gardens thou lamentest, thy imperfect plottes and
purposes, thy life (as thou thinkest) imperfect: which by no
dayes, nor yeares, nor ages, might be perfected: and yet thy
selfe mightst perfect in a moment, couldest thou but thinke in
good earnest, that where it ende it skilles not, so that it end
well.

Now to end well this life, is onely to ende it willingly:
following with full consent the will and direction of God, and
not suffering vs to be drawen by the necessetie of destenie. To
end it willingly, we must hope, and not feare death. To hope
for it, we must certainely looke after this life, for a better
life. To looke for that, wee must feare God: whome whoso well
feareth, feareth indeede nothing in this worlde, and hopes for
all things in the other. To one well resolued in these points
death can be but sweete and agreeable: knowing that through it
hee is to enter into a place of all ioyes. The griefe that may
be therein shall bee allaied with sweetnes: the sufferance of
ill, swallowed in the confidence of good: the sting of Death it
selfe shall bee dead, which is nothing else but Feare. Nay,
I wil say more, not onely all the euilles conceiued in death
shall be to him nothing: but he shall euen scorne all the
mishappes men redoubt in this life, and laugh at all these
terrors. For I pray what can he feare, whose death is his hope?
Thinke we to banish him his country? He knows he hath a country
other-where, whence wee cannot banish him: and that all these
countries are but Innes, out of which he must part at the wil of
his hoste. To put him in prison? a more straite prison he cannot
haue, then his owne body, more filthy, more darke, more full of
rackes and torments. To kill him and take him out of the worlde?
that is it he hopes for: that is it with all his heart he
aspires vnto. By fire, by sworde, by famine, by sickenesse:
within three yeeres, within three dayes, within three houres,
all is one to him: all is one at what gate, or at what time he
passe out of this miserable life. For his businesses are euer
ended, his affaires all dispatched, and by what way he shall go
out, by the same hee shall enter into a most happie and
euerlasting life. Men can threaten him but death, and death is
all he promiseth himselfe: the worst they can doe, is, to make
him die, and that is the best hee hopes for. The threatnings of
tyrants are to him promises, the swordes of his greatest enemies
drawne in his fauor: forasmuch as he