THE CONCLVSFON. 



ferpenu were their dainties 5 fword and fire were their daily cxcr- 

 cifc : and all this, only to be matters of a little gold, which after 

 fiiort pofltflion was to quitt them for ever. Our fearchers after the 

 Nortberne paffage, have cue their way through mounuines of yce, 

 more affrightfull and horrible, then the Sympleyade?. They have 

 iuprifoned themfelves in halfe yeare nights; they have chayned 

 themfelves in perpetuall (tone-cleaving colds : Come have beene 

 found clofely imbracing one another, toconcerve as long as they 

 were able, a Jitle fcwell in their freezing hearts, at length petrifycd 

 by the hardneffe of their unmercifulncfle of that unmercifull win- 

 ter : others have beene made the prey of unhumaine men } more fe- 

 vagethen the wildeft bealts : others have beene never found nor 

 heard of fo that furely they have prooved thi foode of ugly mon- 

 ftersof that vaft ycy fe*. : and thefe have beene aWe and underftan- 

 ding men. What motives, what hopes hid thefe daiingmenf 

 What gaines could they promifc themfelves , to countervail their 

 defperate attempts ? They aimed not Co much as at the purchafe of 

 any treafure for themfelves , but meerely to fecond the deiiresof 

 thofe that fet themion work* ; or to fill the moutbes of others, from 

 whence fomc few crummes might fall to them, What is required 

 at thy hands (my foule) like this/" And yet the hazird thouart to 

 avoide, and the, weilth ihouart to attaine unto,incomparably over- 

 fecteth all that they could hope for. Live then and bee glad of long 

 and numerous yeares , that like ripe fruit ; thou maveft drop fecure- 

 ly into that pafftge, which dtielyentred into, fhall deliver rhee into 

 an eternity ofblifle, and ofunperi{hable happinefle. 



And yet (my foulej. be thou not too foare ngaft, with the appre- 

 henfionofthedreadfullhazird thoti art in. Let not atormenting 

 feare of the dangers that furrounded thee,make thy whole life heie 

 bitterand uncomfortable to thee. Let the ferious and due coofide- 

 ration of them , arme thee with caution and wifedome, to prevent 

 mifcarriage by them. But to looke upon them with horrour and 

 affi ightedmfle, would freeft thy fpiritf, and benummc thy aftions, 

 and peradveniure engulfe thee through pufillanimhy in as great 

 mifcheiies, as thou feekeft to avoid. Tis true , the hanne which 

 would accrue from misgoverning thy pnlf'ge cut of this life, is un- 

 fpeakable, is unimaginable. But why moulded thou fake fo Hieepe 

 thoughw of the hazard then runneft therein^as though the difficulty 

 oiavoiding it were fo extreme^ might amount to an impolTjbiJity- 



(Kkk 3 J I 



