Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-08-23
Extract from An Essay ON
Death.
lord Bacon.


find it to be the least Of all evils. All
that which is past is as a dream;and
he that hopes or depends upon time
coming, dreams waking, So much
OF our life as we have discovered Is
already dead; and all those hours
we share, even from the breasts Of
our mothers, until we return to our
grandmother the earth, are part OF
our dying days, whereof even this is
one, and those that succeed are of
the same nature, for we die daily;
and as others have given place to us,
so we in the end must give place to
others.
Physicians in the name of death
include all sorrow, anguish, disease,
calamity, or whatsoever can fall in
the life Of man, either grievous or
unwelcome. But these things are
familiar unto us, and we suffer them
every hour; therefore we die daily,
and / am older since / affirmed it.
/ know many wise men that fear
to die; for the change is bitter and
the flesh would refuse to prove it;
besides, the expectation brings ter
ror, and that exceeds the evil. But
/ do not believe that any man fears
to be dead, but only the stroke OF
death; and such are my hopes, that
II heaven be pleased, and nature re-
new but my lease for twenty-One
years more, without asking longer
days, shall be strong enough to
acknowledge without mourning that
/ was begotten mortal. Virtue
walks not in the highway, though
she 60 per alta; this is strength and
the blood to virtue, to contemn
things that be desired, and to neg
lect that which is feared.
Why should man be in love with
his letters, though they be of gold ?
Art thou drowned in security Then
/ say thou art perfectly dead. For
though thou movest, yet thy soul Is
buried within thee, and thy good an.
gel either forsakes his guard or sleeps.
There is nothing under heaven, saw
ing true friend (who cannot be
counted within the number of NOV
ables), unto which my heart doth
lean. And this dear freedom has be-
gotten me this peace, that / mourn
not for that end which must be, nor
spend one wish to have one minute
added to the uncertain date of my
years. It was no mean apprehension
of Lucian, who says Of Menippus,
that in his travels through hell he
knew not the kings Of the earth from
the other men but only by their loud
or cryings and tears, which were fos-
tered in them through the remorse-
full memory Of the good days they
had seen and the fruitful havings
which they SO unwillingly left behind
them: he that was well seated, look
ed back at his portion, and was 10th
to forsake his farm; and others,
either minding marriages, pleasures,
profit or preferment, desired to be
excused from deaths banquet; they
had made an appointment with
earth, looking at the blessings, not
the hand that enlarged them, for
getting how uncl0thedly they came
hither, or with what naked orna-
ments they were arrayed. *** 1
might say much Of the commodities
that death can sell man; but brief
ly, death Is q friend Of ours; and he
that Is not ready to entertain him is
not at homo. Whilst / am, my am
bition il not to fore.f the tide, I
have but 30 to make my interest Of
it a. may account for It: I would
wish nothing but what might better
my days, nor desire any greater
place than the front Of good opinion.
I make not love to the continuance
Of days, but to the goodness Of them:
nor wish to die, but refer myself to
my hour, which the great dispenser
Of oil things hath appointed me, yet
e. I am frail, and suffered for the
nrst fault, were II given me to choose
I should b earnest to see the even
ing Of my age; that extremity Of IT.
self being q disease, and mere re-
turn into infancy; 90 that IL perpe-
tuity Of life might be given me, I
should think what the Greek poet
said, "Such an age is mortal evil"
M otpno nnuot mazda ho doa6