The Works of Sir Thomas Browne Volume III Part 6

[E] _Worthily possessed by that true Gentleman Sir_ Horatio Townshend _my honored Friend_.

We present not these as any strange sight or spectacle unknown to your eyes, who have beheld the best of Urnes, and n.o.blest variety of Ashes; Who are your self no slender master of Antiquities, and can daily command the view of so many Imperiall faces; Which raiseth your thoughts unto old things, and consideration of times before you, when even living men were Antiquities; when the living might exceed the dead, and to depart this world, could not be properly said, to go unto the [F]greater number. And so run up your thoughts upon the ancient of dayes, the Antiquaries truest object, unto whom the eldest parcels are young, and earth it self an Infant; and without [G]aegyptian account makes but small noise in thousands.

[F] Abiit ad plures.

[G] _Which makes the world so many years old._

We were hinted by the occasion, not catched the opportunity to write of old things, or intrude upon the Antiquary. We are coldly drawn unto discourses of Antiquities, who have scarce time before us to comprehend new things, or make out learned Novelties. But seeing they arose as they lay, almost in silence among us, at least in short account suddenly pa.s.sed over; we were very unwilling they should die again, and be buried twice among us.

Beside, to preserve the living, and make the dead to live, to keep men out of their Urnes, and discourse of humane fragments in them, is not impertinent unto our profession; whose study is life and death, who daily behold examples of mortality, and of all men least need artificial _memento's_, or coffins by our bed side, to minde us of our graves.

'Tis time to observe Occurrences, and let nothing remarkable escape us; The Supinity of elder dayes hath left so much in silence, or time hath so martyred the Records, that the most industrious[H] heads do finde no easie work to erect a new _Britannia_.

[H] _Wherein M._ Dugdale _hath excellently well endeavoured, and worthy to be countenanced by ingenuous and n.o.ble persons_.

'Tis opportune to look back upon old times, and contemplate our Forefathers. Great examples grow thin, and to be fetched from the pa.s.sed world. Simplicity flies away, and iniquity comes at long strides upon us. We have enough to do to make up our selves from present and pa.s.sed times, and the whole stage of things scarce serveth for our instruction.

A compleat peece of vertue must be made up from the _Centos_ of all ages, as all the beauties of _Greece_ could make but one handsome _Venus_.

When the bones of King _Arthur_ were digged up[I], the old Race might think, they beheld therein some Originals of themselves; Unto these of our Urnes none here can pretend relation, and can only behold the Reliques of those persons, who in their life giving the Laws unto their predecessors, after long obscurity, now lye at their mercies. But remembring the early civility they brought upon these Countreys, and forgetting long pa.s.sed mischiefs; We mercifully preserve their bones, and p.i.s.se not upon their ashes.

[I] _In the time of_ Henry _the second_, Cambden.

In the offer of these Antiquities we drive not at ancient Families, so long out-lasted by them; We are farre from erecting your worth upon the pillars of your Fore-fathers, whose merits you ill.u.s.trate. We honour your old Virtues, conformable unto times before you, which are the n.o.blest Armoury. And having long experience of your friendly conversation, void of empty Formality, full of freedome, constant and Generous Honesty, I look upon you as a Gemme of the Old Rock[J], and must professe my self even to Urne and Ashes,

[J] Adamas de rupe veteri praestantissimus.

Your ever faithfull Friend, and Servant, THOMAS BROWNE.

Norwich, May 1.

TO MY WORTHY AND HONOURED FRIEND NICHOLAS BACON Of _Gillingham_ Esquire.

_Had I not observed that [K]Purblinde men have discoursed well of sight, and some [L]without issue, excellently of Generation; I that was never master of any considerable garden, had not attempted this Subject. But the Earth is the Garden of Nature, and each fruitfull Countrey a Paradise. Dioscorides made most of his Observations in his march about with_ Antonius; _and_ Theophrastus _raised his generalities chiefly from the field_.

[K] Plempius, Cabeus, _etc_.

[L] _D. Harvy._

_Beside, we write no Herball, nor can this Volume deceive you, who have handled the [M]ma.s.siest thereof: who know that thre [N]Folio's are yet too little, and how New Herbals fly from_ America _upon us, from persevering Enquirers, and [O]old in those singularities, we expect such Descriptions. Wherein_ [P]England _is now so exact, that it yeelds not to other Countreys_.

[M] _Besleri_ Hortus Eystetensis.

[N] _Bauhini_ Theatrum Botanic.u.m, _etc._

[O] _My worthy friend M._ Goodier _an ancient and learned Botanist_.

[P] _As in_ London _and divers parts, whereof we mention none, lest we seem to omit any_.

_We pretend not to multiply vegetable divisions by Quincuncial and Reticulate plants; or erect a new Phytology. The Field of knowledge hath been so traced, it is hard to spring any thing new. Of old things we write something new, If truth may receive addition, or envy will have any thing new; since the Ancients knew the late Anatomicall discoveries, and_ Hippocrates _the Circulation_.

_You have been so long out of trite learning, that 'tis hard to finde a subject proper for you; and if you have met with a Sheet upon this, we have missed our intention. In this multiplicity of writing, bye and barren Themes are best fitted for invention; Subjects so often discoursed confine the Imagination, and fix our conceptions unto the notions of fore-writers. Beside, such Discourses allow excursions, and venially admit of collaterall truths, though at some distance from their princ.i.p.als. Wherein if we sometimes take wide liberty, we are not single, but erre by great [Q]example._

[Q] Hippocrates de superftatione, de dent.i.tione.

_He that will ill.u.s.trate the excellency of this order, may easily fail upon so spruce a Subject, wherein we have not affrighted the common Reader with any other Diagramms, then of it self; and have industriously declined ill.u.s.trations from rare and unknown plants._

_Your discerning judgement so well acquainted with that study, will expect herein no mathematicall truths, as well understanding how few generalities and [R]Vfinita's there are in nature. How_ Scaliger _hath found exceptions in most Universals of_ Aristotle _and_ Theophrastus.

_How Botanicall Maximes must have fair allowance, and are tolerably currant, if not intolerably over-ballanced by exceptions_.

[R] _Rules without exceptions_.

_You have wisely ordered your vegetable delights, beyond the reach of exception. The Turks who pa.s.st their dayes in Gardens here, will have Gardens also hereafter, and delighting in Flowers on earth, must have Lillies and Roses in Heaven. In Garden Delights 'tis not easie to hold a Mediocrity; that insinuating pleasure is seldome without some extremity.

The Antients venially delighted in flouris.h.i.+ng Gardens; Many were Florists that knew not the true use of a Flower; And in_ Plinies _dayes none had directly treated of that subject. Some commendably affected Plantations of venemous Vegetables, some confined their delights unto single plants, and Cato seemed to dote upon Cabbadge; While the Ingenuous delight of Tulipists, stands saluted with hard language, even by their own [S]Professors._

[S] Tulipo mania, Narrencruiid, Laurenberg. Pet. Hondius. in lib.

_Belg._

_That in this Garden Discourse, we range into extraneous things, and many parts of Art and Nature, we follow herein the example of old and new Plantations, wherein n.o.ble spirits contented not themselves with Trees, but by the attendance of Aviaries, Fish-Ponds, and all variety of Animals, they made their gardens the Epitome of the earth, and some resemblance of the secular shows of old._

_That we conjoyn these parts of different Subjects, or that this should succeed the other; Your judgement will admit without impute of incongruity; Since the delightfull World comes after death, and Paradise succeeds the Grave. Since the verdant state of things is the Symbole of the Resurrection, and to flourish in the state of Glory, we must first be sown in corruption. Beside the ancient practise of n.o.ble Persons, to conclude in Garden-Graves, and Urnes themselves of old, to be wrapt up flowers and garlands._

Nullam sine venia placuisse eloquium, _is more sensibly understood by Writers, then by Readers; nor well apprehended by either, till works have hanged out like_ Apelles _his Pictures; wherein even common eyes will finde something for emendation._

_To wish all Readers of your abilities, were unreasonably to multiply the number of Scholars beyond the temper of these times. But unto this ill-judging age, we charitably desire a portion of your equity, judgement, candour, and ingenuity; wherein you are so rich, as not to lose by diffusion. And being a flouris.h.i.+ng branch of that [T]n.o.ble Family, unto which we owe so much observance, you are not new set, but long rooted in such perfection; whereof having had so lasting confirmation in your worthy conversation, constant amity, and expression; and knowing you a serious Student in the highest_ arcana's _of Nature; with much excuse we bring these low delights, and poor maniples to your Treasure_.

[T] _Of the most worthy Sr_ Edmund Bacon _prime Baronet, my true and n.o.ble Friend._

_Your affectionate Friend, and Servant_, THOMAS BROWNE.

_Norwich, May 1._

[Ill.u.s.tration: _En sum quod digitis Quinque Levatur onus Propert_]

HYDRIOTAPHIA: URNE BURIAL

Or, a brief Discourse of the Sepulchrall Urnes lately found in Norfolk.