cuates itself by
tears,"

[3887] ------"est quaedam flere voluptas,
Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor:"

"yet after a day's mourning or two, comfort thyself for thy heaviness,"
Eccles. xxxviii. 17. [3888]_Non decet defunctum ignavo quaestu prosequi_;
'twas Germanicus' advice of old, that we should not dwell too long upon our
passions, to be desperately sad, immoderate grievers, to let them
tyrannise, there's _indolentiae, ars_, a medium to be kept: we do not
(saith [3889]Austin) forbid men to grieve, but to grieve overmuch. "I
forbid not a man to be angry, but I ask for what cause he is so? Not to be
sad, but why is he sad? Not to fear, but wherefore is he afraid?" I require
a moderation as well as a just reason. [3890]The Romans and most civil
commonwealths have set a time to such solemnities, they must not mourn
after a set day, "or if in a family a child be born, a daughter or son
married, some state or honour be conferred, a brother be redeemed from his
bands, a friend from his enemies," or the like, they must lament no more.
And 'tis fit it should be so; to what end is all their funeral pomp,
complaints, and tears? When Socrates was dying, his friends Apollodorus and
Crito, with some others, were weeping by him, which he perceiving, asked
them what they meant: [3891]"for that very cause he put all the women out
of the room, upon which words of his they were abashed, and ceased from
their tears." Lodovicus Cortesius, a rich lawyer of Padua (as [3892]
Bernardinus Scardeonius relates) commanded by his last will, and a great
mulct if otherwise to his heir, that no funeral should be kept for him, no
man should lament: but as at a wedding, music and minstrels to be provided;
and instead of black mourners, he took order, [3893]"that twelve virgins
clad in green should carry him to the church." His will and testament was
accordingly performed, and he buried in St. Sophia's church. [3894]Tully
was much grieved for his daughter Tulliola's death at first, until such
time that he had confirmed his mind with some philosophical precepts,
[3895]"then he began to triumph over fortune and grief, and for her
reception into heaven to be much more joyed than before he was troubled for
her loss." If a heathen man could so fortify himself from philosophy, what
shall a Christian from divinity? Why dost thou so macerate thyself? 'Tis an
inevitable chance, the first statute in Magna Charta, an everlasting Act of
Parliament, al