anima pueri ejus in viscera ejus Eccles 26. 23. Exaltavit vocem ejus de terra in prophetia Tob. 4. 11. of heaven Whom shall I believe touching the verities of God but God himself And verily behold the advise God giveth us to resolve us in doubtful cases which is to follow some great and powerfull authority that may draw our spirits with a strong hand out of so many labyrinths Without it saith S. Augustine there would neither be world rest light wisdom nor religion And if a decisive authority must be chosen where shall we find one more certain than that of a Man-God whose words were prophesies life sanctity actions miracles who by ways secret and incomprehensible advanced the Cross on Capitols and gave a new face to the whole world Now without speaking at this time of the Pentateuc where the Word with his own mouth drew reasons for the immortalitie of the soul against the Sadduces I might alledge the book of Kings where the soul of a little infant returneth into its body at the words of Elias I could produce the true soul of Samuel which returneth from Limbo and speaks to King Saul as the Wiseman rendereth this apparition undoubted which I will shew I might mention the book of Tobias which distinguisheth two places for souls in the other world one of darknes and the other of lights But let us hear Ecclesiastes since Infidels will make an arrow of it against us where after the propositions of the wicked rehearsed in this book to be refuted which must be well observed the Wiseman Eccles 12. 7. decideth and concludes That the body returneth into the earth from whence it came and the spirit to God who gave it Let us hear Wisdom where it is written That the soul of the Just are in the hands of God and Sap. 3. 1. shall not be touched with the torment of death Let us hear the Prophet Daniel who saith Daniel 12. 3. The true Sages shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and that such as instruct many to justice shall be as stars for ever Lastly let us hear our Saviour who speaketh to us clearly and intelligibly in the bloud of all Martyrs Fear not those who kill the bodie and cannot kill the Mat. 10. 28. soul Here will we hold this doctrine of the immortality from his own mouth more than from any other reason he caused us to make it an Article of faith he establisheth upon it all our beatitude why should we then argue and trie new conclusions after the decision of Gods Word 5. I knew well said the wicked man this second Court would condemn me but I am not yet satisfied After nature and faith I appeal to reason I Proofs drawn out of reason will enter into the bottom of my self to know some news of my self What a madness is it to appeal from the decrees of God to reason And yet was this wretch condemned likewise by this tribunal For asking his soul whither wilt thou go What will become of thee after the death of thy body Wilt thou not accompany it in death as thou didst during life I die replieth the soul It is as impossible the light of the Sun become night and fire ice as the soul of man which is the source of life and understanding should be subject to death For from whence should this death and corruption S. Thom. l. 2. contra Gentes c. 79. proceed If thou hast never so little reason thou well seest what the great S. Thomas and all the Sages of the world said A thing cannot die and be corrupted but by one of three ways either by action of its contrary so heat cold moisture and drought corrupt our bodies by their mutual counter-buffs and continual combates or by the want of subject which serves as a basis or foundation to it so the eye dieth when its organ is corrupted or by defect of the assistance of the cause which hath influence into it so the light faileth in the air when the Sun retireth In which of these three kinds wouldest thou corrupt Substantia intellectualis patitur tantum intelligibiliter qui motus potius est perfectivus quà m corruptivus S. Thom. l. 2. contra Gentes c. 55. me Should it be by the action of the contrary I am not subject to bodily impressions but to those onely of the mind which are rather to perfect than corrupt me I am not composed of elements I am not hot cold moist nor drie I admit no contrariety But when I (a) (a) (a) Anima parvo continetur corpore continetque res maximâ—s Aenesius platonicus comprehend in my understanding white black water fire life and death I accord all contraries Death saith (b) (b) (b) Lucr. l. 1. Mors coetum dissipat ollis Lucretius is onely made for the things which have a collection of parts and I am most simple Wilt thou rin me by defect of the body I am of a nature different from body It was sometime without me and I shall be a long time without it for I depend not on it but by accident and chance I take somewhat of it as an hostess in this life but I govern it as a mistress for eternity I make use of the organs of senses but I correct senses and when they tell me the Sun is but a foot broad I prove to them by lively reasons it is much greater than the globe of the earth If I borrow fantasies from imagination I make truths of them and in matter of understanding willing and judging which is my proper profession I have properly nothing to do with bodies as the Philosopher Arist l. 2. de anima l. 2. text 21. Aristotle hath well observed saying I could not be before body but I might remain after the death of body and be separated from it as things eternal from corruptible because I have an action dis-entangled from body which is contemplation All that which is idle perisheth in nature but I have no death because not idle I make it my profession to understand to will and to love which I now exercise in a body but which doth not absolutely depend on body I make use of my senses as of my windows when they shall be no more and that the panes of my prison shall be broken I shall not for all that loose sight but shall see the more easily Behold you not how even at this present I never am more knowing than when I sink into the bottom of my self and separate my self from commerce of sense For I am a Mistress said S. Augustine who see better by my own eyes than by those of my servant Wouldest thou destroy me by the want of an influent cause Needs must God fail if I should be so defective on that part since God having created a thing never reduceth the same to nothing Material creatures are corrupted by changing themselves into
of devils to draw life drop after drop out of a miserable body But not speaking at this present of these extremities of Cruelty which arise out of Hell it is evident that the Hardnesse of heart and the harshnesse of a nature devoid of Compassion is a monster in humane nature All great souls have I know not what tincture of good nesse which rendreth them pliant to the afflictions of such as suffer It is a feeling which God hath poured into the masse of mankind and which he would have communicated by the prime men of the world to all posterity The tradition of the Hebrews holdeth that the Mildnesse of the first men Patriarch Noah recommendeth mildnesse even among beasts accounting it a capitall crime to tear off a member of a living beast And the most sage common-wealths Fab. Quintilian l 5. cap. 9. have walked in the same wayes since that of Athens condemned to death a young child who took delight to prick out the eyes of crows and having made them blind let them fly for his pastime It judged this heart was base and bloudy and practised its first apprentiship of crueltie upon birds to exercise it one day upon men The Carthaginians publickly condemned Plin. l. 8. c. 16. a very industrious Citizen for no other cause but for having made a lion tractable supposing that a man who had so great conversation among wild beasts would lose all he had humane in him and put on the manners of a tyrant What can those answer to this call of Nature who are ashamed to compassionate their neighbours seeing pity extends it self even to beasts They fear that by shewing compassion it may be thought their courage thereby is greatly effeminate and see not that to seem valiant they cease to be men Conquerours have wept over their Laurels as yet Compassion of great courages all verdant blaming the just rigour of their arms albeit they could not hate the glory Marcellus desired to quench the coals of the city Syracusa with his tears Titus seeing the city of Jerusalem all covered with dead bodies found his heart much softned therewith protesting it was an act of Heaven and not an effect of his own disposition There is some touch of Divinity in good natures and God hath alwayes been pleased that they who nearest approach to him should be the most humane The first Images of the Saviour of the world were ordinarily painted in the form of a Lamb and it was likewise a Lamb of God which represented him in Great Constantine's Font and which poured forth the water of Baptism to shew us that the fountains of his Bounty ran throughout the whole Church The holy Ghost hath never been seen Concil 6. in Teul can 82 Damasus in Pontifieibus qui est potius Anastafius Bibliothecarius in the form of an Eagle or of a Hawk but of a Dove to stamp on our manners the impressions of his bounty It is an insupportable thing when there is observed even among those who approach nearest to Altars and who consecrate the Lamb of God in their hands some to be of imperious spirits and wills inflexible who torment poor subjects and make them groan under Non dominantes in Cleris sed forma facti◠gregis ex animo 1 Pet. 5. 3. their Commands They resemble Semiramis who on her Banners bare a Dove which in its beak held a bloudy sword as meaning to say that under a vvomans face she had the courage and stem violence of tyrants So their name theircharacter and degree testifieth Revertamur ad populum nostrum à facie gladii columbae Hier. 46. 16 nought but mildnesse but their manners are full of rigour and acerbity which wound hearts even to bloud This happeneth to many out of a certain stupidity in such sort that it seems they entering into office at that instant drink of the water of forgetfulnesse which Rigour misbecometh persons Ecclesiasticall Its causes and differences in them blotteth out the memory of all they were to become that which they ought never to be They forget their inferiours are men who put their precious liberty to wit a good inestimable into their hands as a pledge and that they must very skilfully handle them there being not a creature in all nature more tender or more sensible then the King of creatures They consider not that the power of one man over another is a thing which is alwayes somewhat suspected by nature on what side soever it come and that it must be practised insensibly so that the flesh be rather cast into a slumber then irritated To others it comes from a most refined pride which being under the subjection of a superiour kept it self close in the interiour of the soul a serpent enchanted and fast asleep but so soon as he sees himself armed with a sword of authority he cuts with both edges not sparing any one as if the great mystery of making a dignity valuable were to encompasse it with all the ensignes of terrour Some are not Porta in Chao of a bad nature and do resemble the sea which is not by nature salt but the sunne stirreth up unto it vapours cold dry and terrestriall which being burnt by heat spread themselves on the superficies of the water and cause saltnesse so these lights of authority which environ a man raise smokes in him which being not wel tempered by prudence leave a bitter impression on manners communicating some haughtinesse to words and conversation It is gotten in others by a long assiduity of superiority which is the cause that beholding themselves perpetually with a head of gold and a breast of silver they consider not that being in some sort like to Nabuchodonozors statue they yet have feet of clay Others come thereunto by an indiscreet zeal and out of small experience of humane things who are no sooner raised unto some degree but they talk of reformation of correction of chastisements and to see them you would say they were so many Archimedes who seek for a place out of the world to set foot in of purpose to turn the world to psie-turvey Their power is not alwayes answerable to their purpose which makes them sad and dejected in their courage causing them to fall back to the other extremity from whence it cometh that they are one while harsh and another time gentle and by inequality in their manners thrust all into disorder That is it which Saint Gregory the great observed Gregor M. in epist ola ad Utbicum in Abbot Vrbicus saying that his Monastery was in distemper because he made himself unequall one while flattering some and another while reprehending the rest with immeasurable anger Lastly there are others who have a very good conscience and whose manners are rigid and they be not imprudent but they have such a desire to frame the whole world to their humour that out of the assiduity of their admonitions
much as businesses of that nature would permit But her mother Alexandra touched to the quick to behold her self amongst so many spies she who was ever desirous to converse and live with all royall liberty resolved to play at double or quit to break the guyves of specious servitude or yield her neck to Herods sword if it should come to pass her calamity transported her into such extremity What doth she Cleopatra that Queen who had filled the world with her fame was then in Aegypt and naturally hated Herod as well for his barbarous disposition as for particular interests of her own person For she knew he much had entermedled in her affairs and given Mark Anthony counsel to forsake her yea to kill her This Tyrant was so accustomed to say Kill that he easily advised others to use the same medicine which was with him to his own maladies frequent It is a strange thing that Cleopatra one day passing through Judea he resolved to send her into the other world thinking therewith to gratifie Mark Anthony but was disswaded by his friends saying it was too audacious to attempt and able for ever to ruin his fortune The design was never published But Cleopatra had cause enough besides to hate Herod which much emboldened Alexandra to write to her in such like terms ALEXANDRA to the Queen CLEOPATRA Health Madame SInce God hath given you leave to be born the most Letter of Alexandra to Cleopatra accomplished Queen in all qualities it is fit your Greatness serve as a sanctuary for the innocent and an Altar for the miserable The wretched Alexandra who hath much innocency void of support and too many calamities without comfort casteth her self into the arms of your Majesty not to give her a scepter but to secure the life of her and her son the most precious pledge which remaineth of heavens benignity Your Majesty is not ignorant that fortune having made me the daughter and mother of a King Herod hath reduced me to the condition of a servant I am not ambitious to recount my sufferings which I had rather dissemble but whatsoever a slave can endure in a gally I bear in a Kingdom through the violence of a son in law who having stoln the diadem from my children would also deprive them of life We are perpetually among spies sharp knives and black apprehensions of death which would less hurt us if it were more sudden Stretch out a hand of assistance to the afflicted and afford us some petty nook in your Kingdom till the storm be over-blown and that we may see some sparkles of hope to glimmer in your affairs Glory thereby shall abide with you and with us everlasting gratitude Cleopatra having received these letters made a ready answer and invited her to hasten speedily into Aegypt with her son protesting she should esteem it an unspeakable glory to serve as a sanctuary and refuge for the affliction of such a Princess Resolution of departure is taken but the execution is a hard task The poor Io knows not how to withdraw Enterprise of Alexandra her self from this many-eyed Argus In the end as the wit of woman is inventive especially in matters that concern their proper interests she without discovering ought to any one no not to her daughter Mariamne fearing least her nature too mild should advise her rarher to rest in the lists of patience than to attempt ways so perilous she I say onely advising with her own passion in this business caused two beers to be made a matter of ill presage to put her self and son into thinking by this means to elude the diligence of the Guard and so to be carried to the sea where a ship attended her and by this way save her life in the power of death But by ill hap a servant of hers named Aesop who was one of those that were appointed to carry the beers going to visit one called Sabbion a friend to the house of Alexandra let some words fall of the intention of his Mistress as thinking to to have spoken to a faithful and secret friend of hers The perfidious Sabbion had no sooner wrung the worm out of this servants nose but he hasteth to open all to Herod supposing it was a very fit opportunity to work his reconciliation he having a long time been suspected and accounted to be of Alexandras faction Herod after he heard this news wanted not spies and centinels The poor Lady with her son is surprised upon the beers drawn out of the sepulcher of the dead to return to the living ashamed and disgraced that her Comedy was no better acted little considering that after her personated part had failed she could nothing at all pretend to life Herod notwithstanding whether he feared the great credit Cleopatra had or whether he would not wholy affright Alexandra thereby with the more facility to oppress her contained himself in the ordinary dissimulation of his own nature without speaking one sole word unto her Although very well in the face of this painted hypocrisie was seen that the clouds were gathered together to make a loud Thunder-crack raise an unresistable tempest The caytive after he had given so many deaths Pitiful death of young Aristobulus in the horrour and affrightment of arms would inflict one even as it were in sport upon a fair sommers day Being at dinner at the house of the miserable Alexandra feigning to have buried in deep oblivion all what was past saith that in favour of youth he this day would play the young man and invite the High-Priest Aristobulus his brother in law to play at tennis with him or some other like exercise The sides were made the elumination was enkindled The young Prince hot and eager played not long but he became all on a water as at that time happened to many other Lords and Gentlemen Behold they all run to the rivers which were near this place of pleasure where they dined Herod who knew the custom of Aristobulus and well foresaw he would not fail to cast himself into these cold baths suborneth base villains who under the shew of pastime should force him to drink more than he would All succeeded as this traiterous wretch had premeditated Aristobulus seeing the other in the water uncloathed himself quickly and bare them company There was no cause why he should swim sport and dally upon this element ever dangerous although less faithless than Herod The poor sacrifice skipped up and down not knowing the unhappiness which attended him But the accursed executioners remembred it well For spying their time in this fatal sport they smothered the poor High-priest under the waters in the eighteenth year of his age and the first of his High-priesthood This bright Sun which rose with such splendour and applause did set in the waves never to appear again but with horrid wanness of death on his discoloured visage Humane hopes where are you True dreams of Vanity and
of Princes and of Princesses good Prelates great and virtuous Ladies the wise the valiant the most notable States-men Generals of Armies Conquerours yea and the Saints most eminet in virtue There are others also Fiery but burnt with the fire of Comets which are maligne counterfeit vicious insolent pievish crosse covetous ambitious cruel arrogant inhumane violent and impetuous Of this matter were composed the Tiberiuses the Herods the Neros and the Domitians who seemed to be born for the desolation of mankind The Airy are likewise of two kinds very different for the one are of a temperate constitution which maketh them mild peaceable pious cordiall sociable gracefull affable courteous pliant witty liberall and active Of this kind are many gentle courteous modest and handsome women men of honour and of quality who make a noble Company and are infinitely apt for all the civilities of a laudable conversation But if they degenerate from this degree they become great caters great scoffers dissolute vain flatterers lascivious and brutish Others like unto stirred air are turbulent stormy cholerick suspitious impatient nice biting undertakers mutable mutinous unquiet murmurers and slanderers It is they who raise quarrels and litigious wranglings in the world who disturb men and affairs wherein they many times are as quick-silver in guildings onely used to make it resolve into smoke Of the Aquaticks some are slow and cold tastelesse without affection without cordiality wedded to their own petty profits and born for themselves Of this rank you see many that make a good shew who resemble those dryed-up or frozen fountains upon a throne of marble which have ostent enough but afford no water Others which like standing and marishy waters are close foul sluggish traiterous and dangerous Others like the sea are ambitious unequal uncertain fantasticall and capricious every moment changing shape in this great Comedy of the world Others are peaceable and usefull as goodly Fountains and great Rivers As for the Terrestriall they are stubborn inflexible dull and stupid of the condition of those people who thought they were at the end of numbers when they had counted to four and could go no further Some in the beginning appear what they are and others have a specious outside which makes them to passe for handsome beasts Sometimes they are loutish cloudy enemies of joy of innocent pleasure of beauty of witty conceits of discourse of inventions slaves of gain and traitours to their own life out of the exorbitancy of their avarice In this number you shall find many like to those which Theophrastus describeth who neither lend fire nor salt to their neighbours who wear hidious habits and cause themselves to be shaven very close that they may be at the lesse cost with their Barber who have Magazines of pedlers and who laden with old keyes walk every day up and down their grounds to see whither they have not changed place Some are like Poulcats others are Fawns and Satyrs who are addicted to base and shamefull lusts captious shifting impudent night-walkers and Hobgoblins who extreamly disturb the repose of humane life if laws armed with force endeavour not to dissipate them to make use of chains to restrain them The Subterraneans are Melancholick close hypocriticall silent fumish sad irreconcileable bloody and venemous They are very apt to hatch revenges long pondred to build labyrinths in their hearts wherein no day light appeareth Neverthelesse as they most times have an impotency in the execution of bad designs so they cherish but not satisfie their passions Yet do these qualitâ—es diversly commix one with another yea the highest with the lowest from whence proceed infinite variations in the spirit of man so that there is not any thing so changeable in totall nature or so hard to be known â—â— man Some seem to be born with good parts but through the want of some help of nature or instruction they degenerate into bad and render themselves very capable of deceits and illusions So many are become Huguenots for that they want vigour of judgement and see not that we rather should referre our selves to a Generall Councell then to their silly arguments Others abuse themselves in spirituall life and would willingly refine devotion even to the talking with Angels and the seeing a white Pidgeon Others to appear strong wits contemn all ordinary guizes make themselves extravagant and as the Antipodes of mankind Others put themselves into the number of confused Scholars who have store of learning but very ill-digested There are some who with much endeavour to seem wise become crafty they converse not but under a mask they set snares in every place they have the talent of plyantnesse They draw tribute out of the good turns they do their friends they make profit of all they become extreamly distrustfull and they would willingly be of that kind of which Theophrastus speaketh who every moment tell their money and make their Lackeys go before them for fear they should run away Others out of too much defire of glory become vain affected in their speech in their actions and in all their proceedings to the studying and learning by heart the slightest complements as do some women whom one would take to be virgins of the Goddesse Memory and such as boast elocution who traffick in hearers and invite to their sermons more then one would to weddings or burials Some out of an intemperance of neatnesse and of dotage upon health torment their life such circumspection use they in their diet their garments their furnitures in all things which are for their use They every where carry their bread and wine along with them and never sit well but in their own chair Others take delight to negottate they alwayes have their hands full of Papers they make a Registers office of their Cabinet they are great Formalists and strangely persecute the world with their punctualities They put one businesse into an hundred dishes and incessantly trouble all such as have to do with them Others desirous to make themselves ouermuch pleasing in their conversation become bablers and ceremonious they are importune and unseasonable in complements they go to prattle with their friends whilest they have a feaver they tell extravagant tales wherein they take themselves to be very facetious although at the latter end of the discourse they be asked where the conceit to be laughed at lies They burthen themselves also with news of no value They make a secret of every thing and give things out for mysteries which are proclaimed with a Trumpet There are some who not to seem flatterers tell truth with an ill grace they are great Censurers and they see not any one whom they reform not from the head to the heel If they put themselves upon matter of doctrine and eloquence they are the Fathers of wits and the creatours of excellent conceits under whom the Empire of learning circumvolveth and if they talk of State-matters of the Church of Justice and of
too indulgent and another too austere the habit of this pleaseth but the manner of living is distastefull the flesh draweth upon one side and the discipline drives away on the other and her wavering mind can resolve on nothing nor irresolve on nothing but irresolution That admitted and established in this manner I say there are two sorts of Aversion the one whereof is tied to things the other to persons and both of them are of power much to disturb us if we seasonably seek not to give remedy thereto in our most tender years before these dispositions wax old in us and strengthen themselves to our prejudice Now I observe we may find very good remedies out of the consideration of the Divine proceedings of God as I intend to let you see in the sequele of this discourse § 2. The sweetnesses and harmonies of the heart of God shew us the way to cure our Aversions FIrst we see that God loves all things except sinne and hates nothing he hath made Essence Goodnesse The consideration of the love which God bears to his creatures is a powerfull remedy to cure Aversion Diligis omnia quae sunt nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti Sap. 11. 25. Sin corrupteth the goodness of essence in intellectuall creatures Cypr. de Idol vanir à vigore and truth follow one another by necessity of consequence and God hath put nothing into Being which is not in the state of some Goodnesse yea the devils will burn in hell having something good having somewhat of God They have being and substance understanding and will all which considered within the limits of Nature cannot but be good There is nothing but sinne which altereth and depraveth it by the ill usage of it S. Cyprian hath well noted it when hs saith of devils That they were * * * Spiritus insinceri vagi qui posteaquam terrenis immersi vitiis sunt coelesti terrâ—no contagio recesserunt non desinunt perditi perdere spirits impure and sophisticate who having lost their sincerity and heavenly vigour by the contagion of the vices of the earth and who being once lost cease not to ruine men From thence we behold that as in adulterated merchandize and false money there is alwayes some good mixed with the bad so in these unclean spirits there is an Intellectuall nature of it self very good which hath been corrupted by sinne God cannot but love in them all that is his as much as he detesteth all which proceedeth from their rebellion But if there be any thing lovely in creatures so miserable and forsaken which is worthy to entertain the heart of God how can we have an Aversion against so many other things which rest as yet in innocency It is an admirable thing that the heart of God is as God in his Essence accordeth the diversity of all Essences the Father of Harmonies and doth within it self accord things the most opposite For we know all the world in this sovereign being is more beautifull better coloured and more flourishing then it is in it self yet there is no contrariety Water resisteth not fire heat cold drought moisture because it is a Sanctuary of Peace where all diversities conclude in Unity Greek Marvellous Temples where lions were tractable Histories make mention of certain Temples as was that of Adonis wherein lions were tractable that might come to passe from the industry of men and not out of the virtue of the place as Elian the Historian Aelian de animal l. 12. cap. 25. supposeth but here we must say The bosome of God is a true temple of Peace which makes lions familiar with lambs and which uniteth all to it self But to witnesse unto us beside the intention which God hath to dispose us to sympathy hence is it that The sympathies and antipathies which God hath wisely impressed on Essences end in union not satisfied to have united all the parts of the world as those of an Egge he giveth even to creatures insensible certain Bands and dumb Amities which causeth them to seek one after another and to link themselves together by complacence as we see to happen in the load-stone and iron in the amber and the straw whether it be done by a substantiall form which is hidden from us or whether it be by transpiration and effluxion of their substances as the Philopher Empedocles thought and which is more if this sovereign Workman permit Antipathy among creatures he hath reduced all to the good of community since it serves for the conservation of Species which compose the beauty of his Universe So the contrariety between the Lamb and the Wolf is a perfect incitement to the conservation of this creature necessary for humane life Some one may here say that by perswading too How we ought to govern out Aversions Nature necessarily brings with it its sympathies and antipathies Fracast de sympath â—ntipath 1. c. 13. much I perswade nothing for if we admit sympathy for all which God hath created we then must love serpents and poisons we must miserably satisfie our hunger with all impure viands which cannot be done without destroying the principles of nature which necessarily hath its Appetites to good and its Aversions from many things contrary unto it To that I answer we cannot wholly live without Sympathy and Antipathy For we well know that the knowledges of the Senses of the Imagination of the Understanding come to us by the help of Species which represent unto us the quantity figure form habit motion and rest of things but above all the accord and dissonance from whence commonly arise in our soul two affections the one of Dilatation and the other of Restriction For as the soul dilates and spreadeth it self to things which are delightfull to it So it draws back and foldeth it self up at the sight of all is unpleasing to it very well witnessed even in the members of the body which extend or contract themselves according as matters are agreeable or disagreeable to the heart We do not The first motions are for the most part inevitable Senec. l. 2. de Ira. cap. 2. here intend to stifle all the first motions which are not in our power insomuch as they are invincible and inevitable It were to no purpose to make long discourses to a man to exhort him not to have some small quaking in his body when on a sudden cold water is thrown upon him or not to wink with his eyes when a glittering sword is presented as it were to strike him or not to have some dizzinesse in the head by beholding a precipice from a place on high For all that is naturall and may happen to men the most moderate We do not likewise say that we must not flie not One may reasonably fly that which is in any wise hurtfull Nemo enim unquam carnem suam odio habuit sed nutrit sovet eam ficut Christus
whether in reverence to the man or for fear to precipitate the death of such a Minister of the State by too hasty an execution demanded counsel of Fannius his Captain what in this case he ought to do who did advise him to execute the command of the Emperour and this was done by a sloth fatall to all of the Conspiracy some Ladies onely excepted who shewed themselves more courageous then the Senatours and the Cavalliers Howsoever he having not the heart to carry these heavy tidings did deliver his Commission to a Centurion who informed him with the last of all necessities Seneca without troubling himself desired so much liberty as to make his Will which was refused him On which he turned to his friends and said That since it was not permitted to him to acknowledge their merit that he would leave unto them the very best of all he had which was the Image of his Life in which if they would please to call to mind how he had passed it in so many commendable Exercises they should enjoy for their recompence the reputation of a faithfull and a constant friendship And this he spake not out of arrogance but as it were by the authotity of a Father when he bids his last Farewell unto his Children recommending to them to imitate him in what he had done well and so said S. Paul to his Disciples Be you imitatours of me as I am of Jesus Christ This made their hearts to melt and they began all to weep but he did endeavour to wipe away their tears mingling sweetnesse with reproaches What do you mean he said where are the Precepts of Philosophy where is that Reason so long prepared against all the chances of humane Life who is he that can be ignorant of the cruelty of Nero and who did not see that after the death of his mother and his brother there nothing remained but to adde unto it the murder of his Master and Governour After this Discourse which served for them all he embraced his wife gave her his last farewell and having fortified her against the terrours of the present dangers he did intreat and conjure her to moderate her grief and to sweeten the sorrows of her dear husband by the consideration of his life which was without reproach He loved most tenderly that virtuous Lady and did not cherish his own life but for her sake saying sometimes That he would spare himself a little the more becausâ— in an old man there lived a young woman who deserved that he should take care for her and being not able to obtain from his dear Paulina that she should love him more fervently her love being in the highest degree of perfection she should obtain from him that he should use himself for her sake with the more indulgence This fair Lady observing all that had passed said That there was no longer life for her after the death of him whom she loved above all things in the world and that she would keep him company in the other world On that word he stood a little in a pause and would not contradict her as well for the glory of the action as for the love which he did bear her and for the fear he had to leave so dear a person to the affronts of an enemy be therefore said unto her My dear Love I have shewed you the sweetnesse and the allurements of life but I see you preferre unto it the honour of a generous death I will not envy the example of your Virtue and although the constancy in our death shall be equall in us both yet yours shall be alwayes more glorious then mine for you contribute unto it a courage which is above your sex Having said this they caused their veins to be opened by one hand in the presence one of the other and because the body of her husband was attenuated by great abstinence and the bloud did issue but slowly from him he gave order that there should be a new incision made in the veins of his legs and of his feet The poor old man did endeavour to put himself all into bloud and indured cruel dolours but more in the body of his dear wife then in his own which was the reason that he caused her to be conveighed into another chamber to mitigate a little the sorrows which one had for the other in beholding themselves to die with so much violence It is a wonderfull thing that this great man had so untroubled and so ready a spirit in so fatall an act He called his Secretary to whom he did dictate his last Thoughts which were full of a generous constancy In the mean time Nero having no particular hatred against Paulina and considering that the death of so innocent a Lady would but render himself and his cruelty more abhorred did command that her veins should be stopped and the bloud stanched which it appeared that she suffered to her greater grief both by the short time that she out-lived her husband and by the inviolable faith which she did bear unto his ashes and she looked ever after as she were some prodigy such abundance of bloud and so much spirits she had lost Seneca was yet remaining in the tedious pangs of death when upon advice he demanded poyson of his Physicians which had no operation at all his members being already cold and his body shut up against all the forces of the poyson He caused himself therefore to be carried to a Bath and taking some of the warm water he sprinkled his servants with it that stood about him saying according to Cornelius Tacitus That he offered that water to Jove the deliverer after which words he entred into the stove and was stifled with the vapour that did arise from it Many grave Personages have conceived that he died a Christian and though it is no easie matter to perswade those to this opinion who are possessed with another and who speak but with little consideration on this subject yet there are not wanting grounds to prove the truth thereof Flavius Dexter a most antient Historian who hath composed a small Chronicle from the Nativity of our Saviour unto the fourth Age affirmeth in expresse terms that in the sixty fourth year Seneca entertained good thoughts of Christianity and that he died a Christian although not a declared one S. Hierome in the Book of Ecclesiasticall Authours doth put him in the number of Saints that is to say of those who acknowledge and confesse Jesus Christ Tertullian a most grave Authour saith that he was one although not openly S. Augustine in the City of God alledgeth many excellent passages of a Book which Seneca undoubtedly did write against the Superstition of the Pagans in which he overthrows all the Heathenish Religion of Rome although he doth not vigorously perswade them to change it for fear of troubling the Estate This Book was afterwards condemned and burned by the Enemies of our Religion The holy Doctor doth