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The Hiflory of Life and Death. 



wife of Monomachus ; And reigned alone afterher Deceafe; ) lived abcve eighty years : 

 a Pragmatical Woman, and one that took delight in Goveinirg ; Fortunate in the 

 higheft degree, and through her good Fortunes Credulous. 



We will proceed now trom thefe Secular Princes, to the frir.cn in the Church. St. 

 lohmxx Apoftle of our Saviour, and the Beloved Difciple,\tve<H niaety three years : He 

 was rightly denoted under the Embltme of the Eagle, for his piercing l:ghc into the Dt. 

 vinit) \ And was as a Seraph amongft the Apoflles in refpeft of his Bui ning Love.Ssint 

 Li^ethe Svaugehfi , fulfilled four-fcore and four years : An Eloquent rran , and a 

 Traveller ; Saint Paul's infeparablc Companion, and a Phyjtcian. Simeon the fon 

 of Cleophas , called the Brother of our Lord , and Bifnop of Hierufalem y lived an hun- 

 dred and twenty yeares ; though he was cut fhort by Martyrdome ; AftcutMan, and 

 Conftant, and full of Good works. 'Polycarpw , Difciple unto the Apoftles 5 and 

 Bifhop of Smyrna , feemeth to have extended his Age , to an hundred years, and more j 

 Though he were alio cut ofTby Martyrdome : A Man ef an High minde, of an Hrroi- 

 call patience , and un-wearied with Labours. Dionyfim Areopagita , Contemporary, 

 to the Apoftle Saint Paul, lived ninety years : He was called , The Bird of Heaven 

 for his high-flying Divinity ; And was famous , as well for his Holy Life, as for his 

 Meditations. AquilazxsA Prifeilla^ firft, S/aint Paul the Apoftles Holts ; Afterward 

 his Fellow-Helpers , lived together in an happy and famous Wed-lock, at leaft , to an 

 hundred years of age a piece : For they were both alive , under Pope Xyfttts the Firfl : 

 A Noble pair , and prone to all kinde of Charity j who amongft other their Com- 

 forts ; (which no doubt were great, unto the firft Founders of the Church ; ) Had this 

 added ; To enjoy each other lb long, in an happy marriage. Saint Paul, the Htrmite, 

 lived an hundred and thirteen years : Now he lived in a Cave •, His diet was lb (lender, 

 and ftri<5t, that it was thought almoft impoffiblc, to fupport Humane Nature there-with- 

 al : He pafl'ed his yeares onely in Meditations, and Soliloquies ; yet he was not illite- 

 rate , or an Ideot, but Learned. Saint Anthony , the firft Founder of Monkj , or( as 

 fome will have it, ) the Reftorcr onely , attained to an hundred and five years of Age : 

 A Man Devout, and Contemplative ; Though not unfit for Civill Affairs : His Life 

 was Aufiere, and Mortifying ; Notwithftanding he lived in a kinde of glorious foli- 

 tude j And excrcifed a Command.; For he had his CMonkes under him. Andbefides, 

 many £hrifl tans and Thilofopher s came to vifit him , as a living Image , from which 

 they parted not without fome Adoration. Saint A thanaftus exceeded the term of eigh- 

 ty years j A Man of an Invincible Conftancy ; Corrmanding Fame , ard not yielding 

 to Fortune ; He was free towards the Great ones ; With the people Gracious, and 

 acceptable ; Beaten and pra&ifed to Oppofitions ; Ard in delivering hirnlelf from 

 them, (tout, and wile. Saint Hiereme , by the content of molt Wntei s, exceeded nine- 

 ty yeares of Age : A man powerful in his Pen , and of a Manly Eloquence ; Varicufly 

 learned , both in the Tongues, and Sciences ; Alio a Traveller , and that lived ftri&ly 

 towards his old Age ; In an eftate private, and not dignified ; he bore high Spirits , and 

 fhined far out of Obicurity. 



The Popes of Rome^xt in Number to this Day , two hundred forty and one : Of fo 

 great a Number, five onely have attained to the age of feur-lcore jears,cr upwaids. But 

 in many of the firft Popes, their full age was intercepted by the prerogative and crown 

 of Martyrdome. John the twenty third, Pope of Rome, fulfilled the ninetieth year of his 

 age-: A man of an unquiet Dilpofition , and one that ftudied Novelty : He altered ma- 

 ny Thing5,fome to the Bctter,others onely to the Newjagreat accumulator of Riches and 

 Treafures. Gregory, called the twelfth , created in Schiime, and not tully acknowledg- 

 ed *Pope, died at ninety years. Of him, in refpecl of his fhou Tapacy , wc finde no- 

 thing, to make a judgement upon. Paul the third, lived eighty years and one : a tempe- 

 rate man, and of a profound wifedome; he was Learned, an Aftrologer, and one 

 that tended his health carefully : But after the example of old Eli the pneft, over-Indul- 

 gent to his Family. Paul the fourth, attained to the age of eighty three years : a man of 

 an Harfh nature, and fevere ; of an haughty Minde, and Imperious ; prone to anger ; his 

 fpeech was Eloquent , and Ready. Gregory the thirteenth , fulfilled the like age , of 

 eighty three years : an abfolute good man •* Sound in Mindc, and Body : Politick, Tem- 

 perate, full of good works, and an almef-givcr. 



Thofe that follow are to be more promifcuous in their order ; More dotibtfu! in thejr 

 Faith, and more barren of Obfcrvation. King Arganthoniu* , who reigned at fade*, \r, j 



Sf>ai»y \ 



