XXXVII. Let that of Heraclitus never be out of thy mind,
that the death of earth, is water, and the death of water, is air;
and the death of air, is fire; and so on the contrary. Remember him
also who was ignorant whither the way did lead, and how that reason
being the thing by which all things in the world are administered,
and which men are continually and most inwardly conversant with:
yet is the thing, which ordinarily they are most in opposition with,
and how those things which daily happen among them, cease not daily
to be strange unto them, and that we should not either speak,
or do anything as men in their sleep, by opinion and bare imagination:
for then we think we speak and do, and that we must not be as children,
who follow their father's example; for best reason alleging their bare
successive tradition from our forefathers we have received it.

XXXVIII. Even as if any of the gods should tell thee,
Thou shalt certainly die to-morrow, or next day, thou wouldst not,
except thou wert extremely base and pusillanimous, take it for a
great benefit, rather to die the next day after, than to-morrow;
(for alas, what is the difference!) so, for the same reason,
think it no great matter to die rather many years after,
than the very next day.

XXXIX. Let it be thy perpetual meditation, how many physicians who once
looked so grim, and so tetrically shrunk their brows upon their patients,
are dead and gone themselves. How many astrologers, after that
in great ostentation they had foretold the death of some others,
how many philosophers after so many elaborate tracts and volumes
concerning either mortality or immortality; how many brave captains
and commanders, after the death and slaughter of so many; how many kings
and tyrants, after they had with such horror and insolency abused