Henry Fitz-Allen Goldsmith was made the first Lord Mayor of London and held it twenty four years together Anno Dom. 1380. In the raign of King Richard the Second William Walworth Lord Mayor for his courage in cutting off the Head of Watt Tyler who in a tumultuous manner had rebelled against the King and pitched his Camp in Smithfield with his Rout of Rascals defying Allegiance and braving Soveraignty to the teeth the said William for his Valour in beheading the said Tyler in the sight of his Rabble was Knighted But excellent Policy hath now so ordered it that every year shall have a new Mayor Let the chiefest Magistrates saith a famous Machiavilian be perpetual the lesser yearly still removing And the Turks own this Maxim as useful in many of their Governments Besides other Reasons this is none of the least It encourageth every man to take pains when his Merits may be so Crowned But Ambition must be avoided There is a two-fold way to Honour Direct when God calls Indirect when Man seeks it without his Warrant My Citizen must minde the way and not meerly the end Let him not run Honours but expect them not as one that hunts after but deserves them The conditions of Honour are such saith a Wise man that she enquireth for him she never saw runneth after him that flies from her honours him that esteems her not gives to him requires not and trusteth him she knoweth not He that followeth after righteousness findeth life Pro. 21.21 righteousness and honour The World at present differs much from Alexander the Great 's humour who commanded both Grecians and Barbarians should no more be disguised by their garments but that all vertuous and men of fortitude should be counted Grecians and all vicious and ill addicted Barbarians Quite contrary now a man bears not the mark of his desert about him Vertuous men are not now so honoured that they may be Triumphs imprint their actions deeply in mens Memories nor is there such an equalness in States that all mens actions should be seen with the same judgment and indeed 't were pity it should be so now for Pride would ruine all in a moment Marcellus the Romane dedicated two Temples one to Vertue the other to Honour and contrived them in such manner that none could enter into that of Honour save through that of Vertue My Citizen if he would be honoured must be vertuously Rich. It was worthily answered by Maximilian the German Emperour to one who desired his Letters-Patents to ennoble him I am able said he to make thee rich but Vertue must make thee Noble Having cleared my Point concerning the necessity of striving to be Rich I now proceed As I would have my Citizen labour I mean it not incessantly there is difference between providing for himself and family and doing nothing else The business of his Soul and the refreshing of his Body must be look'd into besides the interest the Publick hath in his time The labours of less than the Worlds third part maintain the whole How many then live Idly Almost all Women which are half the number or if Women be imployed in their stead Meâ— throw away their time Put to all that are inclos'd in the pale of Gentility and Estate and lastly adde the great number of Beggers and you will compute few Labourers and of those few well imimploy'd If then less than the Worlds third part maintains the whole less than the third part of my Citizens time one day with another will suffice for him unless his Private concerns be extraordinary and he be forc'd to attend Publick ones But before I treat of his industrious gettings let me touch a little on his spendings First I would have him think it more honourable to stoop to petty savings than to base gain Lusty spenders and dainty feeders so they have it care not by what means He must not close and practically adhere to Caligula that profuse Emperours opinion who professed all kinde of thrift to be durtiness of Nature It is better saith Bias one of the seven Sages to be hated for having much than to be pitied for spending all Let him imitate Francis that frugal King of France who thought it no discredit to tye a knot in a broken point and wear it again Secondly He must not haunt Taverns too much which is the Epidemical fault of the City I know it is not company but the want of discretion in the choice and use of it that overthrows a man besides needless expences how can that man be fit for business who makes his body a continual quagmire Wine saith Solomon is a mocker Pro. 20.1 strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise In another place Who hath woe Pro. 23.29 30. who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath bablings who hath wounds who hath redness of eyes They that tarry long at wine In another hear and obey Pro. 23.31 32 33. Look not upon wine when it is red when it giveth its colour At last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder Thine eyes shall behold strange women and thy heart shall utter perverse things Now if thou pretendest to reason which distinguishes thee from a Beast hearken to the Antients how they reprove drunkenness and excess Wine saith Aristotle distempereth the wit weakneth the feet and overpowreth the vital spirits Drunkenness saith Plato and intemperance is a root proper to every disease Origen one of the Primitive Fathers saith it makes a man a Beast a strong man weak a wise man a fool One Calisthenes a Heathen hapning to be at one of Alexander's Feasts and often urged to drink as others did answered he would not for saith he who drinketh to Alexander had need of a Physician Lastly behold some sad consequences of taking in liquor too freely and then be excessive if thou darest Aruntius a Romane being drunk deflowred his own Daughter Medullina for which she immediately kill'd him Alexander that mighty Conquerour in his drink oftentimes committed such tragical deeds as engaged some of his Servants to plot the shortning of his days by poyson lest he should if he lived longer in his raging fits destroy them all Nevertheless if thou canst not abstain fellowship then drink as in the Primitive times concluding God is to be remembred both in Night and Day Thirdly Next what shall I say of superfluous Diet. The belly saith Crates the Philosopher is an unthankful beast never requiting the pleasure done but craveth continually more than it needeth I 'me sure he that said In my Country the belly is the God if now living his words would be found too true What infinite sums of money are sacrificed to it in procuring the Earth the Air and the Sea to centre at one Table making Table-Cloths like St. Peter's sheet including creatures clean and unclean How many are there to be found that imitate Muleasses King of Tunis who spent a
trust and he commonly loseth much by it I think there is no Citizen nor ever was can or could boast of his gettings by all he dealt withal Democritus the Philosopher promised to revive Artaxerxes his dead friend upon conditition that the Inscription of his Tomb might be the name of thirty men who had lived to the twentieth year of their age without grief They sought thirty but found none I might promise the like impossibility upon Condition that I might see the names of thirty Citizens which have traded twenty nay ten years whose Books are without some Debts they never hope to be discharged But what of that Why dost thou wonder that good men are smitten to be confirm'd Pro. 10.29 24.10 when the way of the Lord is strength If thou faint in the days of adversity thy strength is but small saith Solomon Our Saviour shewed his glory in Mount Tabor but to three and those his Apostles But why was there no Centurion no Publican or not all the stles There was a world of people saw him on the Cross and good reason for 't saith one Prosperity scarce profits any The Cross and affliction doth many good and therefore Bonaventure said he had rather go with Christ to Golgotha than to Tabor Shall a man be weary of his life because it is accompanied with trouble and losses no our Saviour our Head was crown'd with Thorns Oh! how ill do delicate Members agree with a Thorny head When Marcus Aurelius and others his Souldiers and Citizens of Rome wore Garlands to testifie publickly their joy one of them a Christian wore his Crown on his arm not head saying That it did not become a Christian to be crown'd in this life Patiently should that be born which no strength can overcome nor counsel avoid whether body and mind be afflicted by it A man can't be always on the gaining hand however it declares a great deal of weakness and folly to vex and fret and debar himself or rest when his very tears can't recal or recover the loss We may amend our defects in dealing but to make them not to be any more requires more than Mortality can produce Actions past may admit a correction not a nullity Why then should loss separate a man from his heart He that hath himself saith a Wiseman hath all things Observe a ltttle more what sense the Ancients had of crosses and Adversity Socrates counsel'd to revenge a wrong answer'd What if a Mastiff had bit me or an Ass had kick'd me would you have me to go to law with them Mauritius Emperour of the West beholding his Children put to death before his eyes when he saw his Wife also suffer onely cried out Oh Lord thou art just and thy judgments are right Eusebius being wounded to death with a Stone thrown at him by an Arrian woman was so far from storming and revenge as he swore all his Friends not to punish her after his death Harpalus being invited by Astyages King of Media to supper where two of his Children were cook'd for him instead of Venison without the least Marks of astonishment he beheld a spectacle able to have drawn water and resentment from a heart less Rocky and Prudent I must acknowledge my Citizens patience and fortitude of minde to be screw'd up to the height when he is driven to the necessity of breaking after he has striven it may be to fetch fire out of wood and to resist the Decree of Divine Providence yet it is doubtful whether he hath not neglected some means been an ill husband and spent too much time and money in vain Let him take my advice before my comfort I would have him though he leave himself not worth a groat to pay every one his own or if he compounds to pay a part nevertheless let him resolve to satisfie all to the full if his endeavours and Gods blessing ever again enables him This is his comfort by suffering he shall conquer The Romans overcame sitting still his soul because his intentions are sincere will be void of it anxiety and repining and by how much he is more quiet by so much the stronger Great aspersions lie on his name his spirits are dampt and almost stifled with grief Let him apply Socrates and Mauritius their Medicine A Poor yet the wisest of Grecians was slandered and an unfortunate Emperour found comfort in the horrid Agonies of Cruelty His blessings were of the Lord how then can he want that by patience holds fast him that gave him all who hath taken from him with Job to season him and make him afterwards more thankfully to abound in plenty What Cain said of his sins They are greater than can be forgiven no Christian may say of his losses Greater then can be restor'd 'T is impious to imagine Jobs God not to retain his Omnipotency and Mercy for those who seek him with a pure and uncorrupt heart Consider onely Jobs beginning and ending Perhaps he never saw Fortunes double face before Providence permits him to be try'd by Adversity for his experience and improvement of wisdome Tribulation refines the understanding We grow wise by blows Hannibal deservedly boasted of himself Age Prosperity and Adversity have so instructed me that I had rather follow Reason than Fortune He had never attain'd this pitch of discernment had not his declining Fortunes obliged him to surmount all difficulties by his conduct My experience amounting not to above seven years hath furnish'd me with examples in this City of some who have sunk for all a good Stock and Trade into nothing comparatively and of others whose small beginnings have risen to vast and incredible Estates Whose advancement and their likely causes is fit for thee to inquire into Socrates thanked God for being born a man not a woman a Grecian not a Barbarianâ— and for not being unlearned esteeming the Gifts of Nature and Fortune to be contemptible if not beautified with the Ornaments of the Minde He was a wise King that would be pictur'd swimming with this Motto I strive I am not drowned And Chabot the Famous Admiral of France would be symboliz'd by a Ball with this Inscription Being smitten Irise higher But above all Examples take this Our Saviour calling to Saul said Arise and stand upon thy feet As if he had said writes one I have cast thee down to the intent that thou maist rise stronger And it was the voice of that great Apostle When I am weakned I then grow mighty This I speak to comfort his soul and to help him forward in bettering his Religion even as his Estate Men in Prosperity are seldom Religious He therefore and onely he gets by his breaking who is more humble pitiful mortified given to prayer and the like duties doing thus if Poor without he is Rich within He hath that within him whereof he may rejoyce Our Wealth and Gold is Christ come to him and you shall abound with true riches He now flings off his
his skill in Phrase words and rules my Citizen may collect piece by piece enough to make a compleat armour to defend himself against the stroaks of fear fancy ignorance and presumption History as a Head-piece will keep his fancy from danger strengthen his judgment by example with-hold him from assenting to vulgar and irrational Stories and arm him against the various changes of Time the infinite casualties and dayly actions hapning in the World which distract and disturb the too prompt Nature of us English Wherefore a small inspection into History affords Passages and Persons enow to compare with the like of his days It is meer ignorance and want of consulting Books makes the greatest part of mankinde to be so deservedly rebuked by Solomon with a Say not thou What is the cause that the former days were better than these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this Eccles 7.10 Divinity which may be pick'd out of such works learned and pious men nay the general part of mankinde have a great kindness for and approve of and which a Bookseller can't miss or fail of knowing This Divinity especially the Bible which is the Buckler assures him in the Faith of his most zealous and godly Forefathers makes him to cling to the unerring Principles of the Catholick and Apostolick Church nay his constant and light viewing of the most famous Pieces whereof choice can't be wanting to him instils by degrees into him arguments strong enough to repel those mighty shifts his enemies in Religion may set afoot to supplant him Arising in this manner in course of time to some perfection he is capacitated for Magistracy or what ere his sufficiency shall cause to be laid on him Wisdom thus built and on these foundations of throughly considering the World and its Opinions This is better than weapons of War Eccl. 9.18 This Wisdom is a defence Eccl. 7.12 and giveth life to them that have it Of Self-Profit EVery man saith Socrates is a worker of his own Fortune fashioning it as he pleases Yet it can't be denyed but outward accidents conduce much as death of others occasion fitting vertues but most commonly the folly and fall of one man is the Fortune of another no man prospers so suddenly as by anothers errours unhappiness therefore it was imprudently done by Daemades to condemn an Athenian for selling necessaries belonging to burials saying his great profit came not save by the death of many for what man almost getteth but by the loss of others Was not Rome raised on the ruine of her Neighbour-Cities did Caesar assume to himself the dignity of Emperour till he had overthrown or rather destroy'd Pompey Have not the Turks expell'd and rooted Christianity out of the chiefest places they have in possession Have not the Dutch attained almost an invincible strength onely by fraud industry and over-reaching all if they could that ever they traffick'd with do not abundance thrive through the licentiousness of Youth the Husbandman by dearth of Corn Garpenters Bricklayers and Glasiers by the decay and desire of building Houses the Lawyers by contentions the Physicians by others Distempers Yet this is not contrary to the general Policy and order of Nature for the Learned hold That the production and augmentation of one thing is the alteration and corruption of another God takes from one and gives to another but let no man desire it for the Commandment is Thou shalt not covet there are then and must be external causes of a mans Fortune Ptolomy of a Common Souldier was chosen King of Egypt Telophanes Chariot-maker King of Lydia Darius Cyrus his Quiver-bearer King of Persia Agathocles of a Potters Son King of Sicily and Tamberlan of a Shepherd became King of the Tartars In which we cannot but with admiration contemplate the omnipotency of God Almighty who without respect of persons Pulleth down and setteth up that his most holy and great Name may be exalted with confusion of face through the whole Earth But there is some hidden vertue which must bear a great stroak He that observeth the winde saith Solomon shall not sow Eccl. 11.4 and he that regardeth the Clouds shall not reap Whereupon comments another A Wiseman will make more opportunities than he finds Quest Is the main thing then that promotes a man and enlargeth his Fortunes within or without him Answ First Titus Livius tells us Cato Senior was so well accomplish'd in body and minde that in what place soever he had been born he could have raised the structure of his own preferment Rodolphus Emperour of Germany otherwise of base Parentage for his Vertues sake was chosen to that Dignity The Scripture testifies of many who were advanc'd from low degree These are then open vertues which beget praise but hidden ones which bring forth preferment Secondly For that which is without a man instead of Providence let me call it Divine Providence it can make him fortunate who is not wise and if wise miserable Alcibiades the Athenian was highly beloved of his Country-men meerly because Nature shew'd so much perfection in him who nevertheless for the greatest part of his life was of a Luxurious and debauched disposition But Socrates the wisest of Heathens who hath been so often already and deservedly mentioned for all he had been so useful and beneficial to the aforesaid Athenians was through envy accused and by those who had received so much good at his hands condemn'd to death Examples clear enough to behold therein the blindness of Chance Sometimes simple Men bring to pass happily matters both Publike and Private whilst the best Councels have the worst issues There are saith Solomon many devices in mans heart Pro. 19.21 but the Councel of the Lord shall stand The same Councel succeeds prosperously to some unhappily to others Many things alike in the Case and to the man that yesterday hapned luckily to day fall out cross and unfortunate so that mans sufficiency and ability is not always to be judg'd by Event The Lord gave Solomon Wisdom above all the Men of the Earth Kings 3. yet how did he swerve and go astray before he died wherein may be seen the pravity of Mans Nature and how vain it is to trust to Mortal Wisdom How did Hamans counsel to destroy the Jews light with heavy vengeance on his own head One wondring why ill success should follow the mature deliberation of wise men was answered thus Every man Proposes but God Disposes Timotheus in the account he gave the Athenians of his warlike actions often interlaced his speech with this saying And in this Fortune had no part but it was noted of him that he never prospered afterwards Divine Providence must have its due there is no rising without it Rom. 13.1 There is no Power but of God Saul from amongst the lowest of the People was anointed the first King of Israel Samuel but sinning he was rejected of God and died presently after the