A Forest of VARIETIES: Concerning petty Poetry, made more generall in addresse then at first.
Preludium to the first Verses.
IN ancient offerings to Deity, Turtles, Incense, and Flowers have beene acceptable for the zeale of obedience, though of little worth, or advantage; let my respect to your command make the more excusable the worthlesse following lines, which otherwise in my knowledge of the sleightnesse of their stuffe and making should never have presumed to undergoe the weight of your censure: True Turtles you shall find them, full of simple love, and unfurnisht of all Serpentine climbing art of subtilty and knowledge: Incense and Smoake, they are but of the gentlest nature, not far fetcht Aromatiques, troublesome and intoxicating to the brain, but mild as flowers unmedicinall for morality, meere Poseys or Nosegays, gay to the first sense; which if happily you prove them, favour them so far as to give them their passe without further examination, I promise not my self that they shal please, for they please not my selfe; (especially in a serious humour) I know them full of faults, but thinke them not worth the mending. And if to bee an Author of such toyes bee a fault, it is surely doubled to make them too great a businesse. Idlenesse was their mother, which though I pleased my selfe to avoyd by their destroying her in their birth, yet to good judgements they may well bee as ill pleasing, as ill natur'd: If time were mis-spent in them, yet there was not much cast away; for the idle howers of three moneths brought them forth, except some few, the children of little more then my childhood. As they are [Page 2] farre from deserving good opinion, so am I farre from the humour of some so well conceited of such their workes (like Peacocks proud of their feathers) that they are never at an end of their labour, but still with child to utter them: my travell ended with their first birth, and so I hope or with the readers may at the first reading; for if they bee not plaine and easie, it is against my will, which as it wants strength to imitate, so cannot approve the ridling humour lately affected by many, who thinke nothing good that is easie, nor any thing becomming passion that is not exprest with an hyperbole above reason. These tormentors of their owne and their Readers braines I leave to bee admired in their high obscure flight, (while my selfe will bee happy, if I can procure but a familiar delight to a superficiall reading) they affect to shew more wit then love, and in truth so much, that whilst they commend beyond reason, they shew that either they want reason to commend, or their subject to bee commended; like ill ranging Spaniells they spring figures, and ravished with their extravagant fancies, pursue them in long excursions, neglecting their true game and pretended affection: Bee the matter, or the discoursers capacitie never so poore and meane, I ever affect a man that maketh right conclusions. And for my selfe, I would rather bee thought to want invention and knowledge, then judgement and good consequence in what I utter. The Poetry of these times abounds in wit, high conceit, figure, and proportions; thinne, light, and emptie in matter and substance; like fine colored ayery bubbles or Quelque-choses, much o [...]entation and little food; conceits, similes, and allegories are good, so the matter bee carried along in them, and not interrupted by them. Venus is here drawne by her Doves, not Serpents; and as I professe my selfe to want art in all things, so in matters or love I thinke it may bee best spared, as being an affection meerely naturall, and where Art is seldome comely, but authorised with a native disposition; besides, Verses of love are commonly made for women, whose chiefest beautie consists in being unsophisticated by Art, and are the more pleasing in conversation by possessing a free puritie of unadulterated wit. And as wee often see that those women that have bestowed on themselves the most Art and costly dressing, nay many times that have the best proportion, are not yet the most winning: So in Verses there is to bee exprest a naturall spirit and moving ayre (or accent) more alluring and charming the affection, then others of a farre more rich, faire and curious composition. The world in all things is full of Critiques, that are sharpe sighted to reprehend, and will approve nothing but according to their owne rule; (many times out of square) But for my part I hold the same opinion of Verses as of Ayres in Musick, or Houses, that let them bee delightfull and pleasant to the first appearance with conveniency to the designe, and for the fantasticated rules of Art, Architecture, and proportion, let them observe them that list: and commonly who most affects them, most failes in the generall delightfulnesse and use. Poetry is in truth a kind of Musick, [Page 3] the fable of Orpheus expressed as much; Musick hath its Anthems, Pavens, Fantesies, Galliards, Courantoes, Ayres, Sarabands, Toyes, Cromatiques, &c. And Verses have their Hymmes, Tragedies, Satyres, Heroiques, Sonets, Odes, Songs, Epigrams, Distiques, and Strong lines, which are their Cromatiques, and of themselves may bee excellent in their Art; but long dwelt upon grow harsh and distastefull. The commandements and preceptives are none of the poeticall parts of Scripture. Though I am no part of a Scholar, yet thus much by casuall opening of books I know, that Horace in matter of love hates difficulty: and though I beleeve it an imitation of his abrupt and harsh veine in his more serious peeces, that upon the worthinesse of his name and matter, hath debaucht many from the formerly used, more open, familiar and pleasing manner of versifying; yet I finde that even himselfe (howsoever either naturally or affectedly rugged, except his Lyrick veine) when hee uttereth his judgement, or prescribeth to others concerning measured compositions, no man is more frequent in recommendation of a round, current, cleare and gracefull delivery: but what his morall, solid and satyrick matter dispenst with, is in slighter stuffe intolerable: there shall you find the rough hands, but not the voyce and substance; let them rather imitate his best, then his worst. It cannot bee good in limited lines, which are a purposed pause to the voyce, to carry with a counter-time the period of the sense to the body of the next line, much lesse to dismember an innocent word, that every child according to nature, and use, in spelling would put together; and words have a naturall ayre, accent, and quantitie, whence to strayne them is to rack both them and the reader: Who will set himselfe to daunce, or his horse to manage, let him seeke to observe good time, ayre, and fashion: no man is fit for all things; whose Genius was borne for prose, let him write prose, rather then affecting Verse to make such unnaturall stuffe, as shall bee good neither. I pity both in my selfe and others to see the best of our matter in one place so extreamly prest, that it is a labour to discover it, and yet in another part of the same peece slight and superfluous stuffe dilated at large. A Poet should raise light from smoak, not blow that which is light with him to carry but smoak to another.King Iames. I am of his Majesties mind, that the best eloquence is to make our selves clearely understood, and that to him who hath leasure, there need no abbreviations: I had rather pay for a little more paper then to bee put to the cost of my braine.Sir Philip Sidney. The admirable inventions and matter of your unimitable Uncles extant works flourish in applause of all, by a happy and familiar display of their beauties to the meanest, including withall such generositie of truely and profoundly extracted conceit to the most inward life of whatsoever hee expresseth, that the strongest and clearest seeing judgements may rest satisfied, yea transported in contemplation of the most lively and pleasing touches that a soule can apprehend, or a pen distill. Yet somewhat more to authorise my selfe, Lipsius [Page 4] upon perspicuity holds it the greatest misery in writing, not onely not to be understood, but to be understood with difficulty: and the sharp-witted Hunc vol [...] qui fiat non sine pane s [...] tur. Martial in contempt of the more formall and severe censurers and Writers, professeth that hee would have his verses need neither an Apollo, nor Grammarian; and howsoever some may deny him to be exact, himself in his entertainments affects rather to please his Guests then Cooks. Verses of love should be verses of pleasure, & to please in love, the smoother fac'd the better.
I may be crabbed and rugged, but will never affect to bee so, especially in verses, whose true nature and use is to worke a kind of a Charme upon the mind, even with slightnesse of matter, by the well wrought and exquisite harmony of their Cadence, and sound: There being to be transfused into verse sometimes such a naturall spirit of magnanimity, sometimes such a soft, wanton, and melting aire of passion, that the one shall never faile to affect a generous and heroick mind, nor the other to work a kind of tender and relenting disposition in a sensible and well-natur'd constitution; neither of which shall easily be seene effected from a harsh and rude (though never so witty) an expression: for as in persons, so in Verses; some, let them meane never so lovingly, shall yet by their naturall verjuyce be ever out of the way of Bacchus and Venus. But in point of obscurity, in some sort to excuse my selfe with others, I feare wee all often unwillingly incurre the errour of it by thinking our meaning as open to others, as to our selves, when indeed the Characters of our expression are fully supplyed by our owne understanding to our selves, whilst to others they are lamely contracted and imperfect. Thus much I have been bold to write, not onely to excuse a poore Mother wit, but somewhat to give a passe upon their strange and uneasie habit, who I doubt not but they will have many a gird at my easie and naturall nakednesse; I meane those lofty dimme shooting Archers, whom I wish to remember, that hee who shootes highest, shootes not ever nearest the marke; and hee that may walke in the light, is to bee suspected for choosing the darke. Now (Madam) I grant that all I can write (especially what these lines containe) is but vanity and a most idle vanity; yet thus farre I will excuse both the writing and the reading, that all the world is little better: wee often condemn vaine pleasures, and remember not that the most things the best of us most seriously doe, have indeed no other end. For God being served and nature sustained, what fruit proceeds from our authority, learning, wealth, policy, and earnest intent to profit, but to satisfie our impulsive affections, which either propound to themselves a felicity whereof they faile in the possession, or seeke to divert by such imployments the dulnesse and otherwise obtruding miseries of their condition? which if you please to consider, you will the more excuse many pursuers of lawful and naturall delights, and value those pleasures at the better rate which are most perdurable and communicable. May the following wanton (but as modest Babes as their Mother Venus could produce) though they cannot profit, yet afford some delight [Page 5] light to that your Worthy well furnish't mind, to which I wish all happinesse that ever Noble nature possest, or can possesse. I must yet bee so much longer, as to crave pardon for my unintended and I feare unpleasant length, it is the vice of writing to bee endlesse; thus hath my enmity to obscurity brought forth tediousnesse, yet not so much, but that all this may bee sooner read, then some one passage of our Night pieces understood: they had need afford profitable stuffe, who utter it at so hard a rate. I wish your Ladiships authority would so abate the price that our poorer abilities might hold trade without straining. And seeing I am upon the Theame of verses, whither I meane not shortly to returne, I humbly crave your favour after my fashion, disorderly to say thus much more, that howsoever some of the stricter sort approve onely of verses so close, usefull, and substantially woven, that there must bee neither list, loosenesse, nor the least superfluity of words: for my part, I am not of that strict order, nor ever yet saw it observed in any Author. Nature hath mingled stalkes with flowers, and Huskes with Corne, and hath raised ornament from our excrementiciall haires: conceits and matter over-crusht, afford commonly as little grace as pleasure; and to write all in abbreviations, would take indeed les [...]e room, but much more time and trouble. A Geneva print weakens the sight, nor is it good to hold your bow ever bent, or your horse streight rained. Sometimes amongst pithy and tough lines I thinke it not amisse to interpose one of an easie [...]traine, like resting places in lofty staires, to ease the Reader. Some fluency of weak water helpes the better in nourishment to convey what is more solid. Lamp-oile yeelds no good savour nor in sallet nor verse. Difficilia quae pulchra, is to bee understood of the attaining, and not the exercising of faculties. You know how it is said of Poems, that they should bee such, ut sibi quivis speret, idem sudet frustraque laboret ausus ide [...]. Strong lines may bee drawne on with Cartropes, but the fairest have generally an easie birth. It is rare for anything to be well and hardly performed. The French expression, A Deliure, implyes as well perfectnesse, as facility and dexterity. There may bee imployed such an extraordinary (yet gentle) finenesse of conceit, and Conclusions so designed, wrought, limned and coloured, touches so bold, covert allegories and subtilties so neat, Epithets so materiall, Metaphors and ambiguities so doubly fine, as shall bee more masterlike then more sententious, sublime, abstruse, and strong appearing lines. Worth of matter and conception supposed, nothing more commends a piece then termes well chosen, proper, lively, and significant, with a free comming on, and as free a close and conclusion. Also a faire, cleare and even thorough carriage with well wrought joints and connexions gives credit to the workman. I love as much a great deale of force and depth couched in one word, as I hate little in many. VVe ordinarily write and speake the same things and notions, and to the same purpose, but infinitely differ in the delivery and expression; some proceed in a stuttering confused obliquity, groping as in a mist or darknesse; some goe more directly [Page 6] and exhibit their Idea's and conceptions with so cleare and distinct a light, illustrations, instances, demonstrations, enforcements, and arguments so pertinent, perspicuous and concluding, that the understanding and assent are captivate beyond evasion or subterfuge. Sophistry and figures may appeare fine and witty, but prevaile little upon the best judgements: Reason must convince the intellectuall soule. May I write clearly and strongly, rather then finely and artificially; hence is the difference of elocution, hence of perswasion, the one is light and aery, the other weighty and solid; most lovely and commanding is the beauty of a faire ingenuous and rich soule fairely mounted, and armed upon well shaped and unanimously received vertue, goodnesse and reason. Verses are then good, when turned to prose they hold a faire and currant sense, and when translated into another language, there is such mastery found in their conception by the advantage of what is genuine unto them, that there will bee either more words or lesse conceit and matter. The priviledge they have over common phrase, consists in the warranted becomming ornament of a lofty well ordered spirit, and wantonnesse, such as shall make toyes passe for Jewels, and give to what of it selfe is precious, an acquisite lustre of workmanship beyond what prose can beare, and that in little room; Their voice is more constrained, and consequently more shrill and piercing. Nor is it in writing the least perfection (howsoever it hath found little observation) so to order and contract our expressions, that one well adopted word may run into, and govern many of diverse and strong sense) for nothing gives more pleasure and satisfaction to a diligent inquisitive and judicious Reader, then much matter and conceit compendiously digested with sufficiency of perspicuity. To conclude, lines of a farre fetcht and labour'd fancy with allusions and curiosity, and in similes of little more fruit or consequence, then to ravish the Reader into the writers fine Chamaeleon colours, and feed him with aire, I approve not so much, as heighth and force of spirit sententiously and weightily exhibited; wit needs not rack it self where matter flowes; embroderies become not a rich stuffe; and art is best exprest where it least appeares.
A strong wing is to be preferred before a painted, and good [...]ense and matter elegantly delivered before extravagancy of fancy and conceit; such unnaturall impertinency serves rather to shadow then illustrate, to overwhelme then set forth the subject: as well apposite as accurate writing is the Authorsglory.
Postscript upon occasion of the then young Princes pretended desire to have sight of the following Poems.
ANd here under pardon to conclude with this further defence of Love the subject of this little work, but taking it more large and high I find love to be the most worthy object of the best and most generous dispositions, and none but maligne natures that addresse not their thoughts towards it: for what good and worthy mind hath its being, that is not bent as upon its felicity either to the love of women the most naturall, of men the most noble, or above all of God the most happy and rewardfull? Whither else tend all our studies of comlinesse, of glory, and noble actions of charity and good deeds? Wherein can man so well resemble his great Creator as by worth and goodnesse to win love? what more noble end can any man have to study vertue and perfection, then thereby to win affection and praise, the reward and food of vertue, and tribute of God? Nay, love the essence of God, the good spirit and wings of the soule, the Mother, Child, and finall cause of Beauty, the begetter and maintainer of the world, the life of life: by love the Sunne shines, and the earth brings forth, by love is society and commerce maintained, by love the soule dwels with the body, and God with the soule; by love nature ever works for our preservation, when the body and almost the soule are laid in sleep. Admirable love! without thee life is hatefull, man but a wolfe to man, the world a second Chaos; For thy sake alone, who affectest not a decaying Mansion, I apprehend losse by growing old, yet thus againe am I comforted by thy most divine power, that thou never abandonest the dwelling of goodnesse, and art successively fruitfull over all the good works of nature to the worlds period: so that to the vertuous, where the love of women failes, the love of men begins, and where that by the withering imperfections of age grows cold, (as the aire to a setting Sunne) there, for our supreame and infinite comfort, begin to shine most clearly the beames of that divinest love, (which before were too much intercepted by the sensualities and passions of our younger yeares) to make us therein eternally happy by that operation of love, and contemplation of beauty, which at the last must be our soules immortall food and joy.
Advertisement upon the first Verses.
I am not ignorant that who keepes the common road, falls not into the incumbrances incurred by them who search or by or nearer wayes: Writing is a by-path of life, I am yet ingaged to it, but hope shortly to get out, and by the way I give you this Antidote and Rapsody of praecaution and true information concerning the following pieces. The reason why I retaine and expose them with others, is not so much that I esteem them worthy of view or life, as that they were many yeares since Copyed and spread abroad beyond my knowledge then, and are now beyond my power to recall: they are more Chaffe then Corn, fitter to bee ventilated, blown away, and play in the aire, then vented in any Market and commerce of wit and censure: they are incorrect, if not incorrigible; yet I consent to leave them, and many other my pieces, such as they are, to represent unto me the difference 'twixt then and now. To attempt to perfect them were to dispersonate their youth and hasty nature, and fall into the much frequented stage [Error] of putting stronger lines, and more conceited and elaborate elegancy into weake mouths and strong passions; then well comporteth with them; let their youth and genuine conception plead their pardon. You shall mistake them if you often conceive them not rather the off-spring of fancy then passion. But take them at the worst, they have something of reason and serious in them: and the errours of love are not so foule, as the love of errour; nor is it impertinent to perswade love in them who have constrained it in you; and love may bee such, as to become no lesse justifiable then naturall. Love is in truth of divers kinds, ever an Ebullition of the liver: sometimes it is made and forced upon us, sometimes wee weave and foole our selves into it, sometimes it proceeds from gratitude and good nature of gratification. It is generally the child of weaknesse, as well as of idlenesse: witnesse my selfe in my childish youth and Melancholy humour. A vigorous gayety of the heart and mind taken up and busie in other affections and entertainments hardly admits it. It is a sad confinement, a disease like womens longing, where the violent appetite of one object, no better then the rest, gives relish to that alone, whilst a right and undistasted apprehension of every thing in the true kind is the much better and sounder constitution: and as in longing after such or such a morsell, the consideration is carried by the fancy and tast, which have no rule but themselves: or as at Table, the hearty approbation of some one dish is a provocation to others appetites: so in love. And as most Dogs will often strive to get away anothers bone, though otherwise little desired, or when a morsell is offered to bee snatched [Page 9] from them, grow greedy of that which before they neglected; so in affections; I leave the application. Sometimes as love hath been tearmed a warfare, so is brave Conquest made ambition; too many make it their felicity, and effeminately bend all their affections towards it; Sometimes it is taken up for a fashion, and to be in fashion is in idle times of no small importance to idle and gallant persons: Sometimes like Coqualuchios and Epidemicall diseases, it may much proceed from the disposition of the Ayre; as in other kind wee may observe of quarrells that they seldome go alone; Our poore volatile ayery affections are strongly wrought upon as well from outward as inward incentives, winds, and Aspects.
The first accesse of love is not ever by the eyes, it hath often a strong foundation and preocupation begotten at the eare; when a noble heart takes impression of a well lodged reputation, eminent in fame, vertue, generalitie of love and applause attending it, there is it already halfe as much subdued as it is ambitious to possesse and subdue: to complete, I acknowledge the approbation of the eye for a requisite concomitant. To draw and quicken, sometimes the saying of the shadow is usefully true, it flies what followes, and pursues what seemes to retire and flie.
Whether love bee most naturall betweene differing or sutable complections may as well bee a question, as the old rule of friendship to consist amongst equalls hath been lately controlled. But as friendships are conceived most firme in such relation and tye, as there may bee a dependency wrought either by a reciprocation of mutuall benefits and advantages, or where at least the good and fortune of the one relies and fastens it selfe upon the other: So if the fantasticall existence of love receive not a fixation from some more solid root and consideration, such as growes either from a rationall and deliberate election, or from such like sympatheticall proportion of mind, vertue and affections; it will bee easily subject to scatter and blow away in the lightnesse of the soyle that produced it. It is a fantastique and hardly to bee concluded on by reason; but wee generally see it is specificall, as betweene vipers and other creatures in their kind. And certainly there is a self-love raigning in us, which will not well permit a quick viperine highgusted spirit to fancy one of a dull and flegmatique temper. Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight, is as false as fine; circumstance and opportunities more often beget it: and love, to shew its extravagant power, ordinarily graffs it selfe upon the stock of an unfavourable, prejudiciall and crabbed opinion. As there is great difference betwixt What will you give, and What will you take: so is there in seeking and making love, or being found and made to it. Wise men are said to make more opportunities then they find, but in love it holds the other way. True love is as passive as active, and it is the height of its true art, to moderate it selfe, as to love and bee wise. How blind and unreasonable soever it is supposed (as I have otherwhere said) a fair, kind and sutable object hath much [Page 10] to alledge why it ought to bee loved, and it is a peculiar prerogative of faith to transcend our reason; you see I affect to write rather obscurely then full and largely (what you stick upon to conceive, may stick the better with you.) I have often pitied to see not onely the most beautifull of creatures, but the fairest and kindest natures most subject to the excesse, and vitious fruite of their love and kindnesse; there is belonging to them a kind of goodnesse, being as well affected in a gratification of others, as the naturall pleasure respecting onely themselves. It is as happy that divine and humane Lawes have circumscribed us herein, as it is miserable to see how nature by a gallantry of custome hath shaken off her fairer, richer girdles and bracelets so farre as to become relapsed into her naked native current common with other creatures, almost drowned in her owne whirlpoole; and neglecting all other lessons of vertue, honour and Religion; men may ordinarily learne from women a strength beyond their ordinary in maintaining themselves above the vanitie and levitie of resenting impression from admiring and affecting eyes; you may attribute it to their honour lying at stake one way, as ours another: but well considered, men as well in honour as fortune prove the greater losers by such intanglings; perfection of one may bee imperfection in another. But here let the most unlovely natures and contemners of love find this Take this other Paradox, that the faire [...]t are often the chastest: for loving beauty in the abstract, how ever they may please their nature and humour in giving way to a parc [...]l entertainm [...]nt of many affections, yet r [...]st they often satisfied in a pendulous suspensive power and glory, by an equilibrious distraction, which others missing more abandon themselves to the concrete. Paradox, that there is none of them all so clay or kay cold, but despit [...] of their rigid perverse discourse and disposition (I except impotent, maleficiat, aged, and sickly frigidity) if they meet with a right, a kind, and courting subject, and bee plyed with warme cloathes, it shall put them into such a heate as birds feele in the Spring, or Deere in the Autumne; yet this I grant, that very many not incapable of love wander all their lives without meeting a true steele to their flint, or a fatall constellation of the heavenly and earthly stars to their inflammation. You know the proverbe of marriage and hanging, and old sayings are somewhat authentique; Fate may bee easilier slighted then avoyded. Gamesters may think to counter-shuffle Fortune out of her course, when the poore fooles become in truth her Instruments to shuffle themselves into her noose. Reason and discourse were not given to us (I confesse) in vaine, and they are to bee imployed according to good discretion, yet such as will leave nothing to fortune are not ever the most successefull: As men in ships conceit the earth to move when it is themselves, so wee may wittily thinke wee leade and fetter fortune, which in spight of our wisedome will prove our guide and steerer. There are to us in our courses (as to Pilots at Sea) certaine insensible currents that force us out of our propounded way and scope.
The universall agent is the great and prime wheele, by whose motion all thoughts, actions, and events are commanded. It is hee [Page 11] who turnes (Ille ego qui quondam) from Mantua to Troy or Rome, and so it gratiously pleased him to convert my Muse by a better to a better nature. St. Paul made us witnesses of his, and I am contented by an equall Communication of both kinds to make you witnesses of my better conversion. That Eternall and Melior natura I implore to instruct mee to distinguish betwixt him and man, true or false, Piety and Charitie, to preside mee in all my courses, and leade mee in his trust to him, in whom alone is all true f [...]licitie. Amen, Amen.
[Page 12]1638.
AVRORA.
To winne her from resolving upon a Cloyster'd life, in whom love is conceived to bee yet predominant.
Song.
Song.
To her who shut him in her Closet to breake his hearing of her singing in her upper Chamber, with her Teacher, made upon the instant to perswade her to bee more free.
Vpon a Brayd of haire.
A FANCIE.
Made in imitation of a Sonnet in Ronsard.
Postscript.
My farewell to Catlidge. By M. G.
Condolement upon occasion of the preceding Verses received from another Author.
MY other selfe in my affections and sufferings, with whom more then all the world I delight to converse present and absent, such satisfaction in the way of knowledge, conference, ingenuity, and Religious vertue I no where else expect; common conversations, especially such as these times produce, are to me as full of Soloecisme as the time it selfe, they invite mee not abroad; they have no influence upon mee, either to quicken, extract, or fructifie. Some are knowing, but not trusty; others simply, but inconversably good: there is scarce any thing left perfect, complete, [Page 58] or in any tolerable order now shee is gone whom we lament. Pardon my present manner of writing: for as it is to you, so is it onely for you: and my great confidence in you makes mee as incurious, as free and open. Though I am at this time unfit to write, though my sonne lies under the disease and danger which hath bred our passion: Though I am none of the best conceited of writing, for the little good effect I finde from it (wee live by chance more then by the booke, and the best praises are every day poetically applyed to vulgar merit and the writers glory) though I have resolved to leave it more then needs must; yet to supply what I was yesterday saying to you in acknowledgement of the happinesse I found in you in the middest of my losse and griefe, such as I reckon another Phoenix unto mee, for wee will in the flames and spices of our Recordations still raise her up, and keepe her alive to our soules eyes, such as whilst wee live I beg leave of you to love, seeke to enjoy, and make my selfe yours with a consecration of mee and mine unto you. Excuse mee if I am or have beene defective in entertaining you according to your worth, and that I am of no more worth to bee entertained into such place in your affections as I affect: And let my valuation and affection to her that hath left us, and whom you best (if not alone) know how to value, intercede and make supply with you in my behalfe. But whither goe I? I seeme to put on an affectednesse and complementalnesse farre beyond what I intended: for my meaning (next the giving you some account and thanks for the verses you put into my hand at my parting) is, onely in a tumultuary precipitate fashion to let you see how my imagination was apt to worke, and what (with infinite more) I could have laid hold on, if I had not deserted both the formall following of my fancy and writing. Time is a dryer up of Radicall and other moysture, and I reckoned my selfe as unapt to weepe as a statue. Nature hath provided teares and showers for a mitigation and dissolution to heate and violence of passion and stormes, and as violence is incapable of duration, and reason and judgement with time recollect themselves, teares thinking they have plaid their part give way to full and cleare discourse, and cease in the stronger spirits. Yet such power and so moving were your lines upon mee; that entertaining my self the most part of the way upon them, not onely every reading but severall clauses raised severall stormes and showers on my heart and cheeks. So see we marble statues weep either in present sympathy with the weather, or in future presage. And I pray God the future sufferance of that family (whereof by interest of blood I have the honour to make a part) exceed not the present sense in this inestimable losse. I was by the way like an Aprill day, according as the Sun-shine and clouds of your spirit disposed mee. Sometimes I suffered in an apprehension, that according to your title of a farewell to the place, you might bee become like others disaffected, and abhorring all relations and circumstances to your griefe, and so to my self: but therein againe you happily [Page 95] and favourably cleared mee. Sometimes I became transported in your lively representations of her worth, and transcendent happinesse of excellencie both in this and the better world: But presently as much dejected and overwhelmed in your patheticall expressions and sense of her losse. But in conclusion I found you like your selfe, as full of obligation as payment, to mee as infinitely beyond my merit, as in your owne conceipt short towards her, in what you owe, and her vertue may challenge. My fancy wrought upon returning a farewell to Lees: I had cause and matter more then enough, as the breeder and true cause of that which hath been most unhappily translated to this unhappy place: but considerations as due restraine mee. As I said, I resolve to deny my fancies their full birth or Trym; I can no sooner entertaine halfe a thought of writing upon her for a subject, but I become opprest with a croud of matter, conceptions, and materiall Ingeniosities, that offer their service, and presse upon mee so importunate, that if I presently give them not a birth they threaten they will neither ever bee found of mee againe, nor that I shall ever finde so good: I seeme carelesse as never despairing of my fancy where shee is the subject; Nay such is the plentie and treasure of her materialls as scorne the helpe of fancy, and require no more but a reasonable Recorder and Register. What an unmatchable fortune hath Lees been blest with in two wives! the one the first to the father, the other to the sonne: The one like a Romulu [...], the other like a Num [...] to Rome; What a foundation of estate, vertue, and beautie brought the one? What an Oeconomy besides portion, Alliance, vertue, beautie, and Religion, the other? Candish was her name, but most Candid her soule and condition. The enfolded Serpent is her Crest, most proper to her excellent discretion and judgement, which was as naturall, as her Dove-like innocency acquisite unto her. Whatsoever in her condition was to bee wished other, was fatally accidentall. Her perfections were all her owne, nor was there any perfection wanting in her, if not of not being her owne enough. It is too unhappy, and frequent an incident to goodnesse to bee too indulgent to others, and not to give themselves their due. Time had not hardned her to endure a hardnesse of time and fortune; if there can be an excesse in goodnesse and charitie it was in her, naturall, morall, and divine vertues contended in her for precedencie. But as well her death as life witnest her charitie in its true prerogative to outgoe them all. Shee was matched to a field of crosses, shee converted them all to a blessing upon her soule, and would have done upon the family, had not unlucky disease and death prevented; Shee was an Echo of her mothers name and vertues, and that as full as numerous. I may crave pardon of her soule, and you for writing thus rashly and hastily upon so pretious, so daintie, and sacred a subject; my study must be to stop and containe my selfe, as others use to worke and labour their braine and fancie for invention. Shee neither was nor is as other women, death [Page 60] that was ever gastly and hideous to me in others is to behold in her a piece of sweetnesse and excellence: Her memory and whatsoever represents it (except her sad misfortune and Catastrophe) is all perfume, all rapture unto me; Were I not strongly instructed in Religion, I could not forbeare a continued veneration, and addresse unto her as the Saint of my soule. Great griefes indeed are not allowed a tongue, nor can they at first finde one, nor ever a due adaequate and full one: But it were a kind of Sacriledge to rob the world in the due testimony of so divine a worthinesse, and our sorrowes tribute at least in some proportion. This is the miserable constitution of mortalitie, who will be indolent must be stupid and without affections; if we will love much (vertue or whatsoever) we must be contented to subject our serles to over-flowing sorrow, it never had a fairer, truer or juster occasion. But I will abruptly breake off at this time that sense and prosecution, which shall otherwise neither fade nor expire in me. And to conclude with you to whom I began; The first passage of your Verses, though I answer it not in kind, where you mention the crookednesse and unproportionable lownesse of one part of my house, that where that noblest of soules left this unsutable and unworthy world, I meane in monument and memory of her to raise, and grace the lower side thereof to such a decoration, as (though nothing can become the occasion) shall not be unworthy of the neighbouring Piles; And that (for all your farewell) I hope you will often become an eye-witnesse unto. The lines I gave you yesterday, you finde by their disguise, were intended as a concealement, and so to bee kept (and therefore covered) Let this letter also remaine with you as under seale of
I Have formerly wondred at Montagne (whom you lately instanced unto mee) that in his Essayes hee often takes a title and writes little upon it: I finde it now in my selfe, I propose to my selfe one thing, and other occurring matter and fancy possesse and carry mee away, my writings become Oleos, which, if like others you affect varietie, I hope you will the rather pardon: Even now the entrance to my letter hath been as well diversion as matter unto mee; It is received that wee should write as wee would speake, my speech to you would bee without formalitie, why should I debate with my selfe how to entitle you at the beginning of my letter? to superiours and personages of great respect and little familiaritie I grant it decent and necessary, to [Page 61] others there is a kind of odnesse in it, which showes not well, you were ne're the lesse welcome unto mee as were my other friends in your company at our meales, though I saluted you not with my cup; It is to many especially inferiours more trouble and interruption then gratification, there is meanes sufficient otherwise to expresse our good affections, and I see not but why as well our kissing salutes as that might bee antiquated and left: kissing is a kind and degree of copulation, which should bee and is so observed by the greatest and wisest nations more elective and private. A Lady of wit and qualitie whom you well knew, would never put her selfe to the chance of a Valentine, saying, that shee would never couple her selfe, but by choyce. The custome and charge of Valentines is not ill left, with many other such costly and idle customes, which by a tacit generall consent wee lay downe as obsolete, onely with God wee grow more ceremonious, except in the Lords Prayer, where I know not why wee are growing to leave out the doxology, though St. Matthew the leading Evangelist hath it at large, and so have wee been brought up to it: What may the people conceive of our former stile in Prayers and Religion, if they shall bee occasioned to thinke they have not till now enjoyed so much as the right use of our Pater noster? Wee are also in our Creed growne more familiar with Pontius Pilate, hee must now be Ponce, and why not as well Iulius Caesar Iuly? Quantulacunque estis, vos ego magna voco. As I said to some, none of the most obscure of our Ecclesiastiques, who blamed the Puritans for troubling the people with abstruse points and novelties, that there was order enough to bee taken with them, so that themselves upon whom wee have no coertion would let us bee quiet, and that my selfe who had been long learning the hard lesson of Religion and conscience would bee loath to bee set to seek in my older dayes. So can I not but still continue it my prayer, as it is said to have been once used at Pauls Crosse, that it will please God to make our temporaltie more spirituall, and spiritualty lesse temporall. God is a Spirit, and decency of worship is all that is required in Christianitie. Abundance of ceremonies were a loade to the Jewes, and the exercise of Religion more by the outward senses then the inward, is too much the way of Rome and a visible object of adoration. The time was when my charitie led mee, to wish Churchmen might agree amongst themselves, and shine to us in their good Ill living Preachers like evill Cowes, kick downe the milk they give. example, which would (sans Ceremonie) best supply all wants that they finde in our devotion. But now they put me to pray and thinke it no small happinesse that my self may be quiet in the wayes of God; There is a disturbance in all changes though to the better, and often might better bee forborne. You see how prone I am to fall upon the Church, wee cannot travell but a Church will come in our way; are you not affraid it will prove to mee as is written of Christ, that hee is such a stone, that who [Page 62] falls upon him shall be broken, and whom hee falls upon, it will grinde him to pouder? I have, you know, of late been at some cost with Churches within and without, I had ill fortune betwixt St. Paul and St. Gregory, I am yet as conformable as any, how long I shall continue so upon further alterations I know not, I love not to bee put to my bearing, I hope I shall not; The abundance of my heart will say something, and I have often fallen upon some touches of this discourse in the confused peeces which you obliged me to take into your view and consideration. If Church-men will doe things scandalous and unwelcome to us, they must expect to heare something unwelcome to themselves; I professe to honour nothing more then a good, and abhorre nothing more then a bad Christian amongst them. I have met with some friends who have prest mee to the presse; over-flattering me that it were pitie my conceptions should extinguish in a private Copy or two, and that I may otherwise be wronged either alive or dead by some false publication: I cannot become perswaded therein, I suspect fame and abhorre vulgar censure, I am conscious of my precipitation and Crudities, and will not give the silly and malitious world a priviledge to arraigne me; Besides, our Clergy preside and over-rule Printing, and will disallow all that conduceth not to their owne advantage; Be my intentions never so good, the Arke must Yet divers passages of the New Testament give such high priviledges to the child of faith as come little short of the Priesthood, whether for illumination or powers. not bee touched with prophane hands, they will bee p [...]rty and judge, Unicuique in sua Arte, Religion and all that belongs to it is a Noli me tangere to the laity, more then to obey: The Tables of policy and government are bound up against such stragling writers as I; let truth be what it will, I shall be contemned and condemned. They are our Pastors, we the Pecus, yet is our conscience too much accompanied with science to go as every Clarke will drive. They have the keyes of the Church, they will in some sense bee alone privatively and exclusively, the Church, Saint Paul gives the title of Church to a particular family, Saint Peter also, &c. though it was not so in Noahs Arke, where the eight persons cumulatively made it; they will now bee Church and Chancell, whatsoever our Saviour said of Sabbath, wee must rather bee instituted for them, then they for us; yet in the time of the Patriarchs we reade of no such Hierarchy: all we can say or write is Apocryphall, their sayings are onely Canonicall; Let my zeale and charitie be what it will it is blind, it is indiscreet farther then conformable to them, and their charitie begins at home, they cannot, they must not erre or bee in the wrong: Yet if you will rightly consider, they shall finde that naturally the more they assume, the more wee shall examine and yeeld the lesse unto them. I wish them all their due, and more then a competencie, but I finde nothing more frequent in the old and new Testament then invectives against their preachings more for themselves and their owne bellies then God and his truth. I make too bold with them, I must either not come in print or passe their spunge, their Castrations, expungings and expurgatories. If I print not, I shall [Page 63] bee rob'd; Plagiaries will make me after a while come too late to call my owne, my owne, ye [...] will I as willingly consent to my robbing, as guelding; Transcribings are most troublesome and injurious, but I will bee content with a few witnesses like your self to doe me right upon occasion, and keep me alive in your memory and affection. To you I submit my self, I give your pen as great power over me, as to my owne. I have been told since you left mee, that you found the concluding verse of my Lady Riches Epitaph (which like this letter was of a most sudden composition) somewhat flatter then the rest, my self judged no lesse, it first concluded thus,
Had Death had eyes hee had not been so Cruell.
But I thought it too light and licenciously Poeticall for such a subject; I love not excessive Hyberboles, much lesse over bold and prophane expressions. I deceive my self if I give not a temperament therein beyond the ordinary; though neatnesse, form, beauty and fancy work as sensibly upon me, as upon others; yet have I never willingly complyed farther with them, then as I finde them to comport with conveniency and other good respects. I affect to write more reason then conceit. I hope shortly to enjoy you farther, and refresh my self in your company this winter at London, indeavouring to avoid the sadnesse of this place, and the approaching season. What with the sight of my Sons extreamity, lying as I thought (and little lesse it was then) strugling with death; and what with the immediate preceding heavy losse of that incomparable Lady in the same my unhappy house, I am confident that since I was a child, so many teares have not been drawn from me. I want comfort and diversion; but I almost despaire to finde them. I have long since lost the best and dearest of my conversations, my fate hath been such, that I have seldome failed to finde distaste and discomfort from whatsoever I have most pretiously affected: such conversation as can give me contentment, is so rare, and out of my way to enjoy, that I can little flatter my self therein. You were a witnesse at your last being with mee of a most extravagant and undue distaste cast upon me; God in all my course hath blessed me with a great portion of charity to passe over offences, to construe and hope the best; my discretion may be something questioned in my patience, but I chose the better and more Christian part. If I once become lost, I am hardly recovered; who well considers humane frailty, will the better beare it: wee are little better then halfe witted; it is good to be circumspect, but we are not thorough sighted. I would the very texts of Scripture and Aphorisms of State were not too frequently taken by halfs, my writings are but parings and scrapings, (I mean in respect of matter, for I neither skim nor copy others) I dive not to the bottome of my selfe. I had need gather something, as I doe, whilest I write and scatter, for I lose much of my own fancy by the way. I take not time to consider [Page 64] and digest, I hope you will as hastily read me. Time and the pillow are excellent Counsellors. Sudden resolutions are subject to imperfection and repentance. Serious, deep and iterated ruminations are troublesome chiefly to impatient spirits, and the lighter sort are incompetent and incapable to undergoe them; even the most intent and solid minds shall be often occasioned to say, Had I thought or knowne. Men addicted either to delights or much employment, have neither leisure nor patience to give weighty and implicate deliberations their full and due examinations: how often have I tost a consideration, as I thought, on every side, and in all its aspects, and yet found new and important discovery upon return! Though the Spaniard be often a loser in not taking the advantage of present opportunities, yet his constancy and patience in timing, maturing, and pursuing his deliberations and designes makes much for them and their ends; their severall bodies of Counsels, for severall Kingdomes and affaires, are of great effect: Our late practised peculiarity of delegations and Committees, with a choice respect to the wits, capacities and experience of selected persons and junto's, are greatly to be approved. Trades and professions must of necessity be more exact in such Countries, where as we find it written they are lineally continued. If the Art of Physick were distributed, as to Oculists one part, so other parts and diseases had severall professors, particularly to attend them, their Anatomy and cure, though it savour of the Emperick, it might be much more happy unto us. But what make I then so busie out of my Province? a Justice of Peace, as some will think, is the utmost of my calling: Yes, a Gentleman is a little of every thing, and peaceablenesse in Gods service concernes every man; Mountaines are as well surveyed and judged from below, as vallies from above, and an impartiall by-stander may often see more then the Gamesters. It is more then time that I untie your attention from my importunity and trash: it is to me lesse trouble to write as it were without thinking, then to think without writing; possibly an active life like yours would prove more easie and healthfull to mee, then either of both; but I must take my self as I am, and as wee see little Birds in their Cages, and Apes and other Creatures force an exercise in their restraint, so, Si fortuna negat facit indignatio. I have both envied and emulated a Cat or Dog, in the tranquillity of their spirit: it shall still bee my aime, and I hope to become no more troublesome to you, my self, or any other in this way of writing: But I must stay my time in all things. Farre better then my self, have profest themselves subject to doe the evill which they would not, and not the good they affected. As I am informed, you have wished I would bestow some further labour in polishing and better digesting what I have written; but by that time you shall have read mee thorough, I hope you will bee otherwise satisfied: and I have, as you may find, bestowed too much wit in excusing the naturall deformity of my writings, [Page 65] now to consent to lose, and cast it away. Though I know my Children as black as the Crow, yet they are mine, and I must like them never the worse for resembling me; they were not made for the market, and they are too frequent in devout conclusions for the vulgar. I presume better of you, and will conclude with you like the Letters of former and better times: Committing you to the protection of that Omnipotent God, whom I never cease to implore; and who hath from time to time, and even to this present miraculously supported me by his grace and favour, to him be all glory, to you all happinesse from
STill to omit formality and compellations unnecessary and superfluous, Since my last of the 22. it hath been intimated unto mee, that you are not so well satisfied as I would, in that I vary from my first taken measure and order of verse in some of my no long pieces. I doubt not but it will be disapproved by some of the most strict and formall Criticks; yet take I the boldnesse to like my self ne're the worse; it is for Novices to write by line and rule, words and lines are but the barke and cloathing of our minds: so decency be observed, my yeares and disposition have long dispensed with exactnesse of following the fashion, challenging some gratefull priviledge therein. Our modern fantasies in musick, & your Court masking tunes have taken up a change of aire and spirit, & are the better accepted: you condemn not, nor prove not offended with a beauty for want of precise symmetry, affected forms of speech and complement are dis-affected; and matter regarded; Scribendi recte sapere est & principium & f [...]ns; it is neither this, nor that manner, that makes it good in writing, or other things; good Judgement is the thing, and never failes of order: it hath an influence into all our thoughts, lockes, gesture, language and actions, and without it all will bee wilde and incomposed. In my late dysastred entertainment, ostentation, and curiositie were so much avoided, that I for bad all extraordinary festivall Pageants, Aromatiques, and Quelquechoses. If you are grown to choose a Horse for true strength and usefulnesse, accept of me in my mis-shapennesse, my [Page 66] writings respect ease, duty, affection and profit, not aff [...]ct [...]tion, fame, perfection, or delight; I hate fetters and circumscriptions, more then Religion, government, and reason cast them upon mee; Magnas nugas as magno conatu, is a double fault. I am no wayes a Precisian, yet in the Adiaphora according to the indulgence of our Church, I can and doe dispence, so it bee not with contempt. Sometimes change of matter agrees to it; sometimes, as we have a Christian liberty, I will as well as my leaders make use of a Poeticall licence: VVhere is the law that restrains me? VVhy not conclude with a longer proportion of lines, as well as to intermingle a long and short? I have sometimes pityed a serious and pious Author needlesly and wantonly fall upon a Quadruplicity of rhyme or affected variety of measure and number in verses. If there bee any harmony in rhymes, it is satisfied in two, and not without danger of fulsomnesse, as well as certainty of trouble in exceeding. I have often wished our Poetry like the Latine and Greeke might be e [...]ercised without such subjection, if not barbarism. There may bee a Rhetoricall sweetnesse in numbers, spirit, and proportion, charming enough without it. I little respect old rules further then reason. Reason is the rule of rules, they often a buse us, and domineere in an usurped authority, as if wee were, lesse men, and had inferiour or lesse faculties of soule, then those from whom wee received them. I could never find the found reason of subjecting Comicall representations to the Compasse of a day: to tell mee that otherwise our conception becomes overstrained, is nothing: I can as easily stretch my fancy to a yeare as a day; and to think my selfe at Rome in an instant from London, or Paris, as to imagine my selfe at White-Hall, being in Black-Fryers. I unwillingly lose a good story, or any thing that is good upon nicenesse of form: Non oportet destru [...]e substantiam propter accidens, was a good rule, I long since learnt of an honest Physitian, in case of bestowing more time and paines in study then stood with health. Fame is the farthest from my thoughts, and yet you see how famous they prove in their production, Crescunt eundo, like Elias his cloud they unmeasurably spread. I intended but a word or two, I wonder I should bee so tedious and talkative in Penne and Inke, who am nothing lesse in ordinary businesse and conversation. I hate a long Tale, especially dramaticall in the way of Dialogue and Scene; yet if you take but a piece of m [...]e, at once, I hope you may at least, as well indure the reading, as I the writing; this and all my longest peeces are of one Boutade performed at a breath, part of a mornings exercise. My sonnets of devotion, howsoever versification bee of a more elaborate nature, insomuch, that most miserably it will sometimes fall out (I beleeve with the best and most fluent) that the subjection of a rhyme or measure, shall cost more time and toyle then writing a Page in Prose, and in conclusion matter it selfe must yeeld, yet were they [Page 67] generally of a suddain birth, they needed no Midwifery, but what they found from above. You finde also in them an irregularity of here and there a superumetary couplet at the end, the peece is compleat without them; It also requires your indulgence to matter beyond forme. I naturally hate to bee clogd, yet hath fortune manacled mee from my youth, want of libertie in the free use, disposing and ordering of my selfe and mine have infinitely prejudiced my contentment and fortune; I take the boldnesse to say it in presumption of such a moderation to have ever accompanied mee, and so much discretion, as it may bee you will beare mee witnesse that had I not beene check't in the mastery of my selfe and mine I should have done much better in the world. But I grow as well diffluent as tedious, and therefore with desire of your pardon and constant profession of most sincere affection towards you I rest
MY really worthy friend, It is my unhappinesse to misse your company at my returne to London, and that which aggravates is the heavinesse of your occasion, wherein I participate in the great losse of your most valuable brother; such a gravitie, such a soliditie, such vertue and Pietie are too much wanting in men of your and his profession; Pride, covetousnesse, licentiousnesse, ingratitude, hypocrisie, usurpe the place of that sweetnesse, meeknesse, hospitalitie and good affections to God and goodnesse, which were wont to bee more frequent in your calling as most incident and proper unto it, and held before in coparcenere betwixt you, he hath now resigned to your Primogeniture. Gods judgments are to be feared when the world is not found worthy of such Inhabitants: So young, so suddainly dead under the practise of Physick, ministers fresh occasion to continue my Invectives against that Caball of collusion, calamitous to mankind and nature. All the good wee usually get by relying on Physick is the neglect of other better meanes to subsist, and presumption in evill diet and disorder. I feare I shall hardly see you before I leave the towne, and when I shall see it again I know not, wee are not fit for one another, Mihi jam non Regia Roma, Sed vacuum Tibur placet atque imbelle Tarentum, The civill pretiosa fames, the maligne fires, fitter for a Chasing-dish then a Chimney, and yet as costly as a Bustum for a great Roman carcasse or Phoenix, the Parrat heartlesse complements, Gossipping discourse, Petty censures of this mans seate, house, habit, esta [...]e, and the others last action, Lawsuite, child, marriage, entertainment, purchase, sale and bargaine, which the [Page 68] walking spirits of Stowes Chronicle ▪ Journalists and Commentators of the time carry from house to house, were I never so rich I could not now indure with patience; It is enough, if not too much, to bee by vaine experience made to bee no Gull of ignorance; The towne is for Professors, Trades-men, Officers, Courtiers, and such as feed on others tables to live in for pleasure and profit; Others if they bee wise will not make themselves a silly prey to the proud Shopkeeper, who playes the Spider in the Cobweb, and is now become come as familiar as hee was wont to be humble and crouching. Non tanti emo poenitere, non tanti esurio, I will not buy ill ayre, strait lodging, ill drinke, and little good company so deare. I could possibly finde as much pleasure and esteeme in the Towne as another if my mind were sutable, but Quid decet ac verum est have long been my affectation; the vanities, idle visits, Playes and pastimes of young men become mee not, other mens tables appeare a kind of intrusion and importunitie, nor is a solitary retirednesse pleasing unto mee; Serious men are too busie, and I am too serious for the lighter sort. I will wish plentie and goodnesse of time, and howsoever it p [...]ove will helpe it by feeding on my owne pasture, and rather inrich then impoverish by dearth and high prices; f [...]r the more they grow, the more I will spare and contract, nor will I dwell at the me [...]cy of exaction; with choice of place. Tenues luxuriantur opes. I, cole nunc urbes, quicquid non praestat amicus, Cum praestare tibi possit Avite locus. When the Citie had most of my affection, I conceived reason sufficient why a Countrey Gentleman might, as I often found, grow soone weary, and distasted; costly and ill lodging and dyet, enforced neatnesse, importunate visits, perpetuall cap, curtesie, and complements, ceremonious acquaintance, tedious and chargeable businesse, pastime to seeke, his wonted healthfull exercise, Ayre and command turn'd to a sedentary and servile observance, and a sootie Ayre, such as the thickest rined vegetables rather pine then live in; this and much more may well occasion him to thinke himselfe out of his element, when hee is drawne to towne, where hee finds honesty and goodnesse accounted [...]implicitie, and that, Rusticitie; where not to weare his Beard, Cap, Cloathes, and make his reverence in the modern Garb condemns him as much as to speake false Latine in the Universitie, or goe naked in the Country; where to become every mans acquaintance is to bee none of his owne, civill and charitable to every stranger, every impudent unchristian Begger, incivill uncharitable to himselfe, his fortune, plentie, health, ease, authoritie, pietie and naturall neighbours; where thoughts and actions are neither consonant to religion or Philosophy, nor language to the thoughts, innocency and vanitie are the prey of rapine and deceipt, the purse falls into a dysentery, good order and conscience to a luxation, and the outside of the Platter is all the businesse. When I formerly lived in Towne I was at home in my place of birth and education with my Land close by, my fortune hath now made it other with [Page 69] mee, and fo [...] my comfort, (if time which should improve my judgement, abuse me not, as it commonly doth the distastednesse of old men) the condition of the Towne is altered from what I have known it. Prizes continue double upon a sudden, and that which is most strange; without either scarcity of yeares, or plenty of mony; penury of wit & good oeconomy with abundance of luxury work the effect. No ancient brave Romane was ever more free and prodigall of his blood in the way of honour and his Countreys defence, then our English gluttonous Gallant and Epicure is easily and insensibly parted with his money (another blood to the wise) for fashion and sensuality. He affects bravery, and yet contemns what feeds it. Hee seemes indulgent to his Genius and soule, yet thinks it base and superstitious to befriend them by looking into his reckonings with God and Man. The conscience of the seller prescribes no limits but what he can get, nor is the buyer restrained by any rule of discretion or price, broad Tables, large Diet, many courses and dainties, make slender fortunes, and narrow soules; gay houses and outsides, ill furnish't mindes: wee are I know not how become possest of late with a malus pudor, a slacknesse, a wretchlesnesse and shamefacednesse to doe what wee ought for our profit and good, with a confident glory in our ruine, and what we should avoid; till God, authorized example, and wholsome sumptuary laws reform us, we shall never mend: Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes? vitious custome hath prevailed by the discountenance of wisdome and vertue, falsification and corruption have so invaded us, that we have forgotten and lost the very Arts and Idea's, as well as the habit of true working and living: To strength of my minde and authority all is easie, grosse impunity animates and confirmes offenders, and the great feare is we shall never grow wise but with a mischief; for my part, as I am without power, so am I worne out of fashion and acquaintance, and I find little new worth the seeking and imbracing; friendships are grown rare, dissimulation, cost and ceremony have extirpated them; Generosity is hardly to bee found; All distrust, cunning, pride, self-conceited, self-affected, and never lesse wit, judgement, courage or vertue to boast of: As the World is, I cannot blame such as frequent the society and conversation of women, they pretend not so much wit and knowledge, but have commonly more then men, Plus sapiunt, quia quantum opus est sapiunt; Their study and concernings lying in lesse room, they more strongly, certainly, and perfectly attain and comprehend; they exercise not such a falshood of Art, trade, and conversation as men, their Discourse is more free, friendly, and ingenuous, their intelligence none of the worst, for they command generally our secrets, and what from the pulpit, what from our open hearted conference communicate without booke the quintessence of our thoughts and studies; they study us as wee our bookes. They are the winning common-wealth and society of this our world, and like the Jesuites strongly combine and make it good by [Page 70] wit. They are greater lovers of worth and valour. They are more innocent and lesse dangerous to good men. Observe their waies and bargaines, and judge if they be not ordinarily more cautious and frugall then our selves, they grudge not to take paines and bee at some cost with themselves to please your eye: No Confectio Alkermes is so good against melancholy (so you surfeit noton their dainties) as the diversion and pretty trivial lighter part of their entertainment, gratification is the very worst of them; and you shall wrong your selfe and them, if you condemn them all for the worst amongst them; What was ever totally perfect? If some bee bad, the best are to bee the more esteemed. There is I confesse a difference amongst them, so also of us, therein is our choice and judgement to bee exercised: The company of the best men best at leisure is to be enjoyed and found amongst them; the very best things are often subject to abuse, contain and make a Covenant with your eyes, and take but a preservative of ne quid nimis along with you, and you are safe and happy: They are generally better affected to the times, and lesse possest with base and prolling designes then we; Their power with us and over us, proves their wit to bee above ours, finer, clearer, stronger: They are not destitute of Art, but are more friends and instruments of nature, and shee theirs. Thus as I use, have I mingled lesse with more serious matter; this latter part belongs rather to others then to you. I presume of your friendship, whom I know indulgent to ingenuity, an honest free career, and
Pathetically, if not too Prophetically Inspired, upon the death of the late Noble and Brave Prince HENRY. An imperfect, but true Inventory and Dissection.
Upon the death of Anne of Denmarke Queen of great Britaine, and the blazing Starre appearing neere her death, taken for the stellifyed spirit of Prince Henry dead not long before.
Epitaph.
Vpon the death of my faire Cousin Drury.
Vpon the death of the supereminent Lady Haddington, Delineated to the life.
Another.
An Incentive to our Poets upon the death of the victorious King of Swedeland.
The reason of a Gentlewomans wearing small blacke patches. Of another Author.
The incomparable Lady Carlile.Occasioned partly by the Verses above, partly by a faire Ladies keeping on her Mask in the house on a hot day.
Epigram.
True Love and Honour.
An Elegie upon the Death of the most faire and vertuous Lady Rich, which most unhappily happened upon the 24. of August, 1638.
Epitaph.
On the same.
A Requiem at the Enterment.
Grotesque.
AS often as we speake we are censured, but much more severely in our writings; against them men take not onely a priviledge of boldnesse, but make a kind of necessity of exercising their wit and judgement, for feare of being concluded to want understanding if they discover it not in their exceptions; they are the evidence that wisemen give in against themselves for a common Jury of fooles to passe upon them, it must bee an extraordinary Coat of Mayle that hath no false and weake links, searching spirits howeever [Page 81] weake in themselves will finde them out. I have often observed that the weakest Sex and abilities will as soone discover a flaw and infirmity as the strongest, they bend their wits to finde faults, as doe the better sort vertues. Noble and great Creatures seek not chinks and cranies; a blemish in a garment is easily seen, when the true web requires a judgement often as fine as it selfe. I am no Doctor, nor am I paid for cure of Soules, and I have ever affected privacy and retirednesse of my poore wit so farre as to have avoided all publike exhibitions more then necessary duty hath imposed upon mee, yet that I wrap not my talent wholly in a Napkin, I am I know not how, fallen upon this sally, rather in truth to Register my self to my self then to the world; many good wits use to write down their occurring conceits, which chance useth to present better then any industry could extract. I have bin a great loser for want of such practice. I know the better sort, such as I would admit and converse with, want none of my sleight and pedling furniture; yet may I serve to figure and awake unto them some such of their own stuffe as would possibly otherwise never have become elicit, but have slept in their Magazine and Chaos. My writing is rather to mend my self then others: the world had long since been much better then it is, if writing would have effected it; finde fault with me who list, they shall hardly finde or more, or grosser then I know by my self. Spectators and Censurers of lives and action, exercise a Trade as easie as lazy, Scepticisme, Criticisme, and Satyrism seldome miscarry. It is as familiar to carpe as hard to write of the times and not to become Satyricall. Errors in pretended Science, errors in wit, fashions, and manners, are so grosse, that they seldome faile to meet with as just an invective and derision, as refutation. VVhat a businesse we have made to our selves by impatience of our naturall condition, by our affectation of that flashy forbidden fruit of knowledge▪ what a deale of Art, building, furnishing, dressing, policy and pastime are grown upon it▪ nay, what a businesse are our very pastimes become unto us? how seriously wee cultivate our trifles, our frothy aery ambitions? nature made the supply of our mouth (provision) as well pleasure and pastime as necessity unto us; other creatures finde it so, and suffer as little hunger as men. Examine our own rules and definitions of As right ends and wayes, or right reason of doing, chusing, and refusing, &c. wisdome, and judge whether they belong not more properly to other Animals then to our selves. Our fore-fathers were not unsophisticated; but what a super-sophistication have wee brought upon our selves more then formerly, in plucking down our old often more convenient houses for the fancy of newfabricks? then comes the endlesse variation of proud and costly furniture: what a coaching, what a tyring of truly tyring Women and Taylors? what a curiosity of cookery, wines and sawces, which young men were wont as much to scorne, as now they are curious to judge? Nature is lost in us, our life is become an affected Pageant of show, and we are nothing lesse then our selves, we are drown'd in our own [Page 82] Arts and follies. True honour and vertue are not so much as Themes to discourse of, we care not so much as to seeme vertuous, honesty is a shamefull simplicity, and vertue a net to catch Woodcocks; but marke the end, and you shall seldome see shame faile to overtake folly, pride, and vice. For my part I abhorre basenesse and degenerosity so much, tha [...] naturally I cannot well endure that an unworthy conceit of mee should lodge safely in any breast; though fashion be become a kind of superstitious Religion; and Religion taken up but for fashion, and made superstition: God hath cast mee in a better mould, and this advantage I finde in goodnesse, that as vice hath two contraries, one of vertue, another of its opposite vice: so have vitious men as well the malignity of others, as the goodnesse of the vertuous against them, where vertue hath only vice for enemy: And this benefit it hath, that as in a good constitution of body, it selfe and exercise will beare out some mis-dyet and mis-accident; so will a predominancy of vertue and good reputation maintaine its proprietary against much unhappinesse and misfortune; whereas an evill name, you know of old, is halfe hanged, and serves for a milstone to sink an otherwise strong swimmer. The strength of a predominant vertuous ingredience appeared in Manlius against his otherwise distastefull austerity, as in other Roman Captaines against their remissenesse; Gonsalvaes reputation not being made of Cobwebbe-Lawne bore him out against small exceptions. There are infinite degrees of soules; witnesse Oysters and Plant-animals, insomuch as it is to bee doubted whether there bee any such substance as to be termed inanimate; every one hath more or lesse its discourse, or at least affectations: But onely God is absolutely perfect. Amongst us, he is best who participates least imperfection, and in whom vertue carries the greatest sway; such deserve an indulgencie, and shall finde it as well from God as man. I am all infirme and imperfect in minde, body, and fortune: yet this commodity grows even from such discommodity, that as valetudinary bodies by a due care and temperance subsist often better, and outlive more strong and presumptuous Complexions; so doth a skanty yet competent fortune well ordered prove often more happy and lesse wanting then a luxuriant plenty. The like may bee affirmed of a tendernesse of mind; as Parsimony is a great Revenue, so experience when it can, Inane abscindere sol'do, makes much of little: High minds, blouds and fortunes hardly moderate themselves, and are most subject to inconvenience and ruine; such seek to conquer all but themselves, the want of which conquest exposeth them to all assaults and spoiles: It is a task that few undertake, and fewer prevaile in, without it we are unfortified against our selves and others; it is often attained as well by flying as opposition [Page 83] it is a master-peece to passe over anothers infirmitie, as it is to put by the assaults of our owne suggesting fancy and concupisence, which is yet many times so easie that who once hath learnt to repell first importunate motions shall finde them so farre from that importance and force which they pretend, that sent away for the present, and another motion of the mind entertained, they will shew themselves such nullities and become so lost, that if you would you can neither finde nor recall them; This till wee can doe wee shall not bee friends to our selves; Aversion and diversion are necessary in fencing, cure, and life; Who cannot as well put by as make a thrust hath little art; Hee steeres not well that cannot well decline and avoyd; It must bee an exorbitant force to carry all downe before it; Nothing is strong or weake, A Mathematicall Radius moving as upon a Center makes the motion of the Snu (if it move) no more then that of a watch in 24. houres, and what is slow in an Elephant is swift in an [...]mme [...]. swift or slow, good or bad, but by comparison and respectively to the Species and greatnesse of the body and subject; To know our strength, to know our selves, and God, is a height of knowledge to bee laboured for; without some measure of it there can bee no happinesse, God is the Author, God is the circumference, God the Center of all existence, to him bee all glory. Amen, Amen. Iuly the 16. 1638.
THree things have presented themselves this morning to my consideration, of themselves excellent, though in divers degrees; Religion, Policie, Arts: when Religion is not exercised in sinceritie, policie to publick good, quiet and Justice, and Arts are employed in folly and errour, I cannot but deplore our humane corruption; they should bee the perfecters of nature, but distorted and abused, prove to truth of judgement her mischiefe, her deformitie; They leave her not to her selfe, and our super and preter-naturall life ought to bee instituted and advantaged by them; if yet seeing they have undertaken to leade and helpe her, they would at least be constantly true to themselves and their owne pretences, it were well, better possibly were shee otherwise if in her own hands lesse should shee have of trouble and lesse to answer for: But perversenesse of disposition which is too generally predominant will ever wrest the best institutions to its owne vanitie, pleasure, fantasie and commoditie, other is not to bee expected, so it hath beene, so it will bee, whilst wee live in this world, the best of us abuse our selves if wee finde it strange; wee must doe herein as by the weather, pray for good and take it as it comes, use our endeavours, cultivate our selves to the best, and committing all to God, if wee finde our selves better affected then the common course, account at his blessing with a submisse and thankfull heart.
Iune the 10. 1640.
VVIth whom shall I converse? Where is the dwelling of wisedome, or innocent simplicitie of heart? Happy Shepheards, whose conversation is with the heavens and the most innocent of creatures; Man generally is become a mongrell, neither good man nor beast: A Christian in name, a Woolfe in nature, an Apostat to God and nature, and they have no lesse forsaken him: Justice long since tooke her flight to heaven, Peace, wisedome and integritie have followed, their shadowes onely remaine upon us; Who should maintaine Christian Religion, endanger and destroy it, who should draw a blessing by studying peace, draw a curse of dissention upon themselves and us. It were brave if men durst professe what they are, or bee what they professe: But from halfe-witted men there is nothing to bee expected but wholly folly and mischiefe. Stormes ought to fall on their heads that breed them, and so commonly they doe; I will shelter my selfe as well as I may: naturally I love stirring, but the weather must bee fairer; wrong courses may succeed for a time, but right wisedome and justice will at length prevaile; That shall bee my hope, that my Prayer. Sublunary dispositions are subject to various influence and vicissitude; vertue as well as ignorance often labours fastidio sui, Religion it selfe hath its Currents, its ebbes and floods, in entertaining things wee are taken with a contemplation of their perfections, in progresse wee grow weary, wee carp, wee cavill. Nature affects change and libertie, ordinarily to the worse; This the Roman Clergy knowes, this they worke upon, our vitiousnesse affects an indulgent hand, that they present, like greedy Chirurgians they love sores to feed upon their cure, ignorance and libertie are the way to, and in their Religion, wee are too much disposed except God avert.
Suddaine Touches in the nature of Characters, Written about the yeare, 1625.
A King
TO bee perfect must at the least bee of the second forme of wit, if not able to advise himselfe to the best, yet to judge of and chuse the best upon debate, as also to make election of Counsellors untainted in their wisedome and integritie. Hee must bee seasoned with the knowledge of that great God, from whom himselfe and all things have their power and being: from thence will flow an affection ascending to him, and descending upon his people, with a holy ambition to imitate him as well in his justice and goodnesse, as power and greatnesse. Hee is a publike person intended for common utilitie, and his affections must all concentrate to the publick good. Hee must esteeme his happinesse and safetie to depend on the love of his people, and therefore like a good Shepheard hee will chiefely be pleased in procuring their contentment and welfare. And if (as every Shepheard hath his Dog) hee will assist himselfe with some person of especiall confidence, hee must bee exceeding carefull that such his favorite bee not chosen of a condition rather inclining to the falshood and voracitie of the Woolfe, then that fidelitie and good industry which were requisite to his and his peoples good. Hee ought to thinke it a part of his dutie to seeke the understanding of his office from the best writers, for them hee will finde the most faithfull and least flattering Counsellors. Thence hee shall learne that the onely securitie and honour of a government both for the present and to perpetuitie consist in being zealous of Religion and reputation, in maintaining justice and the Lawes of the Country, which are the sinews of his government, and the evidence of his Regalitie. The zeale and observation of these cannot faile to produce the love of his Subjects, without which hee would finde himselfe being assaulted like a man without hands, which move but according to the heart. And howsoever craft, dissimulation, and flexibilitie of conscience are in the tenet of many men, qualifications necessary to Empire; yet true wisedome of government will so order it selfe, as to bee seldome or never beholding unto them: for strength needs no engine, and a good judgement will so reconcile the wisedome of the Serpent to the innocency of the Dove, as to force the currents of vertue and state both into one Channell. His gifts, preferments, and undertakings must bee governed more [Page 86] by discretion then passion, else hee shall want, bee ill served, and faile without pitie. Reward and punishment are the weapons wherein hee must bee cunning, for they are the Instruments of his honour and well being. It hath beene an ancient and constant policy to make all benefits to proceed from himselfe, and matters of distast from his Officers, else doth hee hunt Counter, but so shall all the thankes bee his, and the blame theirs. A good a [...]d cheerefull countenance to well deservers and such as observe respect to him, will often spare his purse, and make him a gainefull returne. To take notice of the worth and capacitie of his servants and most eminent Subjects, and to remember them in the distribution of his bountie and imployments, will much conduce to his honour and good service. To cherish the good, and bee constant to his word, is not the least reputation. As also to enter slowly and with full provision into a warre, and not to come off but with advantage. To give a free eare to discreet persons about him that love him and his good, and to shew an affection to dispence with his particular for the publike, is the way to know all and want nothing. Hee ought to bee compassionate to the poore, and affect the relieving of his people, else shall hee bee so far from goodnesse as to bee voyd of common humanitie; To bee better content in a small revenue with love, then in a great one with hate and groanes, for where the [...]eople loves, the King cannot want. Hee will by all meanes avoyd to supply a present want, by giving way to a perpetuall mischiefe, especially if not urged by the freeing himselfe from some imminent ruine. Hee will delight in his people and the expression of their good affections, and e [...]teeming the money raised from them, as their blood, make conscience in the dispending of it. Hee will consider what is necessary in a way of constant expence for the good, safetie, and honour of a State, and before all things assigne an infallible certaintie of allowance thereunto. In gifts and payments hee will preferre the needy and well-deserving, and crying debts before others, or matter of bountie. In case of defect of ordinary power for government hee will affect to supply it rather by assent of the State then by acts of Councell, for they will never deny what shall tend to good government, and it will stand more firme, and beget better obedience. To preserve his just power and Prerogative as well over himself as his Subjects, and to use motu proprio as well in effect as in word, will maintaine his Majestie in due respect, not suffering it and himselfe to bee m [...]de covers of private ends and passions, nor interessing it but upon necessary preservation of his Soveraigntie according to the constitution of the State where hee governes. Hee will esteeme it as himselfe ordained for Common good, and thinke no small Prerogative to be a King, though governing according to the rules of those Lawes which make and keepe him so. To appoint and observe set times as well for his affaires, as recreation, will keepe him from becomming a stranger [Page 87] to his office and interest, maintaine his servants in their care and duties, his Allies and Subjects in due respect, and will prevent infinite abuses which might grow upon him, nor will it abridge but rather give a relish to his pleasures. To conclude, hee will thinke that a choyce and great assembly, like a great streame, can hardly be corrupt, and that their happinesse being involved with their King they are likely to give him as good, honest, safe, and wise counsell as any three or foure heads in his Cabbinet.
Nec minus alienae libertatis, quam sua dignitatis memor.
A good Counsellor.
A Good Counsellor is one, whom nature, studie, and experience, have fitted with abilitie duely to deliberate and resolve upon occurrents of the greatest importance, and needs no oath, for his conscience, wisedome, and sinceritie will teach him secrecy and fidelitie. Hee will study his Masters honour and benefit, and will bee more forward to give advise therein without asking, then to move for his owne advantage. Hee is a demi-god placed betweene King and People, and must steare a course of justice indifferently betwixt both. When feare, a temporizing humour, or private ends make him swerve from truth, hee betrayes his owne honour, his conscience, and his Master. Hee must ever affect to bee a good instrument betweene the King, his Allies and Subjects, for their good affections are the Kings honour and safetie. Hee must direct his opinion by the examination of reason and truth, and neither by his owne nor other mens affections. His Master and the publike good must bee his object, farre beyond his private, wherewith hee must upon occasion so farre dispence, that rather then not to adhere to Justice, truth, and a good conscience, hee must not feare any displeasure or losse of office. The more hee hath beene raised by his Masters favour and fortune, the more hee will cloath himselfe with courtesie and modesty; for that honour is onely true which is given to a man, not that which hee arrogates to himselfe. Or if hee will exercise a haughtinesse of courage, it shall bee onely that brave pride of neither doing nor suffering injury: for the other foolish one of selfe conceitednesse and disdaine is ever the issue of folly, and parent of reflected contempt and scorne. Hee will bee apt to doe good offices, and affect dispatch, for that will b [...] his honour; as to undertake more then hee can performe, and delude those that re [...]ie upon him, will prove an abuse upon himselfe and his owne reputation. Nothing [Page 87] shall bee more prevalent with him, then to maintaine his Master in the love of his people: for that King that is beloved at home is feared abroad, possesseth a secure estate, a joyfull heart, and quiet sleep with present and immortall fame: In which happy effects a good Counsellor reapes no small applause and felicity.
A good Parliament Man
MUst esteem himself an Epitome of the three Estates, with a principall relation of duty to the King, the head; for in respect of Common duty all the members of a Parliament are Homogeneall. He is a Physitian of the State, and so must indeavour to rectifie all distempers and disorders therein. And if like an evill Physitian, his ends bee either his own advantage, or that he comply with the disease or inordinate humour of his Patien [...], he betrayeth his Prince and Country; and is that murtherer, thief, or whatsoever of evill which is reproached to a Mountebanck Impostor. The writs of Summons teach him his calling; the King, the Church, and the Common-wealth, are his object; his own interest and allegiance will instruct him to affect to please the King, but his conscience will lead him to assent only to what is wholsome; his sincere judgement, and not implicit faith is to be his guide. He leaves all favour, ill will, and partiality at the entrance, and considers the good of the King combined with that of his people. He feareth nothing so much as to wound his conscience, or to betray the truth, which above all things he ought to reverence. Fame is too aery an object for a solid soul. Popular and Courtly applause are the least of his aime. He is not so well pleased with any thing, as to see right ends proposed, and right wayes observed towards them, which so they prevaile, he will gladly sit in perpetuall silence, but rather then matters be carried against his conscience, he will discharge it with whatsoever consequence. His affections are to maintaine all things faire and even in the Church and State as hee findes them duly constituted, knowing that all innovations are dangerous; yet so, as gladly to imbrace such propositions as apparently conduce to a bettering and reformation. And to that end hee will never doubt that things tending to the publike good can be unwelcome to the King and his knowledge, it being a chiefe use of Parliaments to foresee, inform, and prevent. He will be no lesse affected to a due relief of the Kings, then of the Countries griefes: for a necessitous Prince can hardly observe the laws of goodnesse; and a good and loving people will never endure a good and loving King to be in want, or suffer the least dishonour. Hee will study to m [...]intaine concord, and will not follow a multitude to doe evill. He will observe a becomming [Page 88] attention. He will make the best construction, ever study moderation, and so, that right and Justice be observed. Hee will not feare any dissolution; no not of the world it self.
A good Courtier
MAintaines his Masters supremacy in his heart above all earthly affections, and furnishing himself with parts and discourse most acceptable unto him, courts him more zealously and diligently then his Mistris, knowing that as well his fortune as his duty requires it. His tenure is by curtesie, and he deserves to forf [...]it his estate for non-performance. The least incivility in him exceeds the greatest in another man; for hee must reckon his example, next unto the Kings, of a diffusive nature. His language, cloaths and fashion will all be well ordered; but he will affect to win love, and esteem, rather by his inward then his outward parts, and will value the good opinion of one well famed, more then of an hundred others. Goodnesse will be his chief object, and reputation but a second. He will expresse love to those that are vertuous and ingenuous; for there cannot be a greater or more sudden evidence of vertue & ingenuity in himself. He will study the favour of the powerfull, and bee voluntary with discretion, as good a Counsellor to them, as they ought to be unto the King. He will love his Masters honour, as much as his own profit, & seek it as industriously. He wil not esteem that the Kings service is a dispensation with him from Gods, but will so court it on earth, that he may hereafter be a Courtier in heaven. Though complement and neat attire be a badge of his profession, yet will he avoid excesse in either, and his purse and reputation will thrive never the worse. He will judge nothing to become him so ill as ignorance, debauch and ill company, and therefore will study to avoid them. He will beare an open countenance, and a close heart. Hee will bee just of his word, and slow, but sure in contracting his friendship. Honest dissimulation, and a dissembling chearefull patience are a kinde of vertues necessary to his fortune and course. It will bee a misbecomming discountenance unto him to bee excluded by his defects from the faire performances of his companions, which often advance them to no small grace and savour in their Masters attendance. Wherefore if he come not to Court (as hee ought) furnished with perfections of Dancing, Horsemanship, Languages, and the like, he will industriously bestow his idle and early houres, which will not be wanting unto him therein. Good parts may assure him of favour, and favour of fortune. To conclude, hee, or no man, is bound to be a compleat Gentleman.
A Gentleman
BOth by descent and quality stands ever bound to his good behaviour, outwardly in a faire, civill, courteous, well ordered fashion, and inwardly in Piety, Charity, Justice, Courage, Truth, Temperance and those other vertues which the Schooles teach; for if outwardly he be incomposed in his carriage and civill respect, he will appeare to men that understand good fashion as full of solecism, and more absurd then the arrentest Clown before a petty Justice of peace; and therefore he will make it a businesse, so much to frequent companies of the best respect, and to season himselfe with their fashions, as that thereby he may avoid in the least sort to become ridiculous, especially prima facie. As for those inward seasonings which are to this, as the substance to the colour, hee will omit no occasion to give proofe thereof; as fearing to belie his Parentage and title, and to prove himselfe a wolfe and vermin in the eyes of good men, who ought to have doubled his lustre by worth and goodnesse. Hee will therefore be a strict examiner of himself, and least indulgent to his owne errors. Hee will make truth his guide, for lies are but the bolts of fooles that fall on their owne heads, and moderation his Governour, for it is the basis of all vertues. Hee will avoid occasions of expence and quarrell; but being ingaged to them, he will carry himselfe nobly, and come off with honour; for to be cast behinde hand in fame or fortune, is much more difficult to recover then to prevent. His gifts shall be according to reason, not in excesse, yet inclining rather to the most, for else they lose their good acceptance; but being excessive he loseth his thanks, as seeming to give what he esteemeth not, and tainteth his judgement in not understanding proportion. VVhen he falleth to game, let him not think it only an idle pastime; for to a good observer it is one of the most perspicuous discoverers of our inward disposition and affection. Hee will mingle pleasure with profit, but will make recreation his servant, not his master. Honour and vertue shall bee his chief aime, nor will he draw a note upon himselfe for any thing but tending thereunto. He will by his curtesie make continuall purchase of affection, but especially in his owne house where he can hardly over-act it. Yet towards men of insolent demand and carriage it were but unmannerly to imploy it. Civility is an important piece of Society, especially amongst the better sort, and like other qualities, it is to be exercised with great discretion, and good temper. High and braving spirits unseasoned therewith, would like Cocks and Mastiffes, impatient of the fiercenesse of one anothers eyes, uncollected and unrecalled, assault each other with blowes instead of Salutes. There have been divers books written of the institution of a Prince, of a Courtier, of severall ridiculous and tedious kinde of complements, which some [Page 91] use as Saddles to all horses, tyrannous oppressions to solid dispositions, and such as abound therein get nothing but the purchase of lyers, which is not to bee credited when they speake truth; whereas an old fashioned free-hearted word or two to the purpose are ever more significant and effectuall. There hath also been some treatises framed to frame a good Ambassadour; but none that I know have descended to t [...]e formall and now morall part of civill and respective demeanor in giving and returning visits, receptions, and convoyes, giving place at home, and at the Table, and such like, some retired Ambassadour or Secretary might well performe such a taske. Hee will affect more to heare then to speake, but when hee unfoldeth himselfe, hee will consider what, and to whom, and ever containe himselfe within the bounds of his knowledge and truth; otherwise hee shall bee a loser by one of his best blessings, his language. Hee will not shew that brutish sensualitie to carry his mind in his belly, nor his soule upon his backe, much lesse let it transmigrate into a horse or dogge. Bookes and women hee will use with discretion and moderation, left they devoure and confound him, nor shall hee make right use of either who beareth not himselfe above them; All these are to bee used for life, and not as if wee lived onely for them. Hee will educate his sonne to be like himselfe, and not infuse Grammar and Philosophie into him in such sort as if nothing else concerned him and his well-being. And therefore hee will bring him up to the true understanding of honour and true reputation, and make him no stranger to the managing of a house and fortune which as much importeth him; and the strangenesse whereof to young mindes wholly ingaged to other studies and delights, is one of the greatest causes of so many ruins to private fortunes. What is most comely and right shall bee his study, and to discerne of truth and right requires a fulnesse as well of acquisite as naturall furniture. Judgement of comelinesse comes the more easily upon common observation. That becomes us best which is most our owne, most proper and proportionable to the circumstances of our fortune and condition. It is over incident to many to trouble themselves, incurre contempt, and ruine their estates by an erroneous affectation of greater expense, curiositie, and bravery, then would bee expected from them: such breed and feed the Canker that consumes them. What is observed and approved by the best, most sober, and judicious, and neither to leade nor contemne to follow the fashion is the best rule: to be outwardly too different is monstrous, to be affected and curious, light and ridiculous. But I have past my hower and will not exceede, nor intend I either to write all or any thing formally or fully in this Subject; or if I did I know it were but lost labour, for nature and preoccupate affection so possesse us that impressions may be renewed and confirmed, but hardly first wrought upon the mind by the pen, especially without [Page 92] out predisposition of naturall parts, assiduity of meditation, and iteration, if not also the addition of frequent and authorized example. In effect much pen-labour might bee spared, at least in matters of moralitie, for the best natures and judgements with experience need it not, and the worst are incorrigible.
A Supplement to the Gentleman at such time as hee was out of my hands.
HEe will practise frugalitie not so much out of a base affection to the love of money, as out of a generall election which hee hath made in all things to order himselfe by that which is the best, most comely and reasonable; whereunto hee will subject all his affections, and thereby avoyd the ingageing himselfe upon a present heate and humour to infinite inconveniences and repentance, which hee might incurre (as men daily doe) by rejecting a due regard to the distant future, and the true use of that discourse and reason which God hath given him, where with to governe his actions and resolutions, and which differenceth him from the beasts of the fields. Nay, it is ordinarily seene, that even the brute beasts themselves in their courses doe lesse digresse from such reason as concerneth them, then many an inordinate and wilfull man. His course and demeanour shall bee ever constant, equable, and correspondent to his fairest ends and pretences, as flowing from the same fountaine, all of a tenure, all of a peece, avoyding that just reprehension which falls often upon none of the least eminent, of being one in publick, other in private; now brave and generous, and presently unworthy and sordid; unweaving their owne web, and unadvisedly clothing themselves in such motley as they would otherwise disdaine to put on. Hee will not bee a Libertine in his jests towards men, much lesse towards God, and therefore will kill such itch in his tongue as most odious in Religion [Page 93] and most pernicious to himselfe and others. All discoveries of an affected humour detract from him in the censure of the most judicious. Wherefore hee will decline them, especially in his cloathing, for it argues too great levitie to bee imployed therein, and too poore a diffidence of his proper worth to seeke esteeme and valuation from it. I will little esteeme the respect of man or woman who shall respect outward more then inward bravery, or rich apparell more then a rich mind, though both doe well with women, the best of them are not carried with showes. He will not easily upon argument enter into passion, which but argues his owne doubt and weakenesse, for a cleare understanding will pitie or endeavour to rectifie, but not bee troubled at others ignorance; and calmenesse maintained with a friend is better then to prevaile in the cavills of dispute. He will examine his owne sufficiencie and goodnesse by the best Authors, and the wisest and best men, and approve of himselfe onely so farre as hee proveth conformable unto them, and finding himselfe fit to doe service to God, his King or Country, hee will put off all restinesse and floath, and set himselfe forward to the imployment of his best industrie and abilities for the common good, yet ever so that hee regard due opportunitie, and modesty, and make use of meanes just and honorable towards his advancement and imployment: for though audacitie prevaile often upon others weakenesse, yet it is more secure from disgrace to bee overmodest and considerate, then overbold and presumptuous; nor will preferment unduely attained bee valued and respected by mindes truely worthy and noble. There are amongst us a barbarous kind of gallants who conceive it great bravery to looke big and contemptuously especially upon strangers, towards whom in truth a formalitie and curtesie of fashion is most requisite; and many women are not free from taxe, who commonly have neither freedome nor civilitie in store but for their servants, they thinke to endeare and set themselves off by such carriage, though often voyd of other worth; wee become accessary to their rudenesse by terming it rather pride then rusticitie, which it truely is: They are proud to be thought proud, but should be taught better manners by a just and out doing scorne and censure; we nourish it in them by sinking under it, and blame what wee breed, as wee doe Children whom we first teach to be liquorish by giving them what they otherwise had not affected. It is also no small fault in great ones not to be courteous to their inferiours, or not to countenance worth in place of their advantage, they expose themselves often rather to suffer (a presumptuous obtruding) familiaritie then fairely to invite it, whereby they open the doore to sawcy boldnesse, and shut it upon the better and more modest dispositions. Though it bee true that there is nothing whereon worthily to fix our affections in this world, nor valuable to the fleeting and uncertaine life of man, yet hee will above [Page 94] all earthly things esteeme of true honour and goodnesse, as of that which will make him the most respected by the wisest and best of men, most advantagious to perpetuate unto him a faire and happy reputation (which the most worthy and magnanimous spirits have ever laboured for) and most acceptable to God who cannot be pleased in anything incompatible and unlike to himselfe. If therefore hee either value to bee well regarded by vertuous men, to leave a good reputation and name to descend upon his posteritie, to bee secure from the ruines, scornes, and punishments that evill men daily undergoe, or to bee well accepted with God, whereby to provide to himselfe a welbeing as well after as in this present life, let him labour for the true understanding of vertue, as the onely rich habit of a faire soule; the knowledge whereof cannot faile to render him like unto it selfe: nor is it any thing but a wilfull and stupid blindnesse to the discerning thereof that causeth the defect and contempt of it in those many weake and uncultivated spirits that these and all times produce.
A Favorite.
NAming a Favorite, I intend not a Minion, the creature of Fancy that holds by the face, suddenly exhaled to such an height as is against nature for an unprepared braine to containe it selfe from giddinesse, whose proper Spheare is that of pleasure and not of businesse, (especially of State) him I leave to his Prince like his garden to please his eye, and terme him a Favorite whose tenure is in Capite, and whose good fortune hath made his worth and abilities knowne to his Master, fit to have the secrets of his bosome and his most important affaires communicated unto him for his Counsell and guidance therein. This is the man whom neither birth nor industry (wherein he hath many equalls) hath called to the relish of a Kingly power, yet fortunately finding himselfe in that most happy height and condition of meanes to doe-good, and glad the hearts of good men, is as well in gratitude to his Master as thankfulnesse to God bound to exercise the uttermost of his endeavours by making himselfe a blessed instrument of all welfare to the State wherein he is potent, which will ever be most easie to him who is armed with place and authority; and if he accompany them with vertue, modesty, and goodnesse, he shall be an Armour of proofe against such spight and envy as is incident to his greatnesse from the tongues of malignant persons. Circumstance of place, favour, and fortune, shall not transport his constant and well prepared [Page 95] heart, nor will hee discover in himselfe, any such uncomely vanitie and lightnesse, as to seeme to set his mind upon magnificence of buildings, furniture, apparell, feasts, and titles, but will rather affect the high glory which growes to good minds out of their disposition to moderation and solid goodnesse from the tongue and pens of good and vertuous men. And howsoever wealth, greatnesse of title, and the chiefe honours of the Kingdome where hee moves, are not more due to any then to himselfe, yet hee will observe such a slow and graduall accesse unto them, that his investing himselfe therewith shall rather appeare an unaffected or unlooked for favour of his Master, or a seisin and livery after a due purchase made by his vertue and merit, then a sudden, affected, and unproportionable elevation; which will so bee his advantage as it is seene in nature, that high objects, bee they never so loftie, doe not yet appeare so much to the eye, as such as are much inferiour and of a suddain ascent. Hee will recommend to the favour of his Master, and cherish such as are vertuous or excell in any commendable perfections, and such onely himselfe will bee noted to have about him. For wee ordinarily conster great men by such as enjoy their company and good affection, and according as they shall entertaine the good advise, at least the persons of such neere unto them, their ends may be calculated. Evill men and flatterers like Sirens will presse upon them, and it hath ever beene hard for men in great place to discover them, nay such will obtrude upon them, as will gladly worke advantage to themselves or their cause through their destruction. No small caution will bee required therein, but hee is an able man, and my abilities may bee remembrancers, but not Informers unto him. Wherefore I will leave with this Character upon him, that he is either the happiest, or most unfortunate man in the Kingdome: If hee order himselfe well, and put not on pride, presumption, precipitation, and passion with his greatnesse, but runne a course of meeknesse, moderation and goodnesse, his reputation and memory are like to bee blessed and applauded; but if otherwise hee misguide himselfe, and contemne the good opinion and affection of the better part of the world, it is to bee feared lest himselfe in his end prove odious and contemptible, and bee condemned as unworthy of that faire fortune, and favour which have shined upon him.
A Divine.
A Divine is Gods ordinary Ambassadour residing with us, not to exercise the pompe and state of one, nor to represent Gods Majesty and glory, but to use the order, care, vigilance and diligence of an Ambassador, by being a faithfull Minister in his function and charge. Though he be termed Theologus, he will be Theophilus, a zealous lover, as well as a verball Preacher of God; and he may be defined with a good Oratour, Vir bonus dicendi peritus: for if he preach not first to himself, and that his life be not answerable to his exhortations, his one day Sermon in a week wanting true life and spirit will not so much animate his Auditory to holinesse, as will his six dayes example (the Book that the people better understand) lead them to dissolution and wickednesse. God hath required that he be not outwardly, much lesse inwardly imperfect and deformed, and it is he who must make vertue visible, and the visibility that will inflame our affection. Scandall in others is error, in him a monster, no corruption being so bad as what proceeds from the best. He cannot be fit for the charge of others Soules who is carelesse of his own; and who will beget affection in others, must first put it on himselfe. Wee would hisse him from the Stage, whose action were grossely dissonant from his words and part; nor is he better then a cheater of God and the World, who accepts of a spirituall living, without performing the duties of the Spirit. It is questionable whether an evill Minister be not inferiour to the holinesse of his Bels, and much more miserable, for he is like them in calling men to Religious performances, in sounding to please their eares, and in flattering, and solemnizing the times; but questioned upon a due accompt, in this world, or the next, hee will finde himselfe much more unhappy. But a truly Religious professor will abhorre the indecorum of being unsuitable to his Doctrine, fearing lest thereby as much as in him lyeth, he render both it and himself so seeming unprofitable, that men if it were possible would become distasted of his calling, and Religion it self. He will rather shew himself Gods Minister in godlinesse and humility, then the Devils Chaplaine in his first sin and impiety; and therefore casting off all pride, vanity, ambition, covetousnesse, and the corrupt inventions of men; he will conform himself to the purity and simplicity of the Primitive Church, and become as awfull to wicked men in his presence, as a Magistrate or Commissioner of God, sent to take vengeance on their obliquities. Hee will Preach God in sincere Devotion, and not himself in vain affection, and will seek the advancement of Religion, more then of his own order and Hierarchy; for it is the splendor of the good and [Page 97] sincere lives of the Clergy, and not their pompe and state that must work upon our consciences. He will be an obedient Child unto his Mother Church, for she cannot think him worthy to live upon and serve at the Altar, if he shall think unworthily of it to be observed by him. He will feed his flock more with plain and sound Doctrine, then with abstruse points of Divinity, and janglings of controversies, or the empty sound of language and conceipts, (which become not the gravity of the Pulpit) and will value the peace of the Church, before any particular conceited fancy of his own or others. Subtilties and niceties, he will confine to the Schooles and Assemblies of his own profession: The mysteries of Religion once received, being rather matter for faith, then to be controverted and disputed, especially among the vulgar, who in no sort ought to be taught or acquainted to subject the transcendency of their Religion to the grossenesse of their reason. He will not, if he preach before the King, ingratiate himself by an invective incensing him against his People, much lesse in a popular Assembly be Satyricall against Magistrates, but will better discharge his duty by instructing such as are present in theirs, and forbeare his Castigation upon the absent. He will be cautious of alledging in the Pulpit out of whatsoever Author, their over bold and profane conceits of Religion, as also of using (especially insisting upon) the plain and naked expressions which are found in the Scriptures concerning women: for all that becommeth the Bible becommeth not the Pulpit, and there is danger of leaving ill impressions in corrupt minds. He will use his best judgement in tempering his Sermons to the best profit and health of our soules: And considering it is naturall for the sweetest and pleasantest things to be the most nourishing, he will discreetly season and order them, as well to the good relish of attention, as helpe of memory: and remembring that the yoake of the Gospel is easie, consisting of comfort and glad tydings, and that a tender and wounded soule hath never leisure to heale with the continuall application of Cauteries and Corrosives; he will feare to bruise the broken reed, and beget more discomfort and despaire then faith and true consolation in the best and most attentive soules. Briefly it is only such a good man that deserves preferment, but he will rather goe without it, then to buy it corruptly, with the price of his Soule. We expect no miracles from him, nor can he expect good life, and godlines from us, except according to his profession, he shew us the way. Religion was planted, and must be maintained by the Teachers holinesse and humility.
[Page 98]They have, I thank them, done much good upon me; I would gladly make some requitall.
A Physitian.
A Good Physitian, (if any such there be) forbad enough is the best, in respect of the Arts uncertainty, will more affect the life and health of his Patient, then his own gain and living, and will not minister Physick to him to do good to himselfe. He will be sorry, that by a surprize of his over-deeming election, he findes himself imbarqued in a profession, where it is hard to thrive and be honest, in giving Physick only where there is reall need, and a good confidence in himself, that it shall doe good to his Patient; for he will have discovered that his title is but as of a Mountaine from not moving, and that nature is the true Physitian placed by God in every man for his preservation, and himself but a Professor of a most conjecturall Art: so that who commits himself from nature to him, takes himself from a seeing to a blind guide. Though it be incident to his Colledge to be over peremptory, as being used to the authority of prescriptions, and prostrate sick Patients, yet he will avoid it; for a discreet, plausible, and winning carriage upon the Patients good opinion and affection is the one halfe of the Cure. He will not contemn an honest Emperick, knowing that his own Art grew but from experience often casuall, and that Gods blessings are not restrained to their Colledge and old Books. He will not bee sparing of his interrogatories, nor of his attention to his Patients relation, who being sick, and paying, ought to bee born with and humoured; But an humorous Physitian is a most intolerable disease, for all is but too little to effect a true information, and to doe well, he will often suspect, that the disease may grow from the minde. In case of which discovery he will no lesse industriously indeavour the Cure of the body by it, and his good precepts and instructions thoroughly urged to that purpose, then by any other means, it being often the onely way of Cure, but nothing more ordinarily neglected by such as only affect to say something to draw a Fee, but wil be sure not to trouble their own mindes to cure their Patients: But from such God deliver me, who will as little admit them to the tryall of my disease and constitution, as the Law doth a Butcher to be a Juror. Purging Medicines shall bee his last refuge, after prescription of convenient exercise, order, and dyet, which by some of the best are affirmed to bee sufficient to cure any disease curable. Hee will affect chearefulnesse of countenance [Page 99] and fashion, for it is a Cordiall to the sick, but he will take heed of an unseasonable merriment, which is often as absurd as unwelcome to the seriousnesse of a sick man. A thousand things have been, and might be said to his instruction, for no art more requires it, but this in summe shall serve my turn, who mean only to say something of a good, but not to work a cure upou a bad Physitian. I conclude that Physick had need have a God as well to the practice, as to the invention of it, for errors are so grosse, and ordinary diseases and symptomes so complicate, Indications so crosse, nature and constitutions so diversly affected in Crisis and evacuation, nor doth she ever powerfully shew her self, till she be put to it for life; Purging and blood-letting, prove so ordinarily diverters, impediments and weakners, in stead of helpers to nature, and seeing by a mistaking we call those our diseases, which are in truth the working of nature towards our cure, and the discharge of her self, as in fits of Agues, Collicks, the Stone, and the like; for my part, I chuse rather with David, to put my self into the hands of God then man, whose endeavours of cure and errors make us ordinarily more misreable then our disease it self. I end to my good Doctor, with that Counsell of the Scripture, whereupon it is to bee hoped that hee will guide his practice, namely, that hee and his Art are to bee employed upon necessity, which I think to be (for the sense is ambiguous) in such Cases where nature and dyet have ever appeared defective to work a Cure, and that his art upon infallibl [...] and cleare grounds hath ever been found successefull.
A Lawyer.
A Good Lawyer is so fallen in love with my Lady Justice, that there is no greater Antipathy in the world, then betwixt him and injury, nor hateth he any thing more then an undue course of proceeding. He will make his Science compatible with conscience, and so runne her course, that at the length he may bee thought a fit Judge to preside her high Court of Chancery. Hee will have a greater feeling of the cause and interest of his Client then of his Fee, and entertaining the defence of it for just, will affect more the gaining of it to him, then to himself reputation. His carriage shall not bee onely perfunctory, neither in the taking notice, nor in the pleading of the Cause, but hee will both search and pleade it home without tendernesse either of his paines, or of the Judge his displeasure. Hee [Page 100] will not so much frame his practise to corru t custome as to honesty, nor beare his eyes on the papers of his present Client, and his mind on the Fee that presseth at his Closet doore. Hee will esteeme his taking no better then theft, without the industry of deserving, and of himself worse then of a theese if his Client relying upon him hee appeare not in his defence, yet goe away with his money. Wherefore hee will entertaine no other causes then hee can honestly goe through, nor take Fees without a resolution to discharge his dutie for them. Though the Law bee an imperious Lady and unsociable, yet hee will endeavour to accompany her with the study of other literature, whereby to breed her better respect and his owne prevalence: and indeed the study being somewhat dry and dull requires other learning, wherewith to lard and grace it. Hee will rather fast from Imployment then become patron of an unjust cause, especially without having first delivered to his Client his opinion of the nature thereof, and the probability of the successe. Hee will not make a jest of his profession (as some of them doe) affirming their practise a pretty tricke to get money, a contention of wits and purses, a politick pastime to entertaine busie braines, an a duell where the greatest stroakes are given underhand; but will so defend right and Justice, as hee would wish to be defended by them in his best titles and innocencie.
A Souldier.
TO bee a good Souldier and Commander hee must know well how to obey: and command himselfe. Hee must temper his judgement with courage, and valour with discretion, he will not bee greedy of other imployment then such whose issue is likely to breed his honour: and though he owe obedience to his King or superiour, yet if any such execution shall be imposed upon him as appeares not feazable unto him, he will first discharge his duty in discovering the improbability, but being pressed by their authority will undergo the charge with all alacritie and forwardnesse. Hee is constituted a Corrector of vice and disorder in others, and therefore must in no sort admit them in himselfe, especially that of drinking which is too ordinarily incident to his profession; for if it were possible, hee should bee more then a man, but that makes him lesse, and it is to bee admired how such as professe and are generally in love with honour and reputation so farre as they will venture their lives upon small puntilio's to the maintayning thereof can consent to overwhelme themselves with such a vice as drawes an undervaluing contempt and scorne upon them, even from the meanest [Page 101] sort of people. Though it bee most unfit for a good Commander to bee prodigall of his owne life or his Souldiers upon an undue hazard, yet their condition being such as to have sold themselves to mortall adventure, hee will bee ambitious of nothing more then to meet with a faire occasion of dying in the bed of honour; and who feareth death will never bee fitting for that profession, and therefore will maintaine himselfe prepared for it. Hee must in the exercise of his calling bee an enemy to sloth and idlenesse, and keepe them from creeping upon him as hee would doe his blade from rust. A continuall vigilance must bee the Sentinell of safetie to himselfe and the Troopes under him: his taking notice of well deservers, his good example, and faire promises will animate his Souldiers, and he will ever prove himselfe just of his word, both to them and the enemy: for if he often deceive and forfeit the trust and confidence that ought to be reposed therein, he must impute others diffidence to his owne fault, and will finde it a perpetuall prejudice unto him. He will make it a principall care to well discipline his men before hee bring them into service; for that makes the difference between a rable of Clownes and Souldiers, and what can be expected from such as are strangers to good order, and the use of their Armes? He will assist himselfe with good Commanders and officers, for what is it else if their men bee Bisonians then for the blind to lead the blind? It concernes him to know all things necessary to his expedition, and to make sure that they bee fully supplyed; for as the greatest honour in good successe, so the greatest blame on the contrary will fall upon him that commands in chiefe. As want of courage will bee one of the greatest imputations unto him, so a sordid avarice and parsimony would bee none of the least; for there is nothing more unanswerable to a publike exercise of an Honorable profession, nor nothing more deprives a Commander of that affection and esteeme which are most conducible unto him in all his actions and exploits. But the warre is an Art by it selfe, Commands in warre are of severall natures, occasions infinitely vary, and they require a well experienced pen; wherefore, though I have said something to answer a request, yet I forbeare to proceed further, for I know it misbecomes mee: and in truth were my abilities the greatest that ever any man possessed, yet I finde the world so full of writing, and so little effect from it, every man flattering himselfe upon his owne braine, and partially carried away with the undivertible torrent of nature, which suffers nothing to appeare good unto him but what is sutable to it selfe, that they must either bee more in love then I am with the exhibiting the unsatisfactory fruite of their conceits, and better natur'd in bestowing much labour to little purpose, or else they will (as my selfe intend) finde out a more healthfull pastime for idle houres.
An houres Meditation upon goodnesse and improbitie.
GOOD God! what, and where is the good use of Religion▪ just men have the Character of thee and thy goodnesse, ingenerate in their hearts, whose vertue alone produceth reverence towards thee, and charitie to their neighbour, the Sum of Religion: but they are few, the wicked abound and prevaile, such as make a Stalking horse of thy word, and a scorne of such as make vertue and pietie their direction. Good men are a prey unto them, and they sacrifice to their owne nets, falshood is their levell, private advantage their marke, and like the Fowler they applaud themselves in their deceitfulnesse. They prosper in their evill and crooked Arts whilst uprightnesse is an unthrift. How little wit there goes to the wayes and language of infidelitie? and how little commoditie to the exercise of truth? Shall I therefore abandon the good lessons of my soule and habit of vertue? smother that fire of grace and charitie which hath enlightned and warmed my spirit? Shall I in a base applause of the prosperitie of such perverse spirits, like unto them sell my selfe to worke iniquitie, and esteeme the practise of Religion a Melancholy superstition, Hell but a scarecrow, and vertue a politique fancy? No, I humbly thanke God I consist of a metall and stampe more refined and divine. The double-hearted man cannot more delight in his craft and cunning gaine, then I joy in my simplicitie and truth; nor can hee more deride my integritie, then I scorne and detest his false turpitude and impietie. Let him esteeme of wit and discourse as an engine bestowed upon him to advantage himselfe as well over the more innocent sort of men, as over other creatures; concentrate his goodnesse within himselfe; become his owne idoll, a voluptuous and barbarous beast of rapine and prey; emancipate himselfe from all Lawes, civill, morall, and divine; shake off the bridles of fame and Religion, or elude them by Hypocrisie; whilst I acknowledge my great Creator the author of all benefits and goodnesse (as I doe the devill of all falshood and uncharitablenesse) whilst I rest inflamed with the heavenly love of that blessed fountaine of joy and beneficence, and for his sake love the affections of charitie and goodnesse, and extend their value where I find them, as I prove them more or lesse extensive and communicable in their Subject & activitie. Let the ignoble minded man conclude knavery for wisedome, sordid gaine a discreet policie, and if he will, let him account cowardise a warinesse for self-preservation, and valour a foolish prodigality of life: I am no such wittall. I have been trained to take [Page 103] my measure a nobler way, Rectum judex sui & obliqui, So recti [...]ude of affections. and will censure as vilely of him, as his basenesse demerits howsoever disguised. I will possesse my soule as the soule of a man educated and instituted to conscience, honour, civilitie and faire societie; and rather chuse to perish a noble honest way, then to advance my selfe by unworthinesse and fraud, becomming vile and abominable to such as are truely generous and religious. I will reverence God and righteous men, bee true and zealous in seeking the honour and peace of my King and Country, bee ashamed of nothing honest, nor pleased in any thing dishonest, bee more indulgent to the errors of a good, then seeming vertues of a maligne nature, nor will affect longer to breath, then I shall endeavour to deserve the good opinion of such as are most justly worthy and communicatively good.
VVHat pitie it is that it may bee said of many as it was of Naaman the Syrian, they are great, they are honorable, they are mightie and such like, but they are Lepers in a spirituall sense? which is the worst, for Naaman was cured by washing, so will not, nor desire not they, no more then Moores or Leopards.
Of Death.
TO fill up this empty vacant space it is high time that I conclude my Characters with a word of the Philosophers common Theame, I meane our generall long Vacation, Death, the concluder and destroyer of all worldly Characters, and filler up of all eternity, the period of consistence. To speake much of it as others have done were to say much of nothing, and to aggravate that by discourse which but by apprehension is indolent: beasts feele it [Page 104] not, Boyes make it no businesse, resolute and stupid men regard it not, and to a good Christian it is rather an object of hope then feare: onely such as abhorre to bee alone and in the darke, and the overbusy Philosopher confound themselves in conceiving and digesting it. Things necessary and irremediable are rather to bee borne then expostulated, swallowed then chawed; necessity is the Unum magnum, and faith the Unum necessarium in passing it over: Whilst wee live it hath no being in us, when wee die it is in an instant, and no sooner come then wee are gone: Nothing seemes more against nature, nor is any thing more naturall; but as I said I will not enter into the common paraphrase of that nothing, or if any thing, rather a returne to, then a forsaking our home: Nor will I Pathetically end with the exaltation and flattery of that great universall Imaginary Monarch; let wit and Philosophy flesh him, cloath and paint him as they can, his Sceleton Posture and dart will still appeare terrible to weake Spirits; To mee, by the grace of God and my Saviour, hee shall bee an indifferent guest, hee shall not find mee unprovided, the continuall feast of a good conscience shall not, I hope, bee wanting unto mee; it shall in despight of his all devouring bee my viaticum, and goe along with mee. Amen.
Iune the 6. 1640.
An Essay concerning Musick.
LEt him that tafts not Musick beware of the Tarantula's sting, which is cured by an affectation of some Geniall point therein. And surely hee is so farre from a perfect quintessentiall constitution of the mind, that I doubt whether in such minds some undigested lump of the Chaos bee not yet predominant. It is to me an Argument of a soule well in tune, to bee understandingly affected therewith, nor is any one affectation more likely to be accompanied with a detestation of such vices as discord with the Law of nature and received vertue. For a disposition once habituated in a delight of harmonious proportion, must consequently distast such uncomely dissonance. If earth afford any resemblance of the incomparable joyes of heaven, it is not improbable to be in musick. For I cannot name an earthly delight, where the mind is so disjoyned from grosse and terrene objects, nor so sublimed (as it were) to an upward center, which surely is God, the Center of the heavens and heavenly-spirits. No small testimony thereof is [Page 105] exhibited in divine service, where Musick hath been ever thought fit to elate and prepare the mind to celestiall contemplations. But whatsoever it is to divinitie it hath ever beene a child of the most civill nations and times, and they that like it not, are in that point Brothers to the Savages. It hath beene blamed to effeminate and over-soften mens minds, which whence it is gathered, my selfe could never conceive, except in that substraction which it makes from inhumane, barbarous, and uncivill inclinations. For it certainly heates, cleareth, sharpneth and erecteth the spirits, making them dance in the veines, with such disposition of activitie, as when the Musick ceaseth the heat thereof yet remaines, not much unlike that of wine, in a Dutchman, which Alarums him to be doing and fight, though hee know not with what. Allow it to heate, and you can hardly make it seeme to quench courage, whereunto heate is even the forme. Alexander might bee a proofe, or the severall sorts of Musick, whereof some definitively exempt it from that Tax. But Musitians are knowne generally fantasticall and light. This indeed is a fault, but in the Musitians, not in the science, which doubtlesse is often lodged in most judicious and grave spirits: Of David you will not deny it. Nor is it verely more to bee accused, then the best wine, for infatuating weake braines. Divine Inspirations have beene generally seene accompanied with a transportation of the weaker spirit that received them. They who least love it must at least allow it to bee a pleasing dreame, and an innocent pastime, wherein if the body and spirits receive no nourishment, they may be yet after other defatigations be delightfully entertained without wast or expence, in freshnesse and alacritie, for the embracing imployment in either. It is commonly as of women, the worst are to bee had for money, and often the pleasure scarce worth the tuning. The haters of it thinke it but a noise, who are the more brutish, being uncapable of beautie, whereto the intellectuall with the instrumentall part is requisite. The Scripture hath assigned a great property and delight hereof to the time of banqueting, for it is indeed a kind of banquet, and like wine, a moderation whereof pleaseth, recreates, and is allowed to the most austere; but long set at, and made too frequent, destroyes both the receivers relish and good esteeme. Nor are all banquets (no more then Musick) ordained for merry humors, some being used even at Funeralls.
Aire.
Song.
Aut virtus uomen inane est, Aut decus & pretium recte petit experiens vir.
Doth vertue then depend on time and Per varios casus artem experientia fecit. chance? it seemes it doth, but God is the author of time and experience, chance is not chance to him, goodnesse growes not but where hee plants and waters it: Pretious experience, how much I have wanted thee? how deerely art thou bought? how slow thou growest? with thee wee have enough to doe to finde and keepe our way, but without thee wee are giddy, wee are blind, wee walke, wee stumble, wee fall as in the darke, thou art called the mother of fooles; they should have said of wisedome, for wee are silly fooles without thee, thence is said that every one is either a foole or Physitian: without thee wee are strangers to the world, wee are strangers to our selves; the best husbandman understands not to manage his ground, nor wee our selves but from thee. Thou under God art the giver and preserver of health and riches, rules of health and thrift are little acknowledged but upon infirmitie and sufferance; Nature makes us passionate, but thou compassionate. A man that knowes the bearing of his beast will not overload him; had I enjoyed thee I had enjoyed my selfe, I had made thee and nature my Physitians; they pretend to be her props and helpers, but they rather confound and ruine her; they are her Apes, her Zanyes, deformed and mischievous; inexperience, impatience, lazinesse, opinion, and custome maintaine their credit, and make us their Patients; the Spanish proverbe is a good one, that God cures the disease and the Physitian takes the money. If men will use them, let it bee yet as it was that no man should draw water at the common well till hee [Page 108] had made thorough triall at home; the Art is uncertaine, but their ordinary ignorance and carelesnesse makes it worse; if they did not love our money better then our health, they would not neglect their ancient breakfast. By exercise and agitation to stirre up naturall heat to worke digestion and expulsion is Physick farre beyond them. As Archimedes said, that if hee had other ground to place an Instrument hee could remove the earth: so could I as well and safely worke upon the parts within the Ribs as below, I would not doubt to doe wonders in cure, and without it there may be so m [...]ch wrought as shall hardly faile to maintaine a body right built, in cleerenesse, breath, strength, and health, and so to cure, where other drugs weaken and shorten youth and life. The very thought and consideration what Physick and Phyfitians to use, is alone a disease, à nocentibus & juvantibus: observation of what helpes and hurts, with the ordinary benefit and communication of others expeperience upon free cost, is Physick often more then enough: for as truth is said to bee often lost by much altercation, so health by being too superstitiously sollicitous. A medicinall life is a miserable life, I desire as much not to live as to live by Physick, and when nature is so weake that it cannot beare or worke out a little disorder, let her take her course, it is at the worst but giving over a game that must be lost, and going to bed a little before the houre. There may be meanes to temper the blood without drawing it, and many make fasting their cure against repletion: diseases of Inanition are more difficult, yet they may have and find their restoratives without a Doctor. As exercise is the best Physitian, so is rest the best restorer; my complexion is active, and I have suffered much in want of sutable employment: waters corrupt, and Iron gathers rust, and the Moth is bred by want of use and stirring: yet motion without moderation and a proper subject is often pernicious, as to milstones, which grind out themselves for want of Grist, and the best metall weares out with much whetting. A discreet ordering and alternation of motion and rest is a great preservative; Nature hath instructed other creatures in their strength, and the use thereof beyond what we finde for ours, in our Arts and practise. Their undefaced instinct outgoes our outfacing inventions and conceits; Beasts have much of man in them, and man too much of (nay often worse then) the Beasts. It hath beene observed that most men have in their aspect a resemblance of some Beast or Bird; conformitie of soule depends much upon the conformation of the bodily parts, complexions are not so various as soules; crueltie and falsehood are invincible in some, ignorance in others, choler in some, flegme and melancholy in others: I may bee incorrigibly melancholy, but it is not of the Asinine kind. Strange is the difference of the temperament of severall mens bodies and mindes, but more strange the difference of the same man from himselfe at one and another time, now all dull and heavy, then all rapid, active, and aery; now quick and sharpe, then slow and blunt of understanding; [Page 109] now apprehensive and timorous, then all daring and fearelesse: I v [...]ly beleeve there may bee or are Spirits and tempers so fiery and bold as to bee incapable of feare, howsoever it may bee conc [...]ived a passion as necessary as naturall to selfe-preservation, the unconsidering and undaunted fiercenesse of some creatures witnesse as much: Thus for want of other entertainment I am put to ransack nature, Art and my selfe, and like D [...]ogenes busie my selfe in my particular and with my tub, I write wildly, I write the wild-goose chase, if you like it not let it alone, yet doe you not contemne the Stars of heaven or plants and face of the earth for their seeming [...]methodicall confusion. To say something of experience which hath thrust mee on this peece; Here you have that at an easie rate, which growes not on every ground, varietie useth to please, let it not displease you, if it profit not, and the mischiefe is that I feare it will little profit you if you much need it if you bee not already in some measure proportionable to what I write, it will but passe by you like clouds, shadowes, and dreames, of little impression and lesse improvement: What a number of notions there are in the world of realitie to some, nullities to others? such as Witches, Apparitions, prodigious advertisements, divine admonitions, instant and sodaine relievings and assistances, &c. Many carry their faith no farther then their sense and experience Some are so irreligiously preresolved to decline superstition, that God shall bee the last to whom they will attribute any supereminent production, they will rather stand confounded and lost, then abandon second causes, or acknowledge any supernaturall effect. Yet extraordinary truths howsoever sleighted want not extraordinary testimony, and God in all times leaves not himselfe without witnesse, there would else bee, if manifestation should bee equall to every mans sense, no place to exercise faith, and little extent to knowledge if wee were restrained to our particular experiments, though upon the difference of materialls the Print take not in all alike; wee are cast as it were in one mould, what concernes you not to day may to morrow, whatsoever is written of man, de te narratur fabula, endeavour and be favourable.
August the 14. 1638.
Vnhappinesse of Physicke.
SInce I writ the preceding piece, it hath fallen out to my extreme sorrow and affliction, that one of the fairest, most noble and vertuous of Ladies, is dead in my unhappy house under the hands of the Physitians. Shee was such, that as it was said of one (none of the best) of our Princes, that if vices had been lost in the world [Page 110] they might have been recovered and found in him; much more truely may it bee affirmed of her for all such vertues as either ever were or can bee Ornaments and bring a valuation to her Sex. As shee neither loved nor needed flattery, so was her worth so farre beyond it, that what had beene such to the best of others, applyed to her was but lame abatement and defalcation; not onely they who knew her with any happy interest and relation, but the very frame of vertue and the world that wants it suffer in her losse; it hath been long sicke of a consumption of vertue. Shee was of so sweet, so winning, so powerfull example, so serene and temperate an Ayre, that vice and venome were never so maligne, and contagious, as her admirable vertue and goodnesse would have proved cordiall and restorative to the worlds recovery; But shee who was in a way of being the worlds. Physitian, is lost under the hand of Physick; her memory is not more happy in her deservings, then her losse sad and indigestible; yet let us, as there is just cause, feele it to the quick, to the heighth, there is a kind of sweetnesse to sorrow to the death, but more in the memory of her sweetnesse, let that ever flourish, never die in those that had the happinesse to know her, let us continue our selves a kind of sacrifice unto her, as well dead as alive; As wee water her memory with our teares, let us keepe it alive with our breath, and still serve her in loving and serving whatsoever and whosoever hath relation unto her; her worth and contemplation are infinite, I should never finde a way to leave so full, so pathetique a subject, but by breaking off to fall upon her Physitians; Shee is an object so excelling as confounds and oppresseth mee, I would you could like mee as much as I love my selfe better for such confusion, I hope I shall be clearer sighted upon my doctors, I would for the sakes of the credulous that they could see as well into diseases and constitutions as I see into them and their common course and practise; I would there were not as much mischiefe and murder as vanitie and blindnesse in their science and profession; the Aruspices were not more fraught with imposture and delusion: they applaud themselves and may justly deride us, they must get and live though we lose and die for it, they must bee still the same or nothing; but shall the world and we grow still older, never wiser? The better sort should be the wisest, shall wee still turne our wealth to our bane in feeding and feeing them to starve, destroy and make us miserable? shall wee never resent what hath beene long time said, how there is more danger of the Physitian then of the disease? doe we not daily see the poorer people fall sick and recover, whilst the richer make themselves a sacrifice to the Physitians Art and tyranny?
Need we any other evidence then what they daily give in against themselves, in their grosse detected mistakings, and contradictions [Page 111] the one to the other; Is any man who hath experience of their proceedings ignorant of the almost infallible fallibilitie of their Art and conjectures? I have found it so frequent, that excepting some few symptomes of death, which they get by being about those whom they kill, I might almost (as in Kalender predictions and Prognosticks) take more truely the contrary of whatsoever they affirme. I have often paid for their counsell and assistance, when my owne judgement and confidence hath proved farre truer then their threatnings, and my feares, then their hopes and comforts. They may bee ashamed to bee so insolent and peremptory, finding their errors and acknowledging their Art to bee so conjecturall as they doe. What is more ordinary then for nature in such a disease and such a body to affect her discharge downeward when their operation is upward, and so contrary, shee to incline to a criticall sweat when they in stead of our disease draw out our best Spirits with our our blood, and so forth; what a distraction, what an oppression, what a disturbance and disease doth poore nature our sure and seeing Physitian suffer from them? False friends, true enemies they are unto us; It hath been no ill Dilemma framed in natures behalfe, that either shee is too strong for the disease, or it for her: in the first shee ever prevailes, if the Doctor doe not hinder; in the last, have wee not howerly experience of the Physitian cal'd in time, the Patient young and strong, the disease common and knowne, and yet death ensues? where is the saving, where the benefit, where the advantage that their Art and they pretend? even in their owne purses impassible incompassionate as they are. How many have they antiently destroyed by cruell denying coole drinke in burning fits, conspiring with the fire and malignitie of the sicknesse, to possesse the spirits and vitall parts which might thereby have beene prevented, intercepted, allayed, and temper'd? They pretend to starve the disease when they starve the Patient; How is it possible for nature to worke for her owne sustentation either by medicine or otherwise, when you allow her not the least supply? It were a miracle for her to subsist, weakned by malady, by blood-letting, by purges, and by substraction of nourishment, shee is wiser then our Art and discourse, and will refuse meate and drinke when shee cannot beare them, and hold in, her treasure of bloud many times in spite of the Chirurgion, and give convenient effusion of blood without the Physitian. If sometimes shee erre in her demands it is by accident, and that lesse dangerous to satisfie then the Horseleech Doctor. Experience hath taught them against their owne method, that to give way to the violent appetite of Patients is ordinarily successefull contrary to rules; nature never requires any thing but is respectively and in some sort good and fit for her, howsoever otherwise bad, where the Doctor runnes a course simply and absolutely destructive. We are all borne with a Physitian in our belly, Adam had no other, if God [Page 112] had judged them as necessary helpes as a woman, he would also have created one for him. I have otherwhere with much lesse cause discoursed of this subject; their Impatient I justly am, their Patient I will never be, I hold my life by Gods mercy, and desire no longer to enjoy it then he shall please to give it, and maintaine it in mee, without becomming their Tenant. They who will give themselves up to their conceited usurped authoritie, Stultos jubeo esse libenter, let them live as miserably, according to the saying, as medicinally. It hath been observed of some Countries that sicknesse and complaint in that kind were never frequent amongst them till the profession of Physick brought it: wee are gulled with their golden promises of health, as Alchymists abuse many with the hopes of the Philosophers stone, whereby like Aesops Dog they lose the substance for the shadow, true gold for false hope, and health and life by revolting from nature and relying upon false imposterous pretences.
is too true betweene nature and the Doctor; he kills cum privilegio. Yet some there are whose Art hath not extinguished in them Religion and humanitie, who will disswade the selfe-abusing complainer from the custome of Physick, as conscionable concerning their unhappy profession, nor will they without extraordinary caution give the least disturbance or abatement to nature, but will move with care and feare as in the darke; others there are of an inferior sort to the former, none of the worst, who if they meet a Patient whom common course hath brought to have recourse in consultation unto them, yet scrupulous and declaring a disaffection to their nauseous drugs, filthy and cruell violation, and tortures to nature, they will as ingenuously comply as preferre the forbearance of their Arts employment, confessing with Bellarmine a Tutissimum differing from their ordinary wayes: and even the most feculent and virulent amongst them, prest by a knowing and experienced opposer, will sufficiently acknowledge the danger and uncertaintie of their Art, not to be maintained but upon postulata and an implicit faith in their Rabbins; whereupon, as also in humoring their Patient, and preventing his recourse to their enemy Emperick, they thinke to stand excused in all events, conceiving him to be brought to a faire end who dies according to their sentence and method. Presse and observe them neerely, and you shall not faile of matter enough from them to aliene as well your affections as good opinion of their science: I too lately had occasion to heare one of them discoursing of giving his Patient a sweat, disallow of forced and unnaturall sweats as ineffectuall, [Page 113] from which assertion may wee not naturally and strongly deduce a generall consequence as well against their unnaturall and forced proceedings?
My selfe long since following the fashion and common rode did to my small reliefe and comfort, and no little exhaustion to my purse and body enthrall my selfe unto them, who Viper-like where once they fasten their heads are not easily shaken off, custome their fellow Tyrant engageth us unto them.
But the little helpe and great hurt I found from them, their as grosse as peremptory mistakings, their as false as dire Prognostiques, and nothing more new from them then from my disease, besides what I met by puddering in their writings, how the Melancholy cure commonly begins where the Physitian is forsaken and makes an end, made mee withdraw my selfe from relying on them and their Art, since which time by Gods grace and other familiar meanes I finde my selfe renewed in vigor and health of body and mind. Oppressed, debilitated, exanimated, fettered, caged, and enlazied nature, where they have left her any reliques of her selfe, proud of her libertie, free from oppression mounts and playes upon her owne wings, disdaining their poore and imped feathers. To conclude with them who will never conclude with us till they have brought us to our finall conclusion. Tinkers they are that make more holes then they mend; and wonder not that they doe not ever affect nor speed our cure, for as common Chirurgians professe our paine to be their best friend, the like doe they find in your complaint and disease, they protract, and draw your body that they may draine your purse, they confine you from company, ayre, common exercise, and dyet, which would all prove your better Physick; they forbid you all that pleaseth, and feed you with distast, Take heed of fruits, for many times if you eate the other bunch of Grapes or couple of Peaches it would prove your better purge; they worke by natures expulsion of their poysons, who would better have wrought for her selfe, had you used the patience of putting her to her strength upon a fuller charge in the malignitie and excesse of your peccant humors. Like the Ivie to the wall, or play to a consumed Gameste [...], they miserably uphold what they had undermined: like the Imprese of enjewelling the Diamant, they at the best consume whilst they fashion you, nor are you so sure of any thing as to come weaker out of their hands. They seduce and controll nature, they silence and insult over all assistants who are not allowed to kill; and be their advise, Cordialls, Receits, never so safe, never so good, they must bee scornefully and insolently rejected and become tolerating miserable spectators of the tragedy, torture, execution, and death [Page 114] of their dearest friends. They are often as busie and cruell over their poore Patient as Hawkes upon their prey, or Ravens over a carcasse, and as little troubled (nay possibly as proud) as hunters over a great Quarry. If they like not this, let the Galenists reade Paracelsus, and the generalitie of them Cornelius Agrippa, and they will thinke themselves favourably dealt with. Onely thus much to you my honoured Lady Sav. who were a suffering witnesse of that matchlesse Ladies losse; It is singular and irreparable to her Noble neerest friends, and your selfe who knew and enjoyed the sweetnesse of her conversation and vertue can find it no lesse. You make often use of Physick, my prayer is that you may seldome or never need it; I confesse you are thus happy therein that God hath blest you to rely upon one of the best and safest in that profession; Hee was the last that I used, and would I have recourse to them hee should bee one of the first; It is their common practise, and neither their persons nor Art that I abhorre: I thought not amisse to communicate to your view my conceptions herein; If I have used more passion then reason, or any evill and unproper Ingredient, your better judgement can as well correct as use. I humbly take my leave, but will never leave to grieve, and rest