642 OftheJhortnefandfrailtyofmans life, knocksofoutward cafualties, and thoughwee werefree from them, yettime and age wcakencth and waflcth vs; though we couldlhun outward blowes, yet wee cannot auoid our end;. thoughwe flaouldbe free from outward dangers,yet wee can Nomer.apud neuer efcape inward difeafes. And howfoeuer fome may lafl Plutarch. ad longer, and fome a Ihorter while, yet all in their appointed Apollon' timecome to their end. Whereinmen are fitlycompared to the EccicGallicus Y P leaues oftrees, of which ionic ire blafled in the bud, euen in the fpring, fome are blowne offwith the wind in themiddefl offummer, and thofe that continue fo long on the tree, doe whenautumne and winter commeth,fall ofthemfelucs. To this purpofe one demandeth : Shall wee not all (faith hee) in a little while be the fame duff ? doe wee not by the addition ofa few more daies gaine this alone,that we partlyfee, partly fulfer,and partly aól the moreeuils ? and fo wee at length alfofhall pay to nature the common and certaine tribute ; by our death folio- Gregor.Na. wing fome,&going before others; now bewailing our friends zianz; in lain departed,andboneafter ourfelues departing leaue them tobe- 11`m Calan;. wailevs; and receiuethe kind gift oftearesinasbountiftdlma- ner from them, aswe haue inour hues bellowed it vpon thofe who haue gone beforevs, &c. For wee are all but avanifhing dreame, an apparition that leaueth no fgne behind it; duft,a vapour, the morning dew, &a flower ofthe field,which quick- lygroweth,andmorequicklywithereth. ì,Sea.6. But howfoeuer vaine men be fomortall, fraile, andmomen- That emeryman tanie(as I hauefhewed)yet ishe foblinded with felfe loue, and more clerrely bewitched with deluding hopes,that though he acknowledge allthis in the generali, yet hee feldome applieth it tohis owne Menr MOM- lity thenhit particular; though he can fay wee areall mortal!, yet he dreg, same,. methofhis owne immortality ; and howfoeuer hee can in his politicke bargainesreckon three ofhis neighbours flues, atno longertime then one and twentie yeeres,yetdothhe flatter his toocredulous heart with this foolifh conceit, that his fingle felfeShall continue toold age,and fill vp the reckoning ofthree or fourefcore yceres ; and that bee continuerhlong in the fame condition, though he feethothers haflingaway, and euennow arriued at the gates ofdeath. As when two botes meet, they which are in the one imagine thatthemfelues moue not; and the otherthat paffethby them goeth fwiftly; whereas in truth they
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