Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/303

 THE FUNERAL 299 simple from falling into the like mistakes ; for some learned and pious men have frequently complained to me that the superstition and wickedness of some few brings a scandal upon the whole order. Ma. This is well and bravely said. But I would fain know what became of Cornelius. Ph. Why, truly, he died as he lived, without troubling anybody. He had an anniversary fever, which took him every year at such a certain time; but being now worse than ordinary, either by reason of age (for he was above sixty years old), or some other cause, finding that his fatal day was drawing on, he went to church upon a Sunday, four days before he died> confessed to the parish priest, heard divine service and the sermon, and having received the sacra- ment, went home. Ma. Had he no physicians 1 Ph. Only one, who was as good in morals as he was in his profession ; his name is James Castrutius. Ma. I know him, as honest a man as any in the world. Ph. He told him he should be ready to serve him in anything he could as a friend, but that, in his opinion, his business lay rather with God than the doctor. Cornelius received his answer as cheerfully as if he had assured him of his recovery. Wherefore, although he had been always very charitable according to his power, yet he then bestowed upon the needy all that he coiild possibly spare from the necessities of his wife and children, not upon such as take a seeming pride in a sort of poverty that are everywhere to be met withal, but upon those good men that oppose a laborious industry to an innocent poverty. I desired him that he would betake himself to his bed, and send for a minister to him, rather than fatigue his weak body. He replied that it had been always his desire rather to make his friends easy where he could, by doing good offices, than to make himself trouble- some to them by receiving, and that he was now willing to die as he had lived. Nor would he take to his bed till the very last day, and part of the last night of his life. In the interim he supported his weak body with a stick, or else sat in a chair, but very rarely went into the naked bed, but lay down in his clothes, his head being raised. And in this time he was either giving orders for the relief of the poor, especially those of his acquaintance and neighbours, or reading something of the scriptures proper to strengthen his faith in God, or that shew His love to mankind. And when he was so tired that he could not read himself, he heard some friend read to him, and would very frequently, and with wonderful affection, exhort his family to mutual love and concord, and the exercise of true piety; comforting his friends, who were solici- tous for his death, with great tenderness, and gave it often in charge to his family to take care to see all his debts paid, Ma. Had he not made a will 1 Ph. Yes, a long time before ; lie had taken care to do that when he was in perfect health ; for he was used to say, that what a man did at his last gasp was rather a dotage than a testament. Ma. Had he given anything to monasteries or poor people? Ph. No, not a cross; I have, says he, already in my lifetime given according to my ability, and now, as I leave the posses- sion of what I have to my family, I leave them the disposing of it too, and I trust that they will employ it better than I have done. Ma. Did he send for no holy men, as George did ? Ph. Not a man ; there was nobody about him but his own family and two intimate friends. Ma. I wonder what he meant by that. Ph. He said he was not will-