more worthy than to welcome base Pelfe vnto me so as to worship it My Minde came from Heauen My Gold comes but from Earth I doe not meane to set Earth aboue Heauen in letting my Gold ouerrule my Minde If it will dwell with me it shall be my Seruant I intend to bee no Slaue vnto it Riches can I contemne and not desire and vse can vse the World as though I vsed it not can passe by this present Life because I am to passe through it to another to a better Life Yea can content me with a present Scantnesse for hope of the Fulnesse I am to haue hereafter It is not an Earth that I would nor can an Earth suffice and appease my Will My Heart is a true framed Triangle a coyned Circle cannot fill it Nothing can satisfie my Soule but All things He only is enough vnto it in whom it is Nothing lesse than God can suffice the Soule that is capable of God Euery Creature is but vile to him that knowes but his Creator A whole Earth is too strait for him that lookes as wide as Heauen The whole Ocean of the World is but as a drop to a thirstie Soule to whom one drop of the riuer of Paradise is plenteous refreshment Hee counts Mammon but base that prizes God And the wise Merchant cares not to part with all to purchase the pretious Pearle vnto him Did my Will embrace a World it would still aske more A World is not enough to my Will What then should I desire but what onely and fully can answer and appease my Desire I haue but little t is true and the best is I want but little I haue but little yet enough and that can neuer be little that is enough and what is not enough when it is at the most is not much I lacke but little I haue chosen the better part than so to be carefull for many things when one thing is necessary Godlinesse with Contentment is great Gaine said One that for his Knowledge knew both how to want and how to abound and for his Experience Hauing nothing yet possessed all things Godlinesse with Contentment saies he Why that 's enough for Man or Christian Nature inuites the one to be content with a little and Grace aduises the other Hauing food and Raiment therewith to be content A Man will Content him with Natures lot and limit so will a Christian bee content with what measure God hath mett out vnto him Content is all The least Portion is enough the lowest Condition happy with the aequanimitie of the Bearer The Man is likest to God that lacks the least whose propertie it is to haue need of Nothing and to be sufficed with himselfe The Contented Man is rich in the midst of Pouertie whereas the Couetous is poore in the midst of Riches He that can be content with what he hath wants not what he hath not he that is not so wants what he hath The Patriarch cared for no more but Bread to eat and Raiment to put on The Wise Man craued neither Pouertie nor Riches but Conuenience onely I will make that enough to mee which God hath giuen mee with a sparing hand God saw no more was good for mee he therfore gaue mee no more Whether God giues little or much he giues for the best Better is a little with the Feare of the Lord than great Treasure and trouble therewith Or say my Estate be not enough to my Will I can make my Will enough to mine Estate Namely while it answers not mee accordingly I can accordingly apply my selfe to it Hee that cannot make his owne enough will neuer haue enough though all were his owne Mee thinks I yet see how Crates threw his Gold into the Sea And heare how Phocion told Alexander that himselfe was richer who needed not his great Gift than was hee who gaue it And thinke how Fabricius thought it a Kingdome to contemne the Wealth of a King These knew Gold and Siluer was but an elaborate Dust Wealth was but a toylsome Heape and all manner of Riches not such as their owne Worth but the Errours of men had prized and brought into request This vnnecessary Trash they knew proued was but an impediment to Vertue and an inticement to Euill They therefore whose best Vertues were but the best Vices despised that for Vertues sake which they knew to be the matter and meanes to Vice Did the Nations abhorre and doth Israel adore the Golden Idoll Is Mony lesse Earth and Drosse than it was of old or are Mens Affections now become more vile and earthy Haue Christians more neede of Wealth than had Pagans Nay haue they not a nearer safer fuller Prouidence within than haue they that were and are without How is it now they preferre the things of this Life before them that had neither the Knowledge nor Hope of another and better Life To leaue and contemne the Wealth of the World is an ordinary Lesson of Philosophie To heape and adore them then can be no good Diuinitie If Nature could teach Them to neglect them because they did them no Good Grace mee thinkes should the rather instruct mee not to regard them because they doe mee hurt Yea as I fay doe me hurt and more hurt then for which a World can make amends Both staine my Soule and damne my Soule and can a World now both wipe and quit this both Guilt and Losse What shall it profit a Man if hee shall gaine the whole World and lose his owne Soule saith HE that doth as much as quite deny what hee doth thus demand or what shall a man giue in exchange for his Soule An whole World belike is not worth a Soule I were vnwise then to hazard my Soule though it were for a world I will tell the Worldling what I know and what hee finds Riches staine the Soule For a Man doth not lightly and easily become rich without his Euill and Sinne. Why doth he call it the Vnrighteous Mammon but because Riches and Righteousnesse seldome goe together But it is common to haue Wealth and Wickednesse at once How gets a Man his Wealth but by Fraud and Oppression how spends a Man his Wealth but vpon his Pride and Lusts That must needs be bad outright which is purchased by bad meanes and imployed to bad Ends Riches are but base in their Nature but are euen bad in their Effects He might haue beene Poore and Innocent together that is now growne both Guilty and Rich. Is a man to more good for his Goods I will neuer thinke Man the better for his Meanes since I see it is the meanes to make him worse But I must tell him withall what I feare and what hee would loth to finde Riches damne the Soule It is woe ah woe too true Before he beginne his Gaine he hath quite lost himselfe yet considers not how he loses all in the losse of himself The acquisition of his Pelfe
faist thou but another after thee may proue as lauish as thou hast beene scraping as riotous as thou sparing and may scatter that in a Yeare which tooke thee a Life to gather and what profit hast thou that thou hast laboured for the Wind T is true and iust both said and Found After a great Getter there commonly comes a Spender Goods ill gotten are ill spent The First Heire may haue them and a Second perhaps all which a Third scarce comes to heare of Nay but I now bethinke me thou hast neuer an Heire For whom is it now thou dost so toyle and irke yea and damne thy selfe Thou knowest thou must not haue them and who must haue them thou knowest not Perhaps one that neuer knew thee or will neuer thanke thee HE puts thee in minde of such thy Frailty and Folly at once Man Walketh in a vaine Shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine he heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them Tush why tell you him If no Body will lay claime to it let it fall to the King Church Commons Poore of the Parish But for feare of such a Forfeit thou hast chosen thee an Heire vnto thy selfe One that thou louest well yea better it seemes than thine owne Soule One that loues thee well and well he may and it be but for the loue hee hath to thine He cannot chuse but loue thee horribly while he loues Thine so impatiently That is he could wish Thee and Thine at once both hang'd and had yea to haue Thine what cares he to curse Thee to Hell He is one of the same Name I am sure though not one of the Kinne So so Keepe the House howsoeuer in the same Name belike the Line was not worthy of it ABSOLON hath no Childe for his Name to liue in shall he rot therefore out of remembrance no not while ABSOLONS Pillar stands If he haue no Monument of his Loynes he can haue a Pillar of his Name and that 's enough to vphold his House This is one of the last but not the least follies of Men to let a Title carry it before the Right To make Kinsmen Strangers and a Kinsman of a Stranger With the whole Price of an Heiredome to buy the Name of an Heire or an Heire of the Name To purchase a lying Affinity with a costly kinde of Adoption Nay but the Heire that must be is a Poore Sisters Sonne The poore rag'd Knaue I can tell you is like to be Lord of all He shall one day owne all that is his Vncles though his Vncle now scarce will owne him Not a Farthing will he allow him to educate and maintaine him though leaue him all at last to waste perhaps or else ingrosse You shall finde him set the first in his Will which neuer was suffered to sit the last at his Table It is the manner of the Couetous to part with nothing while they liue no not to those to whom they mind to leaue all at their Death While he liues all is too little for himselfe but let him take all to him when he dies His Heire is now beholden to him not for what he hath bestowed but for what he could not keepe And will therefore thanke him when he shall not heare him will pray for him when it shall doe him no good Thou now liest gasping and thine Heire is gaping Euery looke he lets vpon thee accuses the slownesse of thy Death For he thinkes it his Wrong and Hurt that thou liuest Hee sighs and wailes before thee not that he cares for thy losse but hopes for thy Gaine How he howles and blubbers while thy hands quake Teeth guash Eyes close Breath stops Heart choaks and Soule flits all not so much that thou art now dead as that thou diedst not ere this No Mans Death is more desired than the Couetous Mans It is alwayes expected plotted often yea and sometimes vntimely effected All therefore wish him dead because like the Hog in the Pot he doth good to none but after his Death Well thou 'lt therefore shake off these Shadowes and mind'st I heare to build some Hospitall Schoole Colledge or doe some charitable Deed withall Sayes he so The Man liues poore I perceiue with purpose to die rich and dies rich to doe good after his Death Yea then doe Good when he can doe no longer hurt He hath robbed Peter all his Life and will now pay Paul at his Death That is no Liberalitie to giue when he can no longer haue no Charitie to releeue one with what he hath wrested from another no Pietie to doe Euill that Good may come thereof and no Equitie to get ill with a purpose to bestow it well I would not wish thee to goe to Hell all thy Life with an intent to win Heauen after thy Death Dost thou offend still with purpose to make amends Wealths well bestowing is not enough for the Fault in the getting Satisfaction may appease the Hurt it cannot wipe away the Guilt of Fraud or Oppression But if thou wilt doe Good withall I would aduise thee to doe it while thou hast it in thine hand to doe Doe well with it while it is yet thine What thanks is it to thee what Good is done with it when thou hast left it Doe then resigne it before thou must needs bequeath it thou hadst as good doe Good by thy selfe as others Euen now feed and cloath the Poore that their Loynes and Bowels may blesse thee before thou diest He is but a silly Traueller that so orders for his Iourney as to haue his Prouision sent after him when himselfe is already gone so farre before He may well want it ere it ouertake him Good Workes goe merrily with or before vs they follow but slowly afterwards I dreame but too well of him there 's no such matter he meanes He meanes as Hermocrates to make himselfe his owne Heire and wishes still that his Goods might fall by succession to himselfe Or else with Another will he deuoure his Gold before his Death and so bury it in him Or with such Another sow it in his Sleeue and appoint it to be buried with him Ah this bewitching Wealth ha this Gold this Gold how it ties Mens Hearts vnto it Once Couetous and alwayes so Auarice is commonly the Vice of old Age Whereas other vices then fade this grows afresh And as it begins with Age so it ends not but with Life A Couetous Man growes the fonder of his Gold the sooner he must forgoe it Yea when it must needs Leaue him euen then is he loth to leaue it I haue now said so much of thee that I had almost forgotten my selfe Who thinkst thou am I Euen no better than I would no other than thou oughtst to be Will I like thee abase mine Affections vnto Earth when I am bound to ayme at nothing vnder Heauen To what can I stoope to in a World that am aboue a World I am
was at the first sealed with the damnation of his Soule Who but THEY the Deuill and his Angels were to fetch away the Rich mans Soule He bids you vnderstand how headlong he hurries downe to Hell that tells you how hardly he gets vp into Heauen Saying Jt is easier for a Camell to goe thorow the eye of a needle than for a Rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God Briefly He tells plainely of their Blemish and Vengeance together They that will be rich fall into temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtfull Lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition Ah but t is a miserie me thinkes to bee poore And there is we say No Woe to Want The Parenthesis was well put in both for the pith and Truth of the Saying Pouerty is a Misery but it is to them that so make it because they take it so Pouertie is no burden to him that can beare it out None feeles the weight of it but he that feares to vndergoe it Not trouble some is it to him that beares it but to him that will not beare it Nothing is hard to a willing Mind to an vnwilling is nothing easie Pouerty is grieuous to no man but rather many a Man is so to it This is the misery of it that a man will needs make it so to himselfe I am worthily wretched when I will not be otherwise perswaded but that I am so In my Minde Hee 's not poore that would not be rich and hee lacks nothing that craues not many things Tush tush No man is poore indeed and but in conceit is no Man rich He is Poore indeed that cares to be rich Hee 's rich enough that feares not to be Poore Reach indeed to the Opinion of Men and who is Rich But stoope to the Condition of Men and who is Poore Nature hath limited a Man to liue with little And shall a Man thinke him Poore when he hath not wherewithall to transgresse Natures Bounds There is a kinde of Meannesse and Scantnesse to many a Man It is their pecuishnesse to call it Basenesse and Beggery and to reproach it so and abhor it Men doe miscall what they know not how to esteeme And as Children are skarred at Bugge-beares and fabled or fained Hobgoblins so Fooles flie this Ghostly and gastly appearing Pouerty by Fire and Water Sea and Land Let others thinke Pouerty a wofull misery I will deeme it as I well proue it an happy Security The Poore Man he does no hurt he feares no hurt Hee is not enuied not hated not cursed incures not the treacherous Enmities of Men He sings and dances before the Theefe sleepes safe and sound vnder euery Hedge Nothing hath he he feares to lose and lies so low as whence he cannot fall I should therefore like Pouerty the better because it is lesse obnoxious to Feare and Losse Who would still trouble him to possesse Riches that must once be more troubled in their Losse It is safer a great deale not to Haue than to Lose And hee farre merrier whom Fortune neuer respected than whom she hath now forsaken The Lesser I am I am Greater than whom Change or Chance may indammage But say Pouerty were worse than it is and I poorer than I am I am ot other than Others yea and my Betters haue likewise beene What should I tell of poore Kings Prophets Apostles Fathers Saints CHRIST himselfe was Poore borne of a poore Woman brought forth in a poore Stable lapt in poore Clouts laid in a poore Manger liued a poore Life HE euen he hungred he wanted he had not wherewith to pay the Due he had not whereon to lay his Head Now Worme of Earth how is it thou couetest so to be rich sith the God of Heauen and Earth was so willing to be Poore What was there in the World was worthy of God What cared he then for the worth of a World Why would hee want these Things of ours but to tell vs that we our selues might well bee without them Why contemne them but to teach vs not to desire them My SAVIOVR cared not to bee rich feared not to bee Poore to bid me not trouble my selfe with so needlesse Feares and Cares One thing is let the World goe the worst with me I cannot liue poorer than I was Borne and so must Die. Naked said the Poore man came J out of my Mothers Wombe and naked shall I returne thither And the wise man As hee came forth of his mothers wombe naked shall he returne to goe as he came and shall take nothing of his Labour which bee may carry away in his hand Jn all points as he came so shall hee goe and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the Wind Come naked Goe naked Bring nothing Carry nothing To what purpose then doe Men get and gather those things which they once had not and once must not haue These things of ours here only we haue them and wee leaue them here Said I of Ours How are they Ours which at first were not so and at last shall not so be That is ours which we bring with vs but that anothers which we get vnto vs That is Ours which we keepe with vs but that anothers which wee leaue behind vs. That is a mans Owne which is not added to a Man which is not taken from a Man which is not one mans more than anothers A Mans Soule is a mans owne Riches are not so Oh hazzard not your owne to haue the Things that are not yours He fitly called them vncertaine Riches They vncertaine to vs and we likewise to them They Vncertaine Now ours now others now gotten now gone Nothing is Certaine in Riches but vncertainty So He expresly Riches Certainly make themselues Wings They fly away as an Eagle towards Heauen An Eagle flies suddenly flies swiftly So are Riches gone instantly gone irrecouerably These things of ours they goe from vs by more wayes than one Either thy Fade of themselues or we Consume them or others Depriue vs of them Our Food is subiect to putrefaction our Garments to the Moth and fretting our Gold and Siluer to the rust and canker our Lands to barenesse and barrennesse and our Houses to rottennesse and ruine Fire may deuoure them Water swallow them Enemies spoile them or Theeues purloyne them O vaine Man How is it thou now trustest in a Thing so vaine Trust not in vncertaine Riches Set not thine eyes vpon the Thing that is not Yea let mee say to One and All of you Lay not vp for your selues Treasures vpon Earth where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and where Theeues breake thorow and steale But lay vp for your selues Treasures in Heauen where neither Moth and Rust doth corrupt and where Theeues do not break thorow and steale We also are vncertaine Did not Riches leaue vs yet must we leaue them at last Death is not drawne to partialitie nor can she be corrupted Gold
reasonable rate Such a Commodity is both rare and saleable thus and thus may he ingrosse a good parcell of it thus and thus inhaunce the price These and these sealed Bagges are in such a Chest and these and these Bonds and Bills in such another And thus lyes he counting all the night long And if you were brought into his Bed-Chamber at midnight as was Mycillus the Cobler into Grypheus the vsurers you should euen then finde him waking Nay if the Deuill should come about that time to fetch him he should hardly take him napping The Riches of the Couetous trouble and torment him on euery part whether of Body or Minde He Conscience hath no peace his Knowledge finds no truth his Desire gets no appeasment His Belly wants food his backe rayment his Heart wants ease his Eyes sleepe and his Bones want rest Sigismundus the Emperour when he could not sleepe the night throughout for taking thought what hee should doe with all his Gold was newly sent him the next day hee dealt it amongst his Captaines and Connsellours and could say afterwards Now I am rid of a Tormentour I shall now sleepe in quiet I would a Many should not so sleepe till they had done likewise Gape and yawne and turne and tosse and muse and moane and sigh and quake yee restlesse Wretches I will not pirty you since you may ease your selues if you will But if thus tired with Thoughts he fall at last into some faint Slumber Oh how short it is how vnquiet Hee dreames all the while he is posting to a Faire crouded in a Market either Buying Selling Chopping Changing Hiring Letting Writing Sealing Counting His Mind still runs vpon Mony Wares Chapmen Cheatours Theeues or Deuills Harke harke his Dog barks at Moon-shine he now wakes starts at the apprehension of Theeues and Robbers It is the Winde whiskes by his Window and he imagines he heares them whisper He hears but the Doore creake and he thinks they now are breaking in Vp he gets and loudly calls vpon lusty Dicke and Robbin and Ralfe when there is no more but little Iacke to heare him Bids bring the Pistoll Musket Sword and Speare when his whole munition is a Spirit or a Pitchforke His Colour changes Haire stands vpright Heart pants Breast throbs Ioynts quake and all this while hee suffers so much through his Feare as he feares to suffer Who would trouble themselues to get Riches that thus trouble them that haue them Trouble to get them trouble to keep them and trouble to leaâ—…e or lose them Here plodding and toyling there Watching and caring and sighing and groaning there Making a Man here sollicitous anxious there and there againe forlorne Molesting the Man that his Goods are not increased and againe molesting lest his Goods should be diminished It both vexes him that he hath no more and vexes him that he may haue lesse It troubled AHAB to adde NABOTHS Vineyard vnto his owne It troubled the RICH-MAN to conserue enlarge his Possesions It troubled the YOVNG-MAN to part with his Goods vnto the Poore HE knew well how restlesse a thing was Riches who likened them to THORNES Like Thornes in the sides they suffer not a Man to sit still Like Thornes in the Fingers they hinder a Man from labouring with his hands Like Thornes in the Eyes they blinde a Man from beholding the Truth Like Thrones in the Heart they barre a Man from embracing the Right Like Thornes in the Feet they let a Man for going about any thing that is Good To what shall I now liken the Riches of the World but to all the infesting plagues of AEGYPT Their Riuers were turned into Bloud and these haue made euen Riuers of Bloud Frogs came into mens Bed-chambers and these creepe into mens Bosomes The Dust of the Land became Lice and this Dust of the Earth is turned to such like Tormentours Swarmes of Flies infested Aegypt and these corrupt the Land The Murraine slue the Beasts of the Land This what with toyling ryoting spoyling hath slaine them the whole Earth thorowout The Men could not stand at ease by reason of Boyles and Botches nor doe these suffer men to sit at rest The Haile destroyed the Beasts and Trees and these haue done the like destructions Locusts were brought into the Land and these cause many a Caterpiller Darknesse was ouer AEGYPT so thicke that it might be felt and these while they are grop't and felt with the hand they blind the eyes All the first borne were slaine at Mid-night and these haue torne the prime Youngling from the Mohers Belly Breast and Bed Who is now the Rich man of the World that is not richer in Plagues than he is in Possessions That abounds not in Restlesnesse more than in Reuenues It was a Wise reuenge of One alwayes to inrich his Enemies and Offenders affirming it was punishment enough to make them rich meaning Wealth can want no Woe and he that hath great Riches hath little Rest withall But say the Couetous Carles of our dayes punish them so and hurt them sore Silly Asses they are burdened most and yet they thinke they are most rewarded They take it for a Blessing not knowing that it proues a Snare In the Worlds eye he is the Happy Man that hath House by House Field by Field Flocke by Flocke Bagge by Bagge and Chest by Chest He goes cloathed in purple and fine Linnen and fares deliciously euery day Fine fed and gay clad His Cates and Raiments both farre fetcht and deare bought and the Substance and Matter of neither are thought good enough for him but both are made better if Cost and Art can make them so One Backe and Belly of his how many doth it exercise and employ thus to clad and feed Besides all men seeke to him serue honour and applaud him O happy be He hath an Heauen vpon Earth that thus hath the World at will Fooles that conceit those happy whose Miseries they conceiue not They view the Painting but not the Rottennesse See the best by them but know not the worst is within them You behold laughter in the Face but you now consider not the Heart is heauy You reckon what Pleasures Profits Honours but thinke not what Feares Cares Discontents An honest poore Man would not haue the rich Gluttons Estate to haue his Mind The one hath little and wants little the other wants as much as he hath The one could eat and he had it the other hath it and cannot eat There 's health and hunger here 's plenty and paine This is alway timorous that other still secure This is Free the other Bond This sleepes while the other wakes Many a poore Man hath made merry with a belly full of Bread and Water and after slept soundly vpon an hard Cratch while many a Rich man hath sighed bitterly at a Banquet of Wine and waked carefully vpon a Bed of Downe Alas poore man and perplexed his last Nights ill
not to eat himselfe but to keepe the Cattle from their Meat Yea like a Daw hides Mony not that he hath need of it but that others might not find it A Couetous Man doth good to none no not himselfe doth hurt to himselfe and all Wife nor Children are the better for him for whom Neighbours and Strangers are the worse He counts it an indignitie to haue Equals neere him and a miserie to haue Neighbours by him And could wish there were no more men in the World but he that so he might haue a World vnto himselfe ADAM hee thinkes was well blest when there was no more to inhabit a whole Earth but hee but now hee sayes the World is waxt so populous that men haue much adoe to liue one by another His endlesse coueting hath made his Possessions boundlesse And yet hee thinkes he scarce hath enough when hee now knowes not what he hath I will now say to him and all and so as my words are warranted Goe to now ye rich Men ye that ioyne House to House and Field to Field till there be no roome left for the Poore weepe and howle for your miseries that shall come vpon you your riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten your Gold and Siluer is cankered and the rust thereof shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were Fire you haue heaped vp treasures together for the last dayes Vnhappy Wealth and euill that doth no good to those that haue it not and doth hurt to those that haue it Troubling their Liues blotting their Consciences damning their Soules and from a hell they made vnto themselues bringing them to the Hell prepared for them Oh cry him mercy he disclaimes him that can claime any thing of him that can say What or Whom he hath Oppressed vndermined polled ingrated spoyled cheated circumuented or extorted Whose House hath he hired from ouer his head or Field from vnder his hands or snatcht his meat from out his mouth or pull'd his Raiment from off his backe Hath hee beene a carelesse executour an vnequall Arbitratour an vniust Guardian Whose Wages hath hee with-held Whose Estate hath he intangled Whose Feofment hath hee imbezilled Whose Pledge hath he not restored What Promise hath he not performed and what Debt hath he not discharged Or who can say this was his or is or so ought to be He defies a World what he hath he came honestly by and it is his owne His Neighbour for what he euer wrought or thought against him hath yet both House Wife Child Sernant Oxe Asse and euery thing that is his Excellent Pharisee He hath kept the Commandements But one thing is lacking let him goe and sell all that he hath and giue vnto the Poore He is iustifi'd he thinkes because he hath done no man Wrong Not knowing he is guilty for that he hath done good to none Others did he neuer injure and so he is free he perswades him not considering he is bound to succour others Call him Couetous and he tells you he neuer held others from their owne But I tell him he is Couetous because he holds his owne from others Not only he that greedily inuades anothers but he that niggardly detaines his owne he also is Couetous He hath slaine that saues not he hath hurt that helpes not he hath spoyled that rewards not he hath starued that cherishes not he hath stript that cloaths not and he that hath not giuen euen he hath taken away The Fault is no lesse his that bestowes not on him that hath not than his that exacts from him that hath The Corne which thou hoordest is the Bread of the hungry the Wooll and Flax which thou transportest is the Cloth of the naked the Gold and Siluer which thou dost so heap and hide is the Price of the Poore He that wisely gaue it thee for them shall once in their behalfe as seuerely require it of thee and thy like J was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat J was thirsty and ye gaue me no drinke I was a Stranger and yee tooke mee not in Naked and yee cloathed mee not sicke and in Prison and yee visited me not Nay and you talke of Giuing he is gone This is he sayes no World to Giue himselfe is as others are on the Taking hand Quite of another mind from the Scripture It is a more blessed thing he sayes to Receiue than to Giue And cleane contrary to the Prince that thought that day lost in which he had giuen nothing he thinkes it all lost in that day that he giues You cannot beat Bounty into his Braines with a Beetle A very Truant is he and you examine him at a lesson of Liberality and if you take in hand to tutour him he makes any excuse takes any occasion to busie him otherwise than about his Booke You would not thinke how hee delayes the Dole to the Poore and what Shifts he hath to shun a Beggar If he but suspect there sits a needy Crauer neare to such a Corner he there either turnes another way or lookes another way He either mends his Pace chats to his Companion or makes himselfe musing on some hasty Matter Now listens he to the other side and the Poore-man is on his deafe eare It is not the first and a faint asking will auaile him any thing hee must dogge him to it for what he does But if you once come so neare him and follow him so fane that hee must needes take notice though not of Your Want yet of your Noyse he neuer stands Iesuitically to equiuocate with you I haue it not that is he meanes not for you but tels you blunt out at once I haue not for you Aske him a Farthing and he sayes a Farthing is too little for him to giue aske a Shilling and hee replies a Shilling is too much for you to receiue Aske more or lesse he minds to serue you with a matter of nothing Tell him you 'l pray for him if hee 'l be pleased to giue and he tells you hee can haue Prayers better cheape Say you 'le pray for him whether hee 'le giue or no and hee 'le trust you he sayes for once A poore Cauill is it to flout out anothers Necessitie And yet he thinkes he hath thus put you off with as good a Grace and as much Credit as another could haue pleasured you But if hee be drawne to Giue he giues so difficultly so frowningly with such vpbraidings and reuilings that he giues you a Fish and a Serpent at once and together with Bread he puts a Stone into your Poke You had better bee without his Gift it is not so sweet in the hauing as bitter in the receiuing Salute him with a Suit and hee stampes that he cannot stay to heare you Hee now turnes and talkes to euery one that comes by him and cries I come Sir to any one that but opens the casement toward him Present him