Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A64606
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Epigrams, divine and moral by Sir Thomas Vrchard, Knight.
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Urquhart, Thomas, Sir, 1611-1660.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing U135; ESTC R7441
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21,116
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70
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None of a little burthen should complaine You 're cloth'd with flesh and bones and not supprest A little house a Gyant may containe And little bulks great spirits oft invest For vertue hath not such desire to find The stature of the body as the mind 25. That too much bewailing and griefe is to be avoided at Funerals to one lamenting the decease of a friend IT were more fit that you relinquish'd orrow Then that you should be left by it that may What ever may be done be done to morrow And what to morrow may be done to day We should therefore as soon's we can desist From that wherein we cannot long insist 26. The vertuous speech of a diseased man most patient in his sicknesse MY flesh still having beene an enemy Unto my spirit it should glad my heart That paines which seize now on my body may Be profitable to my better part For though Diseases seeme at first unpleasant They point us out the way we ought to goe Admonish us exactly of our present Estate and t' us at last this favour shew That they enlarge us from that ruinous Close and darke prison which confined us 27. We should not be sorry to be destitute of any thing so long as we have judgments to perswade vs that we may minister to our selves what we have not by not longing for it TO want what J should have shall never make My heart lesse cheerfull reason still requiring That J be pleas'd what 's ' ever things J lacke To furnish to my selfe by not desiring For not to wish for things against the griefe Of feare and frustrate hopes provides reliefe 28. That vertue is better and more powerfull then Fortune VErtue denyeth nought but what to grant Hurts the receiver and is good to want Nor takes she ought away which would not crosse The owner and is lucrative to losse She no man can deceive she lookes not strange Nor is she subject to the meanest change Embrace her then for she can give that which Will without gold or silver make you rich 29. How magnanimous a thing it is in adversity patiently to endure what cannot bee evited VVHat grievous weight so ever be allowed By misadventrous fate wherewith to load ye Shrinke not thereat but yeeld your shoulder to it And with a stedfast mind support your body For valiant spirits can not be o'rcome Though Fortune force their bodies to succumbe 30. That nothing more opposeth the tranquillity of life which is proper and peculiar to Wise-men then to be tyed to a generality of publicke example in all our actions AMongst the causes of our evils this Is one of the most ordinary that We live b'example things which are amisse Supplying oftentimes the place of what Is rightest and most vertuous for there 's no man Scarce holds that error which is done in cōmon 31. A temperate Dyet is the best Physicke TO keepe a moderation in our Dyet Is the chiefe meane to be of health assured For nothing sickens so as too much ryot And Feasts kill more then Galen ever cured Nor is ther Physicke should so fully please us Others expell but this prveens Diseases 32. That all our life is but a continuall course and vicissitude of sinning and being sorry for sinne WE sinne with joy and having fin'd we mourn Then kindle after teares new sinfull fires There being a turne perpetuall and returne 'Twixt our repentance and profane desires For senses to delights are wedded wholly Which purchas'd reason doth bewaile their folly 33. Why our thoughts all the while we are in this transitory world from the houre of our nativity to the laying downe of our bodies in the grave should not at any time exspaciat themselves in the broad way of destruction SEeing the strait lodging of your mothers wombe Brought you to life from whence you must depart To the darke entry of a little tombe Betwixt your birth and Buriall let your heart Tread vertues narrow path till you contract To so strict bounds the pleasures of this wide And spacious world as that you may draw backe The reines of covetous desire hate lust and pride For by so doing you will make your death A blessed passage to eternall breath 34. It is the safest course to entertaine poverty in our greatest riches YOur thoughts in greatest plentie moderate Lest with superfluous things you be insnared Let poverty be your familiar Mate That Fortune may not find you unprepared For so it will not lye into her pow'r T' inflict that crosse which you cannot endure 35. To a Gentleman who was extreamly offended at the defamatory speeches of a base detractor AT his reproachfull words doe not conceive The meanest grudge for curs will still be barking Nor take you notice of him seeing a knave Is like a scabbed sheepe not worth the marking And this your setting him at nought will make him Swell as a Toad till his owne poyson breake him 36. Of Death and Sin Bodies which lack the soules did them inform Turn'd to corruption lose their former grace And out of hearts corrupted breeds a worme Still gnawing upon guilty Consciences As from deceased bodies Death withdrawes The living soules another life t' enjoy So sinne contrary to the divine Lawes In living bodies doth the soule destroy Death is not vanquish'd till the Resurrection Of bodies testifie the soules conjunction And by Regeneration sin's infection Is buri'd in a mortifi'd compunction Lesse then is death then sinne the tomb then hell The more that soules the bodies doe excell 37. The advantages of Povertie IF you have povertie you have no sumptuous But a most easie ghuest secure and quiet Who will preserve your mind from being presumptuous From prodigality excessive ryot From vicious pleasures Robbers and the stealth Of theeves which ills befall to those have wealth 38. How to make all the world peaceable IF so in ev'ry man the flesh would dwell At concord with the spirit that it cease Against its soverainty to rebell The universall world would be at peace For if there were no avarice no hate No pride nor lust there could be no debate 39. One who did extreamly regret his bestowing of a great benefit vpon an ingrate man BY giving moneyes to a thanklesse man You lost the matter of your benefit But the best part thereof doth still remaine Which was your willingnesse in giving it For his repaying of your gratefull action Had made you gaine all that you had received And getting nought you lacke not satisfaction It onely being to give it that you gave it Else in your gifts a bargaine we should find And not the noble acts of a free mind 40. Of wisedome in speech in action in reality and reputation WIsely to talke deserveth much respect Yet to live wisely without doubt is better To be accounted wise is a great matter But it is most to be it in effect Such as would follow wisedome then let them Strive more for deeds then words for
covering neverthelesse the possession of future pleasures honours and commodities never receive contentment is they ought in the present time IN things to fortune Subject when we get What we did long for we anew desire To have wherewith t' uphold the former state Which likewise we obtaining more require For businesse engendreth businesse And hope being th' usher of another hope Our enjoyd ' wishes serve but to make place To after aimes whose purchase to the top Of our ambition never reacheth thus By still aspiring higher we can find No end in miseries that trouble us Turmoyle the body and perplex our mind Although we change with great varietie The matter which procures our miserie 36. The different fruits of idlenesse and vertue in young men AS singing Grashoppers a fond Youth revels In Summer blinks starves when tempests rage But wise men Pismire like enjoy the travels Of their young yeares in th' winter of their age These by their Providence have wealth in treasure While those are pained for their by-gone pleasure 37. To a generously disposed Gentleman who was maine sorrie that he had not wherewith to remunerat the favours by the which he was obliged to the curtesie of a friend YOu have restor'd his kindnesse if you owe It willingly and doth not prove forgetfull For with all Mankind it would hardly goe If no man could with empty hands be gratefull And in what may concerne a benefit 'T is th' onely mind refounds and maketh it 38. The truest wealth man hath it from himselfe IF you from discontents have a desire To live exeem'd the way is ne'r t' importune Your friends with suits but alwaies to require Your riches from your selfe and not from fortune For your dislike affection and opinion Are things still subject to your owne dominion 39. That the impudicity of a Lascivious Woman staines but her owne and not her husbands honour THough of her sacred Matrimoniall Oath Your wife make no account if what be due To a wise Husband you performe she doth Bring to her selfe discredit not to you For others faults can no disgrace impart you Though to your losse they tend and make you sorrie No more then you can by anothers vertue Though it breed joy and gaine reape any glorie 'T is our owne vertu ' vice must praise or blame u 〈…〉 And either make us glorious or infamous 40. Who really are rich and who poore HE that agreeth with his povertie Is truly rich while on the other part He 's poore who 'midst the superfluitie Of wealth in new desires consumes his heart For 't is an empty mind inflicts the curse Of poverty and not an empty purse 41. How to oppose sinister fate IF of misfortune you suppose t' exoner By any other meanes then those of vertue Your troubled spirit you bestow upon her Both your owne skll and weapons to subvert you For that wherewith you ' magine to resist Her furie is already in her hand And which she holds extended to your breast To make you plyable to her command It is not then great friends Nobilitie Health beauty strength nor store of worldly treasure That can preserve you from her blowes for the Of all those things disposeth at her pleasure But you your selfe must furnish with such armes As may defend you against vice and sin And so you shall not need to feare her harmes For being so warded you are happy in The tumults of the world and she unable With all her might to make you miserable 42. The deserved mutability in the condition of too ambitious men AS is the Tortoise used by the Eagle So fortune doth vaine-glorious men inveagle Who carries them upon the wings of honour The higher up that they may breake the sooner 43. That inconveniences ought to be regarded to before hand TO wait for crosses that may happen is The meane whereby to beare them easily They not being much unlike the Cockatrice Which if fore-seene by us dyes instantly While unexpected misadventures kill Joy in the breed and tyrannize the will 44. Concerning those who disdaine to walke on their owne feet when at any rate they may have the convenience to be carried WE will not see with others eyes nor heare so With borrow'd eares yet hath fond custome Prevailed that we take especiall care Upon the feet of others still to goe Although our owne be nere so strong to beare The burthen of our bodies I am sure That no man came into this world in chaire On horseback or in Coach our birth was poore And we must dye in no lesse poore estate But 'twixt those abject ends such pride there is And in so short a course of life so great Forgetfulnesse of both extremities As if enjoying an immortall breath We could not have beene borne nor tast of death Thus endeth the second Booke of Sir THOMAS VRCHARDS Epigrams EPIGRAMS The Third Booke 1. How to behave ones selfe in all occasions NO kind of trouble to your selfe procure And shun as many crosses as you can Stoutly support what you must needs endure And with the resolution of a man Whose spirit is affliction-proofe possesse A joyfull heart in all occurrences 2 That no man to speake properly liveth but he that is Wise and vertuous IF wee lacke vertue and good deeds to hold Our life 〈…〉 True life affords not though it make us old Nor lived he that lives not after death For in good minds the lives of men consist And they alone mortalitie resist 3 We ought always to thinke upon what we are to say before we utter any thing the speeches and talk of solid wits being still premeditated and never using to forerunne the mind OUr tongu 's the hearts interpreter and still In wise discourse hath but the second place The heart should end ere th' tongue begin for while The Legate speakes the Truch-man holdes his peace Which order being inverted we abuse The hearers patience and our selves confuse 4 That Lust and drunkennesse are odious vices Wrath makes a man to sin couragiously And pride doth swell with faire appearances But drunkenesse and too much Leacherie Are sloven filthie villanous and base For by the one Gods image being exil'd His Temple by the other is defil'd 5. A certaine ancient philosopher did hereby insinuate how necessary a thing the administration of Iustice was and to be alwaies vigilant in the judicious distribution of punishment and recompence SEeing by the multitude of those offend The shame of sin 's diminish'd now in such A measure that a common crime in end Will cease to be accounted a reproach I am affrayd that if iniquitie Be suffer'd thus to propagate it will With bad example safer be to stray Then to prove singular in doing well Nor is this grievous inconvenience tho Pernicious to the state to be withstood If any the least care be wanting to Chastise the wicked and reward the good Which Law each Prince should in his bosome nourish That Vice