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
in the World but not the worlds Loue for the Worldes vnworthinesse is not capable of her worth Shee receiueth Mammon as a gift from his Maker and makes him serue her vse to his Glory She giues Honor Grace in Bounty and manageth wit by the Care of discretion She shewes the Necessity of difference and wherein is the happinesse of Vnitie Shee puts her Labor to prouidence her hope to patience her life to her Loue and her Loue to her Lord with whom as chiefe Secretary of his secrets she writes his will to the World and as high Steward of his Courts she keepes Account of all his Tenaunts in Sum so great is her Grace in the Heauens as giues her Glory aboue the Earth and so Infinite are her Excellencies in all the Course of her Action and so Glorious are the Notes of her Incomprehensible Nature that I will thus onely Conclude farre short of her Commendation She is Gods Loue and his Angells Light his Seruants Grace and His Beloueds Glory Learning LEarning is the life of Reason and the Light of Nature where Time Order and Measure square out the true Course of Knowledge where Discretion in the Temper of Passion brings experience to the best fruite of Affection while both the Theoricke and the Practicke labour in the life of Iudgement till the perfection of Art shew the Honor of vnderstanding She is the keie of knowledge that vnlocketh the Cabinet of Conceit wherein are laide vp the Labours of Vertue for the vse of the Schollers of Wisedome where euery gratious Spirit may finde matter enough worthy of the Record of the best Memory She is the Nurse of Nature with that Milke of Reason that would make a Childe of Grace neuer lie from the Dugge Shee is the Schoole-mistris of Witte and the gentle Gouernor of Will when the Delight of vnderstanding giues the Comfort of Study She is vnpleasing to none that knowes her and vnprofitable to none that loues her She feares not to Wet her feete to Wade thorough the Waters of Comfort but comes not neere the Seas of Iniquitie where folly drownes Affection in the delight of Vanity She opens her Treasures to the Trauailers in Vertue but keepes them close from the Eies of Idlenesse She makes the King Gratious and his Councell Iudicious his Clergie Deuout and his Kingdome prosperous She giues Honor to Vertue Grace to Honor Reward to Labor and Loue to Truth She is the Messenger of Wisedome to the mindes of the Vertuous and the Way to Honor in the Spirits of the Gratious She is the Store-house of Vnderstanding where the Affection of Grace can not want Instruction of goodnesse while in the Rules of her directions Reason is neuer out of square She is the Exercise of Wit in the application of Knowledge and the preseruer of the vnderstanding in the practise of Memory In briefe she makes Age honorable and youth Admirable the vertuous wise and the wise gracious Hir Libraries are infinite hir lessons without number hir instruction without comparison and hir Schollers without equalitie In briefe finding it a laborinth to go through the grounds of hir praise Let this suffice that in all Ages shee hath been and euer will be the Darling of wisdome the delight of wit the study of vertue and the stay of knowledge Knowledge KNowledge is a Collection of vnderstanding gathered in the grounds of Learning by the instruction of Wisdome Shee is the exercise of Memory in the actions of the Minde and the imployer of the Senses in the will of the Spirit shee is the Notary of Time and the tryer of Truth and the labour of the Spirit in the loue of Vertue shee is the pleasure of wit and the paradise of Reason where Conceit gathereth the sweet of Vnderstanding She is the Kings councellor the Councells grace Youths guarde and Ages glory It is free from doubts and feares no danger while the care of Prouidence cuts off the cause of Repentance shee is the enemy of Idlenesse and the maintayner of Labour in the care of credit and pleasure of profit shee needs no aduice in the Resolution of Action while Experience in obseruation findes perfection infallible It cleares Errors and cannot be deceiued corrects Impuritie and will not bee corrupted Shee hath a wide eare and a close mouth a pure eye and a perfect heart It is begotten by Grace bred by Vertue brought vp by Learning and maintainde by Loue shee conuerseth with the best capacities and communicates with the soundest Iudgments dwells with the diuinest Natures and loues the most patient dispositions Hir hope is a kind of Assurance hir faith a continuall expectation hir loue an apprehension of Ioy and hir life the light of Eternitie Hir labours are infinite hir wayes are vnsearcheable hir Graces incomparable and hir Excellencies inexplicable and therefore being so little acquainted with hir worth as makes me blush at my vnworthinesse to speake in the least of hir praise I will onely leaue hir aduancement to Vertue hir honour to Wisdome hir grace to Truth and to Eternitie his glory Practise PRactise is the Motion of the Spirit where the Sences are all set to worke in their Natures where in the fittest employment of Time Reason maketh the best vse of vnderstanding Shee is the Continuance of knowledge in the Ease of Memory and the Honor of Resolution in the effect of Iudgment Shee plants the Spring and reapes the Haruest makes labour sweet and patience comfortable Shee hath a foot on the earth but an eye at heauen where the prayer of faith findes the felicitie of the Soule in the fruit of Charity she shewes the nature of Devotion and in the Mercy of Iustice the Glory of gouernment Shee giues Time honour in the fruit of Action and Reason grace in the application of knowledge She takes the height of the Sunne walkes about the world sounds the depth of the Sea and makes her passage thorough the waters She is ready for all occasions attendeth all persons works with all instruments and finisheth all actions Shee takes Invention for her teacher makes time her seruant method her direction and place her habitation Shee hath a wakefull eye and a working braine which fits the members of the body to the seruice of the spirit Shee is the Physitians agent and the Apothecaries benefactor the Chirurgions wealth and the Patients patience Shee brings time to labor and care to contentment learning to knowledge and vertue to honour in Idlenesse shee hath no pleasure nor acquaintance with Ignorance but in Industry is her delight and in vnderstanding her grace Shee hath a passage thorough all the Predicaments shee hath a hand in all the Artes a property in all professions and a qualitie in all conditions in briefe so many are the varieties of the manners of her proceedings as makes me fearefull to follow her too farre in obseruation lest being neuer able to come neere the height of hir commendation I be inforced as
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