LIFE AND DEATH. 409 



would maintain, that the vices of old men s minds have some 

 correspondence, and were parallel to the putrefactions of 

 their bodies : for the dryness of their skin, he would bring 

 in impudence; for the hardness of their bowels, unmerci- 

 fulness; for the lippitude of their eyes, an evil eye, and 

 envy ; for the casting down of their eyes, and bowing their 

 body towards the earth, atheism (for, saith he, they look 

 no more up to heaven as they are wont) ; for the trembling 

 of their members, irresolutions of their decrees and light 

 inconstancy ; for the bending of their fingers, as it were to 

 catch, rapacity and covetousness ; for the buckling of their 

 knees, fearfulness; for their wrinkles, craftiness and obli 

 quity ; and other things which I have forgotten. But to 

 be serious, a young man is modest and shamefaced, an old 

 man s forehead is hardened ; a young man is full of bounty 

 and mercy, an old man s heart is brawny ; a young man 

 is affected with a laudable emulation, an old man with a 

 malignant envy; a young man is inclined to religion and 

 devotion, by reason of his fervency and inexperience of evil, 

 an old man cooleth in piety through the coldness of his 

 charity, and long conversation in evil, and likewise through 

 the difficulty of his belief; a young man s desires are ve 

 hement, an old man s moderate ; a young man is light and 

 moveable, an old man more grave and constant ; a young 

 man is given to liberality and beneficence, and humanity, 

 an old man to covetousness, wisdom for his own self, and 

 seeking his own ends ; a young man is confident and full 

 of hope, an old man diffident, and given to suspect most 

 things ; a young man is gentle and obsequious, an old man 

 froward and disdainful ; a young man is sincere and open- 

 hearted, an old man cautelous and close ; a young man is 

 given to desire great things, an old man to regard things 

 necessary ; a young man thinks well of the present times, 

 an old man preferreth times past before them; a young 

 man reverenceth his superiors, an old man is more forward 

 to tax them ; and many other things, which pertain rather 

 to manners, than to the present inquisition. Notwith 

 standing old men, as in some things they improve in their 

 bodies, so also in their minds, unless they be altogether out 

 of date ; namely, that as they are less apt for invention, so 

 they excel in judgment, and prefer safe things, and sound 

 things, before specious. Also they improve in garrulity 

 and ostentation, for they seek the fruit of speech while 

 they are less able for action. So as it was not absurd that 

 the poets feigned old Tython to be turned into a grass 

 hopper. 



