longam illam noctem fuisse comitatum: quid igitur dicemus de illis deploratissimis animabus, in quibus infinitorum torminum sensus cum summo perpetuæ Dei absentiæ cruciatu, horrendo planè modo, conjungetur?

O tu, qui solus es Vera Lux, diffunde radios tuos per cæcas omnes animæ meæ latebras anfractusque; meque, per debiles quasdam gratiæ emicationes, ad perfectum gloriæ tuæ splendorem perducito.

XXI. De eâdem.

QUANTUMLIBET lucem diligamus, solemus tamen eam, primo ingressu, conniventibus clausisque oculis salutare; non sustinentes videre illud, sine quo nihil videmus. Subitæ mutationes, tametsi fortè in melius, aliquid secum semper molestiæ ferre solent. Quanto spectaculum aliquod excellentius est et splendidius, tanto magis debilis oculorum nostrorum acies primo illius obtutu offenditur.

O Domine, si tu gloriosam præsentiam tuam nobis istìc agentibus patefaceres, hujus nos in uitu prorsùs confunderemur illico quàm sapienter, quàm gratiosè istoc reservasti glorificationis nostræ conditioni; ubi nulla oculos nostros debilitabit infirmitas, aut perstringet gloria; ubi absoluta justitia perfectam nobis et visionis et fruitionis fiduciam æternùm præstabit!

XXII. Accenso igne.

REPERCUTIMUS flammam; non supprimendi quidem animo, sed excitandi potiùs, augendique.

Afflictiones illæ repulsæque, quæ dejicere nobis animum aut planè demere videntur, revera nihil aliud sunt quàm benignissima gratiæ incitamenta. Si judicii vindictam animæ meæ intenderet Deus, aut fomitem (gratiæ motus) mihi subduceret, aut frigidum igni suffunderet, aut bonorum subinde motuum defectu flammam languere sineret et interire: nunc verò, ubi adminicula opportunitatesque boni et desideria sancta mihi continuò subministrare voluerit, malè profectò mentem Dei mei interpretabor, si afflictiones hasce, ad restinguendum potiùs quàm ad accendendum vivificandumque Spiritum in me suum, immissas judicavero.

O Deus, nisi folles tui aliquando in me sufflando vehementiùs, spirituali quâdam repercussione, animam mihi exercerent; conditionem equidem meam meritò suspectam haberem: pauculæ illæ minimæque gratiæ scintillæ, quæ animæ meæ superstites sunt, citò extinctæ forent, nisi hoc modo excitarentur: perge, ô Domine, adflare illis fortiter, donec accendantur; accendere, donec ad te usque exardescant, flammasque in cœlum emittant.

XXIII. Ad canis latratum.

QUID verò feci ego cani huic, qui me sic irato clamore prose

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angry clamour? Had I rated him, or shaken my staff, or stooped down for a stone, I had justly drawn on this noise, this snarling importunity.

But, why do I wonder to find this unquiet disposition in a brute creature, when it is no news with the reasonable? Have I not seen innocence and merit bayed at, by the quarrelsome and envious vulgar, without any provocation, save of good offices? Have I not felt, more than their tongue, their teeth upon my heels; when I know I have deserved nothing, but fawning on? Where is my grace, or spirits, if I have not learned to contemn both?

O God, let me rather die, than willingly incur thy displeasure; yea, than justly offend thy godly-wise, judicious, conscionable servants: but if humour, or faction, or causeless prejudice fall upon me, for my faithful service to thee; let these bawling curs tire themselves, and tear their throats, with loud and false censures: I go on, in a silent constancy; and, if my ear be beaten, yet my heart shall be free.

XXIV. On sight of a cock-fight.

How fell these creatures out? Whence grew this so bloody combat? Here was neither old grudge, nor present injury. What then is the quarrel? Surely, nothing, but that which should rather unite and reconcile them; one common nature: they are both of one feather. I do not see either of them fly upon creatures of different kinds; but, while they have peace with all others, they are at war with themselves: the very sight of each other was sufficient provocation. If this be the offence, why doth not each of them fall out with himself; since he hates and revenges in another, the being of that same which himself is?

Since man's sin brought debate into the world, nature is become a great quarreller. The seeds of discord were scattered, in every furrow of the creation; and came up in a numberless variety of antipathies: whereof yet none is more odious and deplorable, than those which are betwixt creatures of the same kind. What is this, but an image of that woeful hostility, which is exercised betwixt us, reasonables; who are conjoined in one common humanity, if not religion? We fight with and destroy each other, more than those creatures that want reason to temper their passions. No beast is so cruel to man, as himself: where one man is slain by a beast, ten thousand are slain by man. What is that war, which we study and practise, but

quitur? Si illum increpuissem acriùs, baculumve ei intentassem, aut pronus quæsissem lapidem quo illum impeterem, meritò irritassem hunc strepitum, hosque nimis importunos latratus.

At verò, quid mirum videri debet in brutis hanc inquietam dispositionem comperire, cùm hoc idem in hominibus ratione præditis usu veniat? Annon vidi ego sæpiùs innocentiam, ac benè merita, rixosi invidique vulgi allatrationibus, absque omni, nisi bonorum forsan officiorum provocatione, exceptam ? Annon sensi ego, non linguas modò, sed et dentes istorum nihil suspicantis mei calcibus infixos; qui nihil interea, nisi meras blanditias meruerim? Ubi aut virtus mea, aut animus, si non didicerim utrumque horum contemnere?

Moriar ego, ô Deus, moriar priùs, quàm volens quicquam patravero, quod iram tuam, justamque piorum cordatorumque servorum tuorum offensam proritet mereaturque: quòd si malus cujusquam genius, factiove, aut injustum fortè præjudicium, fidelitatis erga te meæ causâ, impetierit; fatigent sibi, quantum volunt, disrumpantque guttura clamosi hi canes, falsis canorisque censuris silenti quâdam constantiâ, pergam ego interim; et, si aures mihi vapulent, cor sanè liberum ac securum conquiescet.

XXIV. Visâ åλeктρvoμaxía sive gallorum pugnâ.

QUID verò est quòd ita dissident isti alites? Unde tam cruenta hæc pugna ? Certè nec vetus aliqua simultas, nec recens injuria in causâ est. Quorsum ergo hæ tam diræ lites? Nihil, profectò, hos inter se committit, nisi quod unire potiùs ac conciliare deberet; communis natura: eadem utrique species est. Non video horum alterutrum in diversi generis volucres involantem; sed, ubi cum aliis omnibus pacem alunt, bellum secum ipsi gerunt: nec aliâ quidem provocatione, quam mutuo sui conspectu irritantur. Quòd si hoc in culpâ sit, cur non unusquisque secum ipse dissidet; dum id quod ipse est, in alio odit ac ulciscitur?

Ex quo hominis peccatum litem in mundum intulit, plena est natura rixarum dissidiorumque. Nullus est in totâ creatione sulcus, in quem non jacta sunt discordiæ semina; inque vix finitam antipathiarum varietatem excreverint: quarum certè nulla vel odiosior est vel deploratior, quàm quæ inter creaturas ejusdam generis intercedere solet. Quid verò hoc aliud est, nisi imago tristis illius inimicitiæ, quæ inter nos rationis compotes, non communi modo humanitatis, sed et religionis etiam vinculo conjunctos, passim exercetur? Pugnamus, illicet, nobiscum nosque perdimus mutuò, plus quàm animalia illa, quæ ratione domandis moderandisve affectibus destituuntur. Nec quæ bellua ita homini crudelis est, ac homo ipse: ubi unus ferarum sive dente sive ungue perit, multæ myriades humanâ manu trucidantur. Quid est bellum illud, quod tam studiosè

the art of killing? Whatever Turks and Pagans may do, O Lord, how long shall this brutish fury arm Christians against each other? While even Devils are not at enmity with themselves, but accord in wickedness; why do we men so mortally oppose each other in good?

O thou, that art the God of Peace, compose the unquiet hearts of men to a happy and universal concord; and, at last, refresh our souls with the multitude of peace.

XXV. On his lying down to rest.

WHAT a circle there is of human actions and events! We are never without some change; and yet that change is without any great variety. We sleep, and wake; and wake, and sleep; and eat, and evacuate; labour, in a continual interchange: yet hath the infinite wisdom of God so ordered it, that we are not weary of these perpetual iterations; but with no less appetite enter into our daily courses, than if we should pass them but once in our life. When I am weary of my day's labour, how willingly do I undress myself, and betake myself to my bed! and ere morning, when I have wearied my restless bed, how glad am I to rise and renew my labour!

Why am I not more desirous to be unclothed of this body, that I may be clothed-upon with immortality? What is this, but my closest garment; which when it is once put off, my soul is at liberty and ease? Many a time have I lain down here in desire of rest; and, after some tedious changing of sides, have risen sleepless, disappointed, languishing. In my last uncasing, my body shall not fail of repose, nor my soul of joy; and, in my rising up, neither of them shall fail of glory.

What hinders me, O God, but my infidelity, from longing for this happy dissolution? The world hath misery and toil enough, and heaven hath more than enough blessedness, to perfect my desires of that my last and glorious change. I believe Lord, help my unbelief.

XXVI. On the kindling of a charcoal fire.

THERE are not many creatures, but do naturally affect to diffuse and enlarge themselves. Fire and water will neither of them rest contented with their own bounds. Those little sparks, that I see in those coals, how they spread, and enkindle their next brands!

It is thus morally, both in good and evil: either of them dilates itself to their neighbourhood: but especially this is so much more apparent in evil, by how much we are more apt to take it. Let but some spark of heretical opinion be let fall

gerimus, nisi ars occidendi? Quicquid Turcæ ac Pagani faciant, quousque, ô Deus, brutus iste furor armabit contra se invicem gentes Christianas? Etiam diabolis quidem ipsis inter se parùm disconvenit; concordes sunt illi in malo, nimis; unde fit, quòd nos homines ita nobismet in bono læthaliter adversemur? O tu, qui solus es Pacis Deus, ita compone inquieta hominum pectora, ut in communi quâdam concordiâ fœliciter conspirent; recrea, tandem, animas nostras multitudine pacis.

XXV. Ad decubitum suum.

QUALIS est iste rerum humanarum eventuumque circulus! Nunquam sanè mutatione quâdam vacat conditio nostra; nec tamen in illâ mutatione nimia cernitur varietas. Dormimus, evigilamus; evigilamus, dormimus denuò; edimus, evacuamur; laboramus, non sine continuâ quâdam vicissitudine: ita tamen omnia disposuit ordinavitque infinita Dei sapientia, ut perpetuis hisce iterationibus parùm fatigemur; nec minùs alacres ingeramus nos quotidianis istis exercitationibus, quàm si semel in vità nobis forent transigendæ. Diurnis laboribus bene-fessus, quàm libenter exuo me, lectumque subeo! ante lucis dein matutinæ exortum, inquietioris lecti pertæsus, quanto libentiùs exurgo laboremque repeto!

Quidni ego magis appetam exuere corpusculum hoc, ut immortalitate super-induar? Quid enim aliud hoc est, nisi vestis intima; quam ubi semel deposuero, libertate fruitur anima mea ac quiete? Quoties decubui ego plenus spe nocturni refrigerii; tandem verò, post crebrarum volutationum tædia laterumque frustra commutatorum situs varios, surrexi insomnis, tristis, languidus. Ubi me extremùm hoc tandem exuero, non potest vel corpus hoc meum quiete, vel anima gaudio destitui; neutrum verò, ubi surrexero, gloriâ.

Quid est, ô Deus, præter innatam quandam infidelitatem, quod me impedit ab hujus tam fœlicis dissolutionis ambitu? Sat habet mundus miseriæ ac molestiæ, satis superque habet cœlum beatitudinis, ad ciendum perficiendumque hujus ultimæ gloriosissimæque mutationis desiderium. Credo Domine, adjuva incredulitatem meam.

XXVI. Visis carbonibus ignitus.

VIX quæ creaturarum omnium est, quæ naturali quodam instinctu non appetat diffundere se ac dilatare. Nec ignis nec aqua suis se terminis contineri sinit. Scintillulæ illæ, quæ in carbonibus istis cernuntur, quàm se exerunt, accenduntque proximas faces!

Identidem se habet moraliter, cùm in malo tum etiam in bono: utrunque horum se dilatat facilè, proximosque afficit: quod tamen in malo tanto magis conspicuum est, quanto nos illi fovendo prosequendo aptiores sumus. Ubi minima hæreticæ opinionis