He fhall rise up at the voice of the bird.

This expreffion being in itfelfeafier than the rest, and having been well understood by most that have confidered this allegory, Ifhall not much infist upon it, I shall only tell you, that it is to be understood of thofe infirmities of age, where by men are altogether unable to take that content and quietnefs, that fleep and nocturnal repofe, which formerly they had used to be refreshed with; there are that earneftly contend to have the latter part tranflated, ad vocem passeris, others would have it, ad gallicantum ; others are content with, ad vocem volucris. For my own part I think it not worth the difpute what this bird is in particular: The general word pleaseth me beft, and the original word, oninem fignificat avem mane furgentem ad garriendum; For the radix is 75 and hath two eminent fignifications, one is, alas habere five evolare; and the other, maturare five mane furgere; and that which elfewhere is tranflated the early morning, Ezek. vii. 10. is from the fame root with this word in the text, fo that if we fay, the early bird, or the bird that is warbling its accustomed note betime in the morning (without defcending to particulars) we shall take in the whole latitude of the fignification of the word, and the full-fcope of this part of the defcription of age; which is nothing else but to

thew

shew how restlefs, and wakeful men are in their old age; fo that that which is said of the abundance of the rich man, may as truly be faid of the infirmity of the old man, it will not fuffer bim to fleep, Eccl. v. 12. In the night time poffibly he may have fome unquiet drowfings, but when the morning approacheth, that time wherein man, in his perfect ftate, taketh the greatest refreshment, and the foundest sleep; then fhall he be broad awake, and rifing up; He shall rise up at the voice of the bird; that is, at that time when they utter their voices; not (as fome have interpreted it) causâ vocis avicula, by reason of the voice of any bird, as the crowing of the cock, or the like, as if the voices of them should wake them from their fleep; for it is not faid, he shall wake at the voice of the bird, but he fhall rife at the voice of the bird, prefupofing his being awake long before, it may be all the night: Befide the enfuing words, as you shall immediately hear, do demonftrate the deafness of old men, and therefore it is not to be thought that they should easily be startled, as it were, and awaked at the voice of any bird; therefore it must of neceffity be understood, as it is elsewhere phrased, At the time when the finging of the birds is come, Cant. ii. 12. Now the time of the finging of the birds may be faid to come annually, or diurnally. The yearly coming of the finging of the birds is in

the

the spring of the year; to which allufion is had in that place of Solomon's Song: And the daily coming of the finging of the birds is in the spring of the day, or very early in the morning; by which time the decrepit old man is very weary of his bed, having in it neither ease, nor fleep. The finging of the birds, and the fighing of old men, are early contemporaries: These are as foon weary of their lodgings, through the pains and wakefulness, that hath attended them in the night season; as they are lifting up their pleasant notes, after their refreshment. Anxiety and trouble of mind, was fo grievous to Ahasuerus, that it is faid, On that night could not the king fleep, Heft. vi. 1. Upon the fame occafion it is faid concerning Darius, His fleep went from him, Dan. vi. 18. Pains and diseases of the body, were so troublesome to Job, that he complains, When I lie down I fay, when shall I arife, and the night be gone, and I am full of toffings to and fro, until the dawning of the day, Job vii. 4. both these joined together in Age, together with that which is worse, namely, the natural drynefs of the brain, and a con sumption of those benign vapours that overcome it in fleep; muft needs produce the like, or more uncomfortable effects. So that the fymptoms hereby indicated unto us are, anxietates animi, inquietudines nocturna, & dolores corporis; and principally the product of them both, which is vigiliæ, ·

I fhould thus pafs hence-from, were there not a grand objection lying hid in the body of this discourse, which upon this occafion doth more apparently difcover its face. It may be here faid, are there not fome contrarieties in this defcription of age, or at least in this interpretation of it? Are there not fome inconfiftent symptoms reckoned up, to make this miferable ftate yet far worse than it is? Were not carus and apoplexia, diseases of overmuch fleep, in the expofition of the fecond verse numbred among the symptoms of age: How therefore comes it to pass that vigilia, or over-much wakefulness, can be an attendant upon the fame condition?

To this I muft anfwer, Were this our fault, it were not ours alone; for fo clear is the cafe, and the truth of it by daily experience fo apparent, that whosoever hath at any time treated of the diseases of age hath constantly enumerated them both, as being not the leaft inconfiftent one with another; and that is, because they are not of the same kind; neceffe eft ut oppofita fint fub eodem genere*. Now sleep, and the abstinence from it, may each of them be confidered either in genere naturali, or in genere præternaturali; there is a natural, there is a diseased or preternatural fleep. And between these there is a vaft difference. Natural

Hippo. 1. 3. Apho. ult. Galen 1. s. c. 6. de fanitate tucnda. Ranchin. De morborum fenum driis.

tural fleep is a wooing of the body and mind to quietness, whereby the benign vapours, by their amicable embraces of the brain, get power of it, for its refreshment: Preternatural fleep is a committing a rape upon the body and mind, whereby the offenfive fuperfluities, by their violent affaults, force the brain to a benummednefs for its deftruction; the fame diametrical difference there is between natural and preternatural wakefulness. Natural waking is when the brain, by its own vigour and strength, doth, Samfon like, arise and shake itself, Judg. xvi. 20. cafting off all thofe exhalations which, having spent their vertue for the refreshment * of the body, are become altogether useless; fo that hence-from all the fpirits of a man are enlivened, As a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoicing as a strong man to run a race, P§. xix. 5. but when the race is run, and the spirits are thereby tired, there is need of a recruit by fleep. So then, when there is in the nature of man a paucity of those pleasant vapours, and an ineptitude in the brain to receive thofe few that are, there must needs follow natural watching or wakefulness. Preternatural waking and watching, on the contrary, are, when there is an external force put upon the brain, either to raise it from fleep, or to keep it so. Now, to apply this diftinction, we must know that fleep and the want thereof are directly contrary one to another, fuppofed always they be