Mystical bedlam, or the world of mad-men. By ThoMystical bedlam, or the vvorld of mad-men. By Tho

If a man looks into what life it self is, he cannot but find, both by experience of the past, and proof of the present age,¹ that he must die. As soon as we are born, we begin to draw to our end. Life it self is nothing, but a journey to death. There is no day, but hath his night: no sentence, but hath his period: no life on earth, but hath the death. Examine the scope of thy desires, and thou shalt perceive, how they hasten to the grave: as if death were the goal, prize or principal end, which the vanity of humane endeavours runs at. Be a man in honour, in wealth, in government: he still ambitiously blind, languisheth for the time to come; the one, ⟨p. 81⟩in hope to enlarge his greatness; the other, his riches; the last, his dominions. Thus they covet the running on of time and age, and rest not till they have concluded their sentence, and attained their Period, gone to the dead.

If a man lookes into what life it selfe is, hee cannot but finde, both by experience of the past, and proofe of the present age,¹ that hee must die. As soon as we are born, wee beginne to draw to our end. Life it selfe is nothing, but a iourney to death. There is no day, but hath his night: no sentence, but hath his period: no life on earth, but hath the death. Examine the scope of thy desires, and thou shalt perceyue, how they hasten to the graue: as if death were the gaole, prize or principall end, which the vanity of humane endeuours runnes at. Bee a man in honour, in wealth, in gouernment: he still ambitiously blind, languisheth for the time to come; the one, ⟨p. 81⟩in hope to enlarge his greatnesse; the other, his riches; the last, his dominions. Thus they couet the running on of time and age, and rest not till they haue concluded their sentence, and attayned their Period, gone to the dead.

1. 1Wisd 5. 13.