love my creator a thousand degrees more than I fear him me thinks I feel the little needle of my soul touch'd with a kind of magnetical attractive vertue that 〈◊〉 alwaies moves towards him as being her sum mum bonum the â—…rue center of her happines For matter of fear ther 's none that 〈◊〉 fear more than my self I mean those frailtiâ—… which lodg within 〈◊〉 and the extravagancies of my affections and thoughts in this particular I may say that I fear my self more than I fear the Devill 〈◊〉 death who is the King of feares God guard us all and guid us 〈◊〉 our last home through the briers of this cumbersom life in this â—…yer I rest Holborn 21 Mar. 1639. Your most affectionat Servitor J. H. LV. To the Right Honourable the Lord Cliff My Lord SInce among other passages of entertainment we had lately at the Italian ordinary where your Lordship was pleas'd to honour us with your presence their happen'd a large discourse of wines and of other drinks that wer us'd by severall Nations of the earth and that your Lordship desir'd me to deliver what I observ'd therin abroad I am bold now to confirm and amplifie in this letter what I then let drop extempore from me having made a recollection of my self for that purpose It is without controversie that in the nonage of the world men and beasts had but one buttery which was the fountaine and river nor do we read of any vines or wines till two hundred yeers after the flood but now I do not know or hear of any nation that hath water only for their drink except the Iaponoisâ—… and they drink it hot too but we may say that what beverage soever we make either by brewing by distillation decoction percolation or pressing it is but water at first nay wine it self is but water sublim'd being nothing else but that moysture and sap which is caus'd either by rain or other kind of irrigations about the roots of the vine and drawn up to the branches and berries by the virtuall attractive heat of the Sun the bowells of the earth serving as a limbec to that end which made the Italian vineyard-man after a long drouth and an extream hot summer which had parch'd up all his grapes to complain that per mancamento d'acqua bevo del'acqua se io havessi acqua beverei el vino for want of water I am forc'd to drink water if I had water I would drink wine it may be also applied to the Miller when he hath no water to drive his mills The vine doth so abhor cold that it cannot grow beyond the 49 degree to any purpose Therfore God and nature hath furnish'd the Northwest Nations with other inventions of beverage In this Island the old drink was Ale noble Ale than which as I heard a great forren Doctor affirm ther is no liquor that more encreaseth the radicall moisture and preserves the naturall heat which are the two pillers that support the life of man but since Beer hath hopp'd in among us Ale is thought to be much adulterated and nothing so good as Sir Iohn Old Castle and Smug the Smith was us'd to drink Besides Ale and Beer the naturall drink of part of this Isle may be said to be Metheglin Braggot and Mead which differ in strength according to the three degrees of comparison The first of the three which is strong in the superlatif if taken immoderately doth stupifie more than any other liquor and keeps a humming in the brain which made one say that he lov'd not Metheglin because he was us'd to speak too much of the house he came from meaning the hive Sider and Perry are also the naturall drinks of part of this Isle But I have read in som old Authors of a famous drink the ancient Nation of the Picts who lived 'twixt Trent and Tweed and were utterly extinguished by the over-powring of the Scot wer used to make of decoction of flowers the receipt wherof they kept as a secret and a thing sacred to themselves so it perish'd with them These are all the common drinks of this Isle and of Ireland also where they are more given to milk and strong waters of all colours the Prime is Vsquebagh which cannot be mado any where in that perfection and wheras we drink it heer in aqua vitae measures it goes down there by beer glassfulls being more naturall to the nation In the seventeen Provinces hard by and all low Gernmany beer is the common naturall drink and nothing else so is it in Westfalia and all the lower circuit of Saxony in Denmark Swethland and Norway The Prusse hath a beer as thick as hony in the Duke of Saxes Country ther is beer as yellow as gold made of wheat and it inebriates as soon as Sack In som parts of Germany they use to spice their beer which will keep many yeers so that at som weddings ther will be a but of beer drunk out as old as the Bride Poland also is a beer Country but in Russia Muscovie and Tartary they use mead which is the naturallest drink of the Country being made of the decoction of water and hony this is that which the Ancients call'd Hydromel Mares milk is a great drink with the Tartar which may be a cause why they are bigger then ordinary for the Physicians hold that milk enlargeth the bones Beer strengtheneth the nerves and wine breeds bloud sooner than any other liquor The Turke when he hath his tripe full of pelaw or of Muton and Rice will go to natures cellar either to the next Well or River to drinke water which is his naturall common drink for Mahomet taught them that ther was a devill in evry berry of the grape and so made a strict inhibition to all his sect from drinking of wine as a thing prophane he had also a reach of policy therin because they should noâ—… bâ—… inâ—…umbred with luggage when they went to war as other Nationâ—… do who are so troubled with the carriage of their wine and beverages yet hath the Turk peculiar drinks to himself besides â—… Sherbet made of juice of lemon sugar amber and other ingredients he hath also a drink call'd Cauphe which is made of a browâ—… berry and it may be call'd their clubbing drink between mealeâ—… which though it be not very gustfull to the palate yet it is verâ—… comfortable to the stomack and good for the sight but notwithstanding their prophets Anathema thousands of them will venture to drink wine and they will make a precedent prayer to theiâ—… soules to depart from their bodies in the interim for fear she partake of the same pollution nay the last Turk died of excess oâ—… wine for he had at one time swallow'd three and thirty okes â—… which is a measure near upon the bignes of our quart and thaâ—… which brought him to this was the company of a Persian Lorâ—… that had given him his
daughter for a present and came with him from Bagdat besides one accident that happened to him was thâ—… he had an Eunuch who was used to be drunk and whom he had commanded twice upon pain of life to refrain swearing by Mahomet that he would cause him to be strangled if he found him the third time so yet the Eunuch still continued in his drunkenes heerupon the Turk conceiving with himself that ther must needs be som extraordinary delight in drunkenes because this man preferred it before his life fell to it himself and so drunk himself to death In Asia ther is no beer drunk at all but Water Wine and an incredible variety of other drinks made of Dates dried Raisons Rice divers sorts of Nutts fruits and roots In the Orientall Countries as Cambaia Calicut Narsingha ther is a drink call'd Banque which is rare and precious and 't is the height of entertainment they give their guests before they go to sleep like that Nepenthe which the Poets speak so much of for it provokes pleasing dreames and delightfull phantasies it will accommode it self to the humor of the sleeper as if he be a souldier he will dream of victories and taking of towns if he be in love he will think to enjoy his mistress if he be covetous he will dream of mountaineâ—… of Gold c. In the Moluccas and Philippines ther is a curious drink call'd Tampoy mâ—…de of a kind of Gilliflowers and another drink call'd Otraqua that comes from a Nut and is the more generall drink In China they have a holy kind of liquor made of such sort of flowers for ratifying and binding of bargaines and having drunk therof they hold it no less than perjury to break what they promise as they write of a River in Bythinia whose water hath â—… peculiar vertue to discover a perjurer for if he drink therof it will presently boyl in his stomack and put him to visible tortures this makes me think of the River Styx among the Poets which the Gods were used to swear by and it was the greatest oath for performance of any thing Nubila promisse Styx mihi testis erit It puts me in mind also of that which som write of the River of Rhine for trying the legitimation of a child being thrown in if he be a basterd he will sink if otherwise he will not In China they speak of a tree called Maguais which affords not only good drink being pierced but all things else that belong to the subsistence of man they bore the trunk with a nâ—…wger and ther issueth out sweet potable liquor 'twixt the rinde and the tree ther is a cotton or hempie kind of moss which they wear for their cloathing it beares huge nuts which have excellent food in them it shoots out hard prickles above a fathom long and those arme them with the bark they make Tents and the dotard trees serve for firing Afric also hath a great diversity of drinks at having more need of them being a hotter Countrey far In Guiney or the lower Ethiopia ther is a famous drink call'd Mingol which issueth out of a tree much like the Palm being bored But in the upper Ethiopia or the Habassiâ—… countrey they drink Mead decocted in a different manner ther is also much wine there the common drink of Barbary after water is that which is made of Dates But in Egypt in times passed ther was beer drunk call'd Zithus in latin which was no other than a decoction of Barly and water they had also a famous composition and they use it to this day called Chiffi made of divers cordialls and provocative ingredients which they throw into water to make it gustfull they use it also for fumigations But now the generall drink of Egypt is Nile water which of all waters may be said to be the best insomuch that Pindars words might be more appliable to that than to any other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It doth not only fertilize and extremely fatten the soil which it covers but it helps to impregnat barren women for ther is no place on earth wher peeple encrease and multiply faster 't is yellowish and thick but if one cast a few Almonds into a potfull of it it will becom as clear as rock water it is also in a degree of lukewarmnes as Martialls boy Tolle puer calices tepidique toreumata Nili In the new world they have a world of drinks for ther iâ—… no root flower fruit or pulse but is reducible to a potable liquor as in the Barbado Island the common drink among the English is Mobbi made of Potato roots In Mexico and Peru which is the great continent of America with other parts it is prohibited to make Wines under great penalties for fear of starving of trade so that all the Wines they have are sent from Spain Now for the pure Wine Countries Greece with all her Islands Italy Spain France one part of foure of Germany Hungary with divers Countries therabouts all the Islands in the mediterranean and Atlantic sea are Wine Countries The most generous wines of Spain grow in the mid-land parts of the continent and Saint Martin beares the bell which is near the Court Now as in Spain so in all other wine Countries one cannot pass a daies journey but he will find a differing race of wine those kinds that our Merchants carry over are those only that grow upon the sea-side as Malagas Sheries Tents and Aligants of this last ther 's little comes over right therfore the Vinteners make Tent which is a name for all Wines in Spain except white to supply the place of it Ther is a gentile kind of white wine growes among the mountains of Galicia but not of body enough to bear the sea call'd Ribadavia Portugall affords no wines worth the transporting they have an od stone we call Yef which they use to throw into their Wines which clarifieth it and makes it more lasting Ther 's also a drink in Spain call'd Alâ—…sha which they drink between meales in hot weather and 't is a Hydromel made of water and hony much of the tast of our Mead In the Court of Spain ther 's a German or two that brews beer but for that ancient drink of Spain which Pliny speaks of compos'd of flowers the receit therof is utterly lost In Greece ther are no wines that have bodies enough to bear the sea for long voyages som few Muscadells and Malmâ—…es are brought over in small Casks nor is ther in Italy any wine transported to England but in bottles as Verdé and others for the length of the voyage makes them subject to pricking and to lose colour by reason of their delicacy France participating of the clymes of all the Countries about her affords wines of quality accordingly as towards the Alpes and Italy she hath a luscious rich wine call'd Frontiniac In the Countrey of Province toward the Pyrâ—…nies in Languedoe ther are wines congustable with
subject to starving to diseases to the inclemency of the weather and to be far longer liv'd I then spyed a great stone and sitting a while upon 't I fell to weigh in my thoughts that that stone was in a happier condition in som respects than either those sensitive creatures or vegetables I saw before in regard that that stone which propagates by assimilation as the Philosophers say needed neither grass nor hay or any aliment for restauration of nature nor water to refresh its roots or the heat of the Sun to attract the moisture upwards to encrease growth as the other did As I directed my pace homeward I spyed a Kite soaâ—…ing high in the ayr and gently gliding up and down the clear Region so far above my head I fell to envy the Bird extremely and â—…epine at his happines that hee should have a privilege to make a nearer approach to heaven than I. Excuse me that I trouble you thus with these rambling meditations they are to correspond with you in som part for those accurat fancies of yours you lately sent me So I rest Holborn 17 Mar. 1639. Your entire and true Servitor J. H LII To master Sergeant D. at Lincolns Inn. SIR I Understand with a deep sense of sorrow of the indisposition of your son I fear he hath too much mind for his body and that he superabounds with fancy which brings him to these fits of distemper proceeding from the black humor of Melancholy Moreover I have observed that hee is too much given to his study and self-society specially to convers with dead men I mean Books you know any thing in excess is naught Now Sir wer I worthy to give you advice I could wish he wer well married and it may wean him from that bookish and thoughtfull humor women wer created for the comfort of men and I have known that to som they have prov'd the best Heleborum against Melancholy As this course may beget new spirits in him so it must needs ad also to your comfort I am thus bold with you because I love the Gentleman dearly well and honor you as being West 13 Iune 1632. Your humble obliged servant J. H. LIII To my noble Lady the Lady M. A. Madame THer is not any thing wherin I take more pleasure than in the accomplishment of your commands nor had ever any Queen more power o're her Vassalls than you have o're my intellectualls I find by my inclinations that it is as naturall for me to do your will as it is for fire to fly upward or any body els to rend to his center but touching the last command your Ladiship was pleased to lay upon me which is the following Hymne if I answer not the fulness of your expectation it must be imputed to the suddennes of the command and the shortnes of time A Hymne to the Blessed Trinity To the First Person To thee dread Soveraign and dear Lord Which out of nought didst me afford Essence and life who mad'st me man And oh much more a Christian Lo from the centre of my heart All laud and glory I impart Hallelujah To the Second To thee blessed Saviour who didst free My soul from Satans tyrannie And mad'st her capable to be An Angel of thy Hierarchy From the same centre I do raise All honor and immortall praise Hallelujah To the Third To thee sweet Spirit I return That love wherwith my heart doth burn And these bless'd notions of my brain I now breath up to thee again O let them redescend and still My soul with holy raptures fill Hallelujah They are of the same measure cadence and ayr as was that angelicall Hymne your Ladiship pleased to touch upon your instrument which as it so enchanted me then that my soul was ready to com out at my ears so your voice took such impressions in mee that me thinks the sound still remains fresh with Westm. 1 Apr. 1637. Your Ladiships most devoted Servitor J. H. XLIV To Master P. W. at Westminster SIR THe fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom and the Love of God is the end of the Law the former saying was spoke by no meaner man than Solomon but the latter hath no meaner Author than our Savior himself Touching this beginning and this end ther is a near relation between them so near that the one begets the tother a harsh mother may bring forth somtimes a mild daughter so fear begets love but it begets knowledg first for Ignâ—…ti nulla cupido we cannot love God unless we know him before both fear and love are necessary to bring us to heaven the one is the fruit of the Law the other of the Gospell when the clouds of fear are vanish'd the beams of love then begin to glance upon the heart and of all the members of the body which are in a maner numberless this is that which God desires because 't is the centre of Love the source of our affections and the cistern that holds the most illustrious bloud and in a sweet and well devoted harmonious soul cor is no other than Camera Omnipotentis Regis 't is one of Gods closets and indeed nothing can fill the heart of man whose desires are infinite but God who is infinity itself Love therfore must be a necessary attendant to bring us to him but besides Love ther must be two other guides that are requir'd in this journey which are Faith and Hope now that fear which the Law enjoyns us turns to faith in the Gospell and knowledg is the scope and subject of both yet these last two bring us onely towards the haven but love goes along with us to heaven and so remains an inseparable sempiternall companion of of the soul Love therfore is the most acceptable Sacrifice which we can offer our Creator and he who doth not study the Theory of it heer is never like to com to the Practise of it heerafter It was a high hyper physicall expression of St. Austustine when he fell into this rapture that if hee wer King of Heaven and God Almighty Bishop of Hippo he would exchange places with him because he lov'd him so well This Vote did so take me that I have turn'd it to a paraphrasticall Hymn which I send you for your Violl having observed often that you have a harmonious soul within you The Vote Oh God who can those passions tell Wherwith my heart to thee doth swell I cannot better them declare Than by the wish made by that rare Auâ—…elian Bishop who of old Thy Oracâ—…es in Hippo told If I were Thou and thou wert I I would resign the Deity Thou shouldst be God I would be man Is 't possible that love more can Oh pardon that my soul hath tane So high a flight and grows prophane For my self my dear Phil because I love you so dearly well I will display my very intrinsecalls to you in this point when I exmine the motions of my heart I find that I