to the Arch-spirit of heauen is the knowledge of goodnesse both which Good and Euill we know euer since the eating of the forbidden fruite which man had not lusted except God had commanded the contrary Deteriora sequor Sinne tookâ— occasion by the commandement and deceiued vs. So that we left the tree of life and tooke the worst The knowledge of euill is sinne or worldly craft The knowledge of the good is the seruice of God or innocency Assoone as Adam had eaten the Apple in the garden of triall his eyes were opened and he knew the differences both of the Good and Euill yea he was made partaker of Euils and miseries as well of equity happinesse and innocency O what a Diuine mysterie is this Mans body and soule stands almost in suspence in an equall ballance betwixt God and the Serpent betwixt innocency and sinne Or more mystically to compare our states we stand in this world like our Sauiour Christ cruelly crucified betwixt two theeues the one penitent the other desperate the one acknowledging his Deity the other blasphemously detracting from his innocent life Euen so doe we wade betwixt Good and Euill betwixt the spirit and the flesh betwixt peace and warre betwixt heauen and hell betwixt life and death betwixt vertue and vice Xenophons pathes for Hercules in his youth betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt truth and falshood betwixt loue and hatred betwixt ioy and sorrow betwixt eternity and time Gods spirit of Goodnesse seekes to winne vs by infusing into our intellectual senses faith loue truth and other vnderspirits of his Our Ghostly tempter wicked sinne the old Serpents sting inwardly prickes our soules to know euill as well as good for malum cognitum facilius euitatur euil being knowne is the more easily auoyded to permit wantonnâ—sse licentiousnesse Detraction and other petty petulant spirits of sinne vnto our children in their tender age that they may leaue them of the sooner in their riper yeares according to the prouerbe A wilde colt will proue a good horse a rude youth a good man and a young Diuell an old Saint God labours to mortifie the body that the soule may see his Godhead The Diuell by sinne his earthly substitute deceitfully aduiseth to pamper the body with daiaty delicaciâ—s that the soule being stupefied may behold nothing but perpetuall darkenesse God pronounceth rigorousnesse vnto them which fall but towards thee kindnesse if thou continue in kindnesse The Diuell whispereth into thy heedlesse heart Sisaluaberis saluaberis If thou shalt be saued thou shalt be saued If thou be reserued among the remnant of Baals seuen thousand according to the election of Grace what needest thou make this world thy hell thy body thy crosse thy contentment thy discontentment If thou be not predestinated vnto saluation wilt thou enioy a double holi Therefore while thou hast time cheerish vp thy body with all kindes of sports and pleasures Laugh and bâ—fat I am veniet tacito curua sexecta pede Anon olde age with stealing pace will come Ah poore soule how art thou entangled being created after the image of God composed for his Spouse endowred with his spirit redeemed with his blood accompanied with his Angels capable of happinesse and partaker of reason as a learned Spaniard in imitation of Father Bernard broke out into admiration O Alma hecha a laimagen de Dios compucsta como para esposa dotada consu espiritu redimida consu sangre accompanadae consus Angeles capaz de bienauenturanza participante derazon Why dost thou follow thine enemy and forsake thy Maker O heauenly soule Why dost thou offer vnto the Diuell the fairest and the sartest of thy flocke and leauest vnto God a leane and a lame sacrifice Wilt thou draw vnto the Diuell thy sweetest drinkes and vnto God thy sowrest dregges O carelesse creature Say not God hath caused thee to erre for he hath no need of the sinful man He made thee from the beginning and left thee in the hand of thy counsell and gaue thee his commaundements and precepts He hath set water and fire before thee stretch out thy â—and vnto which thou wilt Before thee was life and death good and euill What liked thee was giuen Which excellent doctrine another confirmed Thus saith the Lord Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death Say not thou I am besieged with Diuels with reall spirits out of hell For in thy center O intellectual soule is imprinted the very character of Gods owne essence and three persons in Trinity insomuch that thou resemblest the Diuine Hypostasis and indiuisible vnity and also possessest immortality from the Father vnderstanding from the Sonne and sanctification from the Holy Ghost All which concurring in one identified essentiall vnion make thee a perfect soule without blemish Let not thy fall from that blessed state discomfort thee The bloud of Christ if the fault be not thine owne doth like a lauer purifie thy sins though they become as red as scarlet These theeues of the Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a very ancient Father terms them can neuer harme thee really howsoeuer their spirit of Detraction as false spectacles to multiply thy feares layes downe that humourous tradition before thy simple sight Seest not thou how those spirits which dallied with the holy water dare not once come neere our reformed Church As there be degrees of sinnes so in my iudgement these deluding spirits neuer appeare but to the grossest sinner Where a man hath but one honest man in his house there that house prospereth better then if that one were absent for that hee terrifieth the rest from cousenages and conspiracies so where one Godly man dwelleth there the Diuell dares not draw neere LINEAMENT III. 1 That all wicked Spirits ordinary and extraordinary doe issue from the same head 2 That they cannot harme a man really without his owne naturall or wanton motion 3 Their varieties proued out of the Scripture where Saules lunacie is censured 4 That the Spirit of Detraction attendeth on all the said spirits EVen as good spirits or vertuous motions issue from the Godhead as from the cleere fountaine of goodnesse so wicked spirits and vnbridled affections fetch their pedegree from the deceitfull Serpent wâ—h allured Eue to insring the Lords commandement For his malicious spirit repining that man a new made creature found more fauour then himselfe belike long afore an out-cast from Gods presence turned about the weaker vessell the simple woman and makes her an instrument for all their ouerthrowes together They were all of them accursed mankind destinated to death the Serpent to darkenesse Since which time continuall calamities and phantasticall spirits the blacke guard of sinne pursue mankinde till death gets the vpper hand and looseth the soule out of her prison of flesh and bloud I say vntill death as Gods Sergeant doe attach our bodies vpon debt due vnto nature and our soules vpon sinnes committed
chase out of his body the other two spirits which he imagined to be there inclosed So that this plot serued to strengthen his imagination and to weaken his former false perswasion This was the principall remedy of his malady Neuerthelesse the said Monsieur Poena desisted not for all that during the space of a moneth after to minister vnto him certaine medicinable things to purge and asswage melancholy insomuch that at the moneths end being throughly purged and cured of his sickenesse the party acknowledged himselfe abused and was very much ashamed of this false imagination which for a long time had possessed and troubled his spirit LINEAMENT XI An excellent example of Coniuration translated out of Erasmus his Exorcismes fit to be obserued of our superstitious Detractors ERasmus in his Dialogue called Exorcismus reports a notable story acted in King Henry the eights dayes which because it is too prolixe and tedious to be translated into English word by word I will relate it as compendiously and briefly as the substance of the matter requires Betwixt London and Richmond there dwelt one Poole a merry conceited Gentleman He at many Ordinaries diuulged that neere to his house by the high way side a Spright haunted commonly euery night And to make it the more famous riding on a time towards Richmond with diuers Caualeers in his company the skie being cleere without any cloudes Poole on a sudden crossed himselfe and as one much astonished spake to himselfe in this sort O immortall God what doe I see His companions asking him what he saw crossing himselfe yet more he said I pray God that this sight which I see may turne to good When they lay hard vpon him desirous to know the matter with his eyes fixt towards the skie and pointing with his finger to a place in the Element Doe not you see there quoth he yonder cruell Dragon armed with fiery hornes and a wreathed taile At first they denied that they saw any thing But at length because Poole belike a man of some reckoning very earnestly pointed at it with his finger and because he should not thinke but they were of as perfect sight as himselfe they constantly affirmed and said that they also sawe that wonderfull strange sight What needes many wordes Within three or foure dayes the rumour had passed almost ouer all England that such a prodigious Monster frequented theere neere Pooles house Yea it is wonderfull how the common people added more nouelties vnto the fable Neither wanted there some that tooke vpon them to presage the euent In the meane while a Canon one Hind who also was a Priest of a neighbour parish happily arriued at Pooles house This man had an ouer-weening conceit of himselfe and aboue all he thought himselfe well seene in Diuinity At supper they discoursed of the Spright When Poole perceiued that the Priest had not onely heard of it but likewise beleeued it to be true he began to perswade him that he being a learned man and very well disposed would coniure the spirit therhence and succour the poore soule in durance And if you doubt any thing quoth he we will trie Walke you about ten of the clocke anon by the bridge and you shall heare a pitifull groaning Take vnto you what company you please so you shall heare the safer and more certaine After supper Poole made as though he went on hunting About the time mentioned the Priest walking to the place heard wofull lamentations which Poole very cunningly fained being there hidden in a bush complayning out of an earthen potte broken for the nonce for that purpose The Priest within a litle while after returned homwards longing to tell what he had seene and heard There he tolde Poole who came home somewhat before him a neerer way what was done and likewise some thing more of his owne deuising because the matter might be the more wonderfull At the last Poole egging him on he vndertakes to coniure the spirit therehence All that night he slept not with musing which way he might sasely bring the matter about for hee feared and doubted very sore of himselfe Therefore hee gathers together most preualent Exorcismes ioyning others vnto them of his owne inuention as By the bowelles of the blessed Virgin Mary By the bones of Saint Winifride The next day he chuseth a place in the plaine neere to the bush from whence hee heard the voyce There he frames a very large Circle with innumerable crosses and letters By his side hee sets a vessell full of Holy water About his necke hee wore a holy robe at which hung the New Testament besides an Agnus Dei which was wont to be consecrated by the Pope once a yeare With these hee armes himselfe for feare lest it might be a wicked Spirit that would assault him Neyther durst hee commit himselfe alone to the Circle but determined to ioyne another Priest with him Then Poole fearing lest the mysterie might chance to bee bewrayed if he got vnto him one craftier then himselfe discloseth out of hand the whole story to a neighbour-Priest a friend of his and ioynes him assistant to the simple Canon in the acting of his conceited Comedie All things thus prepared the Coniurer with the other Priest about ten of the clocke enters into the circle Poole that went before him cried lamentably out of the bush The Canon talles to his exorcismes But Poole to haue the more sport shifted him therehence and by and by returnes with afriend of his but on two blacke steeds throwing fire at the Canon to haue him out of the circle The next morning the Canon bragged how he preuailed against the spirits who appeared on two blacke horses how they were very like to draw him out of the circle and how he sent them away with a vengeance by means of his forcible charmes The next night the Coniurer better encouraged returnes into the circle and Poole with his cópanion on their blacke horses shewed themselues with a terrible noyse as though they would breake into the circle and with a long rope which they brought with them drawen along the ground they ouerthrew both Priests with their vessell of holy water to the ground and at last seeming to quaile at the charms they departed away for that night This done the Canon comes homes tels Poole what great danger he escaped and how valiantly he ouercame both the wicked spirits now he certainly perswades himselfe that no Diuell is so cruell nor so impudent as to breake into his Circle Thus farre proceeded the fable when by chance Pooles sonne in law a young man delighted with such kinde of mirth came thither Him Poole makes priuie of their stage play and appoints him the soules or spirits part to act The young man apparrels himselfe with a sheete like a coarse and carries with him quicke coales in a pot which through the sheete seemed as it were lightening At night they goe to the stage play where the soule pitifully
Countrey of Maine there was a fellow a notorious theefe and murtherer well knowne vnto all his neighbors who by the sentence of the Lieutenant for criminall causes was committed at Mauns and condemned to be hanged and strangled and was sent from thence backe to his owne Uillage wherein he dwelled to be executed and there to be set on a Gibbet standing vpon the high way from Mauns Some few daies after his execution a certaine man trauelling that way where his bodie hanged found himselfe very sore wearied and laid to rest vnder a tree not farre from the Gibbet But he was scarce well setled to his ease when suddenly behold there commeth by another passenger that was going towards Mauns and as he was right ouer against the gallowes where the dead bodie hanged whom the partie knew well when he was aliue he called him by his name and demaunded of him with an high and loud voyce as ieasting at him if he would goe with him to Mauns The man that lay vnder the tree to rest himselfe being to go to Mauns likewise was very glad that he had sound company and said to the other Stay for me a little and I will go with you The other to whom he spake thinking it was the dead theefe that spake vnto him hasted him away as fast as he could possible The man vnder the tree arising vp ranne after him as fast with a desire to ouertake him and still he cried stay for me stay for me But the other had not the leasure for his feare had set him in such a heate thinking still that the dead theefe followed him at the heeles that he neuer left posting till he was quite out of breath But for a while I will leaue off such conceited stories least some seuere Censour suspect me for an Heretike in vtterly denying the Diuels power which our righteous Lord hath left vnto him as to the executionâ—r of his iudgements LINEAMENT VI. 1 Whether in time of Popery the Diuell appeared to Coniurers or Witches 2 Why now adaies the Diuels apparitions are ceased among the professours of the Gospell 3 The Authors opinion touching his visible illusions NEuerthelesse if we may beleeue ancient Historiographers the Diuell commonly haunted diuers simple wretches in times â—ast when all the world wondred after the â—eâ—st of the Sea vpon whose seuen heads was the name of blasphemis I meane when our fore-parents worshipped the high Priest of the seauen hilled Citie by the Tyrrhene Sea And as our Royall Phoenix recordeth after diligent obseruations of seasons dayes and hewres by these reprobates circles were made triangular quadrangular round double or single according to the forme of apparition which they craued Likewise two principall things in that errand might not be spared holy water whereby the Diuell deludes the Papists and some present of a liuing thing vnto him Heere likewise Right vertuous Prince Great Brittains Beauclerke like as the Moone deriues her light from the resplendant Sunne and as the Macedonian souldiours security proceeded from their Monarches safety Ex Alexandri spiritu omnes suos spiritus ducebant so presume I to fetch the true Lampe of this Treatise from your immortall booke For this cause I craue humble pardon of your Imperiall Maiâ—stie for my ambition in borrowing like Aesops crow some of your ingenious plumes to grace my ragged stile In those daies it sufficed not the Diuell to haue indirectly the rule and to procure the perdition of so many soules by alluring men to vices and to the following of their appetites but also he abused these simple wretches in making them directly to acknowledge him for their master Euerie man ouer whom he had the rule he tempted according to his complexion and knowledge and so whom he found most simple he plainliest discouered himselfe vnto them For he being the enemie of mans saluation vsed all the meanes he could to entrap them so farre in his snares that they might not euer after suppose they would ridde themselues out of the same But now-a-dayes Popery being vnmarked and vncouered to the view of all the world through the brightnes of the Gospell Sathan is either cub'd vp really in hell in the bottomlesse pit for a time or confined herehence for a while into other habitacles as Lapland Finland or into the healthfull coast of Bâ—armia vnder the Northerne pole where people liue in greatest Barbarisme and simplicity Euen as Apolloes Oracles in Greece ceased at the passion of Christ by reason of the Apostles preaching in those parts so doubtles in these dayes the woman clothed with the Sunne the Catholike Church that was fled into the wildernesse and persecuted with a long lasting warre by the Dragon and his Angels being now victoriously returned into these North-west partes of the world the Diuell in despaire is retired into his darkesome Cell or farre from among vs where notwithstanding that he lies malecontent and perhaps fettered that he cannot really breake forth he transports sometimes his poysonous power and casteth out of his mouth water after the woman as it were a flood to drowne her there in hell he hath his capitall residence and ouerlookes by his spirits of sinne into the soules of flesh and bloud like as the Antichrist residing in the great Citie spiritually Sodome and Aegypt transferres by his Iesuiticall spirits vncleane spirits like frogges out of the Dragons mouth and other messengers of false prophesie cloudes of wonders supposed miracles Bulles Indulgences and detracting lies for the confirmation of his forlorne flocke in Aequiuocations blasphemie and blindnesse of vnderstanding For as the Reprobate and naturall man cannot apprehend those things which are aboue nature nor will he beleeue that there are any spirits good or euill so the simple or superstitious person partly with feare partly with Popish policy is drawne to such sottish credulity and lightnes of beliefe that he takes Knaues for Diuels and Coni-catchers for Coniurers To end this Section of the Diuels appeareance I beleeue that some yea that many things concerning his visible formes are but lies and fictions of men inuented eyther for some cause that moued them or at least wise for their sports and pastimes Othersome contrariwise haue beene true as appeares by many examples and euents which none can denie as that Spaniard alleadgeth Algunas y aun muchas yo creo que deuen de ser mentiras y fictiones de gentes inuentadas o por alguna cosa que les mueue o alo menos por su passatiempo Otras ay que son verdaderas comoparece por muchos exemplos y successos que no pueden negar se. No good Christian can denie but that the Diuell did possesse those men whose bodily humours by gurmandize or their peruerse wils were depraued and infected as is to be seen in the Scriptures where likewise he was suffered by our Sauiour Christ to enter into the Heard of Swine But my question at this time
idle storie old father Darbishire a Iesuite sometimes Chancelour of London vnder Bishop Bonner told me in Lorraine of one Throgmorton whom he peruerted at Paris to the Romish Religion False miracles thus growne in request the Diuell foreseeing that his buzzards might breake out of his snares except he found some other stratageme to entangle them presently conuocates a Synode or Councell of Detracting Spirits not much vnlike to the Councell of Trent or the Cardinals consistory and there enacteth parts for seuerall spirits to act yet so that the Spirit of Detraction attend on thē all some he appoints to play the parts of Hobgoblins or Robbing goodfellowes some he chuseth to countenance the Clergy in their perking chaires some to feast with the foolish pezants who of the Italians were called glifarfarrelli mazzapengoli and of the English and Romanes fairie folkes lares Dryades Hamadryades some to mocke monkes as horned Satyres Some he subornes with fained shapes to appeare vnto grosse headed folke Whereas in very deed such shapes are no more reall then Euridices Ghost whom her husband Orpheus thought to apprehend when in the end Nilnisi cedentes infoelix arripit auras Vnhappy he on nothing meets But on the ayre which backe resleet When a man fortunes to see any such such straunge sights let him call to mind that they be but decept to visus a colourable mist cast forth by the spiritual Dragon to bewitch his vnderstanding or that his sight is possessed with some suffusion after sleepe figured and symbolized with false visions of small atomes manifoldly colored or else let him call to memory his owne imbecillitie of nature which might be mislead eyther with an antipathy or with excesse of choler or melancholy as when he is sicke of a saffronlike iaundise or when some grosse glewy matter is gathered within the fleshy sinew of the eye Doe not we reade in bookes of naturall Sience that the sensible obiect being more exceedingly excellent doth dull the sence which is lesse excellent doth not snow sometimes grieue our sights Doth not a candle of virgine waxe mixt with oyle of snakes alter the outward forme of the lookers faces and cause the whole roome to appeare in shew of snakes haue not we in our time seene artificiall looking glasses formed by cunning Optickes representing many miraculous faces to one onely obiect Doth not a composition of Aqua vitae Brimstone and Salt make the standers by to seeme pale colored To this I adde that we seeme to see sometimes fiery Dragons Beares and monstrous meteoures in the clouds when as in truth the same are but moyst vapours mounted vp from the earth into the ayre not hauing any such shapes but only such changeable impressions as the Chameleon-like ayre affoordes them Let him also consider how diuerse honest men haue mistaken knowne waies in a mystie day The reflection of the Sunne beames haue sundrie times bedazeled our eye sights So we see thinges which are neere vnto scarlet to shine red Much more must we conceiue of Sathans craft who hath beene experienced in pollicie euer since the beginning of the world He cannot chuse but exceede the wisest Philosopher in worldly skill by reason that hee is not clogged at all with a massie bodie of flesh and bloud as we are for this cause I say Sathan ouerlookes more easily into the secrets of nature and practiseth them with greater promptitude and agilitie against vs when for our vnworthinesse or weaknesse God leaues our inward man naked not vouchsafing to cloath him with the habillements of grace Howbeit for all that the Diuels knowledge is great yet we must deeme it but coniectures and gesses which God oftentimes ouermastereth checketh and changeth because we might know that he alone is powerfull and true To returne where I haue digressed Sathan because that we might see how he hath more strings to his bow then one and knowes more waies into the wood then one employeth some others spiritually to seduce mens shallow imaginations which agents of his he commissioneth with speciall errands and articles some he inspires to tell fortunes as lying Palmisters some to obserue the flying of fowle the entrailes of fowle which we terme Augures some as Salamanders to prophesie by fire which we name Pyromancers some to counterfeit the state of Geographers as vaine Geomancers and some he en chanteth like Chameleons for spruce parasites cunning courtiers to sooth euery man in his humour and then with a Sardonicall laughter to cut their neighbours throates These with many other functions of bastard artes he insinuates into phantasticall persons and also into them which build vpon their owne wisedomes But the most detestable of all his faculties which I tremble to write of is the sacrilegious sinne of Detraction against his Makers maiestie wherwith he possesseth the most part of our country men not onely in causing them to ouerglut and ouerlade their bodies with meate drinke and smoke of Tobacco two or three consuming in one day as much as would suffice twentie honester men then themselues but also in the middest of those their Bacchanales to taunt the glory of God to gibe at his glorious signes and to impute the causes with the effectes of thunders and lightnings vnto his lying selfe It is wonderfull to marke how opinionated the most part of the world are in this poysonous paradoxe They haue bene so long blinded in other superstitions that they will hardly suffer themselues to be lifted vp out of the gulfe of ignorance It may be likewise that the Diuell as he is an excellent enginer to gaine himselfe that fulgurant fame and thundring name hath sometimes appeared in varieties of false vgly formes euen then when these naturall creatures of God followed their naturall course and motion and so by that iugling tricke made the world beleeue that it was he which played reuell rex abroad in that terrible equipage Parturiunt montes nascctur ridiculus mus He is with child of mounts and lofty things But a poore mouse and trifles he forth brings Well may the Dragon striue to flie but his wings are clipt and he according to Gods curse must creepe vpon his belly and eate the dust of the earth all the daies of his life Well may he arrogate vnto himselfe anothers operation but as a curst cow hath short hornes so must he in the end go naked like Aesops crow when the true Owner challengeth his owne plumes of glory God workes all wonders tulit alter honores but the Diuell beares the honour for a while LINEAMENT IX 1 What is the craft of our common Wizards 2 That Souldiours and men of courage haue been daunted with disguised Angels 3 Examples of ordinary Wichcraft Sorceries and Coniurations OVr common Wichcraft Southsaying consultation with spirits and Coniurations are nothing but cousenages legierdemaines impostures confederacy or coni-catching craft in making folkes beleeue that they can prophesie worke miracles tell fortunes reueale
increaseth in a house and there-hence vvould breake into the next house and at last into the whole towne vnlesse at the first inflaming it be quencht with milke so the Spirit of Detraction being suffered to creepe into an honest mans house like Aesops vnthankfull Snake which the innocent husbandman saued from the chilling colde and there by negligence permitted to infect some of the household will at length not onely enuenome the head of the Family himselfe but also empoyson the vvhole neighbourhood except at the first his fiery force be extinguished with the milke of Taciturnitie and Patience Of this kinde of milke among other ingredients is that Oyntment made which the Apostle mentioned ye haue an oyntment of him that is holy ye know all things Though Truth hath taken off this false vizard yet vvee must apply the fruits of Truth for his further condemnation and that other wicked Spirits may likewise be kept backe from planting themselues in the little world With Taciturnitie the Spirit of Detraction is choakt with Patience the Detracted conquereth the Detractour vincit qui patitur In old time this kinde of Spirit vvas coniured vp by vnhallowed holy vvater by massemonging miracles now our Countrey-men rayse him vp by pots of good liquour and pipes of Tobacco therewith both day and night profaining their bodies which rather they ought to purifie vvith mortification as the Temples of the Holy Ghost for wanton flesh and bloud cannot inherit heauen In old time his malice was sometimes allayed by simplicitie and superstitious singlenesse of minde now hee can neuer be put downe and packt into hell without Taciturnitie and Patience both which if thou who readest this Circle dost obtaine at thy heauenly Fathers hand thou needest not doubt of thy soules saluation nor of silent sobrietie LINEAMENT III. 1 The discription of Taciturnitie 2 That the nature and qualitie of a man may be discerned by speach or writing 3 That wise men in priuate may descant of their neighbours faults so that the same tend to edification ALbeit that Taciturnitie be a kinde of milke farre more delicious then the Paracâ—lsians lac virginis or false Mahemets heauenly iunkets hard to come by knowne but of very few and those sons of Art vvhose chiefe Aphorisme is to keepe close their soueraigne receipts from vicious persons I will notwithstanding aduenture to disclose vvhat it is borrowing the discription thereof out of Monsieur du Chesue his Portraict de la sancte Taciturnity is to heare and premeditate a thing well and long to be briefe and short in his answeres that is to speake little or nothing Taciturnite est bien longuement oscouter premediter estre briese court on ses responses ascauoir dire peu ou rien This rare medicine makes the Patient which takes it to carry his mouth in his heart whereas Detraction causeth men to beare their hearts in their mouthes to deliuer dregs with drinke and to shoot their foolish boltes before that discretion wils them Which moued a certaine wise man that on a time vvas askt by his Prince at a banquet why hee alone sate still like a foole without parleying thus pithily to answeare A foole be it spoken vnder your Matesties correction can hardly hold his peace at a banquet for as Salomon saith the foole putteth forth all his spirit but a wise man deferreth it afterwards O diuine vertue O discreet Taciturnitie which resemblest the patient Deitie vvhich repellest hunger and thirst which neuer renderest griefe blame nor shame Surely the best coniecture vvhich may be made of mens inclinations is by speach or writing Loquere vt te videam speake that I may know thee quoth Socrates to a nouice of his as for example if thou hearest one discourse immoderately of faire women fine apparrell of hauking hunting and gaming or if thou hearest him vaunt ouer-gloriously of his owne vvorth or speaking in print in inck-horne termes thundring out sesquipedales and hornificabustulated metaphors verborum bullas ampullas wordes of his owne bubled or botled stampe or if thou seest him scribble disioynted phrases and lame Hyperboles then note him for a vaine-glorious fellow a phantasticall Parrot a golden Asse led too much with the imaginatiue facultie If his common talke be of law cases of lying Chronicles of old wiues fables or if he rips vp pedegrees repeating his owne or his Kinsmans genealogy to Cadwalader to Brutus to Saturne to Noah in all companies and at all times of honest mirth obserue him for an excellent memorie and vvithall for a notable foole If he waighs his vvords by the ounce if hee speakes seldome or not before a question be asked him and if he regardeth circumstances as the dignitie of the person vvith whom he talkes the place the time the nature of the hearers and the matter of speach alwayes vsing Gods name and authoritie vvith submissiue reuerence knowing that his omnipotent Maiesty heareth euery vvord hee speakes then marke him for a man of vnderstanding Hee that vvill learne to speake must first learne to be silent for as the Italian Prouerbe teacheth l'huomo parlando poco e ' annumerato fra i sauij The man vvhich speakes little is accounted among the vvise And as the French-man saith les foullies plus courtes sont les meilleures the briefest sheetes are the best Be a man neuer so vvitty yet if hee parleyes much his tongue cannot chuse but erre and trip in some principall points which as another Italiaen vvrites vvill trouble the stomacke more then ten graines of Antimoniâ— or Stibium Conturbano piu lo stomacho que farebbonâ—â—â—eci grani de Antimonio So that one vvord out of square may blemish a mans whole reputation and cause Zoylists to descant and sit vpon him perhaps vvhile hee liues Neyther can I excuse the wisest Clerkes that they likewise be not sometimes subiect vnto the spirit of Detraction as that Learned Lord demonstrates Men though otherwise graue and learned may erre eyther by mistaking principles or giuing too light eare vnto false informations which are rightly termed the spectacles of Errour for God onely searcheth the heart and raines But what censure will their owne inckpot Senate yeeld of such iesting and Iybing nicking and nipping Paedantes vvhich cannot bridle their vvide mouth'd hackneys namely that such persons be but parliamenting Parasites Pungitopian peeuish Momes ridiculous Readers Bacchanalian Parolistes super-ingenious Iayes superficiall flaunting fooles letting their tongues runne before their wits without rime or reason without matter or methode for as the Wise-man writeth In many words there cannot want iniquitie Notwithstanding all this I am not so seuere a Cynicke neque mihi cornea sibra est nor are my heart-stings so horny and hard-laced as to banish all manner of delightfull discourses to deceiue away the time vvithall for I graunt that a friend an alter ego may vvithout impeachment of Detraction or doubt of Libelling vnlocke the cabinet of