O thou, that art the God of Comfort, help thy poor servant, that is now struggling with his last enemy. His sad friends stand gazing upon him, and weeping over him; but they cannot succour him: needs must they leave him, to do this great work alone: none, but thou, to whom belong the issues of death, canst relieve his distressed and over-matched soul. And, for me, let no man die without me as I die daily, so teach me to die once: acquaint me beforehand with that messenger, which I must trust to. Oh, teach me so to number my days, that I may apply my heart to true wisdom. O tu, qui Miserationum omnium Deus es, propitius esto misello servo tuo, qui jam modò cum novissimo illo hoste conflictatur. Amici ejus mœsti illum circumstant, et intuentur intentiùs, moribundo que allachrymantur; cui succurrere parùm possunt: necesse est eum sibi relinquant, ut magnum hoc opus sibi solus transigat: nemo, præter te solum, penes quem sunt mortis exitus, miseram hanc et tantis hostibus imparem congressam animam relevare potest. Et, quod me attinet, sine me nemo prox morum moriatur: uti ego quotidie morior, ita doce me mori semel: fac me præ manu familiarem illi nuntio, qui mihi necessariò expectandus est. Doce me sic numerare dies meos, ut cor meum veræ addicam sapientiæ. LXXIX. On a defamation dispersed. WERE I the first or the best, that ever was slandered, perhaps it would be some what difficult, to command myself patience. Grief is wont to be abated, perare. to be abated, either by partners, or precedents: the want whereof dejects us beyond measure, as men singled out for patterns of misery. Now, while I find this the common condition of all, that ever have been reputed virtuous, why am I troubled with the whisperings of false tongues? O God, the Devil slandered thee in paradise. O Saviour, Defamatione quâdam divulgatá. Si vel primus ego vel optimus omnium essem, cai probra immeritò fuissent ingesta, difficilius fortè foret, patientiam mihi imperare. Aut participatione, aut exemplis, imminui solet dolor: quibus utrisque ubi destituimur, supra modum dejici solemus, acsi miseriarum archetypi quidam designaremur. Nunc verò, quandoquidem communem hanc omnium, qui virtutem unquam coluere, conditionem comperio, quorsum ego falsiloquarum lin guarum sibilationibus ita nimiùm crucior? O Deus, ipsum te defamavit, Diabolus in paradiso. Te verò, * Si Christus Judam passus est, cur non ego patior Birrhichionem? Dial. de S. Martino, Sever. Sulpit. men slandered thee on earth, more than men or devils can reproach me. Thou art the best, as thou art the best, that ever was smitten by a lying and venomous tongue. It is too much favour, that is done me by malicious lips, that they conform me to thy sufferings: I could not be so happy, if they were not so spiteful. O thou glorious pattern of reproached innocence, if I may not die for thee, yet let me thus bleed with thee. On a ring of bells. O Servator, contumeliis magis impetierunt homines in terrâ, quàm nos impetere possunt homines dæmonesve. Tu, qui omnium optimus es, eminentissimus etiam illorum omnium es, qui mendaci venenatâque linguâ unquam fuêre sauciati. Nimiùm mihi favent linguæ hæ maledicæ, quòd me tuis passionibus conformem præstent: nisi illæ ita invidæ ac mordaces essent, ego certè ita fœlix esse non possem. O tu, qui gloriosissimum es innocentiæ contumeliosè excepte exemplar, quandoquidem pro te mori non liceat, da mihi saltem tecum vel sic vulnerari. LXXX. WHILE every bell keeps due time and order, what a sweet and harmonious sound they make! All the neighbour villages are cheered with that common music but when once they jar and check each other; either jangling together, or striking preposterously ; how harsh, and unpleasing is that noise! So that, as we testify our public rejoicing, by an orderly and welltuned peal; so, when we would signify that the town is on fire, we ring confusedly. It is thus in Church and Commonwealth. When every one knows and keeps their due ranks, there is a melodious concert of peace and contentment; but, when distances and proportions of respects are not mutually observed, when either states or persons will be clashing with each other, the discord is grievous and extremely preju Audito quodam_campanarume concentu. DUM tempus suum atque ordinem servant hæ campanæ, quàm suavem harmonicumque sonum edunt! Villulæ quæque vicina communi hoc concentu recreantur: ubi verò discors sonant, alteraque alteri obstrepit; sive coincidente sonitu, sive præpostere se ingerente; quam injucundus est stridor ille, et haud parùm ingratus! Ita ut, qui gaudium publicum, benè ordinatâ regularique campanarum pulsatione, testari solemus; domorum itidem combustionem, confuso earundem sonitu, significemus. Et sic quidem in Ecclesiâ ac Republicâ se habet. Ubi unusquisque suum novit locum ordinemque, suavissima est pacis contentationisque harmonia; sed, ubi debita intervalla respectuumque mutuorum proportiones justæ parùm observantur, ubi aut imperia aut personæ discordi quodam sibi clangore intersonant, gravissimæ lites incidunt. dicial. Such confusion either notifieth a fire already kindled, or portendeth it. Popular states may ring the changes with safety: but the Monarchical government requires a constant and regular course, of the set degrees of rule and inferiority; which cannot be violated, without a sensible discontentment and danger. For me, I do so love the peace of the Church and State, that I cannot but, with the charitable Apostle, say, Would to God, they were cut off that trouble them; and shall ever wish, either no jars, or no clappers. ac utrisque fortasse perniciosa. Confusio scilicet hujusmodi incendium commune vel innuit, vel certè portendit. Populares siquæ sint administrationes campanarum seriem facilè ac fortè etiam tutò variare possunt: regimen verò Monarchicum, constantem quendam regularemque ordinem, fixosque et dominii et subjectionis gradus efflagitat; qui quidem, absque manifesto præjudicio ac discrimine, violari non possunt. Me quod spectat, ita ego impensè diligo Ecclesiæ ac Reipublicæ pacem, ut non possim, cum plenissimo illo quidem charitatis Apostolo, non optare Utinam exscindantur qui istam conturbant; campanasque omnes cupiam, vel concordes, vel sanè elingues. On the sight of a full table at a feast. LXXXI. Conspecto benè instructo convivio. WHAT great variety is here, of flesh, of fish; of both, of either: as if both nature and art did strive to pamper us! Yet methinks, enough is better than all this. Excess is but a burden; as to the provider, so to the guest. It pities and grieves me, to think what toil, what charge hath gone, to the gathering of all these dainties together; what pain so many poor creatures have been put to, in dying for a needless sacrifice to the belly; what a penance must be done by every accumbent, in sitting out the passage through all these dishes; what a task the stomach must be put to, in the concoction of so many mixtures. I am not so austerely scrupulous, as to deny the lawfulness of these abundant provisions, upon QUANTA istic varietas est, carnium, piscium; piscium; utrorumque, neutrorumque quasi et ars et natura saginationi nostræ ac deliciis conspirarent! Meo certè tamen anino, nimio hoc omni melius est quod est satis. Excessus iste oneri est ; et domino, et hospiti. Dolet mihi quidem cogitare, quis labor, qui sumptus conquirendis hisce tot cupediis necessariò insumendi fuerint; quantum cruciatûs subierint tot misera animalcula, moriendo ut superfluo semel sacrificio ventri immolarentur; sed et quanta accumbentibus pœna incumbit, usque sedendi donec per omnia hæc fercula suo quodam ordine transierint; quantum denique stomacho provinciæ demandatur, tot ciborum misturas unà concoquendi. Non ita austerè rigidus just occasions: I find my Saviour himself, more than once, at a feast this is recorded, as well as his one long fast. Doubtless, our bountiful God hath given us his creatures, not for necessity only, but for pleasure: but these exceedings should be both rare and moderate; and, when they must be, require no less patience than temperance. Might I have my option, O God, give me rather a little, with peace and love. He, whose provision for every day was thirty measures of fine flour and threescore measures of meal, thirty oxen, a hundred sheep, besides venison and fowl, yet can pray, Give me the bread of sufficiency. Let me have no perpetual feast, but a good conscience and, from these great preparations, for the health both of soul and body, let me rise, rather hungry than surcharged. sum, ut largos hosce apparatus, ubi res postulat, parùm licere censeam: etiam Servatorem meum, non semel, convivio accumbentem comperio: et hoc non minùs, quàm diuturnum illius jejunium unicum, memoratur. Proculdubio, munificus Deus noster creaturas nobis suas, non necessitatis ergò solum, sed et voluptatis, impertiit: excessus tamen isti, et rari sint oportet, et non nimii; et, ubi sunt, non minus patientiæ profectò, quàm temperantiæ desiderant. Optio si mihi mea detur, pauxillum mihi sit, cum pace et charitate. Ille, cui quotidianum dimensum erat, triginta cori simile et sexaginta cori farinæ, boves triginta, centum oves, præter ferinam volucresque saginatas, precatur tamen, Da mihi panem sufficientiæ. Nullum mihi perpetuum convivium sit, præter bonam conscientiam : ab istis verò lautis largisque epulis, liceat mihi, pro et animæ et corporis sanitate, fame potiùs quàm crapulâ laboranti, surgere. On the hearing of a lute well LXXXII. played on. THERE may be, for ought we know, infinite inventions of art, the possibility whereof we should hardly ever believe, if they were fore-reported to us. Had we lived in some rude and remote part of the world; and should have been told, that it is possible, only by a hollow piece of wood, and the guts of beasts stirred by the fingers of men, to make so sweet and melodious a noise; we should have thought it utterly incredible: yet now, Auditá lyrá benè pul- INFINITA fortassis esse possunt that we see and hear it ordinarily done, we make it no wonder. It is no marvel, if we cannot fore-imagine what kind and means of harmony, God will have used by his saints and angels in heaven; when these poor matters seem so strange to our conceits, which yet our very senses are convinced of. O God, thou knowest infinite ways to glorify thyself by thy creatures, which do far transcend our weak and finite capacities. Let me wonder at thy wisdom and power; and be more awful in my adorations, than curious in my inquiries. mus quotidie, ne miramur qui Mirum non est, si nos præcogitare nequeamus, sive genera sive modos harmoniæ illius supernæ, quam a sanctis angelisque in cœlo usurpari voluit Deus; cùm minima hæc, quorum sensus noster facilè convincitur, ita nimis admiranda videantur. Nôsti tu, O Deus, infinitas temetipsum per creaturas tuas te glorificandi rationes, quæ finitum ingenioli nostri captum longissimè transcendunt. Fac sapientiam tuam potentiamque usque stupeam; simque ado rando humilior, quàm curiosior inquirendo, On the sight and noise of a peacock. LXXXIII. Viso et audito pavone. VIDEO hypocritarum non unum esse genus. Inter omnes alitum species, hic, et pulcherrimus videtur, et sonat ingratissimè: ita ut hic hypocritam se præstet oculo. Sunt et alii, huic adversi, uti merula, quæ nigra videtur; cantat tamen optime: hypocrita nempe illa auri est. Sunt et alii, qui, et specie et voce, sat nobis placent; moribus verò ac gestu offendunt; qualis est psittacus, cujus colores venusti sunt, sonus non injucundus; mordere tamen solet ille, proximamque manum quamque unguibus impetere: hic et oculo et auri hypocrita est. Gradus tamen adhuc ulterior, præter irrationalium omnium exemplum, eorum est, scilicet, quorum species, voces, gestus, moresque, non perplacere non possunt; corda tamen fœdissima sint, et horrendâ impietate plena. Externæ venustatis non est, hypocritam facere |