Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A84694
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The times anatomiz'd, in severall characters. By T.F.
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Ford, Thomas, 1598-1674.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing F1518; Thomason E1203_3; ESTC R208774
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18,397
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119
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aside their faces they that cry fastest for Truth when it comes to them runs fastest from it XI A Self-Seeker IS a cunning Archer that looking to the publique service as the marke he onely aymes at yet squints aside at his own ends which is the true Butt all the arrows of his endeavours are shot at No man pretends more for the publique good then he and yet no man can intend it lesse and well may he in shew advance that which indeed advanceth him This is a dangerous crime in men of publique trust for such leaks make the vessels of the Common-wealth to sinke Like that notorious Pick-pocket that whilst according to the custome every one held up their hands at rehersing the Creed he by a divice had a false hand which hee held up like the rest whilst his true hand was false in other mens pockets Or as a cunning Physitian that instead of lightning the disease lightens the purse of his patient protracting the cure to prolong his gains A deceitfull Souldier who under colour of the publique fights onely for his private cause XII Pamphlets ARE the Weekly Almanacks shewing what weather is in the State which like the Doves of Aleppo carry news to every part of the Kingdom They are the silent Traytors that affront Majesty and abuse all Authority under the colour of an Imprimatur Ubiquitary flyes that have of late so blistred the eares of all men that they cannot endure any solid truth The Ecchoes whereby what is done in part of the Kingdome is heard all over They are like Mushromes sprung up in a night and dead in a day and such is the greedinesse of mens natures in these Athenian dayes of news that they will rather feigne then want it XIII An envious Man IS one that can endure no man to be happy with or besides himselfe Nay he had rather see himselfe in misery then his neighbour in prosperity He had rather goe to hell alone then to heaven with company yet is he the greatest foe to himselfe for whilst he wishes harme to others it rebounds to himselfe and good men like Cammomile grow the better for envies treading it is but as a black ground to set off the luster of their merits not seldome whilst envy seeks to wound it cures bringing an Antidote instead of a poyson Like the Mirrour of glasse that reverberated the poyson of the serpent upon her selfe killing her with her own weapon Goodnesse appears with greater lustre through the black cloud of envy The envious man feasts like flies on others soares anothers Comedy in his Tragoedy He is never merry but at others sadnesse and their cryes makes the only harmony in his eares XIV True Valour IS a virtue in the spirit which keepes the flesh in subjection for whilst it overthrows its enemies it conquers it selfe which is the best victory It resolves without fear and acts without fainting not daunted with multitudes of oppositiōs knowing that the greater the cōflict is the greater wil be the honor of the conqueror It is a sweet temper of the soul not cast down in captivity nor elated in victory wisdome is her guide and resolution her companion A good cause makes her truly noble and pittie it is it should have any enemy but errour XV Time TIme is the universall Standard whereby we measure Houres Dayes Weeks Moneths Years and Ages A Rivulet of Time which proceeded from and shall end in the Ocean of Eternity compared by that great Statesman and Philosopher of our Kingdom to the nature of a River which carryeth down to us that which is light and blown up and sinketh and drowneth that which is solid and weighty It is the devourer of all things the great Monarch that casteth down some and raiseth others with a kinde of omnipotencie and unresistable power for there is not any thing in the power of man can scotch the ever-circling wheele of Time 'T is neither force nor flattery can stop his full career It is he that opens the windows of heaven to let in day and drawes the curtaines of the night to secure the sleepe of wearied labor And so swift is his flight that we cannot discover it till past He is alwayes the same and yet not the same since I said so The onely subject of honest and lawfull avarice But whilst I speake of Time I lose it considering that though hee is known to be yet is his being unknown for his name is better known then his nature XVI A Newter IS a very blank wherein you may write any thing that will make for his profit Hee is a meer Bat all the time of War resolving to lye hid till time and fortune have decided the quarrell and then hee 'l be sure to have a Bird for the Conquerour Fortune is his god Machiavel his Priest Time-serving his Religion and his only Counsellours are Corrantoes for by those hee guesses which way the winde of Fortune blows and accordingly with the Hedghog hee turns his Den Hee is only a spectator of this bloudy Tragoedy and will be sure to reserve his Plaudite till the last Act. What he shall be he knows not nor what hee is yet I hold him an Independent for whilst hee sides with all hee 'l be sure to none Like a pair of Compasses the one end of his owne ends stands fast while with the other of his speeches he walks the round of every prevailing faction He is a meer Polypus always of the same colour of the side he meets with for hee varies his shapes as often as his company like an Adjective that varies case and gender with his Substantive Hee uses Moderation as a fair masque over his foul-face of Newtrality but when hee comes to be unmasqued hee becomes then as ridiculous to all as before he was odious His discourse is the very Almanack of the Times for his judgment is as variable as Victory Hee is of a very unfit temper to make a Zelot of being neither hot nor cold but Lukewarme which is detestable to both Wee may well term him a Waveringman for like the waves he is moved with the winde of successe Hee would make a very good Musician for hee studies nothing so much as to keepe Time keeping close to the wheel of Fortune which is somtimes broken on by short turnings Striving so long to bend to all till hee break himself And so playing the Ambo-dexter that hee becomes at length Ambo-sinister But I cease to know further what he is who knows not what hee is in himself XVII A Turn-coat IS one that will be sure to be of the strongest side and all his policy is when the contrary party prevails to tack about and with a side-winde to saile with them For hee is always of the Religion of the Conquerour if the more zealous party get up then none more zealous then he if the lesse severe then none lesse religious Setting his carriage to the tune of the times
well That this Fable if it be so may be turned into Truth and the Prophesie into History in our Kingdom is and shall be the continuall Prayer of Thine T. F. THE TIMES Anatomiz'd I. A good KING IS the Primum mobile of a Kingdome the largenesse of whose Orbe moves all the rest in their severall places The Sun that not onely enlightens the severall Planets and lesser Stars in a State but also the whole Kingdom depends upon the influence of his good or bad Aspect All the inferiour Magistrates and Ministers of Justice receive their virtue and power from him as the Moon and Stars their light from the Sun A Kingdom without a King is but like a body without a head like a heaven without a Sun and no wonder if all mischiefes be perpetrated when the light of Israel is put out Needs must the Kingdom float in a Sea of miseries that hath lost its Pilot and a miracle is it if it split not on the Rock of ruine He is the vigilant Argus that sees all parts of the Kingdome to oversee the under-seers The hundred-handed Briarius to revenge and right-wronged innocence He is a mortall god on whom the Almighty hath stampt his image in a more especiall manner with power and terrour The very presence of a King strikes awe into men How have some Traitors been dazled with the splendent rays of Majesty that it hath melted and mollified their iron stony and obdurate hearts into an humble and meek reluctancy The happy Reigne of a good King makes the whole Kingdome to prosper and flourish withwealth peace and plenty For like the Sun though hée move but in one place at once actually yet is he virtually present in all and every part of his Dominions dispensing his sacred influence as well upon the lowest as the highest Justice hath committed her Sword and Ballance into his hands Wisdome and Power support his Throne and Piety is his continuall Hand-maid II. Rebellion IS a poysonous weed growing up in a CoÌ„mon-wealth by the fatnesse of the soyle It may flourish for a while but the sword of justice doth in the end cut it down being whetted by time and divine revenge It is a true Viper for as the shee-viper biteth off the head of the hee and thereby conceives with young those young prove her own destruction making their birth her death and thus doth Rebellion when it hath bitten off the head of government it proves its own destruction and will be the end of the beginners thereof And not seldom it is mâ—de its owne scourge For though Majesty may be eclipsed for a season yet will it at length breake out againe into its force like the Sun in his greatest brightnesse and dispell those misty fogs and vapours that before had clouded it Whilest the two petty Combatants in the Fable strove which should overcome the other they were both made a prey unto the royall Eagle ambition and discontent are the two main wheels this Engine moves on and because it is so ugly in it selfe that all men would detest it it seldome appears but with a borrowed face for the good of the Common-wealth and if it get hold on Religion it flies too truly like wilde-fire III. An honest Subject IS one that fears God honours his King and meddles not with those that are given to change and without question hee that is a good Christian will be a good Subject He hath learned so much loyalty from dumb creatures taught by natures instinct to shelter their wronged head with their whole body as knowing that their life lies in their head He hath heard that Subjects often are Adjectives that cannot stand without and therefore should not stand against their Sovereign He loves peace knowing that the sowers of discord will reap destruction however in the midst of Warre he labours to keepe peace in his own conscience being content with his own estate and seeking not to increase it by unlawfull diminishing of others for hee cannot thinke him an honest man that in publike losses goes away a gainer Hee is so far from exceeding that he can be content to be lesse then himselfe accounting it more noble to be like the fruitfull bough which stoops under a pretious burthen then to aime at the eminencie of the fruitlesse height of the pine tree If his merits have brought him into the way of honour and preferment they doe not there leave him but he herein holds that maxime good to keepe them by the same means he obteined them and if he see undeserving men preferred before him he rather pitties then envies them as counting it more noble to have deserved preferment then to have it When the the thrid of his naturall life is run to the appointed end he leaves this world to enjoy a better yet leaving behinde him the pretious balme of a good name which shall preserve his memory more surely to future posterity then the time-decaying monuments of Brasse and Marble which in processe of time do molder away and their glory obscured in fewer years then some of those sumptuons Statues have been erecting IV. An Hypocriticall Convert of the Times IS a rotten Sepulchre newly painted over with a colour of sanctity And now none so zealous as he then whom before there was none so profane but having drawne a faire glove of profession over his foul hand Hee now weares the livery of the Times and all his policy is if he can carry it undiscovered he is an essence needing a double definition for he is not what he appears but like some of the Spheres that besides their generall motion with the others have a particular one to themselves Like a water-man that looks one way but rows another But for all his out he caÌ„not change his inside so that he differs nothing from an Hypocrite Without he is a severe Cato but within a cruell Nero like those Dragons in Armenia that spit fire yet have cold bodies he is a Sheep-skin lin'd with Fox-fur formall precisenesse keeps the doore whilst profit and profanenesse lodge within he hangs out Religion for a signe but I take it for a signe he hath no Religion like the Planet Mercury convertibly good or bad according to his company With the Religigious hee is no lesse then a Saint and with the prophane none more loose but no foe to a false friend the Devill is never so true a Devill as when he is transformed into an Angel of light V. A Souldier of fortune HEe is a Salamander that lives in the fire of Warr And is commonly a younger brother for though the elder beare the coat the younger beares the Armes Peace is his greatest enemy for then he lies like a fish out of water out of his element Honour and pay are the two main Engines that set him on going hunger and cold march in the same file with him and plunder brings up the reare He should be a Scholer for he is alwayes