Of Death

MEN fear death, as children fear to go in the

dark; and as that natural fear in children,

is increased with tales, so is the other.  Certainly,

the contemplation of death, as the wages of sin,

and passage to another world, is holy and relig-

ious; but the fear of it, as a tribute due unto nature,

is weak.  Yet in religious meditations, there is some-

times mixture of vanity, and of superstition.  You

shall read, in some of the friars' books of mortifica-

tion, that a man should think with himself, what

the pain is, if he have but his finger's end pressed,

or tortured, and thereby imagine, what the pains

of death are, when the whole body is corrupted,

and dissolved; when many times death passeth,

with less pain than the torture of a limb; for the

most vital parts, are not the quickest of sense.  And

by him that spake only as a philosopher, and nat-

ural man, it was well said, Pompa mortis magis

terret, quam mors ipsa.  Groans, and convulsions,

and a discolored face, and friends weeping, and

blacks, and obsequies, and the like, show death

terrible.  It is worthy the observing, that there is no

passion in the mind of man, so weak, but it mates,

and masters, the fear of death; and therefore,

death is no such terrible enemy, when a man hath

so many attendants about him, that can win the

combat of him.  Revenge triumphs over death; love

slights it; honor aspireth to it; grief flieth to it; fear

preoccupateth it; nay, we read, after Otho the em-

peror had slain himself, pity (which is the tender-

est of affections) provoked many to die, out of mere

compassion to their sovereign, and as the truest

sort of followers.  Nay, Seneca adds niceness and

satiety: Cogita quamdiu eadem feceris; mori velle,

non tantum fortis aut miser, sed etiam fastidiosus

potest.  A man would die, though he were neither

valiant, nor miserable, only upon a weariness to

do the same thing so oft, over and over.  It is no less

worthy, to observe, how little alteration in good

spirits, the approaches of death make; for they

appear to be the same men, till the last instant.

Augustus Caesar died in a compliment; Livia, con-

jugii nostri memor, vive et vale.  Tiberius in dissi-

mulation; as Tacitus saith of him, Jam Tiberium

vires et corpus, non dissimulatio, deserebant.  Ves-

pasian in a jest, sitting upon the stool; Ut puto deus

fio.  Galba with a sentence; Feri, si ex re sit populi

Romani; holding forth his neck.  Septimius Severus

in despatch; Adeste si quid mihi restat agendum.

And the like.  Certainly the Stoics bestowed too

much cost upon death, and by their great prepara-

tions, made it appear more fearful.  Better saith he,

qui finem vitae extremum inter munera ponat

naturae.  It is as natural to die, as to be born; and to

a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful, as the

other.  He that dies in an earnest pursuit, is like one

that is wounded in hot blood; who, for the time,

scarce feels the hurt; and therefore a mind fixed,

and bent upon somewhat that is good, doth avert

the dolors of death.  But, above all, believe it, the

sweetest canticle is', Nunc dimittis; when a man

hath obtained worthy ends, and expectations.

Death hath this also; that it openeth the gate to

good fame, and extinguisheth envy. - Extinctus

amabitur idem.