II
OF DEATH
Men feare Death, as Children feare to goe in the darke: And as that Natural Feare in Children is increased with Tales, so is the other. Certainly, the Contemplation of Death, as the wages of sinne, and Passage to another world, is Holy and Religious; But the Feare of it, as a Tribute due unto Nature, is weake. Yet in Religious Meditations, there is sometimes Mixture of Vanitie and of Superstition. You shal reade, in some of the Friars' Books of Mortification, that a man should thinke with himselfe, what the Paine is, if he have but his Finger's end Pressed or Tortured, And thereby imagine, what the Paines of Death are, when the whole Body is corrupted and dissolved; when[1] many times Death passeth with lesse paine then the Torture of a Limme: For the most vitall parts are not the quickest of Sense. And by him, that spake onely as a Philosopher and Naturall[2] Man, it was well said, Pompa Mortis magis terret quàm Mors ipsa[3]. Groanes and Convulsions, and a discoloured Face, and Friends weeping, and Blackes[4], and Obsequies, and the like, shew Death[5] Terrible. It is worthy the observing, that there is no
passion in the minde of man so weake, but it Mates[6] and Masters the Feare of Death: And therefore Death is no such terrible Enemie, when a man hath so many Attendants about him that can winne the combat of him[7]. Revenge triumphs over Death; Love slights it; Honour aspireth to it; Griefe flieth to it; Feare pre-occupateth[8] it; Nay, we reade, after Otho the Emperour had slaine himselfe, Pitty (which is the tenderest[9] of Affections) provoked[10] many to die, out of meere compassion to their Soveraigne, and as the truest sort of Followers. Nay,
