forgts sâ—metimes that 't is espoused to Flesh and Blood Flesh and Blood it now leans so far without my Windows by Reason of the STONE and other Distempers that another Blast will puff it out and freeze up the Casements Oh! iâ— thou stayest still why must I stay My God what is this World to me This World of Wo Hence all ye Clouds away Away I must get up and see Then lâ—se this Frame this Knot of Man unty 〈◊〉 fâ—ee Soul may use her Wing Which now is pinion'd with Mortality As an entangl'd hamper'd thing What have I left that I should sâ—ay and Groan Tâ—e most of â—e to clean'â— is fled My Thoughts and â—ys are all packt up and gone And so tâ—ir old Acquaintance â—lead By musing on the Nature and Excellency of my own Soul it leads me to consider the SWAY I bear in the World and here I observe all the visible Creation to bow down to me The Sun Moon and Stars wait The Nature and Excellency of â—e Soul leaâ—s me to consider the sway I bear in the World upon me but what shall all this fill my Life with Pride as my Mind with Wonder Neither can any thing I have heard or seen in my Fellow-Creatures who are proud of being Rational tho' their Reason is but the
Counsellor if in Affliction I will make this sure and tryed Word my support if I am in Darkness and see no Light here I 'll stay my self when I see my Ignorance I will esteem A Cure for every Disease both of Soul and Body this able to give Understanding to the Simple when I would lance my Soul I will make use of this Two edged Sword when it is fit to be heal'd again why this is Balm from Gilead If I am Poor I will take pains for this Treasure more worth than much fine Gold Pearls and Rubies are not to be compar'd with it by this I may learn Godliness which is great Gain If I am Rich this Book will plentifully shew me that a Man's Wealth doth not consist in the Abundance which he possesseth and that Riches have Wings If Sorrow takes hold of me the sweet Consolations here are as Health to the Navel and as Marrow to the Bones If Trouble be general I have here direction where to rest at Noon Oh Book infinite sweetness let my Heart Suck every Letter and a hony gain Precious for any grief in any part To clear the Breast to molifie all Pain Thou art all Health Health thriving 'till it make A full Eternity thou art a Mass Of strange Delights where we may wish and take Ladies look here this is the Only Glass That mends the Lookers Eyes this is the Well That washes what it shews who can endear Thy praise too much thou art Heav'ns Leiger here Working against the States of Death and Hell Thou art Ioys handsel Heaven lies flat in thee The way to be happy when the wholeworld is dissolv'd Subject to every Mounters bended Knee Herbert In a Word If I wou'd leave that which I feel slipping away and perishing and repose my self upon My treating of every Thing has been a Wild-goose chase through Heaven Earth and Seas c. what is firm and lasting Let me relinquish each worldly Confidence and rest upon this Word which shall stand unshaken upon the Ruines of Heaven and Earth Thus Madam have I led you a Wild Goose-Chase through Heaven Earth and Seas c. I wou'd rummage the World further but that I observe he that has the Ostentation or Vanity to be too much known to the World is in great danger of being unacquainted with himself and The danger of being unacquainted with our selves therefore having consider'd every Thing I saw in Publick which was wont to employ my Thoughts I shall retreat again from this Great World to my quiet Cell where I 'll dissect my Breast and write an Essay of the Lesser My Retreat from this great World to my private Cell World my self and when I have so well survey'd this little piece of Earth that I have left no part undiscover'd I shall next represent my self as Dead and Buried in an My own Grave to be the Subject of the next Letter Essay upon my own Grave c. Where I shall lie Incognito 'till the Resurrection And when the Dead awake I shall then be Your known Friend and Servant IOHN DVNTON The LADY's Answer to my Seventh LETTER SIR IF instead of living you were buried Incognito I could expect no account of your observations but if you live you must needs think and the obscurity of your Cell can be no impediment to your contemplating the great and busy World at such a distance tho only upon what your memory furnishes for from thence those thoughts may be produced in order and method which were at first obtruded on you in hurry and confusion 'T is now and not till now you are in capacity to prove that something may be learnt even from Courts and Cities and every thing we see in Publick For the noise and turmoile of the World is no Friend to reflection Virgil found it so and so do all thinking Men in so much that Retirement from the World seems to stamp a Character of Wisdom upon those that can bear any Inconvenience better than the interruption of their Thoughts Yet the very aspect of thinking is so unacceptable to the gay World that according to Monsieur Scuderie Those that have better things to think of than what they intend to speak ought to remain in their Closets and not to trouble the company with their silence and yet perhaps their best Thoughts might be lost should they venture to impart 'em so at random as the Company shall be disposed to take 'em but when composed in Solitude and after Printed tho' they are designed for none but those that like and approve 'em they may with great pleasure satisfy the passions and malignant humours of such as dislike 'em that all must own themselves mutually obliged those that present the Subject for remarks and those who like the Bees in their Cells convert 'em into useful Reflections The great and little World as they are the Noblest Objects you could chuse for Contemplation so your Esteem and Love of this Exercise appears by the Exactness of your Observations upon them for besides Man the epitomy of the great World the visible Heavens and Earth alone are full of the Majesty of Gods Glory and might sufficiently convince an Atheist for as you well observe the whole World is but the Explanation of a Deity 't is possible a Man with some defect of Mind like that of Blindness in the Body may have but weak Conjectures of what appeares a perfect Demonstration to others but should such a one take upon him to Dispute against a Deity 't would be a presumption like that of a Blind-mans going about to prove there 's neither Light nor Sun because he can't see 'em for the same Reason the Atheist therefore may well be silent for he that does not conclude there is a God by Contemplation of the Universe one must conclude has some defect in his Understanding or Will that spoils his Iudgment for without Speech or Language the Heavens declare the Glory of God their sound is gone out into all Lands and their words unto the ends of the World Then who can pretend they have not heard enough to convince their Understanding The fault must needs lie in the Will A Fool may say in his Heart there is no God when at the same time his Understanding tells him there is he speaks as he would have it but thinks as he fears and truly Atheism is one of those stupendious Wonders which would astonish much but that it Ioses the Horror by being so common Nay t is so Familiar to us it passes unobserved We little perceive the Practical Atheism we are all Guilty of when we are so solicitous to please the World and never ask our selves the question whether we can serve God and Mammon in that case we say in our Hearts There is no God that is our sinful Affections and Appetites perswades us to think there it none or at least not such a one as deserves our
highest Love and Care to please As also in any temptation of Profit or Advantage shall easily put a stop to our Proceedings But all the Threatnings of the Great God of Heaven can't stop us in any sinful Action that is attended with Credit and Applause as too many are which is an Establish'd Atheism set up by Custom if we can't say by Law But you have taken the properest way to Destroy this Monster by penetrating with such exactness all the Uarious and Wonderful Works of God both the Pleasure and Advantage of such Contemplations are unspeakable therefore 't is as much for our Benefit as for Gods Glory the Scriptures were given us that by them we might learn to observe acknowledge his mighty Acts and distinguish his Divine Providence from the Actions of sinful Man who never fails to shew his Sin and Frailty on all occasions where God leaves him to Act alone and certainly there is a kind of Atheism in that general disrespect to Gods Providence observable in the World so few are sensible from whom they must expect the success of their Enterprises they Esteem some Persons very Lucky others they term Unfortunate according to what befalls 'em adverse or prosperous Nay even great and remarkable Providences are Esteem'd Accidents or if any cause assigned them 't is such as is purely humane without the least relation to God Thus we live without God in the World and if we have but either Riches Friends in Power or our own Wits to trust to we say in our hearts there is no God that is we are not concern'd whether there is or no we think we can enjoy the World without him But how much happier are those who are the great Observers of Gods Providence so that all That comes to pass in the World serves for their Instruction For as they acknowledg them to proceed from Gods Order and Determination they are of the same Use to us with the Holy Scriptures to perfect and incourage us in all Good Works when we are certain of the Truth of them which may be discover'd by their agreement with the Written Word for were they as infallibly true and we could have the same certainty of what is reported of Things done and Acted in the World nothing could excuse us from the same Reverence and Respect for 'em for we know we shall be all taught of God and we know his Providence has been of Old and is still his most usual way of teaching as it falls under the Observation of the meanest Capacities and great effects may be seen of a true sence of Gods Power Mercy and Goodness amongst such Persons as have had neither Time nor Opportunity of other Instructions I can speak it of my own knowledge I have seen more sighs of true Faith Hope and Charity and a reverent sence of God in the Discourse and Actions of the Vulgar such as Farmers and Day-Labourers in the Country whose outward teaching has chiefly been the Experience and Observation of the Providence of God to themselves and Neighbours tho' by the Learned so despised as if for want of Knowledge they were little better than Brutes I wish I could see 'em mightily surpass'd by the Lives and Discourses of those from whom we have reason to expect much more as living under the means of Instruction from their daily attendance at Church of which the greatest part are WOMEN but of too many of 'em so little Virtue appears in their Conduct one might take 'em for the silly Women St. Paul describes laden with Sin led away with divers Lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth 'T is to be feared they trust too much to teaching and think themselves Religious and Devout for only using the Means of being so 't were good if those People could be taught that the faithful discharge of their Duty and Calling would be a better Service to God and then from a strict observation of his Providence great Lessons might be learnt of Patience Humility and Charity and every Christian Virtue they shall need to be adorned with But those Men that have the advantage of natural and acquir'd Parts are accountable for the Glory they owe to God from the Contemplation of his WORKS which are great sought out of all those that take pleasure therein His Works are worthy to be praised and had in Honour even so much aâ— Man is able to comprehend of 'em is enough to discover by the invisible Things of God his eternal Power and Godhead this was manifest to the very Heathen besides his infinite Love and Bounty to us Christians from which Fountain springs all the Wonders you present me whereof you make such pious Uses and indeed I cannot enough admire how it is possible so many Naturalists should ever be able to make such Advances in this Study and not learn from the uncertainty and difficulties they find in 'em to set the highest value upon the next Life where the desire of Knowledge shall be fully satisfied for as God in his Wisdom and Goodness has given to all our Senses suitable Objects our thirst after Knowledge and Happiness must necessarily from the same Goodness meet with the fullest satisfaction in Heaven for on Earth we are far from any Capacity of injoying such Blessings as Truth and Goodness in its full Perfection Every Days Experience convinces us of the Mistakes those curious Minds continually make by an unsuccessful and presumptious search into Nature which they can never fathom but for the present they are fâ—d to appease their eager and unquiet Thoughts with Dreams and Shadows while they quite lose the true end of Contemplation which should lead us to our own chief good the Knowledge and Love of the Divine Perfections therefore an humble and modest Enquiry into the nature of God's wonderful Works might by this means prove useful Spectacles always ready at hand through which his glory would reflect to keep us in perpetual Praise and Admiration of his Wisdom Power and Goodness to us poor sinful Mortals in this life and make us sigh after that more full and perfect measure of intellectual Knowledge we shall find in Heaven where we shall then read all those Riddles we are now so puzl'd with That strange divine Thing the Soul you so pleasantly describe will have the happiness to know and be known both which it wants now for did we but know the Dignity of that Divine Guest we would treat it with more Respect than to employ all our Care and Thoughts to serve and content the Body to the Injury and Disparagement of the Soul for ' tâ—s certain that Soul which knows its true rank keeps the Body in subjection and suffers none to rule and govern it but God who made it nor is it of the Bodies childish Appetite to take Delight in sensual Pleasures it values only Heavenly Food of which 't is amply furnished in the Holy Scriptures and of
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
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-Dead-Body shou'd affect my Relations of this will disturb the Dead but a sight of my dead-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
Bed tho' I expect to rise again to resume the Burthen of all my Frears Hopes and Griefs the constant Attendants of my Life and yet look Sadly and mournfully upon the Grave tho' my Corruption belongs to the maintaining of the Order of the Universe but why should I be afraid of Corruption seeing at my next Rising much 'T is a great wonder how a little Dustresolv'd into Elements shou'd become a living Body but I no ways doubt of the Resurrection My Soul Body now seem at once laid out â—ayer clad than before I shall awake to Immortality and endless Joy With the Eye of Reason I can look through the Glory of the World and behold Vanity and Oblivion with the Eye of faith I can look through Oblivion and Corruption it self and behold Glory and Eternity 'T is indeed a Wonder how a little Dust resolv'd into Elements should become a living Body again But I no ways doubt of the Resurrection for I 'm sure that my Redeemer liveth and tho' after my skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Fâ—esh shall I see God Then let the Body rise in what manner it will I 'm ravisht to think what a bright and serene Morning the Resurrection will prove after the long Night of Death and the languishing Slumbers of the Grave My Soul being fled I know not how nor where and my Body left as a ghastly Spectacle to my Wife and Friends Methinks now my Soul and Body too seem at once laid out Some think they shall Die presently if they make their Will So that having proceeded so far towards my Funeral as To purchase a Grave To suppose the manner of my Dying And to describe what a frightful Spectacle Death will make me 't will be proper next to give some Account of my UUill For I never was of their Opinion who think they must Die presently if their UUill be made and so neglect it till it Why I made my Will in a time of Health be too late A Sick-Bed is no proper place to disturb our Brains about Worldly Matters I therefore made my Will when I was best able A Scotch Laird having sent for a Clerk to make his Will began to him thus after Of a Will made by a Scotch Laird We shou'd avoid all unjust Partialities in the making our Wills the common Preface Imprimis I bequeath my Soul to God To which his Clerk made Answer very seriously But what if he wonnot take it mon With what temper of Spirit this was spoken I know not but sure I am 't is a point that deserves a serious Thoughtfulness and Gravity of Mind And particularly we should avoid all unjust Partialities which are oftentimes very ill Grounded But to proceed in the Account of my Will My Nurse and Uisitanâ—s having declared me Dead methinks I see my Executor whose Character My Executor sending in all haste to the Persons concern'd in my Will you shall have anon sending in all haste to the Persons concern'd in 〈◊〉 Wâ—ll for the Will of the Dead should be punctually observ'd fòr to these we owe a nobler Justice than to other Men as they are unable to right themselves It is the bravest thing in the World to do an Act of Kindness to him whom we shall never see again but yet hath deserved it of us and to whom we wou'd do it if he were present and unless we do so our Charity To fulfil the Request of the Dead is the noblest Friendship we canshew is Mercenary and our Friendships are direct Merchandize but what we do to the Dead or to the Living for their sakes is Gratitude and Vertue for Vertue 's sake and the Noblest Friendship we can shew Such a Generous Person I have made my Executor so that all concern'd will have speedy notice of my Death And now methinks I see all my Friends assembled about me some to weep News being sent of my Death my Relations come to my Cell in Hopes of a good Legacy but most rejoicing in Hopes of a good Legacy but because they may see the Vanity in waiting for Dead-mens-Shoes I 'll now suppose my Executor Reading to them the following Lines which are A Breviate of my last Will IN the Name of God Amen I Iohn Dunton Citizen and Stationer of London and late of St. Giles Cripplegate Parish in the County of Middlesex being through Mercy in Health of Body and Mind do make this my last Will and Testament A Breviate of my last will And first out of Choice and not as 't is matter of Form I commit my Soul into the Hands of God trusting through the Merits of Jesus Christ to be accepted with him I commit my Soul into the Hands of God My Body I Bequeath to the Dust in hopes of a Glorious Resurrection but with this Charge to my Executor that he sees it Buried in the same Grave with my first Wife for there as she exprest it we shall be still Happy together if a senseless Happiness can be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As to the World tho' I never loved it yet I have taken that Care in the I Bequeath my Body to the Dust. disposing of what I have as to give it to one that will keep open House for God and his poor Servants I mean to one that has Sense enough to enjoy I have made a person heir to my Estate that has sense enough to enjoy it and Piety enough to be Charitable it and Piety enough to be Charitable and for that Reason I thought my self oblig'd in Conscience to give it all from the presumprive Heir and his scraping Friend finding by sad Experience the more he has the more he coveâ—s so that if his Wealth encreases at the rate it has done hitherto he 'll starve himself and his whole Family and therefore to add my Estate to his would be in some sort to hasten his Death but that they might not think I forget 'em I bequeath to 'em that Text And the Covetous which the Lord abhors to reflect on as long as they live I 'm My presumtive heir wou'd starve himself shou'd his Wealth encrease very Cordial in this Advice for Men in their last Wills appear open and plain Hearted they dare not dye revenging of Injuries no! when they think they shall dye their Eyes are open and their Judgments unbiast In some sense Peath's the truest Friend for Death will not flatter but deals plainly with us and as Men dare not dye with a Lye in their Mouths nor in Malice with any so they should be careful that they do not leave their Death 's the truest friend Friends quarrelling for their Estates but take such care in their Wills that their Lands and Possessions may know their Owners after their Deaths We shou'd take care not to leave our Friends quarreling for our Estates when we are Dead and that mine may do so of what I
My Soul is fled where I shall know Iris again Man that was tumbled into the Grave of Elisha was rovived by Vertue of his Bones As my Body will now Sleep in the same Grave with my first Wife c. So I hope through the Merits of my blessed Saviour my Soul will be now fled where I shall find and know her again for I don't question but This is largly proved in my Essay on knowing our Friends in Heaven we shall know our Friends in Heaven Wise and Learned Men of all Ages and several Scriptures plainly shew it And as we are to be Buryed together so 't is my Desire that my Executor purchase a marble Tomb for when Valeria Dies he may well afford it not exceeding 50 l. and cause the following Superscription to be Engraved upon it Here lies Sleeping together Iohn Dunton Citizen and Stationer of London and Elizabeth his first Wife She departed this Life Friday May 28th 1697 And he c. And being the last that Dyed his Will was as they had promis'd each other in their Life time to be Buryed with her in the same Grave and that on this Tomb-stone shou'd be Engrav'd the following Lines I 'm come to Bed having lost my Pen and Sight To Sleep with Iris in her Cell this Night And leaving all for her will never take Another Farewel 'till our Ashes wake Dr. Brown indeed tells us at his Death He intends to take a total Remarks on my Tomb-stone Adieu of the World not caring for a Monument History or Epitaph not so much as the bare Memory of his Name to be found any where but in the universal Register of God This Superscription on my Diogenes desired to be Buryed with a Staff in his Hand to fright away the Crows Tomb shews I'ent for taking such a Farewell as this Nor am I so Cinical as to approve the Testament of Diogenes who willed his Friend to Bury him with a Staff in his Hand to Fright away the Crows No! I am for an Epitaph and such an Epitaph as may shew to my Friends how much I can value a Wife that loves me and indeed the Driginal of Epitaphs is owing to this Loving Temper For the first Epitaph The first Epitaph which was put upon Tombs was that of the Fair Rachel which was put upon Tombs was that of the Fair Rachel as is partly remarkt from Scripture for 't is said Rachel dyed and was Buryed in the way to Ephrath and Iacob set a Pillar upon her Grave and Boohartus assures us it was a Pyramid which Iacob erected sustained upon a dozen precious Stones with this Inscription Here lies Fair Rachel It shews the great Care Iacob took to preserve her Memory Composed of nothing but Beauty and Love A Grave is but a plain Suit but a Rich Monument is one Embroider'd and therefore in the erecting such a noble Pillar as this we see the great care Iacob had to preserve the Memory of his dear Rachel and I hope none will think me either Vain or Prodigal if I endeavour so far as I am able to imitate such a kind Husband however a Marble Tomb is the only Legacy I bequeath to my self and my ground Bedfellow and I expect we ha' A Marble Tomb is the Legacy I bequeath to my self Justice done us Not that I so much insist upon the Epitaph of my own Writing for if my Friends please they may scratch it out and Grave in the room of it these Words viz. To these whom Death again did Wed Their Grave 's their second Marriage-Bed For tho' the Hand of Fate cou'd Force 'Twixt Soul and Body a Divorce It cou'd not sunder Man and Wife When they both lived but one Life Peace good Reader do not Weep Peace the Lovers are asleep They sweet Turtles folded lye In the last knot Love cou'd tye And tho' they lye as they were Dead Their Pillow Stone their Sheets of Lead Pillow hard and Sheets not warm Love made the Bed they 'll take no harm Let them Sleep let them Sleep on 'Till this Stormy Night be gone And th' Eternal Morrow dawn Then the Curtains will be drawn And they wake into that Light Whose Day shall never end in Night I 'm so desirous of having this Tomb and Epitaph erected as a Memorial of our happy Marriage that had I Moneys to spare I 'd see it done in my Life time A good Memory the best Monument hereby to prevent the negligence of Heirs and to remind me of my own Mortality But after all the care we can take to preserve the Ashes of our Dead Friends it must be acknowledged That a good Memory is the best Monument My Debts Legacies being first paid the rest of my Estate I give to my Executor others are subject to casualty and we know that the Pyramids themselves doting with Age have forgotten the names of their Founders Thus having given instructions about my Funeral and Grave c. and bequeath'd what Legacies I think sit all the rest of my Estate both Personal and Real my Debts and Funeral Expences being first paid I do hereby give to my Executor who your Ladyship will know by the following Character He 's a Person truly Religious sincere in his Conversation wise in his own The Character of my Executor Business loving to my Relations very Charitable and I 'm sure will accomplish the whole intent of my Testament These are the Legacies I have bequeath'd to my Friends which some that have mist of their Expectation may perhaps say are like those in the Spanish Friar where Sir Flash having left many Legacies and his Executor asking where Of a Man who bequeath'd more than he was worth he should have 'em to pay he answer'd E'en where he pleas'd for he was better able to find 'em than himself But whoever thinks so with respect to me will find themselves mistaken for as great a strait as Valeria's Jointure has put me to my Death will soon open a way to an Estate besides the Reversions which in time may double what I now enjoy that will not only satisfie my few Creditors but more than pay all the Legaâ—ies I have here bequeath'd And therefore But I shall tire you with the Repetition of an odd Will which I had not inserted but to humble those that desire my Death This is my last Will till I make another Having given your Ladiship a Breviate of my last Will I 'll return again to my dead Body for I 'm still supposing my self unbury'd My Will being read to my friends and all things agreed upon in order to my Funeral next see the greedy Nurses sighting for my Shirt and Cloaths My greedy Nurses fighting for my Shirt and Cloths and Relations scuffling for what 's left and my hasty Relations scuffling for what 's left Keep the King's Peace as soon as Phil. is Dead They for his Money