Meditations Upon the Misery of Mankind, Title page – Table of contents
HERACLITVS: OR, MEDITATIONS vponupon the Miſery of Mankinde, and the vanitie of Humane life: With The inconstancie of worldly Things; as alſo the wickedneſſe of this deceitfull age deſcribed.
Faithfully tranſlated out of the laſt Edition written in French by that learned Diuine, Monſieur Du Moulin, By ABRAHAM DARCIE.
LONDON Printed by G. P. for Thomas Pauier: and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Iuie Lane. M.DC.XXIV.
TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS IOHN, Earle of Bridgewater, &c. And to the Princely Lady FRANCES*This Princely Dame, is a bleſt branch of theſe famous Trees of Honour, the moſt ancient Houſe of Derby, and the Noble family of the Spencers. his Noble Counteſſe; As alſo to the Honorable Ladies, the Lady *Honorable branches of Honour ſprung from the Noble Houſe of Bridgewater.FRANCES HOBART, and the Lady ARABELLA St IOHN their worthy Daughters:
And to the Honor of the Right Honorable,
The Lord St IOHN, Baron of Bletſo, & the Illuſtrious Lady ELIZABETH *Noble Twigs of vertue, iſſued from the Illustrious family of the Paulets, & Marquiſes of Wincheſter.His Noble and Vertuous Wife, with their Honorable Sonne, Mr▪ St IOHN.
The Lord HOBART L. Chiefe Iuſtice of the Common-Pleas, and to the Religious Lady his worthy Wife, to their Generous & vertuous Son, Sir IOHN HOBART.
True Patternes of Vertue and Pietie, Noble Patrons and Patroneſſes of Honor and Learning, ABRAHAM DARCIE wiſheth to theſe Noble Families, all internall, externall, and eternall Happineſſe and proſperity in Chriſt Ieſus.
Right Honorable, Moſt Worthy:
THat great and wiſe Monarch, King SALOMON, ſaid long ſince, that there is no end of making Bookes, Eccleſ. 12. 12.and much ſtudie is a wearineſse of the fleſh.
Which Paradoxe was neuer more verefied, then in theſe degenerate dayes of Vanity, when ignorant as well as wiſe men will bee ſtill writing of themſelues, whereby the Preſse is euen oppreſſed with multiplicitie of ſuch idle Treatiſes, more light then vanity it ſelfe. But for ſuch Bookes as doe either affoord direction to the Church, or a way to reforme and better our Life, thoſe are moſt worthy to bee read, and carefully obſerued.
This excellent Worke, (firſt penned in French by one of the moſt learned Diuines in France) clearely ſhewing vsus the Ʋanity, Miſery, and Inconſtancie of this World, doth warne and admoniſh vsus to take heede how we truſt to it, and that we muſt not build our happineſſe vponupon ſo deceitfull grounds as Riches and Earthly poſſeſsions, but to direct our Hearts, leuell and lift our mindes and thoughts to HEAVEN, to that Eternal and bleſſed Habitation of CHRIST IESVS.
Conſidering theſe things, what greater abomination can there be, then to ſee the people of this miſerable age delight to vndoe one another,Pyrrus King of Epirots, that valiant and victorious warriour, is killed by a ſilly woman with a tile ſtone. enuie, deſpiſe, curſe, warre, and finally kill one another? For a thing ſo vaine as this World, deceitful, miſerable, inconſtant, and damnable,He who had filled the earth with the Trophees of his deedes, and triumphs of his victories, Alexander of Macedonia, that moſt famous Monarch, died impoyſoned by his owne ſeruants. which ſometimes honors vsus, and preſently contemnes vsus, cals vsus to high Callings, and ſodainly debaſes and degrades vsus; lifts vsus to high proſperity, and immediatly flings vsus headlong into lowe aduerſity. Therfore PHILIP King of Macedonia, The chiefe of the Greekes, hauing eſcaped ſo many perils in the Troyans warres, is cruelly murdered before his Caſtle.acknowledging the worlds great inconſtancie, hauing receiued many good newes in one day, prayeth the immortall Gods to ſtop the courſe of ſo greatioyes,Great Pompey hauing ſhunned the bloudy hand of his enemies, is killed by his deare & obliged friend. fearing leſt ſome ſiniſter actions, and mournefull euents ſhould enſue them.
Right Honourable, this Booke hauing paſt many Impreſſions in FRANCE,That victorious French Monarch, Henry of Bourbon, the 4. of that name, whoſe inuincible valour made Spaine quake, & Rome trēble, is in time of peace lamentably murdred in his Coach, in the midſt of his Royall citie of Paris. is now arriued, newly reuiued and augmented here in England; and though it bee little in ſhew, yet it containes many good things, yea, matters of weight and conſequence, worthy to bee read, knowne, and obſerued: As alſo very fit and needfull for a Chriſtian to meditate.Theſe examples do euidently ſhew the worlds mutability and inconſtancie. The exquiſite worth thereof hath mooued mee to tranſlate it; but the fame of your rare vertues hath the more imboldened mee to publiſh it vnderunder the banner of your Noble protections. Accept it (moſt Honorable) as courteouſly, as officiouſly it is Dedicated and Conſecrated to the perpetuall Honour, and Honourable vſe of your Illuſtrious Houſes and Noble Families, by
Your Honours and Worthineſſe humble and deuoted obſeruant, ABRAHAM DARCIE.
A Table of the Contents of this Booke.
CHAP. 1.
THe vanity and miſery of the Nature of man. fol. 6
CHAP. 2.
The vanity and inconſtancy of man in his action. 10
CHAP. 3.
Of mans Ripe Age. 16
CHAP. 4.
The life of Courtiers. 27
CHAP. 5.
The life of Magiſtrates, and wicked Iudges. 31
CHAP. 6.
Of mans eſtate being in Wedlocke. 36
CHAP. 7.
The vanity and inconſtancie of Women. 42
CHAP. 8.
Of Couetouſneſſe, Enuie, and Ambition. 45
CHAP. 9.
Of Petty-fogging ſtrifes, and law-contention. 53
CHAP. 10.
Of Philoſophy, and the knowledge of diuers tongues. 55
CHAP. 11.
Of Pilgrims, and Ciuill vertues. 59
CHAP. 12.
Of old and decrepit Age. 77
CHAP. 13.
Of Death. 69
CHAP. 14.
Of the terrible Iudgement ſeat of God. 74
CHAP. 15.
Of Heauen. 79
CHAP. 16.
Of Hell. 81
CHAP. 17.
The miſery and vanity of our Life, and the wickedneſſe that now raigneth.