diâ—ina humanáque pulchris Diuitijs parent quaâ— qui construxerit ille Clarus erit fortis sapiens etiam Rex Et quicquid volet hoc velâ—ti virtute paratâ—m Sperauit magnae laudi fore So that a man hath all these properties in the vaine opinioÌ„ of the world if so be he be rich but if poore notwithstanding he be stored with good vertues yet is he not reputed as he is hath he mony yea is he rich and hath he great possessions yea why theÌ„ let him be honoured and deemed vertuous gratious and what hee will though in truth and veritie he be nor so nor so Againe is he beggerly hath he no money nor meanes why then let him packe and walke along no penny no Pater noster for hee is as one dead among the liuing though indeede properly this peremptorie sentence ought not to be so applied but rather to Vertue and littrature without which the bodie is dead although it liue What cannot this humpish elemeÌ„t bring to passe can it not couer a masse of ill humors and cause the son to betray his owne Father as a leaud fellow said once If my Father were a hangman my mother a harlot my self no better yet if I haue mony I am liked wel inough and neuer toucht with their misdeeds so that there is no vice that wealth doth not smother a rich man as proud as Tarquine as cruell as Nero as doggish as Tymon as couetous as Diues and as foolish as Lobellinus yet all these vices are hid with greatnesse and though counterfeit mettall yet with a true stampe may currantly passe but a poore man in whom is great wisedome and many good parts Si res angusta domi if coyne be wanting he is despised reiected and neuer vsed in exployting waightie matters so that a man is neuer thought wise learned vnlesse he be rich and swim in the streame of wealth and though he speake well and to the purpose yet is he neuer gracious as the Poet saith Rara tenui facundia panno A poore mans speech is seldome pleasant and wisedome vnder a ragged coate seldome canonicall which the Philosopher wel found when offring to presse into the presence with his simple weedes was shut out by a grim Cerberus but shifting his cloathes was admitted without repulse wherefore comming before the king hee turned all his obeysance vpon his owne cloathes saying I must honour them that honour me for my cloutes brought that to passe which all my Philosophie could neuer accomplish And thus is the rich beautie of the minde measured by a beggers weede and gay apparell preferred before a minde well qualified so the rude opinion lookes at nothing but the outward picture and magnifie an ignorant Asse so he haue a gay coate set him on a high seate where by silence he may seeme wise for the wisedome of a man saith Salomon is knowne by his speech But as by knocking on a vessell the cracke if any be wil soone be seene so if toucht with an argument his crackt vnderstanding will soone be manifest Great places are possest with men of weake iudgement that haue no iotte of worthinesse but wealth and worldly fame and can serue for no other vse but for a Nomenclator to tell the clocke call a spade a spade and recken vp the proper names of things yet if trimly spunged vp in some formality though he haue litle wit and small honestie it is inough to raise him vp to some dignitie but when such an one is exalted into the imparatiue moode how moodie his maistership is so toade-swolne with pride and ambitioÌ„ that he is ready to burst in sunder so rapt vp in conceit of his high place that he vtterly forgets his first creation Oh it is a world of sport to heare how some such clouting beetles rowle in their loblogicke and intrinsicate into the maior of the matter with such hide bound reasons that he makes a pittifull learned face one spreads his armes cleares his throate as who should say attend attend for now hee speakes whose conclusions are vnanswerable but finding the proposition too deepe for his shallow wit suddenly starts backe and briefly huddles vp his headlesse matter An other shakes his emptie head and diues into the bottome of his bottomelesse braines to finde some intricate and tedious circumstance into which when he is entered hee cannot finde a period and full rest so many Tautokogies and itterations come into the way that vnlesse some Ariadne lend a threed to pull him out of Dedalus laborinth hee must needs be lost or at leastwise when he is gotten out is so myred with his owne slyme that he becommeth a scorne to wise men in laying open his owne weakenesse yet who more talkatiue and readie to stop the mouthes of men able to speake then such insencible tatlers for drunken fortune hath this opinioÌ„ of it selfe that looke whatsoeuer it speaketh is authenticall and droppeth froÌ„ the mouth like the Oracles of Appollo There is nothing therefore so holy so pure so honest so chaste but money will corrupt violate and batter downe so that these emptie bottles apish gestures and anticke faces if wealthy rich well monied all grosse imperfections are ouershadowed So that wheÌ„ men are sotted in the alluremeÌ„ts of this life dedicate their whole labours to so wicked a saint they soone loose the vse of their goods become partially affected if passion rule not reason all goes to wracke for if either prodigallitie rule the purse whereby the mind is strongly carried into temporarie ioy or so gripple and couetous as to doo nothing but scrape in the dunghill of this world why these extreames doo so vrge the opinion that they headlong run at randome into all licentious and loose liuing in so much as they do not perceiue to what ende they are aduanced aboue other men and made so rich among a company of beggers Many there be the more is the pittie that although God hath abundantly multiplyed his blessings vpon them that they cannot iustly say they want any worldly thing yet bee they so neere to holde fast that which they haue that they doo as it were single themselues from all common duties and lay aside that regarde of the publique good which theyr conscience and priuate abilitie doth instantly tye them vnto let vs note them a little who will sooner shift and wrangle off honest duties then they will they not brabble and sophisticate for verye small payments and will they not wrest and winde lawes to their owne sence if they may saue but a penny and beare the repulse of superiour rebukes theÌ„ to part with ought shall contradict their froward nature is this the dutie of good subiects do these seeke the peace of the state doth not the Heathen man say Non solum nobis natisumus we are not borne for our selues alone but for our countrey also shall Christians be
worser then Pagans Let this great dutie therefore be considered seeing thou hast store with-hold nothing that is due is not hee a caytiffe that will see his mother dye for hunger and he hath bread to relieue her if he would why the Common-wealth is thy mother euery poore Christian is thy brother wilt thou see them famisht before thy face and not succour them hauing inough Thou hast thy wealth to that end if thou couldest see it and vse it aright Neuerthelesse we see how men of good place and reckening will hide themselues in corners liue priuately onely to keepe their purses that they may be lyable to no imposition and crowde into Cities Boroughs and priuiledge places or like nonresidents rowle vp and downe from one lodging to an other to the intent that being vncertaine where to be had their states may be vnknowne and by this meanes both ouerthrowe hospitalitie defraude the Queene and Common-wealth of necessarie duties and depopulate the countrey Is it not a token of a couctous minde that men of good possessions and faire liuings should breake vp house and soiourne onely with one or two seruants that they may hoorde vp theyr rents when they are sufficientlye able to keepe a good house themselues surely it is a signe of a base condition Furthermore many wealthy Yeomen rich Farmers that are risen vp to goods inough doo tread the same path For wheras erst when they dwelt vpon their owne they kept good houses and were no small stay to the places where they liued are eyther couetous of some vaine-glorious title of gentilitie or otherwise so miserly greedie of wealth for one of the two I know not which thrust themselues in like maner into Cities Corporations and Liberties and yet holde theyr Farmes still in their owne occupying for they haue such long armes that they claspe many great liuings And also lying vpon the aduantage take Farmes ouer their neighbours heads ten yeares before their Leases be expired And what do they with these plurified liuings but place shepheards heards vnderlings and such thred bare tenants in their stockes and that at such vnreasonable rents too that the poore snakes that dwell vnder them are driuen to weake shifts to fare hardly liue barely moyle and toyle the whole yeare to scrape vp theyr rent not sauing at the yeares ende for all theyr paines scarce the price of an old Frise Ierkin for theyr Lorde knowes better then they what profit will arise and how euery thing will fall out and if hee thriue vnder him then doth hee stretch and racke it to the vttermost till at last hee bring the whole gaine into his owne bagge and so by this means can hardly beare ordinarie charges much lesse doo workes of superrerogation being kept downe so cruelly by their greedie Land lords Now these haue not onely theyr meanes brought in vnto them by the sweat of poore mens browes and sleepe in peace and securitie when others watch and labour a great blessing if rightly weighed but will closely and cunningly seeke to shift off all duties by withdrawing them into odde corners Oh that men of such abilitie should haue such Iron rustie hearts to hide their heads shut their hands and whip deuotion from their doores doo they not seeke to subuert and weaken the state as much as they can by with-holding that part of dutie required by the lawe of nature but the greedinesse of gaine causeth vnrelenting hearts for one would possesse all alone O how are men deceiued in their owne estate that being rich are yet euer poore because opinion is neuer satisfied whereas if we onely respect nature no man can be poore Natà r a enim vt ait Philoso paucis minimisque contenta nature is content with necessitie But to bring all this to a head though some bee carried with the streame of pride some with the flouds of desire some prodigall some pinching and though the couetous man gape for more more and like hell mouth neuer satisfied yet will they hide theyr plough-sores vnder the carpet of liberalitie as now and then to giue an almes against a good time as they call it to beate downe a hard opinion intimating thereby to bee good free-hearted men when all the yeare beside they scrape and clawe it from other by the excessiue prices of theyr badde commodities and by pinching them with many vncharitable gripes and yet will they hide theyr want of loue vnder Vertue and Religion and why so because it carrieth a generall good liking of all men for although many haue no religion at all nor one sparke of a vertuous man yet for all this wil they seeme to loue and embrace it intirely because of the vnspotted simplicitie they see in the true professors thereof and that chiesly because this outward shewe is some meanes to asswage the heate of sharp reprehensions and that vnder colour of this they may liue in some good report of the common sort for if they should not hide the malice within with a shewe of holinesse without but permit the rebellion to rush forth they would be hatefull to others and disquiet theyr owne peace to hold friendship therfore with the world it is expedient for them to be hypocrites and deceiuers and therefore will they performe many Christian duties and communicate with the Saints yea and crowde to the Church doore of true deuotion and both pray and vse good exercises in their families frequent Sermons yea and ride and goe six or seuen miles to heare a good Preacher are not these good things and the very properties of a true Christian yes verily but all this is but done in pollicie to mocke the world how know you that why looke into their course of life if any vaine opportunitie be offred wil theynot follow it if the wicked call to goe will they not run will they not dice carde sweare swagger and be drunke are they not vsurers extortioners proud persons and so cold in charitie that no Christian dutie can heat their loue so it is an casie thing to see their hypocrisie if a man but cast his sight vpon their conuersation And in like manner many at the end of the yeare as a charitable worke will keepe open house and set opē their gates for al the rake-hels loose vagabounds in a countrey and fill idle bellies with their flesh-pots when the poore blind lame and sicke are faine to lye in the depth of miserie without comfort helpe or succour and to what ende is this great superfluitie forsoothe to reioyce for the blessed feast of Christmas Indeede this feaste dooth bring great cause of ioy for that beeing all lost in Adam and heires of damnation are neuerthelesse by the comming of the Messias the sonne of God who tooke on him our flesh at this time of the yeare to vndergoe the wrath of his father due to vs redeemed vs from hell and made vs inheritors of heauen here is cause of ioy
what a happie memorie is this how ought this feast to be celebrated in magnifying the Almightie and lauding his name for so great a benefite but what a commemoration is here when they turne true ioy into carnall iollitie doth this true ioy stand in eating drinking rioting feasting mumming masking dauncing dicing carding and such like that taste wholly of Heathens superstition is God honoured by this nay rather is hee not more dishonoured at that time of the yeare then all the yeare beside So that a counterfeit ioy is set vp in stead thereof meditation and mercifull workes are pulled downe and Epicurisme set vp which doth vsurpe and imperiously beare rule ouer all holy desires for in this is theyr deuotion in vnlawfull and sinfull pleasures to gurmandize and waste in excesse the good blessings of GOD and these men will not sticke to lash out a whole masse of money in dedicating feastes to diuell Bacchus and maintaine Playes in theyr houses as silthy as the Lupercalia in Rome spend whole nights and dayes in reuelling and toaste themselues by theyr great fires and as the Poet sayeth Regificâ— luxn paratae epulae haue their Tables furnished at exceeding and princely charges to stuffe the guts and feede the belley and wish with Polmixe that they had throates as long as Cranes so that they might taste their sweets with more leisure In so much that by this vnreasonable excesse and gluttony in a fewe daies wast out that riotously that would relieue many poore people if measurably bestowed Thus I saye like Epicures they consecrate the memorie of this blessed feast with such a ioy as sauours altogether of the drosse and slime of the earth and this is liberalitie forsooth charitie and Christian loue when it is but prodigallitie vain-glory and hypocrisie Moreouer although they be too too slacke in honest duties yet will they scotch at no charge may bring pleasure or holde vp some vaine-glorious memorie as in building great houses to be christned by their names when many of them are but as Absolons pillar a monument of folly a spectacle of vanitie and a prey of time many chimnies little smoake large roomes wherein a man may walke and chawe his melancholy for want of other repast and neuer be put to the charges to buye a tooth-picker And to what ende is this great building and cunning Architect but to stand in the gaze of the world and make the passenger cry out with admiration O domus antiqua hen quam dispari dominari Domino O gallant house full well do I see How vnlike a Lord hath lordship on thee Indeed here is the two-folde benefit it yeelds not only in setting many poore labouring men a worke but also a Princely edifise and stately building is a great honour to a kingdome But such are worthie blame that ouerthrowe their state by building not being able to vse one roome well of those many they build for if a man of reasonable wealth fall into this humour of building gay houses if he did small good before is now vtterly vnable to do any at al his new foundation hath eaten vp all his olde meanes this is the simple pollicie of some men that loue to begger themselues to please the eye Againe how prouident men are to graft their childreÌ„ into great stocks that may not easily be striken with the thunder-claps of aduersitie though the stocke be neuer so rotten infected blasted with Vice yet if rich and mightie it is inough and surely this Ethicall pollicie were highly to be aduanced if so be that our continuiâ—g Citie were here but seeing all things are fraile momentaine short and transitorie that we â—annot certainly number to morrow among the dayes of our life what a meere madnesse is this to be so in loue with the flattering smiles of this life and so myred in the dunghill of pleasures as to doate so much vpon it for verily men seeke their owne danger wheÌ„ they make the thing that is indifferent to be vnlawfull do they not with Orpheus catch the ayre seeke the shadow loose the substance win earth and loose heauen Yet these aboriginies carth bred wormes with high lookes and insolent bragges will stand vpoÌ„ termes of gentilitie and deriue their pedigree euen from Cadwallader the last king of the Britons wheÌ„ in sadnes they are not so much as sprinkled with one true drop of gentle bloud neither one propertie of a Gentleman vnlesse it should only stand in wealth great possessions which is contrary to our former assertion for if true gentrie be a mind excellently deckt with rare vertues not only by propagation of nature but by integritie of qualities not in beautie but in Vertue not in riches but in honor not in pride but in comelinesse not in costly and curious diet but feeding the hungry and cloathing the naked not in sumptuous building ioyning house to land kin to kin with respectiue marriages but onely in the true possession of Vertue then albeiâ—a man wallow in wealth liue in pleasure fare daintie goe princely hung with pearle sweetly perfumed hawkes horses hounds and in a word haue whatsoeuer pomp glorie his hart can wish or the world affoord yet if he be not noble in Vertues but ignoble in vices and haue not those good parts that carry a vnion of good mens praises he is but pirat latro a theefe and a robber and all his rich paintings goodly buildings are but monuments of shame and basenesse Is not Vertue then more honorable then riches doth it not raise a man to immortalitie doth not riches ouerthrow his happinesse if not duly ouer-watcht with Temperance and if so be a rich man looke narrowly into his state and cast vp his accounts well he shall finde himselfe a very bankerout and to owe more then he is worth for why hath hee more plentie of bastardly riches then other men but that hee is a bayliffe steward Feoffer in trust to dispose lay out in almes and charitable workes Now then if hee apply them to his owne vse what reckning can he make or how wil he answer it at the great assises when it shall be obiected by the king of glory When I was naked you cloathed mee not when I was hungry you fed me not c. Goe into euerlasting fire c. And therfore these great rich men of the world haue obiects before theyr eyes and are hemde in with poore on euery side heere is one crying for bread there an other for cloathes the sicke to bee visited the lame and infirme to be comforted the straunger to be lodged so that they cannot turne their eyes no way but they haue motions to stirre vp charitie and wofull clamors sounding into their eares of want and yet had diuers of them rather doo any thing then relieue theyr necessities to giue tenne pound for a Hawke then ten pence to cloathe the naked The Rauen forsakes her young