Now the affections of men’s minds are imprinted by divers means.  One way is by means of the bodily senses, moved by such things, pleasant or unpleasant, as are outwardly offered unto them through sensible worldly things.  And this manner of receiving the impression of affections is common unto men and beasts.  Another manner of receiving affections is by means of reason, which both ordinately tempereth those affections that the five bodily senses imprint, and also disposeth a man many times to some spiritual virtues very contrary to those affections that are fleshly and sensual.  And those reasonable dispositions are spiritual affections, and proper to the nature of man, and above the nature of beasts.  Now, as our ghostly enemy the devil enforceth himself to make us lean to the sensual affections and beastly, so doth almighty God of his goodness by his Holy Spirit inspire us good motions, with the aid and help of his grace, toward the other spiritual affections.  And by sundry means he instructeth our reason to lean to them, and not only to receive them as engendered and planted in our soul, but also in such wise to water them with the wise advertisement of godly counsel and continual prayer, that they may become habitually radicated and surely take deep root therein.  And according as the one kind of affection or the other beareth the strength in our heart, so are we stronger or feebler against the terror of death in this cause.

And therefore, cousin, will we essay to consider what things there are for which we have cause in reason to master the fearful affection and sensual.  And though we cannot clean avoid it and put it away, yet will we essay in such wise to bridle it at least that it run not out so far like a headstrong horse that, in spite of our teeth, it carry us out unto the devil.

Let us therefore now consider and well weigh this thing that we dread so sore—­that is, shameful and painful death.

XXII

And first I perceive well by these two things that you join unto “death”—­that is, “shameful” and “painful”—­that you would esteem death so much the less if it should come along without either shame or pain.

VINCENT:  Without doubt, uncle, a great deal the less.  But yet, though it should come without them both, by itself, I know well many a man would be for all that very loth to die.

ANTHONY:  That I believe well, cousin, and the more pity it is.  For that affection happeth in very few without the cause being either lack of faith, lack of hope, or finally lack of wit.

Those who believe not the life to come after this, and think themselves here in wealth, are loth to leave this life, for then they think they lose all.  And thence come the manifold foolish unfaithful words which are so rife in our many mouths:  “This world we know, and the other we know not.”  And some say in sport (and think in earnest), “The devil is not so black as he is painted,” and “Let him be as black as he will, he is no blacker than a crow!” with many such other foolish fancies of the same sort.