Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n
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A09207
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The truth of our times revealed out of one mans experience, by way of essay. Written by Henry Peacham.
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Peacham, Henry, 1576?-1643?
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1638
(1638)
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STC 19517; ESTC S114189
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39,175
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216
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wings clipt and the collar too streight for my neck The Low countries having tasted the sweetnesse of their liberty when they had shaken off the yoake of Spaine gave for their Embleme a Lyon who having slipt his collar look't behind him to the â—ame with this Liber Leâ— revinciriâ—escit An absolute man caâ—not be he who wanteth his liberty Who enjoy their liberty commonly are longer lived than others who want it they are more able in wit and judgement they are more usefull to the Common-wealth when the rest are but Vmbratiles but shadows of men they have done the best workes either of wit or expence they are the fastest truest friends lastly they have beene the fairest presidents of Piety and Goodnesse But you tell me every man cannot enjoy that condition but some yea the most must serve and obey It is true I onely speake of the ingenuous and those as may if it please them be fabri fati sui shape out their owne fortune yet rather choose a servile condition before Liberty and Freedome as if a Master of Arts should turne Gentleman Vsher to an ordinary Lady or a Lieutenant in the warres leave his honourable profession to become a Lords Porter or like a foolish Vicar in Lincolnshire who would suffer his wife to raise him in cold winter mornings to make her a fire Some againe are by nature so base and obsequious that being overcome with the presence of those who were greater or braver then themselves they sooth him up and foolishly applaud and admire whatsoever hee sayes and if hee speakes in his owne opinion any thing wisely or like a Statist and looketh about him for applause they reply Your Hâ—nor or Worship is in the â—ight the best Counsellor the King hath could not have spoken to better purpose God maintaine your life if some would be rul'd by you it would bee better for all England wiâ—h the like grosse and palpable flattery And if happely he utter aâ—y thing savouring of a jâ—st they feigne a Sardonianâ—mile â—mile by way of allowance of his facetious conceipt And indeed many there are so stately affecting greatnesse after so foolish a manner that they become ridiculâ—us in suffering men oft-times as good as themselves to stand bare before them three or foure houres together and therefore many times they hold them in talk for the purpose in expecting the title of Honor or Worship at every word that is spoken as if they were the Constables of the next Wapentake Somtime they will bee bold to commaund you as their menial servant which also you must take as a favour In briefe I will ever commend that gentile freedome of the French nation who affect servility least of all other especially that of standing bare yea even in waiting at the taâ—le were it before the greateâ—t Lord in France they usually bringing up the dishes with their hats on their heads as also in freedome of speech whereof none save slâ—ves are debarred For mine owne part I affect freedome so much and I have found such happinesse therein that I had rather dine even at a three peny Ordinary where I may be free and merry then to bee a dumbe tenant for two houres at a Lords table preferring health and liberty bonc corporis before those of Fortune and all the wealth the greatest Vsurer hath in the woâ—ld and will ever say O bona libertas pretio pretiosior omni Of Opinion OPinion is a Monâ—ter of more heads then Hercules his Hydra and if one happely be cut off another ariseth forthwith in the roome One day when I walking in Breda in Brabant not farre from the Market place I passed by a Gentleman or Merchants house over whose great gaâ—es was written in letters of gold upon a blew ground Totus mundus regitur opinione I stood still and pondering upon it I found wiâ—ty and weighty to concerne the whole world and every one in particular and my selfe especially at that time since I thought it to bee the best that I had seene which perhaps another would have disliked And I have often wondered why the ancient Pagans in their deifying so many passed by Opinion bearing a fâ—r greater sway then dogs onions and leeks in AEgypt Cui nomen crescebat in hortis Yet it is no great wonder since deifying was wont to bee done with a generall consent Opinion was never to expect it every man where she reignes being of a severall minde It was but Opinion that caused Count Martinengo of Italy of a noble house and of an exceeding great estate to marrie a common Laundresse whereupon within two or three dayes following Pasquin iâ— Rome had a foule shirt put upon his back and underneath this in Italian Perche Pasquinâ— c. Pasquin how haps it thou hast a foule shirt on upon a Sunday morning Risposto Because my Launderesse is made a Countesse It is but Opinion that makes all the marriages in the world for there is no beauty favour or complexion but is loved and liked of by one or other Nature so providing that none might be lost for having It is but Opinion that great Ladies many times marry their grooms refusing great men and of great meanes It is but Opinion that one goes to Rome another to New England and a third to Amsterdam It is also but Opinion that a proud coxâ—combe in the fashion wearing Taffata and an ill favored locke on his shoulder thinkes all that weare cloth and are out of fashion to be clownes base and unworthie his acquaintance So that Opinion is the Compasse the foole onely saileth by in the vast Ocean of Ignorance for hereby vices are taken for virtues and so the contrary and all the errors that men commit in their whole lives is for want of the line and levell of an eaven and true judgement and it is the very rock whereat many yea the most make shipwracke of their credits estates and lives That Embleme was a pretty one which was an old woman who having gathered up into her apron many dead mens skuls which shee found scattered upon the ground with an intent to lay them up in a charnell house but her apron slipping upon a hill where she stood some ran one way and some another which the old woman seeing Nay quoth shee goe your waies for thus ye differed in your opinion when ye had life every one taking his severall way as he fancied There is no Writer none of publique or private employment in the common wealth but passeth in danger by the denne of this one-eyed Polyphemus And while I write by how many opinions am I censured one saying one thing and another another but I am not so unhappy as to feare or care for them I hold on a direct course and will never strike saile to Rovers Of following the Fashion ECclesiasticus saith that by gate laughter and apparell a man is knowne what he is Truly nothing more discovereth the gravity or levity of the
in the shire he murmures at all payments and levies especially the money to bee collected for the maintenance of his Majesties navy royall If hee fortune to bee Church-warden of his Parish at every briefe gathering in the Church hee reserves a groat or sixe pence to himselfe if hee doe affect to follow the fashion in his cloathes it is long of his wife some gentlemans daughter who was matched unto him for his wealth and being fine he takes place above her all women at the table salute him on the way he will give you never a word his hands are commonly unwashed and his doublet unbuttoned but never trussed his ordinary discourse is of his last years hay which he hopes will give fixe pounds the loade in Smithfield and of the rate of Swine in Râ—mford market all his jests consist in rude actions with the hand or foote his speech is Lincolnshire about Wrangle and Freestone if hee be westward about Taunton and tenne miles beyond though the most of them weare russet and have their high shooes well nailed yet they are often too hard for velvet and satten in law tricks and quiddities and commonly hold their owne the longest great men that hold them hard and keepe them under have them as they list yeeld unto one of them or stand to his mercy you shall finde no Tyrant more imperious and cruell most true is that old verse Rustica gens est optima flens pessima rideâ—s Of Travaile THe true taste of our lives sweetnesse is in travaile upon the way at home or abroad in other Countries for not onely it affordeth change of aire which is very availefull to health but variety of objects and remarkable occasions to entertaine our thoughts beside choise of acquaintance with able and excellent men in all faculties and of all nations and perhaps some such as you would ever after thinke your labour and expence of money well bestowed if you had but onely passed the sea for their acquaintance such an one I met withall travailing in a very rainy evening through a moody part of Westphalia where I had lost my way and it grew neare night and in latine demanding of him the way toward Oldenburg and how I had lost my way using the word deviavi hic answered humanum est errare to be short hee would not suffer me to passe any further but carried me home to his owne house which was almost hâ—lfe a mile off where I never found better entertainment or had more friendlier respect in all my life The first thing in any good Towne where ever I came so soone as I had made choyse of mine Inne and lodging was of my acquaintance for in all places you shâ—ll meet with very civill and courteous people evermore of the better sort in Italy especially who will shew you all respect and kindnesse but without charge you must never put them to any expence or charge no not so much as to come to dinner to their houses though you bee solemnly invited and on the contrary look that nobody be chargeable to you you shall have many times as also here in England as soone as you are alighted at your Inne or Harbery fellowes that will insinuate themselves into your company and acquaintance beginning either by commending your horse or demanding how farre you have come that day or of what Countrey you are and the like and after perhaps will offer their service to shew you the Towne to bring you acquainted with some famous man there living or carry you ad calidas callidas solis filias as Lipsius calleth them to tâ—e handsomest wenches about the towne Sed aures obtura ad has Syrenum cantiunculas rather bee alone purusing some good booke in your chamber or walke by your selfe You shall in travaile never lose ought by silence many have paide dearely for their lavish tongues in strange Countries especially being far from home and where they must not bee allowed to bee their owne interpreters especially in matter of Religion State when you shall find it safer and better to talke of the great Turke than the Pope Let your observations be of such things whereby you may profit your selfe or your Countrey your selfe by procuring winning the acquaintance of the famous men in Science or Art for the bettering of your understanding and skill in whatsoever you pretend unto if you study Physicke you shall have in Paris and other places of France the most learned and able Physitians of the world if you would bee a Civilian Bononia and other Cities of Italy will afford you the rarest men in that way if you delight in painting and the use of your pencill the Netherlands every where will afford you rare Masters if in other Mechanicall Arts the higher Germany which Bodine calleth hominum officinam for the variety of Arâ—ists there and therein Spires Shasbourge Norenburge and many other famous Cities will furnish you with skilfull men aboundantly I have observed as I have gone along those Countries many excellent poynts of good husbandry in fields gardens which wee here in England have not beene acquainted withal as in manuring their land so at one time that it shall beare a great croppe seaven or tenne yeares together their artificiall Ploughes that shall turne up in a day as much as two of ours their neate and handsome stacking of their corne abroad to stand dry all the Winter their many devices for draining of grounds casting of Moates and Towne ditchâ—s many excellent formes of grafting adulterating Plants flowers with infinite such devices Apparrell abroad is much dearer than here in England especially cloth Stuffes are cheape and ordinary in the Netherlands so are velvets and silkes about Naples and other parts of Italy and commonly worn of tradsemens wives and daughters Boots shooes are very deare every where especially in France for leather is there very scarce so that if I had but the Monopolie of carrying old shoos newly mended and Mastiffe whelps into France I should think to live as well and as happily as Maâ—ter Major of Quinborrow For dyet I bought what I liked and learned one thing not usuall with us in England save in Cookes shoppes that is to know the price of meate before you eate it If our young gallants would observe this rule in costly Taverâ—s who only call for a bill at the end of dinner they would have money many times when they want it but they esteeme it a disgrace better befitting Carriers and Aquivitae men than gentlemen of ranke hence it commeth to passe they pay eight shillings for a Capon as my L. of N. gentleman did once at Greenwich another a marke or foureteen shillings for a paire of soales I having often bought as good at Benâ—ington in Holand for three-pence And as I would not have you to bee familiar with every one so it is good so to retire your selfe as you scorned to eate or drinke in