00 Hypertext

Great-grandfather

Drizzly November

City of the Manhattoes

water-gazers

Inlanders all

great American desert

Prairies in June

ungraspable phantom

judgmatically salted and peppered

the royal mast-head

archangel Gabriel

uncomfortable infliction

Plus rien ne vais vous demander

Que chacun garde ses problèmes

Qu’importe encore, il va neiger

Qu’importe encore, il va pleuvoir

Des chevaliers, il y en a plus

Chacun pour soi, et puis quand même

Chante pour vous la chanteuse des rues

Sur le trottoir pour ceux qui s’aiment

Elle va ainsi en fredonnant

Une chanson à trois temps

Qui n’rime à rien du tout

Mais qui charme pourtant l’inconnu qui s’en fout

The time of a man’s life is as a point; the substance of it ever flowing, the sense obscure; and the whole composition of the body tending to corruption. His soul is restless, fortune uncertain, and fame doubtful; to be brief, as a stream so are all things belonging to the body; as a dream, or as a smoke, so are all that belong unto the soul. Our life is a warfare, and a mere pilgrimage. Fame after life is no better than oblivion. What is it then that will adhere and follow? Only one thing, philosophy. And philosophy doth consist in this, for a man to preserve that spirit which is within him, from all manner of contumelies and injuries, and above all pains or pleasures; never to do anything either rashly, or feignedly, or hypocritically: wholly to depend from himself and his own proper actions: all things that happen unto him to embrace contentedly, as coming from Him from whom he himself also came; and above all things, with all meekness and a calm cheerfulness, to expect death, as being nothing else but the resolution of those elements, of which every creature is composed. And if the elements themselves suffer nothing by this their perpetual conversion of one into another, that dissolution, and alteration, which is so common unto all, why should it be feared by any? Is not this according to nature? But nothing that is according to nature can be evil.

Let nothing be done rashly, and at random, but all things according to the most exact and perfect rules of art.

They seek for themselves private retiring places, as country villages, the sea-shore, mountains; yea thou thyself art wont to long much after such places. But all this thou must know proceeds from simplicity in the highest degree. At what time soever thou wilt, it is in thy power to retire into thyself, and to be at rest, and free from all businesses.

A man cannot any whither retire better than to his own soul; he especially who is beforehand provided of such things within, which whensoever he doth withdraw himself to look in, may presently afford unto him perfect ease and tranquillity. By tranquillity I understand a decent orderly disposition and carriage, free from all confusion and tumultuousness.

Afford then thyself this retiring continually, and thereby refresh and renew thyself. Let these precepts be brief and fundamental, which as soon as thou dost call them to mind, may suffice thee to purge thy soul throughly, and to send thee away well pleased with those things whatsoever they be, which now again after this short withdrawing of thy soul into herself thou dost return unto. For what is it that thou art offended at?