And first I perceive well by these two things that you join unto
"death"--that is, "shameful" and "painful"--that you would esteem
death so much the less if it should come along without either shame
or pain.
VINCENT: Without doubt, uncle, a great deal the less. But yet,
though it should come without them both, by itself, I know well
many a man would be for all that very loth to die.
ANTHONY: That I believe well, cousin, and the more pity it is. For
that affection happeth in very few without the cause being either
lack of faith, lack of hope, or finally lack of wit.
Those who believe not the life to come after this, and think
themselves here in wealth, are loth to leave this life, for then
they think they lose all. And thence come the manifold foolish
unfaithful words which are so rife in our many mouths: "This world
we know, and the other we know not." And some say in sport (and
think in earnest), "The devil is not so black as he is painted,"
and "Let him be as black as he will, he is no blacker than a crow!"
with many such other foolish fancies of the same sort.
There are some who believe well enough but who, through lewdness of
living, fall out of good hope of salvation. And then I very little
marvel that they are loth to die. Howbeit, some who purpose to mend
and would fain have some time left them longer to bestow somewhat
better, may peradventure be loth to die also forthwith. And albeit
that a very good will gladly to die and to be with God would be, to
my mind, so thankful that it would be well able to purchase as full
remission both of sin and pain as peradventure he would be like to
purchase, if he lived, in many years' penance, yet will I not say
but what such a kind of lothness to die may be approvable before
God.
There are some also who are loth to die, who are yet very glad to
die and long for to be dead.
VINCENT: That would be, uncle, a very strange case!
ANTHONY: The case, I fear me, cousin, falleth not very often. But
yet sometimes it doth, as where there is any man of that good mind
that St. Paul was. For the longing that he had to be with God, he
would fain have been dead, but for the profit of other folk he was
content to live here in pain, and defer and forbear for the while
his inestimable bliss in heaven: _"Desiderium habens dissolvi et
esse cum Christo, multo magis melius, permanere autem in carne,
necessarium propter vos."_
But of all these kinds of folk, cousin, who are loth to die (except
for the first kind only, who lack faith), there is I suppose none
who would hesitate, for the bare respect of death alone, unless the
fear of shame or sharp pain joined unto death should be the
hindrance, to depart hence with good will in this case of the
faith. For he would well know by his faith that his death, taken
for the faith, should cleanse him clean of all his sins and send
him straight to heaven. And some of these (namely the last kind)
are such that shame and pain both joined unto death would be
unlikely to make them loathe death or fear death so sore but what
they would suffer death in this case with good will, since they
know well that the refusing of the faith, for any cause in this
world (seemed the cause never so good), should yet sever them from
God, with whom, save for other folk's profit, they so fain would
be. And charity it cannot be, for the profit of the whole world,
deadly to displease him who made it.
Some are these, I say also, who are loth to die for lack of wit.
Albeit that they believe in the world that is to come and hope also
to come thither, yet they love so much the wealth of this world and
such things as delight them therein, that they would fain keep them
as long as ever they can, even with tooth and nail. And when they
can be suffered in no wise to keep it longer, but death taketh them
from it, then, if it can be no better, they will agree to be, as
soon as they be hence, hauled up into heaven and be with God
forthwith! These folk as as very idiot fools as he who had kept
from his childhood a bag full of cherry stones, and cast such a
fancy to it that he would not go from it for a bigger bag filled
with gold.
These folk fare, cousin, as Æsop telleth in a fable that the snail
did. For when Jupiter (whom the poets feign for the great god)
invited all the poor worms of the earth unto a great solemn feast
that it pleased him upon a time--I have forgotten upon what
occasion--to prepare for them, the snail kept her at home and would
not come. And when Jupiter asked her afterward wherefore she came
not to his feast, where he said she would have been welcome and
have fared well, and would have seen a goodly palace and been
delighted with many goodly pleasures, she answered him that she
loved no place so well as her own house. With this answer Jupiter
waxed so angry that he said, since she loved her house so well, she
should never after go from home, but should always afterward bear
her house upon her back wheresoever she went. And so hath she ever
done since, as they say. And at least I know well she doth so now
and hath done so as long as I can remember.
VINCENT: Forsooth, uncle, I should think the tale were not all
feigned, for I think verily that so much of your tale is true!
ANTHONY: Æsop meant by that feigned fable to touch the folly of
such folk as so set their fancy upon some small simple pleasure
that they cannot find it in their heart to forbear it, either for
the pleasure of a better man or for the gaining of a better thing.
For by this foolish froward fashion they sometimes fall in great
disgrace and take by it no little harm.
And surely such Christian folk as, by their foolish affection,
which they have set like the snail upon their own house here on
earth, cannot, for the lothness of leaving that house, find it in
their hearts to go with good will to the great feast that God
prepareth in heaven and of his goodness so graciously calleth them
to--they are, I fear me, unless they mend that mind in time, like
to be served as the snail was, and yet much worse too. For they are
like to have their house here, the earth, bound fast on their backs
for ever, and not to walk with it where they will, as the snail
creepeth about with hers, but to lie fast bound in the midst of it
with the foul fire of hell about them. For into this folly they
bring themselves by their own fault, as the drunken man bringeth
himself into drunkenness, whereby the evil that he doth in his
drunkenness is not forgiven him for his folly, but to his pain is
imputed to his fault.
VINCENT: Surely, uncle, this seemeth not unlikely, and by their
fault they fall in such folly indeed. And yet, if this be folly
indeed, then are some folk fools who think themselves right wise.
ANTHONY: Who think themselves wise? Marry, I never saw a fool yet
who thought himself other than wise! For as it is one spark of
soberness left in a drunken head when he perceiveth himself to be
drunk and getteth himself fair to bed, so if a fool perceive
himself a fool that point is no folly but a little spark of wit.
But now, cousin, as for these kind of fools, who are loth to die
for the love that they bear to their worldly fancies which they
would, by their death, leave behind them and forsake: Those who
would for that cause rather forsake the faith than die, would
rather forsake it than lose their worldly goods, though there were
no peril of death offered them at all. And then, as touching those
who are of that mind, we have, you know, said as much as you
yourself thought sufficient this afternoon here before.
VINCENT: Verily, uncle, that is very true. And now have you
rehearsed, as far as I can remember, all the other kinds of them
that would be loth to die for any other respect than the grievous
qualities of shame and pain joined unto death. And of all these
kinds, except the kind of infidelity--when no comfort can help, but
only counsel to the attaining of faith, for faith must be
presupposed to the receiving of comfort and had ready before, as
you showed in the beginning of our communication the first day that
we talked of the matter. But else, I say, except that one kind,
there is none of the rest of those that were before untouched who
would be likely to forsake their faith in this persecution for the
fear and dread of death, save for those grievous qualities--pain, I
mean, and shame--that they see well would come with it.
And therefore, uncle, I pray you, give us some comfort against
those twain. For in good faith, if death should come without them,
in such a case at this is, in which by the losing of this life we
should find a far better, mine own reason giveth me that, save for
the other griefs going before the change, no man who hath wit would
anything stick at all.
ANTHONY: Yes, peradventure suddenly they would, before they gather
their wits unto them and well weigh the matter. But, cousin, those
who will consider the matter well, reason, grounded upon the
foundation of faith, shall show they very great substantial causes
for which the dread of those grievous qualities that they see shall
come with death--shame, I mean, and pain also--shall not so sore
abash them as sinfully to drive them to that point. And for the
proof thereof, let us first begin at the consideration of the shame.