to complaine vpon God for the shortnes of their life when as they themselues as short as it is doe through ryot malice murthers care and warres make it much shorter both in them selues and others Theophrastus hoc est Viuere bis vitâ posse priore frui Est nostra vno vita quam sâ—millima Acescit est quem reliqua parua portio Of the Soule Defi. The soule is a created substance inuisible incorporall immortall resembling the image of her Creator a spirit that giueth life to the body where-vnto it is ioyned a nature alwaies mouing it selfe capable of reason and the knowledge of God to loue him as beeing meet to be vnited to him through loue to eternall felicity THE greatest thing that may be said to be contained in a little roome is the soule in a mans body An holy vndefiled soule is like heauen hauing for her Sunne vnderstanding the zeale of iustice and charity for the Moone fayth and her vertues for the starres Euery soule is eyther the spouse of Christ or the adultresse of the deuill Chris. The minde is the eye of the soule The soule is compounded of vnderstanding knowledge and sence from which all Sciences and Arts proceede and from these she is called reasonable The soule is deuided into two parts the one spirituall or intelligible vvhere the discourse of reason is the other brutish which is the sensuall will of it selfe wandring where all motions contrary to reason rest and delighting onelly to dwell vvhere euill desires doâ— inhabite The actions of the soule are vvill iudgement sence conceiuing thought spirit imagination memory vnderstanding The incomparable beauty of the soule is prudence temperance fortitude iustice All the felicity of man as well present as to come dependeth on the soule Clement The soule is the organ and instrument of God whereby he worketh in vs and lifteth vs vp to the conteÌ„plation of his diuine power and nature The sweetest rest and harbor for the soule is a conscience vncorrupted The Philosophers set downe foure powers to rule in the soule reason will anger and concupiscence in which they lodged foure vertues to euery one one prudence iustice fortitude and temperance The soule payeth well for her hire in the body considering what she there suffereth The soule of the iust man is the seat of wisedome August The body is the sepulcher of a dead soule The soule is the breathing of God Ambr. If thy soule be good the stroke of Death cannot hurt thee for thy spirit shall liue blessedly in heauen Basil. As they that haue healthfull bodies easily endure both cold and heat so they that haue a stayed and setled soule haue the dominion ouer anger greefe ioy and all other their affections Plato It is not death that destroyeth the soule but a bad lyfe A sound soule correcteth the naughtines of the body All mens soules are immortall but the soules of the righteous are immortall and diuine Socrates It is good to haue a regard to the health of the mind that the body thereby may be preserued from danger The power of the minde is two-fold one part is in the appetite the other in reason which teacheth vvhat is to be followed and vvhat to be eschewed By this reason commaundeth and appetite obeyeth The diseases of the body are easie to be cured but for the malady of the minde no medicine can be found The pleasure of the minde excelleth the pleasures of the body By vvhat other name canst thou call the soule then God dwelling in a mans body It is as great charity to edefie the soule as sustaine the body Bernard The nobility of the soule is alwayes to be thought vpon The soule in the flesh is as amongst thorns Bernard The soule is the naturall perfection of the body Aurel. The body considereth nothing but what is present the minde conceaueth vvhat is past and what is to come The soule of man is an incorruptible substance apt to receaue either ioy or pain both heere and else where Solon The soule despiseth all worldly busines and being occupied onely about heauenly matters she reioyceth greatly vvhen she is deliuered from these earthly bands VVhile the soule is in the company of good people it is in ioy but vvhen it is among euill men it is in sorrow and heauines As the body is an instrument of the soule so is the soule an instrument of God The body vvas made for the soule and not the soule for the body Looke hovv much the soule is better then the body so much more greeuous are the diseases of the soule then the greefes of the body Diogenes By the iustice of God the soule must needs be immortall and therfore no man ought to neglect it for though the body dye yet the soule dieth not The delights of the soule are to knovv her Maker to consider the works of heauen and to know her owne state and being Tres vitales spiritus creauiâ— Omnipotens vnum qui carne non tegitur alium qui carne tegitur sed non cum carne moritur â—â—eâ—tium qui carne tegitur et cum carne moritur Primus AngeloruÌ„ secundus hominum tertius brutorum est Anima dum viuificat corpus anima est dum vult animus dum scit mens dum recolit memoria dum rectum iudicat ratio dum spirat spiritus dum aliquid sentit sensus est Of the Sences Defi. Sences are the powers of the soule body in number fiue seeing hearing smelling tasting and touching Of Seeing THe eyes vvere giuen to men to be as it were theyr vvatch-towers and sentinels the guiders and leaders of the body Of more validitie is the sight of one eye then the attention of ten eares for in that a man seeth is assurance and that he heareth may be an error The piercing power of the sight is able to reade Homers Iliads though they were written in the compasse of a nut-shell The sight the affection and the hands are instruments to gather bribes Sight increaseth compassion and compassion calleth vp care S. P. S. VVhat can saying make theÌ„ beleeue whom seeing cannot perswade S. P. S. Sight is the riches which nature graunteth to the poorest creature S. P. S. A wanton eye is the messenger of an vnchast hart Aug. Marcus Varro was surnamed Strabo for his quicke sight that from Libaeum a prouince in Sicilia he could tell the number of the saile of shippes vvhich came out of the Hauen of Carthage Hee that is borne blinde is wiser then the deafe or dumb Arist. Blindnes it selfe commends the excellency of sight Aug. The eyes are the iudges seat of the mind The eye is the most precious part of the body and therefore it is saide I vvill keepe thee as the apple of mine eye The eyes are the windowes of the body or rather of the soule which is lodged in it The sight is the chiefest sence and the first Mistresse that prouoked men forward to
how with commendations to aduenture dangerous fearefull things and in taking them in hand to be nothing terrified Socrates Men of haâ—ghtie courage seeke rather to win a long-lasting fame then to saue a short lasting lyfe The courage of a man is seene in the resolution of his death Fortitude is the fairest blossom that springs from a noble minde Fortitude is the meane betweene feare and boldnes There is not any thing harde to be accomplished by him that with courage enterpriseth it Courage maketh that obscure which vvas not woorthily atchiued and those actions which proceede on aduise experience are neuer changed ere they be ended neither are they ended but fortunatly Courage begun with deliberate constancie and continued without change doth sildome faile It cannot bee counted couragious or true victory that bringeth not with it some clemencie Bias. To conquer is naturall to pitty heauenly It is more courage to die free then to lyue captiue Leostenes Bias holding warres with Iphicrates King of Athens falling into the lappes of his enemiâ—s and his souldiours fearfully asking him what they should doe hee aunswered make report to those that are aliue that I died with courage â—ighting and I will say to the dead that you scape cowardly flying Such as are sâ—out in body and cowardes in minde are dissemblers with God and man vvith God because they may doe good and will not with man because they seeme to be and are not Courage aduentureth on danger conquereth by perseuerance and endeth with honour There is nothing that maketh a man of more fortitude or sooner great and mightie then the tryall of a peruerse fortune nor any thing breedeth a more stabilitie of fayth and patience then the exercise of aduersities Heate is the instrument anger the whetstone of fortitude Courage contemneth all perrils despiseth calamities and conquers death Aginip Courage depending on mediocritie hath audaciousnes for one and feare for hys other extreame As fortitude suffereth not the minde to bee directed by any euils so temperance suffereth it not to be drawne from honestie by any allurements Courage is an immortal power of the soule consisting in direction of the spirit fortifyed in phylosophy Courage is the Champion to iustice neuer ought to contende but in righteous actions Epictetus Thunder terrifieth children threatnings feareth fooles but nothing dismaieth a man of courage and resolution Courage is a wise mans coate cowardise a fooles cognizaunce ignauum est rediturae parcere vita Quemcunque magnanimuÌ„ videris miseruÌ„ negas Of Fame Defi. Fame is but an â—ccho and an idle rumor of reports which running from eare to eare conueieth through the worlde the tydings of truth and falshood THere is no sweeter friend then Fame nor worser enemy then report It is a part of good fortune to be wel reported of and to haue a good name Plot. It is no small pleasure to haue a good name and yet it is more fraile then any glasse Erasmus A good lyfe is the readiest way to a good name Desire to be famous but first be carefull to purchase fame with credite There is no kind of mishap more infamous then for a man to loose his good name and to be ill reported of amongst all men for hys bad dealing As the shadowe doth followe the bodie so good deedes accompany fame The eare leadeth to the inward sences aswel as the eye Fame is the speedy Herrald to bear newes Fame riseth vp lyke a bubble continueth lyke a shadowe and dyes in the bosome of Time There is nothing more famous in a Prince then the loue of his subiects nor anie thing more famous in subiects then obedience Fame is like the turning wheele that neuer stayeth like the burning flame that quicklie quencheth like the sommer fruite that soone withereth Publicolas fame was gotten by leading of Armes Solons by ciuill actions The treason of Pausanias augmented the fame of Themistocles And the folles of great men are poore mens steps to honour A good report shineth most cleerely in the deepest darknesse If thou desire to bee well spoken of then learne to speake well of others and vvhen thou hast learned to speake well then learne likewise to doe well so shalt thou bee sure to get a worthy name Our good name ought to be more deer vnto vs then our life Beautie conquers the hart gold conquers beautie but fame subdues and goes beyond them both To flie from fame or desteny is of all things most impossible Keepe the fame which thou hast honestlie gotten for it is a iewell inestimable Glory is gotten both by sweating blood and fame both by vertue vildest actions The fame that Milciades got at Marathon wold not suffer Tâ—emistocles to sleep in quiet A rumor raysed of nothing soone vanisheth and the end of it is nothing else but to make the innocencie of him which is slaundered to be the more admired Erasm. Honestus rumor alterum est patrimonium Actum praeclarécum ijs est quorum virtus neâ— obliuione eorum qui sunt neâ— reticentia posteriorum sepulta esse poterit Cic. Of Rage Defi. Rage is a short furie the inflamation of the blood and an alteration of the hart it is a desire of reuenge a regardles care of friendship an enemie to all reason and as vneasie to be guided by another as a furious tyrant RAge or anger if it be but a small time deferred the force thereof will bee greatlie asswaged â—ut if it be suffered to continue it increaseth more and more in mischiefe vntill by reuenge it be fully satisfied VVhilst rage hath run his course forbeare to speake for many men in theyr anger vvill gyue no eare to reason Anger is the first entrance to vnseemelie vvrath Pythag. Anger is a melancholy griefe and vexation of the minde thirsting after reuenge VVrath prâ—ceedeth from the feeblenesse of courage and lacke of discretion VVomen are sooner angry then men the sicke sooner then the healthy and olde men sooner then young Herm. The irefull man is more misgouerned then hee whom lothsome drunkennes detaines The raging perturbations of the minde doe punish reason and blinde the sight of vvisedome Anaxag VVhat ragingly and rashly is begun dooth challenge shame before it be halâ—e ended Architas beeing angry with his bond-man would not beate him because he was angry Griefe neuer leaues a wrathfull man weaponlesse Anger is soone buried in a wisemans breast Anger and power meeting together in one man is more fierce then any thunderbolt Flee from the furious in his wrath trust not the faire tongue of thine enemy Hee ouercommeth a stoute enemy that ouercommeth his owne anger Chilo VVhat in priuate persons is termed choller in great men is called furie and crueltie The Pythagorians by the allegoricall commaundement that they should not leaue the bottom of the potte or cawdron imprinted in ashes did teach according to Plutarchs opinion that no marke or apparant showe of choller should remaine Anger springeth
increaseth and preserueth it selfe by a naturall facultie NAture in despight of Tyme will frowne at abuse Nature hath a certaine predominant power ouer the minde of man The man that lyueth obedient to nature can neuer hurt himselfe thereby Actions wrought against nature reape despight and thoughts aboue nature disdaine As Art is a helpe to nature so is experience the triall and perfection of Art As nature hath gâ—uen beautie and vertue giuen courage so nature yeeldeth death and vertue yeeldeth honour It is an old plague in mans nature that many men for the most part leaue the amendement of theyr liues farre behind them to sette theyr honors the more before them Nature is aboue Art in the ignorant and vertue aboue all thinges is esteemed of the vvise It is hard to straighten that by Art which is made crooked by nature Perian Nature is pleased in the eye reason in the minde but vertue in them both Consider what nature requires not howmuch affection desires That which is bredde in the bone vvill neuer out of the flesh and vvhat nature hath made Art cannot cure Nature guideth beastes but reason ruleth the harts of men VVhere in one man doe meete incertaintie of affection and malice of nature there is no other hope in him then distrust periurie words and reuenge Such as lyue according to nature are neuer poore and according to the opinion of men they are neuer rich because nature contenteth herselfe opinion doth infinitly couet Phillip King Alexanders Father falling vpon the sands and seeing there the marke print of his body sayd how little a plot of ground is nature content with and yet we couet the whole world The God vvhich is God of nature dooth neuer teach vnnaturalnesse S. P. S. Nature is higher prised then wealth and the loue of our Parents ought to be more precious then dignitie Fyre cannot be hid in the straw nor the nature of man so concealed but at the last it wil haue his course In nature nothing is superfluous Arist. Cineus the Phylosopher was of thys opinion that when the Gods framed Nature they went beyond theyr skill in that quoth hee the maker was subiect to the thing made VVhere nature is vicious by learning it is amended and where it is vertuous by skyll it is augmented There is no greater bonde then duty nor straighter Lawe then nature and where nature inforceth obedience there to resist is to striue against God Better is seueritie in nature then contempt in nature Liberall Sciences are most meet for liberall men and good Arts for good natures Nature without learning and good bringing vp is a blinde guide learning without nature wanteth much and vse vvithout the two former is vnperfit Nature beeing alwayes in a perpetuall motion desireth to be driuen to the better part or else shee suffereth herselfe to bee wayghed downe as a ballance to the worser Nature is our best guide whom if we folow we shall neuer goe astray Arist. Nature friendly sheweth vs by many signes what shee would what she seeketh and what she desireth but man by some strange mean waxeth deafe and will not heare what shee gently counsaileth Nature is a certaine strength and power put into things created by God who gyueth to each thing that which belongeth vnto it To striue against nature is lyke the monstrous broode of the earth to make warre against the Gods in heauen Quod satiare potest diues natura ministrat Quod docet infraenis gloria fine caret Hoc generi hominum natura datum vt qua infamilia laus aliqua forté floruerit hanc feré qui sunt eius stirpis quod sermo hominum ad memoriam patrum virtute celebretur cupidissimé persequantur Of Lyfe Defi. Life which we commonly call the breath of this worlde is a perpetuall battaile and a sharpe skirmish wherein wee are one while hurt with enuie another while with ambition and by and by with some other vice besides the suddaine onsets giuen vppon our bodies by a thousand sorts of diseases and floods of aduersities vpon our spirits LIfe is a pilgrimage a shadowe of ioy a glasse of infirmitie and the perfect path-way to death All mortall men suffer corruption in theyr soules through vice and in theyr bodyes through wormes Mans life is more brittle then glasse It is a miserable life where friendes are feared and enemies nothing mistrusted VVhose death men doe wish his lyfe they alwayes hate It is better not to lyue then not to knowe how to lyue Salust It is hard for a man to liue vvell but verie easie to die ill In lyfe there is time left to speake of the incombrances of fancie but after death no possible meanes to redresse endlesse calamitie If a good man desire to lyue it is for the great desire he hath to doe good but if the euill desire to lyue it is for that they woulde abuse the world longer The chyldren of vanitie call no time good but that wherein they liue according to their owne desire doe nothing but follow theyr owne filthie lusts Mans lyfe is like lyghtning which is but a flash and the longest date of yeeres is but a bauens blaze Men can neither inlarge their lyues as they desire nor shunne that death which they abhorre Menan A detestable life remoueth all merrit of honourable buriall It is better to lyue in meane degree then in high disdaine By lyfe grovveth continuance and by death all things take end Life and death are in the power of the tong The man that desireth life feareth death ought carefully to gouerne his tongue Life is short yet sweet Euripides Life to a wretched man is long but to him that is happy very short Menander Mans life is a warfare Seneca The mortall life which we inioy is the hope of life immortall Aug. An vndefiled life is the reward of age Aug. No man is so old but thinketh he may yet liue an other yeare Hierom. The breath that maintaineth life endeth it A good lyfe is the readiest vvay to a good name Aurel. Better it is to be carefull to liue vvell then desirous to liue long A long lyfe hath commonly long cares annexed with it Most men in these dayes wil haue precepts to be ruled by theyr lyfe and not theyr lyfe to be gouernd by precepts Mans life ought to be lyke vnto an image that hath euery part persit in it Our lyfe ought not to depend vppon one onely hope no more then a shyppe is to be stayed with one anker Fooles vvhen they hate theyr life will yet desire to liue for the feare vvhich they haue of death Crates Mans life is lent him for a time and he that gaue it may iustly demaund it when he will They liue very ill vvho alwayes thinke to liue To a man in misery lyfe seemeth too long but to a worldly minded man liuing at pleasure life seemeth too short Chilo VVhat a shame is it for men
by reason of their age and weaknesse of theyr strength are subiect to sundry imperfections and molested with many diseases Pacunius Gray hayres oft-times are intangled vvith loue but stailesse youth intrapped with lust Age is more to be honored for his wisdom then youth commended for his beauty The mind of an old man is not mutable his fancies are fixed his affections not fleeting he chooseth without intention to change neuer forsaketh his choyce till death make challenge of his life The olde Cedar tree is lesse shaken with the winde then the young bâ—amble and age farre more stayed in his affaires then youth Old men are more meet to giue counsaile then fit to follow warres Bias. Though young men excell in strength yet old men exceede in stedfastnes Though all men are subiect to the suddaine stroke of death yet old men in nature seeme neerest to their graue Age is a crowne of glory when it is adorned with righteousnes but the dregs of dishonor when it is mingled with mischiefe Honorable age consisteth not in the terme of yeeres neyther is it measured by the date of mans dayes but by godly wisedome and an vndefiled life Age is forgetfull and gray hayres are declining steps from strength Age is giuen to melanâ—hollie and manie yeeres acquainted with many dumps Age speaketh by experience and liketh by tryall but youth leaneth vnto vvit vvhich is voyde of wisedome He that will not be aduised by age shall be deceiued by youth Old age is the fore-runner of death Age and time are two thinges which men may fore-thinke of but neuer preuent Men of age â—eare and fore-see that vvhich youth neuer regardeth Olde folkes oft-times are more greedie of coyne then carefull to keepe a good conscience Bias. Age may bee allotted to gaze at beauties blossoms but youth must clime the tree and enioy the fruit Nature lendeth age authority 〈…〉 nes of hart is the glory of all yeeres VVhilst the haires be hidden craftily age bewrayes it selfe Children are compared to the spring-time striplings to sommer-season young-men to autumn and old men to winter An olde man ought to remember his age past and to bethinke himselfe hovv hee hath spent his time if he finde himselfe faulty in neglecting such good deedes as hee might haue done he ought forth-with to be carefull to spend the remainder of his life in liberality towards the poore Old men are commonly couetous because their getting dayes are past It is a great shame for an olde man to be ignorant in the principles of religion An old man ought to be reuerenced for his grauity sooner then for his gray haires If young men had knowledge and old men strength the vvorld vvould become a nevv paradice A man aged and wise is worthy double reuerence Infancie is but a foolish simplicity full of lamentations and harmes as it were laid open to a maine Sea without a sterne Youth is an indiscreete heate outragious blind heady violent and vaine Mans estate is trouble vexation of mind full of repentance and plunged in care Non est senectus vt tu opinaris pater Onus grauissimum sed impatientius Qui fert sibi ipse est author illius mali Patienter at qui sibi quietem comparat Dum dextere eius moribus se accomodat Nec ille solum detrahit molestiam Accersit aliquam sed voluptatem sibi Si nauig andum sit quatuor per dies De comeatu cura nobis maxima At se in senectam quid licet comparcere Non instruemus nos eo viatico Of Death Defi. Death is taken three maner of wayes the first is the seperation of the soule from the bodie with the dissolution of the body vntil the resurrection the second is the death of sinne sith he is sayd to be dead which lyeth sleeping in sin the third is eternall death vnto which the wicked shall bee condemned in the day of generall iudgement DEath is the law of nature the trybute of the flesh the remedy of euills and the path eyther to heauenly felicitie or eternall misery Heâ—â—clit Destenie may be deferred but can neuer be preuented An honourable death is to be preferred before an infamous life That man is very simple that dreadeth death because he feareth thereby to be cutte off from the pleasures of this life Death hath his roote from sinne August Death is the end of feare and beginning of felicitie There is nothing more certaine theÌ„ death nor any thing more vncertain then the houre of death No man dyeth more willingly then he that hath liued most honestly It is better to die well then to liue wantonlie Socrat. Death it selfe is not so painfull as the feare of death is vnpleasant Death is the end of all miseries but infamy is the beginning of all sorrowes Plut. VVhile men seeke to prolong theyr lyfe they are preuented by some suddaine death VVhile wee thinke to flie death wee most earnestly follow death VVhat is he that being lustie and young in the morning can promise himselfe life vntill the euening Many men desire death in their misery that cannot abide his presence in the time of their prosperitie An euill death putteth great doubt of a good life and a good death partly excuseth an euill life The death of euill men is the safety of good men liuing Cicero Hee that euery hower feareth death can neuer be possessed of a quiet conscience Nothing is more like to death then sleepe who is deaths elder brother Cicero There is nothing more common then suddaine death which beeing considered by the great Phylosopher Demonax hee therefore warned the Emperour Adrian and such other as lyued at theyr pleasure and ease in no wise to forget how in euery short moment they should be no more Nature hath giuen no better thing then death Plinie To men in misery death is most welcome Death deadly woundeth without eyther dread or daliance Sith death is a thing that cannot be auoided it ought of all men the lesse to be feared By the same vvay that life goeth death coÌ„meth Aurelius The most profitable thing for the worlde is the death of couetous and euill people Death is lyfe to the godly minded man whose meditation is on diuine matters and whose hope is heauen Death is common to all persons though to some one way and to some another If we liue to die then we die to liue All things haue an end by death saue onely death whose end is vnknowne Death is metaphorically called the end of all flesh Aristot. The last curer of diseases is death Death despiseth all riches and glory and ruleth ouer all estates alike Boetius None neede to feare death saue those that haue committed so much iniquitie as after death deserueth damnation Socrat. VVisedome maketh men to despise death it ought therefore of all men to be imbraced as the best remedy against the feare of death Hermes So liue and hope as if thou shouldest dye immediatly Plinie Non
aut scientia superbire ô superba praesumptio ô praesumptuosa superbia August Cum non sit nostrum quod sumus quomodo nostrum est quod habemus Stultitiae genus est vt cum alijs debeas vitae beneficium tibi adscribas ornamenta virtutum Of Treason Defi. Treason is that damned vice hated of God and man where-with periured persons being bewitched feare not to betray themselues so they may eyther betray others or theyr Countrey it is the breach of fayth and loyaltie with God theyr Gouernours and Country THey are deceaued that looke for any reward for treason Curtius The conflict with traytours is more dangerous then open enemies Liuius Traytors are like moaths which eate the cloath in which they were bred like Vipers that gnaw the bowels where they were born lyke vvormes which consume the wood in which they were ingendered Agesilaus Trecherie hath alvvayes a more glozing shew then truth and flattery displayes a brauer flag then fayth No place is safe enough for a traytor Amb. Once a traytor and neuer after trusted Liuius VVho will not with Antigonus make much of a traytor going about to plesure him but hauing his purpose who will not hate him to the death Such as are traytors to their Prince periured to God deserue no credit with men Trechery ought not to be concealed and friends haue no priuiledge to be false Such as couet most bitterly to betray first seeke most sweetly to entrap Phillip Traytors leaue no practise vndone because they will not but because they dare not Victory is not so earnestly to be sought as treason is to be shunned Scylla did betray her owne Father vnto Minos but he rewarded her accordingly Ouid. A Schoolmaister among the Falerians hauing the charge and bringing vp of all the youth in the Cittie hoping to recouer the fauour of the Romaâ—s betrayed all the Cittizens children into the hands of Camillus but Camillus louing iustice caused him to bee stript and his hands to be bound behind him and gaue the children rods whips to beate him home to the Citty A good vvarrior ought to commit the fortune of his vvarre to the trust of his ovvne vertue not to the impiety and treason of his enemies Tarpeias daughter betrayed the Castle of Rome to the Sabines for lucre sake Many men loue the treason though they hate the traytor Many conspire valiantly but ende wretchedly Traytors haue continual feare for their bedfellow care for their coÌ„panion the sting of conscience for their torment Manlius A light head an ambitious desire a corrupt conscience ill counsaile soone breede a traytor VVhere the peoples affection is assured the traytors purpose is preuented Bias. There are many Traytors in Common-weales whom it is better to forbeare then to prouoke Of rash hopes proceede perrillous ends of execrable treasons damnable successe Traytors about the thrones of Princes are like wolues about the foulds of sheepe One skabd sheepe will infect a whole flock and one traytor subuert a whole Monarchy Caesar rewarded those that betrayed Pompey with death Those that murdered Caesar in the Senate-house neuer prospered Tully sayth that no vvise-man at any time will trust a Traytor Ne colloquiorum de praetextu pacis proditiones vrbium tententur fiantque interlocutores maximé cauendum est Proditores vrbium saepé né ipsi quidem proditionem euadunt sed ab hoste trucidantur Of Desperation Defi. Desperation is a sorrowfulnes without all hope of better fortune a vice which falsely shrowdeth it selfe vnder the tytle of fortitâ—de and valure and tickling the vaine humors of the vaine-glorious carry them to ignoble and indisereet actions to the vtter losse of soâ—les and bodies DEsperation is a double sinne and finall impenitency hath no remission It is better to be counted a dastardly coward then a desperate caitife Let no man dispaire of grace although hee repent in his latter age for God iudgeth of a mans end and not of his life past Benard Desperation springeth from the ignorance of God Aug. Idlenes is the root of desperation Theod. Better it is to lyue pinched vvith a few momentary passions then with desperate death to destroy both soule and body It is vaine to be stout and desperate where none of both will preuaile It is better to prolong our lyfe in miserie then to hasten our owne death without hope of mercy Lactan. Loue wanting desire makes the mind desperate and fixed fancie bereft of loue turneth into fury Desperate thoughts are fit for them that feare shame not for such as hope for credit Sighes are the emblazers of thoughts and melancholy the messenger of dispaire There is no offence so great but mercy may pardon neyther is there any thing so desperate which time cannot cure Dispaire is the fruite of disordinate sinne vvhich becomming his owne Iudge proues his owne exexcutioner The feare of ineuitable punishment is the cause of desperation Stobaus Nothing doth more torment a man then forsaken hope Quintilian Desperation preferreth profit before honestie Erasmus Let no man dispaire of that thing to be effected which hath beene done already Extreame feare danger makes cowards desperatly aduenturous and what perswasion could not make constant misery hath made desperate Resolution is grounded on honour desperatenes on danger He is foolishly desperate that engageth his honour for beauty and aduentureth the halter for a lye Diog. Fortune desperatly attained is as desperatlie lost and dispaire suddainly entertayned is a token of a wretched conscience If thou wilt be accounted valiant let neyther chaunce nor griefe make thee desperate Dispaire comes of the feeblenes of courage and the lack of wit To him that is subiect to passion dispayre is euer attendant He that is desperatly inclined to his ovvne will is euer most neere to the wrath of God Despaire leadeth damnation in chaynes and violently layes clayme to the vvrath of God Bernard Despayre and reuenge depriue men of the mercy of God and cleane blotteth out the memory of their former good deeds There can be no greater wonder then to see a wise-man become desperate Of all the perturbations of mans mind dispaire is the most pernicious Liuius If he be a wicked homicide which killeth a man then is he the same vvhich killeth himselfe because he killeth a man Many reading Plato his booke of the immortalitie of the soule haue layde violent hands vpon themselues Hee that through the burthen of his sinnes breakes forth into desperation wilfully refuseth the mercy of the Almighty VVhen hope leaueth a man feare beginneth to conquer him Plato The soules first comfort is to auoyde the fault the next not to dispaire of pardon Desperation is a certaine death Aug. The desperate ambitious build theyr houses vpon others ruins afterwards fall them selues by like practises S. P. S. Brutus and Cassius after the death of Caesar desperatly flew themselues Anthony when he heard that Cleopatra had killed her selfe sayd dye Anthony what lookest thou for
Politeuphuia WITS COMmon wealth Newly corrected and augmented Si tibi difficilis formam natura negauit Ingenio formae damna repende tuae Printed by I. R. for Nicholas Ling and are to bee solde at the VVest doore of Paules 1598. To his very good friend Maister I. B. N. L. wisheth increase of happinesse SIR what you seriously began long since and haue alwayes beene very careful for the full perfection of at length thus finished although perhaps not so well to your expectation I present you with as one before all most woorthy of the same both in respect of your earnest trauaile therin the great desire you haue continually had for the generall profite My humble desire is that you would take into your kinde protection this old and new burden of wit newe in this forme and title though otherwise old and of great antiquitie as beeing a methodicall collection of the most choice and select admonitions and sentences compendiously drawne from infinite varietie diuine historicall poeticall politique morrall and humane As for the enuious and ouercurious they shall the lesse trouble mee sith I knowe there is nothing in this worlde but is subiect to the Erynnis of ill disposed persons whose malice is as fatall as the darte of Cephalus or Paris shaft which neyther a seauenfold-shielde nor Vulcans cunning workmanshippe nor Pallas Aegis can auoyde Thus humbly crauing pardon for my boldnesse beseeching GOD daily to encrease the affection you beare to learning I take my leaue Yours most assured to commaund N. Ling. To the Reader CVrteous Reader encouraged by thy kind acceptance of these first labours I haue boldly aduentured to present thee with this second edition solent primi faetus rerum horriduli esse et in suauiores sed amaeni magis et grati subsequaces Some new heads I haue inserted corrected many where I found it necessary and almost euery one in some sort augmented Which if happily they shall please the daintie stomacks of our humorous age then the which nothing is more hard I shall think my second trauailes well imployed be gently thereby inuited hereafter to publish some-what else in this kinde for thy pleasure and profit Then from thy gracious censure let Wits CoÌ„mon-Wealth draw her perpetuall priuiledge that like Alcinous fruites it may still florish in the fayre Sommer of thy gentle fauour and euer tryumph in despight of Enuies raging Winter N. L. In Politeuphuian Decastichon MYstica qui sophiae cultae quadrantia vitae Ingenij varios flores rimaris et ardes Intemerata legas huius monumenta laboris In quo feruentem mentis sedabis orexim Hoc duce Mercurio caelesti numine plenus Vertice sublimi feries arcana polorum Et facile rapidas fauces vitabis Auerni Omnia sunt in hoc musis aptissima sedes Virtutis morumque Pharos Cynosur a vaganti Ingenij genij mentis rationis acumen R. A. LEt â—im who in desire Wits wealth embraces Here stand gaze where well behold he may A heauenly troope of matchles Nimphs Graces Their siluer armes in sacred fount display Whose parts all faire and equall to their faces Make their nak'd beautie theyr most rich aray Nor thinke I lead him with a vaine suppose Inuiting him vnto this resting place Whence flowes a riuer of smooth running prose Whose streames conceits like virgins interlace Amongst greene leaues so growes the Damaske rose So Diamonds golden Tablets doe enchase T. M. THE curious eye that ouer-rashly lookes And giues no tast nor feeling to the mind Robs it own selfe wrongs those labored bookes Wherein the soule might greater comfort find But when that sence doth play the busie Bee And for the honny not the poyson reeds Then for the labour it receaues the fee When as the minde on heauenly sweetnes feeds This doe thine eye and if it find not heere Such precious comforts as may giue content And shall confesse the trauaile not too decre Nor idle howers that in this worke were spent Neuer heereafter will I euer looke For thing of worth in any morrall booke M. D. Faults escaped ESque fol. 4. estque inuneris 8 innumeris vire 11. viue turbini 14 turbine guttar 32 guttur nobilus 48 nobilius circes 78 ciues phibaeas 78 plenas sequinum 164 sequimur loquitur 164 loquntur ceremque 111 cereremque vetas 166 vetus quickequam 173 quidquam vno 185 vino quem 185 quum mecratam 190 mercatum co 193 quo mucula 193 macula sidet 197 sedet vitam 206 vita formosum 207 formosam laese 209 lesa se 225 si tistisque 234 tristisque ingulent 236 iugulent incomodo 228 incomoda VVITS COMMON VVEALTH Of God Definition God the beginning of all things the Idaea and patterne of all good is that Almightie omnipotence which wanteth beginning ending which beeing made of none hath by his owne power created all things WHere God putteth to his hand there are no men so mighty no beasts so proude no sea so deep that can resist his power As a Prince wil not suffer that another be called King in his realme so likewise God will not permit that any other in this world should be honored but he onely VVithout the vnderstanding of the will of God by his vvord our sight is but blindnes our vnderstanding ignorance our wisedome foolishnes and our deuotion deuilishnes God will not suffer man to haue the knowledge of things to come for if he had a prescience of his prosperitie hee would be carelesse and vnderstanding of his aduersitie hee would be sencelesse God who hath made all mortal things hath authority to dispose them euen with the same power where-with he hath created them As much do we owe vnto God for the dangers from which hee deliuereth vs as for the great wealth and dignities wherunto he hath alwaies raised vs. Men may order warre but God giueth the victory VVhere Vertue doth raise to honor there God failes not to establish the dignitie God is called a VVel both because he hath all good things from himselfe also for that he doth communicate from thence with his creatures without any hinderance to himselfe for GOD ministreth to all lacking nought and receiuing nothing of any man God in his Church is a most bright sunne which ariseth vpon such as feare him and goeth downe from them that are carelesse and prophane As it is a most certaine token of death saith Hippocrates if the sicke man dreame that the visible sunne is hidden or obscured so a most certaine death of the soule is at hande if our sunne Christ be darkned by the abolishing or corrupting of the true doctrine The treasures of vices are in vs the aboundance of goodnes in God The greatnes of God is more seene in mercy then in punishment God vseth vs not as our offences deserue but as his mercy willeth God deales in one sort with the sinner in an other maner with the iust to the sinner hee pardoneth his
more worthie to be called vertuous theÌ„ noble or reuerend for that the one tytle descends together with dignitie and the other is the rewarde of the worke which wee vse So that it falls out in good experience that thys tytle of Vertue is of many men desired but of very few truly deserued Vertue maketh a stranger grow natural in a strange Country and vice maketh the naturall a stranger in his owne Country Vertue is health vice is sicknes Vertue is a stranger vppon earth but a cittizen in heauen Take away discretion and vertue will become vice Vertue is the beautie of the inward man Vertue laboureth lyke the sunne to lighten the world To forgyue is no lesse vertue in Princes when they bee offended then reuenge a vice in the common sort when they be wronged Vertue goes not by byrth nor discretion by yeres for there are old fooles yong counsellors It proceedeth of a more noble courage and vertue to conquer our owne vnlawfull affections then to gyue an onset vpon the Campe of an enemy Vertue is the Queene of labours Opinion the Mistresse of fooles Vanity the pryde of Nature and Contention the ouerthrowe of Families As by nature the Cedar will be tall the Diamond bright and the Carbuncle glistering so Vertue wil shine though it be neuer so much obscured Vertue maketh men on the earth famous in theyr graues glorious and in the heauens immortall Vertue is not obtayned in seeking strange countries but in amendement of old errors Vertue is more acceptable by howe much the more it is placed in a beautifull body Pythagoras compareth Vertue to the letter Y which is small at the foote broade at the head meaning that to attaine Vertue it is very paynfull but the possession thereof passing pleasant A good man though in appearance he seem needy yet by vertue he is rich Vertue is a thing that prepareth vs to immortality and makes vs equall with the heauens Socrates The first step to vertue is to loue vertue in another man Vertue while it suffereth ouercommeth Vertue cannot perfitly bee discerned without her contraryes nor absolutely perfect without aduersity Vertue is better and more certayne then any Art The actions of Vertue doe so much affect the beholder that he presently admireth theÌ„ and desireth to follow them A man endued with vertue merriteth more fauour then a man of much wealth Vertue maketh a man rich though hee be poore in worldly substance It is no lesse vertue to keepe thinges after they be gotten then to get them Vertue in generall is a Castle impregnable a Ryuer that needeth no rowing a Sea that moueth not a treasure endlesse an Army inuinsible a burthen supportable an euer-turning spye a signe deceitlesse a plaine way faile lesse a true guyde without guile a Balme that instantly cureth an eternall honour that neuer dyeth Mar. Aurelius Laudo factam de necessitate virtutem sed plus laudo illam quam elegit libertas non inducit necessitas Virtus medio iacet obruta caeno Nequitiae classes candida vela ferunt Of Peace Defi. Peace is the quiet and tranquility of kingdomes burying all seditions tumults vprores and factions and planting ease quietues and securitie with all other florishing ornaments of happinesse DEere and vnprofitable is the peace that is bought with guiltlesse blood They iustly deserue the sworde of VVarre which wilfully refuse the conditions of peace Peace florisheth where reason ruleth ioy raigneth where modesty directeth Peace is the end of warre honour the ioy of peace and good gouernment the grounde of them both As the lyuing members of the body vnited together maintaine lyfe and deuided hasten death so Cittizens in a Common-weale by their concord maintain the state but by their hatreds destroy it Concord in a Citty is lyke harmony in musicke Concord of many maketh one True peace is to haue peace with vertue and warre with vice Peace asketh no lesse wisedome to conserue it then valiantnes to obtaine it The colour of â—eace maketh the war more secure for who â—uspect least are soonest preuented The French samed for their incredible couetousnes haue often-times sâ—ld theyr country for brybes but â—ildom ratified their peace with honour Archidamia the Spartan Lady seeing her Countrey supprest by the couâ—tousnesse of the Magistrates and Pirrhus tryumphing in theyr myseries entred the Senate house with a naked sword in her hand and in the name of all the Ladyes chyd the hartlesse Lordes for suffering themselues to liue theyr Countrey beeing ouerthrowne and they lyke to loose theyr lybertie Pirrhus entering Sicily possessed with hope of some peace afterward surprised the countrey and inthralled the inhabitants thereof by tyranny Peace from the mouth of a Tyrant is oftener promised then performed The countenaunce declareth mans inclination to peace and the austeritie of Marius countenaunce being an Infant was ominous to Rome in his old age It is a poynt of godly wisedome to bee at peace with men at warre with vices To rule an estate is a heauie burthen but to vnder-goe peace is an easie carriage Concord maketh small thinges mightily to increase but discord maketh great things sodainly to decay To flye from peace which wee should earnestly pursue is to followe discord and our owne destruction That thing is more esteemed which is obtained by peacefull wordes then that which is gotten by forceable violence Nemo vires suas in pace cognoscit si enim bella desunt virtutum experimenta non prosunt Quas homini nouisse datuÌ„ est pax vna triuÌ„phis pax optima rerum Inuneris melior pax custodire salutem Et ciues aequare potens Sil. Ital. Of Truth Defi. Truth is that certaine and vnfallible vertue which bringeth foorth all goodnes reuealeth the creation of the worlde the power of our Creator the eternall crowne of blisse we hope for and the punishment allotted for our misdooings It is a vertue through which wee are inclined to speake no otherwise with our tongue then we thinke with our hart TRuth standes not vppon the tongues of men nor honour vppon the frownes of authoritie There is nothing so secretly hidden but time and truth will reueale it Truth seemeth somtimes at the first to bee very darke harde and displeasant but at the length it appeareth most bright louely and comfortable Plotinus Truth is the guide of all goodnes Truth may bee oft blamed but neuer shamed and vertue suppressed by slaunder will at last appeare without blemish The dissoluing of a doubt is the finding of the truth Truth is the law of all Arts. Truth hath two companions wisedom and constancie Truth is the messenger of God which euerie man ought to reuerence for the loue of her Maister Truth onely among all things is priuiledged in such wise that when the time seemeth to haue broken her wings then as immortall she taketh her force The purest Emerald shyneth brightest wheÌ„ it hath no foyle and truth delighteth most when it is apparailed
worst God did not couer nor hide the truth vnder a Mountaine to the ende that none but such as toyled for her might finde her but as with the heauens hee hath enuironed the earth and the hells so hath hee couered the truth with the vaile of his charitie which whosoeuer will knock at the heauenly dore might enter in The end of Grammer is to speake aptly and agreeably and the ende of speach society of Rethorick to carry all mens minds to one opinion of Logicke to finde a truth amidst many falshoods all other Arts doe likewise tend to truth Speech is but the shadow of effect which as Euripides sayeth agreeing with the truth is single plaine without colour or counterfait Pharamonde the first King of Fraunce was named VVarmond which signifieth truth Truth feareth nothing more then to be hid shee careth for no shadowing but is content with her owne light Truth is a vertue that scaleth the heauens illumineth the earth maintaineth iustice gouerneth common-weales kils hate nourisheth loue and discouereth secrets Truth is a sure pledge not impaired a shield neuer pierced a flower that neuer dyeth a state that feares not fortune and a port that yeelds no danger Cicero Truth is health that is neuer sick a life that hath neuer end a salue that healeth all sores a sunne that neuer setteth a moone that is neuer eclipsed an hearb that is neuer withered a gate that is neuer lockt and a voyage that neuer breeds wearines Truth is such a vertue that without it our strength is weakenes our iustice tyrannous our humility trayterous our patience dissembled our chastity vaine our liberty captiue and our piety superfluous Truth is the Center wherein all things repose the card whereby we sayle the wisedom whereby we are cured the rock whereon we rest the lampe that guideth vs and the shield which defendeth vs. Truth is the ground of Science the scale to Charity the tipe of eternity and the fountaine of grace By truth the innocent smyleth before the Iudge and the traytor is discouered before he is suspected Truth is a good cause and needs no help of oratory and the least speach deserues the best credite Qui veritatem occultat et qui mendacium prodit vterque reus est ille quia prodesse non vult iste quia nocere desider at August Non boue mactato coelestia numina gaudent Sed quae praestanda est et sine teste fides Of Conscience Defi. Conscience generally is the certaine and assured testimony which our soules carry about with them bearing witnesse of what we speake thinke wish or doe it is to the wicked an accuser a Iudge a hangman and a rope to the godly a comfort reward and ayde against all aduersities A Guilty conscience is a worme that biteth and neuer ceaseth The conscience once stained with innocent blood is alwayes tyed to a guilty remorse Conscience is a worme that fretteth like the Seres vvooll secretly and deepely easily gotten and hardly worne out VVhere the conscience is drowned vvith worldly pompe and riches their wisedome is turned to foolishnes He that frameth himselfe outwardly to doe that which his conscience reproueth inwardly wilfully resisteth the law of God Plato writeth that many when they are in health doe thinke all but toyes which is spoken of hell but at the point of death when their conscience pricketh thē they are troubled and vexed out of measure calling their former life into minde The conscience is wasted where shipwrack is made of faith A good conscience is the onely liberty The conscience is a booke wherein our daylie sinnes are written A good conscience is a continuall quietnes Although the consciences of many seeme to be seared with an hote yron as if it were voyde from all feeling of sinne yet at the point of death it is awakened yea and it driueth the miserable soule to desperation VVe shall carry nothing with vs out of this life but either a good or a bad conscience Discerne discreetly and practise reuerently those thinges that are good that thine owne conscience may be cleere and others by thy dooings not offended A cleere conscience needeth no excuse nor feareth any accusation None is more guilty then hee whose conscience forceth him to accuse himselfe To excuse ones selfe before he is accused is to finde a foule crack in a false conscience Conscience beareth little or no sway where coyne brings in his plea. The conscience loaden with the burthen of sinne is his owne Iudge and his own accuser VVhereas any offence is cōmitted through ignorance or any other violent motion the causes that increase the same beeing cut off penitence and remorse of conscience presently followeth The Philosophers account those men incurable whose consciences are not touched with repentance for those sinnes which they haue committed There is no greater damnation then the doome of a mans owne conscience The conscience of the wicked shall tremble lyke the leafe of a tree shaken vvith euerie wind but the conscience of a good man shall make him bold and confident The violence of conscience commeth from God who maketh it so great that man cannot abide it but is forst to condemn himselfe The Furies which Poets faine to reuenge euils figure the torments of euil consciences A wicked conscience pursueth his Maister at the heeles and knoweth how to take vengeance in due time Nulla paena grauior paena conscientiae vis autem nunquam esse tristis bene vire Isodorus Heu quantum paenae mens conscia donat Sua quemque premit terroris imago Of Prayer Defi. Prayer as some Diuines affirme is talke with God crauing by intercession and humble petition eyther those things necessarie for the maintenaunce of this lyfe or forgiuenesse of those things which through frailety we daily commit THe iust mans prayer appeaseth the wrath of GOD. Prayer must be freely giuen neuer sold. Prayer is the oblation of a thankful hart the token of a contrite and penitent mind Prayer is not to be attempted with force violence of heart but with simplicity and meekenes of spirit Augustine Happy is that man whom worldly pleasures cannot draw from the cōtemplation of God and whose life is a continuall prayer Prayer kindeleth inflameth and lifteth vp the hart vnto God and the incense of meditation is pleasing in his eyes The prayer of the poore afflicted pierceth the clouds Prayer is the wing wherewith the soule flyeth to heauen and meditation the eye wherby we see God Prayer is a vertue that preuaileth against temptation and against all cruell assaults of infernall spirits against the delights of thys lingering life and against the motions of the flesh Bernard Praier engendereth confidence in the soule confidence engendereth peace and tranquility of conscience Fayth ioyned with prayer maketh it more forcible but humility coupled with it maketh it benificiall and effectuall Vertuous and godly disposed people doe daily pray vnto God for the clensing of the
wilfull mind is subiect to much error Vnicum est bonum scientia et malum vnicum ignorantia Imperitiam comitatur temeritas Of Goodnes Defi. Goodnes is that which includeth in it selfe a dignitie that sauoureth of God and his works hauing a perpetuity and stedfastnes of godly substance GOodnesse in generall makes euery one thinke the strength of vertue in an other whereof they finde the assured foundation in themselues Plato As oft as we doo good we offer sacrifice It is too much for one good man to want A man may be too iust and too wise but neuer too good Socrates There is no good vnlesse it be voluntary A good man reioyceth in aduersity and forgetteth not to be thankful vnto God in time of prosperity Greg. A good mans wish is substance faith and fame glory grace according to the same A man is not to be accounted good for his age but for his charitable actions Hee may worthily be called good vvhich maketh other men to fare the better for his goodnes Thou canst not be perfectly good when thou hatest thine enemie vvhat shalt thou then be vvhen thou hatest him that is thy friend Socrates There is no greater delectation comfort to a good man then to be seene in the company of good men Plato The further a good man is knowne the further his vertues spread and roote themselues in mens harts and remembrance He that doth good is better then the good which he dooth an euil man is worse then the euill that is done by him VVhat soeuer is right and honest and ioyned with vertue that alone is onely good He that is mighty is not by by good but he that is good is presently mighty Isocrates The goodnes that proceedeth from an ignorant man is like the hearbs that grow vppon a dunghill Riches will decay prosperities may change but goodnes doth continue till death Goodnesse is three-fold and hath relation to three things the goods of the minde the goods of the body and the goods of fortune The more our grace and goodnes dooth increase the more our soules addresse thēselues to God As God is all goodnes so loueth he all good things as righteousnes vertue and hateth vice and wickednes The goodnes of the soule is the most principall and chiefest goodnes that can be Vir bonus et prudens qualē vix repperit vnum Millibus é cunctis hominum consultus Apollo Iudex ipse sui totum se explorat ad vnguem Difficile est hominibus persuadere bonitatem propter ipsam diligendam Cic. Of Comforts Defi. Comfort is any ease helpe or consolation in our troubles aduersities which disburdenig the mind restores it to calme and quiet patience TIme heales the torments of disquiet mind The hugest tempestes last not all the yeere Cōfort in extremity healeth many wounds pacifieth the discontented hart gouerneth the mind Plut. Greeue not at afflictions for they are the rods where with God beateth his children Troubles are but instructions to teach men wit for by them thou mayst know false-hood from fayth and thy trusty friend from thy trayterous foe Dispaire not when all worldly meanes are done for God will rayse thee if thou trust in him Aug. Fond man bewaile not thus thy vvretched age thou now hast welnie reached thy iournies end There is nothing greeuous if the thought make it not Art thou backbited reioyce if guiltlesse guilty amend Be not discomforted at the losse of childrē for they were borne to die VVrong is the tryall of thy patience There is nothing the world can take away because the world giueth nothing fame perisheth honours fade wealth decayeth onely our true riches is our constancie in all casualties All things is vanity which is vnder the sun all thing continuall labour and trauaile what hath man to mourne for then when al things he can loose in this life are but fading and miserable Let not sorrow ouer-much molest thee for when thou has◠wept thy worst greefe must haue an end Sicknes is the prison of the body but comfort the liberty of the soule Plato Comfort is next friend to happines an enemie to weake lamentations and the heire of resolution The best comfort to a miser is to behold the ouer-flow of his wealth The suspectles the temperate and the wise man are neuer vncomfortable Of sorrow commeth dreames and fancies of comfort rest and quiet slumbers By sorrow the hart is tormented by comfort when it is halfe dead it is reuiued Sad sighs write the woes of the hart kind speeches comfort the soule in heauines Sad harts liue vpō teares with weeping but being recomforted die with laughing Assurance puts away sorrow and feare poysons comfort He that will be truly valiant must neyther let ioy nor griefe ouer-come him for better not to be then to be a bondslaue to passion He that coueteth comfort without sorrow must apply his wit in following wisedome To friends afflicted with sorrow wee ought to giue remedy to their persons and consolation and comfort to their harts The multiplying of comforts is the asswaging of cares Solon In the midst of all thy cares let this be thy chiefest comfort hard things may be mollified straight things may be loosened and heauy things shal litle grieue him that can handsomly beare them Sorrow sildom taketh place in him that abstaineth from foure things that is from hastines wilfull frowardnes pride and sloth Malê de te loquntur homines sed mali non de te loquntur sed de se. Elebile principium melior fortuna secuta est Of Patience Defi. Patience is a habit that consisteth in sustaining stoutly al labours and griefes for the loue of honesty it is the excellent good thing that keepeth the tranquillity of our spyrite as much as may be in aduersities and not to complaine of that which is vncertaine PAtience is a voluntary aduēturing of hard things for the desire of vertue The sweetest salue to mishap is patience no greater reuenge can be offered to fortune then to rest content in the midst of misery Hee is worthy to be counted couragious strong and stout which doth not onely with patience suffer iniuries rebukes and displeasures done vnto him but also dooth good against those euils Patience is the shield of intolerable wrongs that lighteneth the burthen of aduersity and seasoneth the ioyes of prosperity Better it is to offer thy selfe in tryumph then to be drawne to it by dishonour No patient man can endure to see another man obtaine that without trouble which he himselfe could neuer cōpasse without much trauaile It is a spetiall signe of heroicall magnanimity to despise light wrongs and nothing to regard meane aduentures It is good to forbeare to talke of thinges needlesse to be spoken but it is much better to conceale things dangerous to be told Patience is so like to fortitude that it seemeth she is eyther her sister or her daughter The common sort doe take
of a iust man to haue his soule free from perturbations Heroicall vertues are made perfit by the mixture of temperance and fortitude which seperated becomes vicious A temperate man which is not couragious quickly becometh a coward faint harted Temperance is the mother of all dutie and honestie It is the propertie of iustice not to violate the right of any man and of temperance not so much as to offend him In temperance a man may beholde modestie without any perturbation of the soule Temperance compelleth men to follow reson bringeth peace to the minde and mollifieth the affections with concord and agreemeth He is woorthy to be called a moderate person which firmely gouerneth and brideleth through reason the vice of sensualitie and all other grosse affections of the mind Nihil reperiri potest tam eximium quam istam virtutem moderatricem animi temperantiam nō latere in tenebris neque esse abditam sed in luce Cic. Non potest temperantiam laudare is qui ponit summum bonum in voluptate est enim temperantia libidinum inimica Of Innocencie Defi. Innocencie is an affection of the minde so well framed that it will hurt no man eyther by word or deede a tower of brasse against slaunders and the onely balme or cure for a wounded name strengthening the conscience which by it knoweth his owne puritie THere can bee no greater good then innocencie nor worse euill then a guilty conscience The innocent man is happy though hee be in Phallaris Bull. Great callings are little worth if the minde be not content and innocent The hart pricked with desire of wrong maketh sick the innocencie of the soule Riches and glory are broken pillers but innocencie is an vnmouing colomb Innocencie and Prudence are two anchors that cannot be torne vp by any tempest Innocencie to God is the chiefest incense and a conscience without guile is a sacrifice of the sweetest sauour Aug. As God wil not suffer a murderer to escape without punishment so will hee not let the wrong of the innocent goe to the graue with out reuenge Innocencie beeing stopped of the malignant taketh breath and hart againe to the ouerthrow of her enemies Cic. As fire is extinguished by water so innocencie doth quench reproch Of all treasures in a common-wealth the innocent man is most to be esteemed Archias was stoned to death for murdering innocent Archilocus Hasdruball for killing without cause an innocent was killed of his seruaunt Innocencie is in some sort the effect of regeneration Innocencie is an vprightnes of lyfe agreeing with reason Religion is the soule of innocencie mouing in an vnspotted conscience Innocencie is built vpon diuine reason Humane happines consisteth in innocencie of the soule and vncorrupt manners All innocencie consisteth in mediocritie as all vice doth in excesse Innocencie is a good which cannot bee taken away by torment Mar. Aur. Innocencie is the most profitable thing in the worlde because it maketh all things else profitable Innocencie Palme-like groweth in despight of oppression Beauty is a flower soone withered health is soone altered strength by inconuenience abated but innocencie is diuine immortall Innocencie is an assured comfort both in lyfe and death As length of tyme diminisheth all things so innocencie and vertue increaseth all things The fear of death neuer troubleth the mind of an innocent man Age breedes no defect in innocencie but innocencie an excellence in age Innocencie makes kingdomes florish more then armes Innocency being most honest must of necessity be most profitable and therefore most desired Nature reason and vse are three necessary things to obtaine innocencie by Vt nepenthes herba addita poculis omnem conuiuij tristitiam discutit it a bona mens insita nobis omnem vitae solicitudinem abolet A calumnia non defendit innocentia Of Kings Defi. Kings are the supreame Gouernours and Rulers ouer states Monarchies placed by the hand of God to figure to the world his almightie power if they be vertuous they are the blessings of their realmes if vicious the scourges allotted for theyr subiects iniquities THe maiestie of a Prince is like the lightning from the East and the threats of a King like the noyse of thunder Kings haue long armes and Rulers large reaches A Prince ought onely to will that vvhich lawfully hee may The life of a Prince is the rule the square the frame and forme of an honest life according to the which theyr subiects frame the manner of theyr lyues and order theyr families and rather from the liues of princes doe subiects take theyr patterne and examples then from theyr lawes Subiects follow the example of theyr Princes as certaine flowers turne according to the sunne Princes are neuer without flatterers to seduce them ambition to depraue them desires to corrupt them Plato It belongs to him that gouerneth to bee learned the better to know what he dooth wise to find out how he ought to doe it discreet to attend and take the opportunitie resolute in the action of iustice without corruption or feare of any It is vnprofitable for that prince to haue the victory of the war which by malice is begun and by pride and fiercenesse is pursued It is necessary for Princes to be stout also rich that by their stoutnes they may gather theyr owne and by their riches represse their enemies It is better for a Prince to defend his owne Country by iustice then to conquer anothers by tyrannie That Prince who is too liberal in giuing his owne is afterwards thorowe necessitie compelled to be a Tyrant and to take frō others theyr right As Princes become Tyrants for want of riches so they become vicious through abundance of treasure Plut. VVhen an vnwoorthy man is preferred to promotion he is preferred to his own shame The Prince that is feared of many must of necessity feare many The vniuersall schoole of all this worlde is the person the house and Court of a King Couragious noble Princes esteeme nothing so precious as to haue men valiant to defend their frontires also wise to gouerne their Common-weales Princes must not measure things by report but by the way of conscience Socrates It behoueth a Prince or Ruler to be of such zealous and godly courage that hee alwayes shewe himselfe to bee as a strong wall for the defence of the truth The princes pallace is like a common fountayne or spring to hys Cittie or Countrey whereby the common people by the cleanenesse there of bee long preserued in honestie or by the impurenesse thereof are with sundry vices corrupted A King ruleth as he ought a Tyrant as hee list a King to the profit of all a Tyrant onely to pleasure a few Arist. There neuer was any Prince in the world so wise in all his actions but necessity hath cōstrained him at one time or other to alter his minde from his first determinate purpose A King ought to refraine the companie of vicious persons
from iniurie done vnto vs but hatred often times is conceiued of no occasion Arist. VVrath and reuenge taketh from man the mercy of God and destroyeth and quencheth the grace that God hath giuen him Periander in his rage murthered hys ovvne wife and Dionisius in his anger killed the Syracusian his page Hee best keepeth himselfe from anger that alwayes doth remember that God looketh vpon him Plato As fire being kindled but with a small spark worketh oft times great hurt and damage because the fiercenes thereof was not at the first abated so anger beeing harbored in the hart breaketh foorth oft times into much crueltie The angrie man meditating vpon mischiefe thinketh that hee hath good counsell in hand VVrath is a desire to be reuenged seeking a time or oportunity for the same Lactan. As disordinate anger is a fault so is sometimes the want of moderate choller or rather hatred of vice Anger is the sinewe of the soule for that it serueth to increase valour beeing moderate and temperate Plato Clineas by playing on the Harpe and Theodosius by reciting the Greeke Alphabet did forget their anger An Ant will be angry and yet wee are not able to discerne when shee is mooued much lesse in God whose works are vnsearchable and passe the capacity of our vnderstanding Anger makes a man to differ from himselfe There is no safe counsaile to be taken from the mouth of an angry man Anaxag Anger is like vnto a clowde that maketh euery thing seeme bigger then it is Rash iudgement maketh hast to repentance Anger is defined after two sorts either according to her nature or according to her effect According to her nature anger is a heat of blood and an inflamation of the same euen to the innermost part of man According to her effect anger is a lust or a desire to punish or to be in some sort reuenged on him which hath done vs any vvrong or iniurie Anger consisteth in habite and disposition but wrath in deede and effect Like as greene vvood which is long in kindling continueth longer hot then the dry if it haue once taken fire so coÌ„monly it falleth out that the man silde me moued to anger is more hard to be pacified in his anger then he that is quiâ—kly vexed Plato If thou haue not so much power as to refraine tâ—ine anger yet dissemble it and keep it secret and so by little and little thou maâ—st happily forget it VVrath and rigour leadeth shame in a lease Isocrates It is a prophane and horrible foolishnes for a man to waxe furious in his anger In coâ—râ—â—â—ing wrath is to be forbidden for be that punisheth while he is angry shall neâ—er â—eepe that meaâ—e which is betweene too much and too little Hastie and froward speeches beget anger anger beeing kindled begetteth wrath wrath seeketh greedily after reuenge reuenge is neuer satisfied but in blood-shedding As he that loueth quietnes sleepeth secure so he that delights in strife and anger passeth his dayes in great danger It is good for a man to abstaine from anger if not for wisedoms sake yet for his owne bodily healths sake He that is much subiect to wrath and hunteth after reuenge quencheth the grace that God hath giuen him and commits through rage and furie more horrible offences then can afterward be reformed Quae libet iratis ipse dat arma dolor Ira feras mentes obsidet eruditas praeter labitur Of Cruelty Defi. Cruelty is commonly taken for euery extreame wrong it is the rigorous effect of an euill disposed will and the fruit which is reapt from iniustice CRuelty hath his curses from aboue but curtesie is graced with the title of commendation VVhere lenity cannot reclaime there seuerity must correct It is as great cruelty to spare all as to spare none Tyrants vse tryall by armes but the iust referre their causes to the arbitriment of the lawes To pardon many for the offence of one is an office of Christianity but to punish manie for the fault of one appertayneth properly to Tyrants An intemperate sick-man maketh a cruell Phisition Socrates He that accustomes him selfe with sorrow acquainteth him selfe with cruelty Plato It is amongst euills the greatest euill and in Tyrants the greatest tyrannie that they of themselues vvill not liue according to reason and iustice but that also they vvill not consent that malefactors should receaue punishment It is more profit for a Prince that is a Tyrant that his Common-wealth be rich and his Pallace poore then the Common-wealth to be poore and his owne pallace rich Hee neuer serueth gratefullie vvho by violence is subiect to another The vvoman that holdeth in her eye most cruelty hath often in her hart most dishonestie The Captaine that is bloody minded and full of reuenge is eyther slaine by his enemies or sold by his souldiours Causelesse cruelty neuer scapes long without reuenge VVith the irefull we must not be importunate to craue pardon but to desire that vengeance may be deferred The Numantines besieged by the Romans and brought to great miserie made a vovv no day to eate meate vnlesse first they had made theyr first dish of a Romans flesh nor drinke any drinke vnlesse their first draught were Romans blood Tiranny amongst many other euils is most vvretched in this that his friends dare not counsaile him He that shewes himselfe cruell towards his seruants dooth manifestlie declare that his vvill is good to punish others also but hee wanteth authority Priuate crueltie dooth much hurt but a Princes anger is an open war Tyrants raigning with cruelty sildome die honourably A cruell Prince ouer a rebellious Nation is a great vertue vvarring vvith a vvorld of wickednes Omnibus quoruÌ„ mens abhorret á ratione semper aliquis talis terror impendet Nulla nobis cum tyrannis est societas sed summa potius distractio neque est contra naturam spoliare eum quem honestum est necare Of Feare Defi. Feare is two folde good and euill Good feare is that which is grounded vppon a good discourse of reason and iudgement standing in awe of blame reproch and dishonor more then death or griefe Euill feare is destitute of reason it is that which wee call cowardlinesse and pusillanimitie alwayes attended on with two perturbations of the soule Feare and Sadnes It is also the defect of the vertue of Fortitude THE feare and reuerence of one God is more worth then the strength of all men No man can be iust without he feare reuerence the Lord. Feare dependeth vpon loue and vvithout loue it is soone had in contempt Alex. If thou be ignorant what sin is or knowest not vertue by the feare loue of God thou maist quickly vnderstand them both Socra Hee that feareth God trulie serueth him faithfully loueth him intirely prayeth vnto him deuoutly destributeth vnto the pore liberally VVicked men vvanting the feare of God are haunted of euill to their own ouer throw and destruction Boetius It is the
they endure He bears his misery best that hideth it most Aduersities happening to good men may vexe the minde but neuer change their constancie As the most pestilent diseases do gather vnto themselues all the infirmitie where-vvith the body is annoyed so doth the last miserie embrace in the extreamitie of it selfe all his formermer mischieses S. P. S. The iust man is better reformed by the proofe of afflictions then power of pleasure Patience breedes experience experience hope and hope cannot be confounded The paine of death is sin the payne of conscience sin but the paine of hell is eternall The payne of the eye is lust the paine of the tongue libertie and the paine of both repentance Misery is full of wretchednesse fuller of disgrace and fullest of guilines S. P. S. The sight of misery maketh the sence of felicitie more euident Calamities which often fall in a Common-weale are cause of greater comforts He suffers double punishment that hath his paines prolonged Hee findes helps in aduersitie that sought them in prosperitie Quintil. Not to know our misery is to liue without danger The remembrance of pleasures past agrauates the paines that are present A fauning friend in prosperitie will proue a bitter foe in aduersity Hee that lendeth to another in time of prosperity shall neuer want helps himselfe in time of aduersitie It is hard in prosperitie to knovv vvhether our friends doe loue vs for our ovvne saâ—es or for our goods but aduersitie prooues the disposition of mens mindes Vt secunda moderaté tulimus sic non solum aduersam sed funditus euersam fortunam forâ—iter ferre debemus Nullus dolor est quem non longinquitas temporis minuat atque molliat Cicero Of Teares Defi. Teares or sorrow is a griefe or heauines for things which are done and past they are the onely friends to solitarines the enemies to company and the heyres to desperation TEares are no cures for distresse neyther can present plaints ease a passed harme There is no sovver but may bee qualified with sweet potions nor any dolefull maladie but may be allayed with some delightful musicke Teares craue compassion submission deserueth forgiuenes Greg. The violence of sorrow is not at the first to be stryuen withall because it is like a mighty beast sooner tamed with following then ouerthrowne by withstanding VVoe makes the shortest time seeme long S. P. S. VVomen are most prone to teares haue them soonest at commaund Eurip. Sorrowe bringeth foorth teares as a tree bringeth foorth fruite That griefe is best digested that brings not open shame Bury the dead but weepe not aboue one day Homer Teares are the signes of penitence VVe shall sooner want teares then cause of mourning in this life Seneca Sorrowes concealed are more sower and smothered griefes if they burst not out will breake the hart The hart that is greatly grieued takes hys best comfort when hee findes tims to lament his losse Teares are the vnfittest salue that any man can apply for to cure sorrowes Teares and sighes declare the hart to bee greatly grieued A teare in the eye of a strumpet is like heat drops in a bright sunne-shine and as much to be pittied as the weeping of a Crocodile Of sorrow and lamentation commeth watching and bleared eyes It is better to waile at the first then to weep at the last Teares are the badges of sorrow Archim Passion is a most combersome guest to it selfe S. P. S. Deepe conceited sorrowes are like to Sea-Iuie which the older it is the greater roote it hath Passions are like the arrovves of Cupid which if they touch lightly proue but toyes but once piercing the skin they proue deepe wounds As the hotest thunders are not alwaies queÌ„ched with raine so the deepest griefes are not alwaies discouered with teares VVhere the smallest show of teares is there is oft-times the greatest effect of sorrow Teares in many ease the grieued hart for griefe is like to â—â—re the more it is couered the more it rageth Plutar. Humble teares put the accusor to silence ouer-come the inuinsible pacifie the displeased Great is the vertue and povver of teares vvhich tye the hands of the omnipotent pacifie the rage of an aduersary appease the ire of the Iudge change his minde from vengeance to mercy Teares are the fruits of passion the strength of women the signes of dissimulation the reconcilers of displeasures and the tokens of a broken hart Teares are the foode of the soule Basil. There are in the eyes three sorts of teares the first of â—oy which in old men shew theyr kindnesse the second of sorrow vvhich in wretched men shew theyr misery the thyrd of dissimulation which in women shew their nature Lay thy hand on thy hart when thy vvife hath the teare in her eye for then shee intendeth eyther to found thee or to finck thee VVhen griefe doth approach if it be small let vs abide it because it is easie to be borne but if it be grieuous let vs beare with it because our glory shall be the greater Care not for sorrow it will eyther dissolue or be dissolued How miserable is that griefe vvhich can vtter nothing in the torment Men take a certaine pleasure in weeping when they lament the losse of theyr best beloued friends Solon hauing buried his sonne dyd vveepe very bitterly to whom when one sayde hys teares were all in vaine for that cause quoth he doe I weepe the more because I cannot profit with weeping He hath a hard hart that neuer lamenteth and his hart is effeminate that sorroweth too much for the death of his friends Too much sadnesse in a man is as much to be condemned as ouer-much boldnesse in a woman is to be despised By the Lawe of the twelue tables at Rome all weeping funerall teares are sharply forbidden Lepidus by a long griefe conceiued of the misbehauiour of his wife shortned his owne dayes To lament with tears the follies of our former life is profitable but to grieue too much for worldly losses is a signe of foolishnesse Per lachrymas argumentuÌ„ desiderij quaerimus et dolorem non sequinum sed ostendinus nemo enim sibi tristis est Curae leues loquitur ingentes stupent Seneca Of Neighbors Defi. Neighbours are those in whom wee find towards vs the greatest bonds of charitie and not as it is vulgarly taken theÌ„ that liue neere about vs. THe greatest loue in vs next vnto God ought to be loue towards our neighbors VVhatsoeuer duties wee performe in kindnesse towards our neighbours wee performe vnto God Loue is the first foundation of marriage coniunction of neighbourhood The end of a mans being is the glory of his Creator and the loue of his neighbour Neighbours are our likes or similitudes and our duties to them is charitie and loue equal with our selues The loue of neighbours appertaines mightily vnto saluation The loue of neighbours binds vs from vnlawfull actions The loue of neighbours binds vs
crazed shyp by drinking in of vvater not onely drowneth herselfe but all those that are in â—er so a Ruler by vsing viciousnes destroyeth not himselfe alone but all others besides that are vnder his gouernment As ignorant Gouernours bring their countrey into many inconueniences so such as are deuilishly politique vtterly ouerthrovv the state Themist As truth is the center of religion so contrary opinions founded on euill examples are the corruptions of this vvorld and the bringers in of Atheisme As it becommeth subiects to be obedient to theyr Soueraigne so it behooueth that the King be carefull for the commodity of his Common-weale Sigism As there is no deliberation good that hangeth on delay so no counsaiâ—e is profitable that is followed vnaduisedly As that kingdome is most strongest vvhere obedience is most nourished so the state is most dangerous where the souldiour is most negligently regarded As no Phisition is reputed good that healeth other and cannot heale himselfe so is he no good magistrate that coÌ„mandeth others to auoyde vices and will not shun euill himselfe M. Aurel. As honour consisteth in our knowledge ability to punish not in our power to enioy it with many perrils so pollicy dependeth as much on dissembling things vvee cannot remedy as releeuing them by daungerous leagues As mild aunswers reconcile displeasures so bitter â—ests when they taxe too neerely and too truly leaue a sharpe remembrance behind them As the greene leaues outvvardly sheweth that the tree is not dry inwardly so the good works openly testifie the zeale of the hart inwardly Like as a gouernour of a ship is not chosen for his riches but for his knowledge so shold the chiefe magistrate in euery Citty be chosen rather for his wisedome and godly zeale then for his wealth and great possessionâ—s As liberty maketh friends of enemies so pride maketh enemies of friends As the goodnes of vvise men continually amendeth so the malice of fooles euermore increaseth Pythag. As they vvhich cannot suffer the light of a candle can much vvorse abide the brightnes of the sunne so they that are troubled vvith smal trifles would be more amazed in waighty matters As fire cast into the water is quickly quenched so a false accusation against an honest life is soone extinguished As the canker eateth and destroyeth yron so dooth enuie eate and consume the harts of the enuious As the sauour of stinking carrion is noysom to them that smell it so is the speech of fooles tedious to wise-men that heare it Solon As the wicked malicious person is most hardy to commit greatest crimes so is hee most cruell and ready vvickedly to giue sentence against another for the same offence As men eate diuers thinges by morsells which if they should eate whole would choak them so by diuers dayes we suffer troubles which if they should all come together they would make an end of vs in one day As sinne is naturall the chastisement voluntary so oft the rigour of iustice to be temperate so that the ministers thereof should rather shewe compassion then vengeance whereby the trespassers should take occasion to amend their sinnes passed and not to reuenge the iniury present Hermes As the knowledge of God ought not to be vnperfect or doubtfull so prayer should not be faint or slacke without courage or quicknesse Though the VVood be taken from the fire and the embers quenched yet neuerthelesse the stones oftentimes remaine hote and burning so the flesh though it be chastised with hote and dry maladies or consumed by many yeeres in trauaile yet concupiscence abydeth still in the bones Antist In all naturall thinges nature is with verie little contented but the spirit and vnderstanding is not satisfied with many things As after great stormes the ayre is cleere so after the floods of repentant teares the conscience is at quiet Seruaunts when they sleepe feare not theyr maister and they that be bound forget theyr fetters in sleepe also vlcers and sores leaue smarting but superstition alone vexeth a man when he sleepeth As darnel springeth vp among good wheat and nettles among roses euen so enuy groweth vp among vertues Theopom As the leaues of a booke which is sildom vsed will cleaue fast together euen so the memorie waxeth dull if it be not oft quickned Like as an Adamant draweth by little and little the heauie yron vntill at last it be ioyned with it so vertue and vvisedome dravve mens minds to the practise thereof The man that bringeth an infirmed body to any kinde of voluptuous delight is lyke him which bringeth a broken shippe into the raging seas As a vessell cannot be knowne whether it be whole or broken vntill it haue liquor in it so can no man be knowne what hee is before he be in authoritie Isocrates They which goe to a banquet onely for the meates sake are like them vvhich goe onely to fill an emptie vessell As Phisitions with their bitter drugges doe mingle sweet spices that the sick patient may the more willingly receiue them so ought bitter rebukes to be mingled with gentle admonitions that the offender might be the better brought to amendement As it is great foolishnes to forsake the cleere fountaines and to drinke puddle vvater so it is great folly to leaue the sweete doctrine of the Euangelists and to study the dreames of mens imaginations As the body of man by nature is mortall lumpish heauie delighting in those things which are visible and temporall and alwayes of it selfe sinketh downward so the soule being of a celestiall nature violently enforceth her-selfe to flye vpwarde and with all her might striueth and wrastleth continuallie against the heauie burthen of the earthly body wherin she abideth despising those things which are mortall and onely desiring things permanent and immortall As sight is in the eye so is the minde in the soule Sophocles As desire is glad to embrace the first showe of comfort so is desire desirous of perfit assurance S. P. S. Vt ad cursum Equus ad arandum Bos ad indagandum canis Sic homo ad duas res intelligendum et agendum natus est quasi immortalis Deus Vt ager quamuis fertilis sine cultura fructuosus esse non potest sic sine doctrina animus Of Brauery Defi. Brauerie is a riâ—tous excesse eyther in apparrell or other ornament it is also a part of pride and contrarie to decencie and comlinesse EXcesse of brauery brings a man of much wealth quickly to pouerty Pride ioyned with many vertues choakes them all They that rather delight to decke their bodies then theyr soules seeme men rather created for theyr bodyes then theyr soules Excesse in vanity hath neuer end Theft or violent death euer waiteth at the heeles of excesse They neuer can be carefull to keep a meane in husbanding other mens wealth which are carelesse in bestowing theyr owne substance vpon excesse To spend much beyond power and hope much vpon promises make many men beggers which were
Hee reputing dauncing to be a kinde of franticknes Sybilla the prophetesse neuer yeelding any Oracle except possessed first with a surie The same noble King hearing that Sciâ—io vvas vvont to recreate himselfe with dauncing sayd that a dauncer dyd differ nothing from a madde man but onely in the length of time the one being mad so long as he liueth the other whilst he daunceth Alphon. VVhen the same King was reprooued that albeit hee had so much abhorred dauncing yet was seene openly dauncing at the entertainement of Fredericke the third in the company of the Emperour and Leonorâ— Augusta he aunswered that hee that daunced beeing prouoked by lasciuiousnes and wantonnesse was worthily to be esteemed a foole frantick but if it was done for honours sake hee escaped some part of reprehension because some-times it seemeth a decorum to be franticke and doate with great estates The Romaâ—nes Lace dâ—monians and other well ordered Common-weales banished out of their Countries all vaine pleasures and aboue all dauncing as seruing to none other vse but to effeminate young men and to allure them to vice No man daunceth except he be drunke or mad Tully The vertuous Matrons by dauncing haue oftentimes lost theyr honours which before they had long nourished and virgins by it learne that which they had beene better neuer to haue knowne Petrarch Tully finding fault vvith an enemie of his called him in derision a braue dauncer They which loue dancing too much seeme to haue more braines in their wit then theyr head and thinke to play the fooles with reason Terence A lamentable tune is the sweetest musick to a wosull minde S. P. S. Musick is the sweet meat of sorrow S. P. S. Men of auntient time haue named daunces allurings poysonings and inticements of sathan who by these meanes corrupteth vs. In the Sea of histories mention is made of an Archbishop of Magdebourg vvho broke his neck dauncing with a damâ—ell Hee daunceth vvell to vvhom Fortune pypeth The Egiptians Thratians and Scythians accounted dauncing amongst theyr holy ceremonies first appoynted by Orpheus and Museus who excelled in that kind The Romaines had certaine priests called Salij vvhich daunced in the honor of Mars The Grecians learned to daunce of Castor and Pollux and vsed to dispatch theyr businesse dauncing Socrates which vvas pronounced by the Oracle of Apollo to bee the vvisest man in all Greece was not ashamed in his olde age to learne to daunce extolling dauncing vvith wonderfull prayses Dauncing by an old auncient custom may be vsed so as a man in the exercise therof behaue himselfe modestly and not like vnto a madde man The Sirians before they met their enemies woulde sing Ballades and solace themselues with dauncing It is necessary that our footesteps be aswell ruled as our words ought to be God threatned the daughters of Syon for that they went winding and prauncing making theyr steps to be heard againe Apud antiquos tanto in precio habita est saltatio vt populi presides et antesignani presaltatorum nomine honorarentur Saltatio non ad pudicas sed ad adulteras pertinet Of Man Defi. Man is a creature made of God after his owne image iust holy good and right by nature and compounded of soule and bodie of soule which was inspired of God with spirit and life and of a perfect naturall body framed by the same power of God MAn was created to set forth the glory of his Creator and to speake and doe those things which are agreeable vnto him throgh the knowledge of his benefits Man is nothing but calamity it selfe Hero Mans nature is desirous of change A man may be without fault but not without sinne Aug. Man was wonderfully created but more wonderfully redeemed Aug. Man is the example of imbecillity pray of time sport of fortune and enuy the image of vnconstancy and the very seate of fleame choller and rewmes Plut. Townes Boroughs and Villages are the retreats of mans miseries full of noysomnes trauaile and fortune Solon A good man alwayes draweth good things out of the treasure of his hart and a vvicked man that which is wicked Chris. Man is so excellent a creature that all other creatures were ordained for his vse The duty of man consisteth in knowing of his ovvne nature in contemplating the deuine nature and in labour to profit others Man is onely a breath and a shadow and all men are naturally more inclined to euil then goodnes and in their actions as fraile and vnconstant as the shadow of smoke The end of mans knowledge is humilation and glory Bonauen Man wilfully minded depriueth himselfe of all happines Miseries haue power ouer man not man ouer miseries To the greatest men the greatest mischiefes are incident VVhatsoeuer chaunceth to one man may happen likewise to all men Man by nature keepeth no measure in his actions but is carried away through violence of his sundry affections No creature but man hath any knowledge of God He ceaseth to be a man which ceaseth to be prouident and leaueth the rules of reason Men at the beginning builded Townes for society and for safety but novv are vvildernesses safer then popularity Man hath no power ouer his lyfe but liues ignorant of the certaine time of his death euen as a beast only comforting himselfe with confidence To euery man belongeth two powers a desire and an opinion the first body bred leading to pleasure the other soule bredde leading to good things Cicero Opinion and desire hold in man great controuersies for when opinion is victor then he is sober discreet and chast but vvhen desire ouercommeth he is riotous vvilde and vnsatiate All men naturallie haue some loue and lyking of the truth The perfection of a vvise-man is to ioyne the actiue life vvith the contemplatiue in a certaine expectation of an immortall most blessed life All thinges are resolued into those thinges whereof they are compounded the body of man being earth shall returne to earth and the soule beeing immortall shall enter into immortality All men are by nature equal made all of the earth by one workman and howsoeuer vvâ— deceaue our selues as deere vnto God is the poore peasant as the mighty Prince Plato Misery then seemeth to bee ripe for man when he hath age to know misery S. P. S. The Philosophers knevv mans imperfections but could neuer attaine to knowe the true cause of them Nonne vides hominuÌ„ vt celsos ad sider a vultus Sustulerit Deus ac sublimia finxerit ora Cum pecudes volucrumque genus form asque feraruÌ„ Segnem atque abscaenaÌ„ passuÌ„ strauisset in aluum Homo non vt á matre sed vt á nouerca editus est in vitam corpore nudo et fragili animo infirmo ad molestias anxio humili ad timores molli ad labores ad libidines prauo in quo tamen in est tanquam obrutus diuinus ignis ingenij et mentis August Of Choyce Defi. Choyce doth belong vnto the
fight is continuall and the victory rare A chast eare cannot abide to heare that which is dishonest nullâ reparabilis arte Laese pudicitia est deperit illa semel Lis est cum formá magna pudicitiae Of Content Defi. Content is a quiet and setled resolution in the minde free from ambition and enuie ayming no further then at those things alreadie possessed COntent is great riches and patient pouertie is the enemy to Fortune Better it is for a time with content to preuent danger then to buy fayned pleasures with repentance He that cannot haue what hee would must be content with what he can get Content is a sweet sauce to euery dish and pleasantnesse a singuler potion to preuent a mischiefe A merry countenaunce is a signe of a contented minde but froward words are messengers of mellancholie Content is more woorth then a kingdome and loue no lesse worth then life The ende of calamitie is the beginning of content after misery alwayes ensues most happy felicitie Plut. A vvise man preferreth content before riches and a cleere minde before great promotion Misery teacheth happy content VVhat can be sweeter then content where mans life is assured in nothing more then in wretchednes Content makes men Angels but pride makes them deuils Many men loose by desire but are crowned by content Plato To couet much is misery to liue content with sufficient is earthly felicitie To will much is folly where abilitie vvanteth to desire nothing is content that despiseth all things The riches that men gather in tyme may fayle friends may waxe false hope may deceiue vaine-glory may tempt but content can neuer be conquerd By desire we loose time by content wee redeeme time Solon Content is the blessing of nature the salue of pouertie the maister of sorrow the end of misery To lyue nature affoordeth to liue content wisedome teacheth Displeasures are in our owne handes to moderate and content is the procurer of peace Content though it loose much of the world it pertakes much of God To liue to God to despise the worlde to feare no misery and to flye flatterie are the ensignes of content VVhat wee haue by the worlde is miserie what we haue by content is wisedom Aur. The eyes quiet the thoughts medicine and the desires methridate is content To bee content kills aduersitie if it assault dryes teares if they flowe stayes wrath if it vrge winnes heauen if it continue He is perfectly content which in extreames can subdue his owne affections No riches is comparable to a contented minde Plut. Hee that is patient and content in his troubles preuenteth the poyson of euill tongues in theyr lauish talkings Content and patience are the tvvo vertues which conquer and ouerthrow all anger malice wrath and backbiting To liue content with our estate is the best meanes to preuent ambitious desires Nemo quam sibi sortem Seu ratio dederit seu sors obiecerit illa Contentus viuit Horac Viuitur paruo bené Of Constancie Defi. Constancie is the true and immouable strength of the mind not puffed vp in prosperitie nor depressed in aduersitie it is sometimes called stabilitie and perseueranâ—e sometimes pertinacie the last of the parts of fortitude IT is the part of constancie to resist the dolors of the minde and to perseuer in a wel deliberated action Arist. Constancie is the health of the minde by which is vnderstood the whole force and efficacie of wisedome Cicero Constancie except it be in truth and in a good cause is impudencie He that hath an inconstant minde is either blinde or deafe Constancie is the daughter of patience and humilitie Constancie is the meane betweene elation and abiection of the minde guided by reason Plato Constancie is onely the Nepenthes vvhich who so drinketh of forgetteth all care and griefe Constancie euer accompanieth the other vertues and therefore iustice is defined to be a constant will to render to euery one what is right Nothing in the world sooner remedieth sorowes then constancie and patience vvhich endureth aduersitie violence without making any shew or semblance Agrippa It is the lightnesse of the wit rashly to promise what a man will not nor is not able to performe Cassiodorus It is not enough to say what shoulde bee done or what should not be doone but it behoueth to put it in practise The blessed life is in heauen but it is to bee attained vnto by perseuerance It is a great shame to bee weary of seeking that which is most precious Plato Many begin well but fewe continue to the end Ierom. Perseuerance is the onely daughter of the great King the end and confirmation of all vertues and the vertue without the vvhich no man shall see God Bern. Perseuerance is the sister of patience the daughter of constancie the friende of peace and the bond of friendshyp Not to goe forward in the way of God is to goe backward The constant man in aduersitie mourneth not in prosperity insulteth not and in troubles pineth not away In vaine he runneth that fainteth before he come to the goale Greg. The constant man is not like Alcibiades tables fayre without and foule within Constancie hath two enemies false good things and false euill false good things are riches honours power health long life false euill are pouerty infamy diseases death The only way to constancie is by wisdome A constant minded man is free from care griefe despising death and is so resolued to endure it that he remembreth all sorrowes to be ended by it Cic. Constancie is the ornament of all vertues Cato rather then hee would submit himselfe to the Tyrant Caesar hauing read Plato of the immortalitie of the soule slew himselfe Pomponius Atticus was much renowned for his constancie Marcus Regulus Fabricius Marius Zeno Anaxarchus and Epichatius Laeena for theyr rare and wonderfull constancie are woorthy to be recorded in bookes of brasse leaues of endlesse tymes Hee is not to bee reputed constant whose minde taketh not fresh courage in the midst of extreamities Bern. Rarae faelicitatis est celeritas et magnitudo rarioris diuturnitas et constantia Demost. Tardé aggredere et quod aggressurus sis perseueranter prosequere Of Religion Defi. Religion is a iustice of men towards God or a diuine honouring of him in the perfect true knowledge of his word peculiar onely to man it is the ground of all other vertues and the onely meanes to vnite and reconcile man vnto God for his saluation NO error is so dangerous as that which is committed in Religion forasmuch as our saluation quiet happinesse consisteth thereon Man was created for the seruice of GOD who ought aboue all things to make account of Religion If it bee a lewde part to turne the trauailer out of his right way and so to hinder him in his iourney then are such as teach false doctrine much more to bee detested because through such a mischiefe they leade men to destruction August
esse sui Ouid. Omnibus qui patriaÌ„ conseruauerint adiuuerint auxerint certus est in caelo et definitus locus vbi beati aeuo sempiterno fruuntur Cicero Of Hope Defi. Hope is that vertue whereby the spirit of man putteth great trust in honest waightie matters hauing a certaine and sure confidence in himselfe this hope must be strong ly grounded vppon a sure expectation of the helpe and grace of God without which it is vaine and imperfect TO be cleane without hope is a hap incident to the vnhappy man He that will loose a fauour for a hope hath some wit but small store of wisedom Fortune may take away our goods but death cannot depriue vs of hope Hopes aboue fortune are the fore-poynters of deepe falls If thou chaunce to loue hope vvell vvhatsoeuer thy hap be That which is most common is hope Hope is a waking mans dreame Pyndarus To put our confidence in the creature is to dispaire of the creator Grego Vaine is hope that doth not feare God Gre. This mortall life is the hope of the life immortall Aug. They onely hope vvell who haue a good conscience Aug. Hope is the companion of loue Hope cannot be without fayth Aug. Hope is the God of the wretched Bernard Hope grounded on God neuer faileth but being built on the world it neuer thriueth Hope apprehendeth things vnseene and attaineth things by continuance Plato The euenings hope may comfort the mornings misery Hope is the fooles God the Merchant-mans comfort the souldiers companion and the ambitious mans poyson Hope of life is vanity hope in death is life and the life of hope is vertue Hope waiteth on great mens tongues and beguileth beleeuing followers Sweet words beget hope large protestations nourish it and contempt kils it He that supposeth to thriue by hope may happen to beg in misery Bion. The apprehention of hope derideth griefe and the fulnes of hope consumeth it As all mettalls are made of Sulphur so all pleasures proceede from hope As the one part laboureth for the conseruation of the whole body so hope for the accomplishment of all desires Sadnes is the punishment of the hart hope the medicine of distresse Crates Hope is a pleasant passion of the minde vvhich dooth not onely promise vs those things that we most desire but those thinges also which we vtterly dispaire of Our high hopes haue oftentimes hard fortunes and such as reach at the tree commonly stumble at the roote To hope for requitall of benefits bestowed may rather be counted vsury then vertue A cowardly louer without hope shall neuer gaine faire loue with good fortune To hope against all hope is the excellence of a mighty resolution In a little place is hid a great treasure and in a small hope a boundlesse expectation Confidence except it be guided by modesty and proceed from iudgment may rather be called arrogancy then hope Hope of all passions is the sweetest and most pleasant and heereof it is said that hope onely comforteth the miserable Hope is the Gouernour of men Symonides Perdicas seeing Alexander largelie bestovve many benefits vppon his friends asked him what hee would leaue for himself he aunswered hope A good and vertuous man ought alwaies to hope well and to feare nothing Hope is the beginning of victory to come and doth presage the same Pyndarus Sola spes hominem in miserijs consolari solet Miserum est timere cum sâ—eres nihil Of Charity Defi. Charitie is the indissoluble band of God with vs whereby wee are inflamed with the loue of him for that which we owe vnto him and therby also are induced to loue our neighbours for the loue of God CHaritie is the scope of all Gods commaundements Chris. Charity delayd is halfe lost Charitie raunsommeth vs from sinne and deliuereth vs from death Charitie increaseth fayth begetteth hope and maketh vs at one with God As the body without the soule enioyeth no life so all other vertues without charity are cold and fruitlesse Charity is a good and gracious affect of the soule whereby mans hart hath no fancy to esteeme any thing in this world before the study to know God Hermes The charitable man is the true louer of God Seuerus As the sunne is to the vvorld and life to the body so is charity to the hart Charity resembleth fire vvhich inflameth all things it toucheth Erasmus Charitie in aduersitie is patient in prosperitie temperate in passions strong in good works quicke in temptations secure in hospitalitie bountifull amongst her true chyldren ioyfull amongst her false friends patient Charitie in midst of iniuries is secure in hart bountifull in displeasures meeke in concealing euills innocent in truth quiet at others misfortune sad in vertues ioyfull Charitie in aduersity fainteth not because it is patient and reuengeth not iniuries because it is bountifull Hee that truely loueth beleeueth and hopeth Aug. By charitie one seeth the glorious light of God Aug. Hee alwayes hath to giue that is full of charitie Bernard To loue with all the soule is to loue wisely to loue with all the strength is manfully to suffer for truth to loue with all our hart is to prefer the loue of God before all things that flatter vs. Aug. The measure in louing of God is to loue him without measure Bernard Charity is the way of man to God and the way of God to man Aug. If any man waxe drunke vvith the loue of God he is straightwayes apt and ready to all good he laboureth and is not weary hee is weary and feeleth it not the malicious mock him and he perceiueth it not Bernard The loue of God hath power to transforme man into God Charity maketh a man absolute and perfect in all other vertues Neither the multitude of trauailes nor the antiquity of seruice but the greatnes of charity increaseth the reward God is charity vvhat thing is more precious he that dwelleth in charity dwelleth in God what thing is more secure God in him what thing is more delectable The nature of charity is to draw all things to it selfe and to make them participate of it selfe Lactan. There is no vertue persit without loue nor loue without charity Charity is neuer idle but worketh for him it loueth The greatest argument of godly loue is to loue what God loueth Charitable loue is vnder no rule but is Lord of all lawes and a boundlesse Emperor There is true charity where two seueral bodies haue one vnited hart Of charity mixed with mockery followeth the truth of infamy Pythag. Charity is the child of faith and the guide to euerlasting felicity All charity is loue but not all loue charity Augustine The filthy effects of bribery hinder exceedingly the works of charity Plato Charity causeth men to forsake sinne and embrace vertue Charitie is a word vsed of many and vnderstood but of a few Cicero By charity with God we learne what is our duty towards man By charity all men
of pleasure and reward wherefore such as suffer in it aduersity shall in another world be recompenced with ioy Hermes He which delighteth in the world must eyther lacke what he desireth or els loose what he hath wonne with great paine He that is enamoured of the worlde is like one that entereth into the Sea for if hee escape perrils men will say he is fortunate but if he perrish they will say hee is vvilfully deceiued He that fixeth his minde wholy vppon the world looseth hys soule but he that desireth the safetie of his soule little or nothing regardeth the world After the olde Chaos vvas brought into forme the Poets faine that the vvorld vvas deuided into foure ages the first vvas the golden age the second vvas the siluer age the thyrd the brazen age and the fourth the yron age all which may bee more largelie read of in the first booke of Ouids Metamorphosis The worlde in the foure ages thereof may bee compared vnto the foure seasons of the yeere the first resembling the spring-tyme the second sommer the third autumne and the fourth winter Perdicas Hee that yeeldeth himselfe to the vvorlde ought to dispose himselfe to 3. things which hee cannot auoyde First to pouerty for hee shall neuer attaine to the riches that hee desireth secondly to suffer great paine trouble thirdly to much businesse without expedition Solon Mundus regitur numine deorum estque quasi communis vrbs et ciuitas omnium Cicero Mundus magnus homo homo paruus mundus esse dicitur Of Beginning Defi. Beginning is the first appearance of any thing and there can be nothing without beginning but onely that Almightie power which first created all things of nothing EVill beginnings haue most commonlie wretched endings In euery thing the greatest beauty is to make the beginning plausible and good It is better in the beginning to preuent thē in the exigent to worke reuenge That thing neuer seemeth false that dooth begin with truth The preface in the beginning makes the whole booke the better to be conceiued Nature is counted the beginning of all things death the end Quintil. To beginne in truth and continue in goodnesse is to gette praise on earth and glorie in heauen The beginning of superstition was the subtiltie of sathan the beginning of true religion the seruice of God There is nothing wisely begunne if the end be not prouidently thought vpon Infants beginne lyse with teares continue it with trauailes and end it with impatience A foolish man beginneth many things and endeth nothing The beginning of thinges is in our owne power but the end thereof resteth at Gods disposing Stobaeus Neuer attempt any wicked beginning in hope of a good ending The most glorious and mightie beginner is GOD who in the beginning created the world of nothing Small faults not hindered in the beginning amount to mighty errors ere they be ended A worke well begun is halfe ended Plato In all workes the beginning is the chiefest and the end most hardest to attaine The beginning the meane and the end is a legacie which euery one enioyeth Sodaine changes haue no beginning Nothing is more auncient then beginning That which is betweene the beginning and the end is short Greg. The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome Sirach The beginning of all thinges are small but gather strength in continuaunce The beginning once knovvne vvith more ease the euent is vnderstood Begin nothing before thou first call for the helpe of God for God whose power is in all things gyueth most prosperous furtherance and happy successe vnto all such acts as vvee doe begin in his name Take good aduisement ere thou begin any thing but being once begun be careful speedily to dispatch it He that preuenteth an euill before it begin hath more cause to reioyce then to repent Take good heede at the beginning to what thou grauntest for after one inconuenience another will follow Begin to end and ending so beginne As entrance to good life be end of sinne Principijs obsta seró medicina paratur Cum malaper longas inualuere moras Principij nulla est origo nam ex principio oriuntur omnia ipsum autem nulla ex re alia nasci potest Of Ending Defi. The ende is that whereto all thinges are created by GOD which is the glory of his Name and saluation of his Elect albeit the order which hee obserueth the cause reason and necessitie of them are hid in his secrete counsaile and cannot bee comprehended by the sence of man THE end of thys worlde is a good mans meditation for by thinking thereon hee preuenteth sinne Basil. The end of trouble bringeth ioy the end of a good life euerlasting felicitie VVhat thing soeuer in this world hath a beginning must certainly in thys world haue also an ending The last day hath not the least distresse Felicitie is the end and ayme of our worldlie actions which may in this life be described in shadowes but neuer truly attained but in heauen onely Nothing is doone but it is doone to some end Arist. The end of labour is rest the end of foolish loue repentance The end is not onely the last but the best of euery thing Arist. The end of euery thing is doubtfull Ouid. The end of warre is a iust Iudge Liuius As there is no ende of the ioyes of the blessed so is there no end of the torments of the wicked Greg. The end of this present life ought to haue respect to the beginning of the life to come Bernard The end we hope for is euer lesse then our hopes VVhat was doubtfull in the beginning is made certaine by the end therof Hugo Seeing the euent of things doe not aunswer to our wils we ought to apply our wils to the end of them Arist. The end of a dissolute life is most cōmonly a desperate death Bion. Our life is giuen to vse and to possesse but the end is most vncertaine and doubtfull The end of sorrow is the beginning of ioy At the end of the worke the cunning of the work-man is made manifest Good respect to the ende preserueth both body and soule in safety Before any fact be by man committed the end therof is first in cogitation Many things seeme good in the beginning which prooue bad in the end Exitus acta probat careat successibus opto Quisquis ab euentu facta notanda putat Multi laudantur in principio sed qui ad finem prefeuerat beatus est Of Day or Light Defi. The word Dies which signifieth day is so called quod sit diuini operis it is Gods faire creature and the cheerefull comfort of man who by his word made the light thereof to beautifie it to the worlds end THose children which are borne betweene the foure and twenty houres of midnight and midnight with the Romans are said to be borne in one day Numa Pompilius as hee deuided the yeere into Moneths so hee deuided the
moneth into dayes and called them Festos profestos and Intercisos the first dedicated to the gods the next to men for dispatching of theyr busines the last as common for theyr Gods as men A day natural hath twenty foure houres a day artificiall hath twelue houres The day beginneth vvith the Egyptians at sunne-setting and vvith the Persians at the sunne-rising The Athenians count all the time from the setting of the sunne till the setting of the sun againe but one day The Babylonians count their day from the sunne rising in the morning till the sun rising the next day The Vmbrians an auncient people in Italy count theyr day from noonetide till no one-tide next following The vvicked and euill-liuing man loueth darknes and hateth the light One day taketh from vs the credite that another hath giuen vs and the last must make reckoning of all the rest past By daily experience we wax wiser wiser Hee that refuseth to amend his life to day may happen to be dead ere to morrow Aure. Let no day be spent without some remembrance how thou hast bestowed thy time Vespasian thought that day lost vvherein he â—ad not gotten a friend One day the hardy broode Of Fabius sent to fight Thus sent one day Did see them nobly dead ere night The Romans called Iupiter Diespiter which signifieth the father of the day or light Light is some-times taken for day and darknes for night No day commeth to man wherein he hath not some cause of sorrow Quintil. The entrance of adolescencie is the end of infancie mans estate the death of youth and the morrow dayes birth the ouer-throw of this dayes pride Light is the Queene of the eyes Aug. GOD in the beginning made tvvo great lights one for the day another for the night Day is the image of life night of death Aug. The pleasure of the day is the sunne called of the Philosophers the golden eye and hart of heauen The light of learning is the day of the minde Aug. Euery day that passeth is not to be thought as the last but that it may be the last Seneca The sunne melteth wax and hardneth clay Abbreuiare dies poteris producere nunquam Abbreuiare tuum est sed prolong are tonantis Optima quaeque dies miseris mortalibus eui Prima fugit subeunt morbi tistisque senectus Et labor et durae rapit inclementia mortis Night or Darknes Defi. Night is the houres of rest and peace after labours beeing commonly that part of the day naturall in which the sunne is hidden from vs cheering the Antipodes THe longer the night is in comming the more it is desired of the oppressed yet no sooner seene then wisht to be departing Night is the benefit of nature and made for mans rest Liuius Suspition and feare are nights companions This our life is as it were night Aug. Darknes is not euill but in comparison of the light Aug. Euery light hath his shadow and euery shadow of night a succeeding morning The darknes of our vertues and not of our eyes is to be feared Aug. It is not darknes but absence of the light that maketh night Darknes cannot be seene Aug. The breath wee breathe in the morning is often stopt and vanished before night Night followeth day as a shadow followeth a body Arist. Night is more comfortable to the miserable then the day Night is the cloake to couer sinne and the armour of the vniust man Theophr Night which is the nurse of ease is the mother of vnquiet thoughts Night which is all silence heares all the coÌ„plaints of the afflicted The deeded of the night are lothsome to the day neyther hath light to doe with darknes Night is warres enemy yet is it the onely finder out of martiall stratagems A darke night and a deadly resolution begets cause of the dayes lamentation Night vvhich is most foule begets day vvhich is most faire a contrary of a contrarie Night begets rest and rest is the refreshing of tired spirits VVhat euer is ouer-wearied by the dayes exercise is as it vvere nevve borne by the nights rest and quiet Tully Night and sinne hold affinitie and ioyntly ayde each other It is impossible to weare out the day in trauaile if some part of the night be not spent in rest Vt ingulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones vt teipsum serues non expergisceris Horatius Interiores tenebrae caecitas mentis exteriores infernus Of Wickednes Defi. VVickednes is any sinne vice or euil committed or imagined in the whole course of our liues and the meane by which we loose Gods fauour and expose our selues to the danger of hell fire THe prosperity of euill men is the calamitie of the good VVhen wicked men reioyce it is a signe of some tempest approching It is the corruption of the good to keepe company with the euill Reioyce as often as thou art despised of euill men and perswade thy selfe that their euill opinion of thee is most perfit praise Ill men are more hasty then good men be forward in prosecuting their purpose Hee that worketh wickednes by another is guilty of the fact committed himselfe Bias. It is better to destroy the wickednes it selfe then the wicked man Vnexperienced euils doe hurt most The remembrance of euill thinges is to be obserued by the contemplation of good matters Phillip K. of Macedon assembled together the most wicked persons and furthest from correction of all his subiects and put them into a Towne which hee builded of purpose calling it Poneropolis the Citty of vvicked persons Continuance of euill doth in it selfe increase euill S. P S. A wicked life is the death of the soule Chris. VVho can be more vnfortunate then hee which of necessity will needs be euill VVho soeuer hee be that spareth to punish the wicked doth thereby much harme to the good Anachar It is a praise to the godly to be dispraised of the wicked and it is likewise a dispraise to be praised of them Sinne blindeth the eyes of the wicked but punishments open them Greg. The wicked man is daily drawne to punishment and is ignorant therof The minde of an ill disposed person is more vnstable then the superficies of the water VVhen wicked men be in the midst of all theyr iollitie then some misfortune comes knocking at the doore VVhen the euill man vvould seeme to be good then is he worst of all He is euill that doth willingly associate him selfe with wicked men VVicked men are the deuils shadowes Vertue is health but vice is sicknes Plato The wicked man attempteth thinges impossible Arist. The wicked man is euer in feare Plato Hee vvrongeth the good that spareth the wicked A good sentence proceeding from a wicked mans mouth looseth his grace The progeny of the wicked although it be not wholy infected yet it vvill sauour something of the fathers filthines As vertue is a garment of honour so vvickednes is a robe of shame Cursed is
inter euersae vrbis manubias varia sub specie migrauit ad graecos Of Couetousnes Defi. Couetousnes is a vice of the soule wherby a man desireth to haue from all parts with out reason and vniustly with-holdeth that which rightly belongeth vnto another body it is also a sparing and niggardlinesse in giuing but open-handed to receaue whatsoeuer is brought without conscience or any regard whether it be well or ill attained THe property of a couetous man is to liue like a begger all dayes of his life and to be founde rich in money at the houre of his death Archimed Gaynes gotten vvith an ill name is great losse Couetous men little regard to shorten their lyues so they may augment their riches Treasures hoorded vp by the couetous are most commonly wasted by the prodigall person Gold is called the bait of sinne the snare of soules and the hooke of death which being aptly applyed may be compared to a fire whereof a little is good to warme one but too much will burne him altogether The chariot of Couetousnes is carried vppon foure vvheeles of vices Churlishnesse Faint-courage contempt of God forgetfulnes of death Drawn by two horses called Greedy to catch and Holdfast the Carter that dryueth it is Desire to haue hauing a whip called Loth to forgoe A couetous man is good to no man and worst friend to himselfe The couetous man vvanteth as vvell that which he hath as that which he hath not He that coueteth much wanteth much There is greater sorrowe in loosing riches then pleasure in getting them Publius Couetousnes is the roote of all euill from whence doe proceed as from a fountaine of mishap the ruine of Common-weales the subuersion of estates the wrack of societies the staine of conscience the breach of amity the confusion of the mind iniustice bribery slaughters treasons and a million of other mischeeuous enormities Aurel. All vices haue theyr taste saue onely couetousnes The gaine of golde maketh many a man to loose his soule A couetons man passeth great trauailes in gathering riches more danger in keeping them much law in defending them great torment in departing from them The excuse of the couetous man is that he gathereth for his children Apollonius The couetous minded man in seeking after riches purchaseth carefulnes for him-selfe enuy for his neighbours a pray for theeues perrill for his person damnation for his soule curses for his chyldren and lavve for his heyres A couetous rich man in making hys testament hath more trouble to please all then himselfe tooke pleasure to get and possesse all A couetous mans purse is called the deuils mouth Dionisius comming into a Temple vvhere Images were couered in costly coates of siluer and gold These garments quoth hee are too heauie for sommer and too colde for vvinter and so taking them away with him hee cloathed them in Linsey-wolsie saying these are more light for sommer and cooler for the winter VVee feare all things like mortall men but wee desire all thinges as if wee were immortall Seneca Couetousnes in olde men is most monstrous for what can be more foolish then to prouide more money and victuals vvhen he is at his iourneyes end Couetousnes is a disease vvhich spreadeth through all the vaines is rooted in the bowels and being inueterate can not be remooued Tully To fly from couetousnes is to gaine a kingdome Publius Gold guides the globe of the earth and couetousnes runnes round about the world Most couetous is hee vvhich is carefull to get desirous to keepe and vnwilling to forgoe By liberality mens vices are couered by couetousnes layd open to the world Aug. A couetous mans eye is neuer satisfied nor his desire of gaine at any time suffised The gluttons minde is of his belly the leacher of his lust and the couetous man of his gold Bernard The couetous man is alway poore August Ardua res haec est opibus non tradere mores Et cum tot Croesos viceris esse Numam Vsque adeo solus ferrum mortemque timere Aurinescit amor pereunt discrimine nullo Amissae leges sed pars vilissima rerum Certamen mouistis opes Of Vsurie Defi. Vsurie of the Hebrues is called byting it is an vnlawfull gaine gotte by an vnlawfull meane and that cruelty which doth not onelie gnaw the debter to the bones but also sucketh out all the blood and marrow from them ingendering mony of money contrary to nature and to the intent for which money was first made VSurie is compared to fire vvhich is an actiue and insatiable element for it burneth and consumeth all the wood that is laid vpon it so the Vsurer the more hee hath the more he desireth and lyke hell gates hee is neuer satisfied A vsurer is a filching and corrupt Cittizen that both stealeth from his neighbours and defraudeth himselfe The intent of vsury bewraies the crime Vsury is the nurse of idlenes idlenes the mother of euils Vsurie makes the noble man sell his land the lawyer his Iustinian the Phisition his Gallen the souldier his sword the Merchant his wares and the world his peace Vsury is an auntient mischiefe and cause of much ciuill discord A litle lewdly come by is the losse of a great deale well gotten Vsurie is like a vvhirle-poole that swalloweth what soeuer it catcheth Crateus He that with his gold be gets gold becomes a slaue to his gold Inordinate desire of vvealth is the spring of vsurie and vsurie subuerteth credite good name and all other vertues Couetousnes seeketh out vsurie and vsurie nourisheth couetousnes An vsurer can learne no truth because hee loatheth the truth Vsurie taketh away the tytle of gentry because it delighteth in ignobility Vsury oftentimes deceiues the belly altogether liues carelesse of the soules safety As the greedy Rauens seeke after carren for their food so doth the couetous vsurer hunt after coyne to fill his coffers Philo. Plutarch sayth that no kinde of people in the world are so notorious lyuers nor vse so much to falsifie theyr fayth in all practises as vsurers Appian in his first booke of ciuill wars writeth that by an auncient Law at Rome vsurie was forbidden vpon very great paine As he which is stung vvith an Aspe dyeth sleeping so sweetly doth hee consume himselfe which hath borrowed vpon vsury A vsurer is more dangerous then a theefe Cato Vsury is most hated of those whom she doth most pleasure Vsury maketh those that were free-borne bondslaues Publius Vsury is the manifest signe of extreame impudencie Chrysost. To be a vsurer is to be a manslayer Cato Vsurers were not suffered to enter the temple of sparing and well ordered expence Asellius was slayne for making a law against vsurers Appian By vsury money is brought forth before it be gotten Vsurie is the daughter of auarice and ambition turpia lucra faenoris et velox inopes vsura trucidat Nō sunt facienda mala vtinde eueniant bona Of Deceit Defi. Deceit or
Empedocles because he could not learne the cause of the burning Aetna leapt into it Aristotle for that hee could not giue the reason for Euripus flowing drovvned himselfe As he which without licence breaketh a prison procureth his owne death so in the world to come shall hee be perpetually punished which contraâ—y to the will of God will set the soule at liberty Plato Vincitur haud gratis iugulo qui prouocat hostem Qui nil potest sperare desperet nihil Of Deuils Defi. Deuils are our temptours to sinne blasphemie and all other euills they that standing in feare of God take pleasure in that which displeaseth him THe deuill labours to deceaue men and greatly enuies that any should be saued The deuill was the first author of lying the first beginner of all subtile deceites and the cheefe delighter in all sinne and wickednes Philo. Diuers spirits were wont to deceaue people eyther by misleading them in theyr iourneyes or murdering them in theyr sleepes Psellus The more the deuills increase in theyr boldnes the more increaseth theyr punishment The deuils not able to oppresse GOD in himselfe assault him in his members Aug. The deuill intangleth youth with beautie the Vsurer with golde the ambitious vvith smooth lookes the learned by false doctrine The deuills oft-times spake truth in Oracles to the intent they might shadowe theyr falseshoods the more cunningly Lactan. The deuill vvith false miracles beguileth the world The deuills as being immortall spirits and exercised in much knowledge seeme to worke many thinges which in truth are no miracles but meere works of nature All the great power of deuills proceedeth from the iust indignation of God vvho by such whyps chastiseth the wicked and exerciseth the good The deuils haue diuers effects the one troubleth the spirit the other molesteth the body some insinuate steale into our harts where depraued desires are ingendered or els into our vnderstanding to hinder the vse and office of reason The power of God and not the deuill is to be feared Greg. The inuisible enemy is ouer-come by faith The deuils haue will to hurt but they want power Augustine The deuill is ouer-come by humilitie The deuill is strong against those that entertaine him but weake against those that resist him Aug. From euill spirits proceedeth Art-magick whereby the slauish practisers of that damnable Art by many false miracles deceiue the simple and confound themselues God many times suffereth the deuill to tempt the godly that by temptation theyr fayth might be tryed He that giueth his word to the deuill breaketh his bond with God Luther The deuill temptation and sinne vvere the occasions of mans fall He that makes a God of the world and vanitie is a deuill in the fight of heauen wisedome The harts of the rebrobate containe as many deuils as vnchast thoughts Greg. The deuill is to some a Lyon to some an Ant. Gregory The deuill ceaseth to tempt them whom he hath already wonne The worlde the flesh and the deuill are three powerfull enemies to prouoke men to wickednesse The deuill is the Father of lies the chiefe author of all deceit The deuil tempteth the righteous one way and the wicked another way Greg. The deuill presents before vs many vaine delights to the intent hee might the better keepe our minds from godly meditation VVhat sinne soeuer hath beene by man at any time committed was first by the deuill inuented The deuill first accuseth vs of our euill words next of our euill works lastly of our euill thoughts Greg. Vt cum princeps vult hospitari in aliquo domo praemittit nuncium et vbi ille recipitur ibi descendit Dominus sic diabolus praemittit malas cogitationes vt ei preparent hospitium vt vbi recipiuntur illuc declinat Christus Leo dicitur propter fortitudinem Agnus propter innocentiam Leo quod inuictus Agnus quia mansuâ—tus Ipse Agnus occisus vicit Leonem qui circuit quaerens quem deuoret diabolus leo dictus feritate non virtute Of Hell Defi. Hell is in all things contrary to heauen it is a place of torment misery and desolation where the wicked shall endure the endlesse iudgement of paine for their offences ZEno the stoick taught that the places of the reprobate were seperate from the righteous the one beeing pleasant delectable the other darksome and damnable Hell is the hold of horror distresse and misery the Cell of torment griefe and vexation The losse of heauen is to the damned more grieuous then the torments of hell Chriso Hell is the land of darknes Greg. In hell all torments are not alike Aug. VVoe be to him that by experience knoweth there is a hell Chrisost. Hell is in the center of the earth remote from all comforts replenished with endlesse horror where desolation raigneth no redemption may be expected Hel is the place of punishment which God hath reserued for the reprobates In hell is no order but a heape and Chaos of confusion The wretches in hell haue an end without end a death without death a defect without defect for theyr death liueth continuallie the end beginneth alwayes the defect can neuer faile Eternall death is the reward of sinne the plague of sinne hell and damnation Hell is euery where where heauen is not The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a lyuing soule Caluine Good men haue theyr hell in thys worlde that they may knowe there is a heauen after death to reward the vertuous and vvicked men escape torments in this worlde because they shal finde there is a iudgement to come wherein the wicked shall haue punishment according to the number of theyr offences Lactan. They that beleeue in Christ haue alreadie ouer-come sinne and hell To them that are enamored of the worlde the remembrance of hell is bitter The image of our sinnes represent vnto vs the picture of hell Hell like death is most incertaine a place of punishment most assured Hell that is knowne no where is euerie where and though now neuer so priuate yet in the end it will be most publique Hell is compared to the Laborinth vvhich Dedalus made whose entrance is easie but beeing once in it is not possible to rerurne If thy minde bee not mooued with the fire of heauen take heede least thy soule feele the flames of hell Infernus lacâ—s est sine mensura profunditas sine fundo plenus ardoris incomparabilis plenus faetoris intolerabilis ibi miseriae ibi tenebrae ibi horror aeternus ibi nulla spes boni nulla desperatio mali Noctes atque dies patet atri ianua Ditis FINIS A Table of all the principall matters contayned in the former Treatise A. A Boundance 2. vide riches Absence 124 62 Abstinence vide Temperance Acts 125 94 Actions 4 6 42 91 103 113 182 228. Action 48 92. Accusation 153 Admonition 17 41. 64. Admiration 52 48 168 Aduise vide Counsell Aduersity 6 114 vide