In
his discourses he sometimes came out with a queer bit of erudition. Such
as, while it edified one portion of his congregation, filled the other
with unfeigned amazement.
'We may pray for rain,' said he on one occasion, when the collect had
been read; 'and for other elemental influence with humble confidence.
For if it be true, as the Roman annalists relate, that their augurs
could, by certain rites and imprecations, produce thunder-storms--if it
be certain that thunder and lightning were successfully invoked by King
Porsenna, and as Lucius Piso, whom Pliny calls a very respectable
author, avers that the same thing had frequently been done before his
time by King Numa Pompilius, surely it is not presumption in a Christian
congregation,' and so forth.
On this occasion he warned his parishioners against assuming that sudden
death is a judgment. 'On the contrary, the ancients held it a blessing;
and Pliny declares it to be the greatest happiness of life--how much
more should we? Many of the Roman worthies, as you are aware, perished
thus suddenly, Quintius AEmilius Lepidus, going out of his house, struck
his great toe against the threshold and expired; Cneius Babius
Pamphilus, a man of praetorian rank, died while asking a boy what o'clock
it was; Aulus Manlius Torquatus, a gentleman of consular rank, died in
the act of taking a cheese-cake at dinner; Lucius Tuscius Valla, the
physician, deceased while taking a draught of mulsum; Appius Saufeius,
while swallowing an egg: and Cornelius Gallus, the praetor, and Titus
Haterius, a knight, each died while kissing the hand of his wife.
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