anger and allay your passion when it rageth and riseth into hugest distemper Forthwith so soone as you shall perceive your selves moved restraine your passion but if you cannot appeale nor compose your inward Commotion at least restraine your tongue and injoyne it silence that if it speake no good it may speake no evill lest being loose and set at liberty it utter what wrath and not reason dictates More soveraigne and peacefull it will be for you to retire from society make recourse to your Oratory by recommending to your best Physician the cure of this infirmity Vse likewise this Cordiall salve to your corroding sore the receit is Divine if seasonably applyed and will minister you comfort when you are most distempered So soone as your disquieted minds begin to expostulate with the quality of your wrongs which your Enemy is apt to aggravate and exasperate purposely to hasten your precipitate revenge propose and set before you all the disgraces which possibly you can suffer and conferre them with those that were aspersed on your Saviour this will prepare you to suffer teach you to conquer for Arrowes foreseene menace lesse danger Likewise when you consider the injuries which are done you by others you may reflect upon the wrongs which are done by you unto others for the consideration of your owne infirmity will exact of you towards others an impunity Weigh with your selves how much others suffer of you how much God himselfe suffers of you who if hee should have inflicted revenge for every particular offence you should have perished long since In a word you your selves are frequently grievous and displeasing to your selves Seeing then you are so distastefull unto your selves as you must of necessity suffer many injuries and affronts from your selves repine not at the sufferings which are inflicted by others on your selves You are likewise to consider these discommodities which arise from this Passion which will arme you with patience if of your selves you have any compassion What availes it to be revenged after our injury bee received Is your wound by anothers wound to be cured Or disgrace tendred by rendring disgrace restored Besides all this see what he obtaineth who anger obeyeth 1. Hee is deprived of the Crowne of glory and reward of eternity 2. Hee becomes a Minister and Instrument of the Divell 3. Hee destroyeth his owne soule that hee might hurt anothers body For a dispassionate or angry person is like unto him who that hee may kill his Asse destroyeth himselfe or rather like him who for huge debts which hee is not able to discharge is throwne into prison and disdainefully refuseth any ones offer to pay his debt for him For by him who doth you wrong is the debt which you owe to God forgiven if with patience you suffer the injury which is done Whereas the angry person who will bee his owne revenger telleth God how and in what sort hee is to deale with him that as hee suffered not small disgraces from another so neither should small things bee suffered in him by God As it is written With what measure you mete the same shall bee measured to you againe Six other detriments or discommodities there bee which arise from the exorbitancy of this passion For by Anger is lost first Wisedome while reason becomes blinded Secondly Righteousnesse for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Thirdly Society for the Acquaintance of one angry man is pleasing unto none Bee not saith the Wiseman a companion with the angry man Fourthly Concord while peace is disturbed Fifthly the Light of Truth because anger casteth the darkenesse of confusion upon the mind or understanding from whom God hideth the cheerefull beame of his Divine knowledge Sixthly the Splendor of the holy spirit upon whom saith the Prophet shall my spirit rest but upon the humble and quiet that is upon the meeke mild and compassionate Thus you see what benefits may bee procured by attempering what discommodities incurred by fostring this Passion Whereon I have the rather insisted because I am not ignorant how the strongest and constantest tempers have beene and may bee distempered and disparaged by it much more you whose mainest strength consists in the expression of that Passion At all times therefore use a moderate restraint in the prime of your yeares when youth sends forth her first promising blossomes behave your selves mildly without bitternesse humbly without haughtinesse modestly without lightnesse soberly without childishnesse The Caske will reteine her first taste the Wooll her first dye the purest Tablet her prime impression the loyall'st Spirit her first affection If you shew too much waywardnesse in your youth small good is to bee expected in your age As you tender your preferment seeme milde while you are maids lest you prove scare-crowes to a young mans bed Conforme your selves likewise to a nuptiall State and preserve your honour without staine Contest not with your head for preeminence you came from him not hee from you honour him then as hee cherisheth the love hee conceives in you A domestick fury makes ill harmony in any family The discord which was hatched and increased towards M. Anthony by Fulvia was ever allayed and attempered by the moderation of Octavia Bee you all Octavia's the rougher your crosse the richer your Crowne The more that injuries presse you the more shall your patience praise you The Conflict is but short and momentanie the Triumph glorious and impall'd with eternity And thus much touching those three particulars whereon your Behaviour principally reflects wee are now to descend to the next branch which shall shew how a Gentlewoman of ranke and quality for to such onely is my discourse directed is to behave her selfe in Company SOciety is the solace of the living for to live without it were a kinde of dying Companions and friendly Associats are the Theeves of time No houre can be so tedious which two loving Consorts cannot passe over with delight and spend without distaste Bee the night never so darke the place never so meane the cheerefull beames of conceiving consorts will enlighten the one and their affections mutually planted enliven the other What a Desart then were the world without friends and how uselesse those friends without conceiving mindes and how weake those mindes unlesse united in equall bonds So then love is the Cement of our life a load without love Now Gentlewomen you are to put on your vailes and goe into Company Which I am perswaded you cannot enter without a maiden-blush a modest tincture Herein you are to be most cautelous seeing no place can bee more mortally dangerous Beware therefore with whom you consort as you tender your repute for report will brute what you are by the Company which you beare Augustus being at a combat discerned the inclinations of his two daughters Iulia and Livia by the Company which frequented them for grave Senators talked with Livia but riotous persons with Iulia. Would you preserve those
shee should bee engaged to it Her thoughts are not admitted to entertaine vanity They must not conceit it lest they should bee deceived by it Occasions wisely shee foresees timely prevents and consequently enjoyes true freedome of minde You shall not see her consume the precious oyle of her Lampe the light of her life in unseasonable reere-bankets unprofitable visits or wanton treaties Those will shee not admit of for companions who are prodigall of their Honour These shee reproves with a milde spirit labouring to reclaime them with an ingenuous tender of her vertuous compassion towards them None shee more distastes than these Brokers or Breakers of licentious bargaines Shee excludes them the List of all civill society How cautelous shee is lest suspition should tax her Outwardly therefore shee expresseth what shee inwardly professeth That honourable bloud which shee from her Predecessors received till death surprize her will shee leave untainted Neither is there ought shee hates more than pride nor scornes more than disdaine Shee rightly considers how her daies are mensurable being but a span long which implies her brevity and miserable being altogether vanity Shee disclaymes that state which consists in scornefull lookes A sweet and affable Countenance shee ever beares The honour shee enjoyes makes her humbler and the prayses which are given her work in her thoughts no distemper So farre is shee from affecting the pompe of this world as it growes contemptible to her higher-mounting thoughts A faire and well-seeming retinue shee ever keepes about her but none of these must bee Sycophants with their oylie tongues to delude her neither must any who cloaths his Countenance with scorne attend her Shee observes on what steepe and dangerous grounds ambition walketh Her sleepes are sweter her content higher her thoughts heavenlier It is one of her greatest wonders that any one should bee so rest of understanding as to forget what infirme ground hee stands on The purest Creature bee shee never so absolute in her feature is of no richer temper than Earth our Common-mother Shee is wiser than to preferre a poore handfull of red Earth before her choycest treasure Though her deserts merit honour shee dis-esteemes her owne deservings being highly valued by all but her selfe Thus shee prepares her selfe daily for what shee must goe to Her last day is her every dayes memoriall Lower may her body bee when interred but lower cannot her mind bee than at this instant So well hath shee attained the Knowledge of her selfe as shee acknowledgeth all to bee fraile but none frailer than her selfe Here Gentlewomen have yee heard in what especiall Objects you are to bee Honourable Presidents You shine brighter in your Orbe than lesser Starres The beames of your reflecting vertues must admit of no Eclipse A thousand eyes will gaze on you should they observe this in you Choyce and select are the societies you frequent where you see variety of fashions imitate not the newest but neatest Let not an action proceed from you which is not exemplary good These that are followers of your persons will bee followers likewise of your lives You may weane them from vice winne them to vertue and make them your constant followers in the serious practise of piety Let your vertues cloath them within as their veiles doe without They deserve not their wage who desist from imitating you in actions of worth Your private family is a familiar Nursery Plants of all sorts are there bestowed Cheere cherish those that be tender but curbe and correct those that bee of wilder temper Free and fruitfull Scions cannot bee improved till the luxurious branches bee pruned But above all things take especiall care that those vices spread not in you which are censured by you You are Soveraignesses in your families neither extend your hand too much to rigour neither contract it by shewing too much remisnesse or favour Let neither vertue passe unrewarded nor vice if it grow domineering passe unreproved Foule enormities must admit of no Privileges No should you by a due examination of your selves finde any bosome-sinne secretly lurking any subtill familiar privately incroaching any distempred affection dangerously mutining bee your owne Censors Bee not too indulgent in the favouring of your selves Proficients you cannot bee in the Schoole of vertue unlesse you timely prevent the overspreading growth of vice Let not your Sunne the light of your soule bee darkned let not your Spring the fount of your vertues bee troubled Let not your Fame the perfume of your Honour bee impaired As you are generous by descent bee gracious by desert Presidents are more powerfull than Precepts These onely lead those draw Bee examples of goodnesse that you may be heires of happinesse The style you enjoy the state you reteine the statues which after you may remaine are but glorious trophies of fading frailty Vertues are more permanent Monuments than all these these are those sweet flowers that shall adorne you living impall you dying and crowne you with comfort at your departing Lastly as you were honourable Personages on Earth where you were Presidents of goodnesse so shall you bee glorious Citizens in heaven where you are to bee Participants of all happinesse WHere Vertueâ—s â—s sowne in a noble Seed-plot manured and fructisied by good Discipline strengthened by Example and adorned with those more gracefull parts which accomplish the subject wherin vertue is seated what bickrings of fortune will it sustaine What conflicts in the necessities of nature will it cheerefully encounter Her spirit is raised above any inferiour pitch Yea the habit of goodnesse hath wrought such divine impressions in her soule who is thus disposed as society may improve her but cannot corrupt her because a zealous affection to vertue doth possesse her You shall ever observe these whom Nobility of blood hath advanced to reteine some seeds or semblances of their progenitors which are so impressive in them as no occurrent bee it never so violent can estrange these from them Here you shall see a native affability or singular art of winning affection to one naturally derived There in another such a rough and unseasonable austerity as her very count'nance is the resemblance of a Malevola Some from their infancy have reteined such a sweet and pleasing candor as they could cover anger with a cheerefull smile and attemper passion with a gracefull blush Besides they had the gift to expostulate with their discontents and by applying seasonable receits to their wounds free themselves from falling into any desperate extreames Others would rather dye then suffer the expressions of their Passions to dye For affronts as their spirits could not beare them so did their actions discover them and make them objects of derision to such as observ'd them And whence proceeds all this Surely from the very first relish of our humours when that unwrought Table of youth becomes furnished with choice characters and the Subject begins to affect what is engraven in them by continuance of time
TIMES TREASURY OR ACADEMY for GENTRY Laying downe excellent grounds both Divine and Humane in relation to Sexes of Both Kindes For their accomplishment in arguments of Discourse Habit Fashion and happy progresse in their Spirituall Conversation Revised Corrected and Inlarged with A LADIES LOVE-LECTVRE And a SUPPLEMENT Entituled THE TVRTLES TRIVMPH Summing up all in an exquisite Character of Honour By R I Brathwait Esq. LONDON Printed for Nath Brooke at the Angel in Cornhill 1652. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM EARLE of STRAFFORD Sonne and Heire to that incomparable Master-piece of Wit Worth and Wisdome THOMAS Lord VVENTVVORTH Viscount WOODHOUSE Late Lord Deputy of IRELAND My Constantly memorized and perpetually indeared MECENAS All corresponding honour and happinesse Suitable to a Branch of such rising hopes Lineally ennobled and enabled to all proficience HIGHLY HONOVRED PIety as it hath the promise so it renders the best deblazon to the House of Honour In which highest ascent of Heraldry for all other Titles or Gradations appear irreall and shady Vertue the greatest Signall and Symboll of Gentry is rather expressed by goodnesse of Person then greatness of Place For howsoever the bleere-ey'd Vulgar honour the Purple more than the person descent more then desert title then merit that adulterate Gentility which degenerates from the worth of her Ancestors derogates likewise from the birth of her Ancestors It is true indeed that Desert hath at all times had some sinister eye darting on it especially where Malignant spirits held it a sufficient Crime to grow great For these forth of a restlesse ambition were ever interposing a Cloud betwixt deserving men and the Sun-rising But so strongly fenced were they with integrity and so richly furnished in principles of Theory and Humane Phylosophy as they accounted it too light an encounter to enter Lists with such Opponents whom they held so far unworthy of their hate as they pittied their weaknesse Their spight fell infinitely below their spirit their spleane beneath their Scorne For such was their quicknesse and vivacity of Spirit as they could look Death in the face with more cheerfulnesse then those Spungy Puffins could brook Competition or idolize their adulterate Greatnesse Now for this attractive Object of Honour as it has been Gods goodnesse lineall descendence and your Princes especiall Observance in relation to your incomparable Father to advance you to it So has it been hitherto your happinesse in this your hopefull proficience and gracefull initiation to businesse to entertaine Humility and Integrity for your Reteiners the better to preserve you in it This is the way as your genuine Candor and noble experience hath found it to make all good men your Friends and to admit none to repine at your rising but vertues Foes And such Censorious Pursuers of their eminentest actions have our Heroick'st Spirits in all ages patiently suffered Making use of them as necessary Monitors to put them in minde how to compose and regulate the posture of their greatnesse And these were such whose infant Effeminacy youthfull Delicacy or native liberty had estrang'd them from the knowledge of Morall or Divine Mysteries so as they might be well compared to the Ostrich who as the Naturall Historian reports hath the wings of an Eagle but never mounts So These had the Eagle-wings of Contemplation being indued with the intellectuall faculties of a reasonable Soule yet either intangled with the light Chesses of vanity or trashed with the checker'd poâ—zes of Selfe-conceipt and Singulariâ—y they never mounted above the verge of Sensuall pleasure But I am here to tender unto your Honours judicious view a Gentleman quite of an other garbe a Compleat Academick a Civiliz'd Scholler and a Scholastick Courtier One whose Education hath made formall enough without apish formality and conceiving enough without selfe admiring arrogancy A good Christian in devout practising no lesse than Zealous professing yet none of the forward'st in discoursing on Religion For He observes as long experience Select acquaintance have brought him to be a judicious Observer that Discourse of Religion hath so occupied the World as it hath well-neere driven the practise thereof out of the World Where most men have more of tongue than life and more ready to dispute than live Seeking rather to be accompted Eloquent Orators then Sincere Christians Scholists than Practists He esteemes such onely happy who are of that number whom the World accounts Fooles but God Wise men He understands that whatsoever is sought besides God may so imploy the Minde as it may be occupied but never satisfied He observes the whole Fabrike of humane power and he concludes with the Preacher Ecquid tam vanum He notes how the Flesh becomming obedient behaveth her selfe as a faithfull Servant to the Soule This governeth the other is governed This commandeth the other obeyeth Finally he summes up all his Observations with this He that Sigheth not while he is a Pilgrim shall never rejoice when he is a Citizen This is the Graduate in this Academy for Gentry whom I have here againe presumed to recommend to your protection and to you he makes recourse not so much for shelter as honour having sole interest in it by right from your Father For his Title it exempts him from servile bashfulnesse being a Person so freely indenized so compleatly indowed Neither can He do lesse then ingenuously collect how by your Fathers gracefull Patronage whose obliged servant I was in his life and faithfull Remembrancer in his death He has been cry'd up with a generall suffrage attesting withall that no prejudicate Critick whose use it is never to judge of the purity of a Lampe till it expire in the Socket durst assaile him since his Honours improved Command arched with so integrious a Protection did secure him Nor is He changed from what he was although improved by this new Edition Nor hopes he to fiâ—de you otherwise then your prudent Fathers reflexions ever were whose imparalel'd parts and immerited favours to me shall reteine a constant Anniversary in me to the Muses and their refined Fancies a profest Guardian Now if any of those corky Censurers Qui Mercurium in linguâ non in Pectore gerunt shall chance to accoast my Gentleman I resolve me his Education hath made him so accomplished at all Assayes and his conversing with the most piercing'st judgements hath brought him to that pefection as he can discerne of what mould or temper these Criticks are concluding Voces sunt praeterea nihil as is said of the Nighting all This onely resteth If I limne him to the life in spite of Censure he will merit the Patronage of Honour if I faile in my Art as I dare not presume of my strength it is in your Honour to impute the fault rather to the Pen than the Man whose intimate affection to your Lordship will quickly sweeten and attemper the rigidst Censure and signe an easy indulgence to such an obsequious errour Your Honours in all
Devotion lineally obliged R I BRATHWAIT THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN Youth Argument The dangers that attend on Youth The vanitie of Youth display'd in foure distinct Subjects Three violent passions incident to Youth Physicke prescribed and receits applied to cure these Maladies in Youth Youth HOwsoever some more curiously than needfully may seeme to reason that there be diverse Climactericall or dangerous yeeres in mans time sure I am that in mans age there is a dangerous time in respect of those Sinne-spreading Sores which soile and blemish the glorious image of the Soule And this time is Youth an affecter of all licentious liberty a Comicke introducer of all vanitie and the onely 〈◊〉 apparent to carnall securitie This it was which moved that princely Prophet to pray Lord forgive me the sinnes of my youth Sinnes indeed because the youthfull sinner is ever committing but never repenting usually provoking God but rarely invoking God This is he who Snuffeth the wind with the wild Asse in the desart being like the Horse or Mule which hath no understanding by giving Sense preeminence above Reason and walking in the fatnesse of his heart as one wholly forgetfull of God He may say with the Psalmist though in another sense Vt jumentum factus sum apud te upon exposition of which sentence it is laudable saith Euthymius that in the sight of God we take our selves as Beasts to shew our humility but not to resemble beasts in ignorance or brutish sensuality Many are the dangerous shelfes which menace ruine and shipwrack to the inconsiderate and improvident Soule during her sojourning here in this Tabernacle of clay but no time more perilous than the heat of Youth or more apt to give fuell to the fire of all inordinate desires being as ready to consent as the Devill is to tempt and most willing to enter parley with her spirituall enemy upon the least assault It is reported by Eusebius that S. Iohn meeting a strong young-man of good stature amiable feature sweet countenance and great spirit straightway looking upon the Bishop of that place he said thus unto him Christ being witnesse and before the Church I commend unto thee and thy care this young man to be especially regarded and educated in all spirituall discipline Whom when the Bishop had received into his tuition and promised that he would performe whatsoever he ought Saint Iohn againe and againe gives his charge and contesteth his fidelity and afterwards he returnes to Ephesus The Bishop takes the young man home brings him up as his owne sonne keepes him within the limits of his duty intreats him gently and at last baptizeth him and confirmes him Afterwards upon remitting something of his care and giving freer reines to his liberty the young man takes occasion to shake off the yoke of tuition and fals into bad company who corrupt him diverting his course from the path of vertue by these meanes First they invite him to banquets then they carry him abroad in the Night afterward to maintaine their profuser expence they draw him to theevery and so by degrees to greater wickednesse being now made Captaine in this theevish company At last Saint Iohn returnes and saith Goe to Bishop give me my depositum which I and Christ committed unto thee in the Church which thou gouernest This Bishop was astonied thinking that he had deceitfully demanded some money which he never received and yet durst scarce distrust the Apostle But as soone as Saint Iohn said I demand the young man and soule of my brother the old man hanging downe his head sighing and weeping said Ille mortuus est he is dead How and with what kind of death said Iohn Deo mortuus est he is dead unto God answered the Bishop Nam nequam perditus uno verbo Latro evasit for he is wicked and lost and in a word a Theefe Much matter might be collected from this Story to inlarge the ground of our Proposition to wit what imminent dangers are ever attending on Youth and how easie it is by the painted flag of vanity and sensuall pleasure to draw him to ruine For doubtlesse many excellent rules of instruction had this grave Bishop delivered and imparted to his young Pupill many devout taskes and holy exercises had he commended to his practice many prayers full of fervent zeale had he offered for his conversion many sighes had he sent many teares had he shed to reclaime him from his former conversation Yet see how soone this youthfull Libertine forgets those instructions which he had taught him those holy taskes which were injoyned him those zealous prayers which were offered for him those unfained sighes and teares which were shed for him He leaves this aged Father to become a Robber he flâ—es from the Temple to the mountaine he puts off the robe of truth and disguiseth himselfe with the vizard of theft And no small theefe but a Leader Rachel was a theefe for shee stole idols from her father Iosuah was a theefe seeing he stole grapes from Canaan David was a theefe seeing he stole the bottle of water from Saul Ionathan was a theefe since he stole hony from the hive Iosaba was a theefe since he stole the infant Ioash But here was a theefe of another nature one whose vocation was injury profession theevery and practice cruelty one whose ingratitude towards his reverend Foster-father merited sharpest censure for Bysias the Grecian Osiges the Lacedemonian Bracaras the Theban and Scipio the Roman esteemed it lesse punishment to bee exiled than to remaine at home with those that were ungratefull for their service So as it is not only griefe but also a perillous thing to have to doe with ungratefull men And wherein might ingratitude bee more fully exemplified than in this Young-man whose disobedience to his Tutor sleighting his advice that had fostered him deserved severest chastisement But to observe the cause of his fall wee shall finde how soone those good impressions which he had formerly received were quite razed and defaced in him by reason of depraved company whence we may gather that Youth being indeed the Philosophers rasa tabula is apt to receive any good impressure but spotted with the pitch of vice it hardly ever regaines her former puritie Whence we are taught not to touch pitch lest we â—e defilâ—dâ— for as that divine Father saith Occasiones faciunt Latrones Truth is the sweetest Apples are the soonest corrupted and the best natures quickliest depraved How necessary therefore the care and respect Youth ought to have in the choyce and election of his Company may appeare by this one example which sheweth that Society is of such power as by it Saints are turned into Serpents Doves into Devils for with the wise we shall learne wisedome and with the foole we shall learne foolishnesse Dangerous therefore it is to leave illimited Youth to it selfe yea to suffer Youth so much as to converse with it selfe
tendered both love and life and not have made prodigall expence of that which might have beene a meanes to strengthen and support her state Yet doe I not speake this as one insensible of wrong or incapable of disgrace for I know that in passages of this nature publike imputations require publike satisfaction so that howsoever the Divine Law to which all humane actions ought to be squared may seeme to conclude That wee are to leave revenge to whom revenge belongeth yet so passionate is the nature of man and through passion so much weakned as hee forgets many times what the divine Law bids him doe and hastens to that which is owne violent and distempered passion pricks him to Now to propose my opinion by way of direction in a word it is this As one may be angry and sinne not so one may revenge and offend not and this is by heaping câ—ales of fire upon our Enemies head for by this meeknesse is anger appeased and wee of our owne fury revenged But the best meanes to prevent occasion of distaste in this kind is to avoid the acquaintance or society of such as are given to offence whence it is that the wisest of Kings exhorteth us in these words To have no familiarity with an angry man neither goe with the furious man And why Lest thou learne his wayes and receive destruction to thy soule For indeed these whose turbulent dispositions are ready to entertaine any occasion of offence albeit the occasion perchance was never intended are unfit for any company or to passe time withall in any Recreation So as of one of these it may be said as was said of Scava who shewed apparent arguments of resolution to slave himselfe to the servile yoke of tyrannous subjection Infelix dominum quantâ virtute parasti How many courses miserable man hast thou tryed how many wayes hast thou traced how many adventures entertayned to get thee a Master Fury Arch-traytor to that glorious fortresse of Patience These are those Blood-bounds who are ever in quest and are never satisfied in pursuit till their eyes become the sâ—d spectators of a fall yea rather then these men will be out of action they will engage themselves in maintaining other quarrels so prompt they are to take offence as a strangers engagements must be made their owne rather then they will discontinue in their former profession Another sort there are who albeit they find ability in themselves to subdue and moderate this passion of furie by the soveraignty of reason yet it fares with them as it did with Hannibal Who knew better how to conquer then how to make use of his conquest or as it is said of Glendor That hee was more able to get a victory then skilfull to use it So these though reason like a discreet Monitor advise them to moderate their passions yet so ambitious are they of popular praise as rather then they will lose the name of being esteemed resolute they will oppose themselves to all perils and entertaine a course in the eye of true valour most dissolute Yet respect to our good name being indeed the choycest and sweetest perfume must not be so sleighted as to incurre apparent termes of disgrace and not labour to wipe off that staine by shewing some arguments that wee have so much conceit as to apprehend what an injury is and so much Spirit as to take revenge on him by whom the injury is offered It is true neither am I so stupid as not to conceive how insupportable the burden of those wrongs is which touch our name So as indeed to speake as a man unto men these wrongs are above the nature of mortality to beare for the naturall man tasting more of Earth then Heaven whilest hee ponders the quality of his disgrace and how farre hee stands engaged in respect of the opinion of men to beare himselfe like himselfe and not to bury such wrongs in silence as if senselesse of the nature of an injury hee never considers what the divine Law injoynes but casteth his eye upon the wrong hee sustaines Wherein if passion will needs over-master reason albeit I doe not hold it consonant to the Divine Law Morall or Nationall but to all generous spirits experimentally usefull I could wish him to come off faire at the first for this either wins him the buckler or loseth it so shall hee ever gaine to himselfe an esteeme of conceit in knowing the nature of a wrong and an opinion of spirit in daring to wipe off the disgrace that shall be laid upon him For this is my Position Faile at the first and faile ever for as the first onset terrifies the enemy so in actions of this nature the onely meanes to gaine opinion is to come off bravely in the beginning Now perchance it may happen that he from whom you have received wrong will take no notice of your distaste but will doe as hee did who receiving a Challenge upon some personall touch whereby hee apprehended the occasion for his best advantage of making choice as the Challenged may of time place weapon and Second returned this answere to the Messenger For the time I know not when for the place when that time comes it shall be the Alpes for the weapon it shall be Guy's sword that slew the Cow on Dunmoth heath and for my Second it shall be your selfe that I may bring you within the compasse of Duelloes If with such your fortune be to deale as many there are more valiant in tongue then hand more apt to offer wrong then tender satisfaction know thus much that these Alpes which hee hath named and whereto he never meanes to come is what place soever you shall meet him the time whensoever you shall have fit opportunity to encounter him the weapon though hee chuse it you may refuse it because it is too closely kept to come to and make choice of your own weapon left by going to Warwicke Castle to procure a sword you forget your wrong before you come there and the Second your only selfe that as you are particularly wronged you may be particularly righted for as the wrong toucheth you and no Second so you are to right your selfe without a Second But the safest and surest course as I said before not to partake with men of this condition is to refraine their company and conversation for these firy spirits who have Thersites tongue and Ant aeus hand are dangerous to consort with for they seldome resort to any meeting but either they doe hurt or receive it So as even in these tolerable Recreations of Horse-races Cockings Bowlings c. you shall ever see these throw one bone or other to make differences amongst men of quality and ranke wherein they will be sure to be interested as Seconds if not as principall Agents My advice therefore is that you avoid their company as disturbers of the publike peace interrupters
or conversation then where ill ones are affected and frequented MAny and singular were the commendations attributed to Augustus amongst which none more absolute then this As none was more slow in entertaining so none more firme or constant in reteining which agrees well with that of the Sonne of Sirach If thou gettest a friend prove him first and be not hasty to credit him But having found him we are to value him above great treasures the reason is annexed A faithfull friend is a strong defence and hee that findeth such a one findeth a treasure This adviseth every one to be no lesse wary in his choice then constant in the approvement of his choice so as it rests now that wee presie this point by Reasons and Authorities illustrating by the one and confirming by the other how consequent a thing it is to shew our selves constant in the choice of our Acquaintance There is no one thing more dangerous to the state of man or more infallibly proving fatall then lightnesse in entertaining many friends and no lesse lightly cashiering those who are entertained Which error I have observed to have borne principall sway in our new-advanced Heires whose onely ambition it is to be seene numerously attended phantastically attired and in the height of their absurdities humoured These are they who make choice of Acquaintance onely by outward habit or which is worse by roisting or ruffian behaviour with whom that false Armory of yellow Bands nittie Locks and braving Mouchato's have ever had choice acceptance And herein observe the misery of these depraved ones who having made choice of these mis-spenders of time and abusers of good gifts they will more constantly adhere to them then with better affected Consorts Oh that young Gentlemen would but take heed of falling unwarily upon these shelves who make shipwrack of their fortunes the remaines of their fathers providence yea not onely of their outward state which were well to be prevented lest misery or basenesse over-take them but even of their good names those precious odours which sweeten and relish the Pilgrimage of man For what more hatefull then to consort with these companions of death whose honour consists meerely in protests of Reputation and whose onely military garbe is to tosse a Pipe in stead of a Pike and to fly to the Tinderbox to give charge to their smoakie Ordnance to blow up the shallow-laid foundation of that shaken fortresse of their decayed braine these hot liver'd Salamanders are not for your company Gentlemen nor worthy your Acquaintance for of all companions those are the worthiest acceptance who are so humble-minded and well affected as they consort with others purposely to be bettered by them or being knowing men by their instructions to better them That course which the ancient Vestals observed such usefull Companions as these have ever seconded They first learned what to doe secondly they did what they had learned thirdly they instructed others to doe as they had learned Such as these were good Companions to Pray with to Play with to Converse or Commerce with First they are good to Pray with for such as these only were they who assembled together in one place imploying their time religiously in prayers supplications and giving of thankes and honouring him whom all Powers and Principalities doe honour with divine Melodie which was expressed not so much with the noise of the mouth as with the joyfull note of the heart nor with the sound of the lips as with the soule-solacing motion of the spirit nor with the consonance of the voice as with the concordance of the will For as the precious stone Diacletes though it have many rare and excellent soveraignties in it yet it loseth them all if it be put in a dead-mans mouth so Prayer which is the onely pearle and jewell of a Christian though it have many rare and exquisite vertues in it yet it loseth them every one if it be put into a dead-mans mouth or into a mans heart either that is dead in sinne and doth not knocke with a pure hand So many rare presidents have former times afforded all most inimitable in this kind as to make repetition of them would crave an ample volume wee will therefore onely touch some speciall ones whose devotion hath deserved a reverence in us towards them and an imitation in us after them Nazianzin in his Epitaph for his sister Gorgonia writeth that she was so given to Prayer that her knees seemed to cleave to the earth and to grow to the very ground by reason of incessancie or continuance in Prayer so wholly was this Saint of God dedicated to devotion Gregory in his Dialogues writeth that his Aunt Trasilla being dead was found to have her elbowes as hard as horne which hardnesse she got by leaning to a deske at which shee used to pray so continued was the devotion of a zealous professor Eusebius in his History writeth that Iames the brother of our Lord had knees as hard as Camels knees benummed and bereaved of all sense and feeling by reason of continuall kneeling in Prayer so sweet was this Taske undertaken for Gods honour where practice made that an exercise or solace which the sensuall man maketh a toyle or anguish Hierome in the life of Paul the Eremite writeth that hee was found dead kneeling upon his knees holding up his hands lifting up his eyes so that the very dead corps seemed yet to live and by a kind of zealous and religious gesture to pray still unto God So transported or rather intraunced was the spirit of this lovely Dove as even in death hee expressed the practice of his life These followed Augustines rule in their forme of Prayer seeke saith he what you seeke but seeke not where you seeke Seeke Christ that 's a good what Seeke what you seeke but seeke him not in bed that is an ill where But seeke not where you seeke Moses found Christ not in a soft bed but in a bramble bush For as wee cannot goe to heaven on beds of down no more can these devotions pierce heaven which are made on beds of down Albeit every place is good for as no place is freed from occcasion of sinne so no place should be free from Prayer which breaketh downe the Partition wall of our sinne But certainely those downie Prayers taste too much of the flesh to relish well of the spirit for as he is a delicate Master who when his belly is full disputeth of fasting so hee is a sensuall Prayer who in his bed onely addresseth himselfe to devotion Neither are these onely good companions to pray with but also to play with I meane to recreate and refresh our minds with when at any time pressed or surcharged either with cares of this world or in our discontinuance from more worthy and glorious Meditations of the world to come for as in the former wee are usually plunged so by the latter wee are commonly
never utterly failed or beene taken from us This the holy Fathers of the Church which have lived in the ages next ensuing doe declare Tertullian who lived Anno 200. writeth thus All the coasts of Spaine and divers parts of France and many places of Britaine which the Romans could never subdue with their sword Christ hath subdued with his word Origen who lived Anno 260. writeth thus Did the I le of Britaine before the comming of Christ ever acknowledge the faith of one God No but yet now all that Countrey singeth joyfully unto the Lord. Constantine the Great the glory of all the Emperours borne here in England and of English bloud who lived Anno 306. writeth in an Epistle thus Whatsoever custome is of force in all the Churches of Egypt Spaine France and Britaine looke that the same bee likewise ratified among you Saint Chrysostome who lived An. 405. writeth thus In all places wheresoever you goe into any Church whether it bee of the Moores or of the Persians or even of the very Iles of Britaine you may heare Iohn Baptist preaching Saint Ierome who lived Anno 420. writeth thus The French-men the English-men they of Africa they of Persia and all barbarous Nations worship one Christ and observe one rule of religion Theodoret who lived Anno 450. writeth thus The blessed Apostles have induced English-men the Danes the Saxons in one word all people and countries to embrace the doctrine of Christ. Gregory the Great who lived Anno 605. writeth thus Who can sufficiently expresse how glad all the faithfull are for that the English-men have forsaken the darkenesse of their errours and have againe received the light of the Gospel Beda who lived Anno 730. writeth thus England at this present is inhabited by English-men Britaines Scots Picts and Romans all which though they speake severall tongues yet they professe but one faith Thus you see how the Gospel of Christ having beene first planted in this Land by Iosâ—ph of Arimathea and Simon Zelotes in whose time Aristobulus and Claudia and not long after King Lucius also lived hath ever since continued amongst us as testifieth Tertullian Origen Constantine the Great Athanasius Chrysostome Ieâ—ome Theodoret Gregory Beda and many more which might here have beene alleaged Now how singular and exquisite a benefit have our Progenitours received by meanes of these faithfull Professours of the Gospel and first Planters of the Christian faith here in this Iland What a miserable famine of the Word had the people of this Land sustained if these faithfull friends and sincere Witnesses of the truth had not loosed from the shore and embarked themselves in danger to deliver them from the danger of soules shipwracke In which danger wee likewise had beene sharers had not this so rich a fraught so inestimable a prize rescued us from danger and directed our feet in the way of peace The story of Theseus includes an excellent Morall whose love to his deare friend Perithous the Poet labouring to expresse shewes how hee went downe to Hell of purpose to deliver his friend from the thraldome of Pluto under whom hee remained captive which without offence or derogation may properly seeme to allude next to that inimitable mirrour of divine amity to these noble and heavenly Warriours who descended as it were even to the jawes of hell encountring with the insolent affronts of many barbarous Assassinates ready to practice all hostility upon them Yet see their undaunted spirits their godly care enflamed with the zeale of devotion and their love to the members of Christ kindled with the coale of brotherly compassion made them as ready to endure as those hellish fiends and furies the enemies of truth were ready to inflict choosing rather to perish in the body then to suffer the poorest soule bought with so high a price to bee deprived of the hope of glory These were good and kind friends being such as would not sticke to lay downe their lives for their friends suffering all things with patience and puissance of mind to free their distressed brethren from the servile yoke of hellish slavery and bring them by meanes of Gods spirit by which they were directed to the knowledge of the all-seeing verity Such as these professe not friendship under pretences or glozing semblances making their heart a stranger to their tongue or walking invisible as if they had found the stone in the Lapwings nest but as they are so they appeare affecting nothing but what is sincerely good â— and by the best approved Their absolute ayme or end of friendship is to improve reprove correct reforme and conforme the whole Image of that man with whom they converse to his similitude whom all men present If at any time they enter into discourse it ever tends to fruitfull instruction if at any time they enter into serious meditation of the world their meditation is not how to purchase estate or fish after honour or build a foundation on oppression to enrich their posterity with the fruits of their injurious dealing No they have the testimony of a good conscience within them which testifies for them should the world and all her Complices bandie against them Wherefore admit they should bee put to all extremities and suffer all the indignities which envie or malice could dart upon them the weight of every injury is to bee measured by the sense or feeling of the sufferer for the apprehension of the Sufferer makes the injury offered great or little if hee conceit it small or no injury howsoever others esteeme it the burden of the wrong is light and therefore more easily sleights it Now Gentlemen wee have traced over the whole progresse of Acquaintance wherein if happely it be thought that we have sojourned too long my answer is That in passages of greatest danger there is required more circumspection then rashly to goe on without due deliberation And what occurrent in all the passage or pilgrimage of man is beset with more danger then the choice of Acquaintance especially to you Gentlemen whose meanes is the Adamant of Acquaintance Wee have therefore insisted the longer upon this Subject that you may be the lesse subject to such who will winde them in with you of purpose to feed and prey on you To cure which maladie no receit more soveraigne then to imprint in your memory that golden rule or princely precept recommended by that pious and puissant Saint Lewis to his sonne Philip in these words Have especiall care that those men whose Acquaintance and familiarity you shall use be honest and sincere whether they be Religious or Secular with whom you may converse friendly and communicate your counsels freely but by all meanes avoide the company of naughty and wicked men whose society ever tends to inordinate respects Take these Cautions therefore as the last but not least worthy your observation Be not too rash in the choice of
never dranke a sweeter draught Which implyes what torment he indures who feeles the extremity of thirst The last assailant of Temperance as wee formerly observed was Company-keeping which indeed is such a stealer of time or beguiler of tedious houres as it makes passing of time a meere pastime Yet observe what diligent care hath beene had by making choice of such as I have else-where noted whose society might better them Peruse those Athenian nights in Gellius and you shall find how fruitfully those nights were employed how delightfully passed making discourse of Philosophy that well-consorting melodie which gave generall content to all the Company Besides it is worth our observation to take a view of the speciall care divers Ancients have had of the Company they consorted with having such in as great distaste that were evill as they bore all due reverence to such as were good Wee reade how the Prienean Bias having occasion to saile on a time with some ill-disposed men by reason of a violent tempest the ship wherein they sailed was so shaken as these wicked men moved rather by feare then devotion begun to call upon their gods which Bias hearing Hold your peace quoth hee lest the gods you call upon understand that you be here covertly taxing their impiety and shewing that their prayers would be little acceptable to the gods But an example much more divine and so much deserving our imitation may be here commended to us in the person of the blessed Evangelist S. Iohn who would not come within the Bath where the Hereticke Cerinthus was so much did hee hate the Fellowship of him who to use Augustines words Was no fanne for the Lords floore Thus have we run over those mainest and mightiest assailants of Temperance now let us as wee have illustrated each of them with proper instances of Moderation annex some reasons why these assailants of Temperance ought to be restrained and first for the first Lust the sensuall mans sinne is said to bee a friend which brings man in acquaintance with the Divell as Ebriety is an enemy to the knowledge of God Besides it is a vice detestable both to the brute beast and Barbarian it with-drawes the mind of the creature from meditation of his Creator makes man commit sinne even with greedinesse makes the Image of God companion for a Harlot makes him who should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost a Cage of uncleane birds prostitutes the glory of the soule to the pleasure of sinne and prefers a sensuall delight before the obedience of reason Hee sels his Birth-right for lesse then a messe of pottage exposing his soule to the trafficke of shame Hee values a minutes joy above all future delight yea rather then lose his present content he will suffer an eternity of torment This bleere-eyed Lover is so blinded with affection towards his beloved that hee will rather lose his owne soule then lose that which hee affecteth Thus you see the Lustfull man uncased his blindnesse discovered his sundry weaknesses displayed and the heavy effects which from hence are derived good reason then have you to restraine an affection so over-spreading a motion so mortally wounding a contagion so generally killing Take into your consideration the shortnesse of the pleasure being but a moment the vengeance or punishment due to that pleasure being eternall What wise man having neerely served his apprentiship will for a minutes pleasure forfeit his Indenture and lose his freedome for ever Wee should hold him destitute of common sense who having a Princesse offered him will foolishly lose her for embraces of an Harlot If you will keepe your selves unspotted till the day of his comming you shall bee espoused to a princely Bridegroome and receive Palmes in your hands at his comming Goâ— not in by the wayes of the strange woman but keepe your beds undefiled knowing the state which you have undertaken to bee honourable before God and man For I in no case will limit you to a monasticke or regular restraint but approve of both estates I meane both the single and married life being undertaken in the feare of God worthy the acceptance of every faithfull Christian. For the Virgins estate as it drawes neerer to angelicall perfection so the Married to the preservation of humane society or propagation So as Saint Augustine might seeme rather to be traduced then truly alleaged for this place Virgins doe more then lawfull as Adulterers lesse for my conceit shall ever be freed from imagining so divine a Father to approve of such an errour for both estates are commended the one good the other better both which titles as they are by the Apostle on these two estates conferred so are they by us to be reverently esteemed Briefly restraine all immoderate desires of the flesh which fight against the spirit so shall you find that inward tranquillity which obedience to your lusts shall never bring you Ambition the second assailant of Temperance is such an high-mounting bird as shee useth to build her nest ever in the tallest Cedars hatching her aeries in the highest spires to expresse her unbounded aymes This passion or distraction rather of all others brings man soonest to a forgetfulnesse of himselfe ever aspiring but never obtaining ever sailing in a tempestuous sea attented by many hostile and piraticall adherents whose aymes are to intercept all peaceable passengers filling the whole state full of mutinies and combustions Pindarus describes him to be such an one who strives to touch the Clouds and cope with Iove himselfe but is aymes draw him on to speedy ruine What reason then is there to foster or cocker such a profest foe to publike and private peace Who is hee having understanding will receive into his barge where hee is a quarrellous turbulent fellow who in desperate fury will not sticke to over-whelme the vessell both of himselfe and the rest that consort him Who is hee that will engage him in perill when hee may in safety enjoy himselfe and be free from danger Who is hee that will desire to climbe when he knowes there is no meanes to save him from falling being got up Surely the Ambitious man is ever environed with perill yet such is his folly hee will rather chuse to incurre danger then lose the present opportunity of acquiring honour Besides they whom this unbounded passion hath once surprized are so much distempered as of sleepe they are quite deprived which disquiet proceeds either from emulation towards others or an ambitious desire of advancement in themselves For the first Themistocles was wont to say that Miltiades victory in Marathon bereaved him of his sleepe For the latter Sylla could never take rest till by the terrour of his legions hee had obtained the law Valeria to be made whereby hee was created Dictator for eight yeares as Caesar the law Servia by which hee was perpetuall Dictator Albeit having obtained what they desired and arrived at the port
this did all the Saints and servants of God joy disvaluing all other joy as unworthy the entertainment of the soule Wee are to rejoyce likewise for as much as God hath called us not to uncleannesse but unto holinesse We are to rejoyce in the testimony of a good conscience being that continuall feast which refresheth every faithfull guest Wee are to rejoyce in our brothers aversion from sinne and conversion to God in his prosperity and successe in his affaires of state But above all things wee are so to moderate our joy in the whole progresse of our life that our joy may the more abound in him who is the crowne of our hope after this life The like directions are required in our moderation of sorrow for there is a sorrow unto death which to prevent understand this by the way that not so much the passion as the occasion enforcing the passion is to bee taken heed of Sorrow wee may but not as Ammon did till he had defloured Thamar for that was the sorrow of licentiousnesse Sorrow we may but not as Ahab did till he had got Naboths vineyard for that was the sorrow of covetousnesse Sorrow we may but not as Iosephs brethren did greiving that their father should love him more than them for that was the sorrow of maliciousnesse Sorrow we may but not as Ionah did grieving that the Ninivites were not destroyed for that was the sorrow of unmercifulnesse Lastly sorrow wee may but not as the Gergesenes did grieving for the losse of their swine for that was the sorrow of worldlinesse These sorrowes are not so much to be moderated as wholly abolished because they are grounded on sin but there is a religious and godly sorrow which though it afflict the body it refresheth the spirit though it fill the heart with heavinesse it crowneth the soule with happinesse And this is not a sorrow unto sinne but a sorrow for sin not a sorrow unto death but a sorrow to cure the wound of death By how much any one saith a good Father is holier by so much in prayer are his teares plentifuller Here sounds the Surdon of religious sorrow the awaker of devotion the begetter of spirituall compunction and the sealer of heavenly consolation being the way to those that beginne truth to those that profit and life to them that are perfect But alas the naturall man saith the Apostle perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned It is true and this should move us to more fervor of devotion beseeching the divine assistance to minister strength to our weaknesse that what is wanting in the flesh may be supplied by the spirit yea daily to set an houre-glasse beside us and observe those precious graines the minute treasures of time how swiftly they run thorow the Cruet whereof not one must fall unnumbred for as a haire of the head shall not perish no more shall the least moment of time Now how healthfull were it though the carnall man distate it to vie teares with graines of sand that our sinnes being as the Sands of the Sea-shore that is numberlesse might bee bound up and throwne into the deepe Sea of eternall forgetfulnesse so as they may neither rise up in this life to shame us nor in the world to come to condemne us Surely if you would know those blessed fruits which true penitent sorrow produceth you shall finde that He who sowes in teares shall reape in joy Neither can any one goe to heaven with drie eyes May your teares be so shed on earth that they may bee bottled in heaven so shall you bring your sheaves with you and like fine flower being boulted from the bran of corruption receive your portion in the land of the living And may this Sacrifice of teares which you offer up unto him whose eyes are upon all the wayes of the children of men minister like comfort to your soules as they have done to many faithfull members of Christs Church And let this suffice to have beene spoken of such Subjects wherein Moderation is to bee used for to speake of Moderation of sorrow for sinne I hold it little necessary seeing most men so insensible are they of their inward wounds come rather short of that sorrow which is required then exceed in any sort the measure that is prescribed AS Moderation in all the precedent subjects is to be used so in all and every of them is it to be limited for to be so Stoically affected as wee have formerly noted as not to entertaine so much as modest mirth or approve of the temperate and moderate use of those things which were at first ordained for the use and service of man digressing as farre from the rule of Moderation in restraint as the profusely minded Libertine doth in excesse How hard a thing is it then to observe with indifferency an equall or direct course herein when either by leaping short or over we are subject to error So saith blessed Cranmer Some lose their game by short shooting some by over-shooting some walk too much on the left hand some too much on the right hand Now to propose what forme of direction is best to be observed herein wee will take a view of those Subjects whereof wee formerly treated and set downe in each of them what Moderation is to be used All waters are derived from three waies or currents springing either by fountaines and spring-heads from the bowells of the earth inwardly drained by rivers and conduits from those fountaines derived or haile and snow from the earth extracted where some ascend some descend so passions are three wayes moved in our bodies by humours arising out of our bodies by externall senses and the secret passage of sensuall objects or by the descent or commandement of reason Now to insist on the motion or effect of each passion we shall not greatly need having sufficiently touched them in our former discourse we will therfore upon a review of those severall subjects Lust Ambition Gorgeous apparel Luscious fare Company-keeping c. reduce them and the occasion of them to those three troubled Springs from whence miserable man by meanes of the immoderate appetite of sense sucks the banefull poyson of sinne The Concupiscence of the Flesh the Concupiscence of the eyes and the Pride of life for whatsoever is in the world as a good Father noteth and as the blessed Apostle himself affirmeth is one of these As first whatsoever suiteth or sorteth with the desire or delicacy of the flesh ministers fuel or matter to feed the Concupiscence therof Now this fleshly Libertine takes no delight in the Spirit but in the Flesh he loves to be cloathed in purple and fare deliciously every day he loves to be cloathed in purple and fare deliciously every day he loves to keepe company with those consorts of
ever living never dying yea that worme which gnaweth and dieth not that fire which burneth and quencheth not that death which rageth and endeth not But if punishments will not deterre us at least let rewards allure us The faithfull cry ever for the approach of Gods judgement the reward of immortality which with assurance in Gods mercy and his Sonnes Passion they undoubtedly hope to obtaine with vehemency of spirit inviting their Mediator Come Lord Iesus come quickly Such is the confidence or spirituall assurance which every faithfull soule hath in him to whose expresse Image as they were formed so in all obedience are they conformed that the promises of the Gospell might be on them conferred and confirmed Such as these care not so much for possessing ought in the world as they take care to lay a good foundation against the day of triall which may stand firme against the fury of all temptation These see nothing in the world worthy their feare This only say they is a fearefull thing to feare any thing more than God These see nought in the world worthy either their desire or feare and their reason is this There is nothing able to move that man to feare in all the world who hath God for his guardian in the world Neither is it possible that he should feare the losse of any thing in the world who cannot see any thing worthy having in the world So equally affected are these towards the world as there is nothing in all the world that may any way divide their affection from him who made the world Therefore may we well conclude touching these that their Light shall never goe out For these walke not in darknesse nor in the shadow of death as those to whom the light hath not as yet appeared for the Light hath appeared in Darkeness giving light all the night long to all these faithfull beleevers during their abode in these Houses of Clay Now to expresse the Nature of that Light though it farre exceed all humane apprehension much more all expression Clemens understandeth by that Light which the Wise-woman to wit Christs spouse kept by meanes of her candle which gave light all the night long the heart and he calleth the Meditations of holy men Candles that never goe out Saint Augustine writeth among the Pagans in the Temple of Venus there was a Candle which was called Inextinguishable whether this be or no of Venus Temple wee leave it to the credit of antiquity onely Augustines report we have for it but without doubt in every faithfull hearer and keeper of the Word who is the Temple of the Holy Ghost there is a Candle or Light that never goes out Whence it appeares that the heart of every faithfull soule is that Light which ever shineth and his faith that virgin Oile which ever feedeth and his Conscience that comfortable Witness which assureth and his devoted Zeale to Gods house that Seale which confirmeth him to be one of Gods chosen because a living faith worketh in him which assures him of life howsoever his outward man the temple of his body become subject to death Excellently saith Saint Augustine Whence comes it that the soule dieth because faith is not in it Whence that the body dieth because a soule is not in it Therefore the soule of thy soule is faith But forasmuch as nothing is so carefully to be sought for nor so earnestly to be wrought for as purity or uprightnesse of the heart for seeing there is no action no studie which hath not his certaine scope end or period yea no Art but laboureth by some certaine meanes or exercises to attaine some certain proposed end which end surely is to the Soule at first proposed but the last which is obtained how much more ought there to bee some end proposed to our studies as well in the exercises of our bodies as in the readings meditations and mortifications of our mindes passing over corporall and externall labours for which end those studies or exercises were at first undertaken For let us thinke with our selves if we knew not or in mind before conceived not whither or to what especiall place wee were to run were it not a vaine taske for us to undertake to runne Even so to every Action are wee to propose his certaine end which being once attained we shall need no further striving towards it being at rest in our selves by attaining it And like end are wee to propose to our selves in the exercise of Moderation making it a subduer of all things which sight against the spirit which may bee properly reduced to the practising of these foure overcomming of anger by the spirit of patience wantonness by the spirit of continence pride by the spirit of humility and in all things unto him whose Image we partake so neerely conformed that like good Proficients wee may truly say with the blessed Apostle Wee have in all things learned to be contented For the first to wit Anger as there is no passion which makes man more forgetfull of himselfe so to subdue it makes man an absolute enjoyer of himselfe Athenodorus a wise Philosopher departing from Augustus Caesar and bidding him farewell left this lesson with him most worthy to be imprinted in an Emperours brest That when hee was angry hee should repeat the foure and twenty Greeke letters Which lesson received Caesar as a most precious jewell making such use thereof as hee shewed himselfe no lesse a Prince in the conquest of this passion than in his magnificence of state and majesty of person No lesse praise-worthy was that excellent soveraignty which Architas had over this violent and commanding passion as we have formerly observed who finding his servants loitering in the field or committing some other fault worthy reproofe like a worthy master thought it fit first to over-master himselfe before he would show the authority of a Master to his servants wherefore perceiving himselfe to be greatly moved at their neglect as a wise Moderator of his passion hee would not beat them in his ire but said Happy are ye that I am angry with you In briefe because my purpose is onely to touch these rather than treat of them having so amply discoursed of some of them formerly as the Sunne is not to goe downe upon our wrath so in remembrance of that sonne of righteousness let us bury all wrath so shall we be freed from the viols of wrath and appeare blamelesse in the day of wrath For in peace shall we descend to our graves without sighing if in peace we be angry without sinning Secondly wantonness being so familiar a Darling with the flesh is ever waging warre with the spirit she comes with powdred haire painted cheeks straying eyes mincing and measuring her pace tinkling with her feet and using all immodesty to lure the unwarie youth to all sensuality These light professors as St. Ierome to Marcella
saith are matter of scandall to Christians eyes those eye-sores which wound the inward man with the sting of anguish Now what receit better or more soveraigne to cure this malady than to take away the cause which begets this infirmity And what may wee suppose the cause to be but the complacency of the flesh when wee labour to satisfie our desires and give easie reines to our affections For the flesh while shee is obedient becomes a servant to the soule shee governeth the other is governed this commandeth that is commanded but having once begun to usurpe shee will scarcely ever become a faithfull and loyall subject What necessity then is there injoyned us to stand upon our guard when we have a Tarpeia within our gates ready to betray us to our professed enemy With what continuall and incessant labour ought wee to imploy our selves that this untamed Iebusitâ— might bee so tired and wearied that all inordinate motions might bee extinguished which by sloth and want of imployment are ever cherished Let us then embrace Continence and by power of so good a spirit dispossesse the bad Let us not entertaine those dangerous motives to sinne which like a Snake in the bosome will wound us to death And what bee those motives Wanton thoughts and wanton words which corrupt mens manners with wicked workes It is a sure note and worthy observance Whensoever any thought is suggested to you which tasteth of evill make the doore of your heart fast lest you give actuall possession to the Divell Wanton words likewise are dangerous motives to incontinence the habit whereof being once attained will hardly be relinquished So as Speech which Democritus cals the image of life being exercised in scurrility seemes to deface that Image by laying on it the darke and sable colour of death For as muddy water is an argument that the fountaine is troubled so filthy words are witnesses that the heart is corrupted A good Tree brings forth good fruit a pure Spring cleare water and an uncorrupt heart words tending to the edification of the hearer Now hee who useth his tongue to filthy communication incurres a threefold offence First in dishonouring God Secondly in sinning against his own soule Thirdly in ministring matter of scandall or offence to his brother How necessary is it then to keepe a watch upon our mouth and a gate of circumstance unto our lips that we offend not with our tongue which like the poisonous Adder stings even unto death wounding the soule with an incurable dart Neither doe I speaking of wantonnesse onely restraine my discourse to incontinence but to whatsoever else may properly tend to the complacency or indulgence of the flesh as to tender obedience to her in the desire of luscious and lascivious meats or the like including all such as turne the grace of God to wantonnesse making a profession of faith but denying the power thereof in their life and conversation Thirdly Pride that Luciferian sinne whose airie thoughts are ever mounting must be subdued by the spirit of humility We would hold it to be no faithfull part of a subject to make choice of no livery but his who is a profest foe to his Soveraigne And what I pray you doe we when we attire our selves in the habiliments of Pride not onely outwardly in gorgeous apparell choicest perfumes and powdred lockes but likewise inwardly in putting on the spirit of Pride attended by scornefull respects disdainfull eyes and haughty lookes Can wee bee truly termed Subjects May wee wearing the Divels crest partake of the seamelesse coat of Christ May we expect a Crowne after death that oppose him who wore a thorny Crowne to crowne us after death No as the Souldier is knowne by his Colours the Servant by his Cognizance the Sheepe by his marke and coine by the stampe so shall we bee knowne by our Colours if wee be Christs Souldiers by our Crest or Cognizance if his followers by our marke if his Sheepe and Lambkins by our stampe or superscription if his Coine or Sterling O know how much wee are the humbler by so much to our Beloved are we the liker Let us resemble him then in all humility that afterwards wee may reigne with him in glory Lastly that wee may become conformable unto him whose Image wee have received wee are to learne of the blessed Apostle in all things to bee contented Content saith the Proverbe is worth a Crowne but many Crownes come farre short of this content Now to propose a rule how this Content may be acquired were a Lesson well worthy our learning which I could wish might bee as soone learned as proposed for Content briefly consists in these two To bee free from desiring what wee have not to bee free from fearing to lose what wee already have Now hee who seeth nothing in the world worthy desiring cannot choose but be free from feare of losing being so indifferent touching the world or whatsoever else hee hath in enjoying For he that neither hath nor seeth ought in the world which he esteemes worthy his love enjoyeth nought but hee can willingly bee content to leave for no man feareth the losse of that which he doth not love But to draw neerer a point these two passions or affections of desire and feare desire of having more than wee have feare of losing what wee already have may be properly said to have a threefold respect To the goods or endowments of the Minde of the Body and of Fortune For the first Plato in his Timaeo saith If a man lose his eyes or feet or hands or wealth we may say of such an one hee looseth something but hee who loseth his heart and reason loseth all For in the wombe of our Mother the first thing which is ingendred or participates forme is the heart and the last which dieth is the same heart So as properly it may be called Reasons Treasurie or store-house where those divine graces are seated which conferre the best beauty to man giving him a note of distinction from other creatures the more to dignifie man For howsoever all creatures have hearts yet only to man is given an understanding heart Other creatures have hearts indeed sensible of present paine but they cannot recall to minde what is past or probably collect by what is past the seasons of times or issues of affaires likely to ensue In the heart of man there is the reasonable power with which hee governeth himselfe the irascible power with which he defendeth himselfe and concupiscible by which he provideth for things necessary to releeve himselfe Now admit wee were deprived of that principall blessing the intellectuall part so as like raving and raging Orostes we were forced to take many blinde by-paths wanting the means of direction by reason of our wofull distraction and crying out with Octavia in Seneca O to the spirits below that I were sent For death were easie to this punishment Admit I say all
concluded in this manner I speake generally no rayment ornament or habit whatsoever shall seeme precious in Christs sight but that which thou makest thy selfe either for thine owne peculiar use or example of other Virgins or to give unto thy grand-mother or thy mother no though thou distriâ—ute all thy goods unto the poore See how expresly this noâ—le woman was injoyned to her taske that by intending her selfe to labour shee might give lesse way unto errour Certainely as mans extremity is Gods opportunity so the Divels opportunity is mans security we are then principally to take heed lest wee give way to the incursion of Satan by our security of life and conversation And what is it that begetteth this security but Idlenesse which may be termed and not improperly the Soules Lethargie For nothing can be more opposite to this Actuall Perfection then reâ— or vacancy wee say vertue consisteth in Action how then may wee be said to be favourers followers or furtherers of vertue when we surcease from Action which is the life light and subsistence of vertue Wherefore as it is little to reade or gather but to understand and to reduce to forme what wee reade gather or understand for this is the ornament of Art the argument of labour so it is little or to no purpose that wee know conceive or apprehend unlesse wee make a fruitfull use of that knowledge by serious practice to the benefit of our selves and others I have knowne divers Physicians some whereof were of great practice but small reading others of great reading but small practice and I have heard sundry men of sufficient judgement confidently averre that in cases of necessity they had rather hazard their lives in the hand of the Practicke then Theoricke and their reason was this though the Practicke had not exercised himselfe in the perusall of bookes hee had gained him experience in the practice of cures and that the body of his patient was the onely booke within his Element To which assertion I will neither assent nor wholly dissent for as he that practiseth before hee know may sooner kill than cure so he who knoweth and seldome or never practiseth must of necessity to get him experience kill before hee cure But sure I am that many ignorant Lay-men whose knowledge was little more then what nature bestowed on them by meanes of regular discipline and powerfull subduing of their owne affections have become absolute men being such as reached to as high a pitch of Actuall Perfection as ever the learned'st or profoundest man in the world attained for it is neither knowledge nor place but the free gift of Gods grace which enableth the spirituall man to this Perfection Now forasmuch as not to goe forward is to goe backward and that there be two Solstices in the Sunnes motion but none in times revolution or in a Christians progression the onely meanes to attaine this Actuall Perfection at least some small measure or degree therein is every night to have our Ephemerides about with us examining our selves what we have done that day how farre wee have profited wherein benefited our spirituall knowledge Againe wherein have we reformed our life or expressed our love to Christ by communicating to the necessity of his Saints By which meanes wee shall in short time observe what remaines unreformed esteeming it the sweetest life every day to better our life But principally are wee to looke to our affections which rise and rage in us and like the Snake in the fable pester and disturbe the inner house of man for these are they which as Saint Basil saith rise up in a drunken man drunke I meane with all spirituall fornication like a swarme of Bees buzzing on every side When the affections of men are troubled they change them like Circes cups from men to beasts Neither is it so ill to bee a beast as for man to live like a beast O then let us have an eye to our affections let them bee planted where they may be duly seasoned Earth makes them destastefull let them be fixed then in heaven the only thought whereof will cause them to be delightfull And to conclude this branch it will not be amisse for us to counterpoize our affections if we find them at any time irregular with weights of contrary nature as if we find our selves naturally affected to Pride that Luciserian sinne to counterpoise it with motives of Humility as the vilenesse of our condition basenesse of our composition and weaknesse of our constitution or naturally inclined to Covetousnesse that Mammons sinne to give though the gift afflict us liberally that our forced bounty may in time weane us from our in-bred misery if of grating oppression or grinding extortion that Ahabs sinne let us make restitution with good Zacheus and though wee cannot doe it so frankly as hee did yet let us doe it as freely as wee may that our restitution may in some sort answer for our former oppression if of excesse in fare and gluttony that Dives sinne let us so moderate our delight in feeding that our delight may be to sustaine Nature and not oppresse her with exceeding if of Lust or sensuality that Ammons sinne where that sinne may abound the Sense is obeyed let us subject all our delights to the government of reason and reason to the soveraignty of grace that the flesh may be resisted in what it most affecteth and in that seconded wherein it least delighteth if of Envie that Serpentine sinne let us entertaine brotherly love for Envie can beare no sway where Love raigneth if of Wrath that Cains sinne embrace Patience so shall Fury bee suppressed where Patience is lodged if of Sloth the Sluggards sinne let us inure our selves to some Exercise that may most delight us so in time wee may become exercised in Taskes of greater difficulty being first from Sloth weaned afterwards to greater labours inured Thus to fight were to vanquish thus to enter lists were to reape spirituall solace for through him should wee triumph who sees us fighting cheers us failing and crownes us conquering And this shall suffice to have beene spoken of the Active part of Perfection purposing according to our former method to compare the Contemplative and Active together the parts or properties of both which being duly examined it shall more plainely appeare how the Active is to be preferred IT is a barren faith wee say that is not attended on by good workes and no lesse fruitlesse is that knowledge which is exercised onely in Contemplation and never in Action Wee are therefore with Elizeus to have a double spirit a spirit that as well doeth as teacheth not onely a profering of words but also an offering of workes So as it is not breathing or moving or talking which argue a spirituall life but abounding plentifully in all holy duties expressing those effectuall and powerfull fruits of a living
of your unrighteous Mammon and shall be fed with Manna in the Courts of Sionr Gainefull is the use of that money which is put out to the workes of charity which be it more or lesse cannot but be exceeding great being given with devotion and the worke attended by singlenesse of heart and sincerity of affection for where a sincere will is not joyned with the worke the worke cannot be effectuall to the doer howsoever it may seem fruitfull to the beholder At which sort of men who erect sumptuous workes rather for popularity and affectation then piety or sincere affection the Poet pleasantly glanceth THESE Statues reare in publike wayes as trophies of their love Which as they heare in passengers will admiration move And gaine a fame unto their name which may survive in them But trust me Sirs these workes of theirs shew them vaine-glorious men Which workes howsoever usefull unto others were better undone then done in respect of themselves for to glory in our workes doth not only derogate from our workes but denounce upon us a greater damnation ascribing to our selves what duly properly and solely ought to be attributed to the glory of God But to draw neerer the point wee have in hand there is nothing that weaneth our minds more from the meditation of God and mortification to the world then our earthly affections which beare such sway over us as they will not suffer those divine motions or meditations to take root in us This is excellently shadowed in that Parable of the great Supper where many guests were invited but all with one consent began to make their excuse the first hee had bought a peece of ground and hee must needs goe see it the second had bought five yoke of oxen and hee must goe prove them and another had married a wife and therefore hee could not come These though the fatlings be provided the choicest dainties prepared wherewith their hunger-starved soules might be refreshed cannot come the world must detaine them their earthly respects inchaine them their sensuall delights restraine them they cannot come though often invited nor resort to this great Supper though all things be provided These seldome or never take into their more serious consideration the state of the blessed in Heaven or the state of the damned in Hell Neither can the joyes of the one allure them or the paines of the other deterre them These will dispense with the word for the profit of the world and enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season deferring repentance till it be past season Saint Chrysostome relateth how Paulus Samosetanus that arch-hereticke for the love of a woman for-sooke his faith Saint Augustine relateth divers who denied the torments of hell to have eternity thereby to flatter their affection with a pretended assurance of impunity Saint Gregory imputeth it to avarice and covetousnesse that many forsake their faith These follow not the example of sundry devout men the memory whereof is recommended unto us in holy writ who being possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them downe at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every man according as hee had need The like contempt in respect of earthly substance wee reade to have been in many noble and equally affected Pagans as Crates Bisias Zeno Bias Anacreon Anacharsis who though they had scarce the least glimpse of an eternity yet they dis-valued the substance of earth as the subject of vanity But I must now draw in my sailes and take a view of your dispositions Gentlemen how you stand herein affected that seeking what I expect to find I may no lesse glory in your aversion from earth then if you were ascending Iacobs ladder to have your names enrolled in the kingdome of heaven Have yee honoured the Lord with your substance and tendred him the first fruits of his bounty Have yee acknowledged every good thing to come from him as from the fountaine of mercy Have yee subjected your selves unto him as hee hath subjected all things to your soveraignty Have yee disposed of them soberly and solely to his glory Have yee beene oppressors and with good Zacheus made foure-fold restitution Have yee not exposed your inheritance to riot and pollution Have yee not hoorded up vengeance against the day of affliction Have yee not grinded and grated the face of the poore with extortion Have yee distributed freely and communicated to the Saints necessity Have yee made you friends of your unrighteous Mammon and so made your selves way to the heavenly Sion Have yee done these workes of compassion with singlenesse of heart and without affectation Have yee beene by no earthly respect detained from comming to that great Lords Supper to which you were invited O then in a happy state are you for having honoured the Lord hee will fill your barnes with plenty or having acknowledged all good things to bee derived from his mercy hee will give you a fuller taste of his bounty or subjected your selves to his obedience hee will cause every Creature to doe you service or disposed of them soberly and solely to his glory hee will exhibit his good gifts unto you more fully or beene oppressours and made restitution you shall with Zacheus become vessels of election or not exposed your inheritance to riot and pollution you shall be safe from the doome of confusion or not grinded the face of the poore with extortion the poore shall beare record of your compassion or distributed freely to the Saints necessity hee that seeth in secret shall reward you openly or made you friends of your unrighteous Mammon Manna shall be your food in the heavenly Sion or done these workes singly and without vaine-glory you shall be cloathed with the garment of mercy or not detained by the world from going to that great Lords Supper yee shall be graciously admitted and exalted to honour Thus to dispose of the substance of the world is to despise the world preferring one meditation of the pleasures and treasures of heaven before the possession of the whole earth and esteeming it farre better to be one day in the House of the Lord then to be conversant in the Palaces of Princes O then yee whose generous descents and mighty estates promise comfort to the afflicted releefe to the distressed and an hospitable receit to all such as repaire to you for succour or comfort minister to the necessity of the Saints be liberall and open handed to the poore having opportunity doe good unto all men especially unto them who are of the household of faith bee exercised in the workes of the spirit and not of the flesh so shal ye build upon a sure foundation and in the inheritance of Gods Saints receive a mansion Turne not I say your eare from the cry of any poore man lest his cry be heard and procure vengeance to be poured on your head
publike places So as I much condemne their opinion who hold no meanes so fitting to bring their daughters to audacity as a frequent consort with Company This in time begets in them rather impudence than boldnesse It was held a touch to a Maid to bee seene talking with any one in a publike place But in private Nurseries which may bee properly termed your houshold Academies it will suit well with your honours to treat and enter into Conference one with another or in such places where your owne sexe is onely conversant For such indiscreet Mothers who usually trim and deck their daughters to send them forth to Showes Meetings or Enterludes they annoint havin with oyle that it may burne the better But much more blame-worthy bee those who take them along to Tavernes and gossippings which Education a little time will bring into custome and make modesty a stranger to her selfe For above all things saith the Philosopher ought young Girles to bee kept from Ebriety which hee confirmes with this reason It is good saith hee for young men and maids to bee kept from wine lest such become afterwards protest drunkards profuse rioters and prodigall exposers of their honour the maine occasion whereof are their parents by meanes of their ill instruction and worse example It is the very first instruction that takes the deepest impression how necessary then is it for you Gentlewomen whose sexe is the Embleme of weakenesse and whose best resolves are oft-times weakned by youthfull promises to furnish your blooming youth with wholesome instructions and so to improve them that they may increase in vigour as you doe in stature This your sexe exacts of you this your present estate requires of you and this shall easily bee effected by you if having as is to bee presupposed discreet and religious Mothers you submit your selves in all humble obedience to their direction For as it is very hard for any one to know how to command unlesse she know first how to obey so will it bee unto you to performe the office of a Mother if you never knew the duty of a daughter Strict and severe may those Commands seeme to your youth which riper age will easily digest Againe you that are Mothers become patternes of modesty unto your daughters Your living actions are the lines of their direction While they are under your command the error is yours not theirs if they goe astray Their honour should bee one of the principall'st things you are to tender neither can it bee blemished without some touch to your Credit I have knowne some inconsiderate mothers and those none of the lowest ranke or quality who either out of a confidence they had of their daughters good carriage or drawn with the hopes of some rich Suitors to advance their marriage have usually given too free way to opportunity which brought upon their daughters names a spreading infamy Your instructions will doe well with them till society deprave them divert then the occasion so shall your daughters bee they never so poore have good portions of reputation Suffer not then those who partake of your image to lose their best beauty Sigh then if they bee soyled for their shame must bee on you aspersed Grace is a pure balme and consequently requires a pure and sound vessell In vaine is it infused if the vessell bee not whole and found to preserve it It must bee pure that what is infused into it bee not polluted it must bee sound that what is poured into it bee not effused and it must bee deep that it may bee more capacious in receiving of what is infused into it Looke then to your own actions these must informe them Looke to your owne examples these must confirme them Without you they cannot perish with you they may What will you doe with the rest that is left when you see a part of your selfe lost The Harpie hath the face of a man but a Bird so cruell by nature as when shee is an hungry shee will assault any man and kill him After which bloudy repast shee becomes thirsty so as going to the River to quench it shee sees her owne face and recalling to mind how it resembles him whom shee flew she conceives such griefe as shee dyes therewith If your Education or instruction deprave those who derive their beginning from you the resemblance of this story may have proper relation unto you But if your pious examples enable them their proficiency in vertue shall ennoble you your comforts shall bee multiplyed in them your hopes seconded by them and to your ever-living fames the memory of your vertues preserved by them Let not that adage prove true in respect of your Charge The most precious things have ever the most pernicious Keepers Nothing more precious than a Virgins honour it were shame for the mother to prove a Tarpeian or treacherous keeper That Conceit was elegantly expressed by the Emperour Charles the fifth in his instructions to the King his sonne That Fortune had somewhat of the nature of a woman that if shee bee too much woo'd shee is the farther off But I hope I shall not finde that aversenesse in you I have wooed you in words expresse your selves wonne by the testimony of your workes I would not follow the indiscretion of Empericks which minister the same medicines to all Patients I know well that such Physicke as agrees with age would not agree with the hot constitution of youth To either sort therefore have I applyed my severall receits and to both doe I addresse my conclusion Let the whole progresse of your Conversation bee a continued Line of instruction Let the mother discharge her office in commanding and that without too much rigour or indulgence Let the daughter performe her duty in obeying with all faithfull and filiall observance So shall honour grace you here and glory crowne you there with an heavenly inheritance THE ENGLISH GENTLEVVOMAN Argument Honour is painted when it is not with vertue powdred No cloth takes such deepe tincture as the cloth of honour Honourable personages should bee presidents of goodnesse Vertue or vice wether soever takes hold first reteines a deeper impression in honour than any lower subject That vertue may receive the first impression by means of an in-bred noble disposition seconded by helpes of Education Which reduc'd to habit aspires to perfection HONOUR PRomotion discovers what men bee but true Honour shewes what they should be That is fed with a desire of being great this is inflam'd with a noble emulation of being good It is a miserable thing to observe what brave and heroicke Spirits whose resolutions neither danger could amate nor any disaster perplexe have beene madded with an ambitious quest after Honour what difficulties they incountred what oppositions they suffered what intricate pasâ—ages and provinces they entertained Corrivals they could not want in their rising nor Envyers of their greatnesse in their setling nor Spectators to rejoyce at their setting
fancy to her heart There is small doubt but those experimentall Maxims hold constantly currant That the very state and composure of the mind is to be seene in the cariage and posture of the body And that by the gesture and composition of the body is to be discovered the quality and disposition of the mind So as were one as cunning in his carriage as Tiberius was in his who could walke in the Clouds to his friends and with pretended glozes delude his foes Or as subtile as that Apostate Iulian whom Gregory Nazianzen called a Chamelion because hee could change himselfe into all shapes and colours or as crafty as Herod Antipas that cunning Foxe who could ingratiate himselfe with his foes for his owne ends yet in the secretst and subtilest carriage of all these wee shall ever find by the outward gesture some probable appearance of the inward temper Ambition cannot walke so privately nor retyre her selfe from the eyes of men so cunningly nor deceive a weake eye so much with a seeming Humility but some action or other will draw out to life his Anatomy Themistocles may walke in the night and have none but the Moone and Stars to be his Spectators yet for all this there be such observing Spies and Pioners within him as the night cannot bee so darke nor his retired thoughts so close but humane eyes may see him and discover too the necessitie of his walke for they find by his discontented looke and ambitious gate that Miltiades triumph will not suffer him to sleepe So as no sooner doe his inward thoughts betray him then his outward eyes display him Every trifling action becomes his Discoverer every weake passion or broken fancy breaths forth the quality of his distemper Let me Gentlewomen returne againe to you and make such usefull Application of these as may improve you Stand your minds affected to publike assemblies or private visits Doe these Enterludes or pastimes of the time delight you Begin you to dis-affect a Countrey life and with a night perswasive Rhetorick to incline the affections of your easie Husbands to plant in the Citie and to leave their ancient Mannor-houses sometimes memorable for Hospitality Trust me these are no promising Arguments of Modesty Plants transplanted doe seldome prosper and Beauty exposed to all hazards highly endangers the preservation of Honour Cities and places of great confluence have brought to composed minds much prejudice especially where a Recession or Diversion from imployment leaves the mind to talke with it selfe without bestowing it selfe on any usefull designe publike or private Nay by estranging her acquaintance from good company whose advice might assist her whose precepts might informe her and whose pleasing harmelesse discourse might delight her And in exchange of such friendly Consorts entertaine society with light fantastick spirits from whom no other profit can bee derived then what Vanity hath suggested and the conceit of a deluded fancy hatched O how many have preserved their reputes untouched their names unquestioned their fames unblemished during their reside in the Countrey who by entring acquaintance with light fashions and loose Consorts incurred much infamy But as it is not the Place but Grace which workes most effectually with the soule be it your care to intend your inward cure your pretence for the Citie may be physick but if that physick of your bodies beget in your minds an infirmity it had beene much better for you to have retained still those sickly bodies you had in the Countrey then by so dangerous a recovery to labour of a farre worser malady in the Citie That sententious Petrarch could say It made no great matter how the outward house alluding to the body fared so the inward house alluding to the soule flourished how the outward subsisted so the inward were supported Yea we shall observe how the decay or decrease of the one becomes many times the repaire and increase of the other For too much agility of body begets now and then a debility in the soule Restraine then your eyes from those outward Objects which may any way darken the Prospect of your inward house It is one of our especiall cares in our Architecture that our houses bee pleasantly seated and to faire prospects dilated And we hold it an unneighbourly Office that any one whose contignate dwelling boundeth or butteth neere us should upon any new superstructure or late erected story darken the light of our windowes This must not be endured the Questmon must be informed the wrong done us must be aggravated nothing omitted to have the injury of our Lesser-lights reformed and our unsufferable wrongs as wee immeritedly account them redressed Mean time any ill disposed Neighbour any vicious or distempered Intruder may at will and pleasure incroach upon the liberty of our higher Rooms these glorious structures of our soules Pride may damp and darken our Lights by over-topping them Avarice may stop and straiten our Lights by soiling them Riot may close and clot up our Lights by cloying them Lust may raze and deface our Lights by peeping and peering through them Wrath may bruise and break down our Lights by assailing them Envie may obscure nay immure our Lights by interposing them And Sloath like a more fruitlesse then harmelesse weed may blanch and blemish our Lights by over-spreading them Come then Ladies let me become your watchfull Bel-man Hang out your Lights The night you walke in is very darke and dangerous bee those Assailants to the Court of Honour which encounter you Lay aside those Love-sports which your deluded fancies dictate to you and falsely tell you that they infinitely become you Lay aside I say those numerous Love-sport trifles distinguished by these idolatrous titles your favour your Fancy your Complexion your Affection your Dasie Pancy Mirrha Venus and Phoebe O exchange these Love-babies with divine graces This will incomparably become you and make you amiable in his sight who made you Suffer not your eyes to wander but fixe upon that Centre where all Mortality must of necessity take harbour Obstruite quinque fenestras ut luceat domus Saint Hierome gives this excellent testimonie of that devout Woman Asella who being confined to a Cell enjoyed the whole circumference of Heaven Though I doe not limit you to a Cell I would have your thoughts confined to one Orbe seeing they cannot be circumscribed by any limit but Heaven Thus farre have I addressed my discourse to you for composing your affections and contriving your fancy to your Choice whose election admits no Change I am now to caution you and that briefly of a dangerous Guest which like the Snake in the Fable many times disturbs the quiet of a whole house And this is violent and distempered passion The indiscreet fury of some Wives have made Prodigals of frugall men Yea those who never knew what a loose or debauched course meant nor were much addicted to any liberty became uncivill and irregular by their