HOwe bytter and howe greuous a wounde per­ceth your fatherly harte / for the deathe of your mooste goodly chylde / I lightly cōrecte by myne owne sorowe. And therfore I were ryghte moche vncourtoys / if that I in so sorowfull a chance wolde warne you his father to make lamentation / whan I that am but a straunger can nat chose but wepe & wayle. Ye myght well thinke me rude and vntaught / if I wolde go about to heale your gresse / whan I my selfe had nede of a phisitian: if I wolde lette you his father to wepe / whan the teares stylle abundauntlye trykell downe from myne eien.

And all be it / that the ilke stroke of [Page] Fortune oughte deper to perce your fatherly breast: yet your great wyse­dome was wont so to rule you (in all your dedes) that ye nat onely with a strōge & a stoute mynde / but also with a glad and a mery chere / wolde suffre and passe ouer all suche chaunces as happe to mankynde. wherfore ye oughte so to settell your selfe / that if ye can nat as yet put awaye clene the sorowe of your harte (for no man can denye but that ye haue ryghte good cause to be heuy) yet at the least wyse some what suppresse & moderate the same dolour. And for what cause shulde ye nat clene forgette it? seinge that the space of a fewe dayes wyll cause idiottes so to do / me thynketh reason shulde persuade an excellent wyse man. For what selye mother doth so extremely bewayle the dethe of her childe / but that in shorte space of tyme her sorowe some what assla­keth / [Page] and at length is clene forgotten? To haue alway a stedfast mynde / is a token of a perfecte wyse man. But for those chaunces / vnto the whiche we all egally (bothe more and lesse) be subiecte / to sorowe out of measure / me thynketh it extreme folys henes. For who is nat ware (excepte he that myndeth nothynge) that he is borne vnder suche a condition / that whan so euer god wyll call hym: he muste forth with nedes departe hence? So than what other thyng (I prey you) dothe he / that bewayleth ones deth / than lamentably complayne / that he is mortall? Or why shuld we rather sorowe the departynge▪ hence / than the entrynge in to this worlde / consi­deryng that both are egally natural? Euē in lyke case as though one shuld gyue great thankes for to be called to a great feaste or dyner / and wolde la­ment and demeane great sorowe / whā [Page] he shulde departe away thence.

If that a man / as hit were from an highe lokynge place / wolde aduise well the cōdicion and lyfe of all man­kynde: myght he nat well reken him selfe a nyce felowe / if he amonge so manyfolde examples of priuation / & amonge so thycke buryals of yonge and olde / wolde be greuously vexed in his mynde / as thoughe vnto hym onely were chaunced some newe and great yuell: and as though he onely beinge happy aboue other / wolde de­syre and loke to stande without the cōmon lotte? For whiche considera­tion the excellent wise men that foūde and made lawes in olde time / to then tent that they wolde some what in­cline to the affections of parētes / and to thende they wolde nat be seene to exclude euery body from that passiō / beinge also cōdemned of some of the stoicke philosophers: they lymytted [Page] vnto thē a certayne tyme to mourne / the whiche endured nat very longe: Either bicause that they well vnder­stode and knewe / that in those maner of chaunces / the whiche are bothe cōmune to all folkes / and also do nat hap through any iniury of Fortune / but are induced by the verye course and ordynaunce of Nature / shorte mournynge shulde suffice: yea vnto them that were nat able to moderate all affections: consideryng that Na­tures selfe by lyttel & lyttell soupleth the wounde that she made / and wea­reth away the scarre: Or els bicause they diligently marked / that mour­nynge was nat onely vnprofitable vn­to them that were bemoned / but also hurtful to thē that made suche mone / and greuous and vnquiete to theyr frendes / acqueyntance / and company.

But nowe if a man wolde consider the matter a ryghte / doth it nat seme [Page] a poynt of madnes / wyllyngly of one harme to make twayne / and whan ye can nat by no maner reason recouer your predestinate losse / yet wilfullye to annoye and hurte your owne selfe? In lyke maner as though a man that his ennemies hath spoyled of parte of his goodes / wolde in his anger throwe all that euer remayned in to the see: and than wolde say / howe he by that meane dyd bewayle his losse.

If we lyttell regarde the noble Mi­mus / whose sayenge may beseme any philosopher to speake: Thou muste patiently suffre / and grutche nat at it that can nat be amended: Let vs call to mynde the moche goodly example of the ryghte excellent kynge Dauid / the whiche so sone as tydynges was broughte hym / that his sonne / that he so tenderly loued / was deed: he forthwith rose vp from the grounde / and shaked & brusshed of the duste / [Page] he threwe away his sherte of heare / and so whan he had wasshed and an noynted / with a gladde countenaunce and a mery chere he wente to dyner. And by cause his frendes maruayled therat / he sayde to them: For what entent shulde I kylle my selfe with wo and sorowe? For vnto this tyme some hope I had / that god beinge moued with my lamentation / wolde haue saued my childe a lyue: but now all our wepyng teares can nat restore hym agayne to vs a lyue: we shall shortly spede vs hēce after him. who is so fonde to crouche and pray hym / whō he knoweth well wyll incline to no prayers? There is nothyng more vntreatable than dethe / nothynge is more deffe / nor nothynge more rygo­rous. By crafty handelynge the sa­uage beastis / yea the moste wylde of them all / are made tame: There is a waye to breake the harde marbull [Page] stone: and a meane to mollifie the di­amant: but there is nothynge / wher­with dethe wyll be appesed or ouer come. It neyther sparethe beautie / ryches / age / nor dignitie. And ther­fore it oughte to greue vs moche the lesse / either bicause it can nat be esche wed / or els by cause it is egally com­mune to vs all.

what nedeth me to go aboute to re­herce to you here the manyfolde ex­ambles of the gentiles / the whiche with a noble and a constaunt courage toke well in worthe the deth of theyr dere frendes? In whiche constantnes of mynde / is it nat a great rebuke for vs that be christiens / to be of them ouer comen? Call nowe to your re­membrance thilke sayenge (well wor­thye to be enrolled in writynge) of Telamon and Anaxagoras: I wyste well I begotte a mortall creature.

Thynke vpon Pericles the duke of [Page] Athens / the whiche is no lesse renow­med for his eloquence / than he is for his force and manlynes: al be it that he within. iiij. dayes space lost his. ij. sōnes / that were endewed with ryght noble qualities / he nat onelye neuer changed his chere / but also he / beinge crowned (as was the gyse thā) spake & reasoned amōge the people of mat­ters concernyng theyr cōmon welthe.

❧Haue in mynde also Xenophon the worthy scholer of Socrates: to whom tydynges was brought / as he was doinge sacrifice / that his sonne was deed: he made no more to do but put of his crowne / & forthwith dyd put it on agayne / as sone as he vnderstode that his sonne was māly slayne in batayle.

Remembre Dion of Syracuse / the whiche on a tyme (as he was secretly talkynge with his frendes) sodaynly harde a great noyse and rumblynge [Page] in his house: And whan he had in­quered what the matter mente / and was enfourmed that his sonne had fallen from on highe / and was deed: he beinge therwith nothing amoued / cōmaunded the corps (as the maner was) to be delyuered to women to burye: For he sayde / he wolde nat leaue of his pretensed pourpose for that matter.

whom Demosthenes folowyng / the vij. daye after the dethe of his onely and most entierly beloued daughter / beinge crowned & arrayed in a faire white garment / he came forth abrode amōge the people. Of whiche dede the accusation of his foo Aeschy [...]ies / bothe confirmethe the trouthe / and setteth out the glorie.

Thynke also vpon the kynge Anti­gonus / the whiche whan he herde tydynges / that his owne sonne was slaine in a disordred skermisshe: pau­synge [Page] a lyttell / and beholdynge them well that brought him the tydinges / with a stoute and a constante mynde he sayde: O Aleynonen (that was his sonnes name) all to late thou pe­risshest / that woldest so folisshely cast thy selfe away amonge thy foes / no­thynge regardyng thyne owne helth nor my monitions and wordes.

If ye delite more to here the exam­ples of Romanes / beholde Puluillus horace / to whom (as he was dedica­tynge the capytoll) tydynges was broughte / that his sonne was deed: he neyther drewe awaye his hande from the poste / nor tourued nat his chere from religiō to priuate sorowe.

Consider howe Paulus Aemilius / whan he had within the space of. vij. dayes loste his. ij. sonnes / he came forthe abrode amonge the people of Rome / and there shewed them / that he was very gladde / that by the la­mentation [Page] of his householde (which was but a priuate sorowe) he had re­demed the enuye of Fortune bente towarde them all.

Thynke also howe Q. Fabius Ma­ximus (whan he was consul / and had loste his sonne / that was than a man in hyghe rowme and dignitie / and greatly renowmed for his noble actꝭ) he came forthe abrode amonge the people gethered to gether / and there to them he recited the cōmendation of his sonne.

Thynke on also whan Cato Censo­rius his eldest sonne died / the whiche was a yōge man of singlar witte and highe prowesse / and therto electe and chosen to be Meyre: yet was he no­thynge so amoued with that chance / that he wolde in any thynge more slackelye endeuour hym selfe aboute the nedes and busines of the cōmon welthe.

[Page]Ye shulde remēbre Marcius / whose surname was kynge / whan his sonne of ryghte noble disposition / and that stode highly in the fauour and good opinion of the people / and therto be­inge his only sonne / was deed / he toke the losse of hym with so constaunt a mynde / that forthwith euen from the buriall of hym he caused the Sena­tours to assēble to gether to ordeyne lawes cōcerning their cōmon welthe.

Ye shulde nat forget Lucius Sylla / whose valiaunt and moste fierce cou­rage towarde his ennemies / the deth of his sonne coude nothynge abate / nor cause that he shulde seme falsely to haue vsurped or taken vpon hym to be called by this surname Felix / that is to say / luckye or welthy.

whan Caius Cesar (that was Sylla his felowe in rowmeth) had inuaded Britayne / and bad tidynges that his daughter was deed: yet er thre dayes [Page] were fully ended / he wente about his imperiall busines.

whā Marcus Crassus (in the warre that he made agaynst the Parthiēs) behelde his sonnes heed / the whiche his ennemyes in skorne and derision had sette vp on a morispikes ende / & the more to exasperate and augmēt his calamitie / they approched nere to his armie / & with wordes of reproche and blame / they shewed it vp: he toke in worth all that doinge with so constant a mynde / that sodaynelye he rode forby all his batayles / and saide to them with a loude voice / that that was his owne priuate harme / but the helthe and saluation of the common weale stode in the sauegarde of them his men of warre.

But nowe to ouer passe the many­folde examples of Galba / Piso / Sce­uola / Metellus / Scaurꝰ / Marcellus / & Aufidius: remēbre whan Claudius [Page] Cesar had loste hym / whom be bothe begotte / and moste entierely loued: yet for all that he (his owne selfe) in the cōmon pulpit lauded and praysed his sonne / the cors beinge present / all only couered with a littell veyle: and whan all the people of Rome wepte and bewayled his sonnes dethe / he his father wepte nat a teare.

And surely lyke as it is a right good ly thyng to folowe & do as these men dyd: euen so were it a right shamfull thynge / if men shulde nat be founde as stedfast and as stoutely mynded as women haue ben in suche case.

Cornelia sawe and behelde her two sonnes (Tit. Graccus / and Caius Graccus) slayne and vnburyed: and whan her frendes comforted her and sayde / she had a wretched chaunce: I wyll neuer saye (quod she) that I am vnlucky or vnfortunate / that haue borne suche two children.

[Page]But wherto do we now repete these examples out of auncient cronicles: as though we sawe nat dayly before our face sufficient exāples? Beholde your neighbours / beholde your kyns folke and alies: howe many / yea sely women / shall ye finde / the whiche ve­rye moderately take in good worthe the dethe of theyr children? This matter is so plaine / that there nedeth no great helpe of philosophie therto. For he that wolde cōsider well in his mide / how wretched on al sides this our life is / to how many pils / to how many sickenessis / to how many chaū ­ces / to howe many cares / to how ma­ny incōmodities / to how many vices / and to howe many iniuries it is en­dangered: howe littell & howe small a portion therof we passe forth (I will nat saye in pleasure) that is nat atta­ched with some maner greffe and di­spleasure? and than farther to cōsider [Page] howe sweftely it vanissheth & rolleth away / that we may in maner reioyce & be glad of them that ben departed out of this worlde in theyr youthe.

The shortnes of our lyfe Euripides sadly expresseth / whiche callethe the lyfe of mortall creatures one lyttell daye. But Phalereus Demetrius doth better / whiche correctynge the sayenge of Euripides sayth / that the lyfe of man shulde rather be called the Minute of an houre. But Pyn­darus saythe beste of all / whiche cal­lethe the lyfe of man the dreme of a shadowe. He ioynethe two speciall thynges of nothynge to gether / to thentent that he wolde declare howe vayne a thynge this lyfe is. Nowe howe wretched and myserable the same lyfe is on euery behalfe / the aun cient poetes semed to perceyue it pas­singe well: the whiche demed / that a mā coude nat more truely nor more [Page] better name mortall creatures / than surname them very miserable wret­ches. For the fyrste age or formeste parte of mans lyfe (the whiche is re­kened the best) is ignorant: The mid­dell parte of the lyfe is assayled with trouble and care of manyfolde busi­nessis: and yet all this while I speake but of them that be moste luckye and fortunate. Therfore who is he / which of very ryghte wyll nat approue the sayenge of Silenus: the best is neuer to be borne / the nexte is moste swyftly to be clene extincte?

who wyll nat allowe the ordinaunce of the Thraciens / the which customa bly vse to receyue them that be borne in to this worlde / with lamentation and mournynge: and agayne whan they departe hēce / they be very glad and demeane great ioye? And he that by hym selfe considerethe inwardlye those thynges / that Hegesias was [Page] wonte to declare to his herers / he wolde rather desire his owne dethe than abhorre hit: and wolde farre more indifferently take in worthe the dethe of his frendes. But nowe your fatherly sorowe cōmethe forthe and saythe: He died er his day / he dyed in his childehode / he died so passyng a good childe / yea and so towardlye disposed vnto vertue / that he was worthye to haue lyued many many yeres: your fatherly forowe cōplay­neth / that the course of Nature is subuerted / seinge that you his father an olde man / shulde ouer lyue your sonne a yonge man. But I prey you for the loue of god tell me / what ye call before his day: as though euery day of a mans lyfe coude nat be his laste daye? One before he come in to this worlde / and whā vnneth it hath any shappe of a creature reasonable▪ is strangled and diethe / euen vnder [Page] the handes of nature workynge and fourmynge of it. An other diethe in the byrthe. An other crienge in the cradell is snatched awaye by dethe. An other in the flowrig youth dieth / whan scarsely as yet it hath any taste of the lyfe. Of so many thousandes of people / to how fewe is it gyuē (as Horace nameth it) to steppe vp on the gryce of olde age? without doubte god hath vnder suche a lawe consti­tuted the soule in the garrison of this littell body / that what so euer day / or what so euer moment he wyll com­maunde it to departe thence / it muste by & by nedes go. Nor there is none that can of ryghte thynke hym selfe to be called forthe before his day / cō ­siderynge that there is no man that hath a day certayne to hym appoyn­ted: but that only is his laufull day / whiche so euer he our souerayne ca­pitayne wolde shulde be his last day. [Page] If we wyll worke wysely / we shulde so abyde euery day / as it were our ve­ry last. I prey you / what maketh hit matter / seinge the life is so shorte and fugitiue / whether we dye betymes / or tary some what longer. For it skyl­leth no more thā it doth / whan many be broughte to execution / whiche of them shuld be fyrst heeded or hāged: It is all one / whiche is the fyrste / the thirde or the eight. And what other thinge els is the lyfe it selfe / but a cer­tayne perpetuall course vnto dethe? Sauyng that their chance is more cō ­modious / the which frō so laborious an exercise of the lyfe are dispatched be tymes. But as it is a touche of a braynles felowe to departe away frō the army and breke the array / with­out the capitaynes cōmaundement: So hit is a foliss he poynte and great ingratitude / whan leaue is quickelye gyuen of the capitayne / nat gladly to [Page] take it: And most specially / if he that hath now licēce to go / may deꝑte his waye home with laude and preyse / & to hym no rebuke nor shame. Nor it is nat cōuenient / that one shulde sitte and reken howe many yeres he hath lyued. The age shulde be estemed accordynge to the noble dedes: And he (as Homere sayth) is nat reputed to haue lyued / that hath poystered the erthe / and made a nombre: but he the whiche sad & sobrely passynge forthe his lyfe / leaueth behynde hym an honest remēbraunce to them that come after.

Do ye complayne / that god sente you forthwith suche a childe / as ye wolde desire to haue had many yeres to come? what / pardie your sōne died nat so soone / he was nowe come to the age of .xx. yeres: at the whiche age (after myne opinion) it is best for to die / for so moche as than lyfe is [Page] mooste swete. Nowe was he to his countrey very bountifull / nowe was he to his father very lowely and gen­tyll / nowe was he amōge his felowes a very merye companion / and nowe had he a good and a perfecte mynde to godwarde. He decessed ignorant of vicis / and whan he had nat tasted but littell of the calamities and miseries of this worlde. But what be shulde haue knowen & haue felte (if he had lyued longer) it is vncertayne. No doubte we se very often tymes / that the latter age dothe bothe infecte the clene conuersation of yonge age with more greuous vices / and spottethe and defileth the felicitie of youthe / with manyfolde myserable grefes. From all these iuels and perils / deth quickely withdrewe hym. Nowe may you safe and surely reioyce and be glad / that you haue had so good and so vertuous a sonne / ye or rather [Page] haue. But be it (as you do suppose) that you had hym / and that nowe ye be depriued and haue loste hym. whether of very ryghte oughte you rather to tourment & vexe your selfe for that ye haue forgone hym: or els reioyce and be gladde that ye hadde suche a sonne? Take you hede that it be nat a poynte of vnkyndnes / that ye shulde remembre the requeste of the gyfte to be restored agayne / and nothynge to mynde the gyfte. No doubte a childe of a good disposition is a great gyfte: but yet is he so gy­uen / that ye shulde take and haue pleasure with hym for a tyme / and nat that he shulde be yours for euer. You that be a perfecte wyse man / cō ­sider this by your selfe: yea let vs both to gether consider on this wyse.

If a great prince shulde lende vs a tabull of an excedyng great price / and of an excellent workemanshyppe / to [Page] passe our tyme with: whether ought we (whan so euer pleasethe hym to demaunde or call for it) with a glad chere / ye and more ouer gentylly thā ­kynge hym / to delyuer it agayne / or els with heuy and sorowfull counte­nance shall we complayne to hym on this wyse? O cruell prince / of howe precious a gyfte haste thou spoyled vs? Howe great a pleasure hast thou berafte and taken from vs? Howe sone hast thou taken from vs / cōtrary to our opinion this so excellēt a thīg. Myght nat he of very ryghte to our so vnkynde complayntes answere on this wyse? Haue I this rewarde for my gentyll and courtoys dede? Re­membre ye nothynge / saue only that / that ye haue forgone the moste faire tabull? Haue ye forgotte / that I of myn owne good wyll and frelye lente it you? And that ye haue nowe so longe whyle (of my gentylnes and [Page] sufferaunce) fedde your eies and de­lited your mynde. It was of my libe­ralite and fredome that I lēte it you: and nowe whan I require it agayne I do but ryght: perdie ye haue had by me some aduauntage / ye loste no­thyng / saue that throughe your foly / ye femed that thing to be your owne / that was but lente you. And so ye esteme it to be loste / that is restored to the owner againe. But the more pre­cious and delectable that the thynge was that I lente and let you haue at your pleasure / the more a great deale ye oughte to haue thanked me. Nor ye oughte nat to thynke hit to be to sone required againe / the which with out any iniurye or wronge myghte haue bene kepte from you.

If this reasō can nat be proued false by no meane of argumentation: thā thynke howe moche more iustly Na­ture (with suche maner wordꝭ) might [Page] reproue bothe our lamentation and sorowfull complaynynges. And vn­doubted by these maner of reasons our sorowe oughte to be swaged / yea if it were so / that a man were vtterly extincte by deth / and there remayned nothynge of vs after the buriall.

Now if we at the leste gyue credēce to it / wherof Socrates in Plato / dou­bted nothynge at all / that is to witte: the very man to be the soule / & this body to be nothynge els but the pipe or lyttell house of the soule: Or els to say trouthe / it may be called the buriall or prison of the soule: and whan it escapeth out therof / than at the laste it cometh to libertie to lyue moche more welthyly than it dyd be fore. wherfore than shuld we sorow­fully blame deth / seinge that he that dieth / dothe nat perisshe / but than he semethe rather to be borne. And we ought to reioyce in the soule (whiche [Page] we can nat with our eies decerne) as moche and none other wyse / than we be wont to reioyce and take pleasure in our frendes that bene absent. And I doubte whether is more delectable and reioysyng to vs / whan they bene present / or els whan they ben absent: for so moche as the corporall lyuyng to gether is wonte to mynyster to vs matter of displeasure / and the moche beinge in company to gether dothe some what abate the ioyfulnesse of frendshyp. If ye desyre an example of this thynge / be nat the apostels a sufficient argument / the whiche than began to take very fruition in Christ / and truely to loue hym / after the cor­poral presence was taken from them? On the same wyse is the frēdshyppe of them that be good / the whiche stedfastly perseuer in couplynge and knyttynge to gether of the myndes / and nat of the bodies. And there is [Page] no violence / no space of tyme / nor no distaunce of places / that can seuer or diuide the couplyng of myndes. So that me thynke hit a very childisshe poynt / to thynke that a frende were clene lost and gone / so sone as he were out of sighte. You may (as ofte as ye wyll) haue your sonne presente / both in your thoughte & in your wordes: And he (on the other side) remēbreth you / & perceiueth the tender affectiōs of your mynde / ye and other whyle in your slepe both your soules ēbrace eche other / & talke to gether of some secrete thīges. what thynge letteth / that ye may nat euen very nowe ima­gin to lyue with hym / with whom soone after ye are in poynte to lyue? I pray you / how briefe & shorte is all the holle tyme that we lyue here?

Hitherto haue I vsed the remedies / the whiche I myghte well vse / if I had to do with a paynym. Nowe let [Page] vs brieffely cōsider / what godlynes & christen faith ought to require of vs.

Fyrst and formost / if it were so / that deth were a thynge moste miserable: yet it behoueth vs to take it in good worth / seinge that ther is none other remedye. And more ouer / if dethe shulde clene extinguishe man / that nothynge after shulde remayne: yet we shulde there with be contente / for as moche as hit makethe an ende of many calamities and greffes / whiche we suffre in this lyfe. But seinge that dethe delyuereth the soule (beinge of etheriall begynnyng) out of the don­gion of the ponderous & beuy body: in a maner we oughte to reioyce and be gladde of them that be departed hence out of this wretched worlde: and that they be retourned home a­gayne to that welthye libertie / from whēce they came. Nowe than cōside ryng that deth (without any doubte) [Page] conueyeth the good deuoute soules out of the stormes of this troublous lyfe vnto the porte or hauen of lyfe perdurable / and that nat so moche as a here of a mans heed shall perisshe (for the bodies also at length shalbe called to enioye the same lyfe euer­lastyng.) I prey you whether ought we to mourne and wepe / or els to be gladde and reioyce in hym / whom dethe in due tyme taketh out of this moste troublous see of the lyfe / and carieth hym in to that quiete & sure restynge place of euerlastynge lyfe? Go to nowe a littell while / and lay to gether the foule enormities / the pain­ful labours / and the perils and daun­gers of this lyfe (if it may be called a lyfe.) And on the other syde reken & caste what cōmodities and pleasures (of that other lyfe) are all redy pre­pared for the godly creatures that be plucked hence away: And than ye [Page] shall sone perceiue / that no man can do more vnrightouslye than he / the whiche lamentably bewayleth / that high goodnes / vnto the whiche only we be both borne and ordayned / euen as thoughe it were a right great and greuous harme. Ye crie out / bicause ye be lefte comfortles alone without childrē / whan ye haue begotte a sōne to inhabite heuen: the holy remem­braunce of whom (as it were of a di­uine thynge) ye maye reuerence / the whiche aboue in beuē beinge carefull for you / may greatly forther the pro­sperous successe of your busines here. For he is nother ignorant of mortall folkes busines / nor hath nat forgone with the bodye the lowlye reuerence and tender loue / whiche he was wōte to bere to you his father. No doubt he lyueth / beleue me he lyueth / and perauenture is present with vs / and hereth / and perceiueth this our com­munication [Page] / and laugheth and dam­neth this our lamētation. And if the grossenes of our bodies letted nat / ꝑ­chance we shulde here hym blaming vs for our wepyng with these maner of wordes. what do ye? wyll ye a­bridge your dayes / and finishe your olde age with this vnprofitable / ye I may well say pyuisshe lamentation? wherfore do you with so vniuste com playntes accuse and blame destenye­fortune and dethe? Haue you enuye at me bicause I am delyuered from the yuels of that lyfe / & am brought to this felicitie that I am in? But be hit / that your fatherly goodnes and pure amitie dothe nat enuye me. Yet what other thynge meaneth this so­rowfull complaynyng? Thynke you this worthye to be lamented / that I am deducte and brought from thral­dome to libertie / from peyne and care to pleasure & felicitie / from darkenes [Page] vnto lighte / from perill and daunger vnto sure saftie / from deth vnto lyfe / from sickenessis and disseases vnto im mortalitie / from so many yuels to so high goodnes / from thynges caduke and transitorie to the euerlastynge / fro thinges erthly to celestiall / and fi­nally from the corrupte and vnclene company of all people to the felow­shyp of angels? Tell me (I prey you) for the great loue and kyndnes that ye beare me / If it laye in your power to releue me agayne / wolde ye releue me? Than what offence haue I done / to deserue so great hatred of you? If ye wolde nat reliue me agayne / than for what purpose seruen all these la­mētatiōs / the which (as I haue said) are nat only vnprofitable / but also vn godly? But ne were it so / that immor­talite had a while agone clene depued me of all sorowe / I wolde lyke wyse with wepyng teares bewayle your so [Page] rowfull mourning / & sore haue rewed vpon thilke grosse & darke cloudines of your mynde. But ye say / that you on your part wepe & make lamētatiō. For soth therin ye do nat like louers: but like vnto thē that haue a respecte to them selfewarde / & that wyll (to o­thers discōmodite) se to their own bu sines. Nowe go to / tell me / what losse is it / that ye susteine by my deth? Is it / bicause ye can nat haue me in your sight? Pardie ye may neuer the lasse / at your owne pleasure remembre me the meane tyme / ye and so moche the more welthyly / in howe moche I am in sure saftie. For loke that ye esteme me nowe delyuered frō all the yuels / what so euer they be that maye be­chaunce a mortall man in his lyfe: of whiche your longe & robustous lyfe (for a great parte) hath experience. And though that I be nat with you / with lowly obeisāce to do you seruice / [Page] yet may I be a sure & an effectuall ad­uocate for you before the high maie­stie of god. And finally / howe small a thynge is hit / that deuideth our con­uersation & familiaritie? Nowe loke that you so endeuour your selfe / that whan ye haue well and vertuouslye passed the course of your lyfe / that ye maye than at the houre of dethe be founde worthy to be cōueyed hither.

If that your sonne (I saye) shulde saye these wordes to vs: myghte we nat well be ashamed thus to lament and mourne as we do?

with these maner of reasons I am wonte to ease the greffe of myn owne mynde: of the whiche I wolde that you shulde be part taker / nat all only that ye haue any great nede of those remedies: but I demed it agreable / that ye shulde be partaker of my cō ­solation / of whose sorowe I was par­tiner. But briefly to conclude all that [Page] hath ben at length reasoned: by this maner meane / ye shall aswage the smartynge sorowe of your mynde.

My sōne is deed: ye begotte a mor­tall creature. I haue loste a great ie­well: ye haue yelded hit agayne to hym that frelye gaue hit you. It is a right greuous thing to be thus desti­tude: It shulde be the lighter borne / that may be redressed by some mene. He hath lefte me his father alone cō ­fortles. what dothe it auayle to wepe and wayle for that that can nat be re­medied? or why mourne you for that / the whiche chaunceth to so manye thousandes as well as to you? Alas I can nat chose but wepe for the deth of my sonne: ye but he that diethe well / dothe in no wyse perysshe. But he died to sone: He that diethe well / diethe nat to sone. He dyed longe be­fore his daye was come: There is no man that hath a daye certayne ap­pointed [Page] vnto hym. He decessed in his flourynge youthe: It is than best to dye whan to lyue it is moste swete. He died a very yonge man: So is he withdrawen from the mo yuels and troubuls of this lyfe. I haue loste the beste childe that any man coude haue: Be gladde that ye had suche one. He departed out of this worlde an innocēt: No deth shulde be more desired and lesse bewayled. Ye but it is nat lefull for me the meane whyle to haue fruition with my sonne: Yes in your mynde you may: and within shorte space you and he to gether bodye and soule shall ioye and take pleasure. If ye knowe any better re­medies than these / of gentylnes let me here them: if ye do nat / than vse these with me. And thus fare ye wel / which your sōne also wold ye shuld.