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A Dialogue of Comfort

is here waxen such, and so great perils appear here to fall at hand; that methinketh the greatest comfort that a man can have is, when he may see that he shall soon be gone.A notable saying, and as true now as ever And we that are likely long to live here in wretchedness, have need of some comfortable counsel against tribulation, to be given us by such as you be, good uncle, that have so long lived virtuously, and are so learned in the law of God, as very few be better in this country here, and have had of such things as we do now fear, good experience and assay in yourself; as he that hath been taken prisoner in Turkey two times in your days, and now likely to depart hence ere long. But that may be your great comfort, good uncle, sith you depart to God; but us here shall you leave of your kindred, a sort of sorry, comfortless orphans, to all whom your good help, comfort and counsel hath long been a great stay; not as an uncle unto some, and to some farther of kin, but as though that unto us all you had been a natural father.

Antony.—Mine own good cousin,[1] I cannot much say nay, but that there is indeed, not here in Hungary only, but almost also in all places of Christendom, a customable manner of unchristian comforting, which albeit that in any sick man it doth more harm than good, withdrawing him in time of sickness, with looking and longing for life, from the meditation of death, judgment, heaven and hell, whereof he should beset much part of his time, even all his whole life in his best health; yet is that manner in my mind more than mad, where such kind of comfort is used to a man of mine age. For, as we well wot, that a young man may die soon; so we be very sure that an old man cannot live long. And yet sith there is, as Tully[2] saith, no man for all that so old, but that he hopeth yet that he may live one year more, and of a frail folly delighteth thereon to think, and comforteth himself therewith; other men’s words of like manner comfort, adding more sticks to that fire, shall in a manner burn up quite the pleasant moisture

that most should refresh him; the wholesome dew
  1. ↑ This word was anciently applied to a kinsman generally
  2. ↑ Cicero de Senectute.
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