Characters VPON ESSAIES MORALL AND Diuine WRITTEN For those good Spirits that will take them in good part AND Make vse of them to good purpose LONDON Printed by Edw. Griffin for Iohn Gwillim and are to be sold at his shop in Britaines-Burse 1615. TO THE HOnorable and my much worthy honored truly learned and Iudicious Knight Sr Francis Bacon his Ma ties Attourney Generall Increase of honor health and eternall happinesse WORTHY Knight I haue read of many Essaies and a kinde of Charactering of them by such as when I lookt into the forme or nature of their writing I haue beene of the conceit that they were but Imitators of your breaking the ice to their inuentions which how short they fall of your worth I had rather thinke then speake though Truth neede not blush at her blame Now for my selfe vnworthy to touch neere the Rocke of those Diamonds or to speake in their praise who so farre exceede the power of my capacitie vouchsafe me leaue yet I beseech you among those Apes that would counterfet the actions of men to play the like part with learning and as a Monkey that would make a face like a Man and cannot so to write like a Scholler and am not and thus not daring to aduenture the Print vnder your Patronage without your fauourable allowance in the deuoted seruice of my bounden duty I leaue these poore Trauells of my Spirit to the perusing of your pleasing leasure with the further fruites of my humble affection to the happie employment of your honorable pleasure At your seruice in all humblenesse NICH BRETON To the Reader READ what you list and vnderstand what you can Characters are not euery mans construction though they be writ in our mother tongue and what I haue written being of no other nature if they fit not your humor they may please a better I make no comparison because I know you not but if you will vouchsafe to looke into them it may bee you may finde something in them their natures are diuers as you may see if your eyes bee open and if you can make vse of them to good purpose your wits may prooue the better In briefe fearing the foole will bee put vpon me for being too busie with matters too farre aboue my vnderstanding I will leaue my imperfection to pardon or correction and my labour to their liking that will not thinke ill of a well meaning and so rest Your well-willing friend N.B. WHo reads this Booke with a iudicious eye Will in true Iudgment true discretion try Where words and matter close and sweetly coucht Doe shew how truth wit art and nature toucht What need more words these Characters to praise They are the true charactering of Essaies I.R. IN words of worth to speake of these Essayes Let this suffice the worke it selfe will prayse C.N. SOme haue an humor that to discommend They know themselues they know not how to mend Other correct what they doe thinke amisse While in their owne conceit the error is But true iudicious wits and honest mindes Will giue their censure in some better kindes And say but truth that cannot be mistooke Wit hath well labour de learning in this Booke R.B. Ad Authorem HE that shall read thy characters Nic Breton And weigh them well must say they are well written They taste the lampe much reading obseruation Art matter wit all worthy commendation Some weaue their lines of such a slender thred They will not last so long as to be read Thou hast so spunne so weau'd thy words thy lines They please vs most being viewd a hundred times W.D. In laudem operis WOrds are the pensils whereby drawne we sinde The picture of the inward man the minde Such thoughts such words such words such is the man Say is this Spirit a Plebeyan That like the singing Larke doth mount so high We cannot reach them with an earthly eye W.P. WHile I Essay to character this Booke And thâ—se charactered Essayes o'relooke I herein finde few words great worth involve A Lipâ—oâ— stile terse Phrase and so resolve That as a Stone 's best valu'd and best prised When best in knowne So this when best revised I.B. Wisedome WISEDOME is a working Grace in the Soules of the Elect by whom the Spirit is made capable of those secrets that neither Nature nor Reason is able to comprehend who by a powerfull vertue She hath from the diuine Essence worketh in all things according to the will of the Almighty and being before beginning shall exceede Time in an eternall proceeding She is a Light in the Intellectuall part by which Reason is led to direct the Sences in their due Course and Nature is preserued from Subiecting her selfe to Imperfection in the Creation Shee was of Councell with the Trinitie in the pleasing of the Deity in the Redemption the Inuenter of Mercy for the preseruation of the Elect and in the Glorification the Treasurer of life for the reward of the faithfull who hauing committed to her Care the cariage of the whole Motion finding the disposition of earth in all the Children of her Wombe by such a Measure as she findes fitting their qualitie she giues them either the grace of Nature or the glory of Reason While being the Mother of the Graces Shee giues them that holy Instruction that in the knowledge of the highest Loue thorough the pathes of Vertue makes a passage to Heauen Learning hath from her that knowledge without the which all knowledge is meere Ignorance while onely in the Grace of Truth is seene the Glorie of vnderstanding Knowledge hath from Her that Learning whereby she is taught the direction of her Loue in the way of life Vnderstanding hath from her that Knowledge that keepes Conceit alwaies in the Spirits comfort and Judgement from Vnderstanding that Rule of Iustice that by the euen waight of Impartiality shewes the hand of Heauen in the heart of Humanitie in the Heauens She keepes the Angels in their orders teacheth them the Natures of their Offices and emploies them in the seruice of their Creator in the Firmament She walkes among the Starres sets and keepes them in their places courses and operations at her pleasure She ecclipseth the light and in a Moment leaues not a Clowde in the â—kie in Her Thunders and Lightenings she shewes the Terror of the Highest Wrath and in Her temperate Calmes the patience of his Mercy in her frostie Winters she shewes the weaknes of Nature and in her Sunny Springs the Recouery of Her health in the Louers of this world liues no part of her purenesse but with Her beloued She makes a Heauen vpon Earth in the King she shewes her Grace in his Councell her Care and in his State her Strength in the Souldior she shewes Vertue the truest Valor in the Lawier Truth the Honor of his Plea in the Merchant Conscience the wealth of his Soule and in the Church-man Charity the true fruit of his Deuotion She liues
end of Youth vntimely and of Age wretched the Cities sacke and the Countries beggery shee is the Captaines pride and the Captiues sorrow the throat of bloud and the graue of flesh shee is the woe of the world the punishment of sinne the passage of danger and the Messenger of destruction she is the wise mans warning and the fooles paiment the godly mans griefe and the wicked mans game In summe so many are her woundes so mortall her cures so daungerous her course and so deuilish her deuises that I will wade no further in her riuers of bloud but only thus conclude in her description she is Gods curse and Mans misery hells Practise and earthes Hell Valor VAlor is a Vertue in the spirit which keepes the flesh in subiection Resolues without feare and trauailes without fainting she vowes no villany nor breakes her fidelity she is patient in captiuity and pittifull in conquest Her gaine is honor and desert her meane fortune her skorne and folly her hate wisedome is her guide and conquest her grace clemency her praise and humilitie her Glory she is youthes ornament and ages honor natures blessing and Vertue loue Her life is resolution her loue victory her triumph truth and her fame vertue Her armes are from antiquitie and her cote full of honor where the title of grace hath her Herauldry from heauen she makes a walke of warre and a sport of danger an ease of labour and a lest of death she makes famine but abstinence want but a patience sickenesse but a purge and death a puffe she is the Mainteiner of â—arre the Generall of an army â—he terror of an Enemy and the â—ory of a campe she is the Noâ—lenesse of the minde and the â—â—rength of the Body the liâ—e of â—ope and the death of feare with 〈◊〉 handfull of men shee ouerâ—hrowes a multitude and with a â—daine amazement she discomâ—tes a Campe she is the reuenge â—f wrong and the defence of â—ight Religions Champion and â—ertues choise In briefe let this â—uffice in her commendation she â—rengthened Dauid and conqueâ—ed Goliah she ouerthrowes her â—nemies and conquers her selfe Resolution REsolution is the Honoureâ— Valor in the quarrell of Veâ—tue for the defence of Right anâ— Redresse of Wrong She beateâ— the March pitcheth the Battaile plants the Ordinance and Maintaines the fight Her Eare is stopâ— from Disswasions her Eie aimâ—â— only at Honor her hand takes the Sword of Valor and her heart thinkes of nothing but victoryâ— Shee giues the Charge makes the Stand Assaults the fort and enters the Breach Shee breakes the Pikes faceth the Shot dampes the Souldior and defeates the Army Shee looseth no time slippes no Occasion dreads no danger and Cares for no force â—he is Valors life and vertues â—oue Iustice Honor and Merâ—ies Glorie Shee beates downe Castles fires Shippes Wades â—â—orough the Sea and Walkes â—â—orough the World She makes â—isedome her Guide and Will â—er Seruant Reason her Compaâ—ion and Honor her Mistris â—he is a Blessing in Nature and a â—eauty in Reason a Grace in Inâ—ention and a Glory in Action â—he studies no plots when her â—latforme is set downe and defers â—o time when her houre is preâ—xed Shee standes vpon no â—elpes when she knowes her own â—orce and in the Execution of her â—ill she is a Rocke Irremoueable â—he is the Kings Will without Contradiction and the Iudges â—oome without Exception the â—chollers profession without Alâ—eration and the Souldiers Honor without Comparison In Summâ— so many are the groundes of heâ— Grace and the iust Causes of heâ— Commendation that Leauinâ— her worth to the discription 〈◊〉 better wits I will in these few wordes conclude my Conceitâ— her She is the stoutnesse of thâ— heart and the strength of thâ— minde a gift of God and thâ— glory of the World Honor. HOnor is a Title of Grace giuen by the spirit of Vertue to the desert of Valor in thâ— defence of Truth it is wronged in basenesse and abused in vnâ—worthinesse endangered in wantonnesse and lost in wickednesâ— It nourisheth Art and crownetâ— Wit graceth Learning and glorifieth Wisedome in the Herauldry of Heauen it hath the richest Cote being in Nature Allied vnto all the houses of Grace which in the Heauen of heauens attend the King of kings Her Escucheon is a heart in which in the shield of faith she beares on the Anckor of Hope the Helmit of Saluation she quarters with Wisedome in the Resolution of Valor and in the line of Charitie she is of the House of Iustice Her Supporters are Time and Patience her Mantle Truth and her crest Christ treading vpon the Globe of the world her Imprese Corona mea Christus In briefe finding her state so high that I am not able to climbe vnto the praise of her perfection I will leaue her Royalty to the Register of most Princely spirits and in my humble hearts thus only deliuer my opinion of her She is Vertues due and Graces gift Valors wealth and Reasons ioy Truth TRuth is the Glory of time and the daughter of Eternity a Title of the highest Grace and a Note of a diuine Nature she is the life of Religion the light of Loue the Grace of Wit and the Crowne of Wisedome she is the Beauty of Valor the brightnesse of honor the blessing of reason and the ioy of faith her truth is pure gold her Time is right pretious her word is most gratious and her will is most glorious Her Essence is in God and her dwelling with his seruants her will in his wisedome and her worke to his Glory she is honored in loue and graced in constancie in patience admired and in charity beloued she is the Angels worshippe the Virgins fame the Saints blisse and the Martirs crowne she is the Kings Greatnesse and his Councels Goodnesse his subiects Peace and his kingdomes Praise she is the life of learning and the light of the Law the honor of Trade and the grace of labor she hath a pure Eye a plaine hand a piercing wit and a perfect heart she is wisedomes walke in the way of holinesse and takes vp her rest but in the resolution of goodnes Her tongue neuer trippes her heart neuer faintes her hand neuer failes and her faith neuer feares her Church is without schisme her City without fraude her Court without Vanity and her kingdome without Villany In summe so infinite is her Excellence in the construction of all sence that I will thus only conclude in the wonder of her worth she is the Nature of perfection in the perfection of Nature where God in Christ shewes the glory of Christianity Time TIme is a continuall Motion which from the highest Moouer hath his operation in all the subiects of Nature according to their qualitie or disposition He is in proportion like a Circle wherein hee walketh with an euen passage to the point of his prefixed place Hee attendeth none and yet is a servant to all he is best emploied by wisedome
and most abused by folly He carrieth both the sworde and the scepter for the vse both of Iustice and Mercie He is present in all Inuention and can not be spared from Action He is the Treasury of Graces in the Memory of the wise and bringes them forth to the world vpon Necessity of their vse He openeth the windowes of Heauen to giue Light vnto the Earth and spreades the cloake of the Night to couer the Rest of labor He closeth the Eie of Nature and waketh the spirit of Reason he trauelleth thorough the minde and is visible but to the Eie of Vnderstanding He is swifter then the winde and yet as still as a Stone pretious in his right vse but perilous in the contrarie He is soone founde of the carefull Soule and quickly mist in the want of his comfort he is soone lost in the lacke of Emploiment and not to be recouered without a world of Endeuour he is the true mans peace and the Theeues perdition the good mans blessing and the wicked mans curse He is knowne to be but his being vnknowne but only in his being in a being aboue knowledge he is a Riddle not to be read but in the circumstance of description his name better knowne then his nature and hee that maketh best vse of him hath the best vnderstanding so him he is like the study of the Philosophers stone where a man may see wonders and yet short of his Expectation shee is at the Inuention of warre Armes the Souldier Maintaines the quarrell and makes the Peace Hee is the Courtiers Play-fellow and the Souldiers Schole-master the Lawyers Gaine and the Merchantes Hope His life is Motion and his loue Action his honor Patience and his glory perfection He masketh Modestie and blusheth Virginitie honoreth Humilitie and graceth Charitie In Summe finding it a world to walke thorough the wonder of his Worth I will thus briefely deliuer what I finde truely of him Hee is the Agent of the Liuing and the Register of the dead the direction of God and a great Worke-master in the world Death DEATH is an ordinance of God for the subiecting of the world which is limited his time for the correction of Pride in his substance he is nothing being but onely a depriuation and in his true description a name without a nature He is seene but in a picture heard but in a tale feared but in a passion and felt but in a pinch He is a terror but to the wicked and a skar-crow but to the foolish but to the wise a way of comfort and to the godly the gate of life He is the case of paine and the end of sorrow the liberty of the imprisoned and the ioy of the faithfull it is both the wound of sinne and the wages of sinne the Sinners feare and the Sinners doom He is the Sextons agent and the Hangmans reuenue the rich mans dirge and the Mourners merry-day Hee is a course of time but vncertaine till hee come and welcome but to such as are weary of their liues It is a message from the Physitian when the Patient is past cure and if the writ be well made it is a supra sedeas for all diseases It is the heauens stroke and the earths Steward the follower of sicknesse and the forerunner to Hell In summe hauing no pleasure to ponder too much of the power of it I will thus conclude my opinion of it It is a stinge of sinne and the terror of the wicked the crowne of the Godly the staire of vengeance and a stratagem of the Deuill Faith FAITH is the hand of the soule which layeth hold of the promises of Christ in the mercy of the Almighty Shee hath a bright eye and a holy eare a cleare heart and a sure foot shee is the strength of Hope the trust of Truth the honour of Amitie and the ioy of Loue shee is rare among the sonnes of men and hardly found among the daughters of weomen but among the sonnes of God she is a conueyance of their inheritance and among the daughters of Grace she is the assurance of their portions Hir dwelling is in the Church of God hir conuersation with the Saints of God her delight with the beloued of God and her life is in the loue of God shee knowes no falshood distrusts no Truth breakes no promise and coines no excuse but as bright as the Sunne as swift as the winde as sure as the rocke and as pure as the gold she lookes towards heauen but liues in the world in the soules of the Elect to the glory of Election she was wounded in Paradise by a dart of the Deuill and healed of her hurt by the death of Christ Iesus shee is the poore mans credit and the rich mans praise the wisemans care and the good mans cognizance In summe finding her worth in words hardly to be expressed I will in these few words onely deliuer my opinion of her Shee is Gods blessing and mans blisse reasons comfort and vertues glory Feare FEARE is a fruit of sinne which droue the first Father of our flesh from the presence of God and hath bred an imperfection in a number of the worse part of his posteritie It is the disgrace of nature the foile of reason the maime of wit and the slur of vnderstanding It is the palsie of the Spirit where the Soule wanteth faith and the badge of a Coward that cannot abide the sight of a sword It is weaknesse in nature and a wound in patience the death of hope and the entrance into despaire It is childrens awe and fooles amazement a worme in conscience and a curse to wickednesse In briefe it makes the Coward stagger the Lyer stammer the Thiefe stumble and the Traitor start It is a blot in Armes a blur in Honour the shame of a Souldier and the defeat of an Army FINIS