Regular and Irregular THOUGHTS IN Poets and Orators: LONDON: Printed for John Hartley over-against Gray's Inn in Holborn, D. Brown without Temple-Bar; Jos. Fox in Westminster-Hall; G. Huddleston at the Blackmoors Head near Exeter Change in the Strand; R. Wellington at the Lute in St. Pauls Church-Yard; A Bell at the Bible and Cross-Keys near the Royal-Exchange in cornhill. 1697. Books Printed and sold by John Hartley, D. Brown, Jos. Fox, G. Huddleston, R, Wellington, and A. Bell. THe Blasphemous Socinian heresy disproved and confuted, &c. with Animadversions on a late Book called, Christianity not Mysterious: Dedicated to both Houses of Parliament. By J. Gailhard, Gent. 2. The excellency and praeheminence of the Law of England, above all other Human Laws in the World. Asserted in a learned Reading upon the Statute of 35 H. 8, cap. 6. concerning trials by Jury of 12 Men, and Tales de Circumstantibus. By Th. Williams. With( 1.) Mr. Risden's Reading upon the Statute of 21 H. 8. cap. 19. of Avowries.( 2.) Judge Hale's Opinion in some select Cases.( 3.) Certain Cases which have been formerly Mooted by the Society of Greys-Inn. 3. The Modern Conveyancer: or, Conveyancing improved. Being a choice Collection of Presidents on most Occasions: By the greatest Hands of the present Age; &c. 2d Edition enlarged. 4. Utopia: Written in Latin by Sir Thomas More: Translated into English. 5. A view of the Admiral Jurisdiction. &c. For the regulation & Government of Merchants, Masters of Ships, & mariners, &c, By John Godolphin, LL. D. 6. Verdicts of the learned concerning Virgil and Homer's Heroic Poems. Regular and Irregular THOUGHTS In Poets and Orators. I. PART. CHAP. I. Of Thoughts in general. THoughts are natural agitations of the Mind on any subject; whereby we first of all gaze at, consider, muse upon, and converse with those Images of Things which our Senses for the most part orignially represent to our Fancies; and our Fancies from them paint forth in our Minds. There are Two sorts of Thoughts; those of the Understanding, and those of the Will: Those of the Understanding are Fourfold, according to the Four Parts of logic; Perception, judgement, Ratiocination, and Method. But as for the Thoughts of the Will, they admit of so many Modifications and Determinations, that they cannot conveniently be brought into order. Again, Thoughts are distinguished in sundry regards:( 1.) In regard of their Morality; good or evil Thoughts:( 2.) In regard of their Quality, as certain and doubtful Thoughts:( 3.) Some are Speculative and others practic:( 4.) In regard of the Occasion; some are quiet, and some troublesome:( 5.) Some pat, and others unfit:( 6.) In regard of Time, some are of the Day, and some of the Night:( 7.) In regard of their success, some are lucky, and some unsuccessful:( 8.) In regard of their manner, some are Ingenious and Witty, others Odd and vicious: and of these latter sort it is that I am about to speak, without pretending to prescribe Laws to any, but leave every one at liberty to think as they please. The Mind of Man is naturally active and prove to Thoughts: In a moment, with the flight of a Thought, it mounts from Earth to Heaven, and back again from age to age, from present to future; like Lightning it shoot's from East to West, vanishing in appearance, It requires then no little skill to bound the ramble and excursions of our Thoughts; which extend themselves even to Things that are not, that have no other Being but what they borrow from the Poets Fancy, by a tumultuary compounding of Notions instead of Real; can create fictitious Objects for their entertainment, and divert themselves with chimeras of their own Creation, as with the most real and substantial B●ings. CHAP. II The Nature and Division of Regular Thoughts. REgular Thoughts in Poets and Orators, are witty, lively Agitations of the Mind, elegantly adapted to the subject: They contain much Sense in few Words, and are proper only to the Works of the Mind, to poesy and Eloquence, &c. They are Diamonds, whose rich Substance enhances their price more than their Brillant. They are, I say, pointed Diamonds, not yet set; rich Marble, not yet cut; fair Statues, not yet placed. Seneca and Macrobius call pleasing Sophisms; what we call Wit, or our English Apollo calls Propriety of Thoughts and Words: the Italians Vivacities of the Mind; and the Spaniards sharpness. Aristotle brings almost all the Art of thinking Wittily, to the Metaphor, as the light of the mind. Comte Tesauro holds, that witty Expressions are but Figured Enthymemas which please the mind; because the sentence concluded consists of contraries, like music made, of skilful Discords; such as wanton modesty, learned Igno●ance. The doctrine, or Anatomy of ingenious Thoughts may be brought to these Three Heads; their Substance, their Ornaments, and their Vices. I. The essential Substance of an ingenious Thought is to be True and Natural. II. The main Ornaments are Four; noble, pleasing, delicate, and clear. III. But out of an affectation of too much Wit, ingenious Thoughts often become Irregular and Viscious, that is to say, quiter contrary to the former Conditions, False, swelled, affencted, unrefin'd and Obscure. This is the Division of the ensuing Treatise. CHAP. III. Of True and Natural Thoughts. I. TRuth is the first Essential Condition, and as it were the Ground of Ingenious and Regular Thoughts. Nothing in reality is fine, but what is True; Truth only is lovely even in Fables. All Persons love Truth, and feel it within themselves: So that when we red what is true, 'tis neither the Book nor the Author that makes us find it so, but rather something we carry within ourselves, which is an emanation of eternal Light and Truth. Thus, when we red a Passion we find within ourselves the Truth of what we red. Christs Instructions begin by these words: I say to you in truth, Luke 4, 15. Our Thoughts are True when they represent things faithfully; and they are more or less true, as they are more or less conformable to the Object. The most beautiful Thoughts are Irregular, Unfit, and vicious; or rather those that pass for Beautiful, and which seem such, but are not so in reality, if this Ground is wanting. II. A full conformity with the Object, is what we call exactness of Thought; that is to say, that as our clothes are exactly fitted, when they suite well to our Bodies, and are in all respects fit for the Person that wears them: So likewise are thoughts exact, when they are pat to the Things they represent. Thus, an exact Thought, properly speaking, is a Thought true in all respects. Thus says Ausonius excellently well of Dido. Infelix Dido nulli benè nupta Marito: Hoc pereunte fugis: hoc fugiente peris. Lucan says, 'Tis a great misfortune to overcome in a Civil War: Usquè adeò miserum est civili vincere bello. A happy Man knows not whether he is beloved. — Felix se nescit amari. But it belongs not to every one to think thus exactly. To that purpose, a Man must have his Wit rightly set in his Brain, and be of sound judgement. III. Truth is consistant with Figured Speeches, such as Metaphors, Equivocals, Ironies, & hyperboles well managed; as, burning with Love; whiter than Snow, &c. IV. To think well we must imitate Nature, which Painters follow close. Now I understand by Natural in matter of Thoughts, that which is not far fetched, which the nature of the Matter offers of itself, and arises out of the Subject itself. I understand I know not what kind of Beauty, which is plain without Art. One would think that a natural Thought should come to every one; one would think we had it in our head before we red it. It seems easy to be found, and cost nothing, so soon as we meet with it. It some sort it comes less from the mind of him that thinks, than from the thing whereof he speaks. Finally, a Natural Thought resembles in some sort a Living Spring, rising in a Garden, and not brought thither by Art. The perfection of a Natural Thought comes usually from a pure Expression, and an easy Turn. There is the same difference between a natural and flat Thought, as between a good Sauce, and one that is high seasoned with Pepper & Salt. There is difference between a Natural Thought, I say; as in this; Lucinius was revenged of Fortune by the Invectives he made against her; And one that is not so, as in this other; Man's blood to be revenged of Iron its mortal Enemy; which helps to shed it; makes it Rust, says Pliny; â ferro Sanguis Humanus se ulciscitur. This revenge attributed to Blood is not Natural. V. Some Thoughts are not only True and Natural, but lively also; such are these of Ovid representing his misfortunes, and how tedious Time was to him in his Affliction. Sum miser; haec brevis est nostrorum summa laborum: Cumque meis curis omnia longa facit. CHAP. IV. Of noble, strong, magnificent Thoughts. TRuth is not enough in matter of ingenious Thoughts, there must also be added something that's extraordinary, and which strikes the Mind with that which is lofty, wonderful, and ornamental. The sublime, great, and majestic Thought, is that which transports the Mind to it. There are chiefly two sorts of noble Thoughts: First, those which relate to things belonging to God: Next, those which belong to Men Tacitus and Tasso, are the richest of Authors in masculine Thoughts II. Holy Scripture is a stock of sublime Thoughts relating to God; as these, I am that I am. Let Light be made, and Light was made. Both which, tho seemingly plain in terms, yet give they a majestic Notion of Gods Power and Existence. There's much loftiness also in what a Greek Father says; That Christianity is an imitation of the Divine Life; And a Latin Father; That 'tis a Godlike Revenge, to love our Enemies. III. Next, the sublimity of Thought arises from things belonging indeed to Men, but things which pass for great and illustrious, such as Power, Beauty, Wit, Courage, Victories, Triumph, and the like; or from Men's excelling, either in Arts or History. Thus Tasso says of a Sarazin: That he threatened Christians, tho dead; that is; there remained in the face of the dead Barbarian, a threatening Countenanceal. Again, when Parmenio made to Alexander some mean and Self-Interested proposals; If I mistake not, replied that Hero, I am a King and not a Merchant, Me, non Mercatorem memini esse, said Regem. Q. Curtius. Methinks this answer was very Heroical. IV. Some Thoughts are not only noble and lofty, but magnificent also; as this of a modern Speaking to a great King; What the Hills have that's most solid and lofty, says he, and what the Thunder has most bright and dreadful, would not express enough, neither the vastness of your Soul, nor the activity of your Mind. This Thought of Tacitus is strong. Tiberius, says he, few days before his death, recovering out of a Swoon, feigned, as much as he could, that he was well; hereupon Tacitus says, Jam Tiberium corpus, jam vives, mundum dissimulatio deserebat. Demosthenes speaking of valiant Souldiers, says; That the courage of the Souldiers who were killed in fighting bravely, were the Soul of Greece. The glory of honest Man unjustly accused, and layden with Irons, is no way impaired by the darkness of the Hole; says Seneca: He takes away from the Prison itself, what makes it Infamous: Carcerem intravit, ignominiam de loco detracturus. V. Comparisons well chosen, and drawn from Matter naturally Great, always raise the noblest Thoughts. Thus Longinus compares Demosthenes to a Storm, and to a Thunderbolt which makes havoc. VI. Silence sometimes expresses the Sentiments of a generous Soul; as the silence of Ajax, scorning to reply to Ulysses's base submission; and has something in it greater, than what can be expressed. VII. On the contrary, the strength of the Expression contributes sometimes to the sublimness of a Thought, of which Scripture has rich Examples; in the fall of the Wicked; which is greater than the destruction of Troy; Rome, or Carthage. Thus, I have seen the wicked spreading himself like a green Bay three: yet he passed away, and lo he was not; I sought him, but he could not be found. Psalm 37, 35. From the Lords sight earth and heaven fled, Revel. 20, 11. CHAP. V. Of pleasing, agreeable Thoughts. I. ORnamental Thoughts of the next kind; are pleasing ones, which sometimes surprise us much as the sublime ones do. Noble Thonghts indeed please, because they have something in them which charms the Mind; whereas the others please, because agreeable by their Nature: And what is so charming in them, is as in certain Pictures, something that is soft, tender, and graceful. 'Tis partly that molle atque facetum, which Horace gives to Virgil, and which consists in I know not what gracefulness, which we cannot define in general, and yet whereof there are several sorts. Their delightfulness may arise according to Demetrius, from the nature of Objects which please of themselves; Sunt etiam nonnullae venustates in rebus; such as are Flowers, Light, Fair Days, and all things that flatter the Senses. The Works of Monsieur Voiture are full of pleasing Thoughts. Thus, speaking of a Princess, says he; Having past through a Flower Garden, and spacious walks full of Orange Trees, she came at length to a Grove, into which light had not entred, but as it entred with her. II. Ingenious Visions cause pretty Thoughts. Marini says in one of his Idyls, that after the death of Orpheus, Bees were seen to suck the strings of his Lyre. Doubtless, they fancied to find in those strings the taste of their Honey; and indeed, what we call Melody, is a Greek word, which signifies a Song seasoned with Honey. If the doctrine of Transmigration were credible, says another Poet, I would believe, that the famous Musicians of Antiquity, Musaeus, Amphion, Orpheus, and Arion, return in the Spring, and enter into the Bodies of our nightingales, to charm us in their Melody. Another Poet says, that the nightingale is a feathered Voice, a flying Sound. What Tasso says of the Rosebud, is florid, that the less it shows itself, the more beautiful it is; and Marini calls it the Eye of the Spring. III. Comparisons well chosen, and drawn from florid & delightful Matters, afford pleasing Thoughts: Thankful Persons are like those Fruitful Grounds, which return much more than they received. IV. Fiction, or something Poetical in Prose, makes Thoughts agreeable, says Hermogines, Fabulae in sententiis maximè afferunt suavitatem & delectationem in Oratione. De Formis Orat. cap. 4. Such are Lucians Dialogues of the Dead, which have a very witty and pleasing Character. V. Lively Metaphors are of their nature Fountains of pleasing Thoughts, when not continued too long; and nothing perhaps flatters more the Mind, than the representation of an Object under a Foreign Figure. We delight, says Aristotle, to behold one thing in another. Yet must we not heap up Metaphors one upon another, because so many Foreign Figures mixed together, breed confusion in the Readers mind. Thus, Voiture again says of a Princess; From her Infancy she stolen the whiteness of Snow, and from Pearls their brightness; she took the Beauty and Light of the Stars; and few days past, but she stolen some Rays from the Sun, and decked herself therewith. VI. Antitheses not affencted, but well husband, please infinitely the Mind. They do much about the same effect, as Lights and Shades in Painting, or, as bases and Trebles set with skill in music. As here, Life, properly speaking, is not to live, but to be in Health. Non est vivere, said valere, Vita. Mart. Lib. 12. CHAP. VI. Of delicate and curious Thoughts. NOW I must speak of a third kind of ornamental Thoughts, which, besides pleasure, have a curious delicacy; or rather, whose curiousness, beauty, and worth, arise from their Delicacy. 'Tis hard to tell what delicacy of Thought means; for, tho we frequently speak the Word, yet have we not a clear Notion thereof. I only can say, that there are good Wits, and good Painters, who are neither fine nor delicate; such as Albertus Durer, and reuben. The Works of reuben have more of the fiery Genius, than of ancient Beauty; and tho there is both Life and Greatness in what he wrought, his Figures are rather course than fine. Whereas the Paintings of Raphael have with much Greatness, inimitable Gracefulness, with all the Delicacy possible. Delicacy in the Proper is easier to be defined, than in the figured. If you ask me what Delicacy is, as to Perfumes, Meat, or music, I might perhaps satisfy you; but if you ask me what a delicate Thought is, I know not how to find words to express myself! such airy Notions are hard to be expressed: all we can do, is to view them near at hand, and at several times, to attain the knowledge thereof by little and little. To frame then to ourselves some notion of ingenious Delicacy, let's not content ourselves to say, that a delicate Thought is the finest production of the Mind, and the Flower of Wit: For, that's to say nothing, in a matter so difficult. A delicate curious Thought is wrapped up in few words; and the Sense contained therein, is not so plain: It seems partly to conceal itself, that we may seek after and guess it out. The words are like a thin veil through which we perceive it; and this little m●stery is, as it were, the Soul of the delicacy of Thoughts. So that it only belongs to sharp-sighted Persons, to understand the whole Sense of a delicate Thought. I know not whether I am understood; for indeed I scarce understand myself. But Examples perhaps will clear it better than my Words. There cannot be a more delicate Thought, than what Pliny says to his Prince: Flattery having long since exhausted all the new methods of praising the Great Ones, the only that remains to celebrate your Virtues, is to dare to be silent: Si de te tacere audeamus. Panegyr. Another said delicately to Cardinal Richlieu; as 'twas said of an ancient soldier; That he could not receive Wounds, but on the Scars he had already received, neither can you be praised, but by Repetitions. II. Besides, the delicacy of ingenious Thoughts, there are others wherein the Affection has greater share, than the Understanding. Ovid excels in this kind: and his Heroic Epistles are full of such Thoughts; which Passion makes delicate. Nor does Catullus yield to Ovid in this point: For instance; I shall never see you dear Brother, you that are dearer to me than Life; but I shall always love you: At certe semper amabo. III. The most curious Thoughts by often repeating, awake us not, and cease to be delicate and fine. 'Tis then Novelty, or a new Turn at least, which sets a gloss on a Thought. IV. sometimes a little Allegory gives cunningly to understand what we mean; but it must not be too long to prove pleasing. Here is an excellent Allegory made on the Bees in Urban VIII. Coat of Arms. Mella dabunt cunctis, nulli sua spicula figent: Spicula nam Princeps figere nescit apum. V. A Reflection subtle and judicious together, helps much to the delicacy of Thought. Such is this of Tacitus on Galba's Government. He seemed greater than a Private Man, whilst but a Private Person; and all h●ld him worthy of the Empire, had he not been Emperour. Et omnium consensu capax Imperii, nisi Imperasset. VI. politic Sentences scatred in History ought above all to be Delicate, because they are to awaken the Reader and teach him something that is new. Stradu says, that the greatest Coward turns stout, when he perceives that he is feared: Crescit audacia, si se timeri sentiat. VII. Broken and mysterious Thoughts; wherein there is more understood than seen, delight and surprise the Mind, by keeping it in suspense: as in excellent Pictures, wherein the skilful always discover how the Genius of the Painter went beyond Art. Thus, Lope de Vega says of a Princess alike Beautiful and Valiant; That she was Venus in Peace, and Mars in War. VIII. But nothing is more contrary to true Delicacy, than to express things too much, and the great Art consists not to say all on certain matters; but leave others to think more than we say; quaedam non prolata majora videntur, & potius in suspicione Relicta, says Demetrius. For, one of the surest means to please is, not so much to say and think, as to let others think and say; to give only a hint to the Reader: Nonnulla relinquenda auditori, quae suo mart colligat. De Locution; because Men are naturally in love with their own Productions. CHAP. VII. Of plain and intelligible Thoughts. CLearness being a necessary ornament of Eloquence Prima est Eloquentiae Virtus, perspicuitas. Quint; lib. 2. cap. 3. Ingenious and Regular Thoughts ought to be plain, clear, and easily understood. Without Light, the other Conditions are useless. Nothing is either delightful, or works upon us, but what we understand plainly. For, a Thought being but a Representation, which the Mind frames within itself, it ought to represent things clearly. Nay, a Thought ought to be so plain and clear, that the Reader in reading it, understand it at the same time, without musing to know the meaning thereof. That is to say, that it enter into the Mind, as Light into the Eyes, tamquam Sol in Oculos, when we mind it not. Wherefore the care of him that thinks, ought to be, not that it may be understood; but that it cannot be misunderstood. Quare, non ut intelligere posset: said ne omnino posset non intelligere. Quintil. Lib. 8. cap 2. But, when all's done, 'tis but little to think well, if we speak ill; nay, the finest Thoughts are useless, according to the Masters of the Art, without the ornament of Words. On the other side, there's nothing more extravagant, than a vain Sound of Words; nay, and of the choicest too, unless grounded on substantial Thoughts and good Sense: Nulla utilitas cogitationis praeclarae est, si ei quis pulchrae locutionis non addiderit Ornamentum. Dyon. Hallicarnass. de Collat. Verborum. OF IRREGULAR THOUGHTS PART. II. CHAP. I. Of Irregular Thoughts in general. IF we are not careful to govern our Thoughts according to the Rules of good Sense, and confine ourselves to the bounds of Nature; we are apt to run into excess. vicious Thoughts take the place of true ones; Truth turns to falsehood, sublime becomes swelling; Pleasing is but Affectation; Delicacy more Refining; Light Obscurity: And these sundry sorts of Affectations are attempts of the Mind, both above its Matter and Strength, says Jul, Scaliger; Conatus supra vires, & supra rem. Poetica Lib. 3. cap. 37. Attempting, I say, to be over-witty, we think ill sometimes, and make it too sublime, too pleasing, too much refined. For, an ornamental Thought proves vicious in the noble Kind, when we stretch it too far: 'tis also in the agreeable Kind, when we make it more pleasing than it ought: 'Tis an excess in the Delicate kind, when we run it up to a vain subtlety, or rather, fall it into a flat Nonsense. Hoc fit, aut nimio tumore, an nimio cultu. Diomed. Gram. l. 2. According to Quintilian, The less wit we have, we strive to show the more; as low Persons raise themselves on their feet; ut staturâ breves in digitos eriguntur; and weak Persons threaten most, & plura infirmi minantur, l. 2. c. 3. CHAP. II. Of False Thoughts. I. A Though is False, when the Notion we conceive of an Object represents it otherwise than really it is in itself, and so destroys the very Essence and Nature of Things, in attempting to raise and adorn them. Of this nature is what Ariosto says of one of his Hero's; That in the heat of the Fight, not perceiving that he was killed, he fought on still valiantly, tho dead; Et era morto. And such a false Thought is enough to spoil a good Copy of Verses, because Reason is an enemy to falsehood. Yet is there great difference between falsehood & Fiction. For, Fiction well ordered according to Rule and Art, agrees well with Truth. The one imitates and perfects Nature, the other spoils and utterly destroys it. Fiction or poetic Fables, are more works of the Fancy: And Apollo, Parnassus, the Muses, and Pegasus, are but pleasing Fancies; yet this System supposed, they pass not for False among Scholars, especially wh●n the Fiction is probable. Those who seek after Witticisms are most apt to think false, and to run into childish Conceits; whatsoever matter they handle, they rather seek after glittering Things, than good Sense. 'Tis sure a great corruption in the Nature of Man to hunt after false Reasons, when true ones present themselves; and nothing is more irregular, than to think False on true Historical Events. II. What think you of some Preachers who have charmed their Auditory even with false Conceits, and trifling Witticisms; as he, who to prove that young People die sometimes sooner than aged Persons, said, That John did outrun Peter, and came first to the Sepulchre, John 20.4. Or like another, who preaching on Christs Agony in the Garden, said. That he sweated Blood from all parts of his Body, and ought not to weep otherwise, because God is all Eye. III. Contrary to exactness, and Nature, are also certain pretty, but fantastic, Thoughts, very frequent among Spanish Authors, as this of Gongora, who fancies a nightingale singing, to have a hundred Thousand nightingales singing at once in his Throat. Jesting indeed authorities false Thoughts, and makes them pass for true. CHAP. III. Of mean, swelled, bold, and extravagant Thoughts. I. MEan Thoughts are directly opposite to noble and sublime ones; as this of our famous chancellor Bacon, one of the greatest Wits of this Age. Silver is like Dung, which never profits, but when spread about. There is both Truth and Wit in the Thought, but nothing noble, since the Notion of a dunghill is mean and unpleasant. II. Swelling is vicious, and becomes not our Thoughts, no, not even magnificent Matters, being rather a mark of weakness than strength, as we see in bloated Bodies. Thus Graciani, one of the Spanish wits, says in his Hero; that a great Heart is a giants Heart; but calls that of Alexander an Archiheart, in Spanish Archicoracon, and in a corner thereof, all this world was at such ease, that there was still room enough for six more. Was there ever any thing farther fetched, or more swelled up! This is not only False, but excessive, and beyond the Rules of exact Greatness. III. Thoughts which run on bold hyperboles, being false of themselves, deserve not to be put into rational Works: as one that calls Romances, Mountebanks in Paper; and another calls Ladies long Trains, hyperboles of Cloath IV. Extravagant and fantastic Thoughts, are very opposite to sublime ones; as that of Ariostos Storehouse in the circled of the Moon, wherein were laid up in a jar, Orland's wits, whilst he was struck mad in love of Angelica. Or land furioso, L. 3, Stanz. 73.82. Another said; the centaur was on Horseback on himself. CHAP. IV. Of affencted Thoughts. I. NOthing that's affencted is either pleasing or agreeable. Affectation consisting no less in Thoughts than Words; usually arises from the excess we aim at: And this Affectation of Thoughts is the worst of Vices in matters of Eloquence, because Men strive to avoid the others, but seek after this; Per affectationem decoris corrupta sententia. Diomed. Gramm. Lib. 2. The Italians are much of the humour of those Women who love to be courted by Men, they still will paint, tho never so beautiful, not minding, that they would please better, if they studied not so much to please. Unumquodque genus cum ornatur castè pudicèque, fit illustrius: Cum fucatur, & praelinitur, fit praestigiosum. awl. Gell. Noct. Attic. Lib. 7. cap. 14. Thus, the farewell of Armida to Renaldo is too affencted: O you, says she, who carry away part of myself, and leave the other; either take the one, or restore the other, or give death to both. Here's too much Art. II. Worn-out Thoughts by too often repeating, please no more, according to the maxim in Philosophy; Ab assuetis non fit passia. For instance, 'tis commonly said of Great Men, that having overcome their Enemies, they have overcome themselves. Or thus," The King has overcome Victory itself. III. Trifling Thoughts, which usually consist of Punns, Conceits, and Equivocals, dazzle only the Vulgar, and impose on half-witted Persons, who are taken with Pelf and Tinsel. They are but false Diamonds, Bristol Stones; nothing costs less, or is easier to be found; all Jest-Books are full of them. IV. Pleasing Thoughts stretched too far, are against the Rules of Exactness. Thus Pallavicini says, That Seneca perfumes his Thoughts with Amber & Civet, which at length make the head ache, tho they please at first. Such are Witticisms, Antitheses, & Apostrophies, spoken in the height of Grief. For, is it not ridiculous to say at that time, I will live as an unfortunate Monster of Love, to whom an unworthy Life is the only punishment worthy of his impiety. The quibbles of worthy and unworthy are not proper to Tanerede's deep sorrow. CHAP. V. Of over-Refin'd, Subtle Thoughts. I. ONE would think one could not be too curious nor delicate, but too much every where, is vicious: Vitium est ubique quod nimium est. Quint. Lib. 8, cap. 3. Delicacy of Thoughts has its bounds, as well as the sublime & pleasing. Men over-refine sometimes with thinking too nicely, and then the Thought degenerates into a subtlety, which stretches beyond what we call Delicacy. This subtle Refining then is an exquisite Affectation, or as an Italian calls it, a distillation of the Brain; 'tis not fineness, but oversubtle Refining: Words are wanting to express Things so airy, we can scarce conceive them, and nothing properly can explain them but Examples. Thus a French Poet, speaking of S. Mary Magdalens Rock, says; Alambic lambrisse sans diminution, Lambris alambique sans interruption. II. But I insist not on such as this, which is plainly ill, out of too much subtlety; but of these that seem good, and have something in them that is surprising at first. The subtle Malvezzi seeking out the reason why Novelty is pleasing, says, That mankind being necessitated to die, behold not willingly decayed things, which put them in mind of that unavoidable necessity. Mamertin the Emperour, Julian's Panegyrist, speaking of proud Emperours, who had but contempt for their Subjects. They raise them to preferment, says he, lest they should not despise Persons honoured with Dignities. III. As from over-refining to Nonsense there is but a step, the passage is easy from the one to the other; and when they join together, 'tis nothing but brightness and darkness on all sides. Thus a Spaniard says; That the Crown of Spain is the Suns zodiac on Earth. Again, a French Panegyrist of the late Prince of Conde, speaking of his Picture, thus; This Picture, which never having had a primed cloath, being as soon made as drawn, had his sweat mixed with the Enemies Blood for Colours; his Sword for pencil; his Heart for Painter; his Designs for Draughts; and himself for Original. I know not which to admire most, either the over-Refining or the Nonsense. These Thoughts must needs please those that love subtle Refining. CHAP. VI. Of Obscure Thoughts. I. NOthing is more contrary to plain and intelligible Thoughts than Obscurity, which arises chiefly from three Causes; First, From the Thought itself. Secondly, From the Expression. Thirdly, From Historical Circumstances; which latter cannot reasonably be excepted against. But I speak of that Obscurity which is in the Thought itself, whereof there are some which may well be compair'd to dark Nights, or thick fogs, which hinder from seeing. Neither Orators nor Poets deserve to be red, when they make a Mystery of their Thoughts; They are like those Women that go masked in the Streets, or hid themselves under their Hoods, and will not be known; we must let them pass by, and not so much as take notice of those Apocaliptick cipher Writers. II. As to the other Causes of Obscurity in ingenious Works, it usually arises from brevity; for, from binding up things too close, they choke or stifle them, as I may say; and this makes Tacitus so Obscure. There are certain Thoughts that cannot be understood without a certain number of Words. It were to be wished, we could impart our Thoughts without the help of Words, as Angels do; but not being pure Spirits, we are forced to have recourse to Language, to express what we think. I like nothing better than to say many things in few Words, provided we make ourselves understood; but the difficulty is to be understood; and all the Art consists to take such measures, that clearness impairs not strength, nor strength clearness. III. But on the contrary side, the Sense is often lost in the abundance of Words. For, such there are who say nothing, tho they talk much. IV. Equivocal is when the Thought has, as it were, two Faces, and we know not in which sense to take it; or are in doubt whether it be true or false. Thus Graciani speaking of the Mind, says, That the Understanding is the King of Attributes; meaning, that it is the predominant Perfection in Man, And he that of his Will knows to make a Sacrament, is a sovereign over himself; meaning, to conceal the motions of our Heart, and make a Mystery thereof to others V. Another Cause of Obscurity is, when the Thought is maimed( if may say so) and imperfectt. Methinks such obscure and confused Writers, instead of their Thoughts, represent to us the Chaos. The Close. AFter all, to Think and writ well, 'tis not enough to red choice, and excellent Authors. But in Writing we must have always before our Eyes several Persons as Witnesses, nay, as Judges of our Thoughts. Thus, to avoid false, affencted, and blund'ring Thoughts, we must propose to ourselves a Man of a right, natural, and found Understanding, and ask ourselves, would this satisfy such a one? would this have contented Sir Philip sidney? Or perhaps it would not be amiss if we thought of my Lord Bacon, whose judgement was so exact, that he was not satisfied with pretty things, but would have fair and good ones. For Noble Thoughts, we might represent to ourselves Milton, whose Paradise Lost is full of such. For pleasing, delicate Thoughts, our Waller; or the French Voiture. And as for clear and intelligible Thoughts, it would not perhaps be amiss, to have in prospect some Persons not of so quick Understanding, and to say to ourselves sometimes, would Mr. such a one understand my Thoughts well? But above all, to avoid the Character of certain Persons, who dislike all Thoughts that are Natural; who seek not to adorn, but to paint Truth; to whom nothing that is proper pleases: Quid quod nihil proprium placet. Tull. de Orat. Finally, who think they have no wit, but when others need much to understand them. FINIS.