54 



The Hijiory of Life and Death. 



But Tity, which may reflect, with feme fimilitude , upon the parry pitying, is naught 

 becaufe it exciteth Fear. 



Light Shams hurteth not, feeing it contra deth the Spirits a little, and then ftraight 

 diftufeth them ; Infomuch that Shame- fafi Perfons commonly, live long : But Shame, 

 "or fome great Ignominie, and which affli&eth the Minde long, contrac-teth the Spirits 

 even to fuftocation,and is pernicious. 



Love, if it be not unfortunate, and too deeply wounding, is a kinde of Joy ; And is 

 fubjecl: to the fame Lawes, which we have fet down touching Ioy. 



Hope is the moft Beneficial of all the Affections ; And doth much to the Prolonga- 

 tion of Life, if it be not too often Fruftrated ;but entertaineth the Fancie, with an Expe- 

 peftation of good : Therefore they which fix, and propound to themfelves , fome End, 

 as the Marke and Scope of their Life ; And continually, and by Degrees, goe forward in 

 the fame ; Are, for the moft part long-Liv'd : In-fomuch, that when they are come to the 

 top of their hope ; And can go no higher therein ; They commonly droop , and Live 

 not long after : So that hope is a Leaf-Ioy ; Which may be beaten out, to a great Exten- 

 tion, like Gold. 



Admiration, and Light contemplation, are very powerful to the prolonging of Life ; 

 For they hold the Spirits, in fuch things as Delight them ; and fuffer then* not to tumul- 

 tuate, or to carry themfelves unquietly, and way- wardly. And therefore , ail the Con- 

 templators of Natural Things, which had fo many, and jfo eminent Objects to admire ; 

 ( as Democritm, "Plato, Parmenides, Apollonms, ) were long-liv'd : Alio Rhetoricians, 

 which tafted but lightly of things,and ftudied rather Exornation of fpeech,then profun- 

 dity of Matters, were alfo longliv'd; As Gorgias, Protagoras, Iterates, Seneca : And 

 certainly, as old Men are, for the moft part, Talkative : So Talkative Men,do often grow 

 very old : For it fhews a Light Contemplation ; And fuch as doth not much ftram the 

 Spirits, or vex them : But Subtil, and Acute, and Eager Inqnifitionj fhorcens life ; for it 

 tireth the Spirit-, and wafteth it. 



And as touching the Motion of the Spirits , by the Affettions of the (Jtfinde , thus 

 much. Now we will add certain other General Observations, touching the Spirits, 

 befide the former ; which fall not into the Precedent Diftribution. 



Efpeciall Care muft be taken, that the Spirits be not too often Refolved; For attenu- 

 ation goeth before Refolution : And the Spirit once attenuated, doth not very eafily re- 

 tire, or '\sCondenfed:Now Refolmion iscaufed , by Over-great Labours ; Over-vehe- 

 ment affections of the Mind ; Over-great Sweats ; Over-great Evacuations ; Hot-baths, 

 and an untemperate, and unfealonable uie of Venus : Alio by Over-great Cares , and 

 Carpings, and Anxious Expectations : Laftly,by Malignant Difeafes, and Intolerable 

 Pains and Torments of the Body ; All which, as much as may be , ( which our Vulgar 

 Phyjicians alfo advife, ) muft be avoided. 



The Spirits are delighted, both smith Winted Things, and with New : Now it maketh 

 wonderfully to the conservation of the Spirits, in Vigour ; That we neither ute Wonted 

 Things, to a Saciety,and Glutting ; Nor New Things, before a quick , and ftrong Ap- 

 petite. And therefore, both Cuflomcs are to be broken off, with Judgement, and Care, 

 before they breed a fulneffe ; And the Appetite, after new Things to be reftrained for a 

 time,untill it grow more fharp aiiid-jocund : And moreover, the Life, as much as may 

 bc,fo to be ordered ; That it may have many Renovations, and the Spirits by perpetual 

 Converting in the fame Actions, may not wax Dull, for though it were no ill faying of 

 Seneca's ; 7 he fool doth ever begin to hve • Yet this Folly , and many more fuch, are 

 good for long Life. 



It is to be obferved , touching the Spirits, ( though the Contrary ufeth to be done ; ) 

 That when Men perceive their Spirits to be in good , placide , and Healthful ftate ; 

 ( That which will be feen , by the Tranquility of their Minde , and cheerful difpofi- 

 tion ; ) That they cherifh them , and not change them : But when , in a Turbulent} 

 and un-toward State ; ( which will alfo appear by their Sadneffe , LumpifhnefTe , and 

 other In-difpofition of their Minde ; ) that when they ftraight over-whelm them, 

 and alter them. Now the Spirits are contained in the lame ftate, by a Reftraining of the 

 Affections ; temperatcnels of Diet ; Abftinence from Venus, Moderation in Labour; 

 Indifferent Reft and Repofe : And the Contrary to thefe , do alter and over-whelm 

 the Spirits ; As namely, Vehement Affections ; Profuie Feaftinos ; Immoderate Venus; 

 Difficult labours ; Earneft ftudies , and profecution of bufinefle. Yet Men are wont, 

 when they are merrieft , and belt difpoled , then to apply themfelves to Feaftings^ 



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