NOCTES HIBERNAE. Winter-nights Exercises.  
THE FIRST NIGHT.  
VII: Decades of sacred Sentences put into English verse.  LUCRETIUS. 
Floriferis ut apes in saltibus omnia libant:  
Omnia nos itidem depascimur aurea dicta,  
Aurea, perpetuâ semper dignissima vitá.  
LONDON, Printed by Tho. Warren, for Edmund Thorn, at Oxford, 1652.   

TO THE READER.  
NOn Schola, sed contubernium, saith Seneca, It is not so much the School-Lectures, as the domestic-conversation of the Master, makes a Scholar. Some have learned more of their Teacher, in an hours walk, or on a fire-night, than sitting at the desk all the day. These following exercises, you may suppose, had their birth by the fireside, while the Master and his Scholars burnt away the long Winter-nights: the Master proposing the Latin Sentences, as they came to mind, and the ten Scholars in their courses rendering these in the English verse. Certainly there is no hurt, what good is in it, or in the example, let the courteous Reader judge.   

SACRED SENTENCES.  

THE FIRST DECAD.  

1.  
Gratis accepistis, gratis date. Christus.  
GOd's Gifts, on this condition, we have:  
Freely must we Give, what He freely Gave.   

2.  
Ex abundantia cordis, os loquitur. Christ.  
The Speech betrays the man. The heart doth fill  
The mouth. Words, as the Heart, are good or ill.   

3.  
Vince malum bono. Paulus.  
Do good for evil to thy Enemy.  
This is the noblest kind of Victory.   

4.  
Igne charitatis comburendi sunt Haeretici. Luth.  
Are Heretics to be burnt? No certainly:  
Unless with the soft fire of Charity.   

5.  
Nec religionis est, cogere Religionem. Tertul.  
Persuade men to believe, and to live well:  
'Tis Tyranny, not Religion, to compel.   

6.  
Mediis utendum, non innitendum.  
It is our Wisdom all good means to try,  
But upon God, and not on them, rely.   

7.  
Bona mea tibi non placent, nisi mecum. Bern.  
All thy Goods please not God, unless thou do  
Offer (the best Oblation) Thyself too.   

8.  
Non bona tua mihi placent, nisi Tecum. Id.  
All God's gifts please not thee, unless He do  
Bestow (the best of all) his own self too.   

9  
Honoramus Angelos charitate, non servitute. Aug.  
The Angels we do honour with our love:  
We worship Him alone, that's all-above.   

10.  
Sacerdotum arma sunt preces & lacrymae. Amb.  
The Armour, which the Holy Pastor wears,  
Are only These: His Prayers and his Tears,    

THE SECOND DECAD.  

1.  
Omnis infidelium vita peccatnm. Prosper.  
Till, to believe in Christ, thou dost begin,  
Thy whole life, yea and thy good deeds, are sin.   

2.  
Acerba mihi vita otiosa. Calvin.  
My pains and labour's sweet. Then I displease  
Myself most, when I most do take mine ease.   

3.  
Qui parcit Lupo, mactat gregem. Chrysost.  
Spare the wolf, spoil the flock. If not withstood,  
The Bad would quickly swallow up the Good.   

4.  
Deus morum emendatione placatur.  
How shall I'appease God? by what Sacrifice?  
Amend thy life, and that will Him suffice.   

5.  
Tempus Vitae, tempus Poenitentiae.  
Cast not all hope away. Whilst there is breath,  
There's time to pray: but no hope after death.   

6.  
Poenitentia sera, raro vera.  
Defer not to repent. 'Tis seldom true  
That's not done, 'til you bid the world Adieu.   

7.  
Amat, quia amat. Bern.  
Why have we so much kindness from above?  
There is no cause of God's love, but his love.   

8.  
Doleat homo Christianus, & de dolore gaudeat. Augustin.  
Grieve, that thou hast so often, for a toy,  
Displeased thy God; thy Grief will turn to Joy.   

9  
Imminet occasioni suae Diabolus. Hieronym.  
Beware of Idleness: for then's the time,  
Satan betrays thee to the foulest crime.   

10.  
Dei providentiam, non minus Gehenna commendat, quàm promissio regni. Chrysost.  
To promise Heaven, and to threaten Hell;  
That shows God's care of us, & This as well.    

THE THIRD DECAD.  

1.  
Affectum inquirit, non factum exigit. Ambros. de Abrahamo.  
THe Will's proved and accepted: but the Fact  
God doth not always rigidly exact.   

2.  
Ubi peccatum, ibi procella. Chrysost.  
The raging Tempest, that our Ship is in,  
Whence is it, but from our more raging Sin?   

3.  
Lacrymae Auditorum, laudes tuae. Hierom.  
The greatest praise unto the Preacher comes  
From the Attentive Hearer's tears, not humnes.   

4.  
Tu qui Christianus es, fugeforum. Chrysost.  
Go not to Market: or exactly see,  
Thou deceive none in selling, and none thee.   

5.  
Deus est totus oculus. August.  
Hope not to hid thyself, where God can't spy;  
Nor boldly sin i'th' dark; for He's all-eye.   

6.  
Divites dispensatores Dei. Hieron.  
Rich men are God's dispensers. What they have,  
Is not so much their own, as God's that gave.   

7.  
Ars artium, regere hominem. Nazian.  
Among all Arts, human invention can  
Find out, the greatest is to govern Man.   

8.  
Superiores sunt, qui superiores esse sciunt. Bernard.  
Above the rest, truly superiors be  
They that well use superiority.   

9  
Fides suadenda, non imponenda. Id.  
More to the true Religion, you shall draw,  
●y fair persuasion, than by force of law.   

10.  
Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum. August.  
Ask God for pardon: but first, if you can,  
What you unjustly took, restore to man.    

THE FOURTH DECAD.  

1.  
Beatius est dare, quàm accipere. Christ.  
MOst men had rather take, than give: but more  
Blessed is he that gives out his store.   

2.  
Orationi lectio, lectioni succedat oratio. Hier.  
Pray, read: read, pray. Ingenuous Scholars should  
Use this Religious Vicissitude.   

3.  
Clavis scientiae, frequens Interrogatio.  
Frequent Interrogation is the Key  
To open unto Wisdoms house the way.   

4.  
Adversarius in pectore conatur Christum occidere. Hieronym.  
Guard thy Grace well; for, beside all the rest,  
Thou hast an enemy in thy own breast.   

5.  
Sufficit diei malitia sua. Christ.  
Load not thyself with cares beyond this night:  
The burden of one single day's not light.   

6.  
Ubi thesaurus, ibi & cor. Christ.  
Lay up in heaven thy treasure. Surely where  
Thy treasure is, thy heart is also there.   

7.  
Quis te discrevit? Paulus.  
Hast thou 'bove others any Excellence?  
Remember, God hath made the difference.   

8.  
Non est ad Deum toto corde redire, nisi scisso cord. Bernard.  
The contrite heart is best, not stone or oak:  
And that heart's whole to God, that is so broke.   

9  
Nemo potest duobus Dominis servire. Christ.  
Two Masters are too much. If you serve one,  
And him the best, you must serve him alone.   

10.  
Quod tibi factum vis, alteri feceris. Christ.  
Whatever you'd have to be done to you,  
Render the same unto your Neighbour too.    

THE FIFT DECAD.  

1.  
Inimici hominis, domestici ejus. Christ.  
LOok circumspectly to thyself: for some  
Will be thy Enemies at thy own home.   

2.  
In auribus Dei, desiderium vehemens clamor magnus. Bernard.  
God doth not only vocal prayer hear:  
A strong desire's a clamour in his ear.   

3.  
Facit hostis securos, quos cupit esse captivos. August.  
Satan's grand plot is to make us secure:  
●●…r then he may soon make us Captives sure.   

4.  
E centum millibus vix bene moritur, qui male vixit. Hieron.  
He that lives all his life ill, and well dies,  
One, of a (thousand?) hundred thousand is.   

5.  
Ibi pecca, ubi Deus non videt. Bernard.  
In that place take the boldness for to sin,  
(If thou canst find it) where God looks not in.   

6.  
Nec speres aliquid, nec extimescas. Boet.  
Be not disturbed, nor with hope nor fear:  
Keep thy mind from all clouds of passion clear.   

7.  
Calamitas saepe disciplina virtutis est. Minut.  
Evils have good effects. Oft-times the fool  
Grows wise, being taught in sharp afflictions school.   

8.  
Non eloquimur magna, sed vivimus. Id.  
Our deeds excel our words: said they of old.  
But now, our hands are faint, our tongues are bold   

9  
Infeliciores, qui faciunt, quàm qui patiuntur injuriam. Boet.  
In true esteem, they more unhappy be,  
Who offer, than who suffer Injury.   

10.  
Quid justius? Non audivimus, non audimur. Salvianus.  
We may, if, when God calls, we will not hear,  
That God will not hear our call, justly fear.    

THE sixth DECAD.  

1.  
Volumus delinquere, & nolumns verberari. Salu.  
WE all are apt and prone to do offence,  
But would not bear the smart that follows thence.   

2.  
Qui vadit plane, vadit sane. Solomon.  
Who walks uprightly and goes not astray,  
Walks in the safest and most happy way.   

3.  
In multiloquio non de erit peccatum. Id.  
The place is slippery, where the Tongue doth dwell:  
'Tis rare, for one to speak much, & speak well.   

4.  
Domus mea, domus Orationis. Deus.  
God saith, My house the house of Prayer is,  
May not we say, The house of Prayer is His?   

5.  
Vigilate & orate. Christus.  
Watching and Prayer are well joined. Surely He  
Prays not aright, whose prayers drowsy be.   

6.  
Humanae mentis vitium est, magis semper velle quae desnnt. Salu.  
'Tis folly, good things present to despise,  
And on the absent always cast our eyes.   

7.  
Nulla major voluptas, quàm voluptatis fastidium.  
No greater pleasure to the bravest men,  
Than sordid ways of pleasure to contemn.   

8.  
Divitiae si diliguntur, ibi serventur, ubi perire non possunt. Augustin.  
Your Goods and riches if you truly Love,  
And would secure them, lay them up above.   

9  
Mendici Dei sumus: ut cognoscat ille mendicos suos, cognoscamns nos nostros. Id.  
We are Gods Almes-men: that we may be known,  
And heard by him, let's not forget our own.   

10.  
Quomodo potest observari à populo, qui nihil habet secretum à populo. Id.  
Observance from the people how can he  
Expect, whose manners only vulgar be?    

THE SEVENTH DECAD.  

1.  
Habenti dabitur. Christus.  
HE that employs his Talon, shall have more:  
The slothful loses what he had before.   

2.  
Unum est necessarium. Id.  
Men of this world many things needful call:  
But Christ saith, He that hath one thing hath all.   

3.  
Beati pacifici. Id.  
The name of Peace is sweet: and peaceful Ones  
The God of Peace owns for his genuine Sons.   

4.  
Omnia ista contemnito, quibus solutus corpore non indigebis.  
What things you shall not need, when separate  
From this frail body, prize at a low rate.   

5.  
Natalis Domini, natalis est pacis. Leo.  
Why should the memory of Christ's Birthday cease?  
His Birthday is the Birthday of our Peace.   

6.  
Reconciliatione contempta, nullum possumus promereri solatium. Chrysost.  
Themselves to men, who will not reconcile,  
Yet look for peace from God, themselves beguile.   

7.  
Attend ad coelestia bona, & videbis quod omnia ista temporalia nulla sunt. Thomas à Kempis.  
Look up to heaven; eternal things are there:  
The temporal compared nothing appear.   

8.  
Noli nimis in sensu tuo confidere. Id.  
Be not too confident in thy own sense:  
But value other men's intelligence.   

9  
Soli Deo & Angelis ejus opta familiaris esse, & hominum notitiam devita. Id.  
Eat much acquaintance. God and Angels are  
Companions only worthy of our care.   

10.  
Levis omissio exercitiorum vix sine aliquo dispendio transit. Id.  
●e constant to thy exercise, Omission  
(Though but for once) begets indisposition.    
FINIS.