The Blazing World and Other Writings by Margaret Cavendish

Author:Margaret Cavendish [Cavendish, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141904825
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2014-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

You were my good angel to guard me from those evils that Fortune sets about me; you were my guide, which did direct my simple youth, to just and honest ways; what will become of me when you are gone? Or who will restore me from those that seek my ruin? Said the old man, the gods, the gods, my son, they will reward your virtue; farewell, farewell, then turned his head and died.

After he had lamented and mourned over his lifeless corpse, he sent to the Queen, to give him leave to inter his father’s ashes; the King hearing thereof sent to the general, inviting him to bring his father’s body into the city, and there to be interred in his chief temple, which honour he accepted, whereupon all the army brought the hearse unto the gates, and then returned unto their trenches; but the chief commanders did bear it to the grave[.] The young general when he came into the temple, who was clad all in mourning, only his face was seen, which appeared like the sun when it breaks through a dark and spongy cloud: their beams25 did shine on those watery drops that fell upon her cheeks, as banks where roses and lilies grew, there standing on a mounted pillar, spake her father’s funeral speech.26

I come not, said she, here to flatter or belie the dead; but to speak the truth, as far as ray knowledge is informed thereby; he was aged in years, not old, for those are only old whose memories and understanding are grown defective by the length of time: he was wise by experience, not led with self-opinion, he was learned in the art of navigation, and not ignorant of land-service, or command, although Jew that dwell on sea, and profess that art, know little more of land than the ports where they take harbour to shelter from furious storms, or to take fresh victuals in; or to deboist27 with wine and women[.] But he was most temperate not only in moderating his passion, but appetites with reason, honour and religion; in his behaviour he was affable and free, not formal, nor constrained by vain and self conceit, his disposition gentle, sweet, and kind; he in his nature compassionated all that were in distress; he was industrious to all good effects, and had a nimble and ingenious wit, and such a superfluity of courage, as did not only banish fear in himself, but begot spirit in others; he was bred in the schools of honour, where he had learnt virtuous principles and heroic actions; he had all the ingredients that goeth to the making of an honest and gallant man; and he was not only morally honest, but most pious and devout; he offered not sacrifice to the gods for worldly prosperity, but out of pure love, and adoration to the gods; he was a pattern for all others to take example from; his soul was as the breath of gods; and

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.