The forerunner of eternity, or, Messenger of death sent to healthy, sick and dying men / by H. Drexelius.

§ 26. The remembrance of Death is divers ways to hee renewed.

1. IT is reported that a dead mans scul dryed in an oven, and beaten to powder in a mor∣ter,

and so mixt with oile, doth speedely heale the Gangrene, and Canker. To bruise the braine pan, and other the bones of dead men, by an holy Meditation and Contemplation doth perfectly cure the Gangrene of the Soule.

2 Plato is said to out-strip the sages in this respect, in that with vivacity and courage he did con∣template upon death and read lectures to his Schollers of it. Therefore he gave this as a law to his Schollers; that being en∣tred on their journey they should never stand still or stop their cou••s he wisely intimated by this, that there departure out of this life should bee daily considered, and some progresse to he made every day more than other.

3 Nicolaus Christopherus Radzi∣vilius a Prince of Poland affirmes, that in Aegypt those which did ex∣cell others in age and wisdome, did daily carry about them dead mens bones set in ebony or some other thing, and did use to shew them to men, and by these they did

daily exhort men to remember their ends, the Aegyptians also use at their banquets to bring in a deaths head, and end their mer∣ry meetings with this sad Em∣bleme, to have presented be∣fore them the shoulder-blade of a dead man, with this heavie motto, Remember you must die.

4 The Great Cham of Tartarie, in the City of Bagdad, upon a Fe∣stivall day which they call Rama∣dam, shewing himselfe to the peo∣ple riding upon a Mule, being richly apparelled investments of gold and silver cloth, his Turbant being all set with precious jewels, yet all his head and ornaments are hid under a blacke veile, by which custome and ceremony hee shews, that the greatest glory, and highest magnificence, will be sha∣ded and obscured with death.

5 There was laid over Iustinian the Emperour being dead a large Carpet, in which in Phrygian work there were woven the lively Effi∣gies of all the Cities that hee had conquered, and all the barbarous

Kings he had subdued: and in the midst of all those great Battails, Trophies, and Conquests, there was the Image of Death. For, for certain, Death doth sport it self in Kingdomes; as he said,

Death onely strikes not poore men dead and clowns, But lofty Turrets, and Imperiall Crowns

Martine the fifth Pope of Rome, had this in a Badge or Symbol, In a great fire ready kindled, in which were throwne a Bishops Mitre, a Cardinals Hat, an Em∣perours Diadem, the Crownes of Kings, a Dukes Cap of Mainte∣nance and Sword; with this ad∣nexed Motto, So passeth all worldly glory.

6 A man asked a Mariner up∣on a time where his Father died? the Mariner replyed in the Sea; the other asked him, where his grandfather and his great grand∣father died? the Sailer answered again at Sea; and (quoth the o∣ther) art not thou then afraid to goe to Sea? The Sailor wittily

replyed, and Sir, I pray you tell me where your Father died? He answered in his bed; but where died your grandfather, and all o∣ther your Ancestours? in their beds replyed the other: then are not you afraid to go into your bed seeing all your forefathers died there; no, said the other; why, said the Sailor, by your owne relation the bed is the more dangerous in this respect, for there many more dies in their beds, than there doe at sea; and you may die there, as soon as I may at sea. A witty an∣swer and well applyed. Let our daily Meditations be as Lipsius said when hee went sick to bed, ad Le∣ctum, ad Lethum; to the Bed and so to the Grave: for many have died in their sleep, Death being but the elder sister of sleep.

7 Iohn Patriarch of Alexan∣dria, which took his name from hi•• Almesdeeds, in his health he com¦manded his sepulchre to be built but it was not fully finished; in so much that upon a great solemn•• feast day in the presence of all the

Clergie, when hee had ended his sacred Charge, One said to him (My Lord) your sepulchre is not yet built up, nor perfected; com∣mand, I pray you, that it may be made speedily up; For your honour knows not how soone the Thiefe may overtake you.

8 It was not lawfull for any one to speake to the Easterne Em∣perour, being newly created, be∣fore that a Mason had shewed him som sorts of Marble, of several colours, and had asked which of those he liked best to have his Se∣pulcher made of. What was this else but to say, Be not high min∣ded, o Emperour, Thou art a man and shalt die as the meanest beg∣ger.

Looke therefore so to the go∣vernment of thy Kingdome which thou shalt lose, as that thou lo∣sest not the Kingdome which is e∣verlasting.

9 Domitianus the Romane Em∣perour made a banquet to the chiefe of his Senators, and great Knights after this manner: Hee

had all the roomes covered with black cloaths, also the roofes of the Chambers, the walls, and the pavement, the seats all black, promising mourning; In the chief place was a funeral bed, the guests were brought in by night, without any attendants, by every one there was placed a Coffin with every mans name upon it, & there were lāps added & set up, as use to be at funerals; the waiters at the table they carried the colours of the night in their habits and counte∣nances, and compassed the guests with notes and gestures of Death; all this while supper was celebra∣ted in great silence, and Domiti∣ans discours was only of burialls and Death at the table, to the a∣stonishment and affrightment of his guests, who feared what would be the issue of this his action. What followed think you after all this mournfull carriage and de∣portment, onely Domitianus had provided a wholsome document for himselfe and his Senators, but never made use of it, so that it

was rather judged folly than wisedome: The Egyptians doe better, who alwayes temper their feasts with some seasonable les∣sons of Mortality.

Notes

• S. Hiero. hu ut meminit in C. 10. Ma••
• Baron. Tom. 7. An. 567.
• Pallida mors aeque pulsat pede &c.
• Aulea O∣tho Co∣lumn a di∣ctus.
• De remed. utriusque fortunae, l. 1. dial. 121. Fran. Petrarch. Cujus ope∣ra hic sae∣pius uten∣dum,
• Le••••••. ••y∣p••or. Episc. c. 18. in vita Io∣an••••s.
• Idem ibid.
• Xiphili. in Domit. who in this ban∣quet did not seeke to re∣member death, but sport and va∣nity.