UPS AND DOWNS OF OUR LIFE

 

                                            HOW WE SAW OUR LIFE?

              * UP AND DOWN, FROM ONE AGE TO ANOTHER GO, THE ORDINARY THINGS OF THE WORLD, BEINGS STILL THE SAME . AND EITHER OF EVERYTHING IN PARTICULAR BEFORE IT COME TO PASS, THE MIND OF THE UNIVERSE DOTH CONSIDER WITH ITSELF AND DELIBERATE, AND IF SO, THEN SUBMIT FOR SHAME UNTO THE DETERMINATION OF SUCH AN EXCELLENT UNDERSTANDING, OR ONCE FOR IT DID RESOLVE UPON ALL THINGS IN GENERAL, AND SINCE THAT WHATSOEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS BY A NECESSARY CONSEQUENCE, AND ALL THINGS INDIVISIBLY IN A MANNER AND INSEPARABLY HOLD ONE OF ANOTHER. IN SUM, EITHER THERE IS FORTUNE, YET MAYEST THOU USE THINE OWN PROVIDENCE IN THOSE THINGS THAT CONCERN THEE PROPERLY, AND THEN ART THOU WELL.

              * WITHIN A WHILE THE EARTH SHALL COVER US ALL, AND THEN SHE HERSELF SHALL HAVE HER CHANGE. AND THEN THE COURSE WILL BE, FROM ONE PERIOD OF ETERNITY UNTO ANOTHER, AND SO A PERPETUAL ETERNITY. NOW CAN ANY MAN THAT SHALL CONSIDER WITH HIMSELF IN HIS MIND THE SEVERAL ROLLINGS OR SUCCESSIONS OF SO MANY CHANGES AND ALTERATIONS, AND THE SWIFTNESS OF ALL THESE RULINGS, CAN BE OTHERWISE BUT CONTEMN IN HIS HEART AND DESPISE ALL WORLDLY THINGS ? THE CAUSE OF THE UNIVERSE IS AS IT WERE A STRONG TORRENT, IT CARRIETH ALL AWAY.

                 * AND THESE YOUR PROFESSED POLITIANS, THE ONLY TRUE PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHERS OF THE WORLD, (AS THEY THINK OF THEMSELVES ) SO FULL OF AFFECTED GRAVITY, OR SUCH PROFESSED LOVERS OF VIRTUE AND HONESTY, WHAT WRETCHES BE THEY IN VERY DEED, HOW VILE AND CONTEMPTIBLE IN THEMSELVES? O MAN! WHAT ADO DOEST THOU KEEP? DO WHAT THEY NATURE DOTH NOW REQUIRE. RESOLVE UPON IT, IF THOU MAYEST, AND TAKE NO THOUGHT, WHETHER ANYBODY SHALL KNOW IT OR NO. YEA, BUT SAYEST THOU, I MUST NOT EXPECT A PLATO'S COMMONWEALTH. IF THEY PROFIT THOUGH NEVER SO LITTLE, I MUST BE CONTENT, AND THINK MUCH EVEN OF THAT LITTLE PROGRESS.

                     * WHAT ARE THEIR MINDS AND UNDERSTANDINGS , AND WHAT THE THINGS THAT THEY APPLY THEMSELVES UNTO, WHAT DO THEY LOVE, AND WHAT DO THEY HATE FOR? FANCY TO THYSELF THE ESTATE OF THEIR SOULS OPENLY TO BE SEEN WHEN THEY THINK THEY HURT THEM SHREWDLY, WHOM THEY SPEAK OFF, AND WHEN THEY THINK THEY DO THEM A VERY GOOD TURN, WHOM THEY COMMEND AND EXTOL, O HOW FULL ARE THEY THEN OF CONCEIT, AND OPINION!

                  * LOSS AND CORRUPTION, IS IN VERY DEED NOTHING ELSE BUT CHANGE AND ALTERATION, AND THAT IS IT, WHICH THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE DOTH MOST DELIGHT IN, BY WHICH, AND ACCORDING TO WHICH, WHATSOEVER IS DONE, IS WELL DONE. FOR THAT WAS THE ESTATE OF WORLDLY THINGS FROM THE BEGINNING, AND SO SHALL IT EVER BE. OR WOULDEST. THOU RATHER SAY, THAT ALL THINGS IN THE WORLD HAVE GONE ILL FROM THE BEGINNING FOR SO MANY AGES, AND SHALL EVER GO ILL? AND THEN AMONG SO MANY DEITIES, COULD NO DIVINE POWER BE FOUND ALL THIS WHILE, THAT COULD RECTIFY THE THINGS OF THE WORLD,  TO INCESSANT WOES AND MISERIES, FOREVER CONDEMNED?

                    * HOW BASE PUTRID, EVERY COMMON MATTER IS! WATER, DUST, AND FROM THE MIXTURE OF THESE BONES, AND ALL THAT LOATHSOME STUFF THAT OUR BODIES DO CONSIST OF , SO SUBJECT TO BE INFECTED, AND CORRUPTED. AND AGAIN THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE SO MUCH PRIZED AND ADMIRED, AS MARBLE STONES, WHAT ARE THEY, BUT AS IT WERE THE KERNELS OF THE EARTH? GOD AND SILVER, WHAT ARE THEY, BUT AS THE MORE GROSS FAECES OF THE EARTH?  GOLD AND SILVER, WHAT ARE THEY, BUT AS THE MORE GROSS FAECES OF THE EARTH? THY MOST ROYAL APPAREL, FOR MATTER, IT IS BUT AS IT WERE THE HAIR OF A SILLY SHEEP, AND FOR COLOUR, THE VERY BLOOD OF A SHELL-FISH, OF THIS NATURE ARE ALL OTHER THINGS. THY LIFE ITSELF , IS SOME SUCH THING TOO, A MERE EXHALATION OF BLOOD, AND IT ALSO , APT TO BE CHANGED INTO SOME OTHER COMMON THING.

                        * WILL THIS QUERULOUSNESS, THIS MURMURING, THIS COMPLAINING AND  DISSEMBLING NEVER BE AT AN END? WHAT THEN IS IT, THAT TROUBETH THEE? DOTH ANY NEW THING HAPPEN UNTO THEE? WHAT DOEST THOU SO WONDER AT? AT THE CAUSE, OR THE MATTER? BEHOLD EITHER BY ITSELF, IS EITHER OF THAT WEIGHT AND MOMENT INDEED? AND BESIDES THESE, THERE IS NOT ANYTHING. BUT THT DUTY TOWARDS THE GODS ALSO, IT IS TIME THOU SHOULDST ACQUIT THYSELF OF IT WITH MORE GOODNESS AND SIMPLICITY.

                        * IT IS ALL ONE TO SEE THINGS FOR A HUNDRED OF YEARS TOGETHER OR BUT FOR THREE YEARS.

                      * IF HE HAVE SINNED, HIS IS THE HARM, NOT MINE. BUT PERCHANCE HE HATH NOT.

                    * EITHER ALL THINGS BY THE PROVIDENCE OF REASON HAPPE UNTO EVERY PARTICULAR, AS A PART OF ONE GENERAL BODY, AND THEN IT IS AGAINST REASON THAT A PART SHOULD COMPLAIN OF ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS FOR THE GOOD OF THE WHOLE, OR IF, ACCORDING TO EPICURUS, ATOMS BE THE CAUSE OF ALL THINGS AND THAT LIFE BE NOTHING ELSE BUT AN ACCIDENTARY CONFUSION OF THINGS, AND NOTHING ELSE, BUT A MERE DISPERSION AND SO OF ALL OTHER THINGS. WHAT DOEST THOU TROUBLE THYSELF FOR?

                   * SAYEST THOU UNTO THAT RAIONAL PART, THOU ART DEAD, CORRUPTION HATH TAKEN HOLD ON THEE? DOTH IT THEN ALSO VOID EXCREMENTS? DOTH IT LIKE EITHER OXEN, OR SHEEP, GRAZE OR FEED, THAT IT ALSO SHOULD BE MORTAL, AS WELL AS THE BODY?