A discourse concerning old-age tending to the instruction, caution and comfort of aged persons…

A Second Folly incident to Old-age, is¹ Loquacity or Talkativeness; that is, an exceeding proneness to speak much; so that it hath passed into a Proverb, Senex psittacus, an old person is a Parrot. Herein they are twice children, whose faculty you know lies this way.

A Second Folly incident to Old-age, is¹ Loquacity or Talkativeness; that is, an exceeding proneness to speak much; so that it hath pass'd into a Proverb, Senex psittacus, an old person is a Parrot. Herein they are twice children, whose faculty you know lies this way.

1. 1§. 2. Talkativeness.

Speech is a most wonderful and excellent Faculty conferred only on humane nature, and for their common good, and it is great pity that it should be abused. As our Reason begins to work, so our Speech comes in; which shows that all our words should be governed by Reason. And yet how unruly is this little member! insomuch as the Apostle James, c. 3. 6. calls the Tongue, a World of iniquity; the hand is not called a world of iniquity, for that cannot reach very far; but with the tongue we can walk over the whole world, and by the venom of it hurt even all mankind. ⟨p. 46⟩And Old people, whose eyes and ears, whose hands and feet are much decayed and disabled, are apt to make the greater use of their tongues.

Speech is a most wonderful and excellent Faculty conferr'd only on humane nature, and for their common good, and it is great pity that it should be abused. As our Reason begins to work, so our Speech comes in; which shews that all our words should be govern'd by Reason. And yet how unruly is this little member! insomuch as the Apostle