"Every man desireth, good people, at the time of his death, to give
some good exhortation that others may remember after his death, and be
the better thereby; for one word spoken of a man at his last end[546]
will be more remembered than the sermons {p.256} made of them that
live and remain. So I beseech God grant me grace, that I may speak
something at my departing whereby God may be glorified and you
edified.
[Footnote 546: Shakspeare was perhaps thinking of
this speech of Cranmer when he wrote the
magnificent lines which he placed in the mouth of
the dying Gaunt:--
"O, but they say, the tongues of dying men
Enforce attention, like deep harmony:
Where words are scarce, they are seldom spent in vain:
For they breathe truth, that breathe their words in pain.
He, that no more must say, is listened more
Than they whom youth and ease have taught to gloze;
More are men's ends marked, than their lives before:
The setting sun, and music at the close,
As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last;
Writ in remembrance more than things long past."
"But it is an heavy case to see that many folks be so doted upon the
love of this false world, and be so careful for it, that of the love
of God or the world to come, they seem to care very little or nothing;
therefore this shall be my first exhortation--that you set not
over-much by this glozing world, but upon God and the world to come;
and learn what this lesson meaneth which St. John teacheth, that the
love of the world is hatred against God.
"The second exhortation is, that next unto God, you obey your king and
queen willingly, without murmur or grudging, not for fear of them
only, but much more for the fear of God, knowing that they be God's
ministers, appointed of God to rule and govern you, and therefore
whosoever resisteth them resisteth God's ordinance.
"The third exhortation is, that you live all together like brethren
and sisters: but, alas! pity it is to see what contention and hatred
one man hath against another, not taking each other for brethren and
sisters, but rather as strangers and mortal enemies. But I pray you
learn and bear well away the lesson, to do good to all men as much as
in you lieth, and hurt no man no more than you would hurt your own
natural brother or sister. For this you may be sure, that whosoever
hateth his brother or sister, and goeth about maliciously to hinder or
hurt him, surely, and without all doubt, God is not with that man,
although he think himself never so much in God's favour.
"The fourth exhortation shall be to them that have great substance and
riches of this world, that they may well consider and weigh these
three sayings of the Scriptures. One is of our Saviour Christ himself,
who saith that it is a hard thing for a rich man to come to heaven; a
sore saying, and spoken of Him that knoweth the truth. The second is
of St. John, whose saying is this: He that hath the substance of this
world, and seeth his brother in necessity, and shutteth up his
compassion and mercy from him, how can he say he loveth God? The third
{p.257} is of St. James, who speaketh to the covetous and rich men
after this manner: Weep and howl for the misery which shall come upon
you; your riches doth rot, your clothes be moth-eaten, your gold and
silver is cankered and rusty, and the rust thereof shall bear witness
against you, and consume you like fire; you gather and hoard up
treasure of God's indignation against the last day. I tell them which
be rich, ponder these sentences; for if ever they had occasion to show
their charity, they have it now at this present; the poor people being
so many, and victuals so dear; for although I have been long in
prison, yet have I heard of the great penury of the poor."