And that is every man
who, when he dieth, is loth to die and fain would yet live longer
if he could.
Howbeit, cousin, fain would I know who hath told you how small is
the pain in the natural death! As far as I can perceive, those folk
that commonly depart of their natural death have ever one disease
and sickness or another. And if the pain of the whole week or twain
in which they lie pining in their bed, were gathered together in so
short a time as a man hath his pain who dieth a violent death, it
would, I daresay, make double the pain that is his. So he who dieth
naturally often suffereth more pain rather than less, though he
suffer it in a longer time. And then would many a man be more loth
to suffer so long, lingering in pain, than with a sharper pang to
be sooner rid. And yet lieth many a man more days than one, in
well-near as great pain continually, as is the pain that with the
violent death riddeth the man in less than half an hour--unless you
think that, whereas the pain is great to have a knife cut the flesh
on the outside from the skin inward, the pain would be much less if
the knife might begin on the inside and cut from the midst outward!
Some we hear, on their deathbed, complain that they think they feel
sharp knives cut in two their heartstrings.
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