And, by Jove, we meet with some persons who affirm
that the death of every one is not to be lamented, but only
of those who die untimely; for they have not tasted of
those things which we call enjoyments in the world, as a
nuptial bed, proficiency in learning, the coming up to an
height in any thing, the honor of magistracy and charges
in the government. It is for the sake of these things that
we condole with those who lose friends by untimely death,
because they were frustrated of their hopes; but in the
meanwhile we are ignorant that a sudden death doth not
at all differ from any other, considering the condition of
human nature. For as when a journey is enjoined into a
remote country, and there is a necessity for every one to
undertake it, and none hath liberty to refuse, though some
go before and others follow, yet all must arrive at the same
stage at last; so when we all lie under an obligation of
discharging the same debt, it is not material whether we
pay sooner or later. But if any one's death may be called
untimely, and consequently an evil, that appellation suits
only with that of children and infants, and especially of
those who are newly born. But this we bear steadfastly
and with patience; but when those that are grown up die,
we take on heavily, because we fondly hoped that when
their years were full blown they would then have an uninterrupted
[p. 323]
state of health. Now if the age of man were
limited to the space of twenty years, we should not think
that he who had arrived to fifteen died an untimely death,
but that he had filled up a just measure of living; but one
that had attained twenty, or at least had approached very
near it, we should applaud for his good fortune, as if he had
enjoyed the most happy and perfect life in the world. So
if life were prolonged to two hundred years as its fixed
period, and any one died at a hundred, we should howl
over him as if he had been hastily cut off.
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