folly 12. There is less danger in meeting a Bear in the height of her rage than a furious fool in the pursuit of his unruly passions and desires for it is possible to defend a man's self against the one but there is no way to hinder the brutish motions of the other See Arg. d 13. Whoso rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his house 13. It is so unnatural for a man to return evil to him from whom he hath received nothing but good that the punishment of his ingratitude shall not rest in his own person but descend upon his posterity to all generations 14. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with 14. When men begin a quarrel or a difference they know not where it will end For the very first breach is like cutting the banks of a river which presently overflows the neighbouring grounds but cannot easily be reduced into its bounds again It is best therefore to make peace immediately before both parties be involved in such troubles as like a deluge of water lay all desolate 15. He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the LORD 15. It is hard to say which is most detestable to the Lord he that pleads for a wicked man and more than that acquits him or he that pleads against the righteous nay plainly condemns him Certain it is they are both most highly obnoxious to his displeasure who is the fountain of justice and as he would have it exactly administred so hates those who indeavour to confound the nature of good and evil among men 16. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisedom seeing he hath no heart to it 16. What good doth a great estate in the possession of a fool Can he therewith purchase wisedom how to use it alas he wants understanding to desire it and to procure good Instructours in which his riches if his mind were good might be serviceable to him 17. A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity 17. Time makes proof of a Friend who if he be sincere loves not merely for a fit nor alters with the change of one's condition but continues stedfast in adversity as well as in prosperity nay in straits and distresses shews himself more like a Brother than a Friend See Arg. e 18. A man void of understanding striketh hands and becometh surety in the presence of his friend 18. He is very inconsiderate whose kindness makes him forward to pass his word for the payment of another man's debts VI. 1. XI 15. and especially to enter into bonds in the presence of his neighbour for whom he engages which may make him more careless about the payment than he would have been if unknown to him he had been security for him 19. He loveth transgression that loveth strife and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction 19. He vainly pretends to the love of piety who accustoms himself to brawling and contention which as necessarily draws along with it abundance of sins as lifting up a man's self above his estate in raising sumptuous buildings brings him to ruin or as breach of the publick peace opens wide the floud-gates to all iniquity See Arg. f 20. He that hath a froward heart findeth no good and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief 20. A man of wicked designs which he resolves to accomplish by any sort of means shall find himself deceived in his expectation and he who employs his tongue to deceit and fraud pretending fair to men before their face but slandering them behind their back shall by that very means bring mischief upon himself 21. He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow and the father of a fool hath no joy 21. Great is the care which ought to be taken in the contract of Marriage and in the education of Children For if a Son prove vicious and leud it will be such an inexpressible grief to his Father that he will take no comfort at all in any thing he injoys v. 25. 22. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine but a broken spirit drieth the bones 22. And consequently it will shorten his days For as nothing conduces more to health than a cheerfull spirit which serves instead of physick so nothing destroys it more than sadness and grief which consumes the vital juyces and dryes up the body to skin and bone See Arg. g 23. A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment 23. No man would willingly be known to be so wicked as to be bribed to doe injustice but there are too many that will suffer themselves to be secretly corrupted by presents to give counsel or judgment contrary to the course of Law and Equity 24. Wisedom is before him that hath understanding but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth 24. As a wise man's understanding appears in his very countenance and a fool is known by his garish and wandring eyes so the one hath his wisedom always present and ready at hand to guide and govern him when the other knows not what to follow but his thoughts are roving up and down to no purpose though he ramble to the very ends of the earth 25. A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bare him 25. A foolish dissolute Son who regards not the counsel of his Parents wasting their Estate and disgracing their Family is such a vexation to his Father that he provokes his indignation and such a grief to his mother that it makes her life bitter and irksome to her See Arg. h 26. Also to punish the just is not good nor to strike princes for equity 26. There may be specious pretences for it but it is against all honesty and piety to punish innocent persons together with delinquents especially to scourge Judges and Governours for doing equal justice upon all offenders 27. He that hath knowledge spareth his words and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit 27. The more any man knows the less he is apt to talk for his wisedom gives him such an excellent composure of spirit that it represses his heat his forwardness and haste and makes him cooly deliberate what and when it is fit to speak 28. Even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding 28. Such a vertue it is to be silent that he who understands nothing is deemed wise as long as he holds his peace and he whose mind hath such power over his mouth as to keep it shut that nothing may suddenly and impetuously go out is wise indeed CHAP. XVIII ARGUMENT a There is so much difficulty in the two first Verses which hath produced so many various interpretations
be so great that thou canst manage things thereby in thine own way neglecting the Rules that He hath prescribed thee to thy satisfaction but have a religious regard to Him who can either disappoint or prosper thee as he pleases and fearing to offend his Majesty avoid most cautiously those practices that He hath forbidden thee 8. It shall be health to thy navel and marrow to thy bones 8. This is the way to preserve a good habit both of Soul and Body and in all conditions to remain undejected nay cheerfull and fully satisfied whatsoever happens See Arg. b 9. Honour the LORD with thy substance and with the first-fruits of all thine increase 9. As for example there are those who think it prudence to save all they can though it be by robbing God Himself But if thou wilt be truly wise and happy honour Him in his Ministers by paying them their tithes duly and bringing oblations to his house at the three solemn Feasts XXIII Exod. 14 15. together with the first-fruits of all that thy Estate produces XXII Exod. 29 30. in token of thy gratitude to Him and that all thou hast is his and cannot thrive without his Blessing 10. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine 10. Which He will powr upon thee abundantly and convince thee by lading the Earth with Fruit and sending a seasonable as well as plentifull Harvest and Vintage that this is the way not to diminish but to encrease the Estate which God hath given thee XXVIII Deut. 4 5. 2 Chron. XXXI 10. 11. ¶ My son despise not the chastening of the LORD neither be weary of his correction 11. ¶ And suppose it be his pleasure that any affliction should befall thee My Son v. 1. let not that dissatisfy thee nor make thee either doubt of his gracious Providence over thee or out of impatience take any unlawfull course to remove it from thee 12. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth even as a father the son in whom he delighteth 12. But rather submit unto it as a part of his Fatherly Discipline which cannot hurt thee but onely correct something that is amiss in thee For we are sure He loves those that keep his Commandments and therefore nothing that proceeds from his love ought to be despised or received with an abject mind but duly esteemed by them and raise their expectation of some good from the affliction which should no more make Him suspected of any unkindness than a tender Parent is when he whips the Child in whom he delights and to whom he wishes so well that he will not let him be unchastised See Arg. c 13. ¶ Happy is the man that findeth wisedom and the man that getteth understanding 13. ¶ Happy more happy than can be expressed is that man who attains to this degree of wisedom and acquires though it cost him the greatest pains and labour such an understanding of God and belief of his Providence as notwithstanding any troubles that befall him still to adhere unto Him in faithfull obedience v. 7. 14. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold 14. If it were to be bought for money one would purchase it at any rate for the profit of it is infinitely to be preferred before all the advantages that can be made by silver and gold 15. She is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her 15. The most precious Pearls are not so valuable nor can our boundless Fancy present any thing to our Wishes that is worthy to come in competition with it 16. Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour 16. For true Wisedom presents us as we say with both hands teaching us in the first place such prudence and moderation as by the Divine Blessing prolong our days which none of those things can doe for us and in the next place adds both riches and honour which men foolishly and vainly seek to get and to keep by other means See Arg. a 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace 17. And besides all this there is a singular pleasure nay the highest delight in all the acts of Vertue to which Wisedom directs her Followers who are always either in perfect sasety by well-doing or if any trouble come upon them have that inward tranquility and satisfaction which nothing else could give them 18. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her 18. In short Wisedom leads into a Paradise and supplies the place of that Tree of Life from whence our first Parents were banished that is gives not onely a present but an immortal satisfaction to all those that strongly apprehend and retain her Precepts and therefore I again pronounce him happy v. 13. above all other men and above all expression who constantly and firmly adheres unto them See Argument d 19. The LORD by wisedom hath founded the earth by understanding hath he established the heavens 19. For they are a participation of that wonderfull Wisedom and Understanding whereby the Lord setled the Earth in that place where it remains fixed and disposed the heavenly Bodies in that admirable and unchangeable order which He would have us imitate 20. By his knowledge the depths are broken up and the clouds drop down the dew 20. In works of mercy and goodness especially whereby we plainly communicate with Him in that knowledge by which the Lord made fountains of water gush out of the Earth for the use of all living Creatures and the Clouds drop down plentifully their refreshing dews for the cherishing of Plants and Grass which in hot Countries many times have no other moisture 21. ¶ My son let not them depart from thine eyes keep sound wisedom and discretion 21. ¶ My Son to whom my affection is so great that I cannot but again repeat it v. 1. 11. let me prevail with thee to fix these good instructions in thy mind look upon them as the most solid Wisedome and the greatest cunning and policy and accordingly observe them 22. So shall they be life unto thy soul and grace to thy neck 22. For they will revive and chear thee when other things fail thee and inable thee also with acceptable words to comfort those whom the fame of thy Wisedom shall invite to learn of thee 23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall nor stumble 23. When thou goest abroad about thy business thou shalt dispatch it the more cheerfully because thou art sure of God's Providence over thee and wisedom will direct thee to avoid those stumbling blocks by which others fall into sin and danger 24. When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid yea thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet 24. And
wicked of all which he gives examples But none hath opened this Parable comparably to the Lord Bacon in the place before mentioned Parab 13. where he takes it for an easie credulous temper in a Prince to believe Detractours and Sycophants without examination From whence proceeds such a pestilential breath as infects and corrupts all his Servants For some of them feel out the fears and jealousies of the Prince and increase them by fictitious tales Others awake and stir up the furies of envy especially against those that are best deserving in the State Others seek to wash away their own guilt and the stain of a foul conscience by defaming better men Others promote the suits of their friends and their preferments by traducing and debasing the merit of their competitours Others compose fabulous representations of their enemies as if they were upon a stage and innumerable such like And these are the arts of such of the Prince's Servants as are of a more wicked disposition As for those who are by nature better inclined and by education more civilized when they perceive their innocence to be no safe sanctuary their Prince not knowing how to distinguish between truth and falshood they put off the probity of their manners and accommodate themselves also to the air of the Court and are carried about therewith in a servile manner For as Tacitus saith of Claudius there is no safety with that Prince into whose mind all things are conveyed as it were by infusion and direction from others And Comines saith very well It is better to be servant to a Prince whose suspicions have no end than to one whose credulity hath no measure After this there follows in the next verse but one another Admonition to Princes v. 14. And then a double Admonition to private Parents to take care of the good education of their Children as the best way to make a Kingdom happy and to prevent the increase of wickedness About which he interposes an Observation between these two in the explanation of all which verses I have had some respect to the LXX without any injury to our Translation k And so I have done in the next v. 18. where by vision or rather prophecy they understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an expounder of the Laws of God to the people which was the office of the Prophets who had a great stroke also in the Government as Melancthon observes and by their counsels when they were followed made the Kingdom flourishing As Elisha for about 70 years governed the counsels of their Kings in the greatest calamities particularly in the siege of Samaria After whose death the Kingdom indured not much above an 100. years agitated by perpetual seditions Thus Esaiah by his counsels moderated the calamities of Judah for several years after which followed the ruin of the Nation in which notwithstanding by the counsels of Jeremiah a good part of the people were saved From such examples saith he we may gather that when prophecy ceased the people were scattered so he translates the word Para because for want of wholesome Counsellours there follows in Empires strifes of ambition and seditions which all tend to utter ruin yet the second part of this sentence saith he admonishes us that a remnant should be safe in their dispersions viz. such as kept the Divine Doctrine For want of which God takes away mens instructers when they are not obedient to wholsome precepts So the LXX translate this verse minding the sense rather than the words there is no expounder of the Law to a wicked lawless Nation c. God strips them even of their teachers as some translate the word Para perish which hath various significations most of which I have expressed in the Paraphrase because they all agree well enough to this place l There is an exposition of the next words v. 19. which would be very natural if the Wise man spoke onely of the commands of Masters to their Servants which they pretend sometime not to hear that they may not doe as they are bidden But he speaks of their not amending the faults of which they have been already told which is not the quality of all servants and therefore I have said a slave Or else we must interpret it as the LXX do of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stubborn obstinate servant whose heart is hardned against all words that can be spoken to him good or bad m But I must make no more glosses for fear of prolonging this Preface too much beyond its just bounds And therefore I shall conclude it with the Lord Bacon's observation upon v. 21. where the LXX have expressed but a little part of the sense that both Princes and private Masters should keep a mean in the dispensation of their grace and favour towards servants which mean is threefold First that Servants be promoted by steps or degrees not by leaps Secondly that they be now and then accustomed to repulses Thirdly which Machiavel well advises that they have ever in their sight before them something whereunto they may further aspire For unless these courses be taken in raising of Servants Princes shall instead of thankfull acknowledgments and dutifull observance be repaid with nothing but disdain and contumacy For from sudden promotion arises insolence from constant attainment of their desire proceeds impatience of being denied and there being nothing remaining that they can further wish alacrity and industry will cease 1. HE that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy 1. HE that having received frequent reproofs from good men and perhaps corrections from God will not yield in the least but absolutely refuseth to be guided by them and submit unto them is in danger to fall and that on a sudden into utter and irrepairable ruin See Arg. a 2. When the righteous are in authority the people rejoyce but when the wicked beareth rule the people mourn 2. When just and mercifull Governours make vertuous men grow numerous XXVIII 28. a Kingdom is happy but when an ungodly man rules the wicked get into places of trust and make the people miserably groan under their oppressions See Arg. b 3. Whoso loveth wisedom rejoyceth his father but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance 3. A young man whose love of wisedom and vertue preserves his body as pure as his mind and his estate as intire as both gives the greatest joy to his Father As on the contrary nothing can be a greater grief to him than to see his Son so sottish as to maintain a company of harlots whose covetousness being as unsatiable as their lust devoureth all that he hath See Arg. c 4. The king by judgment stablisheth the land but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it 4. A King that administers Justice exactly to all his Subjects restores his Kingdom to a good estate though it hath been before in great disorder But he who having no respect to equity