True Valour ●. Challenge. Valiantly refused Cowardly accepted I accepted the Challenge. Suffer. fight. Who stands not in his Li ●, Will Choose the right. I feel him not I better him. DVELL-EASE A word WITHValiant Spirits Showing the abuse of Duels, that Valour, refuseth Challenges and Private Combats. Quicunque effuderit humanu▪ Sanguine fundetur sanguis eius. Gen. 9 Who so Sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be Shedd. Gen. 9 Vers. 6. set forth by G. F. a Defendor of Christian Valour. I revenge. I Challenge Imprinted by▪ Ann Griffin London. 1635. Nec enim Lex iustior Vlla. Quam necis artifices arte perire sua Nor is their Law more right▪ Then that Who draws his brother's blood Shall Spill his own by fight. TO THE MOST EXCELLENT AND POWERFUL PRINCE CHARLES, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, Ireland, Cyprus, etc. GOD hath stored your Majesty with such excellent wisdom, as by it he ruleth more than your own kingdoms. You are his Eye for Europe, and at your sacred girdle, Heaven hangs the Storehouse-keyes of Christian blood. We may well say it; Since in this age of blood, none hath grieved more to spill it then your Majesty, none laboured so much to spare it. You have weakened its swelling streams, to the anger of puissant Princes. Had your Armies trodden the banks of Danow; Nations well know, what bloody floods you had increased; Your Treasure Star hath led you a more milken way, rather to lead Christian orbs quiet, then to hasten them to the wrenching of their own sinews, satisfied in yourself that those who best use the Olive, will soon wear the Laurel. We have lived to see (but o, tears should have curtained our eyes) the greatest inundation of blood that ever flowed from Christian veins, and that by so many tides. Great Kings have kept open the sluices, whom in respects most proper to their boasts of better Religion, it would better become to dry up those ruddy springs, were it with the loss of their designs and fortunes. Say Christian drums must needs beat, and bullets fly sometimes to spend of their own fiery spirits, yet may they not find out a fit Enemy in Asia, or frame one out of Africa? Heaven hath only enlightened your Majesty to abhor deluges of homicides, wallowing in baptised blood. Your regal beams of piety most advisedly reflected, that all quarrels are not to be decided by the sword, nor every difference to make its full point at Tyburn. More, even in Kings, desires, although just, must not always be obtained, all cannot be had, many but at seasons, and of those which may be had, some aught to suffer a bar, but such as shall be warded with ages of happiness. Not upon a crossing of I will have, are bowels to be drawn out by the Hangman, or limbs suddenly severed by Armies; humane blood is a liquor not to be stirred without much wariness; if wrongs draw it, it gusheth not out without crying to Heaven. Sanguis clamat de Gen. 4. terra. The greatest wit, Aristotle instructing a most valorous Prince saith, Parce effundere sanguinem humanum. Arist. ad Alex. Draw not the blood of men by rivers, but by drops. What Art offered to Alexander, your Majesty holdeth by Nature; whereby our Albania, better claimeth now her name from the candorous splendour of your Royal Sceptre then from her native Rocks. This your Majesty's most wary disposition to prevent a waste of men, wingeth my hopes flying to your Majesty's feet with these few leaves, which cover or discover (as your Majesty's bright shining eye shall open, or close them) some few Antidotes to prevent and cure a fiery distemper, a Consumption, or waste of blood fatal to the noble bowels of your kingdom. These times have begotten this idle belief in the brave ones, and they will own it; that who is stained by any abuse is bound in honour to scour it by a challenge, and he from whom the mistake first slipped, must presently be drawn to Calis sands: whence if the one be carried to a grave, the other walketh home with honour. Your radiant wisdom to the high glory of your Diadem enlighteneth and rectifieth this mervailously mistaken way. May a dueller raise honour, because death stumbled upon the better man? No, it is not ever the lot of the Valiant or Innocent, to be death-free in Combats, there are confused uncertainties: death is not always borne by strong arms, nor doth the mightiness of Manhood always cite it: sometimes a sand under foot, a Moat in the Eye, a very silly misfortune brings it. But alas, this is a disease of cradle-courage: duellers, take them at any action of able men, and we shall find honour, and them of very small acquaintance: yet forsooth they become honour-sicke; for they deem their honour must needs dye, unless they drink the blood of the bravest. Will Kings suffer them so precious a Niceph. lib. 7. hist Eccl. cap. 33. Bar. to. 3. Annal. add an. Dom. 324. potion? it is physic too chargeable for a Kingdom. Great Constantine was but once allowed humane blood to cure his direful disease, he thought it too dear for a Caesar; and must mean duellers daily to cure a distemper merely in fancy, be permitted blood, not of Infants, but of men? yea the stoutest; for commonly to the meaner man an abuse is given, and to the better a Challenge; for by the better spirit, as readiest to spend its mettle, the affront is offered, and by the base creature, a Challenge is thrust on, as not able to creep into Honour, but by the casualty of a combat, where a desperate Coward is often Victor against a Hector. By this means is a way ofttimes Proc●am 11. jacob. found to draw blood out of the breasts of your Majesty's best servants, and daily there are lost brave subjects; which moved your Father of happy memory our dread Sovereign Lord King ●ames, to thunder out by his Proclamations & Edicts, severe punishments against all hatchers of Challenges, and putters on of such counterfeit manhood. We hope your Majesty will renew and endow them with a double vigour: penalties may be put up upon such as provoke duels, and a way laid open to an easy redress of wrongs by whomsoever offered: So shall you become an English Augustus, and we will say with Seneca, excubat Principis cura pro salute singulorum: Seneca de brevit vitae. omnium domos tua diligentia defendit, omnium delitias tua industria; your Princely care assureth all men safety, freeing your fair dominions from the canker of Duelism, and fond Mothers shall owe unto you their darlings. Why may not Laws cure losses of honour, as well as of life and fortunes? Let him keep his council whom wrongs privately pinch, and they are cured; if abuses further vent into an open noise, the Marshal's court may arraign them; when the matter is scarce perceptible: it is much, so small a weapon should hurt one, and such a person is too delicate, tender, and unfit to live among men that must bristle: but if there be left a scar, a blemish to be seen; your Majesty may graciously provide for a fair satisfaction, and when wrongs be such as dare not produce, but must hide their cause, there is no right owing them, as no light to darkness. Here I lay down my pen, and deities; being to be adored at a distance. From my chamber in the Temple, I kiss your Majesty's Royal feet, and with all happiness to your Crown and Person; for which I am ready cheerfully to pawn the life of Your faithful and most humble subject. G. F. Preface. To the Gentle Reader. FRom the press I come to Paul's, to be gazed on by many: some will read and guess at my good meaning, that it was not so much to keep steel out of sight, as to keep manhood in possession: and that my leaves of Paper are not for cowards to shelter themselves under. I do not aim to oppose true valour, by branding it with ignominy: I gild not the dross of mankind with glorious excuses: the brave-worded faint-hearts with warranties of their effeminate weakness. I rather do honour unto manlike courage, and wish it long life. I truly apprehend valour a precious jewel; therefore not to be handled disrespectfully: a principal ornament in a well ordered common weal, therefore not to be abused by every horsegroom, not to be trampled in every tavern, nor to wait upon every fond lover: with freedom may I speak it; valour is not to be hazarded upon mean enterprises, but to be laid up for dearer times: by it Kings do hold their sceptres, without it Equity will fall out of credit, and the world shall not dare to show a good liking to honesty: men must keep courage to look vice in the face; to make it to hear its own name. And in this respect there is great oversight in the havoc of valorous spirits, which daily the power of vulgar opinion maketh perish in Duels. Yet I do not generally denounce an exile to all Duels, from all countries, from all occasions; sometimes they have their lawfulness; the unadvised are insufferable, and such I desire to suppress: the too too much levity in falling into wrath, turneth the merit of courage into a mere shadow, which ever followeth, but such as wander out of the light of reason, misled by strong passion: for certainly when the causes of quarrels are no bigger than little sands, they lie only on the eye of such, as are over flown with an Ocean of Anger. To the Dueller. YOu will say I deal with brave Duellers, too too discourteously: favour me, it is your Vice I kick at; I both honour and extol your valour. Be not offended, if I say Duels be bad, that they are acts unlawful, unlucky, that the combater breedeth most mischief to himself when he is victor, when he kills his Adversary: I do but tell you what the nature of Duelism is. You will needs notwithstanding make a challenge, you will go to the field, when you rage: but understand, you go out of your way, I show it you, you are in the dark, in a passion; what harm do I unto you, if I light you with a candle? Stout Pericles, the mirror of Athens and forty Bas. hom. 24 de legendis libris Gentilium. year's ruler of that common wealth, heard one a whole day wrangling and reviling him; provoking him from the word to the sword; and when the currish fellow had done barking, Pericles lighted him home with a lantern. You are enraged, you will answer the Duel; I will but light you with a lantern, that you may see what a foul thing you go about; how injurious to yourself, to your King, to your country: how you make yourself a mere child in suffering yourself to be led by the sleeve to the field like a baby: you make yourself a Bedlam by running into fury and frenzy: Did you desire Honour, to be thought valiant; I do here show you wherein true Honour, and true Valour doth consist: if yet ye will leave the true for the shadow, and being hungry, will choose painted meats before the wholesome; blame not me for warning you, before you fill yourself with wind, which will shame you. You will tell me I presume, when I talk of valour: it is out of my element, valour is in the highest region of the fire, and I in low water, cold, snowy, the point of the pen, ever hath had small acquaintance with the point of the weapon: none but Eagles can look on bright valours rays: I am but an Owl that flieth by night, and use not the world by day light, where when men's courages rise up, there must be rushing to whet them, else manhood will grow rusty. I commend in you the care of valour, keep it, but lose not your wits, keep altogether and know from me; some may want skill to use their weapons and not want knowledge to use courage, and to teach you. Gladiatores perfectissimos (saith Tertullian) non tantum magistri, sed etiam Idiotae quique adhortantur Tertull. ad Mar. c. 2. de longinquo, et saepe de ipso populo dictata, suggesta profuerint, you most expert swordmen, Gladiatores perfectissimos, call me Idiot in arms: Idiot, but yet, confess a mean skill, can tell you in your ear something that will do you good, when your swords are clashing: de ipso populo suggesta profuerint. To the Schooleman. I Have affected brevity, because I speak unto passion, that never stayeth long to hear any thing. I come not often to the school for the definition of things, that's too fine a thread for bleere-eyed quarellers to look on: it sufficeth me to have a quiet word with plain reason, not caring much for formality in persuasion, which itself indeed is not much in use (as men use to say now a days) in a Nation that so little suffereth to be persuaded to any thing, though fond led to most things, by creatures of no choice, not by any good quality, but by a kind of fancy: Preach and persuasions, say many, may be found for any caprich: as if reasoning were a kind of juggling, fast and lose, or that becomed not rational creatures, to be led by reason, no more then to be led by the nose: Men claim not that name, until they can lead themselves; the Cannot becomes only women and children. I run often upon Examples, because they delight longer, and move stronger: of what we see other worthies have done, perchance we may take to do something, whiles we will be persuaded to nothing; in matter of knowledge, our own must ever be the best, because (as we pretend) we see circumstances, we see precedents: and there are fashions of passions, as well, as of apparel, which the power of opinion will have followed. To the Common wealths-man. IT is you that sit in gowns; that must overrule weapons: cedant arma togae. I dare not require my pen to Cic. in epist. reach unto Virtue, that were to be ieered at: I ask but Order, and ask no more, but what a civil commonwealth must grant me: I pray assistance. If you bid me reflect, that boiling youth, & their fiery vains, are not yet fit, for the still music of the heavens, I know it; yet in many kingdoms the God of this world gathereth up brave youth in clusters; whiles indeed in some country's heaven finds but a poor picking: let hot spurs in these inferior orbs, where so much striving and struggling is for means & manners, feel what is for the best advantage of the universe: so grace them, and make you them wear the diamond of valour, now and then, with a foil, I say not of Piety, but of Christianity: your wisdoms be pleased to effect it. If men must now and then, hue one another's limbs; yet let them not go on, like wild beasts; of these, their fights and Fates end together, and have no after reckonings: but men must come again before a just God; therefore help them to keep good quarter: and you that are the Treasurers of the Commonwealth, increase your treasure, give them a good behaviour, which may keep them, so they will keep it: bind them to Peace, and I will end, and hold mine. To the courteous Reader. GEntle Reader, it was the author's intent to have presented thee with a complete receipt for the cure of this bloody flux, wherewith the gallants of our age are too muc● distempered, but some intervenient occasions unhappily diverting the current of his endeavours to another course, he hath not been able to comply with his earnest desires, yet having already prepared some few sheets for the press, he judged it not inconvenient to communicate them with thee, as an essay and pledge of what he intendeth to perfect hereafter: hoping they may prove as sometimely preparatives, to assuage and mitigate the sharp and corrosive humours, wherewith many hearts are unnaturally tormented. And if he shall find the success in this kind to be in any reasonable degree correspondent to his desires and expectation. I make no question, but he will esteem their ease not only a sufficient recompense for his forepast endeavours, but also a forcible encouragement for their further cure, to accomplish that which ye●●●mayneth unperfect. The fruits whereof thou mayest expect this next term: till when and ever, I wish thou mayest enjoy thyself in perfect peace and patience: which is no less my desire, than the Author's intent. Section I. Reason Pleadeth against the custom of Duelling. 1 The first founders of duels were base Creatures. 2 By duell-Law, wise men must follow fools. 3 Strength, can be no trial of truth. 4 To enter a Duel, is to turn thief. 5 The Dueller, always mistakes his enemy. DVellers are fraught, with most violent passion: therefore, they must needs be voydest of reason. Reason is a light, Passion is darkness: what is more contrary to light then darkness? Hence, I find Duelism, though it creep into use, can be but a blind custom. Some men will affect a custom, for their respect due to the beginner of it: in that, may appear reason: but see, who were the first devisers of Duels. Point. 1. Plea. 1. The first founders of Duels were base Creatures. DVells and Devils begun together. Lucifer conceited himself the better creature, and would not give wall to man made of a mould-hill: he worded the matter, with the master, stepped to his face, Ascendam, and told him to his teeth, Esay. 14. he was as good as God: Similis ero altissimo: upon this quarrel, Lucifer and Michael met, with their seconds: the valiant Archangel (with leave) came to close Apoc. 12. fight: and the lawless challenger Lucifer, with his seconds fell. Here lie the first Duellers, and their fortune. After these quarrelling spirits were sent to hell: I hear no more of combats, till the fashion of Cowards came in. Cowards and challengers, came hand in hand into the world together. Scarce had God made ground, for men to work upon: when Cain, an idle fellow, that had many obligations at home, yet spent his time all abroad in hunting: whilst Abel, his younger brother did play the good husband: and therefore the Lord loved him, Cain hates him, and makes it a quarrel. Cain will prove himself the better Gen. 4. man by a combat: when good men be all gone, Cain hopeth to come into election. Like a wretched Coward he inveagles Abel to the field, eamus in Agrum, without weapon: and suddenly sets upon him, and kills him. Here I show you the next dueller. So Duelism brings its badge of infamy, even from the beginning; Inquire the worthies, whom maintainers of Duels do imitate, you will find but Devils and Cowards. Therefore let noble spirits, yield thus fare unto reason, that Duelism in the cradle, deserves no love, for the father's sake: and let us go nearer it, to look if reason will afford any better regard for its own merits. Duel law is, that differences must be tried by the weapon: as wrongs will all the year be budding, so men must ever be bleeding. Duelism, is a game; where you shuffle swords, and the maddest gamester hath ever the leading: so that, one main thing in this hot sport, is, that wisemen must follow fools. If a fellow gaze at noon and swear it is night, nay will swear it by the sun that shines, and say you lie if you deny it, and challenge you, and go to the field, why, there goes a fool: and you must follow him: else by staying at home, you lose your honour, and where? nay I cannot tell, nor you neither, where you had it. Point. 2. Plea. 2. By Duell-law wisemen must follow fools. Will you see, two wise challenge-makers, stuffed with honour, as a goose with groats? which is but for wise men to Relatum mihi a side digni●. feed on: Both were big-lookt soldiers: our happy age did bring them: the lofty low-countryes' did breed them: amongst the most warlike troops of Europe. The one set to dice, and proved unlucky; his money being out, his mettle got up, & from dicing, he would needs to duelling, but wanted matter: he spies on his own head a black hat, he casts that down bravely, and swears it is white. This champion fights not now, for the beauty of his mistress, but for his old hat: if any dare gain say him; he doth challenge, and will kill: thus he cracks up and down, like a gander. The rest of the flock, were fluttering in their game, and so the challenge stayeth unanswered. Till anon, another of the hopeful company, was cast away on the same shore, the waves or the knaves had swallowed up his money: and away saileth he to give a cross challenge, for now he that was fooled out of his money, he was in the right cue of a Dueller: he will challenge; and fight, and kill, and looks black: and all, to maintain the hat was black. Just, our Duellers now adays: much to the like, or lesser purpose, our quarrels: for a false smile of a beauty; a simple conceit, of some hollow friend: a light mistake of a foe, things all of no value, a challenge must pass, must have its answer: else honour go exiled for ever. That such men are not wise, I say not: but surely, to be a follower of such men, is a very poor service, for honour. If a Bedlam in known attire, arms naked, and cap-feathered, challenge you, to hurl yourself down a rock, and break your neck: though he lead to the bottom upon the same terms, shall you be termed a Coward, if you follow him not? In Westminster, if those grave Senates, were challenged by plaintiffs; must all the judges, rise ftom the Bench, run to cutlers and buy swords, thence to S. james his fields: and make of their books bucklers? what confusion of mankind? would not this heavily be censured in Star chamber, that such able men, follow such weak ones? And is it not, as punishable; when men by their blood, of great worth: by their nature, of excellent wit: by their experience, of singular wisdom: do cast all these good merits, into the flame of a Duel, only because some inconsiderate man doth challenge them Valour, should ever think it base, to lie open, unto every one's anger: to wait at a madcaps heels, to be at hand whensoever he calls to the field: there ought to be a greater distance, between courage and folly, between greatness and weakness. Lewis the 12 of France, when in a lower fortune, ●yps● Mon●●. Polit. lib. 2. c. 12. he was but Duke of Orleans, suffered a great abuse from some peers, and was throughly sensible thereof, he minded to right himself by his weapon, and reach his enemy to the heart: the mean time advanced him from a Dukedom (of Orleans,) to a kingdom, of France, and now sitting so high, he hath quite lost the sight of quarrel: he fancieth not any feeling of it: his nobles, friendly remember him, to revenge himself: no saith Lewis. Parum de corum est regi Galliarum iniurias illatas Aurelianorum ducibus ulcisci; it becomes not a king to take up so low a quarrel: that were, to wreathe the Sceptre with disgrace, to hang the crown upon infamy. The affront did call, but upon a Duke, Iniurias Aurelianorum ducibus illatas, why shall a king follow it? when the creature which offends, is but mean, and is too base, for a Lion-courage to prey upon? Thus you (if you hold yourself worthy) should discourse with yourself; when you are called to combat, say you will not stir, not because you are too weak, but because you are too great: what lieth too far below us, is as far out of our reach, as what is placed too far above us; cast a stone at the stars, they will not send you a challenge by night, they cannot fight with such Lownes as you: They know their glo●y is too high for you to blemish, or hope to offend: therefore, they can have no cause to be angry with you. So you know yourself, to be a bright star of valour, a spark of the planet Mars, and scorn to come near little ones. If a child revile you; will you cite him, wild to the field? why, quarrelling duellers, are but children; they know no more where they set their feet when they go to the field, no more to govern themselves, nor their weapons, then if they were babies; and it were good, the nurse should swadle again their arms up, they use them so crookedly; they will never keep their fingers out of their mouths, all the strength of their arms hangs still at their tongue's end. O Gentlemen of worth and of honour! when you are by some fiery hotspur challenged to the field, say with King Lewis, Parum decorum est ulcisci, look upon the greatness of your own valour, and do not abuse it, by using it so meanly. It is cowardly: a man, all clothed in steel, to draw upon a man naked? I hold it worse, a man fortified with valour, to set upon a weakling quarrellor? it is ever a weakness of stomach to turn sour at every morsel: and quarrelling spirits are certainly of the softest kind of mettle; every little touch doth so bruise them, that they will leak blood presently. The worthier you are, the less warrant you will still find, to follow a quarrellor to the field: which ponderation Holy court. moved Augustus Caesar that most valiant and victorious Prince, Prudently to refuse Mark Anthony his rash and indiscreet defiance, commanding the challenge-bearer for to tell Anthony, that when he was weary of his life, he could find other more noble means to be deprived of it, then in hazarding it with Anthony in single combat: so (that is much to be lamented) this base combating humour, hath so fare crept into honour, and that it lurks most in good blood: whilst the infection, cannot spread amongst meaner Persons; it seems these are grown to a stronger constitution of manhood. This was it: the wiseman teaching to our times, Eccles. 10. 7. so much wondered at: Vidi saith he, servos in equis, Principes ambulantes in terra, A strange sight! I see a mean man, hot in passion, provoked mightily by his foe, grown so furious, that you would judge rage runneth away with him beyond all reason: and yet he handles the raines of his passion so well, he keeps his saddle sure that he falls not, vidi servos in equis: he holds still that command over himself, that none can draw him a Duelling: he feels, it must be his own undoing: in pursuit of his right: he appeals still, from his own arm, unto a court of justice. And yet, those that wear honour out at the elbows: and the world calls, its best men: at the very first gird of anger, lose their stirrups, and reel, vidi Principes in terra: they follow they know not whither, any passionate man, that will lead them: and wilfully, will carry their wrongs, to trial bysteele, contemning all legal causes, as though, all gentlemen's rights, must admit of no other probatur, but the rapier. Point. 3. Plea. 3. Strength, can be no trial of truth. THis giddy Duelling: is no fruit of honour, it is the worm of honour: a fit of falling sickness, of manhood: when reason, is out of doors, and souls are cast, quite past their senses. But will you come to yourself; and hear reason! Your enemy, offended you; why, so he did the law too; then let law punish him, for you both, rather leave the weapon, to the stronger hand: let law answer the challenge; so will you be sure to revenge, your king will be your second. If you grow out of love, with king's laws: and to come by your right, you will call no jury, but fury: whosoever makes of you (as you say) an ass, you will make of him an ox, and knock him in the head. Let us then, pull Littleton's quoyfe over his eyes, and turn the blind fool out of Westminster: we will make that hall, a goodly shambles: of Inns of Courts, we will devise fencing schools: and will have, no more assizes: all care must be, to find out a lusty butcher, that can knock down readily. Whosoever, hath best skill in arms, shall have best right, to others lands: (we will have a new conquest) if you deny, the strongest man's right; he shall give you the lie, and boar a hole in your bosom, and that way come into possession. The truest tongue, shall ever grow nearest the lustiest shoulders: and from the stoutest mouth, you must always gather verities: Nay, we will pass into trades: the valiantest tailor, shall do your work, so you may go out of fashion: the lustiest mason, shall be your layer, so your house may fall on your head. And such be the consequences of unruly courage. These like tenets, are too mad; to pass for currant, amongst men. One will fight, will kill, to prove himself the valianter man; that is no good consequence. It may be your enemy his foot failed him, not his heart, he stumbled; so you killed him: His weapon forsook him, not he, the action; so you overtook him. The wrenching of a sinew, hindered the right rule of his sword, whereby you got within him: so, you reached him his deadly wound. And thus, the valianter man; ofttimes dyeth. Go on: and let us hear, your further discourse: your enemy gave you the lie, therefore you will fight, you will kill him; to prove that yourself speaks, more truth than he: That is a worse consequence: strength of body, and true dealing, fall often a sunder: if every word, the strong man speaks, must pass for currant truth: that Ancient, was a very fool, which first invented a Polyphemus; a mighty strong fellow, and yet with one eye only: compacted, with strong limbs, and weak sight: a face, with a single Eye, and it out of the way, in his forehead, in this pendent-haire fashion now a days, he would be always hud-winked. Surely Ulysses had done great mischief to the world, in putting out that one eye, had he not presently knocked out his brains: for, we should have had, a fellow as blind as a beetle, most strong, most powerful, and so turn teacher of every body: for, all truth, must be delivered from his mouth, his lips only keeps the treasure of wisdom: from him, we must take new doctrines, new counsels, new customs, and every body must believe him, after his eyes be out, else every body must be knocked in the head; because, he is strong enough to do it. If strength must thus maintain truth: then let us resolve first, who is the strongest man in a country; let that man prate at pleasure; fair maidens must owe unto him, their good names: and gentlemen their good blood. If you once find the strongest man of a kingdom: he may freely gear, and discourse. Let him say; there is no honour, in peace: no valour, in war: Captains, be but kettles, of base extraction: some, forced, for fear of the pothooks, to hang over the fire of war; as not able, at home, to keep open kitching. Others, often, boil ever; they enrich themselves, so fast. Most, the rather maintain fire of dissension about them, to have meat within them. Let him say: that men, are but frogs in ho●e and doublet: quackers, that women are but bundles of doubts, moved up and down by the wind fi●kers. Let him say: there is, no enclosure upon earth: no kings, in the stock: no great cards, but quoted knaves; some bigger, some lesser, some thinner in , some muffled in larger garments: and knaves all, that shuffle the queances, amongst them. And all this, must be so: nay, though, as he denyeth a king on earth, so he deny unto the heaven, a godhead. And all this must be true, because he is the most strong man, that saith so: and will challenge you, if you deny it: and proves all by the sword, as by a most bright argument. Is not all this, against reason? when strength carrieth away truth, what shall poor women have? they must speak never a true word; and so their amorous swordmen, shall have work enough, to make, for every lie, a quarrel. O Inconsiderate Duellers, will no reason force you, to put up your weapons? but still, they play, to gain you honour: then, take this point; they can win you, no honour, but what must be stained, with Infamy. I know, honour and wealth, are things in great price. But hark; a tall fellow, that never sowed, will now gather wealth upon the highways: and you, like it not: such monies, come in basely; who will have them so must be a thief: why no otherwise you, the honour which you get by murdering, is as base; when you duellize, you latronize: when you project combats, you do no otherwise then as in an honest neighbourhood, to turn thief: and who protects you, is no better, than a receiver of th● e●es. Point. 4. Plea. 4. To enter a Duel is to turn Thief. IN a Duel, what do you strive for? life: why, that is not yours: when you rob a man of his life, you steal it; then if you go a combating, you go a stealing. You kill your enemy, you expose yourself, to be killed; why, you dispose of things, none of your own; that is but a trick of a thief. Your life, God hath given it, to your king; and unto you, but the loan of it: the king keeps it, for his own turn; you may take the use of it, in your own affairs, only during the king's pleasure: when the king calls for it, to the war, or his other service, you must carry it: is it not then, against all reason, that you should spoil your life when you will? May one murder himself in the field? no heathen dare say it: why, neither can you carry yourself to field, to be murdered by any other: you are accessary to both crimes, equally; a stranger, should have, rather less power over your life, than you have yourself; so, you foully mistake, in concurring with any, to kill you. You will call any private man, thief, that drives but a beast off your ground, and sells it: that takes, against your will, but a crust out of your house, and casts it to the dog: and will not you call him a worse thief, that snatcheth a soul, out of a living body, and casts it perchance to the devil. Your life is not your own; God keeps it for his own use; there are two joint lords of your life; God, and Caesar; God will have you, to live longer, to pay him services: God, is Lord of the Honour: and he will have you live a longer term. God's bailie Reason, warneth you, that it is not fit, you should remove out of God's fealty, disrespectfully: you cannot leave God's service suddenly, at your pleasure, or displeasure; take heed, it will bear an action, in the leet of heaven. This reason, was so strong, that in a great uproar, it held the courage, of the valiant Weneslaus king of Bohemia, in very good order. His brother Bodeslaus, set upon him furiously, striking with every blow to kill: king Weneslaus manfully defending himself, unweaponed his brother, whom spreading now upon the ground, when the waves of anger in Weneslaus, would have swallowed up Bodeslaus, when just fury did cry, kill and revenge. At that instant, reason strikes in, and Weneslaus reflects, what he is going about: to take away, a life, unto which indeed he hath right, because he is Caesar; but yet God hath also a right unto it; and therefore, Weneslaus resolveth to meddle no further with it: but sheatheth his steel, and saith those golden words: mallem ut fraterdeo sanguinis reddat rationem, quam si ego in fratrem manus iniecero, et fratris necis ●●usam apud 〈◊〉. Polit. Deum dicere compellerer. I will not adventure to steal out of the world a life, for the which, in a higher court, one day, I must come to trial: let my brother, keep his life, and answer in Court himself, for it. Why will not subjects, submit unto reason, that forced so mighty a prince: when they be called to combats, may they not without blushing, speak after so warlike a king, and refuse, lest necis causam apud deum dicere compellerer. I will not run away with men's lives, and have a punishing God at my heels. But our Duellers will gather lives, as leaves: and mow men's heads, with as much pleasure, as husbandmen do their meadows. Neither God nor king, shall keep them from kill men, they will drink blood to cool their choler: and rather than want it, they will go so fare out of all reason, that they will take the lives of those that never offended them: they will bereave innocency, of its possession: it seems they will fight, for no other cause, but to show they can kill. Point. 5. Plea. 5. The Dueller mistakes always his enemy. HOw often, hath it happened▪ that in a sudden distaste, you mistook your injurer; you struck, & did not touch, the man that wronged you. Let reason, here in a corner, talk with you a little, of things out of fight. We all know, we have unknown Foes; and a bosom enemy still bites nearest the heart: a wound, least in eye, is most in danger. To open the truth to you; the Devil is your greatest enemy, he brought the man, which you term your abuser, to the Alehouse; to squabble with you, there: do not then challenge the Drunkard, but charge the Devil: else, you mistake your enemy; you use to say, you will fight with the Devil; why strike him now, when Man doth strike you. More, it is drink, that hath been the broacher of all the quarrel, and hath stirred the man, against you: else, all had been quiet: then turn the drink, up and down the floor, and tumble not the Drunkard: but pity, to see, how the Devil plies him with fire and water, with fury and small Ale. If you do otherwise; you are so fare out of reason, that you turn an irrational creature: you turn Cur: Simile quiddam canibus admittis, saith Basil, speaking ●●s. hom. de ir●. of the quarrelling man, qui saxa mordere solent, non jactantes: Cast a stone at a dog, and how quick he will meet it in the field! what a combat, what a gnawing, what a pawing; O had the dog but a sword by his side, what a brave Dueller he would make! And all the while of this doggishnesse, there is no looking, where is the man that did hurt the dog, no notice taken of the hand that moved the stone to set at the dog, and did all the mischief. So you Duellers: You use a just dogtrick, when you carry yourselves so ●●●●ishly towards him tha● thumps you with heavy words: it is true, he it is, whose breath doth touch you: it is him, you feel: and from whom cometh your smart: yet he is, but the stone, and very like it, blind and heavy: reflect then, there is another hand, which doth throw him at you, which wheels him, and violently casts him upon you. Therefore in all reason, in hunc hominum interfectorem, iram transfer: the Devil is the injurer, and fain would be your murderer, hominum interfectorem: therefore, turn all your hatred upon the Devil: it is crafty Satan, that sets on a fellow blind with passion, to anger you; take pity, to see, how the devil plays upon him, making him a block to lie in your way to stumble at, fratris in te peccantis miserere, commiserate, when you feel him under you, remembering it was the devil, that laid him there. Doth your enemy abuse you in a public meeting, doth he invite you to a bosom full of your blood? aliquis te infestat saith Chrysostome, is he very peevish with you? yet look not after him, in ipsum ne respice, it is not worth your labour; you will never come that way within reach of him that did you the wrong in daemonem instigantem iram funde, engage your rage, your courage, in setting upon the Devil. You may arm yourself with weapons of proof; wherewith you may anger him: be but patiented and meek, you will fret him mightily: be humble, you give him a great buffet; use any goodness, and you will stab his very heart; keep but one grain of grace, and he dare never tarry with you. Why will you not then, lay down your sword, wherewith you mistake your enemy, and take up some better weapons, wherewith you might beat the devil your murderer. Thus you see, how Duelism, is every way against reason: the dueller mistakes his masters, they be devils, cowards, or fools: he mistakes his way; to the trial of truth: he mistakes himself, to make himself a thief: and lastly, he mistakes his enemy: and having mistaken himself so many ways, he runneth yet into further mistake; he doth mistake his God, for he goeth about to set up a new Deity, and ●o heave the true God out of heaven. Section II. It is prime valour, to put off Challenges, and to suffer. Either, 1. To shun the greater harm. Or, 2. To be master of your own courage. 3. To reserve your valour for weightier employments. 4. To overcome yourself. THere is no speaking to some Sparks. Men are many times of so stubborn Spirits, that God himself, let him say any thing contrary to their minds, rather than endure it, they will do themselves a mischief. A Hot Spur, before he will bear a small distaste one hour, will break his own neck for ever. God forbade a lusty Captain, to taste a Honeycomb 1 Reg. 14. 27. which hung in a tree: he snuffed at it, and grew distempered: he apprehended it unworthy so tall a Fellow, to be checked like a Child, not eat but with licence; and he lifted up his Truncheon, (against God) touched the Honey, bearing it to his lips, so, pitifully mildewing a plentiful Harvest of victories, and blasting the future springs of all his flourishing fortunes. Who could imagine a Soldier, would so much to his loss, strive with God for a lick of Honey? From a great Queen, God took but one Apple: Gen. 2. 17. and yet left it her growing, to beautify her Garden: But charged her, not to eat it; God reserved it, for his own dish: he advised her, not to mind it: she termed that a scorn of her sovereignty, to chide her fancy; quarrelled with God about it, and heaped a world of sorrows and wants, unto herself and all her children. Who would believe, a Queen of the earth, to contend with the King of Heaven for an apple? But read the Chronicles of Palestine, and see Gen. 3 16. what befell them both, for striving with their betters; and learn thereby to go slowly into distastes against your greater. Point 1. Suffer. 1. It is true valour, to suffer, when you must lose, by striving. IT is prime valour, oft times, to suffer: for no other reason, but because one that is above you, (by Sceptre, or Crozier, by might, or craft) will have you suffer; and you cannot hinder it, but by doing yourself more hurt, than all your suffering can mount unto: in such a case, I say, true valour doth bid you, not seek revenge, but force yourself to suffer: you show stoutness, to dare look an abuse in the face, and not to squeale out at the first touch of it. You call it courage, to submit to the Surgeon's knife, when a disease hath made him your Master: so if your weakness makes a mean man way to master you, you show good metal, when you let him cut you: for you fence still a greater mischief off, with a lesser: and prove, it resteth in no enemies power, to lay on you what load he please: you will take up your own burden; that is manlike. To live free from all sufferings, were to live beyond the rate of mortal men: a mean Cottenger makes oft times a mighty man suffer. The difference between valiant and cowardly spirits I find is, that valour will be still his own carver; whilst cowards do gape, like Cewetts, when you bob them under the chin. The stout man can for his advantage, hold his own snarlish nose to the Grindstone, when it grows too sharp, and dull the edge of honour: he will suffer a lash of disgrace, or discontent, to get free from a more burdensome evil: and to wind himself into a better occasion, to get his right, to punish his abuser, and not abuse himself too. Certainly, men ought not to be so pettish with God and man: means should be used, to bring suffering a little more into credit and practice: suffer a great man, sometimes, be it but for his greatness. If great God, will take from you your honey, your delight, your apple, your profit; strive not therefore; you and God grow not to be enemies. A greater, a craftier, a peevisher man than yourself, will have some of your ancient rights from you: why, if he will needs snatch them, be not presently a struggling; beat him not out of breath, with dry blows of bags of money: if you waste your treasure in Law, so you join with your enemy to undo you: never fetch a golden fee over the bar at Westminster, because a great man leaps over your hedge a hunting: fence not a little harm off with a mighty one: that is not to be Prudentes sicut Serpents; upon every distaste Matth. 10. 16. be not a striving. A great heart may stand a time under a great burden of wrongs, and the stoutest shoulders rise not upon the legs that are the quickest kickers. Abraham was a man of good rank in the world, Gen. 12. 1. and had great wealth, a fair house, certain and goodly demeans in Vr and Haran: his Landlord God, upon a small warning turns him out a doors, sets house and lands over his head to another. Abraham is silent, he never questioneth God in the high Chancery of his mercies. Abraham knew his time to suffer, And he suffereth more yet; He hath but one son, upon whom he had bravely builded the hopes of a Gen 22. 2. mirth of posterity, all the comfort of those ages: God will needs make a Calf of this Son, and knock him on the head, as a Victim unto the Almighty. Abraham carrieth his son to the slaughter. Caius Caesar had a subject stout, wealthy, and honourable: he was of the order of Knights, the only Nobility of those ages, when Dukes now deny, Kings claimed no place at the side of the Sceptre. This noble Knight was father to a hopeful Heir, & was Owner of a Spanish mettle, which ever breedeth the best steel: his name was Pastor, and learned Lipsius observeth some of that name at this day in Spain. This Pastor's eldest son was undeservedly called to execution by the angry Emperor Caius: the father hath both love to feel, and valour to revenge, yet striveth not against the potent Prince, but suffereth his son to dye: and bears it out so cheerfully, that between his words and thoughts you could not spy a sorrow: Nec dolorem aliquo signo erumpere passus est. Pastor is mightily sensible, and yet you perceive him not discontented. If you ask him how his sons wrongful death goeth down with him so gently? why is his stoutness so pliable to suffer? Seneca answereth you for him wittily, Pastor had another son to lose, Habuit alterum. Pastor Lib. 2. the I●●, cap. 33. did suffer, to save himself from greater sufferings: the Knight had more yet to lose, therefore his best course was to be quiet: had he contended with his Prince, had he urged that mighty arm, it would but enlarge his harm: so Pastor might have lost all his children, and himself too. Have you a few acres in a whole Manor, or one Manor amongst many, which a neighbour great or covetous gapes after, and sighs for sorely? ease him and yourself too, and let him take it; sometimes merrily, because upon that ground, you will raise no unkindnesses: remember with Pastor, Habes alterum, you have more lands to lose; and if you cannot suffer one to rob you of this, in some by-way he will wait for you, he will set law upon you, to rob you of all the rest. When such a cross mischief must come into request, deny it not; there is no cure, but to diet your choler, and walk out of the way of your conceit of honour: if you will go to law, to answer a great man's gall, all your lands may sink in it: take therefore Pastors counsel in time, suffer one loss, lest you suffer many. Your child, your wealth, your comfort, let it go when mighty God will have it so: remember Habes alterum; if you be impatient, if your heart rise, God will pick the rest away from you. Your enemy hath gauled you, and Dulce est dolorem reddere, It is honey to you to cut his Seneca de Ira, lib. 2. cap. 32. throat: lose that honey, that sweetness of revenge, though you can reach it: say with Pastor, Habes alterum; you have a life to lose, a quietness of life to lose, which is all the comfort of life; and if you stir to your enemy his loss, for yourself, you must make another: therefore set your heart at rest to suffer. You shall see Abraham suffer yet more: he had a Gen. 12 14, 15, 16. wife, the Flower of all Asia, that ever hath brought forth the primest Beauties: her face might have enamoured the Heavens. If the ancient amorous Angels any more were to come to court the filias hominum, the Damosels of Damaseene, this beautiful creature would surely draw those merry Spirits from their Heavens: her pretty countenance was a cluster of all the perfections of Nature: from her fame Apelles afterwards stole all his neatest features: when she faded, her crimson she left to the Rose, her candour unto the snow, which in her kept heat enough to inflame millions. This woman being Abraham's wife, God bade him trust her to court, thrust her to the King's bosom, and she herself adventured the bed of a Pharo: yet Abraham made no quarrel against his God, nor against his consort● resteth quiet: she will be faithful to the homely herdsman, amidst the embraces of a king. Certainly, honest Abraham both had the Desert to meet, and the happiness to enjoy a most honest wife: he believed God would keep her. More: Abraham was a sufferer, not only of God, Gen 13. v. 8. 9 who he was sure, could master him: but you shall see in him, towards mean men, a great deal of mildness. Abraham had a great stock; his Cousin Lot's shepherds, fenced up pastures (for themselves) and drove off Abraham's : grass began to be short, & the hungry beasts bellowed aloud for meat: Abraham's heart did ring with sorrow; yet he held it quiet; he went not about to try the title with Lot, by Law, nor arms, nor yet offered any blows to the shepherds. But after a while goeth to Lot's house, with hat in hand, obsecro, I pray fair dealing, without foul words: upon the goodly banks, by these fertile brooks, in the shady dales, there groweth grass in plenty; and we have room enough for us both, therefore let us have no justling between us; Obsecro non fit jurgium inter nos; to what purpose should we two, go to boar holes in one another's skins, for our money to drop thorough into the Surgeon's fingers? we are Cousins, let not misbelievers censure the kindred of the faithful for most unkind: its true, a kinsman ought not to suffer too much from a kinsman, sometimes such may quarrel; but let us see first what cause we have to fight, and then we will try, how we can fight it. I pray thee Lot, let us not kill ourselves out of an humour, for a handful of grass: we are but strangers in the country, and we are but two to strengthen one another, let us not break our backs to fill our beasts bellies. All this pleading the matter was but a staidness of Abraham's valour, no slowness of his metal: Abraham reflected upon inconveniences of greater consequence, and so withstood his own combating courage: for though you hear Abraham here a great sufferer, you shall see him anon a great soldier; and know you hereby, that when you suffer, you be not presently of the size of a coward; rather when you suffer to advantage yourself, you show a piece of very good manhood. About this same time, of Abraham's crouching to his neighbour Lot, Kings in person led martial troops abroad the country: and you shall see Abraham dare look Kings in the face and beat them: five kings rove abroad and pillage, and one Abraham will be able to make a rescue: Gen. 14. v. 1●. ●●. 16. a few servants, a handful of shepherds, led by an Abraham; do kill kings, rout troops, return spoils, and fill the air with applauses of victory: see whether Abraham be a man of metal or no, and whether his suffering was his want of feeling, and of valour; no it was his judgement, to lead always his courage unto his best advantage. O Dueller, you of the number of the faithful? si filii Abraham estis, opera Abraham facite; whom willingly you follow in faith, be not ashamed to follow in good manners: I like well, you be as Abraham was, with your weapon, a mighty doer; but I would have you also be, as Abraham was, at fit times, a meek sufferer. Point. 2. Suffer. 2. True valour is to be master of your own courage, and not upon any one's call, to combat. I Observe, some men take wonderful pleasure in squabbling; thereby they vaunt spirit, (which they call) the touchstone of generosity, they care not after what cause they go, so they carry it stoutly: this kind of courage, hangs sometimes upon a good heart, yet it is not the fruit, it is but some little dead leaf that falls from the goodly plant of valour; or reckon it, as a moat amongst the rays of valour. The shining Sun, will not be long without moats, it will find them thorough one hole or other: it is as true, a man Gen. 〈◊〉 of bright and sharp metal cannot belong without meats, he will fetch them strangely out of corners. Yet that is not, because the light doth like imperfections, or valour love mis-usage; but because, as moats do follow the glorious Sun, so some madness doth ever follow manhood: nullum ingenium magnum Sen. l. de Tranquil. sine. sine mixtura dementiae, scarce shall you meet a great courage, but it hath a little of unruly carriage; those that can bridle it, are the most excellent men. Therefore, if you love credit, keep your valour at a stand: suffer it not to stir, until it sue first for leave; to the Queen of moral virtues, Prudence: so you shall truly be master of mettle, and not, your mettle master of you, that is not to be a man, but to be a slave of manhood, haled up and down by mettlesome passions basely. These be harsh masters, when they tyrannize over you. The greatest skill of a swordman, is not to go, but to stay to choose an opportunity, to wrench it from his enemies in spite of them; else you are angry, but as the mouldy worpe, which with blind fury biteth all it meets withal: if an offence call on you and your anger rise, bid it lie down again, and sleep until you awake it. Will you have your heart to be the centre of valour? then hold you quiet, when all the world flieth to pieces about you: for of all the earth, only the centre can never be moved. Caius Marius was undoubtedly of the best soldiers The French Academy of Pierre de Primandie. the Roman Military bred: he was powerful in victories, he hewed to pieces one hundred thousand brave Low-countreymen in one battle: he was dreadful to his foes, he put the rugged Cambriats' to quick flight, the noise of his name defeated many enemies. Yet when Paulus Sylla stepped to his teeth and dared him to fight, Marius stands still like a lamb: it was not because Marius had lost his mettle, but because he held the reines of it, and would not suffer it run after so silly a fellow as Sylla was▪ but plainly refuseth the challenge, and saith, If Sylla holds himself so tall a fellow, that he can beat Marius, let him try to force Marius to fight in spite of his heart: for Sylla must know Marius maintaineth, he will not fight, but when it please himself. It is a greater strength to hold back the roaring Bull, than to run as fast as he: nay it is much more might, to hold his striving strength quiet, than to fight with him. You Duellers, when you are called to the field, if you will be master of the field, stay your valour: look upon Marius, who will draw upon no man's command, no man's challenging, no man's bidding: all challengers are but pratlers; to talk of fightings, and fierceness unto Marius, are but tales of Robin-hood. Men of best valour themselves know best, what time to fight: and the quarrel, with his humorous words, is no clock for them to count by: they will not be tied to keep any man's hour: valour will be his own chooser, for time, place, and quarrel, and will hold nothing under its enemy; it will owe no service, and will fight, but for what itself will. Certainly, it is a most poor custom, crept now adays into credit, that men must fight when they be bidden, (when they be challenged) that is to make of men children. What difference between the cradle and grey hairs? but that the one is carried (and so is the duell-answerer) the other walks where he please: the little one feeleth not where it goes, the great man knoweth he hath great charge (of honour) about him, and therefore will take his own time of the day. Fabius Maximus the Non plus ultra, upon the Pillars The French Academy of Pierre de Primandy. of the Roman Fortitude, had the command of a select troop, at the time Hannibal entered Italy; a Fabian soldier, thought it unworthy his so great a Commander lying in the way, the Garthaginian standard should approach the walls of Rome; and therefore with angry speeches, attempted to rouse the most mighty General Maximus to fight: but he stirred not; all those winds blustering f●om foolish lips, shaked no corn in Fabius his ears: Fabius saith, be will show valour, in that he will not be drawn from his deliberation (which is to stay a convenienter time) not for all their taring reproaches: Fabius his valour runs not out of sight for a child's chase; his heart is no hen, that will be driven off the nest (of his hopes) with a hushing: that man is very weak headed, that suffereth his heart, to run away with him: that is but a convulsion of courage. Fabius' reflected, his credit was great, his foot must not stir, but the whole earth must shiver: his head must not move, but the very heavens must tremble: when he rouseth, the whole universe must quake in a dreadfulness: therefore Fabius bids his courage be quiet, until such time as an opportunity falls out, he may do something becoming a Maximus. Say you so too, when you are challenged by a boisterous quarrel, that you hold him no fit matter for your courage to work upon; and so show that you can take time to deliberate, what a man of your rights to honour is fitting should do. Old Soldiers, (that ever be the valiantest men) will stick long before you can get their heads into a quarrel: they know what obligations follow men that go to the field, what ties of honour do gird their great hearts. When a valiant man is bend upon revenge, he will take it: he must not play the weathercock, if the thunderbolt strike, it must turn the bardest metal into dust: and stout men's anger must not be the push of a feather, blown off with a fair word, with a little entreaty. The valiant man reflects what a great opinion of valour, the world holds on him: a very sweet & pleasing thing to carry, but chargeable in its retinue; when wrongs do call it abroad, it must have a great train of blood after it, to amaze an Injurer. The stout man considereth the great report there is of the excellency of metal within him: and therefore now that it is to come forth, if it do not carry away the eyes of all men, he shall be a scorn for ever: his honour hath been yet amongst his neighbours, but as the blossom on a tree, or corn in the busk; now time is come that all men will expect a harvest, the sickle must go, and every body will be gaping at what is reaped; wide gaping wounds must be the barns, where he must inn his honour. With these and like reflections, courage doth hang its course almost still in the deepest resentments; and certainly, whilst quarrellers, like little brooks, keep a loud prattling, manhood glides so quiet, that you would think it is not moved. Fabius Maximus commanded his courage to forbear Hannibal, expecting for his valour some better service, to present it to his Country; it was not fear of death, that frighted him. So you shall see; let Rome, in whose hands he willingly leaves the raines of his valour, set him a-work with three hundred men only, he will set upon all the warlike troops of Hannibal. The necessity of the Commonwealth, bids the Roman Eagles fly, a Fabius shall fly before them: and all the beams of Hannibal's glistering Army, shall not dazzle the eyes of Fabius: But he shall pull the rays from Hannibal's head, and strike therehence his frontlet: and so like a Phoenix of Honour, die amid the beams of the African glory: having the frontlet about him. Certainly, men may stay from fight, and yet have a great mind to fight; when a good occasion is wanting, it is wisdom, to lock up your valour, fortunate be they that can do it. When you are too weak, to go into the blustringaire, you keep your chamber; that is not to keep your house, but to keep your health: so to stay out of the way, is not always servile fear, sometimes it is strength of courage, that expects hard for a victory. The Soldier that undermineth the wall, you will not say, he hideth himself blindly in a wonty-locke; he walketh but a while in a hole, to raise up his valour with a brighter glory. So when men stay from fight, if a challenge be given, and no answer had, let it not be termed cowardliness; it may be manhood is labouring with its full strength, to reach the furthest pitch of valour, it is not to run away, but to fetch a fee to leap beyond the Worthies. Actions of consequence, as honour is, required good deliberation: we see very often times, men wish themselves again at the the beginning of a quarrel, whereunto they have fallen too too suddenly: therefore the best Soldiers are slow fighters, and it will be a long time before hot words can heat them: the fuel that makes the strongest fire, you take it tardy a kindling, whiles light straw will soon present your eye with flashes. Point. 3. Suffer. 3. True valour reserveth itself, for weightier employments, than to dance in a Duel. HAve you true courage? the mark will not be, that you roar booted and spurred for a Duel: when valour is in you, you will hang out for your sign, Silence. A man that lays up gold in heaps, lieth; spends not on Lady's smiles, sugar suppers: nor turns his money to smoke in a Kitchen: and who owneth the treasure of valour, shuts it up better than to vapour it out, to draw it forth upon every Madcaps frown to a kill: When affronts call men of courage abroad, their valour invites them to stay at home: it is gentile, and must not go into ill company. Great valours have always great fortunes to follow, and no leisure to attend quarrellers: therefore when private wrongs do fly, the valiant man's eye doth not regard them. The Roman Orator leading a stream of eloquence to overflow the merits of Caesar, presenteth us with his piety in war, his courage in peace, his stayed heart in victories, and his rising hopes in misfortunes: One fault Cicero confesseth in him, that he had no memory. And was Caesar so forgetful indeed? I am sure he forgot himself less than all the Roman Captains that went before him; for quickly he took up the Diadem from under a company of Gulls or Consuls, that so long bred it amongst them, and never spied it. But yet (saith Cicero) Caesar was forgetful, of what? Extollens dicebat Cicero, saith the learned African, me thinks I see Cicero break out into a smile, and say, Nihil oblivisci solebat nisi injurias: Apud Aug. Epist▪ 5. ad Marcall. Valiant Caesar could not frame himself to pick straws, or pick quarrels, (which is all one) he could never bestow so ill his courage; and therefore you would think ever he did forget his injurer: his private abuses, he laid so far out of mind, that time would say, he could never remember them. It seems he kept all the rooms of his thoughts for conquests: for every corner of his heart, he had a several Kingdom: therefore he would make no place for shuffling quarrels: no, it was a furtherance to his victories, that Caesar had a special gift, in having no gift at all of memory, for his wrongs: and so Cicero goeth on neatly, observing Caesar, who was of so excellent a memory, so rare in that Art, that he was not known ever to have forgotten any thing: Nihil oblivisci solebat: yet, to every man he did seem mainly forgetful of his injuries, he did so wonderfully sleep in them: and it was, he would not stir in them, he had so much other work for his courage. Had not the singular valour of Caesar done so, saith Augustine, yet Cicero did most well to say so: because great Caesar, should have done so: and not only all the great masters of the earth, but also every man of manhood: valour should follow glory, not humour: so neat a thing as valour is, should be set upon better work, than to cobble up Duels: Dicebat adulator, did Cicero but compliment with Caesar, yet truly Talem esse debere ostendebat Principem civitatis August. ibid. qualem illum (Caesarem) praedicabat: Cicero wisely expressed what was fitting for great courages to do; men that will be great, must keep their stomaches to hard meat; it must not be said of them, they can swallow nothing but milk sops: You must learn to digest great quarrels, you must have the stomach of an Ostrich, sometimes to swallow iron: though one draw on you, and wound you, yet a more glorious employment, must hold your courage, from laying your heart upon the revenge of it: valiant men must not admit, that every little crumb of discontent can choke them: no, valour must swallow better than so: else the world, that so swarmeth with displeasing successes, had never made, of valorous men, its victors. Hence it came, that when Mark Antony quarrelled with Caesar, yet Caesar would not awake, he was so sleepy, that his legs could not carry him to the field, as I said before. This great Augustus was a Prince, got well by his weapon, therefore he had no reason to refuse to use it; and the edge of his courage was well steeled with skill, therefore there was no great cause for him to fear Mark Antony his arm, that was but a pillow for Ladies to lie on. This Caesar is the very same (though others say it was julius Caesar) that comforted the timorsome Boat-man, with a Caesarem vehis: Flerus. assuring him, rough misfortunes durst not appear in the presence of Caesar: why then should Caesar fear an effeminate Antony? surely it could not be fear, it was love, that Caesar bore to his valour. He resolved to reserve the thing he loved so dear, for more glorious actions: he would not spend of it, with that Spendthrift of honour, Mark Antony: he played the better husband, and kept good metal for good use. So, when the perfumed Courtier Antony challengeth Caesar to fight in single combat, Caesar saith to him in sadness he will not: doth Caesar therefore not love fight? not so, Caesar rather loved it so well, that he will not bestow it upon t●e Egyptian: Caesar prizeth fight higher, than to cast away, as much as one crash, on a coward: Caesar's fights, are to win kingdoms, not to win conceits: a Caesar will not spend his blows to beat off coxcombs, but to strike down crowns: weighty must be the occasion, that can make stout men stir: children may run after shuttle cocks. So you men of worth, you should set more by your limbs, then to lay them at the stake to any that will play against them: shall every coward cut the cards upon you? call you at all times of the night of dark passion, and shall he so trample your life, that is the fruitful bed of honour, wherein so many glorious actions grow, in peace and in war? will you hazard all, of a challenger will draw cuts for it: if he will cut off your neck, will you carry it to the field as quickly, as for your Prince to the scaffold? see what sovereignty you give unto base quarrellers. This is to make Apes leaders of Lions: with lives men of great credit, should not part so easily: our jewels sometimes we lose, yet we find them again; but our lives once gone, we never meet them more, till the great wake of josaphat: therefore, you valiant men, seeing you gain so much by life, you should have more care to keep life on foot: all sparkling honour, all glittering valour, life is the cabinet that keeps it: hack life to pieces, what remains, can nevergain you honour: it is but a lump of senseless flesh, so cowardly, that abuse it then, cast it on the ground, it dares not stir: affront a body then, see if it dare challenge, it dare do nothing but grin, and look pale: wherefore if you love valour so well for honour's sake; love life a little better, and keep it, to get you more honour, cast not life away so slightly. But do you in honour burst with a Phanaticke desire, the world should know, that in your heart doth grow the orient pearl of valour; and I pray you, what is it? forsooth, that you can carry thorough your hot heart, a piece of cold iron and smile at it: that death never brings unto you her dreadfulness: why if you be so hot, walk alone to the war, and show so much there: do service to your most well-deserving king therewith, who will regard your advancement by pay; so, your valour, unto honour, you shall add profit, and by this, you may rise further into honour. Creep not up and down a country, killing rotten sheep, poor silly fellows, that when you bore them, you lose more ale than blood out of their bodies. If you will strike like a mighty one, strike at the mountains of manhood, set at armies: if you have fire, burn high Cedars, let low shrubs alone for little ones to blaze on: the high region of a thundering air sends its bolts against the highest towers, it sets against what stands mightiest; but you must take in hand what lieth nearest: as soon as a neighbour angreth you, than you must needs fight: good Lord, how soon your valour riseth at home: if your courage be so early up, why do you not send it abroad to the field breath it up a rampire, where it shall find work enough? But your work must be by the fire side, you must fight at home, that is your goodly valour. I must tell you, such men be always of the chillest courage: and I believe though they now glow in London, they will quickly have a cold fit at the news of a Canon: I wish them to take Physic, and from Saint George his field, to lead their courage under Saint George his banner: it will turn their stomach, and cure their choler. That famous Bachet, lustre of the East, and Holy court. General of the Turkish Armies, understanding one of his Captains had challenged his fellow soldier; and both were gone to field, to cool their choler with cold steel: Bachet broke out into a most feeling compassion. O, quoth he! what is our meaning? shall we kill no more enemies, have we done with the jewish Redeemers children (that deserve not the names of men) shall no more of them scrawle on the tops of our lances? In a world of hateful adversaries, can we find leisure thus to turn our weapons upon the hearts of our fellows? have we no more greatness to offer unto Mahomet's glory, that thus we hang up our weapons in the bosoms of the supporters of his temple? O, English Dueller, this Turk remembers you of a noble lesson: if your choler boyles so fast about your heart, that it makes your finger's ends tingle: lay them not therefore upon your neighbours, your king's subjects; but go further from home, to pray upon humane blood: your king hath enemies in the world, fall you on them abroad, and the king's laws will in requital fall upon your foes at home. When your King hath no enemies, yet you may find yourself warlike work: bring in new found lands, to in large your king's kingdoms: the greatness of his royal merits deserve room to spread over far more large territories: the Ocean should burst with shame to press meres unto his Empire: rather it should open its bosom, and give ground to lay unto his Dominions: and go to overflow with its waves the countries of less deserving Princes: not bite away one crown from the Britain shores; great Charles his glory hath need of every sand, to reckon his singular merits. Walk you Dueller with your valour, abroad the world, it hath a large scope, and many skirts; find you one to lie upon, & lay on in a just conquest lustily: show greatness of valour in that you can make your good king greater; and waste not his subjects at home, so you make him lesser: to show your fiery mettle consume not your king's power. If you have skill to kill, open your shop where that trade will be in good liking: if all your labour is to make the world know you care not for death; walk there where you shall see it wait at your heels; and cries round about you every minute, bring you tidings, it will be anon within you. Bachet was a great soldier, of stout courage, and though bloody enough (he was a Turk) yet he misliked mightily challenges and private combats: he deemed them but a havoc of manhood. If we will needs play at kill-game, let us not play like boys, that must always play near their own doors; let us go where there is want of killers: at home there wants good livers. Point 4. Suffer. 4. The valorous man his greatest victory is to overcome himself. But will you live at home, and fight too, and come by a mighty opinion of valour: I will descry unto you near your own doors, a terraincognita (your self nosce teipsum) a whole country to win, A microcosmos, a little world, full of great Commanders and fierce enemies, to conquer. I will carry you before two great high towers, of two mighty powers: the one, you will find so understanding to master you, that it is all knowledge, the other so wilful to cross you, that it is nothing but will: so strange, that all the power of heaven and earth never makes it do, but it's own will. I will lead you amongst the ambushes of sensual pleasures; and show you the strong hold of delight: the industrious sleights of profit: the wearilesse toil of gain: the wonderful confidence of ease. Muster up here your couragiousest resolutions, you shall march amongst a number of most cunning foes: do you know where the most potent lord Self reigneth? one so ambitious, that the whole face of the earth hath been ever yet too narrow for him to lay his eye upon; he rowles it into the bottom of the seas, unto the centre of the earth, and crieth out still for more room. One so mightily troublesome that he pillageth all the fields of Nature with whole armies of unsatiable Passions, that swell against the very heavens; that strike at the very face of him that holds his head higher than the stars. One so venomous in his very heart, that after he is utterly defeated and laid on the ground, severed in pieces like a Snake, yet the one part of him will stir, and keep such a stir, that it will rail and revile against its Victor, for a whole eternity. Do you desire not to go fare, and yet to go a combating? why, take this combat in hand; set at this strong enemy, and try your valour on him: he dwells near enough unto you, you may be quickly with him, he is your own self. I say, if you desire to take a masterpiece of work in hand, master yourself; and one thing know for your comfort, if you can compass it, the noise of your worthiness shall surpass all the nine of the fame. For who overcommeth himself, may challenge the freedom to take the first place amongst the valiant. Call you in valiant Caesar to a first chair: him, so universal a conqueror, that the Princes of the earth presented him with Sceptres, as mean tenants do their Landlords with Chickens: you think this old soldier becomes the chair well: you shall see a young Cato, a conqueror of himself, come in and bid him rise, & will take place of him. Cato the younger, at the time the Roman glory was The French Academy of Pierre de Primandy. clouded in the sad siege of Utica, was moved by his fellow Romans, lying all close blocked up, to submit unto conquering Caesar, else all must die. Valiant Cato at the mention of death, reads the inventory of all his goods or goodnesses of all his life; he hath a long roll of many good moral virtues: under the head of his conquests, he runs over a number of great price: but under the head of his self Conquests he finds a great store: it seems it was usual with him to overcome himself. He often had kerbed his anger, rising against some great men of the City, which might have driven him into rebellion. He had mastered his ambition, which perchance would haveled him upon the same action, as Caesar now is, to command the gates of Rome: but Cato bridled his unruly passions, better. Cato therefore answereth, he will not submit unto Caesar. I (saith Cato) have trulier conquered than Caesar; therefore Caesar should rather submit unto me. Caesar he is now taken and overcome: therefore none can make submission unto him as conqueror. Caesar, his own vicious ambition to master all, hath cast him over us all. His great fear (having offended some of the Senate) hath bound him fast to the Sceptre to fence himself withal: for, could Caesar have submitted his fierce disposition to the grave Laws of the Senators, which doubtless would have had a worthy feeling of him; their own profit by his conquests, would have sweetened their trouble in the ruggedness of his nature: for wise men know a great spirit cannot serve them, but it must sometime offend them; and actions from humane flesh, we must be contented to take them▪ as fish, a good one, and a shrew: could Caesar but have been a little tractable to the light of higher powers, his heart had never vapoured so much heavy grief as would presume to cloud the laws of Rome, and for ever to eclipse the government of so many hundred years shining: usurping over the Senate sovereign power himself, who by right of cradle, deserved not to be their meanest fellow. Therefore Cato still saith, he will account himself the invincible, because in mastering of himself, he is mightier than Caesar. Cato scorned to yield unto the Victor of Rome: breathing the glory of being Victor over himself. We are now come to the hold and keep, who must be the better man, he that can quarrel, or he that can suffer; who mastereth many others, or who subdueth himself. We dare go over shoes in blood to angle for honour, but we know not whether to go from home with Caesar amongst strangers, or home again with Cato unto ourselves. An offence is given, and you resolve therefore you must overcome your enemy, why do you not resolve, you must overcome yourself? you say you must fight, why say you not, you must be quiet: How do you prove, that it becomes a valiant man better to fight, than to suffer? Or how is it a lesser victory to conquer one's self, than another? You plead you must discover valour, I say so to, but let us find the best way: it will ever fall out, that we shall still come home again to yourself, and within yourself, we shall find the best matter of victories. It is a golden verse of a good Poet, repeated by most Writers; it seems the witty saying doth take many: Fortior est qui se, quàm qui fortissima vincit▪ Man●uanu●. Moenia: nec virtus, altior ire potest. Arduares, vicisse alios, victoria major, Est animi motus, composuisse sui. O'ercome yourself, that's more than towers of brass To win, your virtue can no higher pass. Hard thing it is, strong Armies to confound; But more to hold your raging passions bound. Sentence is given: it is more to beat one's Self, than a many thousands: therefore if you run a duelling, only out of a desire to get honour: lay challenges with others aside, and make it your quarrel to master yourself: choose it, as the most difficult Duel, to overcome yourself. The nearer an enemy layeth siege to a City, the more valour it is, to beat him back; and what can be more near you, than what is within you. Magis sunt periculosa quae domestica, as Lactantius, very wittily Lib. 1. inst. cap. 9 observeth. A civil war is the forest blow to a kingdom: because each part is sure to weaken the other, and all parts growing weak, that body must needs die. Yet there, only one part is against the other; but here all against every part of you; you rob your hands of their labours, your understanding you bereave o●●●s ●●ght; from your will you steal its good customs: and from your internal senses, their gentle inclinations to right; and thus you whose greatness consists of many Powers, do engage your whole self in undoing every several part of your own strength: then here is a civil war more dangerous: When two Combators have lost the wales of their weapons, and cannot keep one another out any longer, when fencing can maintain no distance between them, but they are come within one another's arms, then gins the bloody part of the combat, there is nothing but poaching at life, strikes every blow as fast as the weapon can come and go. Can any be more within you, than your own self? none doth lay at you more fiercely. Then this is the most dangerous Duel. You shall not gape to eat, but the enemy creeps in at your mouth, and turns your full stomach, to desire what is not, to torture you. You shall not go to bed, but he follows you between sheets, and sets difficult fancies on you, and keeps your eyes open in spite of the rod of Mercury: if toil cast you into a little sleep, the enemy watcheth your first waking, he falleth to the same game again, and pestereth you with most heat, when you be most naked. Rise, and he will make you sow tears in vain, reap words with no gain: and between wind and water he will hit you so sore, that it is a thousand to one, he will sink you. Is it not therefore good reason, that the subduing of his enemy, (ones Self) should be judged the greatest conquest. This enemy doth fight upon such advantages, that it must needs be your greatest glory to conquer him. And hence you shall ever find those your best victories, whereof some part is, to overcome yourself. A golden consequence! if to conquer, you must master yourself, your victories be profitable: the more they have of selfe-mastership, the more they will have of profit: for by our difficulties & dislikes, we know what doth become us: and by our desires, we reckon still our mistake: I will talk still of things within the compass of courage. You are right valiant, as light to fight as a feather. Why there be peevish opposing Spirits abroad in your parish, that men cannot dwell by with quiet: if you durst but touch them with a word, they would like a beetle leave their filthy burden of malice: and you find great difficulty to speak, you sweat and groan with the conceit that a word must come out of your mouth, you are in labour. Overcome yourself here, choose this combat, and let Challengers alone. More, I will choose you another combat. Your servants, within your own doors, dare be disorderly: your Officers over-carelesse, or over-covetous, or both: if you have a stomach that can rise, set against these. O you will not endure the toil, you cannot suffer the barking noise of your own disorders, you will never abide to hear again of your own foolish expenses, to offer you notes is to cast motes in your eyes, you find mighty trouble. Why, overcome yourself, you shall see it one of your best conquests: be not a coward, run not away from yourself, master yourself for shame, to be master of your own: sure, you are so great, so honourable, that you are afraid of yourself: subdue yourself in most things, so your spoils shall be the heaps of many happinesses. — Tunc omnia jure tenebis, Claud. ad Theod. Imp. Cum poteris rex esse tui. Will you put all conquests into one, conquer yourself: who cannot do so, will never be Lord Treasurer of valour. Hercules, you think, was a tall man, and had good strength: that could tear Lions, bear on his back whole miskins, overrun horses, over-flie birds, and roll up and down the world doing wonders: Surely he had great limbs, yet Lactantius noted, they wanted their best sinews: Vellem adjecisset Lact. ut supra. de insolentia: I wish I could hear of some feats of Hercules, how he dealt with his enemies at home: you tell me he did beat monsters, but durst he touch himself: I hear he did cleanse neighbours dunghills, but was he not apt to crow upon his own dunghill? Vellem adjecisset de insolentia: I fear he was a little insolent. I should be glad to hear some news, how he mastered his own mind: and then saith Lactantius, I will yield unto antiquity, and confess that Hercules was a valiant man indeed, and a mirror of valour. Otherwise I will say, Hercules deserveth not his name, under the fame as it goeth. For I will no more esteem him, for conquering beasts, birds, and enemies, than I will esteem of a child treading upon so many little Ants. Animum vincere fortissimum est, It is the conquest of himself that must make Hercules famous. If you be ambitious of glory, here is a way for you to go beyond Hercules: Non enim fortior est judicandus, qui leonem, quàm qui iracundiam in se inclusam Lact. ibid. superat. When your heart doth fill with filthy revenge, sweeten it with mercy, and you shall be Hercules, not the other fellow for cleansing the King's stables: when your angry thoughts fly unto the Higher Powers for punishment against your enemy; fly you to overtake those thoughts, and tell them there is a God in Heaven, that bids you forgive: so you shall be the true Hercules, and not he that overtook a bird with an arrow. If the light of reason might be suffered to prefer a ray in the Star-Chamber; it would most humbly desire reflection upon the riots against reason, wherein by violence of weapons such strange value of valour is maintained; such unlawful measures of honour are sealed with blood. One that can but force a Bear, or face a Bull, is cried for valiant; and he that doth the wonder of wonders, who mastereth himself, is jeered for a Coward. Let one overcome himself, he must outrun his Country; all men will so point at him for a mere Noddy, as fit for nothing but to make a Lubber, to lie in a Monastery; whiles perchance, for a worthy effusion of blood he hath a better courage, than you that do but play the Scullion, running up and down the field to stick a Goose. I admire not that vice is in good liking, it doth unto most men a pleasure: but when men without blush do praise vice, I fear their faith hath a tainture. It may be a wonder in future ages that men desired to do well, and said they durst not, for fear of the imputation of the vulgar; they acknowledged they did ill, and could do no otherwise, they must be so overruled by the coyish fancy of the Commons. Section III. Seven Antidotes, or quick Reasons to put off Quarrels. 1. Take not notice of every wrong. 2. You are not the worse for a discourtesy. 3. Put off wrongs with some pleasant jest. 4. In base occasions suffer wrongs to punish your self. 5. Bear with friends, be quiet and you punish your foes. 6. Revenge not wrongs suddenly. 7. Will nothing do good? Remember the tree at the Town's end. Disease's of Duelism have so long raged in our Kingdom: our overgreat hearts swell so quickly with desires of cruel revenge, that to endeavour a cure, is but to wash an Aethiope: there is difference indeed in colour, as between the jet and the scarlet: but colour in grain hardly admits a change, and Quarrellers are in grain commonly. The nature of this burning fever, is to strike to the heart, which in an heap of resentments, not well digested, falleth into such an Apoplexy, that it findeth ease in nothing, but in bleeding. And though a combat be but one to one, it is an hundred to one both die of it. To come now and profess cures, for all such as roar under these dangerous purples, were but to act a Mountebank, which if he can but make names for some few salves, it sufficeth for his gains: he takes men's moneys, and for men's cures he cares not: these must ever bear an after-date, until such time as he shall be absent from place and shame, and then it never troubleth him that never returneth. I should be glad, if of a few that read my receipts, I could ease any; many be the occasions of Duels, diverse the dispositions of men that move them, and unto man and matter the Antidote should fit, else it will but trouble the eye, and enter no further: yet I must adventure to give, and you Reader, perchance to seek, and to find nothing. Point. 1. Antidote. 1. Take not notice of every wrong, you will otherwise but vex yourself, without need. SOme men will feed upon poison, and certainly some stomaches relish nothing but wrangling: the world worketh now adays a strange kind of medley, of cunning and folly: some forget themselves mightily, they will sleep drunk in every taphouse, and yet they will watch; they will remember a shrewd turn a neighbour doth them, from the cradle to the grave. They will find such gaps to creep into quarrelings; through a hedge they will follow a pig: through a hole of a cott, they will follow a calf for a straw: they will turn bloodhound and tract a child for a stick; a man for treading a grass that doth but peep out of a path: and all this industry only to find themselves brabbles. O quam solers est iracundia ad fingendas causas furoris! I admire saith Seneca, the cunning that froward men have to frame combustions of nothing. If Law will not serve quick, as their peevish mind doth call; if paper bills cannot hurt, they will put in sharper weapons; the steel, the pistol shall cock abroad: and thus in a peaceable kingdom, we live (as it were) on the frontiers of a merciless enemy▪ now you see cattles driven, now violent hands laid on men, and they so handled, that it mattereth not whether they be drawn to an averse king, or a dread full dungeon: for slavery is the end of both journeys. The subtleness that some men use (though otherwise simple) to trick up a quarrel, and to set it forth, meriteth observation. What a quick eye to note it? what a curious ear to take it up, amongst a noise of by-matters? Some have the sleight of raking sparks of discontents together, and keeping them long hot under the ashes of a counterfeit correspondency; so at their pleasure they will steal an opportunity, to set all a Country together by the ears. Certainly, such conditions are of the nature of Witches, that lie always in ambush to do mischief: they live the life of a cutpurse, whose neck is nearest the halter, when his hand gets nearest the treasure: so these, when they be fullest of matter of quarrels, (which they greedily gape after) than they be furthest from their own quietness. Wherefore, wisemen will rather bestow their wits in taking upon them sometimes, not to see what their own eyes doth show them. Do any affronts stir, by word or deed against you? still the occasion, neither blow nor breath, be neither hot nor cold; carry yourself so, that the standers by shall not perceive you do hear it. So they may come almost to think it was not you that was injured, they will rather draw in some other: that is an excellent skill. Hereby you shall keep your valour's credit, freeing it from engagements for your honour; and you may have your full strength to put upon actions more for your profit, to tug in matters that may rather increase strength than draw blood from you. Turn therefore a quarrel off with some pretty question, or sudden discourse to a slander by: draw your spirits so hastily another way, that your blood shall not have leisure to rise into disorder: distract the hearers with an unexpected event: with draw your senses, fasten upon some object, close choler that would stir: round men's ears with new reflections, turn them into cares: nip a discourse, giddy it, that it may not turn directly unto you again: break off company, upon pretence of a weighty business, and then let none bring you thither again. Let the affronter put on never so openly; an undaunted spirit will deceive him of his mark, and put him out of his aim. Cato, that worthy Roman, in a bathe was bare enough: Senec. l. 2. de ira. a saucy fellow taunted him, and gave him a box on the ear; yet Cato took no notice of it; Cato said nothing. What could be a more public wrong; and in the bathe, we hear no news of it, no charging the Constables with the villain that strooke Cato. All is in a hush: sure Cato was not strucken: yes, Catonem (indeed) quidam percussit, saith Seneca, but Cato would take no notice of it, maluit non agnoscere. No question but Cato did feel the smart: yet his excellent wit found way to put shame by: doubtless his ear did glow, but his heart would not show it. The man that struck felt Cato so steadfast, that having given the blow, he thought almost that he was mistaken, and had not hit Cato at all; rather that Cato was not there, either was gone in an ecstasy, into some region of Nature, profoundly searching out curiosities: or into the School of the Stoics preparing maxims to bridle humane passions, and wholly was not there when the blow was strooken at him; it was but the shadow of Cato, or a bunch of stones, or hard bones that was smitten, as if one had strooke but the house for the owner. See how this striker hath lost his mark, and hath done nothing: he aimed to affront Cato, but could not, because Cato could then not be with his body, to the others thinking. So Cato saved himself from disgrace by his wise deportment, and rightly said, Maluit non agnoscere, quàm ignoscere. It was to be expected from Cato that he should so do, he must not say, an affront did pierce him that he was hurt: abuses must pass by him, as waves by a rock, that never reckoneth them. It is a better testimony of ones greatness, never to have had a foe, than to have revenged or forgiven him (which is the revenge of a Cato) for if you forgive, you confess you were wronged, and that is a weakness; therefore Maluit non agnoscere, quàm ignoscere: a Ruffian may strike a Cato; but yet Cato will say he was not touched; so will you become a great spirit, a Cato: take no notice, feel not weak ones, they may do wrong to you, & harm themselves, but never hurt you. Point. 2. Antidote 2. You are not the worse for a discourtesy. Then busy not yourself with nothing. COnsider with yourself, what are you the worse, for the neglect full word or act of another? you use to say, words break no bones; why then will you break your heart to be revenged of them? your enemy spoke unto you a word, and perchance but a word, and is your choler so quick, that therefore you will to blows with him? You say, he touched you in your honour, what then? he did but touch you, and will a touch hurt you? men that will be esteemed of valour, saith Gonsalvo, should Verulam de irae num. 57 have telam honoris crassiorem: is your honour so thin skinned, that a push with a rush will tear it? is there no honour of Musket proof? shall every beardless boy with a crossbow that can scarce scare a Sparrow, astonish you? still yourself rather a little, with a reflection, an acknowledgement of your own courage: cry not out, one pinch hath undone you: hold a while rather than confess your honour to be of such an over-delicat temper: what hurt can the touch of a word do? can a little disrespect wound, which hits only by conceit, and is nothing but ens rationis? We have an old country man of our own, which our new ones might imitate with credit. Constantine the Emperor, his picture was drawn with a singular representation of great Majesty: stored Chrysost. hom. 20. ad pop. Antioch. Garo. to. 3. ad An. Dom. 324 with Crowns, and strewed under feet with sceptres, as rushes: beams rounded it with glory, and embroidered curtains on rods of gold did defy the motes that dare set at the rays of the Sun from defiling that Picture: all this ambition of reverence as an expression of a more veneration unto the Emperor's person, freed not this Picture from a disgraceful affront. A most idle fellow, found an opportunity to cast filth on it. See now Constantine with his beams and bravery, all to besmeared with dirt by a most base creature: the mighty Emperor of the world is laid in the mire, think you him not mightily displeased? can you imagine him not thoroughly enraged? must not a world flow with bloodshed to quench the fury of his just revenge? Surely it would so happen were you Constantine; oh you are but a little Constantine. See what Constantine the Great did, when officious complainers thronged in to plead against the audacious delinquent; and the whole earth expected Constantine would revenge the disrespect done him, to an everlasting terror of all such as cast scoffs and scorns: what doth Constantine that wanted not courage? he was Great, wanted no power, he was Emperor of the rising and setting Sun. Well friends (saith Constantine) you tell me of a fellow that hath disgraced me, and contemptuously cast dirt on me: he hath cast dirt upon my Picture, I hear, but nothing do I feel upon Constantine: I see Constantine clean, the glass showeth no ordure in my face: your conceit may term my face fowl and filthily abused; but my conceit telleth me nothing of it, how then can I be angry? I pray tell me, if Constantine feel no blow, no wound, no offence, the Picture be torn; yet if Constantine's skin be whole, for what shall Constantine be angry? So should you discourse with yourself, when one reviles you: what are you the worse? your enemy hews your name to pieces, tears your credit to totters, he frets and roars. So as one would think he could overturn mountains of honour into an abyss of disgrace, but yet you are never the worse: he doth but frame your name in his mouth, it is but a vocal image of you, it is but your picture, & in the air, that is something less than a picture in colours. And that name of yours, your picture, he rowles up and down his dirty mouth, and dasheth it with disgrace: say then, yourself are never the worse, never the fouler, and say with Constantine, why should you be angry? O thrice happy Constantine! whom heaven favoured with that excellent temper, that so neatly could break off occasions of unkind quarrels; and not spend time in harkening unto boys. Play, but better busy himself in the conquest of kingdoms, which made him so mighty. A great Wit being asked how the Romans from August. ad Marcellinum. Ep. 5. so poor beginnings had grown to so vast an Empire, Quomodo Romani ex inopi Rempublicam magnam fecerunt? Presently answered for them thus; it was because Acceptâ injuriâ ignoscere, quàm persequi malebant. The Senate of Rome did not spend their time, they wasted not their warlike Legions, they cast not the coin of the Capitol, they did neither bruise nor busy that lusty body in revenging private grudges against their near, and perchance (notwithstanding one offence or fault) their truehearted Subjects: but made the best of their own strength about them, to compass victories further from them. Which Lesson, when afterwards their children forgot, busying themselves in quick exceptions, one against another: they shaked to pieces their own mightiness, to which otherwise all the kingdoms of the world could have done no hurt, saving by adding unto it greatness. So doubtless it would be unto you a great happiness, if you could reserve yourselves for weightier employments of profit, and nearer cares: and not go a wrangling for every babble, as children do for Butter flies. Point 3. Antidote 3. Put off wrongs with some pleasant jest. SOmetimes, it is an excellent piece of wit to cut off quarrels with a jest, and not to profess as it were, to be a common crier of ones own shame, an aggravater to ones own disadvantage. Have not so coyish a stomach, as to take every course morsel like the venom of an Asp: look not sour upon every distaste; speak sometimes merrily when your heart aches, than your sore will be the lesser. jests now and then pass away evil times, and why not evil tempers? Rodolphus the first Emperor of the Austrian Da●rou●●us in Flor. Exemp. Family was sorely wounded by a careless archer: therefore his subjects in their most loving respects were forward to punish: they had the Archer in hold, and their rigour would fain have been doing, and first they will cut off his hands: stay saith Rodolphus, if you had done so before he had shot me, you had done wisely, but now that I am wounded already, let him go, and take both his hands with him. Thus wise Rodolphus reflecting, perchance the Archer had noble friends, whom the Emperor was loath to lose; with a jest freed himself from the trouble of a resentment, which edgeth on anger, that doth but load a great spirit with the charge of a revenge. Worthy Aristides, who for his integrity was called the Senec. de Consol. ad Holviam. Just, an insolent fellow did spit in his face, to disgrace him; yet he, though chief Ruler of Athens many years, never stirred to implore revenge; but smiling said: I pray you, my friend, gape not so wide, yawn not so undecently: though the fellow did disgorge himself in the chief justice his face, yet Aristides his thoughts at that time did hang upon more serious employments, and therefore he put off the lack with a jest. If one grow wild with you in choler; Laugh, and say he acts a mad man prettily, or rather you pity his frenzy. Will he needs draw your blood? say to him, he is sick of the bloody flux at the wrong end, and wish him rather to use a Physician, than a weapon. Tell him, when he comes to himself, you will come to try about with him: if he continue bandying words, say to yourself, he doth it but to purchase honour; and seeing he will buy it of you, he confesseth your store, and his own want: will you be angry with him for honouring you. He fain would get honour, and therefore would wound you: and why would you be offended with him, for loving himself better than you? Though it be not according to the tie of charity, yet I would not make it a breach of worldly amity. Love that liveth with a little, should not dye so easily. Doth some pretended friend wish you to revenge an old quarrel of one of your Grandsires: tell him you will find better matter to make expression of your manhood: you will not busy yourself with brawls past, nor keep so many little bundles of thorny remembrances in your bosom, you have cast them out quite, to get quiet by forgetting them: Wisemen have enough to do with things present and to come, and will not trifle away time in past mistake, which cannot be recalled, you would rather go to bury them: by remembrance, you do but bring your own shame into new acquaintance, and so disgraces, in stead of dying, doth raise a new increase; discredits, the more you water them with blood, the longer they will continue growing. You may bestow your skill better. If a drunken Quarrel open himself to you, and rage; answer him, you know you are now at home in jolly mirth and plenty, and that his frowns are but a copy of his countenance, that you will not dream you stand in a Battalion, where men's hearts must lie upon the best advantage of their weapon: you will not fall to pell mel amongst good fellows: it is pity the kind company of Bacchus should decay by grievous wounds, let the companies of Mars dye of that diet: let that plague fall upon those harsh fellows, that do nothing but strike and kill, not upon the merry-hearted cup-man that doth no harm, but fill a Swine's belly with droppings of drink, he doth so sip it: and now and then bite his fellow Hog by the ear, for standing by; for stood he not there, they had been good friends ever. Stout men no more regard cup-quarrels, than wise men do little houses, which children build with sticks. Oftentimes men have no wrongs at all offered them, and yet they will fall into quarrels, and kill one another out of a conceit of wrongs. Such men are much like that tall fellow, who being to be beheaded, laid down his lusty head on the block, and died with the stroke of a pudding: he certainly believed it was a falchion, and it was a pudding's end. Why so it is with some, that conceive themselves sore trampled with a heavy disgrace, and beaten to dust, sure they think it was a thunderbolt, but there was not as much as a thought: say you then sometimes, that the wrongs offered you are nothing, that they deserve not to have a puddings end for their Godfather. Thus you may jest jars out of countenance, and your own wit in the occasion may frame you prettier conceits: learn only this from me, to like this sleight of stepping out of an affronts way. And yet sometimes you may deserve good commendations, by laying yourself open unto affronts, and lying under them, by hearing them, and wishing they were greater, the more to torture you: Point. 4. Antidote. 4. Wrongs happening in base occasions, suffer them to punish yourself. MEn ought to regard as well the credit of good manners, as of good manhood: nay one knowing himself bound to preserve both, should more readily punish his own person, for discrediting his behaviour, than punish any other for disgracing his valour. You go to the Tavern, where wine kindles the veins, and in a jollity, men are made bonfires; so flaming grow all their faces: by and by happens a Metamorphosis, all the company is turned into an herd of Swine, some grunt in the corners, others lie in their mire, and nothing but stench amongst them: Do not you disgrace yourself mightily by sitting on this miskin? Why then do you not think of punishing yourself, for this foul fact of yours in coming thither, before you punish the other fellow for giving you there ill words, or blows: you will stumble at straw, and leap over a block. Seeing you have no heart to chastise yourself; let this man whom you term your Injurer, be your Beadle to whip you: and after you have used the rod, you may throw it into the fire. Casimirus King of Poland would needs to dice, and for want of company fell to it with one Conarius a Martin Cromer de rebus Polon. ●●. 6. ann. 1176. mean man: the game was high, and Conarius quickly began to below in purse; his money was gone, and by that time his anger was come: Conarius became furious, and thinking Losers had leave to speak (so it is, when they play with their fellows) he forgot he played with a King: his money being run out of his reach, his tongue run after it, and played upon the King, and in the end, Conarius taking his leave of his coin, up with his fist, and saluted the King with a buffet. How doth now Casimirus? Doth he fret at his abuser? No, with the buffet the King awakes, as it were, out of a dead sleep, looks upon himself, and reflects what he is doing. A King, on whom hangs the eyes, the hearts of a Kingdom, sporting in an unseemly manner: so he abuseth the hearts of his subjects, for their love must follow the King, else the heart is out of his place: and who can love disorder? Love cannot come herself to what is nought, she may send her Handmaid, Pity. Well, Casimirus feels now the smart of his own folly, and thanks Conarius for it: you cannot well tell, whether the King's ear glow more with the buffet, or his face with a reflection of his over sight: and therefore he never thinketh upon punishing Conarius, but is pleased to make Conarius a punisher of the King: so when his Nobles stirred to revenge his wrong; No saith Casimirus, not so, Conarius is my Master, he teacheth me a good lesson, let him beat me for being a truant King, and playing at dice with a fellow so far my inferior. So if you chance to be carried into an Alehouse, and there fixed in the Firmament of good Fellows: where the Primum Mobile is brown Ale, that rolleth all eyes after it: if after a while, like a Phaeton or a Fatuus, you fall stumbling upon one another, and hang like Bees upon each others backs in a bundle: then, if you hap to be abused, to be provoked, if one kick you, and use you very ill, term him not your injurer, but your benefactor: say not he doth you wrong, but that he doth you great good in punishing you, in making your heart ache, for going to so vile a place. Doth one belay you with hard blows? he doth but shake you to awake you, that you may see to what place your idle carriage hath brought you: be not therefore angry with him that strikes you, turn rather your anger upon yourself; busy it there, and forgive the other which did you no harm, but good service. If casually, you stumble upon a crew of merrily disposed lads, and there meet the brave ones, with Tobacco pipes in their mouths of a yard long, jetting so stout, as if they trailed pikes in an army; that burn their lands at the pipes end, excellent husbandry▪ and not break up, but burn up house and housekeeping; maintaining that the chimneys of the forefathers, aught to be turned into the noses of their children: When you see all their noses there so flaming, that you cannot discern at which end the pipe burneth with the more red-hot fire: if one of this sparkling company, will be furious with you, because you will not drink: if he vow, you are no good fellow (as though goodness were not got but by good ale) dislike the ill speech, but suffer it: make it a means to loathe the place, for the language: be glad you feel there, thorns of such words, that they may prick you thence. If one call you Coward: bear, and say, for beer you want stomach; you have no courage to carouse: he is the better man at a bottle: wrangle not with him, but chide yourself. Do as the stout Xenophanes did, when casually The French Academy of Pierre de Primandy. being at a feast, one upbraided him, and called him coward, because he would not play at dice. Xenophanes mightily troubled with the abusive taunt, yet quarrelled not with the fellow, rather answered to his tune. I am indeed a coward, fearful to do dishonest things: he would not wrangle for any thing done there, but grew (doubtless) into a great dislike with the place, where such virulent discourses were usually uttered. So you, never mark the speaker of an affront, but put a cross upon the occasion, never to come into it again. But oh, say you, your occasion wherein you suffer wrongs, is not unworthy: it hath no relation to tobacco, not to Bacchus his Alliance; a spark of war, a martial man, another wise well-ordered Gentleman, my equal, upon a good cause, on a real ground, with fury provoked me to Duel: and I shall dwell in endless disgrace, if he be not answered in the field. Point. 5. Antidote 5. Bear with your friends: of your foes you take best revenge, when you are quiet. But stay: go not on so suddenly to overthrow him: remember now, perchance he hath been unto you a strong friend, and is but newly broken: See first if you can recover him, before you cast him and yourself both away: you would be loath to lose a nag, for once stumbling; and will you leave a friend, if you find him once tripping? esteem better of old friends than so; you may lose him when you please, but see how you can yet save him: true friends be scarce found, and in this friend you have had a happy trial of true love: only this one time, he hath failed you, he hath greatly wronged you, he hath broken with you foully; yet let his ancient merits defend this breach: Base were the soldiers, that upon a first breach surrendered up their city; thy friends deserts are great and worthy, they show themselves now stoutly upon the breach, and day, thou shalt not enter as an enemy to subvert them all, I'll not forget them. Thus they parley, it is of the first fault, and of a dear friend you will say, he being your friend which abused you, therefore you took it the worse; and the rather you will fight to punish one that being your friend, would wrong you; were he a foe, you could better suffer him. It is true; Cos●●us, the great Duke of Florence, I believe was of your mind, when he made that mad observation upon the Gospel; you shall read, saith he, that we are commanded to forgive our enemies: you never read that we are commanded to forgive our friends; but let a wiser master, fescue that raw scholar that wringeth blood out of the letter so quickly: shall we, saith job, take good at Gods (good friends) job. ●. 10. hands, and refuse to take a little evil? Say your friend's breath is now an ill blast unto you, but he hath blessed you with many good turns; if he now frown and look back at you, time was, he shined on you, to the growing of your best fortune; remember the merry hours you passed in his company, and now for his sake, suffer a sad cloud that will pass presently; Post nubila Phoebus: suffer but a short eclipse, Ovid. and you shall clip and love like good friends again; after a little close weather, a short storm of hail, of sputtering words, the day will break again into a hot friendship. Doth your friend thunder, that one would think heaven and earth be going together by the ears? Videmus horribiliter vexatum. Doth the sky C●r●sost. hom. in Mar. cast itself down in tempest? doth your enemy his eye threaten to fall upon you with weapons? Oh stand you still: supportamus, saith Basill, to be a friendly Atlas, hold him from falling: amidst Basil hom. de ira▪ all the showers in the deluge of anger, be you the dove, hold the branch of Olive in your mouth: dry you up the Seas of wrath, with your silence: So you shall begin a new world of happiness: for when the passion is past, cùm amaritudinem deposuerit; when your friend comes again to himself, ubi convaluerit, you shall not only have him thenceforth your faithful friend, but for ever your humblest servant; te ut Dominum venerabitur: Here is a pretty plot of a victory: you wound your enemy without blood, you vanquish him without spear, and by conquest you make him your slave, te ut Dominum venerabitur: nay, were there meaner Gods upon earth; by his voice, you should come into election, for a Godhead, venerabitur. If you tell me, he which offended you is not your friend, and therefore you own him no such service, as to suffer him; nor will you wait the leisure of his mad fits, or stay for his favour, until the fever of his fury declines. Say then he be your ancient and bitter enemy: will you go about to be deeply revenged on him? yet, your next way is to be quiet, to keep yourself still: say nothing, and you shall catch him lying under your feet, heartbroken. Doth he swell with fury? look off him: doth he run into your face? let your ear go by him: doth he roar? hearken to something else: doth he madly fret? neglect it: make all, but nothing: that is to break his very heartstrings, Si despexeris, acrius eum vindicabis. Despise him, that is the cruelest kind of wrong: for it is all one, as to set one a work with his fists to beat a stone wall, wherein he doth but hurt his own fingers: carry yourself like a wall of brass, steadfast against his boisterous fury, and you shall break the storm only with your suffering: sine illum frustra adlatrare in seipso disrumpi: he will swell and puff still more, finding he cannot stir you: do you then but suffer him, fine, and he with his own wind will swell so fast, that it must burst him, in seipso disrumpi. Do you know what you do when you fret? you comfort your foe; it is perturbati animi consolatio: that is your raging enemy his delight, to see his fury gins to work upon you, to disturb you, to shake you, to make you reel, so he will hope to fall you: the faster you stand, the giddier your enemy groweth in rage: whiles you keep out of his way, he toils and runs the more a madding to seek you: as soon as you show your heart disquieted, with a convulsion of discontents, than you sport and feast your enemy: inimicum plectere, that is, iram animumque satiare: Do you cry out, as if you were sore beaten, as if you were outed of your quietness and safety? that is your enemy his satiety: your plectere is his satiare. Again show your enemy in his rage, that you are not touched, that he comes not near you: and so you increase his hunger after you: you make a mere Tantalus of Valour, having it only hanging on his lips, at his tongue's end, and is not able to bring it any further; Thus only with your quietness, you punish your enemy, so cruelly, that you show a punishing power, parallel even to the Poet's fiction: you can hurt as much as Poets can feign. Wherefore strive to stand steadfast like a rock, and let your enemy strike, see what he shall get by it; qui lacessat placidum, magis dolet: the more Nazianz: in oratione de ira. he rageth, the more he suffereth: who runneth into passion with a man that can bide still, doth all one as wrestle with a tower, which is but to weary ones arms: or with a phantasm, whereon you can never catch hold, to ease you. Who is wheeled up and down, desires to fasten upon something, to hold by: when an arrow coming from a careless Archer, threatened the safeguard of ones person; to lay hold, but on the arrow, to break it, hath been an ease unto the heart that began to be angered. And so you see, how by being quiet, you may exceedingly vex such as stir most against you. If you plead, God hath not made you of such a temper; for such pieces of work, of wonder: you are no Salamandra in human society: you cannot live amongst flames of fury, and yourself not burn: if you come near furious dispositions, you must grow warm: yet do thus much; scorch not yourself with hasty flames: leisurely, fire gives unto things best season. Point. 6. Antidote. 6. Revenge not your wrongs suddenly, lest you repent. DIscreet Antenodorus taught Augustus Caesar, Plutarch. in Apophtheg. Rom that if in anger he were to act any thing, he should first, for his prologue recite an Alphabet, and stay so much time before he did begin the Tragedy. If you be so furious, as that your blind weapon must needs be doing something: yet let a little time first pass, for Reason to rise and peep in upon you; nil facias iratus priusquam 24 literas graecas percurreris, said Antenodorus, stay a while. And certainly, a little time will strongly change the liking of actions. This is so true, that who best govern on earth, ofttimes reprieve their own private resolutions, till a second meeting; reason returns again her tale, and then they lead her forth into action with a safer liking. Therefore let not Passion deny the appeal unto time. When fear tells you, anger sits on the bench; you are discreetly advised, from Caesar, to appeal unto Caesar, and give him time for his associate: and will you go to duel, will you carry a man to execution in a sudden fury? who giveth quickly, you say giveth twice; and so I take it, who is hurt quickly, hath ever double measure. In our sons, the first the eldest, by instinct of nature we love best; but in our thoughts (that be likewise ours by a kind of generation) it is not so, there the youngest; the last fruit, the latest, that longest hath been a ripening, is of best relish, and wholsomest, Posteriora consilia saniora. Theodosius made a Law, inviolably to be kept throughout Theodoret. in Hist. sua. lib. 5. c. 17. his Empire, that sentence of death delivered in anger, should bear no force, till after thirty days expired: then if after a review by reason, when passion were out of Court, it went currant, it might stand: for so long time the Emperor would a stay, of whatsoever had been done in anger: if this Law was laudable in actions civil, where reason hath room to look about her: much more it ought to be in actions martial, where reasons eyes are quite out: who walketh in the dark, must go by leisure. Therefore do not suddenly yield to enter into a quarrel, lest you repent it; take first Theodosius his thirty days leisure, and forgive for so long time: of that that will never repent you: Neminem pepercisse, Tetrarcha. multos vindicasse poenituit, saith Tetrarcha: resolve well first what to do, else you may have more ado, to undo it again, than you are ware of: you may at any time punish: It is an easy matter to find a staff to beat a dog: but if a mischief be once hatched, it will creep out of the nest, and do you a shrewd turn, when you cannot fence it: you may hurt your enemy so overmuch, that afterwards you must undo yourself to make him amends. That is to do and undo. Be sure, not to hearken to your choler, when it first breaks forth; whatsoever satisfaction it bid you then require, believe it not: the first anger, Prima Senec. lib. 3. de ira. ira, saith Seneca, doth never guide well, nor will never be well guided, it will not hear reason, Surda est & amen, It is wild and virulent: therefore let it run a while, Dabimus illi spatium: Let the Whale wallow in the waves, in the deep of discontent, give it lin● and cord: and take you space before you speak, before you challenge, before you fight, before you do any hurt; else in stead of taking satisfaction, you do vengeance. In the eighth of S. john, the Scribes tell that a joan 8. married woman was taken napping in another man's bosom: a shrewd fault. The husband and his friends must needs be revenged: the Chancellors Court suddenly censured, that with stones she should be scratched to death, for having defiled her marriage bed. Thus in hurly burly they came all unto jesus, who saw them then newly acting mad anger: for it was but modò apprehendimus, they were even then newly entered into the action. And jesus will act unto them the cure: first he goes about to look a little time; jesus must needs stay them, whilst digito scribebat in terra, whilst he doth write; and what doth jesus write? no man hath yet told: let me guess, jesus did write the four and twenty letters of Antenodorus: I say jesus only aimed to get a little time, for them to think first what they were going about, that they should not go kill a body so suddenly. Thus, whilst jesus was writing his 24. Letters in that little time, the accusers perchance reflected, they might have done wiser not to have made the matter so public; before it was only the wife's hurt, now it became the husband's disgrace, the children's infamy. The witnesses also reflected, such as be so busy to have others ●ives punished, should think upon their own faults, for thereby laws may be brought to call upon them with a smart reckoning: And so with a little pause on the matter, but whilst jesus writ 24. Letters, the quarrel was quite ended, those that challenged the woman, put up their weapons and turned their backs; that when jesus having ended his scribebat, lifted up his hand to give order for entering the lists of justice, there was no body to go with the woman to the field. Are you so angry and offended? give me then but a little time, you cannot lose much by it, you shall get to know whether it be fitting what you go about; yield me a little stay; your delay at least shall leave your mischiefs the fewer: it shall show you how to hurt another, with least harm to yourself. And peradventure you may find more: for it is ever true, that Remedia in remissionibus morborum prosunt; at the Sen. de ira. declining of the burning ague of anger, Doctor Reason doth use to prescribe her Physic. And so sometime you may chance to forget to quarrel by a little delay of quarrelling; so it hath happened unto many: when anger is going out, is the best time to cure it. If no way can help you, if nothing can stay you, but you will to the field suddenly to a Duel; then far you well, and call upon the gallows, as you come home: if you be so happy, as to live, as to come to it. Point. 7 Antidote. 7. If nothing can serve, there is a tree will serve you. DElictorum impunitas saith the Stoic, homines facit audaciores ad malum. Certainly had Law been rightly executed against Duellers, they had never grown to that head and number as they are now adays. I aim not to draw Princes to the edge of severity, which ever have in them discreet mercy for companion. But thus I presume to speak; if ever severity were to walk alone, it should be to the house of the Dueller: for the tender love to humane blood doth bid you spill it, for to spare the further spilling of it. Heavens stop nothing: let then, when the love of Powers on earth, look about them Democritus maintained, there were two Gods; no more, and cared little for either; Paena and Praemium, one a Punisher, and another a Rewarder. And Duellers, I believe, do a little Democratize from the rewarder God, which inhabits the heavens; the Dueller expecteth no great Preferment, and so that God he little regardeth. As for the other God, the Punisher, who reigneth upon earth, and men commonly call the King, as soon as he is a little out of the way; the Dueller thinks he can shift, and so he cares not what mischiefs he doth unto mankind: therefore the Punisher, God or his rod, should stir abroad something the oftener. If youth were once persuaded, that whensoever they make a challenge, their life is ended, their thread is spun, and must needs either be cut by the sword, or cracked on the gallows: their heads must off; either by their enemy, or by the hangman: certainly youth would never enter into Duels. For life is sweet, and none will cast away all hopes of keeping it; if one way they hazard it, yet some way they still hope to save it. Men say, they fight for honour, but who cares for honour after death? not the Dueller. Let him vaunt his fancy, I will but smile at it: and think even those that you brag have cast themselves away for honour, either did it to be rid of loathsome life, or yet hoped to escape and live to enjoy the glory of their proffer. It was wittily discoursed by the wisest of the Philosophers; the Bull roareth and rageth against the Mastiffs: some he worieth, others he killeth, and most he woundeth: you stand by and laugh, because whiles the Bull thus layeth about him, the butcher expecteth, and the combat ended, the Victor Bull is carried away to the slaughter. Even so, Duellers, they fight, they kill, they keep a roaring like bulls; the officers laugh, and look about them, and soon after the fight ended, the Dueller Victor is to be led by a coward to the gallows▪ If our times do tell you it is not so, then give humble love leave, to drop a tear, and whisper: young spirits may sport at bull baiting, but greedy gain should not do so at duelling: let humane blood rise to a dearer esteem: let that blood fall like another Nilus, with such noise, such cries for vengeance, that those which si● at the banks of justice (before whom these bloody streams must come) be ever deafened unto prices and prayers; else time may warrant vices, to set fury a work, a task for the extirpation of mankind, to rid the earth of men, for a piece of money. To talk to you here of things beyond the Moon: of a most great God, of a most strict judge; to come near you, and speak of a most severe punishment, an eternal smart laid on by a hand so heavy, that at one blow, it could strike all the Devils, from the highest of the Heavens, to the lowest Centre of the earth; were to talk to you Nonsense: (therefore here in a corner, I join gallows and goodness together as equally pleasing you) they may be pretty stories to tell women and children; but you will fight with the Devil himself; nay, God doth wisely to stand out of your way, within doors in his heaven, there you mean not trouble him; nor I myself with you any longer, rill you learn more wit. FINIS.