best that he could, but that the building was ouer-olde and ruinous; yet not∣withstanding it was I my selfe that builded it, I leaue it to thee to iudge of mee, since the stones of mine age decay so much through antiquitie. Being touched herewith I tooke occasion to be displeased with him vpon euery first thing that encountreth me in my walke. It well appeareth, said I, that ••hese Plane trees are not well laboured, they are altogether leauelesse, their boughes are knottie and withered, and their stockes couered with mosse and filthinesse: this would not happen if any man had digged about them, and watred them as they ought to be. He sweareth by my Genius, that he doth his vttermost inde∣uour, and that he hath neglected them in no manner, but that the trees were olde. Then remembred I my selfe that I had planted them with mine owne hands, and seene them beare their first leafe. Turning my selfe to the doore, what decrepit fellow is that, said I, that for his age is left at the gate as dead bo∣dies are wont to be, for he looketh outward? Whence came he? What pleasure hast thou to carrie forth the carkasse of a strange man? Knowest thou me not, saith he? I am Felicio to whom thou wert wont to bring childish gifts; I am the sonne of Philo••itus thy Bayliffe, thy play-fellow. Vndoubtedly, said I, this man doateth. My darling then is become an infant; vndoubtedly it may so be, for he is almost toothlesse. This owe I to my Farme, that my olde age appeareth vnto me which way soeuer I turne my selfe. Let vs then embrace and loue the same•• it is wholly replenished with agreeable delights, if a man know how to make vse of it. The Apples are neuer so good then when they begin to wither and ripen. Infancie is must agreeable in the end thereof. To those that delight in carrowsing, the last draught is most pleasant, that which drowneth him in wine, and consummateth his drunkennesse. Whatsoeuer most contenting, all pleasure hath contained in her selfe, is deferred till the end. The age that de∣clineth is also most agreeable, when as yet it is not wholly decr••pit and spent: neyther iudge I that age, without his particular pleasure, whose foote is almost in the graue, or thus succeedeth in place of pleasure that he needeth none. O how sweet and pleasant a thing is it to see a mans selfe discharged of all coue∣tousnesse! But thou mayest say that it is a tedious thing, to haue death alwayes before a mans eyes: first of all this ought as well to be presented to a yong as to an olde mans eyes; for we are not called by the Censor according to our estate, and there is none so old that hopeth not to liue at least one day longer: and one day is a degree of life; for all our age consist••th of manie parts, and is a spheare that hath diu••rs circles, the one inclosed within the other. And one there is that incloseth and comprehendeth all the rest, which is that of the Natiuity vntill death; another that excludeth the yeares of youth, another that containeth all child-hood; after these succeedeth the yeare which incloseth all, the time by the multiplication whereof life is composed. In the circle of the yeare is the moneth, and in that of the moneth is the day, which is the least of all: yet not∣withstanding he hath his beginning and his end, his rise and his set. And for this cause Heraclitus that was called Scotinus, by reason of the obscuritie of his speech, said that one day is like to all which another hath interpreted after ano∣ther manner to wit, that one day is like to all; in number of houres: and he said true; for if a day be the time of foure and twentie houres, it is necessarie that they should be all alike, because the night hath that which the day hath lost: another said that one day was like to all, by reason of the conformitie and re∣semblance; for there is nothing in the space of a very long time, that thou shalt not finde in one day the light and the night, the turnes and returnes of the hea∣uens.