I. The natural properties, and privileges of a reasonable soul are:
That she seeth herself; that she can order, and compose herself:
that she makes herself as she will herself: that she reaps her own
fruits whatsoever, whereas plants, trees, unreasonable creatures,
what fruit soever (be it either fruit properly, or analogically only)
they bear, they bear them unto others, and not to themselves.
Again; whensoever, and wheresoever, sooner or later, her life doth end,
she hath her own end nevertheless. For it is not with her,
as with dancers and players, who if they be interrupted in any
part of their action, the whole action must needs be imperfect:
but she in what part of time or action soever she be surprised,
can make that which she bath in her hand whatsoever it be,
complete and full, so that she may depart with that comfort,
'I have lived; neither want I anything of that which properly did belong
unto me.' Again, she compasseth the whole world, and penetrateth
into the vanity, and mere outside (wanting substance and solidity)
of it, and stretcheth herself unto the infiniteness of eternity;
and the revolution or restoration of all things after a certain period
of time, to the same state and place as before, she fetcheth about,
and doth comprehend in herself; and considers withal, and sees
clearly this, that neither they that shall follow us, shall see
any new thing, that we have not seen, nor they that went before,
anything more than we: but that he that is once come to forty
(if he have any wit at all) can in a manner (for that they
are all of one kind) see all things, both past and future.
As proper is it, and natural to the soul of man to love her neighbour,
to be true and modest; and to regard nothing so much as herself:
which is also the property of the law: whereby by the way it appears,
that sound reason and justice comes all to one, and therefore
that justice is the chief thing, that reasonable creatures ought
to propose unto themselves as their end.
II. A pleasant song or dance; the Pancratiast's exercise,
sports that thou art wont to be much taken with, thou shalt
easily contemn; if the harmonious voice thou shalt divide
into so many particular sounds whereof it doth consist,
and of every one in particular shall ask thyself; whether this
or that sound is it, that doth so conquer thee. For thou wilt
be ashamed of it. And so for shame, if accordingly thou shalt
consider it, every particular motion and posture by itself:
and so for the wrestler's exercise too. Generally then,
whatsoever it be, besides virtue, and those things that proceed
from virtue that thou art subject to be much affected with,
remember presently thus to divide it, and by this kind of division,
in each particular to attain unto the contempt of the whole.
This thou must transfer and apply to thy whole life also.
III. That soul which is ever ready, even now presently (if need be)
from the body, whether by way of extinction, or dispersion,
or continuation in another place and estate to be separated,
how blessed and happy is it! But this readiness of it, it must proceed,
not from an obstinate and peremptory resolution of the mind,
violently and passionately set upon Opposition, as Christians are wont;
but from a peculiar judgment; with discretion and gravity,
so that others may be persuaded also and drawn to the like example,
but without any noise and passionate exclamations.
IV. Have I done anything charitably? then am I benefited by it.
See that this upon all occasions may present itself unto thy mind,
and never cease to think of it. What is thy profession? to be good.
And how should this be well brought to pass, but by certain
theorems and doctrines; some Concerning the nature of the universe,
and some Concerning the proper and particular constitution of man?