The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 3Browne, Thomas, Sir
Religion
The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 3
Browne, Thomas, Sir
Christianity; Ethics; Religion and medicine
In this deliberate and creeping Progress unto the Grave, he was somewhat
too young, and of too noble a Mind, to fall upon that stupid Symptom
observable in divers Persons near their Journey's End, and which may be
reckoned among the mortal Symptoms of their last Disease; that is, to
become more narrow minded, miserable and tenacious, unready to part with
any thing, when they are ready to part with all, and afraid to want when
they have no Time to spend; mean while Physicians, who know that many
are mad but in a single depraved Imagination, and one prevalent
Decipiency; and that beside and out of such single Deliriums a Man may
meet with sober Actions and good Sense in _Bedlam_; cannot but smile to
see the Heirs and concern'd Relations, gratulating themselves in the
sober Departure of their Friends; and tho' they behold such mad covetous
Passages, content to think they die in good Understanding, and in their
sober Senses.
Avarice, which is not only Infidelity but Idolatry, either from covetous
Progeny or questuary Education, had no Root in his Breast, who made good
Works the Expression of his Faith, and was big with Desires unto publick
and lasting Charities; and surely where good Wishes and charitable
Intentions exceed Abilities, Theorical Beneficency may be more than a
Dream. They build not Castles in the Air who would build Churches on
Earth; and tho' they leave no such Structures here, may lay good
Foundations in Heaven. In brief, his Life and Death were such, that I
could not blame them who wished the like, and almost to have been
himself; almost, I say; for tho' we may wish the prosperous
Appurtenances of others, or to be an other in his happy Accidents; yet
so intrinsecal is every Man unto himself, that some doubt may be made,
whether any would exchange his Being, or substantially become another
Man.
He had wisely seen the World at home and abroad, and thereby observed
under what variety Men are deluded in the pursuit of that which is not
here to be found. And altho' he had no Opinion of reputed Felicities
below, and apprehended Men widely out in the Estimate of such Happiness;
yet his sober Contempt of the World wrought no _Democratism_ or
_Cynicism_, no laughing or snarling at it, as well understanding there
are not Felicities in this World to satisfy a serious Mind; and
therefore to soften the Stream of our Lives, we are fain to take in the
reputed Contentations of this World, to unite with the Crowd in their
Beatitudes, and to make ourselves happy by Consortion, Opinion, or
Co-existimation: for strictly to separate from received and customary
Felicities, and to confine unto the Rigor of Realities, were to contract
the Consolation of our Beings unto too uncomfortable Circumscriptions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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