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QVAItXiBS'S 
 
 ENCHIRIDION. 
 
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 ledge and discretion*". 
 
 RE-PRINTED FOR 
 
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Uniform with the Enchiridion, 
 
 OR 
 
 RESOLVED MEDITATIONS AND PREMEDITATED 
 RESOLUTIONS. 
 Written by 
 
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 Beautifully printed in royal 16mo. with fao-similes of the curious 
 emblematical frontispieces, and the explanatory verses of 
 
 FRANCIS QUARLES & GEORGE WITHERS. 
 Price 6*. in extra boards* 
 
 " The Style of his (Warwick's) work is as sin- 
 gular as its spirit is excellent. Brevity was his 
 laborious study — he has compressed as much es- 
 
senceas possible into the smallest space. His book 
 is a string of proverbial meditations and medi- 
 tated proverbs. He does not speak without reason, 
 and cannot reason without a maxim. His senti- 
 ments are apposite though opposite — his language 
 is the appropriateness of contrariety — it is too nar- 
 row for his thoughts, which shew the fuller for the 
 constraint of their dress. The sinewy athletic body 
 almost bursts its scanty apparel. This adds to the 
 apparent strength of his thoughts, although it takes 
 from their real grace. He comprised great wisdom 
 in a small compass. His life seems to have been 
 as full of worth as his thoughts, and as brief as his 
 book." 
 
 Retrospective Review, No. 3. 
 
ENCHIRIDION: 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 Institutions 
 
 CONTEMPLATIVE. 
 
 DIVINE ^ 
 
 PRACTICAL. 
 
 ETHICAL. 
 MOMAL ^ (ECONOMICAL. 
 
 POLITICAL. 
 
 WRITTEN BY 
 
 FRANCIS QUARLES. 
 
 Hotttron: 
 
 PRINTED FOR HUMPHREY MOSELEY, THE 
 prince's ARMES, in ST. PAULAS CHURCH- 
 YARD. 
 
 1658. 
 
TO THE GLORIOUS OBJECT OF OUR EXPECTATION, 
 
 Charles ^vintt of Wiait^. 
 
 When subjects bring presents to their Princes, 
 it is not because their Princes want them ; but 
 that subjects want better waies to expresse the 
 beauty of their unknowne affections ; I know 
 your highnesse wants not the best raeanes that 
 all the world affords, to ground and perfect you 
 in all those princely qualities, which befit the 
 hopefull Sonne of such a royal Father ; yet the 
 boldnesse of my zeale is such that nothing can 
 
4 
 
 call backe mine arme, or stay the pro^esse of 
 my quill, whose emulous desire comes short of 
 none in the expressions of most loyall and un- 
 feigned affection. To which end, I have pre- 
 sumed to consecrate these few lines to your il- 
 lustrious name, as rudiments to ripen (and thej^ 
 will ripen) with your growing youth, if they but 
 feel the sunshine of your gracious eye. My 
 service in this subject were much too early for 
 your princely view, did not your apprehension 
 as much transcend the greennesse of your years ; 
 the forwp^dnesse of whose spring thrusts forth 
 these hasty leaves. Your Highnesse is the ex- 
 pectation of the present age, and the point of 
 future hopes: and cursed be he that both with 
 
5 
 
 pen and prayers shall not be studious -to advan- 
 tage such a high priz'd blessing : Live long our 
 Prince : and when your royall father shall con- 
 vert his regall diademe into a crov«/^n of glory, 
 inherit his vertues with his throne and prove 
 another phosnix to succeeding generations : so 
 pray'd for, and prophesied, by your High- 
 nesse most loyail and most humble servant, 
 Fra. Quarles, 
 
TO THE READER. 
 
 All rules are not calculated for the meridian of 
 every state. If all bodie^ had the same Consti- 
 tution; or all Constitutions the same Altera- 
 tion ; and all Alterations the same Times, the 
 emperick were the best physitian. If all States 
 had the same Tempers and Distempers, and 
 both the same Conservatives, and the same 
 Cures, Examples were the best directions, and 
 Rules digested from those ExEimples, were even 
 almost infcdUble. The subject of Policy is Civil 1 
 Government ; the subject of that Government is 
 
7 
 
 Men ; the variablenesse of those Men disabso- 
 lutes all Rules, and limits all Examples. Ex- 
 pect not therefore, in these, or any of the like 
 nature, such impregnable generals, that no ex- 
 ceptions can shake. The very disciphne of the 
 Church establisht, and confirm'd by the infallible 
 choice, is not tyed to all times, or to all places. 
 What we here present you with, as they are no 
 rocks to build perpetuity upon, so they are not 
 rocks to split beleefe upon : it is lesse danger to 
 rely upon them, than to neglect them ; nor let 
 any thinke (in these pamphleting da3^es, and 
 audacious times of uniicens'd pasquels) I secretly 
 reflect upon particulars, or looke through a 
 maske upon the passages of these distempered 
 
8 
 
 times : farre be it off from my intention, or your 
 imaginations ; My true ambition is to present these 
 few politicall observations to the tender youth of 
 my thrice-hopefull Prince, which like an intro- 
 duction may leaQ him to the civill happinesse of 
 more refined dayes, and ripen him in the glorious 
 vcrtues of his renowned father, when heaven 
 and the succeeding age shall style liim with the 
 name of Charles the second. 
 
ENCHIRIDION. 
 
 CENT. I. 
 
 I. 
 
 Piety and Policy are, like Martha and Mary, 
 sisters : Martha failes, if Mary help not : and 
 Mary suffers, if Martha be idle : happy is that 
 kingdome where Martha complaines of Mary ; 
 but most happy where Mary complies with 
 Martha : where Piety and Policy goe hand in 
 hemd, there warre shall be just ; and peace ho- 
 nourable. 
 
10 
 
 II. 
 
 Let not civil discords in a forreign king- 
 dome, encourage thee to make invasion. They 
 that are factious among themselves, are jealous 
 of one another, and more strongly prepared to 
 encounter with a common enemy : those whom 
 civill commotions set at variance, forreigne hos- 
 tility reconciles. Men rather aifect the pos- 
 session of an inconvenient good, than the possi- 
 bility of an uncertaine better. 
 
 III. 
 
 If thou hast made a conquest with thy sword, 
 thinke not to maintaine it with thy scepter : 
 neither conceive that new favours can cancell old 
 
11 
 
 injuries: No conqueror sits secure upon his 
 new-got throne, so long as they subsist in 
 power, that were dispoil'd of their possessions 
 by his conquest. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Let no price nor promise of honour bribe thee 
 to take part with the enemy of thy naturall 
 prince: assure thy selfe who ever wans, thou 
 art lost : if thy Prince prevaile, thou art pro- 
 claimed a rebell, and branded for death : if the 
 enemy prosper, thou shalt be reckned but as a 
 meritorious traytor, and not secure of thy selfe : 
 he that loves the treason hates the traytor. 
 
12 
 
 V. 
 
 If thy strength of parts hath rais'd thee to emi- 
 nent place in the Common-weaUh, take heed 
 thou sit sure : if not, thy fall will be the greater : 
 as worth is fit matter for glory ; so glory is a 
 fair marke for envy. B}^ how much the more thy 
 advancement was thought the reward of desert ; 
 by so much thy fall will administer matter for 
 disdaine : it is the ill fortune of a strong braine, 
 if not to be dignified as meritorious, to be deprest 
 as dangerous. 
 
 VI. 
 
 It is the duty of a statesman, especially in a 
 free State, to hold the Common-wealth to her 
 
13 
 
 first frame of government, from which the more 
 it swerves, the more it decUnes : which being 
 declin'd is not commonly reduced without that 
 extremity, the danger whereof, rather mines 
 than rectifies. Fundamental! alterations bring 
 inevitable perils. 
 
 VII. 
 
 There be three sorts of Government ; monar- 
 chicall, aristocraticall, democraticall ; and they 
 are apt to fall three several wayes into ruine : 
 The first, by tyranny ; the second, by ambition ; 
 the last, by tumults. A Common-wealth grounded 
 upon any one of these, is not of long continuance; 
 but wisely mingled, each guard the other, and 
 make that Government exact. 
 
14 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Let not the proceedings of a Captaine, though 
 never so commendable, be confin'd to all times : 
 as these alter, so must they : if these vary, and 
 not they, mine is at hand : he least failes in his 
 designe, that meets time in its owne way : and 
 he that observes not the alterations of the times, 
 shall seldome be victorious but by chance : but 
 he that cannot alter his course according to the 
 alterations of the times shall never be a con- 
 querour : He is a wise commander, and onely 
 he, that can discover the change of times, and 
 changes his proceedings according to the times. 
 
 IX. 
 
 If thou desire to make warre with a Prince, 
 
15 
 
 with whom thou hast formerly ratified a league ; 
 assaile some ally of his, rather than himselfe : 
 if he resent it, and come, or s^nd in aj'd, thou 
 hast a faire gale to thy desires : if not, his infi- 
 delity in not assisting his ally, will be disco- 
 vered ; hereby thou shalt gaine thy selfe ad- 
 vantage, and facilitate thy designes. 
 
 X. 
 
 Before thou undertake a war, let thine eye 
 number thy forces, and let thy judgement weigh 
 them : if thou hast a rich enemy, no matter how 
 poore thy souldiersbe, ifcouragious and faithfull : 
 trust not too much to the power of thy treasure, 
 for it will deceive thee, being more apt to ex- 
 
16 
 
 pose thee for a prey, than to defend thee : gold 
 is not able to finde good souldiers ; but good 
 souldiers are able to finde out gold. 
 
 XI. 
 
 If the territories of thy equall ejiemy are situ- 
 ated far south from thee, the advantage is thine, 
 whether he make oftensive, or defensive war ; if 
 north, the advantage is his : cold is less tolerable 
 than heat : this is a friend to nature ; that, an 
 enemy. 
 
 XII. 
 
 It is not onely uncivill, but dangerous for soul- 
 diers, by reproachful words, to throw disgrace 
 
17 
 
 upon the enemy. Base tearmes are bellow es 
 to a slaking fury, and goads to quicken up 
 revenge in a fleeing foe : he that objects cow- 
 ardize against a fayling enemy, adds spirit to 
 him, to disprove the aspersion, at his owne 
 cost : it is therefore the part of a wise soul- 
 dier to refraine it ; or of a wise commander, to 
 punish it. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 It is better for two weake kingdomes rather to 
 compound an injury (though to some lusse) than 
 seeke for satisfaction by the sword, lest while 
 they two weaken themselves by mutual biowes, 
 a third decide the controversie to both their 
 
18 
 
 ruines. When the frog and the mouse could 
 not take up the quarrell, the kite was umpire. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Let tliat Common-wealth which desires to 
 flourish, be very strict, both in her punish- 
 ments, and rewards, according to the merits of 
 the subject, and offence of the delinquent : let 
 the service of the deserver be rewarded, lest 
 thou discourage worth ; and let the crime of 
 the offender be punish't, lest thou encourage 
 vice : the neglect ot the one weakens a Common- 
 wealth ; the omission of both ruines it. 
 
 XV. 
 
 It is wisedome for him that sits at the helme 
 
19 
 
 of a settled State, to demeane himselfe toward 
 his subjects at all times, so, that upon any civill 
 accident, they may be ready to serve his occa- 
 sion : he that is onely gracious at the approach 
 of a danger, will be in danger, when he expects 
 dehverance. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 In all designes, which require not sudden exe- 
 cution, take mature deliberation, and weigh the 
 convenients, with the inconvenients, and then 
 resolve; after which, neither delay the execu- 
 tion, nor bewray thy intention. He that disco- 
 vers himself, till he hath made himselfe master 
 of his desires, layes himselfe open to his owne 
 
20 
 
 ruine, and makes himself prisoner to his own 
 tongue. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 Liberality in a Prince is no virtue, when 
 maintained at the subjects' unwilling cost. It is 
 lesse reproach, by miserablenesse, to preserve 
 the popular love, than by liberality to deserve the 
 private thankes. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 It is the excellent property of a good and wise 
 Prince, to use war as he does physicke, care- 
 fully, unwillingly, and seasonably, either to 
 prevent approaching dangers, or to correct a 
 
21 
 
 present mischief, or to recover a former losse. 
 He that decKnes physicke till he be accosted 
 with the danger, or weakened with the disease, 
 is bold too long, and wise too late. That peace 
 is too precise, that limits the justnesse of a war 
 to a sword drawne, or a blow given. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Let a Prince that would beware of conspira- 
 cies, be rather jealous of such whom his extra- 
 ordinary favours have advanced, than of those 
 whom his pleasure hath contented : these want 
 meanes to execute their pleasures ; but they 
 have meanes at pleasure to execute their desires : 
 ambition to rule is more vehement, than malice 
 or revenge. 
 
22 
 
 XX. 
 
 Before thou undertake a war cast an impar- 
 tial! eye upon the cause : if it be just, prepare 
 thy army; and let them all know, they fight 
 for God and thee : it adds fire to the spirit of a 
 souldier, to be assured, that he shall either 
 prosper in a faire war, or perish in a just cause, 
 
 XXT. 
 
 If thou desire to know the power of a State, 
 observe in what correspondence it lives with her 
 neighbouring- State : If she make allyance with 
 the contribution of money, it is an evident signe 
 of weaknesse : if with her valour, or repute of 
 forces, it manifests a native strength : it is an 
 infallible signe of power, to sell friendship ; and 
 
23 
 
 of weaknesse to buy it : that which is bought 
 with gold, will hardly be maintained with Steele. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 In the calmes of peace it is most requisite for a 
 Prince, to prepare against the stormes of warre ; 
 both theorically, in reading heroick histories ; 
 and practicall}^ in maintaining martiall disci- 
 pline : above all things let him avoid idleness, 
 as the bane of honour ; which in peace, indis- 
 poses the body ; and in warre, effeminates the 
 soul : he that would be in war victorious, must 
 be in pe^ice laborious. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 If thy two neighbouring Princes fall out, shew 
 
24 
 
 thyselfe either a true friend, or a faire enemj^ ; 
 it is indiscretion, to adhere to him whom thou 
 hast least cause to feare, if he vanquish : Neu- 
 traUty is dangerous, whereby thou becomest a 
 necessary prey to the conqueror. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 It is a great argument of a Prince's wisedorae, 
 not onely to chuse, but also to prefer wise coun- 
 cellors : and such are they, that seek lesse 
 their own advantages, than his, whom wise 
 Princes ought to reward, lest they become their 
 owne carvers ; and so, of good servants, turne 
 bad masters. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 It much conduces to the dishonour of a king, 
 
25 
 
 and the illiare of his kingdome, to multiply 
 Nobility, in an overproportion to the common 
 people : cheape honour darkens Majesty ; and 
 a numerous Nobility brings a state to neces- 
 sity. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 It is very dangerous, to try experiments in a 
 State, unlesse extreame necessity be urgent, or 
 popular utility be palpable: it is better for a 
 State to connive a while, at an inconvenience, 
 than too suddenly to rush upon a reformation. 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 If a valiant Prince be succeeded by a weak 
 
26 
 
 successor, he may for a while maintaine a happy 
 State, by the remaining vertue of his glorious 
 predecessour : but if his life be long, or dying 
 he be succeeded by one lesse valiant than the 
 first, the kingdome is in danger to fall to ruine. 
 That prince is a true father to his country, that 
 leaves it the rich inheritance of a brave sonne. 
 When Alexander succeeded Philip, the world 
 was too little for the Conquerour. 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 It is very dangerous for a Prince, orRepublike, 
 to make continuall practice of cruell exaction : 
 for, where the subject stands in sense, or ex- 
 pectation of evill, he is apt to provide for his 
 
27 
 
 safety, either from the evill he feeles, or from 
 the danger he feares ; and growing bold in con- 
 spiracy, makes faction, which faction is the 
 mother of ruine. 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 Be carefull to consider the good or ill disposi- 
 tion of the people towards thee upon ordinary 
 occasions : if it be good, labour to continue it ; 
 if evill, provide against it : as there is nothing 
 more terrible than a dissolute multitude without 
 a Head ; so there is nothing more easie to be 
 reduc'd ; (if thou canst endure the first shock 
 of their fury ;) which if a little appeas'd, every 
 one begins to doubt himselfe, and think of home 
 
28 
 
 and secure themselves, either by flight, or 
 agreement. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 That Prince who stands in feare more of his 
 own people, than strangers, ought to build 
 fortresses in his land : but he that is more 
 afraid of strangers than his own people, shall 
 build them more secure in the affections of his 
 subjects. 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 Carry a watchfull eye upon dangers before they 
 come to ripenesse, and when they are ripe, let 
 loose a speedy hand : he that expects them too 
 
29 
 
 lonp;, or meets them too soon, gives advantage 
 to the evill : commit their beginnings to Argus 
 his hundred eyes, and their ends to Briareus 
 his hundred hands, and thou art safe. 
 
 XXXII. 
 
 Of all the difficulties in a State, the temper of a 
 true government most felicifies and perpetuates 
 it: too sudden alterations distemper it Had 
 Nero tuned his kingdome as he did his harp, 
 his harmony had been more honourable, and his 
 reign more prosperous. 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 If a Prince, fearing to be assail'd by a forreigne 
 
30 
 
 enemy, hath a well-arm'd people, well addrest 
 for war, let him stay at home and expect him 
 there : but if his subjects be unarm'd, or his 
 kin^dome unacquainted with the stroke of war, 
 let him meet the enemy in his quarters. The 
 farther he keeps the warre from his own home 
 the lesse danger. The seat of war is alwayes 
 miserable. 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 It is a necessary wisedome for a Prince to grow 
 in strength, as he encreases in dominions : it 
 is no less vertue to keep, than to get : conquests 
 not having power answerable to their greatnesse, 
 invite new conquerors to the ruine of the old. 
 
31 
 
 XXV. 
 
 It is great prudence in a statesman, to discover 
 an inconvenience in the birth ; which, so disco- 
 vered, is easie to be supprest : but if it ripen 
 into a custome, the sudden remedy thereof is 
 often worse than the disease : in such a case, 
 it is better to temporize a httle, than to struggle 
 too much. He that opposes a full-aged in- 
 convenience too suddenly, strengthens it. 
 
 XXXVI. 
 
 If thou liast conquer'd a land, whose language 
 differs not from thine, change not their lawes 
 and taxes, and the two kingdomes will in a short 
 time incorporate, and make one body. But if the 
 
32 
 
 lawes and language differ, it is difficult to main- 
 tain thy conquest ; which that thou maist the 
 easier doe, observe three things : first, to live 
 there in person, (or rather send colonies :) se- 
 condly, to assist the weak inhabitants, and 
 weaken the mighty : thirdly, to admit no pow- 
 erfuU foreigner to reside there : remember Lewis 
 the thirteenth of France; how suddenly he 
 took Milan, and how soon he lost it. 
 
 XXXVII. 
 
 It is a gracious wisdom in a Prince, in civil 1 
 commotions, rather to use juleps, than phle- 
 botomy ; and better to breathe the distemper by 
 a wise delay, than to correct it with too rash an 
 
33 
 
 onset : it is more honourable, by a slow pre- 
 paration to declare himselfe a gracious father, 
 than by a hasty warre to appeare a furious 
 enemy. 
 
 XXXVIIl. 
 
 It is wisdome for a Prince in faire weather to 
 provide for tempests : he that so much relies 
 upon his people's faith, to neglect his own prepa- 
 ration, discovers more confidence than wis- 
 dome : he that ventures to fall from above, with 
 hopes to be catcht below, may be dead ere hee 
 come to ground. 
 
 XXXIX. 
 
 He that would reform an ancient State in a free 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 City buj^es convenience with a great danger : to 
 work this reformation with the lesse mischiefe, 
 let such a one keep the shadowes of their ancient 
 customes, though in substance they be new : let 
 him take heed when hee alters the natures of 
 things, they bear at least the ancient names. 
 The common people, that are naturally impatient 
 of innovations, will be satisfied with that which 
 seems to be as well as that which is. 
 
 XL. 
 
 Upon any diflPerence between forreigne States, 
 it is neither safe nor honourable for a Prince, 
 either to buy his peace, or to take it up at inte- 
 rest : he that hath not a sword to command it. 
 
35 
 
 shall either want it or want honour with 
 it. 
 
 XLI. 
 
 It is very requisite for a Prince, not onely to 
 weigh his designes in the liower, but likewise 
 in the fruit : he is an unthrift of his honour 
 that enterprizes a designe, the failing wherein 
 may bring him more disgrace, than the successe 
 can gain him honour. 
 
 XLII. 
 
 It is much conducible to the happinesse of a 
 Prince, and the security of his State, to gain 
 the hearts of his subjects ; they that love for 
 
36 
 
 feare, will seldome feare for love : it is a wise 
 government which gaines such a tj^e upon the 
 subject, that he either cannot Jiurt, or will 
 not : but that government is best and most 
 sure, when the subject joyes in his obedience. 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 Let every souldier arme his mind with hopes, 
 and put on courage : whatsoever disaster falls, 
 let not his heart sinke. The passage of provi- 
 dence lyes through many crooked wa3^es ; a 
 despairing heart is the true prophet of approach- 
 ing evil ; his actions may weave the webs of 
 fortune, but not break them. 
 
37 
 
 XLIV. 
 
 It is the part of a wise Magistrate to vindicate 
 a man of power or State-imployment from the 
 malicious scandals of the giddy-headed multi- 
 tude, and to punish it with great severity : 
 scandal 1 breeds hatred ; hatred begets divi- 
 sion ; division makes faction, and faction brings 
 ruine. 
 
 XLV. 
 
 The strongest castles a Prince can build, to 
 secure him from domesticke commotions, or 
 forreigne invasions, is in the hearts of his sub- 
 jects ; and the meanes to gain that strength is, 
 in all his actions to appeare for the publicke good, 
 -Studious to contrive, and resolute to performe. 
 
38 
 
 XL VI. 
 
 A KINGDOME is a great building, whose two 
 maine supporters are the government of the 
 State, and the government of the Church : it 
 is the part of a wise master to keepe those 
 pillars in their first posture, irremoveable : if 
 either faile, it is wisedome rather to repaire it, 
 than remove it : he that puis downe tl^e old, to 
 set up a new, may draw th« roofe upon his 
 head, and mine the foundation. 
 
 XL VII. 
 
 It is necessary wisedome in a Prince to encou- 
 rage in his kingdome, manufacture, merchan- 
 dize, arts, and armes. In manufacture lye 
 
39 
 
 the vitall spirits of the body politique : in mer- 
 chandize, the spirits naturall; in arts and armes, 
 the animall: if either of these langiiish, the 
 body droopes: as these flourish, the' body 
 flourishes. 
 
 XLVIII. 
 
 True Religion is a settler in a State, rather 
 than a stickler ; while shee confirms an esta- 
 blisht government, she moves in her own sphere ; 
 but when she endeavours to alter the old, or to 
 erect a new, she workes out of her owne vine- 
 yard : when she keepes the kej^es, she sendes 
 showers of milke ; but when she drawes the 
 sword, she sayles in seas ofbloud : labour there- 
 
40 
 
 fore to settle religion in the church ; and reli- 
 gion shall settle peace in thy land* 
 
 XLIX. 
 
 If thou entertaine any forraigne souldiers into 
 thine army, let them beare thy colours, and 
 be at thy pay, lest they interest their owne 
 Prince : auxiliary souldiers are the most dan- 
 gerous : a forraigne Prince needs no greater 
 invitation to seize upon thy city, than when he 
 is required to defend it. 
 
 L. 
 
 Be cautious in undertaking a designe, upon the 
 report of those that are banished their countrey. 
 
41 
 
 lest thou come off with shame or losse, or both. 
 Their end expects advantages from thy actions, 
 whose miseries lay hold of all opportunities, 
 and seeke to be redrest by thy mine. 
 
 LI. 
 
 If thou endeavourest to make a republique in a 
 nation where the gentry abounds, thou shalt 
 hardly prosper in that designe : and if thou 
 wouldest erect a principaUty in a land, where 
 there is much equality of people, thou shalt not 
 easily effect it. The way to bring the first to 
 passe, is to weaken the gentry : the meanes 
 to effect the last, is to advance and strengthen 
 ambitious and turbulent spirits ; so that being 
 
42 
 
 placed in the midst of them, their forces may 
 maintaine thy power ; and thy favour may pre- 
 serve their ambition : otherwise there shall be 
 neither proportion nor continuance. 
 
 LII. 
 
 It is more excellent for a Prince to have a pro- 
 vident eye for the preventing future mischiefes, 
 than to have a potent arme for the suppressing 
 present evils: mischiefes in a State are like 
 hectique feavers in a body: in the beginning 
 hard.to be knowne, but easie to be cured ; but, 
 let it alone a while, it becomes more easie to be 
 knowne, but more hard to be cured. 
 
43 
 
 LIII. 
 
 If a kingdome be apt to rebellion it is wisedome 
 to preserve the Nobility and Commons at vari- 
 ance : where one of them is discontented, the 
 danger is not great : the Commons are slow of 
 motion, if not quickned with the Nobihty ; 
 the Nobility is weake of power, if not strength- 
 ened by the Commons : then is danger, when 
 the Commonalty troubles the water, and the 
 Nobility steps in. 
 
 hIV. 
 
 It is very requisite for a Prince to have an eye 
 that the Clergy be elected and come in, either 
 by collation from him, or particular patrons, and 
 not by the People ; and that their power hold 
 
44 
 
 dependance upon home, and not fbrreign au- 
 thority : it is dangerous in a kingdome, where 
 the Crosiars receive not their power from the 
 regall sword. 
 
 LV. 
 
 It is a perillous weaknesse in a state, to be 
 slow of resolution in the time of warre : to be 
 irresolute m determination is both the signe, 
 and the mine of a weake state : such affaires 
 attend not time : let the wise statesman there- 
 fore abhor delay, and resolve rather what to doe, 
 than advise what to say : slow deliberations are 
 symptomes, either of a faint courage, or weake 
 forces, or false hearts. 
 
45 
 LVI. 
 
 If a conquerour hath subdued a country, or a 
 city abounding with pleasures, let him be very 
 circumspect to keepe himselfe and his souldiers 
 temperate. Pleasures bring effeminacy ; and 
 effeminacy fore-runs ruine : such conquests, 
 without blood or sweat, sufficiently do revenge 
 themselves upon their intemperate conquerours. 
 
 " LVIL 
 
 It is an infallible signe of approaching ruine in 
 a republike, when religion is neglected, and her 
 establisht ceremonies interrupted : let therefore 
 that Prince that would be potent, be pious ; and 
 that he may punish looseness the better, let 
 
46 
 
 him be religious : the joy of Jerusalem depends 
 upon the peace of Sion. 
 
 LVIII. 
 
 Let that Prince that desires full soveraignty, 
 temper the greatnesse of too potent a Nobility : 
 a great and potent Nobility quickens the people, 
 but presses their fortunes : it adds majesty to a 
 Monarch, but diminishes his power. 
 
 LIX. 
 
 It is dangerous for a Prince to use ambitious 
 Natures, but upon necessity, either for his 
 warres, or to be skreens to his dangers, or to be 
 instruments for the demolishing insolent great- 
 
47 
 
 nesse : and that they may be the lesse danger- 
 ous, let him chuse them rather out of meane 
 births than noble ; and out of harsh natures, 
 rather than plausible. And alvrayes be sure 
 to ballance them with those that are as proud as 
 they. 
 
 LX. 
 
 Let Princes be very circumspect in the choyce 
 of their Councellours, chusing neither by the 
 greatnesse of the beard, nor by the smooth- 
 nesse of the face : let him be wise, but not 
 crafty : active, without private ends : coura- 
 gious, without malice: religious, without fac- 
 tion : secret without fraud ; one better read in 
 
48 
 
 his Prince's businesse, than his Nature : and a 
 riddle only to be read above. 
 
 LXI. 
 
 In a mixt monarchy, if the hierarchy grow too 
 absolute, it is wisedome in a Prince, rather to 
 depresse it than suppresse it : all alterations in 
 a fundamentall Government bring apparent dan- 
 gers ; but too sudden alteration threatens ine- 
 vitable ruine : when Aaron made a moulten 
 calfe, Moses altered not the government, but 
 reproved the governour. 
 
 LXIL 
 
 Before thou build a fortresse, consider to 
 
49 
 
 what end ; if for resistance against the enemy, 
 it is uselesse ; a valiant army is a living for- 
 tresse: if for suppressing the subject, it is 
 hurtful!: it breeds jealousies, and jealousies 
 beget hatred: if thou hast a strong army to 
 maintain it, it adds nothing to thy strength : 
 if thy army be weake it conduces much to thy 
 danger : the surest fortresse is the hands of thy 
 souldiers, and the safest citadell is the hearts of 
 thy subjects. 
 
 LXIII. 
 
 It is a princely alchymie, out of a necessary 
 warre to extract an honourable peace, and more 
 beseeming the majesty of a prince to thirst after 
 
50 
 
 peace, than conquest : blessednesse is promis't 
 to the peace-maker ; not to the conquerour : it 
 is a happy state, whose Prince hath a peace- 
 full hand, and a martiall heart, able both to 
 use peace, and to manage warre. 
 
 LXIV. 
 
 It is a dishonourable thing for a Prince to 
 runne in debt for state service ; but to pay it in 
 he pardon of a criminall offence, is most dan- 
 gerous. To cancell the faults of subjects, with 
 their deserts, is not only the syraptome of a 
 disordered common-wealth, but also of her 
 mine. 
 
31 
 
 LXV. 
 
 Let not a commander be too forward to under- 
 take a warre, without the person of his prince : 
 it is a thanklesse imployment, where mischiefe 
 attends upon the best successe ; and where (if a 
 conquerour) he shall be in danger, either through 
 his owne ambition, or his Prince's suspition. 
 
 LXVI. 
 
 It is a great oversight in a Prince, for any re- 
 spects, either actively or passively, to make a 
 forreigne kingdome strong: he that gives meanes 
 to another to become powerful! weakens him- 
 selfe, and enables him to take the advantage of 
 his own weaknesse. 
 
52 
 
 •LXVII. 
 
 When the humours of the people are stirr'd by 
 discontents, or popular griefe, it is wisdome in 
 a Prince to give them moderate liberty to evapo- 
 rate : he that turnes the humour backe too has- 
 tily makes the wound bleed inwardly, and fills 
 the body with malignity. 
 
 LXVIII. 
 
 If having levyed an army, thon findest thy 
 selfe too weake, either through the want of men 
 or mony ; the longer thou delayst to fight, the 
 greater thy inconvenience growes ; if once thy 
 army falls asunder, thou certainly losest by thy 
 delay: where hazarding thy fortunes betimes, 
 
53 
 
 thou hast the advantage of i5iy men, and mayst 
 by fortune winne the day : it is lesse dishonour 
 to bee overcome by force than by flight. 
 
 LXIX. 
 
 It is the part of a vrise commander in warres, 
 either offensive or defensive, to work a necessity 
 of fighting into the brests of his souldiers : ne- 
 cessity of action takes away the feare of the 
 act, and makes bold resolution the favorite of 
 fortune. 
 
 LXX. 
 
 Clemency and mildnesse is most proper for a 
 principality, but reservednesse and severity for 
 
54 
 
 a republique ; but moderation in both : excesse 
 in the one breeds contempt : in the other, ha- 
 tred ; when to sharpen the first, and when to 
 sweeten the last, let time and occasion direct 
 thy judgement 
 
 LXXI. 
 
 It is very requisite for a Prince that desires the 
 continuance of peace, in time of peace to encou- 
 rage, and respect his commanders ; when brave 
 spirits finde neglect to be the eflfect of quiet 
 times, they devise all meanes to remove the 
 cause, and by suggesting inducements to new 
 warres, disturb and unsettle the old peace, 
 buying private honour with publique danger 
 
55 
 
 LXXII. 
 
 Be not covetous for priority in advising thy 
 Prince to a doubtfial attempt, which concernes 
 his state : if it prosper, the glory must be his ; 
 if it feiile, the dishonour will be thine : when 
 the spirit of a Prince is stopped in the discharge, 
 it will recoyle and wound the first adviser, 
 
 LXXIII. 
 
 If being the commander of an army, thou es- 
 piest a grosse and manifest error in thine enemy, 
 look w^ll to thy selfe, for treachery is not farre 
 off : hee whom desire of victory blinds too much 
 is apt to stumble at his owne mine. 
 
56 
 
 LXXIV. 
 
 It is the height of a provident commander not 
 only to keep his own designes indiscoverable to 
 his enemy ; but likewise to be studious to dis- 
 cover his : he that can best doe the one, and 
 nearest guesse at the other, is the next step to 
 a conqueror. But he that failes in both, must 
 either ascribe his overthrow to his owne folly, 
 or his victory to the hand of fortune. 
 
 LXXV. 
 
 If thou be ambitious of honour, and yet fear- 
 full of the canker of honour, envy ; so behave 
 thy selfe, that opinion may be satisfied in this, 
 that thou seekest merit, and not fame ; and t)iat 
 
57 
 
 thou attributest thy preferment rather to provi- 
 dence, than thy own vertue : honour is a due 
 debt to the deserver : and who ever envied the 
 payment of a debt ? a just advancement is a 
 providenti£ill act ; and who ever envied the act 
 of Providence ? 
 
 LXXVI. 
 
 It behoves a Prince to bee very circumspect 
 before hee make a league ; which, being made, 
 and then broke, is the forfeiture of his honour : 
 he that obtaines a kingdome with the rupture 
 of his faith, hath gain'd the glory of a conquest, 
 but 'lost the honour of a conquerour. 
 
58 
 
 LXXVII. 
 
 Let states that aim at ^reatnesse, beware lest 
 new gentry multiply too fast, or grow too glo- 
 rious ; where there is too great a disproportion 
 betwixt the gentry and the common subject, the 
 one growes insolent, the other slavish : when 
 the body of the gentry growes too glorious for a 
 corslet, there the heads of the vulgar waxe too 
 heavy for the helmet. 
 
 LXXVIII. 
 
 Upon the beleaguering of a city, let the com- 
 mander endeavour to take from the defendants, 
 all scniples which -may invite them to a neces- 
 sity of defence : whom the feare of slavery ne- 
 
59 
 
 cessitates to fight, the boldnesse of their reso- 
 lution will disadvantage the assaylants, and dif- 
 ficilitate their design : sense of necessity justi- 
 fies the warre ; and they are hopefuU in their 
 armes, who have no other hope but in their 
 armes. 
 
 LXXIX. 
 
 It is good for States and Princes (if they use 
 ambitious men for their advantage) so to order 
 things, that they be still progressive, rather 
 than retrograde : when ambitious men finde an 
 open passage, they are rather busie than dan- 
 gerous ; and if well watcht in their proceed- 
 ings, they will catch themselves in their own 
 
60 
 
 snare, and prepare a way for their own de- 
 struction. 
 
 LXXX. 
 
 Of all recreations, hunting is most proper to a 
 bommander ; by the frequency whereof he may 
 be instructed in that necessary knowledge of si- 
 tuation, with pleasure ; which, by earnest ex- 
 perience, would be dearly purchas'd. The 
 chase is a faire resemblance of a hopefull warre, 
 proposing to the pursuer a flying enemy. 
 
 LXXXI. 
 
 Expect the army of thy enemy on plain and 
 easie ground, and still avoyd mountainous and 
 
61 
 
 rocky places, and straight passages, to the 
 utmost of thy power : it is not safe to pitch any 
 where, where thy forces cannot be brought to- 
 gether: he never deserved the name of good 
 gamester, that hazards his whole rest, upon 
 lesse than the strength of his whole game. 
 
 LXXXII. 
 
 It matters not much whether in government, 
 thou tread the steps of severe Hannibal, or gen- 
 tle Scipio, so thy actions be honourable, and thy 
 life vertuous : both in the one, and the other, 
 there is both defect and danger, if not cor- 
 rected, and supported by the faire repute of 
 some extraordinary endowments : no matter, 
 whether black or white, so the steed be good. 
 
62 
 
 LXXXIII. 
 
 It is the safest way in a martiall expedition, to 
 commit the maine charge to one : companions in 
 command beget confusion in the campe : when 
 two able commanders are joyned in equall com- 
 mission, each is apt to think his own way best, 
 and by mutuall thwarting each other, both give 
 opportunity to the enemy. 
 
 LXXXIV. 
 
 It is a high point of providence in a Prince to 
 observe popular sects in their first rise, and with 
 a severe hand, to hippe them in the budde : but 
 being once full aged, it is wisdome not to oppose 
 them with too strong a hand ; lest in suppress- 
 ing one, there arise two : a soft current is soon 
 
63 
 
 stopped ; but a strong streame resisted, breaks 
 into many, or overwheimes all. 
 
 LXXXV. 
 
 It makes very much to thy advantage to ob- 
 serve strictly the nationall vertues, and vices, 
 and humours of forreign kingdomes, whereby 
 the times past shall read usefuU lectures to the 
 times present : he that would see what shall 
 be, let him consider what hath been. 
 
 LXXXVI. 
 
 If, likeManlius, thou command stout and great 
 things, bee like Manhus stout to execute great 
 commands : it is a great blemish in soveraignty 
 
64 
 
 when the will roares, and the power whispers : 
 if thou canst not execute as freely as thou coni- 
 mandst, command no more than what thou ma3'st 
 as freely execute. 
 
 LXXXVII. 
 
 If one Prince desire to ohtaine any thing of 
 another, let him (if occasion will beare it) give 
 him no time to advise: let him endeavour to 
 make him see a necessity of sudden resolution, 
 and the danger either of deniall, or delay ; hee 
 that gives time to resolve, gives leasure to deny, 
 and warning to prepare. 
 
 LXXXVIII. 
 
 Let not thine army at the first encounter be too 
 
65 
 
 prodigall in her assaults, but husband lier 
 strength for a dead lift : when the enemy hath 
 abated the fiiry of his first heat ; let him then 
 feel thou hast reserved thy forces for the last 
 blow ; so shall the honour he hath gained by 
 his valour encrease the glory of thy victory : 
 fore-games when they prove, are speediest, but 
 after-gameSj if wisely played, are surest. 
 
 LXXXIX. . 
 
 It is very requisite for a Prince to keep the 
 Church alwayes in proportion to the State. If 
 the Government of the one be monarchicall, and 
 the other democraticall, they will agree, like 
 metall joyned with clay, but for a while. Dur- 
 F 
 
66 
 
 able is that State, where Aaron commands the 
 people, and where Moses commands Aaron: 
 but most happy in the continuance,, where God 
 commands both. 
 
 XC. 
 
 Let not the covetousnesse of a captaine pur- 
 Joyne to his owne use, or any way bereave his 
 souldiers of any profit due unto their service, 
 either in their meanes or spoyles : such injuries 
 (being quickn'd by their dayly necessities) are 
 never forgot: what souldiers earne with the 
 hazard of their lives, (if not enjoy'd) prophesies 
 an overthrow in the next battell. 
 
67 
 
 XCI. 
 
 If a Prince expect vertuous subjects, let his 
 subjects have a vertuous prince; so shall he 
 the better punish the vices of his degenerate 
 subjects ; so shall they truUer prize vertue, and 
 follow it, being exemplified in their Prince. 
 
 XCII. 
 
 It is the propertj^ of a wise commander, to cast 
 an eye rather upon actions, than upon per- 
 sons ; and rather to reward the merits of men 
 than to read the letters of ladies: he that for 
 favour, or reward, preferres a worthlesse soul- 
 dier, betrayes a kingdome, to advance a traytor. 
 
68 
 
 XCIII. 
 
 Where order and fury are well acquainted, 
 the warre prospers, and souldiers end no lesse 
 men than they begunne : order is quickened by 
 fury, and fury is regulated by order : but where 
 order is wanting, fury runs her own way, and 
 being an unthrift of its owne strength, faiHng in 
 the first assault, cravens ; and such beginning 
 more than men, end lesse than women. 
 
 XCIV. 
 
 It is the quality of a wise commander, to make 
 his souldiers confident of his wisdome, and their 
 own strength : if any danger be, to conceale it ; 
 if manifest, to lessen it : let him possesse his 
 
army with the justnesse of the warre, and with 
 a cert£iinty of the victory . A good cause makes 
 a stout heart, and a strong arme. They that 
 feare an overthrow, are halfe conquered. 
 
 xcv. 
 
 It is requisite in a generall to mingle love with 
 the severity of his discipline : they that cannot 
 be induced to feare for love, will never be in- 
 forced to love for feare : love opens the heart, 
 feare shuts it : that encourages, this compelles : 
 and victory meets encouragement, but flees 
 compulsion. 
 
 XCVI. 
 
 It is the part of a well advised State never to 
 
70 
 
 entrust a weighty service, unto whom a noted 
 injury or dishonour hath been done ; hee can 
 never bee zealous in performance of service, the 
 height of whose expectation can rather recover 
 a lost name, than gaine a fresh honour. 
 
 XCVII. 
 
 Three wayes there be to begin a repute, and 
 gain dignities in a Common-wealth : the first 
 by the vertue of glorious parents, which, till 
 thou degenerate too much, may raise thee upon 
 the wings of opinion : the second is by asso- 
 ciating with those, whose actions are known 
 eminent: the third, by acting some exploit, 
 either publique or private, which in thy hand 
 
71 
 
 hath proved honourable. The two first may 
 misse, being founded on opinion : the last sel- 
 dome failes^ being grounded upon evidence. 
 
 XCVIII. 
 
 If thou art callM to the dignity of a commander, 
 dignify thy place by thy commands : and that 
 thou mayst be the more perfect in commanding 
 others, practice upon thy selfe : remember, 
 thou art a servant to the publike weale, and 
 therefore forget all private respects, either of 
 kin or friend : remember thou art a champion 
 for a kingdome ; forget therefore all private af* 
 fections either of love or hate : he that would 
 do his country right, must not be too sensible of 
 a personall wrong. 
 
72 
 
 XCIX. 
 
 It is the part of a wise commander to read 
 books, not so much as men ; nor men so much 
 as nations : he that can discern the incUna- 
 tions, conditions, and passions of a kingdome, 
 gaines his Prince a great advantage both in 
 peace and warre. 
 
 C. 
 
 And you, most high and mighty Princes of this 
 lower world, who at this intricate and various 
 game of warre, vye kingdomes, and winne 
 crownes ; and by the death of your renowned 
 subjects, gaine the lives of your bold-hearted 
 enemies; know there is a Quo Warranto^ 
 whereto you are to give account of your eye- 
 
73 
 
 glorious actions, according to the righteous 
 rules of sacred justice : how warrantable it is 
 to rend imperiall crownes from off the soveraign 
 heads of their too weake possessours ; or to 
 snatch scepters from out the conquer'd hand of 
 heaven-anointed majesty, and by your vast am- 
 bitions still to enlarge your large dominions, 
 with kingdomes ravisht from their naturall 
 princes, judge you. O let your brave designs, 
 and well-weighed actions, be as just as ye are 
 glorious; and consider, that all your warres, 
 whose ends are not to defend your own posses- 
 sions, or to recover your dispossessions, are but 
 princely injuries, which none but heaven can 
 right. But where necessity strikes up her hard 
 
74 
 
 alarmes, or wrong'd religion beats her zealous 
 marches, go on, and prosper, and let both 
 swords and stratagems proclaim a victory, whose 
 noys'd renown may fill the world with your eter- 
 nall glory. 
 
ENCHIRIDION. 
 
 THE SECOND BOOK. 
 
TO THE FAIRE BRANCH OF GROWING HONOUR 
 AND TRUE VIRTUE, 
 
 Mrs. ELIZABETH USHER, 
 
 Only Daughter and Heir apparent to the most Reverend 
 Father in God, JameSf Arch-Bishop of Armagh, Lord 
 Primate of all Ireland, his Grace. 
 
 Sweet Lady, 
 I present your faire hands with this my Enchi- 
 ridion, to begin a new Decade of our blest ac- 
 compt : if it adde nothing to your well-instructed 
 knowledge, it may bring somewhat to your well- 
 disposed remembrance : if either, I have my end ; 
 and you, my endeavour : the service which I 
 
78 
 
 owe, and the affection which I bear your most 
 incomparable parents, challenges the utmost of 
 my ability ; wherein, if I could light you but the 
 least step towards the happinesse you ayme at, 
 how happy should I be ? goe forward in the way 
 which you have chosen : wherein, if my hand 
 cannot lead you, my heart shall follow you ; and 
 where the weaknesse of my power shews defect, 
 there the vigour of my will shall make supply. 
 
 Who am covetous of your 
 happinesse in both King- 
 domes and Worlds, 
 
 Fra. Quarles. 
 
ENCHIRIDION. 
 
 CENT. II. 
 
 I. 
 
 A PROMISE is a child of the understanding and 
 the will : the understanding begets it, the will 
 brings it forth : he that performes it, delivers 
 the mother: he that breakes it, murthers the 
 child. If he be begotten in the absence of the 
 understanding, it is a bastard; but the child 
 must be kept. If thou mistrust thy understand- 
 
80 
 
 ing, promise not ; if thou hast promised, break 
 it not ; it is better to maintain a bastard than to 
 murther a child. 
 
 II. 
 
 Charity is a naked child, giving hony to a 
 bee without wings ; naked, because excuselesse 
 and simple ; a child, because tender and grow- 
 ing : giving hony, because honj^ is pleasant and 
 comfortable : to a bee, because a bee is labo- 
 rious and deserving: without wings, because 
 helplesse, and wanting. If thou deniest to such 
 thou killest a bee ; if thou givest to other than 
 such, thou preservest a drone. 
 
81 
 
 III. 
 
 Before thy undertaking of any designe, weigh 
 the glory of thy action with the danger of tlie 
 attempt : if the glory outweigh the danger, it is 
 cowardize to neglect it: if the danger exceed 
 the glory, it is rashnesse to attempt it : if the 
 balances stand poized, let thy owne genius 
 cast them. 
 
 IV. 
 
 WouLDEST thou know the lawfulnesse of the 
 action which thou desirest to undertake ? let 
 thy devotion recommend it to divine blessing : if 
 it be lawfull, thou shalt perceive thy heart en- 
 couraged by thy prayer ; if unlawftill, thou shalt 
 
82 
 
 finde thy prayer discourag'd by thy heart. That 
 action is not warrantable, which either blushes 
 to begge a blessing, or having succeeded, dares 
 not present thanksgiving. 
 
 V. 
 
 If evill men speake good, or good men evill of 
 thy conversation, examine all thy actions, and 
 suspect thyselfe. But if evill men speake evill 
 of thee, hold it as thy honour, and by way of 
 thankefulnesse, love them, but upon condition, 
 that they continue to hate thee. 
 
 VI. 
 
 If thou hope to please all, thy hopes are vaine ; 
 
83 
 
 if thou feare to displease some, thy feares are 
 idle. The way to please thy selfe is not to dis- 
 please the best ; and the way to displease the 
 best, is to please the most : if thou canst fashion 
 thy selfe to please all, thou shalt displease him 
 that is ALL in AIL 
 
 ) 
 
 VIL 
 
 If thou ne^lectest thy love to thy neighbour, 
 in vain thou professest thy love to God : for by 
 thy love to God, the love to thy neighbour is 
 begotten, and by the love to thy neighbour, thy 
 love to God is nourisht. 
 
84 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Thy ignorance in unrevealed mysteries, is the 
 mother of a saving faith ; and thy understanding 
 in revealed truths, is the mother of a sacred 
 knowledge : understand not therefore that thou 
 maist believe, but beleeve that thou maist un- 
 derstand: understanding is the w^ages of a 
 lively faith, and faith is the reward of an humble 
 ignorance. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Pride is the ape of charity, in show, not much 
 unlike ; but somewhat fuller of action. In seek- 
 ing the one, take heed thou light not upon 
 the other : they are two parallels ; never but 
 
85 
 
 asunder ; charity feeds the poore, so does pride : 
 charity builds an hospital!, so does pride : in 
 this they differ : charity gives her glory to God ; 
 pride takes her glory from man. 
 
 X. 
 
 Hast thou lost thy money, and dost thou 
 mourne ? another lost it before thou hadst it ; 
 be not troubled: perchance if thou hadst not 
 lost it now, it had lost thee for ever : thinke 
 therefore what thou rather hast escaped than 
 lost : perhaps thou hadst not been so much thy 
 own, had not thy money beene so little thine. 
 
86 
 
 XI. 
 
 Flatter not thy selfe in thy faith to God, if 
 thou wantest charity for thy neighbour; and 
 thinke not thou hast charity for thy neighbour, 
 if thou wantest faith to God ; where they are 
 not both together, they are both wanting ; they 
 are both dead, if once divided. 
 
 XII. 
 
 Be not too slow in the breaking of a sinfull 
 custome : a quick couragious resolution is better 
 than a graduall deliberation i in such a combate, 
 he is the bravest souldier that layes about him 
 without feare or wit. Wit pleades ; feare dis- 
 heartens ; he that would kill Hydra, had better 
 
87 
 
 strike off one neck than five heads : fell the tree, 
 and the branches are soone cut off. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Be careful! rather of what thou dost, than of 
 what thou hast : for what thou hast is none of 
 thine, and will leave thee at thy death, or thou 
 the pleasure of it, in thy sickenesse. But what 
 thou dost, is thine, and will follow thee to thy 
 grave, and plead for thee or against thee at thy 
 resurrection. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 If thou enjoyest not the God of love, thou canst 
 not obtaine the love of God, neither untill then 
 
canst thou enjoy a desire to love God, nor relish 
 the love of God : thy love to God is nothing but 
 a faint reflection of God's love to thee : till he 
 please to love thee, thy love can never please 
 him. 
 
 XV. 
 
 Let not thy fancy be guided by thine eye ; nor 
 let thy will be governed by thy fancy : thine eye 
 may be deceived in her object, and thy fancy 
 may be deluded in her subject : let thy under- 
 standing moderate betweene thine eye, and thy 
 fancy ; and let thy judgement arbitrate between 
 thy fancy and thy will ; so shall thy fancy ap- 
 prehend what is true : so shall thy will elect 
 what is good. 
 
ad 
 
 XVI. 
 
 Endeavour to subdue as well thy irascible, 
 as thy concupiscible affections : to endure inju- 
 ries with a brave minde, is one halfe of the 
 conquest ; and to abstaine from pleasing evils 
 with a couragious spirit is the other : the summe 
 of all humanity, and height of morall perfection, 
 is bear and forbear, 
 
 XVII. 
 
 If thou desire not to be too poore, desire not 
 to be too rich : he is rich, not that possesses 
 much, but he that covets no more : and he is 
 poore, not that enjoyes little, but he that wants 
 too much : the contented minde wants nothing 
 
i)0 
 
 which it hath not: the covetous mind wants 
 not onely what it hath not, but likewise what 
 it hath. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 The outward senses are the common Cinque- 
 ports where every subject lands towards the 
 understanding. The eare hear^ a confused 
 noyse, and presents it to the common sense. 
 The common sense distinguishes the severall 
 sounds, and conveys it to the fancy : the fancy 
 wildly discants on it : the understanding (whose 
 object is truth) apprehending it to be musicke, 
 commends it to the judgement. The judgement 
 severally and joyntly examines it, and recom- 
 
91 
 
 mends it to the will : the will (whose object is 
 good) approves it, or dislikes it ; and the me- 
 mory records it. And so in the other senses 
 according to their subjects. Observe this pro- 
 gresse, and thou shalt easily find where the de- 
 fect of every action lyes. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 The way to subject all things to thy selfe, is 
 to subject thy selfe to reason : thou shalt govern 
 many, if reason governe thee : wouldst thou be 
 crownetl the Monarch of a little world ? com- 
 mand thy selfe. 
 
 XX. 
 
 Though thou givest all thou hast for charity 
 
92 
 
 sake, and yet retainest a secret desire of keep- 
 ing it for thy owne sake, thou rather leaves t it 
 than forsEikest it : he that hath relinquisht all 
 things, and not himselfe, hath forsaken no- 
 thing ; he that sets not his heart on what he 
 possesses, forsaketh all things, though he keepe 
 his possessions. 
 
 XXI. 
 
 Search into thy self'e before thou accept the 
 ceremony of honour : if tliou art a palace, ho- 
 nour (like the sun-beames) will make thee more 
 glorious : if thou art a dunghill, the sun may 
 shine upon thee, but not sweeten thee. Thy 
 Prince may give thee honour, but not make thee 
 honourable. 
 
93 
 
 XXII. 
 
 Every man is a King in his owne kingdome. 
 If reason command, and passion obey, his go- 
 vernment speakes a good King : if thine inordi- 
 nate affection rules, it shews a proud rebell ; 
 which, if thou destroy not, will depose thee : 
 there is no meane betweene the death of a Re- 
 bell, and the life of a Prince. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 A vow, a promise, and a resolution, have all 
 one object, onely differ in respect of the persons 
 to whom they are made ; the first is betweene 
 God and man. The second, betweene man and 
 man ; the third, between man and his owne 
 
94 
 
 soule ; they all bind, if the object be lawful!, to 
 necessity of performance : if unlawfiiU, to the 
 necessity of sinne : they all take thee prisoner : 
 if the object be lawfuU, thy performance hath 
 redeemed thee ; if unlawfull, blood and teares 
 must ransome thee. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 If thou hast any businesse of consequence in 
 agitation, let thy care be reasonable, and sea- 
 sonable : continuall standing bent weakens the 
 bow : too hasty drawing breaks it. Put off thy 
 cares with thy cloathes : so shall thy rest 
 strengthen thy labour ; and so shall thy labour 
 sweeten thy rest 
 
I 
 
 95 
 XXV. 
 
 When thy inordinate affections do flame tptrards 
 transitory happinesse, quench them thus : thinke 
 with thy selfe ; if my Prince should give me 
 what honour he hath to bestow, or bestow on me 
 what weedth he hath to give, it could not stay 
 with me, because it is transitory ; not I with it, 
 because 1 am mortall : then revise thy aflections^ 
 and weigh them with their object, and thou 
 wilt either confesse thy folly, or make a wiser 
 choice. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 With three sorts of men enter no serious friend- 
 ship : the ingratefidl man ; the multiloquious 
 
96 
 
 man; the coward: the first cannot prize thy 
 favours ; the second cannot keep thy counsell ; 
 the third dare not vindicate thy honour. 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 If thou desire the time should not passe too 
 fast, use not too much pastime: thy life in 
 jollity blazes like a tapour in the wind : the blast 
 of honour wastes it, the heat of pleasure melts 
 it ; if thou labour in a painful calling, thou shalt 
 be lesse sensible of the flux of time, and sweet- 
 lier satisfied at the time of death. 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 God is Alpha and Omega, in the great world ; 
 
97 
 
 endeavour to make him so in the little world ; 
 make him thy evening epilogue, and thy morn- 
 ing prologue : practice to make him thy last 
 thought at night when thou sleepest ; and thy 
 first thought in the morning when thou awakest : 
 so shall thy fancy be sanctified in the night, and 
 thy understanding rectified in the day ; so shall 
 thy rest be peacefull, thy labours prosperous, 
 thy lite pious, and thy death glorious. 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 Be very circumspect in the choice of thy com- 
 pany. In the society of thine equals thou shalt 
 enjoy more pleasure ; in the society of thy su- 
 periours thou shalt find more profit : to be the 
 
 H 
 
98 
 
 best in the company, is the way to grow worse : 
 the best meanes to grow better, , is to be the 
 worst there. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 Thinke of God (especially in thy devotion) in 
 the abstract, rather than the concrete ; if thou 
 conceive him good, thy finite thoughts are ready 
 to terminate that good in a conceived subject ; 
 if thou thinke him great, thy bounded conceipt 
 is apt to cast him into a comprehensible figure : 
 conceive him therefore, a diffiised goodnesse 
 without quality, and represent him an incom- 
 prehensible greatnesse without quantity. 
 
99 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 If thou and true religion be not as yet met ; or 
 met, unknowne; by these markes thou shalt 
 discover it. First, it is a religion that takes no 
 pleasure in the expence of blood. Secondly, it 
 is a religion whose tenets crosse not the booke 
 of truth. Thirdly, it is a religion, that takes 
 most from the creature, and gives most to the 
 creatour : if such a one thou meet with, assure 
 thy selfe it is the right, and therefore professe 
 it in thy life, and protect it to thy death. 
 
 XXXII. 
 
 Let another's passion be a lecture to thy rea- 
 son, and let the shipwracke of his understanding 
 
100 
 
 be a seamarke to thy passion : so shalt thou 
 gaine strength out of his weaknesse: safety 
 out of his danger ; and raise thy selfe a building 
 out of his mines. 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 In the height of thy prosperity expect adversity, 
 but feare it not ; if it come not, thou art the 
 more sweetly possest of the happinesse thou 
 hast, and the more strongly confirmed ; if it 
 come, thou art the more gently dispossest of 
 the happinesse thou hadst, and the more firmely 
 prepared. 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 To tremble at the sight of thy sinne, makes thy 
 
101 
 
 faith the lesse apt to tremble : the devils be- 
 leeve, and tremble, because they tremble at 
 what they beleeve; their beliefe brings trem- 
 bling : thy trembling brings beliefe. 
 
 XXXV. 
 
 AuTHOLOGY is the way to Theology: until 
 thou seest thy selfe empty, thou wilt not desire 
 to be filled i he can never truly rehsh the sweet- 
 nesse of God's mercy, that never tasted the 
 bitternesseof his owne misery. 
 
 XXXVI. 
 
 Is any outward eiffliction fallen upon thee, by a 
 temporary losse ? advise with thy selfe, whether 
 
102 
 
 it be recoverable, or not : if it be, use all such 
 lawful! and speedy meanes (the violence and un- 
 seasonablenesse whereof maj* not disadvantage 
 thee in the pursuit) to recover it ; if not reco- 
 verable, endure with patience what thou canst 
 not recure with paines : he that carnally afflicts 
 his soul for the losse of a transitory good, casts 
 away the kirnell, because he hath lost the shell. 
 
 XXXVII. 
 
 Naturall anger glances into the breasts of 
 wisemen, but rests in the bosome of fooles : in 
 them, it is infirmity ; in these, a sinne : there 
 is a naturall anger; and there is a spirituall 
 anger ; the common object of that, is the per- 
 
103 
 
 son ; of this, his vice : he that is alwayes 
 angry with his sinne, shall seldome sinne in 
 his anger. 
 
 XXXVIII. 
 
 If any hard affliction hath surprized thee, cast 
 one eye upon the hand that sent it ; and the 
 other, upon the sin that brought it; if thou 
 thankefully receive the message, he that sent 
 it will discharge the messenger. 
 
 XXXIX. 
 
 All passions are good or bad, according to 
 their objects : where the object is absolutely 
 good, there the greatest passion is too little : 
 
104 
 
 where absolutely evil), there the least passion 
 is too much : where indifferent, tliere a little is 
 enough. 
 
 XL. 
 
 When thou dost evil that good may come 
 thereby, the evill is surely thine : if" good should 
 happen to ensue upon the evill which thou hast 
 done, the good proceeds from God ; if there- 
 fore thou doe evill, thereby to occasionate a 
 good, thou layst a bad foundation for a good 
 building ; and servest the Devill that God may 
 serve thee : where the end of evill is good in 
 the intention, there the end of that good is evill 
 in the extention. 
 
105 
 
 XLI. 
 
 Be as farre from desiring the popular love, as 
 fearful! to deserve the popular hate : ruine dwels 
 in both : the one will hug thee to death ; the 
 other vi^ill crush thee to destruction : to escape 
 the first, be not ambitious; to avoid the se- 
 cond, be not seditious. 
 
 XLII. 
 
 When thou seest misery in thy brother's face, 
 let him see mercy in thine eye ; the more the 
 oyle of mercy is powred on him by thy pity, the 
 more the oyle in thy cruse shall be encreased by 
 thy piety. 
 
m 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 Reade not bookes alone, but men, and amongst 
 them chiefly thy selfe : if thou find any thing 
 questionable there, use the commentary of a 
 severe friend, rather than the glosse of a sweet- 
 lipt flatterer : there is more profit in a distast- 
 ftiU truth, than deceitfull sweetnesse. 
 
 XLIV. 
 
 If the opinion of thy worth invite any to the 
 desire of thy acquaintance, yeeld him a respect 
 suitable to his quality ; too great a reservation 
 will expose thee to the sentence of pride ; too 
 easie accesse will condemne thee to the censure 
 of folly : things, too hardly endeavoured, dis- 
 
107 
 
 courage' the seeker : too easily obtained, dispa- 
 rage the thing sought for : too easil}' got, is 
 lowly prized, and quickly lost. 
 
 XLV. 
 
 When conveniency of time hath ripened your 
 acquaintance, be cautious what thou say'st, and 
 courteous in what thou do'st ; observe his in- 
 clination : if thou find him weight, make him 
 thine owne, and lodge him in a faithfuU bosome ; 
 be not rashly exceptions, nor rudely familicu- : 
 the one will breed contention ; the other con- 
 tempt. 
 
108 
 
 XL VI. 
 
 When passion is pounded upon fancie, it is 
 commonly but of short continuance : where the 
 foundation is unstable, there the building is hot 
 lasting; he that will be angry for any cause, 
 will be angry for no cause ; and when the un- 
 derstanding perceives the cause vain, then the 
 judgement proclaimes the effect voyd. 
 
 XLVII. 
 
 If thou desire to purchase honour with thy 
 wealth ; consider first how that wealth became 
 thine : if thy labour got it, let thy wisdome keep 
 it : if oppression found it, let repentance restore 
 it : if thy parent left it, let thy vertues deserve 
 
109 
 
 it : so shall thy honour be safer, better, and 
 cheaper. 
 
 XL VIII. 
 
 SiNNE is a basiliske whose eyes are full of 
 venorae, if the eye of thy soule see her first, it 
 reflects her own poyson and kills her : if she see 
 thy soule, unseen, or seen too late, with her 
 poyson, she kills thee : since therefore thou 
 canst not escape thy sinne, let not thy sinne 
 escape thy observation. 
 
 XLIX. 
 
 If thou expectest to rise by the means of him 
 whom thy father's greatnesse raised from his 
 
110 
 
 service to court preferment, thou wilt be de- 
 ceived : for the more in esteem thou art, the 
 more sensible is he of what he was, whose for- 
 mer servitude will be chronicled by thy advance- 
 ment, and glory obscured by thy greatness: 
 however he will conceive it a dead service, 
 which may be interpreted by thee, as a merited 
 reward, rather than a meritorious benefit. 
 
 L, 
 
 Trust not to the promise of a common swearer, 
 for he that dare sin against his God, for neither 
 profit nor pleasure, will trespasse against thee 
 for his own advantage. He that dare break the 
 
Ill 
 
 precepts of his father, will easily be perswaded 
 to violate the promise unto his brother. 
 
 LI. 
 
 Let the greatest part of the newes thou hear- 
 est be the legist part of what thou beleevest, lest 
 the greatest part of what thou beleevest be the 
 least part of what is true. Where lies are easily 
 admitted, the father of lies will not easily be 
 excluded. 
 
 LIL 
 
 Deliberate long, before thou consecrate a 
 friend ; and when thy irapartiall judgement con- 
 cludes him worthy of thy bosome, receive him 
 
112 
 
 joyful]}^, and entertaine him wisely : impart thy 
 secrets boldly, and mingle thy thoughts with 
 his : he is thy very selfe ; and use him so : if 
 thou firmly think him faithfuU, thou makest 
 him so. 
 
 LIII. 
 
 As there is no worldly gain, without some losse, 
 so there is no worldly losse without some gaine. 
 If thou hast lost thy wealth, thou hast lost some 
 trouble with it : if thou art degraded from thy 
 honour, thou art likewise freed from the stroke 
 of en vie ; if sicknesse hath blurred thy beauty, 
 it hath delivered thee from pride. Set the al- 
 lowance against the losse, and thou shalt find 
 
113 
 
 no losse great ; he loses little or nothing, that 
 reserves himselfe. 
 
 LIV. 
 
 If thou desire to take the best advantage of 
 thy selfe (especially in matters where the fancy 
 is most imployed) keep temperate diet, use mo- 
 derate exercise, observe seasonable, and set 
 houres for rest ; let the end of thy first sleep 
 raise thee from thy repose : then hath thy body 
 the best temper ; then hath thy soule the least 
 incumberance : then no noyse shall disturbe thy 
 eare ; no object shall divert thine eye : then, if 
 thy sprightly fancie transport thee not beyond 
 the common pitch, and shew thee not the ma- 
 I 
 
114 
 
 gazin of high inrention, return thee to thy 
 wanton bed, and there conclude thy seife more 
 fit to wear thy mistresse's favour, than Apollo's 
 bayes. 
 
 LV. 
 
 If thou art rich, strive to command thy mony, 
 lest she command thee : if thou know how to 
 use her, she is thy servant : if not, thou art her 
 slave. 
 
 LVI. 
 
 Bring thy daughter a husband of her own re- 
 ligion, and of no hereditary disease ; let his 
 wisdome outweigh his wealth : let his parentage 
 
115 
 
 excell his person, and let his yeares exceed hers : 
 let thy prayers recommend the rest to provi- 
 dence : if he prove, thou hast found a sonne : if 
 not, thou hast lost a daughter. 
 
 LVII. 
 
 So use prosperity, that adversity may not abuse 
 thee : if in the one, security admits no feares ; 
 in the other, despaire will afford no hopes : he 
 that in prosperity can foretell a danger, can in 
 adversity foresee deliverance. 
 
 LVIII. 
 
 If thy faith have no doubts, thou hast just 
 cause to doubt thy fedth ; and if thy doubts have 
 
116 
 
 no hope, thou hast just reason to feare despair ; 
 when therfore thy doubts shall exercise thy 
 faith, keep thy hopes lirme to qualifie thy doubts ; 
 so shall thy faith be secured from doubts : so 
 shall thy doubts be preserved from despaire. 
 
 LIX. 
 
 If thou desire to be truly valiant, feare to doe 
 any injury : he that feares not to doe evill, is 
 alwayes afraid to suflPer evill : he that never 
 feares is desperate : and he that feares alwayes, 
 is a coward : he is the true valiant man, that 
 dares nothing but what he may, and feares no- 
 thing but what he ought. 
 
117 
 
 LX. 
 
 Anger may repast with thee for an houre, but 
 not repose for a night : the continuance of an- 
 ger is hatred, the continuance of hatred turns 
 malice. That anger is not weirrantable, which 
 hath seen two sunnes. 
 
 LXI. 
 
 If thou stand guilty of oppression, or wrong- 
 fully possest of another's right ; see, thou make 
 restitution before thou givest an almes : if other- 
 wise, what art thou but a thief, and raakest God 
 thy receiver ? 
 
118 
 
 LXII. 
 
 When thou pray'st for spirituall graces, let 
 thy prayer be absolute; when, for temporall 
 blessings, adde a clause of Grod's pleasure : in 
 both, with faith, and humiliation : so shalt thou 
 undoubtedly receive what thou desirest, or more, 
 or better ; never prayer rightly made, was made 
 unheard, or heard, ungranted. 
 
 LXIII. 
 
 Hee that gives all, though but little, gives 
 much ; because God looks not to the quantity of 
 the gift, but to the quality of the givers : he 
 that desires to give more than he can, hath 
 equaird his gift to his desire, and hath given 
 more than he hath. 
 
119 
 
 LXIV. 
 
 Be not too greedy in desiring riches, nor too 
 eager in seeking them : nor too covetous in 
 keeping them ; nor too passionate in losing 
 them : the first will possesse thy soul of discon- 
 tent ; the second will dispossesse thy body of 
 rest ; the third will possesse thy wealth of 
 thee ; the last will dispossesse thee of thy 
 selfe : he that is too violent in the concupisci- 
 ble, will be as violent in the irascible. 
 
 LXV. 
 
 Be not too rash in the breaking of an inconve- 
 nient custome : as it was gotten, so leave it by 
 degrees. Danger attends upon too sudden 
 
120 
 
 alterations : he that pulls down a bad building 
 by the great, may be ruin'd by the fall : but he 
 that takes it down brick by brick, may live to 
 build a better. 
 
 LXVL 
 
 If thou desire that inestimable grace of saving 
 faith, detest that insatiable vice of dsunnable 
 covetousnesse : it is impossible, one heart 
 (though never so double) should lodge both : 
 faith possesses thee of what thou hast not ; co- 
 vetousnesse dispossesses thee of what thou 
 hast : thou canst not serve God, unlesse Mam- 
 mon serve thee. 
 
121 
 LXVII. 
 
 Beware of him that is slow to anger : anger, 
 when it is long in comming, is the stronger 
 when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused 
 patience turns to fury: when fancy is the 
 ground of passion, that understanding which 
 composes the fancy qualifies the passion; but 
 when judgement is the ground the memory is 
 the recorder. 
 
 LXVIII. 
 
 He that professes himselfe thy open enemy, 
 armes thee against the evill he mfeanes thee, 
 but he that dissembles himself thy secret friend, 
 strikes beyond caution, and wounds above cure : 
 
122 
 
 from the first, theu mayst deliver thy selfe : 
 from the last, good Lord deliver thee. 
 
 LXIX. 
 
 If thou hast wrong'd thy brother in thought, 
 reconcile thee to him in thought ; if thou hast 
 offended him in words, let thy reconciliation be 
 in vrords : if thou hast trespassed against him 
 in deeds, by deeds be reconciled to him : that 
 reconciliation is most kindly which is most in 
 kind. 
 
 LXX. 
 
 Not to give to the poor is to take from him : 
 not to feed the hungry, if thou hast it, is the 
 
123 
 
 utmost of thy power to kill him : that therefore 
 thou mayst avoid both sacriledge and murther, 
 be charitable. 
 
 LXXI. 
 
 So often as thou remembrest thy sinnes without 
 griefe, so often thou repeatest those sinnes for 
 not grieving ; he that will not mourne for the 
 evill which he hatli done, gives earnest for the 
 cvill he meanes to doe ; nothing can asswage 
 that fire which sinne hath made, but only that 
 water which repentance hath drawne. 
 
 LXXII. 
 
 Look well before thou leap into the chaire of 
 
124 
 
 honour : the higher thou climbest, the lower 
 thou fallest : if vertue preferre thee, vertue will 
 preserve thee ; if gold or favour advance thee, 
 thy honour is pinned upon the wheele of for- 
 tune : when the wheele shall turne, thy honour 
 falls, and thou remainst an everlasting monu- 
 ment of thy own ambitious folly. 
 
 LXXIII. 
 
 Wee are born with our temptations : nature 
 sometimes presses us to evill, sometimes pro- 
 vokes us unto good ; if therefore thou givest her 
 more than her due, thou nourishest an enemy ; 
 if lesse than is sufficient, thou destroyest a 
 friend ; moderation will prevent both. 
 
m 
 
 LXXIV. 
 
 If thou scorne not to serve luxury in thy youth 5 
 chastity will scorne thy service in thy age f and 
 that the will of thy green yeares thought no 
 vice in the acting, the necessity of thy gray 
 haires makes no vertue in the forbearing: 
 where there is no conflict, there can be no con- 
 quest ; where there is no conquest, there is no 
 crowne. 
 
 LXXV. 
 
 Thou didst nothing towards thy own creation, 
 for thou wert created for 4hy Creator's glory ; 
 thou must do something towards thy own re- 
 demption, for thou wert redeemed for thy own 
 
126 
 
 ^ood : he that made thee without thee, will not 
 save thee without thee. 
 
 LXXVI. 
 
 When thy tongue and heart agree not in con- 
 fession, that confession is not agreeable to God's 
 pleasure : he that confesses with his tongue, and 
 wants confession in his heart, is either a vaine 
 man, or an hypocrite : he that hath confession 
 in his heart, and wants it in his tongue, is 
 either a proud man, or a tiraerous. 
 
 LXXVII. 
 
 Gold is Caesar's Treasure, Man is God's : 
 Thy gold hath Caesar's image, and thou hast 
 
127 
 
 God's; give therefore those things unto Caesar, 
 which are Caesar's, and unto God, which are 
 God's> 
 
 LXXVIII. 
 
 In the commission of evill, feare no man so much 
 as thy own selfe : another is but one witnesse 
 against thee : thoa art a thousand : another 
 thou mayst avoid, but thy selfe thou canst not; 
 wickednesse is its owne punishment. 
 
 LXXIX. 
 
 In thy apparell avoyd singularity, profusenesse 
 and gaudinesse ; be not too early in the fashion ; 
 nor too late : decency is the halfe way betweene 
 
128 
 
 afFectation and neglect: the body is the shell 
 of the soule; appgffell is the huske of that 
 shell ; the huske often tels you what the kir- 
 nell is. 
 
 LXXX. 
 
 Let thy recreation be manly, moderate, sea- 
 sonable, lawfull ; if thy life be sedentary, more 
 tending to the exercise of thy body; if active, 
 more to the refreshing of thy mind ; the use of 
 recreation is to strengthen thy labour, and 
 sweeten thy rest, 
 
 LXXXI. 
 
 Bee not censorious, for thou know'st not whom 
 
129 
 
 thou judges! ; it is a more dextrous errour to 
 speak well of an evill man ; than ill of a good 
 man. And safer for thy judgement to be misled 
 by simple charity, than uncharitable wisdome : 
 he may taxe others with priviledge tliat hath not 
 in himselfe, what others may taxe. 
 
 LXXXII. 
 
 Take heed of that honour which thy wealth 
 hath purchased thee, for it is neither lasting, 
 nor thine own. What money creates, money 
 preserves : if thy wealth decayes, thy honour 
 dyes ; it is but a shppery happinesse which for- 
 tunes can give, and frowns can take ; and not 
 worth the owning which a night's fire can melt, 
 or a rough sea can drown. 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 LXXXIII. 
 If thou canst desire any thing not to be repent- 
 ed of, thou art in a fair way to happinesse ; if 
 thou hast attained it, thou art at thy wayes end ; 
 he is not happy who liath all that he desires, 
 but that desires nothing but what is good ; if 
 thou canst not doe what thou need not repent, 
 yet endeavour to repent what thy necessitj^ hath 
 done. 
 
 LXXXIV. 
 
 Spend a hundred yeares in earth's best plea- 
 sures; and after that, a hundred more; to 
 which being spent, adde a thousand ; and to 
 that, tenne thousand more; the last shall as 
 
131 
 
 surely end, as the first are ended, and all shall 
 be swallowed with eternity : he that is born to 
 day, is not sure to live a day ; he that hath lived 
 the longest, is but as he that was born yester- 
 day : the happinesse of the one is, that he hatli 
 liv'd ; the happinesse of the other is, that he 
 may live; and the lot of both is, that they 
 must dye : it is no happinesse to live long, nor 
 unhappinesse to die soon : happy is he that 
 hath liv'd long enough, to dye well. 
 
 LXXXV. 
 
 Be careiiill to whom thou givest, and how : 
 he that gives him that deserves not, loses his 
 gift, and betrayes the giver. He that couferres 
 
132 
 
 his gift upon a worthy receiver, makes many 
 debtors, and by giving, receives. He that gives 
 for his owne ends, makes his gift a bribe, and 
 the receiver a prisoner : he that gives often, 
 teaches requittance to the receiver, and dis- 
 covers a crafty confidence in the giver. 
 
 L XXXVI. 
 
 Hath any wronged thee ? be bravely re- 
 veng'd : sleight it, and the work's begun ; for- 
 give it, and 'tis finisht : he is below himselfe 
 that is not above an injury. 
 
 Lxxxvn. 
 
 Let not thy passion miscall thy childe, lest 
 
133 
 
 thou prophesie his fortunes : let not thy tongue 
 curse him, lest thy curse returne from whence 
 it came : curses sent in the roome of blessings 
 are driven back with a double vengeance. 
 
 LXXXVIIL 
 In" all the ceremonies of the Church which re- 
 maine indifferent, doe according to the consti- 
 tution of that Church where thou art : the God 
 of order and unity, who created both the soul 
 and the body, expects unity in the one, and 
 order in both. 
 
 LXXXIX. 
 
 Let thy religious fast be a voluntary abstinence, 
 
 % 
 
134 
 
 not so much from flesh as fleshly thoughts : God 
 is pleased with that fast which gives to another, 
 what thou deniest to thy selfe ; and when the 
 afflicting of thy own body, is the repairing of 
 thy brother's. He fasts truly that abstains 
 sadly, grieves really, gives cheerfully, and for- 
 gives charitably. 
 
 XC. 
 
 Is the hearing of mysteries keep thy tongue 
 quiet : five words cost Zacharias forty weeks' 
 silence : in such heights, convert thy ques- 
 tions into wonders; and let this suffice thee, 
 the reason of the deed, is the power of the 
 doer. 
 
135 
 
 XCI. 
 
 Deride not him whom the looser world calls 
 Puritane, lest thou offend a little one : if he be 
 an hypocrite, God, that knowes him, will reward 
 him ; if zealous, that God that loves liim, will 
 revenge him': if he be good, he is good to God's 
 glory : if evill, let him be evill at his own 
 charges : he that judges, shall be judged. 
 
 XCII. 
 
 So long as thou art ignorant, be not asham'd to 
 learn : he that is so fondly modest, not to ac- 
 knowledge his own defects of knowledge, shall 
 in time, be so foully impudent to justifie his own 
 ignorance: ignorance is the greatest of all 
 
136 
 
 infirmities ; and, justified, the chiefest of all 
 follies. 
 
 XCIII. 
 
 If thou be a servant, deal just by thy master, 
 as thou desirest thy servant should deale with 
 thee: where thou art commanded, be obedient; 
 where not commanded, be provident: let dili- 
 gence be thy credit, let faithfulnesse be thy 
 crowne : let thy master's credit be thy care, and 
 let his welfare be thy content : let thine eye be 
 single, and thy heart, humble : be sober, that 
 thou mayst be circumspect : he that in sobriety 
 is not his owne man, being drunk, whose is he ? 
 be neither contentious, nor lascivious ; the one 
 
137 
 
 shewes a turbulent heart; the other an idle 
 brain. A good servant is a great master. 
 
 XCIV. 
 
 Let the foundation of thy affection be vertue, 
 then make the building as rich, and as glorious 
 as thou canst : if the foundation bee beauty, or 
 wealth, and the building vertue, the founda- 
 tion is too weak for the building ; and it will 
 fall : happy is he, the pedlace of whose affection 
 is founded upon vertue, walled with riches, 
 glazed with beauty, and roofed with honour. 
 
 xcv. 
 
 If thy mother be a widow, give her double ho- 
 
138 
 
 iiour, who now acts the part of a double parent. 
 Remember her nine months' burthen, and her 
 tenth month's travell : forget not her indulgence, 
 when thou didst hang upon her tender breast. 
 Call to minde her prayers for thee before thou 
 cam'st into the world ; and her cares for thee 
 when thou wert come into the world. Remem- 
 ber her secret groans, her affectionate teares, 
 her broken slumbers, her dayly feares, her 
 nightly frights. Relieve her wants ; cover her 
 imperfections; comfort her age: and the widowe's 
 husband, will be the orphan's father. 
 
 XCVI. 
 
 As thou desirest the love of God and man, be- 
 
139 
 
 ware of pride : it is a tumour in thy minde that 
 breakes and poysons all thy actions ; it is a worm 
 in thy treasure which eates and ruines thy es- 
 tate : it loves no man ; is beloved of no man ; 
 it disparages vertue in another by detraction ; it 
 disrewards goodnesse in itselfe, by vain glory : 
 the friend of the flatterer, the mother of envy, 
 the nurse of fury, the baud of luxury, the sinne 
 of devils, and the devill in raankinde : it hates 
 superionrs, it scornes inferiours, it owns no 
 equals : in short, till thou hate it, God hates 
 thee. 
 
 XCVII. 
 
 So behave thy selfe among thy children, that 
 
140 
 
 they may love and honour thy presence : be not 
 too fond, lest they fear thee not ; be not too 
 bitter, lest they feare thee too much ; too much 
 familiarity will embolden them, too little coun- 
 tenance will discourage them : so carry thy selfe, 
 that they may rather feare thy displeasure, than 
 thy correction ; when thou reprovest them, doe 
 it in seeison ; when thou correctest them, do it 
 not in passion : as a wise child makes a happy 
 father, so a wise father makes a happy child. 
 
 XCVIII. 
 
 When thy hand hath done a good act, aske 
 thy heart if it be well done : the matter of a 
 good action is the deed done; the forme of a 
 
141 
 
 good action is the manner of the doing : in the 
 first, another hath the comfort, and thou the 
 glory ; in the other, thou hast the comfort, and 
 God the glory: that deed is ill done wherein 
 God is no sharer. 
 
 XCIX. 
 
 WOULDST thou purchase heaven? advise not 
 with thy owne ability. The prize of heaven is 
 what thou hast ; examine not what thou hast, 
 but what thou art : give thy selfe, and thou 
 hast bought it : if thy own vilenesse be thy 
 feares, offer thy selfe and thou art precious- 
 
 C. 
 
 The birds of the aire die to sustains thee ; 
 
]42 
 
 the beasts of the field die to nourish thee ; the 
 fishes of the sea die to feed thee. Our stomacks 
 are their common sepulcher. Good God ! with 
 how many deaths are our poor Hves patcht up ! 
 how full of death is the life of momentary man ! 
 
ENCHIRIDION, 
 
 THE THIKD BOOK. 
 
ENCHIRIDION. 
 
 CENT. III. 
 
 I. 
 
 If thou take psdnes in what is good, the paines 
 vanish, the good remains : if thou take pleasure 
 in what is evil, the evill remaines, and the plea- 
 sure vanishes: what art thou the worse for 
 paines, or the better for pleasure, when both are 
 past ? 
 
 Ju 
 
146 
 
 II. 
 
 If thy fancy, and judgement have agreed in the 
 choice of a fit wife, be not too fond, "iest she 
 surfeit, nor too peevish, lest she languish : love 
 so, that thou mayst be feared ; rule so, that thou 
 mayst be honoured : be not too diffident, lest 
 thou teach her to deceive thee, nor too suspi- 
 cious, lest thou teach her to abuse thee : if thou 
 see a fault, let thy love hide it ; if she continue 
 it, let thy wisdome reprove it : reprove her not 
 openly, lest she grow bold : rebuke her not 
 tauntingly, lest she grow spitefuU: proclaim 
 not her beauty, lest she grow proud : boast not 
 her wisdome, lest thou be thought foolish ; shew 
 her not thy imperfections, lest she dlsdaine thee : 
 
147 
 
 pry not into her dairy, lest she despise thee . 
 prophane not her eares with loose communica- 
 tion, lest thou defile the sanctuary of her mo- 
 desty : an understanding husband makes a dis- 
 creet wife ; and she, a happy husband. 
 
 III. 
 
 Wrinckle not thy face with too much laugh- 
 ter, lest thou become ridiculous ; neither wanton 
 thy heart with too much mirth, lest thou be- 
 come vaine : the suburbs of folly is vaine mirth, 
 and profusenesse of laughter is the city of 
 fooles. 
 
148 
 
 IV. 
 
 Let thy tongue take counsell of one eye, rather 
 than of two ears ; let the newes thou reportest 
 be rather stale than false, lest thou be branded 
 with the name of lyar. It is an intolerable dis- 
 honour to be that which only to be called so, is 
 thought worthy of a stabbe. 
 
 V. 
 
 Let thy discourse be such, as thy judgement 
 may maintaine, and thy company may deserve. 
 In neglecting this, thou losest thy words ; in 
 not observing the other, thou losest thy selfe. 
 Give wash to swine, and wort to men ; so shalt 
 
149 
 
 thou husband thy gifts to the advantage of thy 
 selfe, and shape thy discourse to the advance- 
 ment of thy hearer. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Dost thou roar under the torments of a tyrant ? 
 Weigh them with the sufferance of thy Saviour, 
 and they are no plague. Dost thou rage under 
 the bondage of a raving conscience ? Compare 
 it to thy Saviour's passion, and it is no paine. 
 Have the tortures of Hell taken hold of thy 
 dispairing soule ? Compare it to thy Saviour's 
 torments, and it is no punishment : what sense 
 unequally compares, let faith enterchangeably 
 apply ; and thy pleasures have no comparison. 
 
150 
 
 Thy sinnes are the authors of his sufferings ; 
 and his hell is the price of thy heaven. 
 
 VIL 
 
 Art thou banisht from thy owne country ? 
 Thanke thy owne folly: hadst thou chosen a 
 ri^ht home, thou hadst been no exile : hadst 
 thou commanded thy owne kingdome, all king- 
 domes had been thy owne : the foole is banisht 
 in his owne country ; the wise man is in his 
 owne country, though banisht : the foole wan- 
 ders, the wise man travels. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 In seeking vertue, if thou find poverty, be not 
 
151 
 
 ashamed : the fault is none of thine. Thy ho- 
 nour, or dishonour, is purchased by thy owne 
 actions. Though vertue give a ragged livery, 
 she gives a golden cognizance : if her service 
 make thee poore, blush not. Thy poverty may 
 disadvantage thee, but not dishonour thee. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Gaze not on beauty too much, lest it blast 
 thee ; nor too long, lest it blind thee ; nor too 
 near, lest it burne thee : if thou like it, it de- 
 ceives thee ; if thou love it, it disturbs thee : if 
 thou lust after it, it destroyes thee : if vertue 
 accompany it, it is the heart's paradise ; if vice 
 
162 
 
 associate it, it is the soule's purgatory : it is the 
 wise man's bonefire, and the foole's fiirnace. 
 
 X. 
 
 If thou wouldst have a good servant, let thy 
 servant find a wise master : let his food, rest, 
 and wages be seasonable : let his labour, recrea- 
 tions, and attendance depend upon thy pleasure : 
 be not angry with him too long, lest he thinke 
 thee malicious ; nor too soone, lest he conceive 
 thee rash; nor too often, lest he count thee 
 humorous. Be not too fierce, lest he love thee 
 not ; nor too remisse, lest he feare thee not ; 
 nor too familiar, lest he prize thee not. In 
 briefe, whilst thou givest him the liberty of a 
 
153 
 
 servant, beware thou losest not the majesty of 
 a master. 
 
 XL 
 
 If thou desire to be chaste in wedlocke, keepe 
 thy selfe chaste before thou weddest : he that 
 hath knowne pleasure unlawfully, will hardly be 
 restrained from unlawflill pleasure. One woman 
 was created for one man. He that strayes be- 
 yond the limits of liberty, is brought into the 
 verge of slavery. Where one is enough, two 
 is too many, and three is too few. 
 
 XII. 
 
 If thou would'st be justified, acknowledge thy 
 
154 
 
 injustice: he that confesses his sinne, begins 
 his journey towards salvation : he that is sorry 
 for it, mends his pace : he that forsakes it, is 
 at his journie's end. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Before thou reprehend another, take heed 
 thou art not culpable in what thou goest about 
 to reprehend. He that cleanses a blot with 
 blotted fingers, makes a greater blur. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Beware of drunkennesse, lest all good men 
 beware of thee ; where drunkennesse reigns, 
 there reason is an exile ; vertue, a stranger ; 
 
155 
 
 God, an enemy; blasphemy is wit, oaths are 
 rhetoricke, and secrets are proclamations. 
 Noah discovered that in one houre, drunke, 
 which sober, he kept secret six hundred years. 
 
 XV. 
 
 What thou givest to the poore, thou securest 
 from the thiefe, but what thou withholdest from 
 his necessity, a thiefe possesses. God's exche- 
 quer is the poore man's box : when thou strikest 
 a tally, he becomes thy debtor. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 Take no pleasure in the folly of an idiot, nor in 
 the fancy of a lunaticke, nor in the frenzie of a 
 
156 
 
 druakard. Make them the object of thy pity, 
 not of thy pastime ; when thou beholdest them, 
 behold how thou art beholding to him that suf- 
 fered thee not to be like them. There is no 
 difference between thee and them, but God's 
 favour. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 If, behig in eminent place, thou hast incurred 
 the obloquy of the multitude, the more thou 
 endeavourest to stop the streame, the more it 
 overflow^es ; wisely rather divert the course of 
 the vulgar humour, by divulging and spreading 
 some ridiculous novelty, which may present new 
 
157 
 
 matter to their various fancy, and stave their 
 tongues from off thy worried name* The first 
 subject of the common voice, is the last news. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 If thou desire to see thy child vertuous, let him 
 not see his father's vices : thou canst not re- 
 buke that in them, that they behold practised in 
 thee ; till reason be ripe, examples direct more 
 than precepts : such as thy behaviour is before 
 thy children's faces, such commonly is theirs 
 behind their parents' backs. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Use law and physicke only for necessity ; they 
 
158 
 
 that use them otherwise, abuse themselves into 
 weake bodies, and light purses : they are good 
 remedies, bad businesses, and worse recrea- 
 tions. 
 
 XX. 
 
 Be not over curious in prying into mysteries ; 
 lest, by seeking things which are needlesse, 
 thou omittest things which are necessary : it is 
 more safe to doubt of uncertaine matters, than 
 to dispute of undiscovered mysteries. 
 
 XXL 
 
 If what thou hast received from God thou 
 sharest to the poore, thou hast gained a bless- 
 
159 
 
 ing by the hand ; if what thou hast taken from 
 the poore, thou givest to God, thou hast pur- 
 chased a curse into the bargaine. He that puts 
 to pious uses what he hath got by impious 
 usury, robs the spittle to raise an hospitall ; 
 and the cry of the one, will out-plead the prayers 
 of the other. 
 
 XXIT. 
 
 Let the end of thy argument be rather to dis- 
 cover a doubtful! truth, than a commanding wit ; 
 in the one, thou shalt geiine substance ; in the 
 other, froth : that flint strikes the Steele in 
 vaine, that propagates no sparkles ; covet to be 
 truth's champion, at least to hold her colours : 
 
160 
 
 he that pleads against the truth, takes paines 
 to be overthrown ; or, if a conquerour, gaines 
 but vain-glory by the conquest. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 Take no pleasure in the death of a creature ; if 
 it be harmlesse or uselesse, destroy it not : if 
 usefull, or harmefuU destroy it mercifully: he 
 that mercifully made his creatures for thy sake, 
 expects thy mercy upon them for his sake. 
 Mercy turns her backe to the unmercifuU. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 If thou art called to the dignity of a priest, the 
 same voice calls thee to the honour of a judge ; 
 
161 
 
 if thy life and doctrine be good, thou shalt judge 
 others: if thy doctrine be good, and thy life 
 bad, only thy selfe : if both be good, thou 
 teachest thy people to escape condemnation : 
 if this be good, and that bad, thou teachest God 
 to condemne thee. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 If thou be not a Prometheus to advise before 
 thou dost ; be an Epimetheus to examine when 
 thou hast done : when the want of advise hath 
 brought forth an improvident act, the act of 
 examination may produce a profitable repent - 
 
 M 
 
162 
 
 XXVL 
 
 If thou desire the happinesse of thy soule, the 
 health of thy body, the prosperity of thy estate, 
 the preservation of thy credit, converse not with 
 a harlot : her eyes runne thy reputation in debt ; 
 her lips demand the payment ; her breasts arrest 
 thee ; her armes imprison thee ; from whence, 
 beleeve it, thou shalt hardly get forth till thou 
 hast either ended the dayes of th}^ credit, or 
 payed the utmost farthing of thy estate. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 Carry a watchfull eye upon those familiars 
 that are either silent at thy faults, or sooth thee 
 in thy frailties, or excuse thee in thy follies ; for 
 
163 
 
 such are either cowards, or flatterers, or fooles : 
 if thou entertain them in prosperity, the coward 
 will leave thee in thy dang-ers, the flatterer will 
 quit thee in thy adversity: but the foole will 
 never forsake thee. 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 If thou hast an estate, and a sonne to inherit 
 it, keep him not too short, lest he thinke thou 
 livest too long ; what thou alio west him, let 
 him receive from thy hand, as gift ; not from 
 thy tenants, as rent : keep the reines of thy 
 estate in thy owne hand, lest thou forsaking the 
 soveraignty of a father, he forget the reverence 
 of a child : let his liberty be grounded on thy 
 
164 
 
 permission, and keep him within the corapasse 
 of thy instruction : let liim feele, thou hast the 
 curbe, though occasion urge thee not to checke. 
 Give him the choise of his owne wife, if he be 
 wise. Counsell his affection rather than crosse 
 it, if thou beest wise ; lest his marriage-bed be 
 made in secret, or depend upon thy grave. If 
 he be given to lavish company, endeavour to 
 stave him off with lawfull recreations : be cheer- 
 full with him, that he may love thy presence ; 
 and wink at small faults, that thou mayst gain 
 him : be not always chiding, lest thou harden 
 him ; neither knit thy brow too often, lest thou 
 dishearten him : remember, the discretion of a fa- 
 ther oft times prevents the destruction of a childe. 
 
165 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 If thou hide thy treasure upon the earth, how 
 canst thou expect to finde it in heaven ? Canst 
 thou hope to be a sharer where thou hast reposed 
 no stocke ? What thou givest to God's glory, 
 and thy soule's health, is laid up in heaven, and 
 is onely thine ; that alone, which thou ex- 
 changest, or hidest upon earth, is lost. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 Regard not in thy pilgrimage how difficult the 
 passage is, but whither it tends ; nor how deli- 
 cate the journey is, but where it ends : If it be 
 easie, suspect it ; if hard, endure it : he that 
 cannot excuse a bad way, accuseth his owne 
 
166 
 
 sloth ; and he that stickes in a bad passage, 
 can never attaine a good journie's end. 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 Money is both the generation and corruption 
 of purchased honour : honour is both the child 
 and slave of potent money : the credit which 
 honour hath lost, money hath found : When 
 honour grew mercenary, money grew honour- 
 able. The way to be truly noble, is to con- 
 temn both. 
 
 XXXII. 
 
 Give not thy tongue too great a liberty, lest 
 it take thee prisoner : A word unspoken is, like 
 the sword in thy scabberd, thine ; if vented, 
 
1«7 
 
 thy sword is in another's hand : if thou desire to 
 be held wise, be so wise as to hold thy tongue. 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 If thou be subject to any great vanity, nourish 
 it not : if it will be entertained, encourage it 
 not ; if it grow strong, more strongly strive 
 against it ; if too strong, pray against it ; if it 
 weaken not, joyne fasting to the prayer ; if it 
 shall continue, adde perseverance to both ; if it 
 decline not, adde patience to all, and thou hast 
 conquered it. 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 Hath any wounded thee with injuries ? meet 
 them with patience ; hastie words ranckle the 
 
168 
 
 wound, soft language dresses it, forgivenesse 
 cures it, and oblivion takes away the scarre. It 
 is more noble, by silence to avoid an injury, 
 than by argument to overcome it. 
 
 XXXV. 
 
 Be not instable in thy resolutions, nor various 
 in thy actions, nor inconstant in thy affections : 
 so deliberate, that thou mayst resolve; so re- 
 solve, that thou mayst performe ; so performe, 
 that thou mayst persevere : mutability is the 
 badge of infirmity. 
 
 XXXVI. 
 
 Let not thy good intention flatter thee to an 
 evill action; what is essentially evill, no cir- 
 
169 
 
 cumstance can make good ; it matters not with 
 what mind thou didst that, which is unlawfull, 
 being done : if the act be good, the intention 
 crowns it ; if bad, it deposes thy intention : no 
 evill actions can be well done. 
 
 XXXVII. 
 
 Love not thy children too unequally ; or, if 
 thou dost, shew it not, lest thou make the one 
 proud, the other envious, and both fooles: if 
 nature hath made a difference, it is the part 
 of a tender parent to help the weakest. That 
 triall is not fair, where affection is the judge. 
 
 XXXVIII. 
 
 In giving of thy almes, enquire not so much 
 
170 
 
 into the person, as his necessity : God looks not 
 so much upon the merits of him that requires, 
 as into the manner of him tJiat relieves: if 
 the man deserve not, thou hast given it^o 
 humanity. 
 
 XXXIX. 
 
 If thou desirest the Eucharist should be thy 
 supper, let thy life be thy chaplain ; if thy own 
 worthinesse invites thee, presume not to come ; 
 if the sorrowfull sense of thy own sinnes forbid 
 thee, presume not to forbeare : if thy faith be 
 strong, it will confirme it; if weak, it will 
 strengthen it : He only that wants faith is the 
 forbidden guest. 
 
171 
 
 XL. 
 
 WouLDST thou traffick with the best advan- 
 tagic, and crown thy vertues with the best re- 
 turn? Make the poor thy chapman, and thy 
 factor : so shalt thou give trifles which thou 
 couldst not keep, to receive treasure which 
 thou canst not lose : There is no such merchant 
 as the charitable man. 
 
 XLI. 
 
 Follow not the multitude in the evill of sin, 
 lest thou share with the multitude in the evill of 
 punishment : the number of the offenders dimi- 
 nisheth not the quality of the offence : as the 
 multitude of suitors drawes more favour to the 
 
172 
 
 suite, so the multitude of sinners drawes more 
 punishment on the sin : the number of the fag- 
 gots multiplies the fury of the fire. 
 
 XLII. 
 
 If thou be angry with him that reproves thy 
 sinne, thou secretly confessest his reproof to be 
 just: if thou acknowledge his reproof to be 
 just, thou secretly confessest thy anger to be 
 unjust. He that is angry with the just reprover, 
 kindles the fire of the just revenger. 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 Doe well while thou mayst, lest thou do evill 
 when thou would not : he that takes not advan- 
 
173 
 
 tage of a good power, shall lose the benefit of 
 a good will. 
 
 XLIV. 
 
 Let not mirth be thy profession, lest thou 
 become a make-sport. He that hath but gain'd 
 the title of a jester, let him assure himselfe, the 
 fool is not farre off. 
 
 XLV. 
 
 In every relative action, change conditions 
 with thy brother ; then aske thy conscience 
 what thou wouldest be done to ; being truly re- 
 solved, exchange again, and doe thou the like 
 to him, and thy charity shall never erre : it is 
 
174 
 
 injustice to do, what without impatience thou 
 canst not suffer. 
 
 XLVL 
 
 Love thy neighbour for God's sake, and God 
 for his owne sake, who created all things for thy 
 sake, and redeemed thee for his mercy sake : if 
 thy love have any other object, it is false love : 
 if thy object have any other end, it is self-love. 
 
 XLVII. 
 
 Let thy conversation with men, be sober and 
 sincere : let thy devotion to God be dutifuU and 
 decent : let the one be hearty, and not haughty : 
 let the other be humble, and not homely: so 
 
175 
 
 live with men, as if God saw thee ; so pray to 
 God, as if men heard thee. 
 
 XLVIII. 
 
 God's pleasure is the wind our actions ought to 
 sayl by : man's will is the streame that tydes 
 them up and down ; if the wind blow not, thou 
 mayst take the advantage of the tide ; if it blow, 
 no matter which way the streame runs ; if with 
 thee, thy voyage will be the shorter ; if against 
 thee, the sea will bee the rougher : it is safer 
 to strive against the stream, than to sayle 
 against the wind. 
 
 XLIX. 
 
 If thou desire much rest, desire not too much : 
 
176 
 
 there is no lesse trouble in the preservation, 
 than in the acquisition of abundance ; Diogenes 
 found more rest in his tub, than Alexander on 
 his throne. 
 
 L, 
 
 WoULDST thou multiply thy riches ? diminish 
 them wisely : or wouldst thou make th}' estate 
 entire ? divide it charitably : seeds that are 
 scattered, encrease ; but hoarded up, they pe- 
 rish. 
 
 LI. 
 
 How earnest thou by thy honour ? By mony : 
 how earnest thou by thy mony ? By extortion : 
 
177 
 
 compare thy penny worth with the price, and 
 tell me truly, how truly honourable thou art ? 
 It is an ill purchase that is encumbred with a 
 curse, and that honour will be ruinous that is 
 built on ruines. 
 
 LIT. 
 
 If thy brother hath privately offended thee, re- 
 prove him privately, and having lost himselfe in 
 an injury, thou shalt find him in thy forgive- 
 nesse : he that rebukes a private fault openly, 
 betrayes it, rather than reproves it. 
 
 LIII. 
 
 What thou desirest, inspect thoroughly before 
 
 N 
 
178 
 
 thou prosecute : cast one eye upon the inconve- 
 niencies, as well as the other upon the conveni- 
 encies. Weigh the fulnesse of the barne with 
 the charge of the plough : weigh honour with 
 her burthen, and pleasure with her dangers ; so 
 shalt thou undertake wisely what thou desirest ; 
 or moderate thy desires in undertaking. 
 
 LIV. 
 
 If thou owest thy whole selfe to thy God for 
 thy creation, what hast thou left to pay for thy 
 redemption, that was not so cheap as thy cre- 
 ation ? In thy creation, he gave thee thy selfe, 
 and by thy selfe to him i in thy redemption hee 
 gave himselfe to thee, and through him restored 
 
J 79 
 
 thee to thy selfe : thou art given and restor'd : 
 now what owest thou unto thy God ? if thou 
 hast paid all thy debts, give him the surplusage, 
 and thou hast merited. 
 
 LV. 
 
 In thy discourse take heed what thou speakest, 
 to whom thou speakest, how thou speakest, and 
 when thou speakest : what thou speakest, speak 
 truly ; when thou speakest, speak wisely. A 
 fooFs heart is in his tongue ; but a wise man's 
 tongue is in his heart * 
 
 LVL 
 
 Before thou act a theft, consider what thou 
 
180 
 
 art about to doe : if thou take it, thou losest 
 thy selfe ; if thou keep it, thou disenablest thy 
 redemption ; till thou restor'st it, thou canst not 
 be restored ; when it is restored, it must cost 
 thee more pcune, and sorrow, than ever it brought 
 thee pleasure or profit. It is a great folly to 
 please the palate with that which thou knowest 
 must either be vomited, or thy death. 
 
 LVII. 
 
 Silence is the highest wisdome of a fool, and 
 speech is the greatest triall of a wise man ; if 
 thou would'st be known a wise man, let thy 
 words shew thee so ; if thou doubt thy words, 
 let thy silence feign thee so. It is not a greater 
 
181 
 
 point of wisdorae to discover knowledge, than 
 to hide ignorance. 
 
 LVIII. 
 
 The clergy is a copy book, their life is the 
 paper, whereof some is purer, some coarser: 
 their doctrine is the copies, some written in 
 plain hand, others in a flourishing hand, some 
 in a text hand, some in a Roman hand, others 
 in a court hand, others in a bastard Roman : if 
 the choise be in thy power, chuse a book that 
 hath the finest paper, let it not bee too straight 
 nor too loosely bound, but easie to lye open to 
 every eye : follow not every copy, lest thou be 
 good at none : among them all chuse one that 
 
182 
 
 shall be most legible and usefull, and fullest of 
 instructions. But if the paper chance to have 
 a blot, remember, the blot is no part of the 
 copy. 
 
 LIX. 
 
 VertuE is nothing but an act of loving that 
 which is to be beloved, and that act is prudence, 
 from whence not to be removed by constraint is 
 fortitude; not to be allur'd by enticements is 
 temperance ; not to be diverted by pride is jus- 
 tice. The declining of this act is vice. 
 
 LX. 
 
 Rebuke thy servant's fault in private: pub- 
 
183 
 
 lique reproof hardens his shame : if he be past 
 a youth, strike him not ; he is not fit for thy 
 service, that after wise reproofes will either de- 
 serve thy strokes, or digest them. 
 
 LXI. 
 
 Take heed rather what thou receivest, than 
 what thou givest ; what thou givest leaves thee, 
 what thou takest, sticks by thee : he that pre- 
 sents a gift buyes the receiver ; he that takes a 
 gift sells his liberty. 
 
 LXII. 
 
 Things temporall, are sweeter in the expecta- 
 tion : things eternall are sweeter in the fruition : 
 
184 
 
 the first shames thy hope, the second crownes 
 it : it is a vain journey, whose end affords lesse 
 pleasure than the way. 
 
 LXIII. 
 
 Know thy selfe that thou mayst fear God : 
 know God, that thou mayst love him : in this, 
 Xhou art initiated to wisdome ; in that, per- 
 fected : the feare of God is the beginning of 
 wisdome : the love of God is the fulfiUing of the 
 law. 
 
 LXIV. 
 
 If thou hast providence to foresee a danger, let 
 thy prudence rather prevent it, than feare it. 
 
185 
 
 The feare of future evils, brings oftentimes a 
 present mischiefe : whilst thou seekest to pre- 
 vent it, practice to beare it. He is a wise man 
 can avoyd an evill ; he is a patient man that 
 can endure it ; but he is a valiant man can con- 
 quer it. 
 
 LXV. 
 
 If thou hast the place of a magistrate, deserve 
 it by thy justice, and dignifie it with thy mercy : 
 take heed of early gifts : an open hand makes a 
 blind eye : be not more apt to punish vice, than 
 to encourage vertue. Be not too severe, lest 
 thou be hated, nor too remisse, lest thou be 
 sleighted : so execute justice, that thou mayst 
 
186 
 
 be loved : so execute mercy, that thou mayst 
 be feared. 
 
 LXVI. 
 
 Let not thy table exceed the fourth part of thy 
 revenue : let thy provision be solid, and not farre 
 fetcht, fuller of substance than art : be wisely 
 frugall in thy preparation, and freely cheerful! 
 in thy entertainment : if thy guests be right, it 
 is enough ; if not, it is too much : too much is 
 a vanity ; enough is a feast. 
 
 LXVII. 
 
 Let thy apparell be decent, and suited to the 
 quality of thy place and purse : too much punc- 
 
187 
 
 tualitie, and too much morositie, are the two 
 poles of pride : be neither too early in the 
 fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely 
 in it : what custome hath civiliz'd, is become 
 decent, till then, ridiculous : where the eye is 
 the jury, thy apparell is the evidence. 
 
 LXVIII. 
 
 If thy words be too luxuriant, confine them, 
 lest they confine thee : he that thinks he never 
 can speake enough, may easily speake too much. 
 A full tongue, and an empty braine, are seldome 
 parted. 
 
188 
 
 LXIX. 
 
 Ik holding of an argument, be neither chole- 
 ricke, nor too opinionate ; the one distempers 
 thy understanding ; the other abuses thy judge- 
 ment : above all things decline paradoxes and 
 mysteries : thou shalt receive no honour, either 
 in maintaining ranke falshoods, or medling with 
 secret truths ; as he that pleads against the 
 truth, makes wit the mother of his errour : so 
 he that argues beyond warrant, makes wisedome 
 the midwife of his folly. 
 
 LXX. 
 
 Detains not the wages from the poor man 
 that hath earn'd it, lest God withhold thy wages 
 
189 
 
 from thee : if he complaine to thee, heare him, 
 lest he complaine to Heaven, where he will be 
 heard : if he hunger for thy sake, thou shalt not 
 prosper for his sake. The poore man's penny 
 is a plague in the rich man's purse. 
 
 LXXI. 
 
 Be not too cautious in discerning the fit objects 
 of thy charity, lest a soule perish through thy 
 discretion : what thou givest to mistaken want, 
 shall retume a blessing to thy deceived heart : 
 better in relieving idlenesse to commit £in acci- 
 dental! evill, than in neglecting misery to omit 
 an essential! good : better two drones be pre- 
 serv'd, than one bee perish. 
 
190 
 
 LXXII. 
 
 Theology is the empresse of the world ; 
 mysteries are her privy councell ; religion is her 
 clergy ; the arts her nobility ; philosophy her 
 secretary : the graces her maids of honour ; the 
 morall vertues, the ladies of her bedchamber ; 
 peace is her chamberlaine ; true joy, and end- 
 lesse ple£isures are her courtiers; plenty her 
 treasurer ; poverty her exchequer ; the temple 
 is her court : if thou desire accesse to this great 
 majesty, the way is by her courtiers ; if thou 
 hast no power there, the common way to the 
 soveraigne is the secretary. 
 
 LXXIII. 
 
 It is an evill knowledge to know the good thou 
 
191 
 
 shouldst embrace, unlesse thou likewise embrace 
 the good thou knowest : the breath of divine 
 knowledge, is the hello wes of divine love, and 
 the flame of divine love, is the perfection of di- 
 vine knowledge. 
 
 LXXIV. 
 
 If thou desire rest unto thy soule, be just : he 
 that doth no injury, fears not to suffer injury : 
 the unjust mind is alwayes in labour : it either 
 practises the evill it hath projected, or projects 
 to avoid the evill it hath deserved. 
 
 LXXV. 
 
 ACCUSTOME thy palate to what is most usuall : 
 
192 
 
 he that delights in rarities, must often feed dis- 
 pleased, and sometimes lie at the mercy of a 
 deare market : common food nourishes best, de- 
 licates please most : the sound stomacke pre- 
 ferres neither. What art thou the worse for the 
 last yeare's plaine diet, or what now the better 
 for thy last great feast ? 
 
 LXXVl. 
 
 Whoever thou art, thou hast done more evill 
 in one day, than thou canst expiate in six ; and 
 canst thou thinke the evill of six dayes, can re- 
 quire lesse than one ? God hath made us rich 
 in dayes, by allowing six, and himselfe poore by 
 reserving but one ; and shall we spare our owne 
 
193 
 
 flocke, and sheare his lambe ? he that hath done 
 nothing but what he can justifie in the six dayes, 
 may play the seventh. 
 
 LXXVII. 
 
 Hope and Feare, like Hippocrates' twins, 
 should live and dye together : if hope depart 
 from feare, it travels by security, and lodges in 
 presumption ; if feare depart from hope, it travels 
 to infideUtie, and innes in despaire, the one shuts 
 up heaven, the other opens hell ; the one makes 
 thee insensible of God's frownes, the other, 
 incapable of God's favours ; and both teach 
 God to be unmercifiiU, and thee to be most mi- 
 serable. 
 
 o 
 
194 
 
 LXXVIIL 
 
 Close thine eare against him that shall open 
 his mouth secretly against another : if thou re- 
 ceive not his words, they flye back, and wound 
 the reporter : if thou receive them, they flee 
 forward, and wound the receiver. 
 
 LXXIX. 
 
 If thou wouldst preserve a sound body, use 
 fasting and walking ; if a healthfuU soule, fasting 
 and praying ; walking exercises the body, pray- 
 ing exercises the soule, fasting cleanses both. 
 
 LXXX. 
 
 Wouldst thou not be thought a foole in ano- 
 
195 
 
 ther's conceit, be not wise in thine owne : he 
 that trusts to his owne wisdome, proclaimes his 
 owne folly : he is truly wise, and shall appeare 
 so, that hath folly enough to be thought not 
 wwldly wise, or wisdome enough to see his 
 owne folly. 
 
 LXXXL 
 
 Desieest thou knowledge ? know the end of 
 thy desire : is it only to know ? then it is curi- 
 osity : is it because thou mayst be knowne ? 
 then 'tis vanity: if because thou mayst edefie, it 
 is charity : if because thou mayst be edefied, it 
 is wisdome. That knowledge turnes to meere 
 excrement, that hath not some heate of wisdome 
 to digest it. 
 
196 
 
 LXXXII. 
 
 WiSDOME without innocency is knavery ; in- 
 nocency without wisdome is foolery : be there- 
 fore as wise as serpents, and innocent as doves : 
 the subtilty of the serpent, instructs the inno- 
 cency of the dove : the innocency of the dove, 
 corrects the subtilty of the serpent: What God 
 hath joyn'd together, let no man separate. 
 
 LXXXIII. 
 
 The more thou imitatest the vertues of a Saint 
 departed, the better thou celebratest that Saint's 
 day. God is not pleased with surfeting for his 
 sake, who with his fasting so often pleased his 
 God. 
 
197 
 
 LXXXIV. 
 
 ChusE not thy serviceable soaldier out of soft 
 apparell, lest he prove effeminate, nor out of a 
 full purse, lest he grow timorous : they are more 
 fit for action, that are fiery to gaine a fortune 
 abroad, than they that have fortunes to lose at 
 home. Expectation breeds spirit; fruition 
 brings feare. 
 
 LXXXV. 
 
 God hath given to mankinde a common library, 
 his creatures ; and to every man a proper booke, 
 himselfe, being an abridgement of all the others : 
 if thou reade with understanding, it will make 
 thee a great master of philosophy, and a true 
 
198 
 
 servant to the divine authour: if thou but barely 
 reade, it will make thee thy owne wise man, and 
 the authour's foole. 
 
 LXXXVI. 
 
 Doubt is a weake childe lawfully begotten be- 
 tween an obstructed judgement, and a faire un- 
 derstanding. Opinion is a bold bastard gotten 
 betweene a strong fancie, and a weak judgement ; 
 it is lesse dishonourable to be ingenuously doubt- 
 full, than rashly opinion ate. 
 
 LXXXVII. 
 
 As thou art a morall man, esteem thy selfe not 
 as thou art, but as thou art esteemed. As thou 
 
199 
 
 art a Christian, esteeme thy selfe as thou art, 
 not as thou art esteemed ; thy price in both rises 
 and falls as the market goes. The market of a 
 morallman is wild opinion. The market of a 
 Christian is a good conscience. 
 
 LXXXVIII. 
 
 Providence is an exercise of reason ; experi- 
 ence an act of sense : by how much reason excels 
 sense, by so much providence exceeds experience. 
 Providence prevents that danger, which experi- 
 ence repents : providence is the rationall daugh- 
 ter of wisdorae ; experience the empiricall mis- 
 tresse of fooles. 
 
200 
 
 L XXXIX. 
 Hath fortune dealt thee ill cards ? let wisdome 
 make thee a good gamester : in a faire gale, 
 every foole may sayle ; but wise behaviour in a 
 storme commends the wisdome of a pilot; to 
 bear adversity with an equall minde, is both the 
 sign and glory of a brave spirit. 
 
 XC. 
 
 If any speake ill of thee, flee home to thy owne 
 conscience, and examine thy heart : if thou be 
 guilty, it is a just correction ; if not guilty, it is a 
 faire instruction : make use of both, so shalt 
 thou distill hony out of gall, and out of an open 
 enemy, create a secret friend. 
 
 / 
 
201 
 
 XCI. 
 
 As the exercise of the body naturall is moderate 
 recreation, so the exercise of the body poUticke, 
 is military discipline : by that the one is made 
 more able ; by this, the other is made more ac- 
 tive : Where both are wanting, there wants no 
 danger to the one, through a humorous super- 
 fluity, to the other, by a negligent security. 
 
 XCII. 
 
 God is above thee, beasts are beneath thee; 
 acknowledge him that is above thee, and thou 
 shalt be acknowledg'd by them that are under 
 thee: Whilst Daniel acknowledg'd God to be 
 above him, the lions acknowledg'd Daniel to be 
 above them. 
 
202 
 
 XCIII. 
 
 Take heed whilst thou shewest wisdome in 
 not speaking, thou betrayest not thy folly in 
 too long silence : if thou art a foole, thy silence 
 is wisdome ; if a wise man, too long silence is 
 folly. As too many words from a foole's mouth, 
 give a wise man no leave to speake ; so too long 
 silence in a wise man, gives a foole the oppor- 
 tunity of speaking, and makes thee guilty of his 
 folly. 
 
 XCIV. 
 
 Consider what thou wert, what thou art, 
 what thou shalt be : What is within thee, what 
 is above thee, what is beneath thee, what is 
 against thee : what was before thee, what shall 
 
203 
 
 be after thee ; and this will bring to thy selfe 
 humility, to thy neighbour charity, to the world 
 contempt, to thy God obedience: Hee that 
 knowes not himselfe positively, can not knowe 
 himselfe relatively. 
 
 xcv. 
 
 Thinke not thy love to God merits God's 
 love to thee : his acceptance of thy duty crowns 
 his owne gifts in thee : Man's love to God 
 is nothing but a faint reflection of God's love 
 to man. 
 
 XCVI. 
 
 Be alwayes lesse willing to speake than to 
 
204 
 
 heare ; what thou hearest, thou receivest ; what 
 thou speakest, thou givest. It is more glori- 
 ous to give, more profitable to receive. 
 
 XCVII. 
 
 See ST thou good daj^es ? prepare for evill 
 times : No summer but hath his winter. He 
 never reaped comfort in adversity, that sowed 
 it not in prosperity. 
 
 XCVII I. 
 
 If being a magistrate, thou connivest at vice, 
 thou nourishest it ; if thou sparest it, thou com- 
 mittest it: what is not, by thee, punisht in 
 others, is made punishable in thee. He that 
 
205 
 
 favours present evils, entayles them upon his 
 posterity: he that excuses the guilty, condemnes 
 the innocent. 
 
 XCIX. 
 
 Teuth haunts no corners, seeks no by-wayes : 
 If thou professe it, do it openly : if thou seeke 
 it, do it fairely : He deserves not to professe 
 truth, that professes it fearefiilly : he deserves 
 not to finde the truth, that seekes it fraudu- 
 lently. 
 
 C. 
 
 If thou desire to be wiser yet, think not thy 
 selfe yet wise enough: and if thou desire to 
 
206 
 
 improve knowledge in thy selfe, despise not the 
 instructions of another. He that instructs hin\ 
 that thinkes himselle wise enough, hath a foole 
 to his schoUar : he that thinkes himselfe wise 
 enough to instruct himselfe, hath a foole to 
 his master. 
 
ENCHIRIDION. 
 
 THE FOURTH BOOK. 
 
ENCHIRIDION. 
 
 CENT. IV. 
 
 I. 
 
 DemEANE thy selfe more warily in thy study, 
 than in the street. If thy publique actions have 
 a hundred witnesses, thy private have a thou- 
 sand. The multitude lookes but upon thy ac- 
 tions : thy conscience lookes into them : the 
 multitude may chance to excuse thee, if not 
 acquit thee ; thy conscience will accuse thee, if 
 not condemn thee. 
 
 p 
 
210 
 
 II. 
 
 Of all vices take heed of drunkennesse ; other 
 vices are but fruits of disordered affections : this 
 disorders, naj^, banishes reason : other vices 
 but impaire the scule, this demolishes her two 
 chiefe faculties; the understanding, and the 
 will : other vices make their owne way ; this 
 makes way for all vices : bee that is a drunkard 
 is qualified for all vice. 
 
 III. 
 
 If thy sinne trouble thee, let that trouble com- 
 fort thee; as pleasure in the remembrance of 
 sinne exasperates justice, so sorrow in the re- 
 pentance of sinne mollifies mercy : it is lesse 
 
211 
 
 dano-er to commit the sin we delight in, than 
 to delight in the sinne we have committed, and 
 more joy is promised to repentance, than to in- 
 nocency. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The way to God is by thy selfe ; the way to 
 thy selfe is by thy owne corruptions : he that 
 baulkes this way, erres ; he that travels by the 
 creatures, wanders. The motion of the heavens 
 shall give thy soule no rest : the vertue of 
 herbs shall not encrease thine. The height of 
 all philosophy, both natural 1 and morall, is to 
 know thy selfe, and the end of this knowledge 
 is to know God. 
 
212 
 
 V. 
 
 Infamy is where it is received : if thou art a 
 mudde-wall it will stick ; if marhle, it will re- 
 bound : if thou storme at it, it is thine : if thou 
 contemne it, it is his* 
 
 VI. 
 
 If thou desire magistracy, learne to forget thy 
 selfe ; if thou undertake it, bid thy selfe fare- 
 well ; he that lookes upon a common cause with 
 private eyes, lookes through false glasses. In 
 the exercise of thy politique office, thou must 
 forget both ethickes and oeconomickes. He that 
 puts on a publique gowne, must put off a pri- 
 vate person. 
 
213 
 
 VIL 
 
 Let the words of a virgin, though in a good 
 cause, and to as good purpose, be neither vio- 
 lent, many, nor first, nor last : it is lesse shame 
 for a virgin to be lost in a blushing silence, than 
 to be found in a bold eloquence. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Art thou in plenty ? give what thou wilt : art 
 thou in poverty ? give what thou canst ; as what 
 is received, is received according to the manner 
 of the receiver ; so what is given, is prized ac- 
 cording to the measure of the giver : he is a 
 good workeman that makes as good worke as his 
 matter will permit. 
 
214 
 
 IX. 
 
 God is the Author of truth, the Devill the 
 father of lies : if the telling of a truth shall en- 
 danger thy life, the author of truth will protect 
 thee from the danger, or reward thee for thy 
 damage. If the telling a lye may secure thy 
 life, the father of lyes will beguile thee of thy 
 gaines, or traduce the security. Better by 
 losing of a life to save it, than by saving of a 
 life to lose it. However, better thou perish 
 than the truth. 
 
 X. 
 
 Consider not so much what thou hast, as what 
 others want : what thou hast, take heed thou 
 
lose not. What thou hast not, take heed thou 
 covet not : if thou hast many above thee, turne 
 thy eye upon those that are under thee : If thou 
 hast no inferiours, have patience a while, and 
 thou shalt have n6 superiours. The grave re- 
 quires no marshalL 
 
 XI. 
 
 If thou seest any thing in thy self, which may 
 make thee proud, look a little further, and thou 
 shalt find enough to humble thee; if thou be 
 wise, view the peacock's feathers with his feet, 
 and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfec- 
 tions. He that would rightly prize the man, 
 must read his whole story. 
 
216 
 
 XII. 
 
 Let not the sweetnesse of contemplation be so 
 esteemed, that action be despised ; Rachel was 
 more faire, Lea more fruitfuil : as contempla- 
 tion is more delightfuil, so is it more dangerous : 
 l^ot was upright in the city and wicked in the 
 mountaine. 
 
 XIIL 
 
 If thou hast but httle, make it not lesse by 
 murmuring : if thou hast enough, make it not 
 too much by unthankefulnesse : He that is not 
 thankfully contented with the least favour he 
 hath received, hath made himselfe incapable of 
 the least favour he can receive. 
 
217 
 
 XIV. 
 
 What thou hast taken unlawfblly, restore 
 speedily, for the sinne in taking it; is repeated 
 every minute thou keepest it : if thou canst, 
 restore it in kinde : if not, in value ; if it may 
 be, restore it to the party ; if not, to God : the 
 poore is (Jod's receiver. 
 
 XV. 
 
 Let the fear of a danger be a spur to prevent 
 it : Hee that feares otherwise, gives advantage 
 to the danger : It is lesse folly not to endeavour 
 the prevention of the evill thou fearest, than 
 to feare the evill which thy endeavour cannot 
 prevent. 
 
218 
 
 XVI. 
 
 If thou hast any excellence which is thine ovme, 
 thy tongue may glory in it without shame ; but 
 if thou hast received it, thy glory is but usur- 
 pation ; and thy pride is but the prologue of thy 
 shame: where vain-glory commands, there folly 
 counsels ; where pride rides, there shame lac- 
 quies. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 God hath ordained his creatures, not onely for 
 necessity, but delight f since he hath carv'd 
 thee with a bountifull hand, feare not to receive 
 it with a liberall heart : he that gave thee water 
 to allay thy thirst, gave thee wine to exhilirate 
 
219 
 
 thy heart. Restore him, for the one, necessity 
 of thankes, returne him, for the other, the chear- 
 fulnesse of praise. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 If the wicked flourish and thou suffer, discou- 
 rage not : they are fatted for destruction ; thou 
 art dieted for health ; they have no other heaven 
 but the hopes of a long earth ; thou hast nothing 
 on earth but the hopes of a quicke heaven : if 
 there were no journies' end, the travell of a 
 Christian were most comfortlesse. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Impe not thy wings with the churche's feathers, 
 
220 
 
 lest thou flie to thy owne ruine : impropriations 
 are bold metaphors ; which continued, are deadly 
 allegories : one foot of land in capite, encumbers 
 the whole estate : the eagle snatcht a coale from 
 the altar, but it fired her nest. 
 
 XX. 
 
 Let that table which God hath pleased to give 
 thee, please thee : he that made the vessel 
 knows her burthen, and how to ballast her; 
 he that made all things very good, cannot but 
 doe all things very well ; if thou be content with 
 a little, thou hast enough : if thou complainest, 
 thou hast too much. 
 
221 
 
 XXI. 
 
 WOULDST thou discover the true worth of a 
 man ? behold him naked : distreasure him of his 
 ill-got wealth, degrade him of his deare bought 
 honour, disrobe him of his purple habit. Dis- 
 card his pampered body ; then looke upon his 
 soule, and thou shalt finde how great he is. 
 Naturall sweetnesse is never scented but in the 
 absence of artificiall. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 If thou art subject to any secret folly, blab it 
 not, lest thou appeare impudent ; nor boast of 
 it, lest thou seem insolent. Every man's vanity 
 ought to be his greatest shame: and every 
 man's folly ought to be his greatest secret 
 
222 
 
 xxiri. 
 
 If thou be ignorant, endeavour to get know- 
 ledge, lest thou be beaten with stripes : if thou 
 hast attained knowledge, put it in practice, lest 
 thou be beaten with many stripes. Better not 
 to know what we should practice, than not to 
 practice what we know ; and lesse danger dwels 
 in unaffected ignorance, than unactive know- 
 ledge. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 Take heed thou harbor not that vice called 
 envy, lest another's happinesse be thy torment, 
 and God's blessing become thy curse : vertue cor- 
 rupted with vain-glory, turnes pride, pride poy- 
 
 \ 
 
223 
 
 soned with malice, becomes envy ; joyne, there- 
 fore, humiUty with thy vertue, and pride shall 
 have no footing, and envy shall finde no entrance. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 If thy endeavour cannot prevent a vice, let thy 
 repentance lament it : the more thou rememhrest 
 it without heart's griefe, the deeper it is rooted 
 in thy heart : take heed it please thee not, espe- 
 cially in cold blood. Thy pleasure in it makes 
 it fruitfuU, and her fruit is thy destruction. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 The two knowledges, of God, and thy selfe, 
 are the high way to thy salvation ; that breeds 
 
224 
 
 in thee a filial 1 love ; this a filiall feare. The 
 ignorance of thy selfe is the beginning of all 
 sinne ; and the ignorance of God is the perfec- 
 tion of all evill. 
 
 « 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 Rather do nothing to the purpose, than be 
 idle, that the Devill may finde thee doing : the 
 bird that sits is easily shot, when fliers scape the 
 fowler: idlenesseis the dead sea that swallowes 
 all vertues, and the selfe-made sepulcher of a 
 living man : the idle man is the devil's hireling ; 
 whose livery is rags, whose diet and wages are 
 famine, and diseai^es. 
 
225 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 Be not so madde as to alter that countenance 
 which thy Creatour made thee : remember it was 
 the worke of his hands ; if it be bad, how darest 
 thou mend it ? if it be good, why dost thou mend 
 it ? art thou ashamed of his worke, and proud 
 of thy owne ? he made thy face to be knowne 
 by, why desirest thou to be knowne by another : 
 it is a shame to adulterate modesty, but more to 
 adulterate nature. Lay by thy art, and blush 
 not to appeare, what he blushes not to make 
 thee. It is better to be his picture than thy 
 owne. 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 Let the ground of all thy religious actions be 
 Q 
 
226 
 
 obedience : examine not why it is commanded, 
 but observe it, because it is commanded. True 
 obedience neither procrastinates^ nor questions. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 If thou would buy an inheritance in Heaven, 
 advise not with thy purse, lest in the meane 
 while thou lose thy purchase : the widow 
 bought as much for two mites, as Zaccheus did 
 for halfe his estate : the price of that purchase 
 is what thou hast, and is not lost for what thou 
 hast not, if thou desire to have it. 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 With the same height of desire thou hast 
 
227 
 
 sinned, with the like depth of sorrow thou must 
 repent: thou that hast sinned to-day, def'evre 
 not thy repentance till to-morrow : he that hath 
 promised pardon to thy repentance, hath not 
 promised life till thou repent. 
 
 XXXII. 
 
 Take heed how thou receivest praise from men : 
 from good men neither avoid it, nor glory in it. 
 From evill men, neither desire it, nor expect it : 
 to be praised of them that are evill, or for that 
 which is evill, is equall dishonour ; he is happy 
 in his worth, who is praised by the good, and 
 imitated by the bad. 
 
228 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 Proportion thy charity to the strenj^th of 
 thy estate, lest God proportion thy estate to the 
 weakenesse of thy charity : let the lips of the 
 poore be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking 
 applause, thou lose thy reward. Nothing is 
 more pleasing to God, than an open hand and a 
 close mouth. 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 Dost thou want things necessary? grumble 
 not : perchance it was a necessary thing thou 
 shouldst want: endeavour lawfully to supply 
 it ; if God blesse not thy endeavour, blesse him 
 that knoweth what is fittest for thee. Thou 
 art God's patient : prescribe not thy physitiau. 
 
229 
 
 XXXV. 
 
 If another's death, or thy own, depend upon thy^ 
 confession, if thou canst, say nothing : if thou 
 must, say the truth : it is better thou lose thy 
 life, than God his honour : it is as easie for him 
 to give thee life, being condemned, as repent- 
 ance, having sinned : it is more wisdome to 
 yeeld thy body, than hazard thy soule. 
 
 XXXVI. 
 
 C LOATH not thy language, either with obscu- 
 rity, or affectation : in the one thou discoverest 
 too much darkness, in the other, too much Hght- 
 ness : he that speaks from the understanding to 
 the understanding, is the best interpreter. 
 
230 
 
 XXXV^II. 
 
 If thou expect death as a friend, prepare to en- 
 tertaine it : if thou expect death as an enemy, 
 prepare to overcome it : death has no advan- 
 tage, but when it comes a stranger. 
 
 XXXVIII. 
 
 Feare nothing, but what thy industry may pre- 
 vent : be confident of nothing but what fortune 
 cannot defeat : it is no lesse folly to feare what 
 is impossible to be avoided, than to be secure 
 when there is a possibility to be deprived. 
 
 XXXIX. 
 
 Let not the necessity of God's decree discou- 
 
231 
 
 rage thee to pray, or dishearten thy prayers ; 
 doe thou thy duty, and God will doe his plea- 
 sure : it' thy prayers make not him sound that 
 is sicke, they will returne, and confirme thy 
 health that art sound : iF the end of thy prayer 
 be to obtain thy request, thou confinest him 
 that is infinite : if thou hast done well, because 
 thou wert commanded, thou hast thy reward in 
 that thou hast obeyed. God's pleasure is the 
 end of our prayers. 
 
 XL. 
 
 Marry not too young ; and when thou art too 
 old, marry not, lest thou be fond in the one, or 
 thou dote in the other, and repent for both : let 
 
232 
 
 thy liking ripen before thou love : let thy love 
 advise before thou choose ; and let thy choice 
 be fixt before thou marry. Remember that the 
 whole happinesse or unhappinesse of thy life de- 
 pends upon this one act. Remember nothing 
 but death can dissolve this knot. He that weds 
 in haste, repents ofttimes by leisure : and he 
 that repents him of his owne act, either is or 
 was a foole by confession. 
 
 XLI. 
 
 If God hath sent thee a crosse, take it up and 
 follow him : use it wisely, lest it be unprofita- 
 ble ; beare it patiently, lest it be intolerable : 
 behold in it God's anger against sinne, and his 
 
233 
 
 love towards thee ; in punishing the one, and 
 chastening the other : if' it be light, sleight it 
 not ; if heavy, murmure not : not to be sensible 
 of a judgement, is the symptorae of a hardned 
 heart ; and to be displeased at his pleeisure, is a 
 signe of a rebelUous will. 
 
 XLII. 
 
 If thou desire to be magnanimous, undertake 
 nothing rashly, and feare nothing thou under- 
 takest : feare nothing but infamy ; dare any 
 thing but injury ; the measure of magnanimity, 
 is neither to be rash, nor timorous. 
 
234 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 Practice in health to beare sicknesse, and en- 
 deavour in the strength of thy life to entertaine 
 death : he that hath a will to die, not having 
 power to live, shewes necessity, not vertue : it 
 is the glory of a brave mind, to embrace pangs 
 in the very armes of pleasure : what name of 
 vertue merits he, that goes when he is driven ! 
 
 XLIV. 
 
 Be not too punctuall in taking place : if he be 
 thy superiour, it is his due ; if thy inferiour, it 
 is his dishonour : it is thou must honour thy 
 place ; thy place, not thee. It is a poor reward 
 of worth that consists in a right hand, or a brick- 
 wall. 
 
235 
 
 XLV. 
 
 Pray often, because thou sinnest alwayes : re- 
 pent quickly, lest thou die suddenly. He that 
 repents it, because he wants power to act it, re- 
 pents not of a sin, till he forsakes not : he that 
 wants power to actuate his sin, hath not for- 
 saken his sin, but his sin him. 
 
 XLVI. 
 
 Make philosophy thy journey, theology thy 
 journey e's end : philosophy is a pleasant way, 
 but dangerous to him that either tires or re- 
 tires : in this journey, it is safe neither to loy- 
 ter, nor to rest, till thou hast attained thy jour- 
 neye's end : he that sits downe a philosopher, 
 rises up an atheist. 
 
236 
 XL VII. 
 
 Feare not to sinne, for God's sake, but thy 
 owne; thy sinne overthrowes not his glory, 
 but thy good : He gaines his glory, not only 
 from the salvation of the repentant, but also 
 from the confusion of the rebellious : there be 
 vessels for honour, and vessels for dishonour, 
 but both for his honour. God is not grieved for 
 the glory he shall lose for thy improvidence, but 
 for the horror thou shalt finde for thy impeni- 
 tence. 
 
 XL VIII. 
 
 Insult not over misery, nor deride infirmity, 
 nor despise deformity. The first shews thy in- 
 
237 
 
 humanity : the second, thy folly ; the third, thy 
 pride : He that made him miserable, made thee 
 happy to lament him : He that made him 
 weake, made thee strong to support him: he 
 that made him deformed, gave thee favour to be 
 humbled: he that is not sensible of another's 
 unhappinesse, is a living stone ; but he that 
 makes misery the object of his triumph, is an 
 incarnate devill. 
 
 XLIX. 
 
 Make thy recreations servants to thy busi- 
 nesses, lest thou become slave to thy recrea- 
 tions : when thou goest up into the mountaine, 
 leave this servant in the valley: when thou 
 
238 
 
 goest to the city, leave him in the suburbs. 
 And remember, the servant must not be greater 
 than his master. 
 
 L. 
 
 Praise no man too Hberally before his face, nor 
 censure him too lavishly behind his backe, the 
 one savours of flattery ; the other, of malice, 
 and both are reprehensible : the true way to ad- 
 vance another's vertue, is to follow it ; and the 
 best meanes to cry downe another's vice, is to 
 decline it. 
 
 LI. 
 
 If thy Prince command a lawful! act, give him 
 
I 
 
 239 
 
 all active obedience i if he command an unlaw- 
 fuU act, give him passive obedience. What thy 
 well-grounded conscience will suffer, doe chear- 
 fuUy without i^pining ; where thou mayst not 
 do lawfully, suffer couragiously without rebel- 
 lion : thy life and livelihood is thy Prince's, thy 
 conscience is thy owne. 
 
 LII. 
 
 If thou givest, to receive the like, it is ex- 
 change : if to receive more, it is covetousnesse : 
 if to receive thanks, it is vanity : if to be seen, 
 it is vain-glory ; if to corrupt, it is bribery ; if 
 for example, it is formaUt}^ ; if for compassion, 
 it is charity ; if because thou art commanded, it 
 
240 
 
 is obedience. The affection in doing the work, 
 gives a name to the work done. 
 
 LIII. 
 
 Fear death, but be not afraid of. death. To 
 feare it, whets thy expectation : to be afraid of 
 it, duls thy preparation : if thou canst endure it, 
 it is but a sleight pain ; if not, it is but a short 
 pain : to fear death is the way to live long ; to 
 be afraid of death, is to be long a dying. 
 
 LIV. 
 
 If thou desire the love of God and man, be hum- 
 ble ; for the proud heart, as it loves none but it- 
 selfe, so it is beloved of none, but by itself : the 
 
241 
 
 voice of humility is God's musick, and the si- 
 lence of humility is God's rhetorick. Humility 
 enforces, where neither vertue nor strength can 
 prevaile, nor reason. 
 
 LV. 
 
 Look upon thy burning taper, and there see the 
 embleme of thy life : the flame is thy soule, the 
 wax, thy body, and is commonly a span long ; 
 the wax, (if never so well tempered) can but last 
 his length ; and who can lengthen it ? If ill tem- 
 pered, it shall waste the faster, yet last his 
 length ; an open window shall hasten either ; an 
 extinguisher shall put out both : husband them 
 the best thou canst, thou canst not lengthen 
 
242 
 
 them beyond their date : leave them to the in- 
 jury of the winde, or to the mercy of a wasteful! 
 hand, thou hastenest them, but still they burn 
 their length : but puiFe them out, and thou hast 
 shortned them, and stopt their passage, which 
 else had brought them to their appointed end. 
 Bodies according to their constitutions, stronger 
 or weaker, according to the equality or inequa- 
 lity of their elements, have their dates, and 
 may be preserv'd from shortning, but not 
 lengthened. Neglect may waste them, ill diet 
 may hasten them unto their journie's end, yet 
 they have lived their length ; a violent hand may 
 interrupt them : a sudden death may stop them, 
 and they are shortned. It lies in the power of 
 
243 
 
 man, either permissively to hasten, or actively 
 to shorten, but not to lengthen or extend the 
 limits of his naturall life. He only, (if anj^) 
 hath the art to lengthen out his taper, that puts 
 it to the best advantage. 
 
 LVI. 
 
 Demean thy selfe in the presence of thy Prince, 
 with reverence and chearfulnesse. That, with- 
 out this, is too much sadness ; this, without that, 
 is too much boldnesse : let thy wisdome endea- 
 vour to gain his opinion, and labour to make th}^ 
 loyalty his confidence: let him not find thee 
 false in words, unjust in thy actions, unseason- 
 able in thy suits, nor carelesse in his service r 
 
244 
 
 crosse not his passion, question not his plea- 
 sures, presse not into his secrets ; pry not into 
 his prerogative : displease him not, lest he be 
 angry ; appeare not displeased, lest he be jea- 
 lous : the anger of a King is implacable : the 
 jealousy of a Prince is incurable. 
 
 LVII. 
 
 Give thy heart to thy Creator, and reverence 
 to thy superiors : give diligence to thy calling, 
 and eare to good counsell : give almes to the 
 poor, and the glory to God : forgive him that 
 ignorantly offends thee, and him that having 
 wittingly oifended thee, seeks thee. Forgive 
 him that hath forcibly abused thee, and him that 
 
245 
 
 hath fraudulently betrayed thee: forgive all 
 thine enemies, but least of all, thy selfe : give, 
 and it shall be given thee ; forgive, and it shall 
 be forgiven thee ; the sum of all Christianity is, 
 give, and forgive. 
 
 LVIII. 
 
 Bee not too great a niggard in the commenda- 
 tions of him that professes thy own quality : if 
 he deserve thy praise, thou hast discovered thy 
 judgement ; if not, thy modesty : honour either 
 returns, or reflects to the giver. 
 
 LIX. 
 
 If thy desire to raise thy fortunes, encourage 
 
246 
 
 thy delights to the casts of* fortune, be wise be- 
 times, lest thou repent too late ; what thou get- 
 test, thou gainest by abused providence ; what 
 thou losest, thou losest by abused patience; 
 what thou winnest is prodigally spent ; what 
 thou losest is prodigally lost : it is an evill trade 
 that prodigality drives : and a bad voyage where 
 the pilot is blind. 
 
 LX. 
 
 Bee very wary for whom thou becomest secu- 
 rity, and for no more than thou art able to dis- 
 charge, if thou lovest thy liberty. The bor- 
 rower is a slave to the lender : the security is a 
 slave to both : whilst the borrower and lender 
 
247 
 
 are both easedj the security beares both their 
 burthens : he is a wise security that secures 
 himselfe. 
 
 LXI. 
 
 Look upon thy affliction as thou doest upon thy 
 physick : both imply a disease, and both are 
 apply ed for a cure, that, of the body, this of 
 the soule : if they work, they promise health : 
 if not, they threaten death : he is not happy 
 that is not afflicted, but he that findes happi- 
 nesse by his affliction. 
 
 LXII. 
 
 If the knowledge of good whet thy desire to 
 
248 
 
 good, it is a happy knowledge : if by thy igno- 
 rance of evill, thou art surprized with evill, it 
 is an unhappy ignorance. Happy is he that 
 hath so much knowledge of good, as to desire 
 it, and but so much knowledge of evill, as to 
 feare it. 
 
 LXIII. 
 
 When the flesh presents thee with delights,i 
 then present thy selfe with dangers : where the 
 world possesses thee with vain hopes, there 
 possesse thy selfe with true feare: when the 
 divell brings thee oyle, bring thoh vinegar. 
 The way to be safe is never to be secure. 
 
249 
 
 LXIV. 
 
 If thy brother hath offended thee, forgive him 
 freely, and be reconciled : to doe evill for evill, 
 is human corruption : to doe good for good is 
 civill retribution : to doe good for evill is Chris- 
 tian perfection : the act of forgivenesse is God's 
 precept : the manner of forgivenesse is God's 
 president. 
 
 LXV. 
 
 Reverence the writings of holy men, but 
 lodge not thy faith upon them, because but men : 
 they are good pooles, but no fountaines. Build 
 on Paul himselfe no longer than he builds on 
 Christ : if Peter renounce his master, renounce 
 
250 
 
 Peter. The word of man may convince reason ; 
 but the word of God alone can compell con- 
 science. 
 
 LXVI. 
 
 In civil! things follow the most ; in matters of 
 religion, the fewest ; in all things follow the 
 best : so shall thy wayes bee pleasing to God ; 
 so shall thy behaviour be plausible with men. 
 
 LXVII. 
 
 If any losse or misery hath befalne to thy bro- 
 ther, dissemble it to thyself : and what counsell 
 thou givest him, register carefully ; and when 
 the case is thine, follow it ; so shall thy owne 
 
251 
 
 reason convince thy passion, or thy passion con- 
 fesse her own unreasonableness. 
 
 LXVIII. 
 
 When thou goest about to change thy morall 
 liberty into a Christian servitude,* prepare thy 
 selfe to be the world's laughing-stock : if thou 
 overcome her scoffs, thou shalt have double 
 honor ; if overcome, double shame : he is un- 
 worthy of a good master, that is ashamed of a 
 bad livery. 
 
 LXIX. 
 
 Let not the falling of a salt, or the crossing of 
 a hare, or the crying of a cricket, trouble thee. 
 
252 
 
 They portend no evill, but what thou fearest : 
 he is ill acquainted with himselfe, that knowes 
 not his own fortunes more than they. If evill 
 follow it, it is the punishment of thy supersti- 
 tion ; not the fulfilling of their portent : all 
 things are lucky to thee, if thou wilt ; nothing 
 but is ominous to the superstitious. 
 
 LXX. 
 
 So behave thy self in thy course of life, as at a 
 banquet. Take what is olFer'd with modest 
 thankfulnesse : and expect what is not as yet 
 ofFer'd with hopeful! patience : let not thy rude 
 appetite presse thee ; nor a sleight carefulnesse 
 indispose thee ; nor a sullen discontent deject 
 
253 
 
 thee. Who desires more than enough, hath too 
 much : and he that is satisfied with a little, hath 
 no lesse than enough : Bene est cui Dens ob- 
 tuUtparcd^ quod satis est^ manu. 
 
 LXXI, 
 
 Is thy child dead ? he is restored, not lost ; is 
 thy treasure stolne ? it is not lost, it is restored : 
 he is an ill debtor, that counts repayment losse. 
 But it was an evill chance that took thy child, 
 and a wicked hand that stole thy treasure : what 
 is that to thee ? it matters not by whom he re- 
 quires the things from whom he lent them : 
 what goods are ours by loan, are not lost when 
 
254 
 
 willingly restored, but when unworthily re- 
 ceived. 
 
 LXXII. 
 
 Censure no man, detract from no man : praise 
 no man before his face ; traduce no man behinde 
 his back. Boast not thy selfe abroad, nor flatter 
 thy selfe at home : if any thing crosse thee, ac- 
 cuse thy self ; if any one extoll thee, humble 
 thy selfe : honour those that instruct thee, and 
 be thankfuU to those that reprehend thee. Let 
 all thy desires be subjected to reason, and let 
 thy reason be corrected by religion. Weigh thy 
 selfe by thy own ballances, and trust not the 
 voice of wild opinion : observe thy selfe as thy 
 
255 
 
 greatest enemy, so shalt thou become thy great- 
 est friend. 
 
 LXXIII. 
 
 EkdeAVOUR to make thy discourse such, as 
 may administer profit to thy selfe ; or standers 
 by, thou incurre the danger of an idle word : 
 above all subjects, avoid those which are scur- 
 rilous, and obscene ; tales that are impertinent, 
 and improbable, and dreams. 
 
 LXXIV. 
 
 If God hath blest thee with a son, blesse thou 
 that son with a lawfull calling : chuse such em- 
 ployment, as may stand with his fancie, and thy 
 
256 
 
 judgement : his country claymes his abilitj^ to- 
 ward the building of her honour. If he cannot 
 bring a cedar, let him bring a shrub. Hee that 
 brings nothing usurps his life, and robs his 
 country of a servant. 
 
 LXXV. 
 
 At the first entrance into thy estate, keep a 
 low saile : thou mayst rise with honour ; thou 
 canst not decline without shame : he that be- 
 gins as his father ended, shall end as his father 
 begun. 
 
 LXXVt. 
 
 If any obscene tale should chance to slip into 
 
 4 
 
257 
 
 thine ears, among the varieties of discourse, (if 
 opportunity admit) reprove it : if otherwise, let 
 thy silence, or change of countenance, interpret 
 thy dislike ; the smiling ear is baud to the las- 
 civious tongue. 
 
 LXXVIL 
 
 Bee more circumspect over the works of thy 
 braine, than the actions of thy body : these have 
 infirmity to plead for them ; but they must stand 
 upon their own bottomes : these are but the ob- 
 jects of few ; they of all : these will have equals 
 to defend them ; they have inferiors to envie 
 them ; superiors, to deride them ; all to censure 
 them : it is no lesse danger for these to be pro- 
 s 
 
258 
 
 claimed at Paul's Crosse, than for them to be 
 protested in Paul's church-yard. 
 
 LXXVIII. 
 
 Use common-place books, or collections, as 
 indexes to light thee to the authours, lest thou 
 be abused : he that takes learning upon trust, 
 makes him a faire cup-board with another's 
 plate. He is an ill-advised purchaser, whose 
 'title depends more on witnesses than evidences. 
 
 LXXIX. 
 
 If thou desire to make the best advantage of 
 the muses, either by reading, to benefit thy 
 selfe, or by writing, others, keep a peacefull 
 
259 
 
 soul in a temperate body : a full belly makes a 
 dull brain ; and a turbulent spirit, a distracted 
 judgement : the muses starve in a cook's shop, 
 and a lawyer's study. 
 
 LXXX. 
 
 When thou communicatest thy selfe by letters, 
 heighten or depresse thy stile according to the 
 quality of the party and businesse ; that which 
 thy tongue would present to any, if present, let 
 thy pen represent to him, absent : the tongue 
 is the minde's interpreter, and the pen is the 
 tongue's secretary^ 
 
260 
 
 LXXXI. 
 
 Keep thy soule in exercise, lest her faculties 
 rust for want of motion: to eat, sleepe, or 
 sport too long stops the naturall course of her 
 naturall actions : to dwell too long in the em- 
 ployments of the body, is both the cause and 
 signe of a dull spirit. 
 
 LXXXII. 
 
 Be very circumspect to whose tuition thou com- 
 mittest thy childe : every good scholar is not a 
 good master. He must be a man of invincible 
 patience, and singular observation : he must 
 study children that will teach them well, and 
 reason must rule him that would rule wisely : 
 
261 
 
 he must not take advantage of an ignorant fa- 
 ther, nor give too much ear to an indulgent 
 grandmother : the common good must outweigh 
 his private gaines, and his credit must out-bid 
 gratuities : he must be diligent, and sober, not 
 too familiar, nor too reserved, neither amorous 
 nor phantasticke ; just, without fiercenesse ; 
 mercifull, without fondnesse : if such a one 
 thou meet with, thou hast found a treasure, 
 which, if thou knowest how to value, is inva- 
 luable. 
 
 LXXXIII. 
 
 Let not thy laughter handsell thy owne jest, 
 lest whilst thou laugh at it, others laugh at 
 
262 
 
 thee : neither tell it often to the same hearers, 
 lest thou be thought forgetfull, or barren. There 
 is no sweetnesse in a cabage twice sod, or a 
 tale twice told, 
 
 LXXXIV. 
 
 If opinion hath lighted the lampe of thy name, 
 endeavour to encourage it with thy owne oyle, 
 lest it go out and stinke : the chronicall disease 
 of popularity is shame : if thou be once up, 
 beware : from fame to infamy is a beaten roadd. 
 
 LXXXV. 
 
 Cleanse thy morning soule with private and 
 due devotions ; till then admit no businesse : 
 
263 
 
 the first-borne of thy thoughts are God's, and 
 not thine, but by sacriledge : thinke thy selfe 
 not ready till thou hast praised him, and he will 
 be alwayes ready to blesse thee. 
 
 LXXXVI. 
 
 Ik all thy actions thinke God sees thee ; and in 
 all his actions labour to see him ; that will make 
 thee fear him ; this will move thee to love him ; 
 the feare of God is the beginning of knowledge, 
 and the knowledge of God is the perfection of 
 love. 
 
 LXXXVII. 
 
 Let not the expectation of a reversion entice 
 
264 
 
 thy heart to the wish of the possessour's death, 
 lest a judgement meet thee in thy "expectation, 
 or a curse overtake thee in thy fruition : every 
 wish makes thee a murtherer, and moves God 
 to be an accessary ; God often lengthens the 
 life of the possessour with the dayes of the ex- 
 pectour. 
 
 LXXXVIII. 
 Prize not thy selfe by what thou hast, but by 
 what thou art ; hee that values a jewell by her 
 golden frame, or a book by her silver clasps, 
 or a man by his vast estate, erres : if thou art 
 not worth more than the world can make thee, 
 thy Redeemer had a bad pennyworth, or thou 
 an uncurious Redeemer. 
 
265 
 
 LXXXIX. 
 
 Let not thy father's, nor the father's, nor the 
 Church thy mother's beleefe, be the ground of 
 thine : the Scripture lies open to the humble 
 heart, but lockt against the proud inquisitour, 
 he that beleeves with an implicite faith is a meer 
 empericke in religion. 
 
 XC. 
 
 Of all sinnes, take greatest heed of that which 
 thou hast last, and most repented of : he that 
 was last thrust out of doores, is the next rea- 
 diest to croud in againe : and he that thou hast 
 sorest baffled, is likeliest to call more helpe for 
 a revenge : it is requisite for him that hath cast 
 
266 
 
 one devill out, to keep strong hold lest seven 
 return. 
 
 XCI. 
 
 In the meditation of divine mysteries, keep thy 
 heart humble ; and thy thoughts holy ; let phi- 
 losophy not be asham'd to be confiited, nor Jogick 
 blush to be confounded; vrhat thou canst not 
 prove, approve; what thou canst not compre- 
 hend, beleeve ; and what thou canst beleeve, 
 admire ; so shall thy ignorance be satisfied in 
 thy faith, and thy doubts swallowed up with 
 wonders : the best way to see day-light, is to 
 put out thy candle. 
 
XCII. 
 
 Ir opinion hath cried thy name up, let thy mo- 
 desty cry thy heart down, lest thou deceive it ; 
 or it thee : there is np lesse danger in a great 
 name than a bad ; and no lesse honor in deserv- 
 ing of praise, than in the enduring it. 
 
 XCIII. 
 
 Use the holy Scriptures with all reverence; let 
 not thy wanton fancy carve it out in jests, nor 
 thy sinfuU wit make it an advocate to thy sin : 
 it is a subject for thy faith, not fancy ; where 
 wit and blasphemy is one trade, the understand- 
 ing is banckrupt. 
 
268 
 XCIV. 
 
 Dost thou complaine that God hath forsaken 
 thee ? it is thou that hast forsaken him : 'tis 
 thou that art mutable : in him there is no sha- 
 dow of change, in his hght is life ; if thy will 
 drive thee into a dungeon, thou makest thy own 
 darknesse, and in that darknesse dwels thy 
 death; from whence, if he redeem thee, he is 
 mercifuU: if not, he is just; in both, he re- 
 ceives glory. 
 
 xcv. 
 
 Make use of time, if thou lov'st eternity ; know, 
 yesterday cannot be recalled, to morrow cannot 
 be assured : to day is only thine ; which if thou 
 
269 
 
 procrastinate, thou losest; which lost, is lost 
 for ever : one to day is worth two to morrows. 
 
 XCVI. 
 
 If thou be strong enough to encounter with the 
 times, keep thy station ; if not, shift a foot to 
 gain advantage of the times. He that acts a 
 begger to prevent a thiefe, is neer the poorer ; 
 it is a great part of wisdome, sometimes to seem 
 a fool. 
 
 XCVII. 
 
 If thou intend thy writings for the publique 
 view, lard them not too much with the choice 
 lines of another author, lest thou lose thy own 
 
270 
 
 gpravy : what thou hast read and digested being 
 delivered in thy owne stile becomes thine : it is 
 more decent to weare a plcdne suit of one entire 
 cloth, than a gaudy garment checquered with 
 divers richer fragments. 
 
 XCVIII. 
 
 If God hath blest thee with nheritance, and 
 children to inherit, trust not the stafFe of thy 
 fiimily to the hands of one. Make not many 
 beggers in the building up of one great heir, 
 lest if he miscarry through a prodigall will, the 
 rest sink through a hard necessity. God's al- 
 lowance is a double portion : when high blood 
 and generous breeding breake their fast in 
 
271 
 
 plenty, and dine in poverty, they often sup in 
 infamy : if thou deny them faulcon's wings to 
 prey on fowl, give them kite's stomachs to seize 
 on garbage. 
 
 XCIX. 
 
 Be very vigilant over thy chUde in the April of 
 his understanding, lest the frosts of May nippe 
 his blossomes. Wliile he is a tender twig, 
 streighten him ; whilst he is a new vessel, sea- 
 son him ; such as thou makest him, such com- 
 monly thou shalt finde him. Let his first lesson 
 be obedience, and the second shall be what thou 
 wilt. Give him education in good letters, to the 
 utmost of thy ability, and his capacity. Season 
 
272 
 
 his youth with the love of his Creatour, and 
 make the f eare of" his God the beginning of his 
 knowledge : if he have an active spirit, rather 
 rectifie than curbe it; but reckon idlenesse 
 among his chiefest faults. Above all things, 
 keep him from vain, lascivious and amorous 
 pamphlets, as the primmers of all vice. As 
 his judgement ripens, observe his inclination, 
 and tender him a calling, that shall not crosse 
 it : forced marriages and callings seldome pros- 
 per ; shew him both the wow, and the plcmgh ; 
 and prepare him as well for the danger of the 
 skirmish, as possesse him with the honour of 
 the prize. If he chuse the profession of a schol- 
 lar, advise him to study the most profitable 
 
273 
 
 arts: poetry, and the mathematicks, take up 
 too great a latitude of the soule, and moderately 
 used, are good recreations, but bad callings, 
 being nothing but their owne reward : if he 
 chuse the profession of a souldier, let him 
 know, withall, honour must be his greatest 
 wages, and his enemies his surest paymaster. 
 Prepare him against the danger of a warre, and 
 advise him of the greater mischiefes of a garri- 
 son ; let him avoid debauchnesse and duels to 
 the utmost of his power, and remember he is 
 not his owne man, and (being his countrie's 
 servant) hath no estate in his owne life. If he 
 chuse a trade, teach him to forget his father's 
 house, and his mother's wing : advise him to 
 T 
 
274 
 
 be conscionable, carefull, and constant: this 
 done, thou hast done thy part, leave the rest 
 to providence, and thou hast done it well. 
 
 C. 
 
 Convey thy love to thy friend, as an arrow to 
 the raarke, to stick there, not as a ball against 
 the wall, to rebound back to thee : that friend- 
 ship will not continue to the end, that is begun 
 for an end. 
 
275 
 
 Meditation is the life of the soul ; action is the 
 soule of meditation; honour is the reward of 
 action : so meditate.^ that thou mayst do ; so do^ 
 that thou mayst purchase honour: fw which pur- 
 chase^ give God the glory. 
 
 THE END. 
 
LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BY D. S. MAURICE, FENCHURCH-STBEET. 
 
G