eis 1 
| The Hiftory of Life and Death. 1 oe j 
_| Venus, Labours, Endeavours, Bufineffes, whereas: if they have a regard to long lifes 
‘| ( which may feem ftrange ) they fhould rather practife the contrary. For we ought | 
| to cherith and preferve good fpirits, and: for the evil-difpofed spirits to difcharge and 
| alterthem. ‘Wis . 
| Ficinus {aithnot unwifely, That old men, for the comforting of their fpirits, ought 
| often to remember and ruminate upon the Adds of their (heldhood and Youth, Cer- 
|} tainly fuch a remembrance is a kind ‘of peculiar Recreation to every old man : 
| and thetefore it is a delight to men to enjoy the focicty of them which have been 
| bronght up together with them, and to vifir the places of their education. Vefpafian 
| did attribute fo much to this matter, that when he was Emperour he would by no 
means be perfwaded to leave his Father’s houfe, though but mean, left he thould 
Jofe the wonted obje& of his eyes, ard the memory of his childhood; and befides, 
he would drink in a wooden Cup, tipped with filyer; which. was his Grandmother's, 
upon Feffival dayes. i ; 
One thing above all is grateful to the Spirits, that there be:a continual pragre/s to 
the more benign ; therefore we fhould lead fuch a Youth and manhood, that our 
| Old age fhould find new Solaces , whereof the chief is moderate eafé : And there- 
| fore old men in honourable places lay violent hands upon themfelves, who retire not 
| to their eafe :. whereof may be found an eminent Example in. Caffiodorzs, who was 
| .of that reputation amongft the Gothi/h Kings of Jtaly, that he was as the Soul of their 
} affairs; afterwards, being near eighty years of age, he betook himfelfto a Monaftery; 
whete he ended not his dayes before he was an hundred years old. \ But this thing doth 
requite two. Cautions ; one, that they drive not off till their bodies be utterly 
{ worn out and difeafed, for in fuch bodies all mutatign, though to the more benign; 
hafteneth death: the other, that they furrender not themfelves to a /luggi/h eafe, But 
‘that they embrace fomething which may entertain their thoughts and mind with con- 
tentation ; in which kind the chief delights are Reading and Contemplation ; and 
then the defires of Building and Planting. ; pigitig bd 
~ Laftly, thefame 4étion, Endeavowr and Labour undertaken chearfully and with a good 
will doth refrefh the spsrits; but with anaverfation and wawillingnefs, doth fret and |. 
_deje& them. And therefore it conferreth to long life, cither that a man hath the art 
to inftitute his life fo asit may be free and fuitable to. his own humour ; or elfeto lay 
fuch a comrhand upon his mind, that whatfoever is impofed by Fortune, it may rather 
eadhim than drag him, 
_ Neither is that to be omitted towards the governmentwof the feétions, that e{pecial 98a 
care be taken of the mouth of the Stomach, efpecially that it be not toomuch relaxed ; 
\for rhat part hath a greater dominion over the affections, efpecially the daily affeGions, 
‘than eitherthe Heart or Brain; onely thofe things excepted which are wrought by po- 
‘tent vapours, asin Drunkennefsand Melancholly. A 3 
Touching the Operation upon the Spersts 5 that they may remain youthful; and re- 99% 
| new their vzgour, thus much : which we have done the more accurately, for that 
there is, for the moft part, amongft Phyficians and other Authors touching thefe Ope- 
rations a deep filence; but efpecially, becaufe the Operation upon the Spirits, and ther 
waxing green again, isthe moft réady and compendious way to long life ; and that for es 
two-fold compendiouf{nefs: one, becaufe the Spirits work compendioufly upon the 
body ; the other, becaufe. Yapours and the e4ffettions work compendioufly upon the 
Spirits; {o as thefe attain the end, asit were; inaright line, other things rather in 
Jines circular. ; | 
ISe 
96, 
97% 
The Operation upon the Exclufion of the eA ir. 2. 
The Hiftory, ) $7 es 
HE Exclufion of the Air ambient tendeth to length of life two wayes : ; 
§ Firft for that the External dir, next unto the Native Spirit, ( how- 
foever the e4r may be faid to animate the Spirit of Man,. and con- 
ferreth not a little ta health ) doth moft of all prey upon the juices of the bodys 
. G 2 and 
