Peace and Plenty as they have done with Me to whom I leave You and Him to you Farewell A Daughters Dying Speech to her Father FAther Farewell and may that Life that Issues from My young and tender Years be added to Your Age may all your Grief be Buried in my Grave and may the Joys Pleasures and Delights that did attend my Life be Servants unto Yours may Comfort Dry your Eyes God Cease your Sorrows that though I Die you may Live Happily Why do you mourn that Death must be your Son-in-Law since he is a Better Husband than any you could Choose me or I could Choose my Self it is a Match that Nature and the Fates have made Wherefore be Content for it is not in your Power to alter the Decrees of Fate for Destiny cannot be Opposed but if you could you would Rob me of the Happiness the Gods intend me for though my Body shall dwell with Death my Soul shall dwell in Heaven and Holy Angels that are my Marriage Guests will Conduct it to that Glory for which you have cause to Joy and not to Grieve for all Creatures Live but to Die but those that are Blessed Die to Live and so do I. Farewell A Souldiers Dying Speech to his Friends Dear Friends YOu are come to see me Die but I am sorry you shall see me Die in the Bed of Sloth and not in the Field of Action for now I shall Die like a Coward whereas had I Died in the Field of Warr I should have Died as a Valiant man indeed the Field of Warr is the Bed of Honour wherein all Valiant and Gallant men should Die but Fortune hath denied me that Honour she hath spar'd my Life to my Loss for those that Die in the Warrs have Greater Renowns and Gloriouser Fame than those that Die in Chambers of Peace for whatsoever Heroick Acts men have done for the most part Die if they Out-live them for such Actions Live by the Deaths of the Actors I do not say Alwaies but for the Most part which makes me fear the Service I have done my King and Country will Die with me and be Buried in Oblivions Grave yet should the Service I have done be quite Forgotten I should not Repent my Actions for Honourable persons and Gallant men should do what they Ought to do although they were certain Never to be Rewarded for though few men are Rewarded according to their Merits and many have Favour that did Never Merit a Reward so Unjust is the World Fortune and Fame yet their Injustice must not make men Unworthy but I have done my Part and Death will do His. Farewell A Dying Speech of a Loving Mistress to her Beloved Servant SErvant This day I should have been your Wife and so Your Servant as you have been Mine but Death hath Robbed Hymen of his Rights and now he Fights with Life which he will Overcome for Death is Conquerour of All and Triumphs in his Spoils Yet Death by taking my Life Prisoner will set your Person Free to choose an other Mistress to make a Wife in whose Imbraces I shall be Buried and utterly Forgotten I speak not this in Envy to Her Happiness nor Yours for Envy dwells with Life and not with Death nor am I Loth to Die nor Grieve to be Forgotten no not by those that I Loved most and equal with my Soul for those I Love I would not have them Mourn in Melancholy thoughts and Sad remembrance of my Death I only wish that She that you Love next may return Love again with as much Truth Constancy and Purity as I have Loved you and may she be the Glory of her Sex and Honour of her Husband and may you Live to Love each Other and Love to Live for One an others Sake may Nature Time Fortune Fate and the Gods joyn in your Happiness Farewell A Forein Travellers Dying Speech Dear Friends I Have Travelled Farr and have seen Much of the World and have gone Round about the World but now I shall Travel Out of the World from which I shall bring no News I shall not come back to Relate my Journies or to tell you what Strange Creatures there are in the Other World or what Dangers I escap'd or what Adventures I have made or what several Countries there are and which is good for Plantation or what Commodities there are or what Traffick there is or may be for though all Creatures are Transported yet no Returns are Sent back in Lieu of them unless we believe New-born Creatures are sent out of the Other World into This but that is not Probable because they are Made in this World and of the same Substances of the World But howsoever those that are Sent thither as by Sickness Casualties Fortune and Age Return no more wherefore I must take my Last leave of you for though I have been at the Confines of Death and am Return'd to my Friends again yet I never was in the Region of Death a place I never was Ambitious or Desirous to go to for though I had the Curiosity to see the several Countries Kingdomes and Places in the several parts of the World yet I never had the Curiosity to Travel into Death's Kingdome no nor to see the Mansions of the Gods which may be Accounted a Sin Indeed Travellers are accounted Atheistical but if they were yet when they come to Die they would change those Atheistical Opinions and as Bad as they are thought to be yet they are not Afraid of Death for then they would not Venture their Lives so Often as they do indeed Travellers have as Great Courage as Souldiers have and 't is believed as Little Religion but not so much Hate Envy Malice Revenge nor Covetousness unless they be Merchants nor they are not Robbers and Murderers they do not Take away mens Lives nor Goods as Souldiers do but of all men Travellers have most reason to Adore and Worship God Best for they see Most of his Wonderfull works which shew his Power Might Wisdome and Majesty the which makes his Creatures Admire him Praise him Fear him Love him and Pray to him as the Great Omnipotent Infinite Eternal Incomprehensible and Everlasting God to whom I Resign my Soul and Leave my Body to Death Farewell A Lovers Dying Speech to his Beloved Mistress Dear Mistress THough I must Die I leave my Life to Live with You for You are the Life of my Love and the Love of my Life you are the Palace of my Soul wherein it Lives and will Remain though Death doth take my Body hence for Souls Live though Bodies Die yet do not Drown my Soul in Tears nor Cloud it with your Sorrows but give it Light of Joy and Please it with your Kind remembrance But O my Jealous thoughts do Torture more my Mind than Pains of Death do Torture my Weak Body lest you should Banish the Love of Me to Entertain a Stranger which if you do the Gods
any Person had Composed and Put out a Whole Book of Pure and Perfect Orations but I could neither hear of nor see any such Works of any Person that Composed and Set forth to the Publick View a Book of Pure Orations Composed out of One Orators Own Fancy Wit and Eloquence 'T is true I have heard of Single Orations made by Single Persons in Single Parts Also I have seen Orations mixt with History wherein the Substance of the History is the Ground of their Orations Also I have seen two Translations call'd Orations but they are rather Orations in Name than in Reality for their Nature is History the One contains Relations of several Countries in the Other are Relations from several Princes of their Actions or Fortunes or Both Exprest in an Orators Style yet those are not Perfect or Right Orations but Adulterated or rather Hermophrodites But perchance my Readers will say I Understand not True Orations If I do not I am Sorry for and ask their Pardon for Speaking what I Understand not But I desire Noble Readers you will not think or believe I speak to Illustrate my Own VVorks and to Detract from the VVorks of Others for upon my Conscience I Speak and VVrite as I Believe and if I Commit an Error in this Belief I ask your Pardon and if you Excuse me I shall take it for a Favour and Obligation I have Written Orations and Speeches of all Sorts and in all Places sit for Orations Speeches or particular Discourses and first imagining my Self and You to be in a Metropolitan City I invite you into the Chief Market-place as the most Populous place where usually Orations are Spoken at least they were so in Older times and there you shall hear Crations Concerning Peace and Warr but the Generality of the People being more apt to make Warr than to keep Peace I desire you to Arm your Selves supposing you to be of the Masculine Sex and of Valiant Heroical Natures to enter into the Field of Warr and fince Warrs bring Ruine and Destruction to One or Some Parties if not to All and Loss causes men to Desire Peace out of Warr I bring you into great Disorders caused by the Ruins Warrs have made which I am Sorry for yet it Must be so the Fates have Decreed it and Misery causing men to be Prudent and Industrious by which they come to Flourish again at least their Successors and to shew you their Industry I bring you out of the Field of Warr into a New-built City where you must stay the Building of it for it will be Built Soon having Many Labourers and after it is Built there being a Large Market-place you may stand or sit with Ease and hear the Orations that are there Spoken and by Reason there are some Causes or Cases to be Pleaded I shall indeavour to Perswade you after some time of Refreshment at your own Homes to go into the Courts or Halls of Judicature after these Causes are Judged or at least Pleaded I shall desire you to Adorn your Selves fit for the Court then to Wait upon the Kings Majesty and if you be Privy-Counsellours or have any Business or Petitions at the Council-Table by the Kings Permission you may Enter into the Council-Chamber but great Monarchs having Many Subjects whereof some are more Active than Wise and more apt to Complain than to Obey you may hear the Petitions of the Subjects and the Speeches or Orations of the Soveraign and after a good Agreement Unity and Love you may Rest your Selves in Peace untill such time as your Charity calls you forth to Visit the Sick and when as Death hath Releas'd those Sick Persons of their Pains Humanity will perswade you to wait on their Dead Corps to the Grave and after some Tears showred on their Graves and having Dried your Eyes and Heard some Sermons of Reproof and Instructions you will be Invited as Bridal-Guests to see some Men and VVomen United in Holy Matrimony after the VVedding Ceremonies are ended you may as formerly you have done go into the Market-place again and hear what Orations there are Spoken wherein one short Oration concerning the Liberty of Women hath so Anger'd that Sex as after the Mens Orations are ended they Privately Assemble together where three or four take the place of an Orator and Speak to the rest the only Difficulty will be to get Undiscovered amongst them to hear their Private Conventicles but if you regard not what Women say you may Ride to a Country Market-Town and hear a Company of Gentlemen associate together their Discourse and Pastime and if you like not their Pastime then you may Walk into the Fields of Peace to Receive the Sweet and Healthfull Air or to View the Curious and Various VVorks of Nature and for Variety of Pastime you may stand or sit under a Spreading Tree and hear the Country Clowns or Peasants speak concerning their own Affairs and Course of Life in which Shady place Sweet Air and Happiness of Peace I leave you unless you will Travel to see the Government or rather Disorders in other States or Kingdomes to which Observation I will VVait upon you and when all is in Peace before we return Home we will if you Please enter some of their Colleges and hear some School-Arguments after which return I shall Kiss your Hands and take my Leave M. Newcastle A PRAEFACTORY ORATION Worthy Country-men YOu know that there is difference between Orations of fancy and Orations of business as also difference between Orations of publick imployments and private divertisements The one sort requires Rational perswasions the other only Eloquent expressions and as there are different Subjects of Orations so there are different Places for Orations and the Subjects of my Orations being of the most serious and most concernable actions and accidents amongst Mankind and the Places most common and publick it hath caused me to Write my Orations rather to benefit my Auditors than to delight them But by reason I have not been bred being a Woman to publick Affairs Associations or Negotiations it is not to be expected I should speak or write wisely the truth is it were more easie and more proper for one of my Sex to speak or write wittily than wisely but 't is probable my Auditors will think or judge that I have done neither Yet I can assure you Noble Auditors I have done my indeavour and my desire was and is that every several Oration may be acceptable to your Minds profitable to your Lives and delightful to your Hearing ORATIONS To CITIZENS in a chief City concerning Peace and Warr. PART I. An Oration for Warr. BE not Offended Noble Citizens if I labour to perswade my Country to make Heroick Warrs since it is neither safe profitable nor honourable for it to live in sluggish Peace for in Peace you become ignorant of the Arts in War and living sluggishly you lose the courage of men and become Effeminate and having
Delightfull Safe and Profitable Also one thing more I must advise you that you provide a Practick Judicious man to Instruct the Players to Act well for as they must have a Poet to make their Playes so they must have a Tutor to teach them to Act those Playes unless the Poet will take the pains to teach them himself as to Humour the Passions and to Express the Humours Naturally and not to Act after the French Fashion with High strained Voices Constrained Motions Violent Actions and such Transportation as is neither Gracefull Becoming nor Natural but they must make Love Soberly Implore Favour Humbly Complain Seriously Lament Sadly and not Affectedly Fantastically Constraintly Ragingly Furiously and the like all which in my Opinion they do Senselesly Foolishly and Madly for all Feignings must be done as Naturally as may be that they may seem as Real Truths SEVERAL CAUSES PLEADED IN SEVERAL COURTS OF JUDICATURE PART IV. Accusing and Pleading at the Barr before the Judges for and against a Woman that hath kill'd her Husband Most Reverend Judges The Plaintiff THis Woman who is Accused not only for Killing a Man but her Husband we have for this Grievous and Horrid Fact brought before your Honours to be Judged according to the Laws delivering her to your Justice and Judgement Defendant Most Reverend and Just Judges 'T is true that this Unhappy Woman hath unfortunately Kill'd her Husband but Heaven knows it was Against her Will and as I may say Against her Knowledge for her Husband and She being Lovingly together not Mistrusting any Danger on a sudden came a Man who as it seems was her Husbands Enemy for he assaulted her Husband with a drawn Sword this Woman seeing her Husband in Danger as being Unarmed and Defenceless was so afrighted as she knew not what she did Wherefore she having got a Dagger which lay in the Room they were in and thinking to thrust it into her Husbands Enemy Unawares thrust it into her Husbands Body wherewith he fell down and immediately Died which when she saw and perceived the mistake she was as Distracted and at last fell into a Trance but being Recovered out of that faint Fit she hath since remain'd a most Sorrowfull and Lamenting Widdow I Express her Sorrow to prove her Innocence from all Evil Constructions for the Death of her Husband was not Designed or Intended by her but by Fate and Fortune and it is the Duty of a Loving Wife to defend her Husbands Honour Person and Life with all her Indeavours and if the success of her Honest Loyal and Loving indeavours falls out unfortunately She ought not to be Punished for her Misfortune for Misfortune is no Crime but rather to be Pitied and Comforted either can Justice make Misfortune a Law to Condemn to Dye and shall Duty and Loyalty be made Traitors shall Honest Love be Punished with Torments and Death No Most Reverend Judges Love and Loyalty ought to be Honoured with Praise and Respect and not with Torments and Death and the Death of this VVomans Husband was caused by a maskered Fear proceeding from an Extraordinary Love Thus his Death was a Chance not an Intended Murder Plaintiff Most Reverend Judges there can be no Witness of the Intention but her own Knowledge and Conscience which are Invisible and not Proveable and therefore Insufficient to Acquit Her but that which is a Sufficient VVitness against her Intention and may lawfully Condemn her is her indeavour to Resist the Judgement and Sentence of Death for all Good Loyal and Loving VVives ought nay desire to Live and Dye with their Husbands when as they be free from all Suspect wherefore much more ought they to accompany their Husbands in Death who are liable to be Judged and Condemned for Treason and Murder for as it is Unlawfull and Irreligious for to Act her own Death so it is Dishonourable and Impious to Indeavour to resist the Judgement of Death by Lawfull Authority Pleading by her Lawyers most shamefully for Life Defendant Most Reverend Judges It is not that she Desires to Live but not to Dye Infamously as to Dye as a Murderer of her Husband for though her Husband was Kill'd by her Hand yet he was not Kill'd by her Intention but by Chance which misfortune makes her Life a Torment to her for being so unhappy as Unwittingly to Destroy him which her Life did most Delight with but yet she would if she could rather Live Miserably than Dye Dishonourably for in her Dishonourable Death both She and her Husband doth doubly Dye Plaintiff Most Reverend Judges It were better Two Persons should Dye Four times over than such a Crime should be Once Pardoned for the Example will be more Dangerous than to have an Innocent Condemned would be Grievous But it is most probable She is Guilty A Cause of Adultery Pleaded at the Barr before Judges Most Reverend Judges Plaintiff HEre is a Man and a Woman that were Taken in Adultery and brought hither to be judged that they may Suffer according to the Law which is Death Defendant Most Reverend Judges This Adulteress and Adulterer for so in truth they are although the Woman is ashamed to confess in Words only in silent Tears yet the man confesseth his fault publickly and asks pardon only he says it is a Natural fault for the desire of Procreation is Born and Bred in all Nature's Animal Creatures it is an Orginal Appetite but whether it be an Original Sin he says he doth not know yet if it be it may more justly be Pardoned than Gluttony which was the cause of Mans Fall witness Eve and the forbidden Fruit and that Damnable Sin Gluttony that destroyes many Lives through Surfeits the Law takes no notice of but Procreation that begets and makes Life is Punish'd by the Law which seems strange to Reason that Cursed Gluttony should be Advanced and Loving Adultery Hang'd Indeed it is a great Injustice at least a grievous Law and surely our Forefathers that made that Law were Defective either in Bodies or Minds or at least in Judgement and though I confess it is not fit we should break or dissolve those Laws howsoever Erroneous they are that our Predecessors made yet we their Posterities and Successors may Sweeten or Qualifie the Extreme Rigor of their Laws as in this Case of Adultery to Punish the Bodies but to Spare their Lives or to Fine their Estates and Spare their Bodies for if the Rigor of the Law should be put in Execution in all Cases and to all Persons there would no man be Free either in his Estate Person or Life but howsoever this Male-offender my Client sayes that if he must Dye yet he shall not Dye Basely or Dishonourably by reason he shall Dye Loves Martyr As for the Femal offender She sayes that she was seduced by Nature as Eve by the Devil and Women being of Soft and Tender Dispositions do easily yield to an Inticing Appetite besides men being Eloquent in Perswading Prevalent
will Punish you for your Inconstancy But pardon this my Jealousie for Doubts proceed from Love and your Virtue is the Anchor of my Hopes and Haven of Security in which my Love lives safe Farewell A Sons Dying Speech to his Father FAther I have been an Unprofitable Son for I shall Die a Batchelour and so leave you no Posterity to keep alive your Name and Family which is a Double Grief both to your Self and Me indeed to Me it is a Treble Grief because the Fault is only Mine loving Vain Pleasures and Liberty so much as made me unwilling to be Bound in Wedlock Bonds believing that a Wife would be a Hinderance to those Delights that Pleas'd me besides I trusted to my Youth and Health thinking I had time Enough to Marry and Increase also I thought that very Young men's Children would prove but Weak and Sickly in Body and Mind thus did I bring many Arguments to Live a Batchelour untill such time as I had more Maturity of Years and then I did intend to Choose a VVife with your Consent or else Consent to Marry whom you Pleas'd but Death will alter that Design and you and I must both Submit to Heavens Decree Yet have I this to Comfort me that you did never Command me to Marry wherefore my Fault was not a Fault of Disobedience for I never Disobey'd you all my Life which makes me Die in Peace Farewell A Young Virgins Dying Speech Dear Friends I Do Perceive that Holy Angels hover about my Soul to Bear it to the Gods when parted from my Body a Virgin 's Soul it is Cloth'd with white Innocency and so fitter for their Company as also for the Robe of Glory which the Gods will give me As for my Body though it be Young yet is it only fit for Death as being Due to him for that was made of Earth and Death is Lord of all the Earth doth Form Breed and Bring forth but Souls being of an other Nature those that are Celestial Proceeding from the Gods do to the Gods Return whereas Wicked Souls that are Damned and Proceed not from the Gods but from the Damned Spirits Return to the Damned crew again for all is Good that doth Proceed from God and though the Best of Souls doth Sin yet God doth give them Purging Grace that Cleanses them from Evil which Grace hath Purified my Soul and made it Fit for Heaven where I do wish all Souls may come Farewell A Husbands Dying Speech to his Wife VVIfe Farewell for Death will Break our Marriage knot and will Divorce our Persons but not Dissolve our Love unless you be Inconstant for Death hath not that Power to Disunite our Souls for they may Live and Love Eternally but if you Marry a Second Husband you separate our Loves as Death will separate our Bodies for in that Marriage-bed you will Bury all Remembrance of me and so shall I doubly Die and doubly be Buried for your second Husband will be my second Death but if you Live a Widdow you will keep me stil Alive both in your Name and Memory where I desire to Live untill your Body Dies and then our Souls will meet with Joy Delight and Happiness till then Farewell A common Courtisans Dying Speech KInd Friends and Wanton Lovers when I was in Health you came to view my Beauty to hear my Voice and to Injoy my Person in Amorous Imbraces and all for your own Pleasures and Delights but I did Entertain such Visitors more for the Lucre of Profit than for the Pleasures of Love more for your Presents than your Persons the truth is I was more Covetous of Wealth than Amorously Affected not but that I took Pleasure in seeing my Beauty Admired and hearing my Wit Prais'd and took delight to insnare mens Affections with my Attractive Graces and was Proud of the Power I had by Nature's Favour yet that Power I only imploy'd to Inrich my Self that I might Live Bravely and Luxuriously or to Hord up to maintain me when I was Old But O those Covetous desires and Vain delights have Ruined both my Body and Soul in Grievous Pains I Live and should Despairing Die but that the Gods are Mercifull and Pardon Penitent Sinners for if I were to Live I would not Live that Life I have done not only for my Souls sake but for my Bodies for had I thought of Death or could imagine the Pains that now I feel the Pocky rotting Pains that Torture my weak Body I should have been less Covetous of Wealth and more Carefull of Health I should not have made my Beauty Wit and becoming Graces and Adornments to intice Customers to buy Sinfull Pleasures or had I thought of the Joys in Heaven I should have Despised all worldly Delights or had I fear'd the Torments of Hell I should have Spent my time in Prayers and not in Courtships But Life is almost Past with me for Death hath strucken me with his VVand so that I cannot Live to Mend but Die to be Forgiven for I do truly and unfeignedly Repent Farewell A Vain young Ladies Dying Speech Dear Friends YOu are Charitable in Visiting the Sick a Charity that I did seldome Practise for when I was in Health I was so taken up with Vanities and worldly Pleasures as I could never Spare so much time as to Visit a sick Friend neither was I Charitable to the Poor as to help to Relieve their Wants for I spent so much on my Braveries as I left not any thing to give unto the Poor indeed I did shun Visiting the Sick because they put thoughts of Death in my Mind which thoughts did disturb my Mind and obstruct my Delights but if I had thought of Death more and had Visited the Sick oftner I had never Liv'd so Idlely nor Spent my time so Unprofitably nor had been so Foolishly Vain as I have been for I regarded nothing but Beauty Fashions Dressing Dancing Feasting Courtships and Bravery I never thought of Heaven nor Read holy Books of Divinity but only lying Romances and my Contemplation was all of Wanton Love 'T is true I went Often to Church but not to Pray but to be Pray'd to not as a Saint but as a Mistress I may say as a Sinner for I went not to Church for Instruction but for Destruction more for to Shew my Beauty than to Reform my Life more to get VVanton Lovers than to get Saving Grace I listned not to what the Preachers taught but look'd which of the Gallants eyed me Thus did I increase and multiply Sins under the Veil of Devotion for which I deserve great and grievous Punishments but the Gods are mercifull and will Forgive me for now I do more Hate Vanities than ever I did Love them and all my Evil thoughts are Banished from my mind indeed Death hath frighted all such thoughts away and Pious thoughts do take their place and as the Gods come neer the VVorld shrinks from me as Guilty of these Sins
he shall have but a dark Lodging and cold Entertainment Thus Death is the most Absolute Conquerour that is for no Creature is able to Resist or defend themselves from Death whose Uncontroling Power makes him Dreadfull even to the most Valiant men not that they fear Death's Dart but Death's Oblivion for Valiant men love Life and fear Death more than Cowards or else they would not Venture their Bodies so often were it not out of Love to Life and Fear of Death Yet is it not that Life which Cowards are so Fond of nor that Death which they are so Afraid of but 't is the Life of their Fame and Death of their Name that Honourable and Valiant men so much Love and Fear insomuch that to gain the One and to shun the Other they will Sacrifize their Bodily Life and Imbrace their Bodily Death with more Delight and Pleasure than the Beautiful'st Woman that ever Nature made and they are to be Commended for it for it is Life that the Gods themselves take delight in for the Gods are pleased to Live in the Minds of their Creatures and are Angry if their Creatures Think or Speak not Of them as well as to Them So all Worthy men Desire and Indeavour to Live in the Minds of their own Kind and to be Praised at least Spoken of for they Desire and Indeavour to Live both in the Thoughts and Words of men in all Ages and in all Nations and by all Men if it were possible it being as Natural for Worthy men to desire to be Remembred as for all men to desire to Live and as Natural for men to desire to Live as to Love themselves But some say it doth a man no Good to be Remembred when he is Dead It may be answered that then it doth a man no Good to be Remembred whilst he Lives for Remembrance Lives in the Absent and Absence is a kind of Death but he is as Evil a Natured man that cares not to be Remembered by his Friends as those that never Remember their Friends also he is Unnatural to his Kind and it may be said that such men are Ungratefull Monsters or Monstrous Unnatural But this Noble Person was Remembred and and Spoken often of by his Absent Friends and did Remember and Spoke often of his Friends in their Absence whilst he was Living and his Worthy and Valiant Actions will be Remembred and Spoken of now he is Dead in which Remembrance and VVords he may Live so long as the VVorld lasts as being the only Reward this World can give to Worth and Merit as Piety Moral Vertue Valour and Generosity Wit and Learning for there is no other Reward in this World but Remembrance and Praise which Remembrance and Praise all Good men will give him as his due Thus will the Tongues and Minds of Living men Build him a Monument of Fame wherein all his Worthy Acts will be kept in Remembrance though his Body be Dead and Buried in Earth in which let us put it with devout Ceremony A judges Funeral Oration Dear Friends VVE are met together to see Judge N. N's Body laid into the Grave who in his Life-time was an Upright Judge for he Judg'd according to Truth and Right and not for Fear nor Favour he was free from Covetousness or corrupting Bribes he was both a Good and a VVise Judge for he would never Judge Over-hastily any Cause for or against untill he had Heard all Sides neither would he Retard or Delay Sutes Over-long but in All Causes he was very Attentive and in Doubtfull Causes very Cautious how to Judge and in all Criminal Causes or on Life and Death he would be very Inquisitive to Know the Truth for he would not Judge Rashly as to Judge Before he had Examined strictly and had sufficient Proofs and Witnesses or at least very Great Probabilities of the Truth Also he was neither a Temerarious nor an Over-bold Judge neither Cruel nor Foolishly Pittifull for as he would not Pardon so Much nor so Many as to Incourage men to Offend or Commit Crimes so he would not Condemn so Much nor so Many as to make a kind of a Massacre of Lives all which made him Live with a Good Conscience and Die with a Good Courage not Fearing a Condemnation neither in This World nor the Next but Desired to be Summoned to Gods Tribunal there to be Tried and Judged of the Course of his Life in This World to which Divine Judge we leave him bearing his Body to the Grave there to leave that but not to leave the Remembrance of Him nor the due Praise his Memory deserves A Sergeants or Barresters Funeral Oration Dear Friends YOu see the Body of Sergeant N. N. lies Dead ready to be put into the Grave which shews that he would not Plead for Life or else Death had no Ears to Hear his Sute but if he Pleads as well for Himself at Gods Tribunal as he did for his Clients at the Barr he will get Judgement on his side the truth is Nature as well as Education made him a Pleader for Naturally he had a Flowing Speech and a Fluent Wit to Turn Wind and Form any Cause as he Liked best for his VVit and Eloquence was such as to make a Doubtfull Cause seem Clear and had he not Known by Learning the Laws so Well as he did yet his Wit and Eloquence would have Covered his Ignorance and Supplied the Defect of his Learning but he was as Good and Learned a Lawyer as an Excellent Pleader and as Honest a man as Either for he took more Pains to Plead his Clients Cause than Pleasure to Take from his Clients Fees neither would he Prolong his Clients Sute to Drain their Purses nor yet make his Clients Cause more Doubtfull than it was to make them more Fearfull of the Success of their Sutes than they had Reason to fear and all this to get More Fees for Fears and Desires are Prodigal Givers as well as Promisers But rather he Pleaded Gratis for his Poor Clients wherein he shew'd more Charity to the Poor than Covetousness to the Rich. Thus he was a Good and Generous Lawyer a VVitty Ingenious Eloquent Pleader the truth is he did not only take Pains for his Clients but Pleasure in his Own Wit for he had more Delight than Profit by his Pleading and yet he did not take so much Pleasure in his Own Wit and Eloquency as Others did which Heard him insomuch as more went to Hear him Plead than those that had Causes to be Pleaded he Reproached not any man nor used Railing Speeches or Violent Actions in his Pleading as Many nay Most Pleaders do but his Behaviour was Civil his Wit Sweet and his Speech Gentle for though his Wit was Quick Ready and Free yet it was neither Salt Sour nor Bitter and though his Speech was Flowing yet it was not Rough for it ran in a Smooth though Full Stream and his Behaviour or Demeanour was
therein As for Moral Philosophy he knew well how to Compose Common-wealths and to Settle and Govern them also he knew well the Natures Humours Passions and Appetites amongst Mankind as also to Divide and Distinguish them and to Order Form and Reform them As for Natural Philosophy he did not only Study the Outward Forms of several Creatures but their Inward Natures In truth his Conception was so Subtil and Peircing his Observation so Dilative his Reason so Strong his Wit so Agil his Judgement so Solid his Understanding so Clear and his Thoughts so Industrious as they went to the First Cause of several Effects and he did not only Converse with the Body but the Soul of Nature indeed he was Nature's Platonick Lover and She rewarded him in Discovering to him her most Hidden and Obscure Secrets by which he begot Great Wisdome and Everlasting Fame for though his Body be Dead yet his Good Laws VVise Sciences Profitable Arts VVitty Experiences Graces Vertues and Eloquence will Live for the Benefit and Delight of Living men in all Nations and Ages and though we have great reason to Mourn for his Bodily Death yet we have more reason to Rejoyce for his Glorious Fame but leaving his Merits to Life and his Body to Death let us lay him into the Grave to Transmigrate as Nature pleases A Funeral Oration of a Dead Lady Spoken by a Living Lady Dearly Beloved Sisters in God VVE are met as Sorrowfull Mourners to attend this Dead Ladies Corps to the Grave She was in her Life the Rule of our Actions and will be in her Fame the Honour of our Sex She was Favoured of Nature the Gods and Fortune Nature gave her Wit and Beauty the Gods gave her Piety and Charity and Fortune gave her Wealth and Education She was Adorned by the Graces Beloved by the Muses and Attended by the Arts She was Sociable in her Conversation Just in her Promises and Generous in her Gifts She was Industrious in all Good Actions Helpfull to all Distress'd Persons and Gratefull for all sorts of Courtisies She was Humble in her Own Prosperities and full of Magnanimity in her Own Adversities her Mind had no Passage for any Evil nor no Obstruction against any Good But to repeat or summ up the Number of this Ladies Merits is beyond my Rhetorick or Arithmetick for certainly she was Composed of the Purest Effence of Nature and the Divinest Spirits of Heaven She had the Piety of Saints the Chastity of Angels and the Love of the Gods in which Love let us leave her Soul and lay her Body in the Grave till the time of Glorification A Foreiners or Strangers Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren YOu shew your Charity and Humanity and that they are not Bound up to Particulars or to your Friends and Country-men but that they Extend to Strangers in coming to see this Stranger who Died out of his Native Country Decently to be Buried in a Forein Land I mean Forein as from his Native Country although the truth is that all the World is Common to Mankind for Nature hath not assigned Men to any Particular place or Part of the World but hath given All the World freely to them as if she made the World and all other Creatures only for Man's sake for all other Creatures are not so generally Disperst or rather so Spreading and Branching throughout the World as Mankind is by reason they Belong Breed Prosper or Increase in Particular Climates as some in Cold and others in Hot and some in one Part of the World and some in Another for some Creatures will be so farr from Increasing in some Particular Climates as they cannot Live in them but in all Parts of the World that are Habitable there be Men. 'T is true Different Climates may cause men to be of Different Complexions but what Complexions soever they have they are all of the same kind as Mankind and of the same sort of Animals for though all Beasts are of Beast-kind yet a Fox and an Ass is not one and the same sort or kind of Beast but there is no such different sort amongst Mankind for there is no difference of men in their Natural Shapes Proprieties Qualities Abilities Capacities Entities or the like unless some Defects to some Particulars which is nothing to the Generality for all the kind of Mandkind is all alike both in Body and Mind as in their Shapes Senses Appetites Speech Frowning Laughing Weeping and the like as also alike in their Rational Parts as Judging Understanding Conceiving Remembring Apprehending Considering Imagining Desiring Joying Grieving Loving Hating Fearing Doubting Hoping Believing and the like And therefore since not any man can be accounted as a Stranger in any Part of the World because he hath by Nature a Right as a Natural Inheritance to Inhabit what part or place of the World he will But all Mankind are as Brethren not only by Kind but by Inheritance as being General Sharers and Possessors of the World so this Dead man ought not to be accounted as a Stranger but a Brother VVherefore let us Mourn as we ought to do for a Dead Brother and Accompany his Hearse to the Grave with Religious Ceremony there leaving it in Rest and Peace A Post-Riders Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren YOu have Exprest your Humanity and Charity in coming to this Poor Unfortunate man's Burial which though he was a Poor man yet he was an Honest man and therefore is much the more Worthy to be Praised for Poverty and Necessity is a great Temptation to Knavery as much as Riches is a Temptation to Foolery which is Vanity nay Riches is not only Guilty of Vanity but Vice as Luxnry Pride and Wantonness whereas Knavery is Cheating Coosening Stealing and the like of all which this Poor man was Free And as he was an Honest man so he was a Laborious man for his Profession of Life was a Post-Rider an Unfortunate Profession for him for he Riding fast upon a Stumbling Jade fell down and Broke his Neck Thus we see that Misfortunes as well as Sicknesses bring many to their Lives ends and many times to a Miserable end for Misfortunes take Life away Unawares and sometimes Unprepar'd to Dye so this man did not Think when he got on the Horses back he should Ride Post to Death for had he thought so he would have Chosen to Run a-Foot a Safer though a Slower pace But could his Soul Ride Post on Death to Heaven as his Body Rid Post on a Horse to Death he might Out-strip many a Soul that is gone before him for though his Soul as all Souls are Light and of no Weight yet Death is no nimble Runner being Cold and Numb and nothing but Bare Bones a Hard Seat for a Tender Soul Besides the way to Heaven is so Narrow and Steep as Death cannot Get up for should he Venture his Soul would be in Danger to be Overthrown and cast into Hell which is a Deep Dark
so softly as those that stood Close by her Bed could not hear her Sigh and when She was Dead her Beauty that all the time of her Mourning was Obscured in her Sorrows Appear'd in her Death only the Gloss of her Eyes were Covered with their Lids for Death had Shut her Eye-lids down and Seald up her Lips which Lips seem'd as if they had been Seal'd with Red Coloured Wax although Death had Kist them Cold for now Death is her Lover not an Amorous but a Deadly Lover to whose Imbraces we must leave her Body after we have laid it in the Bed of Earth An other Widdow's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are met as Funeral or rather Marriage Guests of a Dead Widdow who is now Re-married to her Husband in Death and no question but their Souls will Joy in the Knowledge of each other for though Bodies Dye yet Souls do not but Live for ever Death having Power only over the Sensitive not over the Rational Life for Knowledge Lives though Senses Dye and if the Soul Lives no question but all that is Inherent in the Soul Lives as all the Passions Affections Thoughts Memory Understanding Judgement Conceptions Speculations Fancy Knowledge and the like which are the Parts and Ingrediences with which the Soul is Composed Form'd and Made Thus the Soul being made of such Thin Fine Pure and Rare Matter Death can take no hold of it for Death's Power is only on Gross Corporeal Substances or Matter not on Celestial Bodies but Terrestrial but this Widdows Soul was Purer than other Souls usually are for there are Degrees of Purity in Souls as well as Degrees of Grossness in Bodies The truth might easily be Perceived in her Life for there was as much Difference between her Soul and Other Souls as between Souls and Bodies at least as much Difference as between a Glorified Soul and a Soul Imbodied Nay her Soul was so Pure as it did Purifie her Body for it did Resine the Appetites which Cleared the Senses besides her Soul did Instruct the Senses which made them More Sensible so that they were kept Clean Clear and Healthfull by Temperance and made Apt Quick and Ready by Reason insomuch as Time had but a Little Power to Hurt them and was not Able to Destroy them without the Help of Death had she Lived Long but Death to shew his Power destroyed her Body without the Help of Time for she Lived not to be so Old as for Time to make a Trial yet her Body Lived Longer than she was willing it should have done desiring it might have Died when her Husband Died but the Gods Forbad it for though any Creature especially Man may Call Death when he Will and Force him to take his Bodily Life away yet the Gods are Angry if any man will not stay whilst Death comes of Himself without Inforcement Nevertheless Death did Favour this Widdow for though he did not take her so Soon as she would have Died yet he suffered her not Long to Live a weary Life for which Favour she received Death with Joy and a Smiling Countenance whereas Death for the most part is received with Fear and Sadness and since she Rejoyced at her Death we have no Reason to Mourn now she is Dead especially in that she Lived and Died Vertuously and Piously for which the Gods will Advance her to Everlasting Glory For this Glory let us Praise the Gods and Bury her Body in her Husbands Tomb or Grave that their Dust or Ashes may lye together A Young Child's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren VVE are the Funeral Guests to a Young Male Child an Infant who Died soon after it was Born and though all Men are Born to Live and Live to Dye yet this Child was Born to Dye Before it had Lived I mean in Comparison of the Age of men Thus this Child was Born Cried and Died a happy Conclusion for the Child that he had Finished what he was made for in so Short a time for he could not have had less Pain less Trouble nor less Desires to have left the World had he Liv'd longer for Life is Restless with Desires Sickly and Painfull with Diseases Troublesome with Cares Laborious with Labour Grievous with Losses Fearfull with Dangers and Miserable in all which Misery this Child hath Escap'd but had he Lived he could not have Avoided it besides he is not Guilty of Self-acting Sins and so Deserves no Punishment for neither Commission nor Omission can be laid to his Charge having no time for Either so that he is Free from Both as also from Suffering either in this World or the Next unless there be such a severe Decree as the Child shall Suffer for his Parents faults which Faults he could neither Hinder nor Annul neither did he Approve nor Allow them nor Assist them in Evil But it is not probable he shall Suffer being Innocent and Death that is Accounted the Wages of Sin may rather be taken as a Gift of Mercy also Death might be said to be a Purifier from Sin as well as a Punisher of Sin Wherefore this Child is past the Purgatory of Death and is in the Heaven of Peace Rest Ease and Happiness in which let us leave him after we have Covered his Corps with Earth An Old Ladies Funeral Oration THis Old Lady was Favour'd by Nature Fortune and Time Nature in her Youth gave her Beauty Fortune gave her Wealth and Time and Nature gave her long Life She was Courted in her Youth for the Pleasures of her Beauty and Flattered in her Age for the Profit of her Wealth but being Chast and Wise She was neither Corrupted with the One nor Deluded with the Other not Tempted with Courtship nor Coosen'd with Flattery and as She was Chast and Wise so She was Pious for the Gods gave her Grace to bestow her Wealth to Charitable uses Thus what she Got by Fortune she Gave to Heaven indeed she Bought Heaven with Fortune's Gifts for none can get into Heaven but by Faith and Good Deeds and her Faith did Believe that her Good VVorks would be as an Advocate to Plead for her and no question but they have gotten her Sute and her Charity will Live here on Earth though she be Dead and those she Relieved will make her their Saint Thus she will be Sainted both on Earth and in Heaven which is as Great an Honour and a more Blessed Condition than the Emperours had with all their Conquefts Power Pride and Vanity for the height of their Ambition was to be Deified on Earth and to be Sainted in as much They were Worshipp'd for Fear She Pray'd to for Love They had Idolatrous Worshippers She Sanctified Petitioners Their Idols lasted but a time She shall be Blest for Evermore An Ancient Man's Funeral Oration Beloved Brethren AGe hath Ushered our Friend to Death and we are here met to attend him to the Grave it is an Human Charitable and Pious Service to see the
Foul things flung at or on him and all the Vulgar People follows with Shouts and all this to Shame an Innocent Person who hath not Committed a Fault whereas the Fault-makers are neither Troubled nor Disgraced which is a great Injustice that those Escape that Ought to have the Punishment For the Foolish Husband of such a Wife Rampant should Ride in Disgrace Scorn and Pain by Reason he Suffers himself to be Degraded of his Masculine Authority yet is this not the only Foolish and Unjust Custom but we have Many more which ought not to be Suffer'd in a Peaceable and Well-govern'd Common-wealth Wherefore the Publick Magistrates that are the Publick Fathers should Order Private Families that they may not Disorder the Publick Tranquillity An Oration against the Liberty of VVomen Citizens of N. N. ALthough I am sure to be Hated of all the Women in this City and Perchance elsewhere yet by Reason I think it fit to Reprove their Liberties Vanities and Expences I shall not be Silent although I were sure to be Tortured with their Railing Tongues and to be Exclamed in all their Femal Societies ' which Societies ought to be Dissolved allowing no Publick Meetings to that Sex no not Child-bed Gossipings for VVomen Corrupt and Spoil each other Striving to Out-brave Out-beauty and Out-talk each other with their Vanities Paintings and Gossipings wherefore it were fit that VVomen should be Restrain'd not only from the Company of Men but their own Sex unless it be those they have neer Relations to and not to Suffer them to make Acquaintance with Strangers this would Cause Moderation Sobriety and Silence amongst them also it would Cause them to be Huswifely in their Families Obedient to their Husbands and Carefull of their Children but Liberty is an Enemy to VVomen nay it is an Enemy to Men not only to Fathers Husbands and Sons but even to Wanton Lovers or rather Courtiers making them as Vain and Expensive as Women to Gain their Mistresses Favours Knowing Women especially Amorous VVomen are soonest won with Gayes Toyes and Shews but VVomen are so far from being Restrain'd in this Age and in these Nations round about that they have Liberty to Spend what they will to Keep what Company they will and to Use their Husbands and Natural Friends as they please the truth is Liberty makes all VVomen Wild and Wanton both Maids Wives and Widdows which Defames Themselves and their Families Thus in short Women are the chief Ruiners of Men in their Estates Fortunes and Honours and so I leave them An Oration for the Liberty of Women Noble Citizens IT is not only Uncivil and Ignoble but Unnatural for Men to Speak against VVomen and their Liberties for VVomen were made by Nature for Men to be Loved Accompanied Assisted and Protected and if Men are Bound to Love them by Nature should they Restrain them by Force should they make them Slaves which Nature made to be their Dearest Associates their Beautiful'st Objects and Sweetest Delights and shall Man Restrain them of their Harmless Pleasures Chast Societies and Gentle Conversations And as it is Natural for Men to Love Women so it is Natural for Love to Please what they Love and not to Cross Oppose or Restrain them but to Grant them all their Lawfull Requests and Desires as far as lies in their Powers for can Men Dispose of their Estates more Generously than to VVomen or think any Fortune Better than when they can Serve them or is there a greater Happiness than to be Beloved of them whereas they are the Chiefest Good that Nature hath made for Men and the greatest Delight She hath given to Men for can there be any Sound Sweeter than their Voices any Object Brighter than their Beauties or any Society more Divine than theirs Yet these Celestial Creatures a Terrestrial Man in the former Oration did Plead against them Perswading you O Horrid Perswasions to use them as your Slaves which ought to be your Goddesses on Earth for Nature made them to be Beloved Admired Desir'd Ador'd and Worshipp'd Sued and Praised to by our Sex FEMAL ORATIONS PART XI I. LAdies Gentlewomen and other Inferiours but not Less Worthy I have been Industrious to Assemble you together and wish I were so Fortunate as to perswade you to make a Frequentation Association and Combination amongst our Sex that we may Unite in Prudent Counsels to make our Selves as Free Happy and Famous as Men whereas now we Live and Dye as if we were Produced from Beast rather than from Men for Men are Happy and we Women are Miserable they Possess all the Ease Rest Pleasure VVealth Power and Fame whereas VVomen are Restless with Labour Easeless with Pain Melancholy for want of Pleasures Helpless for want of Power and Dye in Oblivion for want of Fame Nevertheless Men are so Unconscionable and Cruel against us as they Indeavour to Barr us of all Sorts or Kinds of Liberty as not to Suffer us Freely to Associate amongst our Own Sex but would fain Bury us in their Houses or Beds as in a Grave the truth is we Live like Bats or Owls Labour like Beasts and Dye like VVorms II. LAdies Gentlewomen and other Inferiour Women The Lady that Spoke to you hath spoken Wisely and Eloquently in Expressing our Unhappiness but she hath not Declared a Remedy or Shew'd us a way to come Out of our Miseries but if she could or would be our Guide to lead us out of the Labyrinth Men have put us into we should not only Praise and Admire her but Adore and Worship her as our Goddess but Alas Men that are not only our Tyrants but our Devils keep us in the Hell of Subjection from whence I cannot Perceive any Redemption or Getting out we may Complain and Bewail our Condition yet that will not Free us we may Murmur and Rail against Men yet they Regard not what we say In short our VVords to Men are as Empty Sounds our Sighs as Puffs of VVind and our Tears as Fruitless Showres and our Power is so Inconsiderable as Men Laugh at our VVeakness III. LAdies Gentlewomen and other more Inferiours The former Orations were Exclamations against Men Repining at Their Condition and Mourning for our Own but we have no Reason to Speak against Men who are our Admirers and Lovers they are our Protectors Defenders and Maintainers they Admire our Beauties and Love our Persons they Protect us from Injuries Defend us from Dangers are Industrious for our Subsistence and Provide for our Children they Swim great Voyages by Sea Travel long Journies by Land to Get us Rarities and Curiosities they Dig to the Centre of the Earth for Gold for us they Dive to the Bottom of the Sea for Jewels for us they Build to the Skies Houses for us they Hunt Foul Fish Plant and Reap for Food for us all which we could not do our Selves and yet we Complain of Men as if they were our Enemies when as we could not possibly
are the Dungers of the Earth to Carry and Spread the several Excrements of several Creatures thereon which makes us not only to have a Continual Stink in our Nostrils but to be a meer Stink our Selves Thus we are Beastly Within and Without for all our Thoughts are Imployed on our Labours which Labours are Brutish neither have we such Fine and Pleasant Recreations as other Men for our Recreation is only to Whistle Pipe and sometimes to Dance in a Crowd together or rather Jump and Leap together being Ignorant of Dancing Measures and the only Pleasure we have is to Rumble and Tumble our Country Lasses who being more Foul than Fair more Gross than Fine more Noisome than Sweet we soon Surfeit of them and then they become a Trouble instead of a Delight a Disease instead of a Pleasure a Hate instead of a Love and as they are to Us so no Doubt but in the End we are to Them a Loathing Surfeit for we Meet Wildly Associate Brutishly and Depart Rudely and as for our Profits though we Labour yet our Landlords have the Increase In short we are Slaves to Beasts and Beasts in Comparison of other Men. A Peasants Oration to prove the Happiness of a Rural Life Fellow Peasants THe Peasant that formerly Spoke hath rather Shew'n his Ungratefulness to Nature and his Unthankfulness to the Gods by his Complaining Speech than the Truth of our Condition and Life for he sayes we are the Unhappiest Miserablest and Bafest men in the VVorld all which is false for can there be more Happiness than Pease and Plenty can there be more Happiness than in the Repose of the Mind and Contemplations of Thoughts can we Associate our Selves more Contentedly than with Innocent Harmless and Sinless Creatures are not Men more Stinking Foul and Wicked than Beasts can there be more Odoriferous Perfumes than the Sweet Vegetables on the Earth or Finer Prospects than Stately Hills Humble Vallies Shady Groves Clear Brooks Green Hedges Corn Fields Feeding Cattel and Flying Birds can there be more Harmonious Musick than Warbling Nightingales and Singing Birds can there be more Delighfull Sounds than Purling Brooks Whispering Winds Humming Bees and SmallVoiced Grashoppers can there be a more Delicious Sweet than Honey more Wholesome Food than warm Milk Fresh Butter Prest Curds New laid Eggs Season'd Bacon Savory Bread Cooling Sallets and Moist Fruits or more Refreshing Drink than Whay Whig and Butter-milk or more Strengthening Drink than Ale Meath Perry and Sider and are not we at our Own Vintage nay should we Desire to Feed Highly we may for we are Masters of the Beasts of the Field and the Poultry in the Grange and know well how to Catch the Fouls of the Air can we have Warmer and Softer Garments than Cloth Spun from the Fleece of our Flocks to keep out Freezing Cold or can we be Cooler than under Shady Trees Whose Waving Leaves are Fans to Cool the Sultry Air or can we Lye Softer than on the Downy Feathers of Cocks and Hens and can we be Happier than to be Free from Stately Ceremony Court Envy City Faction Law Sutes Corrupt Bribes Malice Treachery and Quarrels and as for our Recreation although we do not Dance Sing and Play on Musick Artificially yet we Pipe Dance and Sing Merrily and if we do not Make Love Courtly yet we Make Love Honestly and for our VVomen whom our Fellow Peasant doth Disgracefully Scornfully and Slanderously speak of although they are but Plain Country Huswives and not Fine Ladies yet they be as Honest VVomen as They for they Spend their time in Huswifry and Waste not their time in Vanity and as for their Beauty their Faces are their Own as Nature Gave them not Borrowed of Art and if they be not so Fair yet they are as Lovely and as they use no Sweet Perfumes So they use no Stinking Pomatum and though their Hands be not Smooth yet they are Clean they use no Oyl'd Gloves to Grease them but Rub their Hands when Washed with Coasse Cloth to Cleanse them and as for their Garments they are Plain yet Commodious Easie and Decent they are not Ribb'd up with Whale-bones nor Incumbred with Heavy Silver and Gold Laces nor Troubled with New Fashions they Spend not half their time in Painting and Dressing and though they Patch their Cloaths sometimes out of Good Huswifry yet they Patch not their Faces out of Vanity as Ladies do neither do our Women Sweat to make their Faces Fair but Sweat for their Childrens Livelihood and though they Breed not their Children Curiously yet they Breed them up Carefully But our Discontented and Ambitious Peasant would Turn from a Clown to a Gallant as to Waste Lavishly to Spend Prodigally to Live Idlely to be Accoustred Fantastically to Behave himself Proudly to Boast Vain-gloriously to Speak Words Constraintly to Make Love Amorously to Flatter Falsly to Quarrel Madly and to Fight Foolishly but not to Thrive Prudently to Imploy Time Profitably to Spend Wisely to Live Temperately to Speak Truly to Behave himself Friendly to Demean himself Civilly to Make Love Chastly to Live Peaceably Innocently and Safely as we that are of the Pesantry do ORATIONS IN A Difordered and Vnsettled State or Government PART XIV An Oration against Taxes Fellow Citizens THis City is Taxed to Pay a Great Summ of Money which Tax is more than we are Able to Pay without being Impover sh'd yet if it were All that would be Laid upon us there were Some Comfort but that is not Likely unless our Ministers of State and Magistrates were Less Covetous to Get and More Sparing to Save for though they Get much they Spend much or rather Spoil much in Luxury Vanity and Bravery which makes them alwayes Needy and though they Pretend that their Taxing is for the Service of the Common-wealth yet most of it is Imployed in their Common Expences or Horded up to Buy Lands and Build Stately Palaces for their Posterity to Injoy and Live in thus they Build upon our Stocks and Buy Lands with our Labours so that we Take Pains for Their Pleasure but if they Tax us Often we shall be so Poor as we shall not only have Nothing to Pay but Nothing to Live on which Poverty will either Starve us or Force us to be their Slaves for Maintenance for when they have Ingross'd All the VVealth they will become Lords of the People or rather their Tyrants Thus if we Part with our VVealth we Part with our Liberty but to Keep Both let us not Part with our Money untill we know How it shall be Imployed for if it be Imployed in the Service of the Common-wealth it will Return to our Profit which will be as Traffick to Inrich and not as Robbery to Impoverish us but if they Robb the Common-wealth Imploying our Monies to their Own Use we are Doubly Robbed like as Men should take our Fathers Goods which is our Inheritance and also that we have Gotten by our Own
Errs more in their Rebellion for the Greatest Tyrant that ever was was never so Destroying or Cruel as a Rebellion or Civil Warr for this makes a Dissolution whereas the other makes but some Interruptions but now we have found our Errors we shall mend our Faults I in Governing You in Obeying and I Pray the Gods to Bless us with Industry and Uniformity Unity and Love Plenty and Tranquillity that this Kingdome and People may Flourish in all Ages and have a Glorious Fame throughout the World A Generals Oration to his Chief Commanders Fellow Souldiers and Gallant Commanders I Have Required your Assembly at this time to Perswade you to Practise both Riding and Fencing when you have Spare time from Fighting for it is impossible you should Atchieve any Brave or Extraordinary Actions by your Single Persons in the day of Battel unless you be Excellent and Skilfull in the Manage of your Horses and in the Use of your Swords for your Horses well Managed and well Rid shall not only Overthrow your Opposites as Man and Horse that are Ignorant in the Art but any One of you will be able to Disorder an Enemies Troop 'T is true an Ignorant HorseCommander hath less Assurance than a FootCommander besides it is a Double Labour and Requires a Double Art as to Manage a Horse and to Use a Sword Skilfully at one time but then he hath a Double Advantage if he can Ride well and hath a good Managed Horse that Obeyes well the Hand and the Heel that can tell how to Turn or to stop on the Hanches or to go Forward or Side-wayes and the like The truth is a good Horse-man although not so well Skill'd in the Use of the Sword shall have Advantage of an Ignorant Horse-man although well Skill'd in the Use of the Sword but to Know both Arts is best for a good HorseSouldier As for Foot Commanders they must Chiefly if not only Practise the Use of the Sword for it is the Sword that makes the greatest Execution for though neither Horse nor Sword is either Defensive or Offensive against Canon Bullets yet they are both Usefull against Bodies of men for all sorts of Bullets either from Canons Muskets or Pistols will Miss ten times for Hitting once whereas an Army when Joyning so Close as to Fight Hand to Hand the Sword is the Chief and Prime Executor insomuch that a Sword Skilfully or Artificially Used hath the Advantage over the Strength of Clowns or their Clubs or the But-ends of their Muskets Wherefore a Compleat Souldier should be as Knowing and well Practised in the Use of the Sword and the Management of his Horse as in Drawing up a Body of Men and Setting or Pitching an Army in Battel Aray for by the fore-mentioned Arts you will make a great Slaughter and a Quicker Dispatch to Victory and Gain a great Renown or Fame to each Particular Person that are so well Bred or Taught to be Horse-men and Sword-men SCHOLASTICAL ORATIONS PART XV. A Sleepy Speech to Students Fellow Students WHo Study to Think and Think to Dream As there are three Sorts of Worlds so there are three Kinds or Sorts of Life viz. the Material Poetical and Drowsie World and the Dreaming Contemplating and Active Life but of all these three Worlds and three Lives the Drowsie World and Dreaming Life is most Wonderfull for it is as a Life in Death and a Death in Life and this Drowsie World and Dreaming Life is a Type of an Unknown World and an Unknown Life for Sleep is a Type of Death and Dreaming is a Type of the Rewards and Punishments in the other World Good Dreams are like as the Rewards for the Blessed and Bad Dreams are like as Punishments for the Wicked the One Receives Pleasure and Joy the Other Fear and Torments and these Joys Pleasures Fears and Torments are as Sensible to the Senses and as Apparent to the Understanding and Knowledge as when Awake also Memory and Remembrance and the same Appetites and Satisfactions are as Perfect in Dreams as when Awake the Passions of the Mind as Forcible the Dispositions and Humours of the Nature as Various the Will as Obstinate the Judgement as Deep the VVit as Quick the Observation as Serious Reason as Rational Conception as Subtil Courage as Daring Justice as Upright Prudence as VVary Temperance as Sparing Anger as Violent Love as Kind Fear as Great Hopes and Doubts as Many Joys as Full Hate as Deadly Faith as Strong Charity as Pitifull and Devotion as Zealous in Perfect Dreams as Awake also they are as Uncharitable VVicked Foolish Cowardly Base Deboist Furious and the like in Perfect Dreams as Awake but Dreams in Sleeping Senses are Shorter than the Actions of VVaking Senses and not so Permanent for they Suddenly Fade and their Sudden Fading Oftentimes makes a Confusion and more Disorder than in the VVaking and Active Life But to Speak of the Sleeping Senses Generally and Particularly have we not the same Appetites and Satisfactions are not we Sensible of Dying Living Suffering Injoying Mourning Weeping Rejoycing Laughing are we not as Sensible of Pain and Ease of Accidents Misfortunes Dangers and Escapes in Dreams as in Active Life for if we Dream of Thieves and Murderers are not we Sensible of the Loss of our Goods and of our Bonds and Wounds do we not See our Loss Feel our Bonds and the Smarts and Pains of our Wounds as much as if we Saw and Suffered Awake and do not we Indeavour to Help our Selves and do not we Beg for Life Call for Help and Strive with Resistance as much in Dreams as Awake though not Vocally Verbally Locally nor Materially yet Spiritually for it is the Sensitive Spirits and not the Senses Gross Bodies or Parts that Travel into Forein Countries and Unknown Lands and make Voyages by Sea in Dreams do not we Hear and See in Dreams Lightning Thunder Wind Storms and Tempest Seas Billows Waves Ships Ship-wracks and are not we Drown'd in Dreams and do not we see Huge Precipices Barren Deserts Wide Forests and VVild Beasts and Serpents and other hurtfull Creatures and Indeavour to Escape and Avoid the Danger do not we feel Stinging Serpents and Flies Striking Tearing Clawing Biting Beasts as Sensibly in Dreams as Awake do not we see Flowry Meddows Low Vallies High Hills Corn-fields Green Meddows Grazing Pastures and Beasts Clear Springs Fruitfull Orchards and Small Villages Labouring Husbandmen Great Cities and Many People do not we see Light Colours Sun Moon Stars Clouds Rain Frost Snow Hail Shade Dawning Mornings and Closing Evenings in Dreams as Awake do not we see Fish Swim Birds Fly Beasts Run VVorms Creep in Dreams as Awake do not we see our Friends Living and our Friends Dying and those that be Dead in Dreams as Awake do not we feel Drought VVetness Heat Cold Itching Scratching Smarting Aking Biting Sickness in Dreams as Awake do not we hear all Warring Sounds and see all Warring Actions and feel all Warring