For surely, cousin, I cannot liken my life more fitly now than to
the snuff of a candle that burneth within the candlestick's nose.
For the snuff sometimes burneth down so low that whosoever looketh
on it would think it were quite out, and yet suddenly lifteth up a
flame half an inch above the nose and giveth a pretty short light
again, and thus playeth divers times till at last, ere it be
looked for, out it goeth altogether. So have I, cousin, divers
such days together as every day of them I look even to die, and
yet have I then after that some such few days again as you
yourself see me now to have, in which a man would think that I
might yet well continue. But I know my lingering not likely to
last long, but out will go my snuff suddenly some day within a
while. And therefore will I, with God's help, seem I never so well
amended, nevertheless reckon every day for my last. For though, to
the repressing of the bold courage of blind youth, there is a very
true proverb that "as soon cometh a young sheep's skin to the
market as an old," yet this difference there is at least between
them: that as the young man may hap sometimes to die soon, so the
old man can never live long.
And therefore, cousin, in our matter here, leaving out many things
that I would otherwise treat of, I shall for this time speak but
of very few.
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