hundred Crowns on the dressing of a Peacock Certainly many of our Modern Gluttons shew too well by their Acates and costly dainties that their wills and inclinations are not far behind hisâ— We are sick of those things wherewith we live The most wholsome food the least Cookery Diseases spring from corruptions and riotous eating What profit either to Body Purse or Soul can it be nay what pleasure with Geta the Romane Emperous to swill and cram for three days and nights together If your power could bring together like Sergius Galba that monstrous Emperour seven thousand Fowls at one Meal in twenty four hours how much lustier healthfuller and brisker would you be than he who hath dined or supped on one poor single Dish My Citizen is much mistaken if he holds that most strength is drawn out of the daintiest and most luxurious fare Socrates our worthy Tutor inviting once certain of his Friends to a Feast was reproved for his slender provision If they be vertuous saith he it is enough if not there is too much If our Forefathers were alive now they could hardly tell the names of our needless variety of Dishes without the help of a Kitching-Dictionary They would wonder Art should keep School in the Kitching and that our Palats should be so ingenious The Ancients have in their words and deeds scourged this vice to the purpose and if my Citizen means to attain any thing above the reach of his mouth he must set himself to trace the steps of those History makes famous for their abstinence King Cyrus being asked by Artabanus when he lay once in the Camp what he would have for Supper Bread answered he for I hope we shall finde some Fountain to furnish us with Drink Therefore let my Citizen learn to be temperate Gorgias the Philosopher being demanded how he arrived to the number of a hundred and eight years answered By never eating or drinking any thing for pleasure Finally if nothing but the consideration of danger can prevail with him to abstain it can't chuse but afright and make his blood recoil to know that Septimus Severus and Jovianus two Famous Emperours in their height of Cups and Plates surrendred their lives Laeydes a Philosopher through excess expired ignominiously Valentinianus an Emperour suddenly dyed of a Surfeit Pardon me for telling him flat and plain though a little immethodically if his tendency to such exorbitances be not bounded though his days partly through a strong constitution may be prolonged and that happens but seldome to the Experimenters yet I dare be so bold as to stick on him the true and woful jest of Diogenes who hearing the House of a Prodigal was to be sold I knew said he very well that a house so full of meat and drink would vomit out its Master Fourthly Needless Expences in Apparel must be examined He that wasteth his wealth to follow every fashion saith one of our already quoted Authors and hateth his substance to maintain his bravery may be counted the Mercers friend the Taylors fool and his Own foe One bragging of his Golden Ornaments was thus answered The praise is due to the metal not the man That is the most ornamental which makes the more vertuous I am not sumptuous saith Seneca yet no man can live otherwise at Rome Why do we deceive our selves goes he on the Evil is within us it cleaves to our bowels the fault is our own Diogenes whom we newly named going from Sparta to Athens was asked by the way whence he came and whither he went who answered He came from Men and was going to Women noting the Effeminacy of the Athenians who for their delicacy and niceness in Food and Rayment were derided by all Grecia St. Bernard preaching the Funeral-Sermon of his own Steward among other his commendations gave him this That He was great even in small matters his care and circumspection extending to the most trivial and slightest things Let my Citizen imitate him Happy is he that deserves the Title Faithful in a little he shall be made owner of a great deal Let the Example of Agesilaus King of Lacedemon moderate my Citizens airishness and apishness who was wont to wear one Sute both Winter and Summer Let it moderate I say seeing there are within London not a few Tradesmen whose best parts lie in the frequent change of Suits as if the snake was to be loved for its bright skin they strutting like an Actor whose Rich habits being laid aside and his Part done He is rare to be met withal that can shew himself extraordinary out of his Theatre wherein my Shopkeeper in many places equals him as appearing dull and insipid in all things save in cloaths lying and swearing Augustus Caesar was not asham'd to wear what was wrought by his Daughters and is it mean and durty to trace a man so famous But our City you 'l say is much exalted since a hundred years Remember or if you ne'r read so much read now that Romes pride and idleness was Romes ruine Citizens Wives and Daughters now scorn to meddle in Kitchin-affairs the best quality of a good and a true Houswife They had rather make a pattern of C. Marius the Romans Kinswoman who being great with childe yet at a Solemnity coveting to appear slender-wasted laced her self so straight as she immediately fell into travail miscarried and died Our Town Wives and Maids their Parents must take some of the blame and shame hold it more becoming to pinion up themselves in a narrow Bodiss that they may gain the praise of having a handsome body than to adorn themselves as it 's convenient for persons of any business Where we may observe what considerable disadvantages nay downright losses proceed from this very neglect of Parents and Idleness in comparison of City-breeding as it ought to be in their Daughters First the Parents omit their Duty to God in Training up their Children as they might never depart from it Secondly they lose by not exercising their Children in such things as they might manage to their Credit and profit in their Parents absence Thirdly they get such a custome of fluttishness and improvidence as makes them uncapable of improving to the best advantage what they are concern'd to perform either as maids or married Fourthly if married they are eager in pursuit of some Recreations they enjoy'd when single through their Friends weakness therein oftentimes throwing off all obedience to their Husbands all sense of the want loss a Wife puts a man to when ever and anon she is pleas'd to freak it all concernment for a Family and which is worst of all occasion by their slips those grounds of Scandal that reflect so sharply on the whole City for suffring their Chucks so grosly to abuse them If they were bred answerable to a Tradesmans Daughter though never so responsible every Citizen should follow the rule of an English person of quality who hardly acquainted his Daughters with
cannot there without deceit the judgment of the Owner must set the price A Contract must be according to the equality of the thing and that must be measured by the price given For as Time is the measure of Business so is price of Wares If the price exceed the things worth or that exceed the price the equality of Justice is taken away that both agree is the just rule of Trading against which Deceit is opposite The Soul of the wicked desireth evil his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes Prov. 21.10 To deceive is to make shew of one thing and bring in another besides the opinion of the Customer by which more is given for Wares than they are worth but it 's seldome men sell at an under-rate Cicero tells us There is no greater plague for Justice than for some men under the masks of honesty to deceive others His rule was exact that said A wise man will not deceive neither can he be deceived So did his profession of honesty resound who chose this Motto To deceive or be deceived is hateful to me St. Augustine and who not met with many that would deceive but few that would be deceived To cozen others is worse than to be cozened as a sin is worse than a cross not that every wile is a Sin Lucius approaching the Boat wherein Athanasius was Eusebius ask'd for him and was answered by him who was known to Lucius only by name and not face that Athanasius was hard before him if he made hast he might overtake him who being violent in his pursuit miss'd Athanasius This Arrian persecutor was deceived by the truth spoken with wisdom and a good conscience but that deceit which is the corruption of justice I shall now speak against this stands more in the wills than wits oâ— men 1. This is first against Nature one Serpent doth not sting another and the Fishes of the Sea devour none but those of contrary kinds But the greatest evil that befall man come from man Homâ— homini lupus one man is a Wolf to another The Lyons spared Daniel the ravenous Birds sed Eliah but man exerciseth cruelty upon man As a mad-man who casteth Firebrands Arrows and Death so is the man that deceiveth his Neighbour Prov. 26.18 Pope Alexander the Sixth never did what he said his Son Borgia never said what he meant to do Guichardin pleasing themselves in counterfeiting and dissimulation but their ends were fatal one being poysoned the other slain Frederick a Roman Emperour when the Senators were entring the Senate-house would say to them Cast away two things deceit and dissimulation The crafty are like the Chameleon apt to all objects capable of all colours they cloak Hate with Holiness Ambition with good Government and Flattery with Eloquence but whatever they pretend the issue is dishonest An Hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his Neighbour Prov. 11.9 An old Lacedemonian who had coloured his hairs discovered his head in a great Assembly and made a Declaration of the matters he came about Archidamus the King rising up said What truth can this fellow speak whose heart is stained with spots of Hypocrisie and double dealing 2. Secondly it is against civil Society for the preservation whereof it is expedient that men converse safely without fear of being undermined by each other Therefore one said well the first foundation of Justice is not to hurt the second to endeavour to procure the common benefit 3. Thirdly it 's against Christianity which teaches a man so much charity and patience as to do well and suffer ill It was Prophesied that in the time of the Gospel Isai 11. the sucking child should play upon the hole of the Asp and the weanel child should put his hand upon the hole of the Cockatrice 4. Fourthly it is Theft Themistocles the Athenian spying a dead body richly adorned passed by but called to his Companion Take up these for thou aâ— not Themistocles he could not stoopâ—â— low as to gather gold out of blood and dirt but he stoops lower that plucks it from the living and commits a double theft robbing himself of honour and t'other of means and life The way of 〈◊〉 wicked is darkness they know not at what they stumble Prov. 4.19 Lastly it is odious to God It is the will of God that no man oppress his brother nor defraud him 1 Thes 4.6 for the Lord is the avenger of all such A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord but a man of wicked devices shall be condemned Prov. 12.2 And to good men even to the Heathen they counted no profit lasting which was got by fraud saith one amongst them I will overcome by Roman Arts viz. by Vertue Labour and Arms. In Athens it was a custome when men bought or sold any thing they came before the Magistrate appointed for the purpose and there took an Oath that they had not dealt fraudulently nor used any deceit I have heard of a Turk that having bought some Manufactures of an English-man wherein was inclos'd a great sum of Money unknown to both Parties and finding it made many Journeys in quest of the Englishman and at length meeting him unask'd restor'd the Money Are Heathens just and thou unjust What doth it profit thee to be call'd what thou art not It is said of the Jesuites They have retained nothing of Jesus but the name and of the Popes Who was call'd Bonifacius or Benefactor was a Malefactor Pius or Godly was wicked Vrbanus or civil was rude and savage Innocentius or harmless was hurtful and pestiferous and Clementius or meek was cruel and unmerciful He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemns the just even both are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17.15 I would it might not be said of many Christians that they are but so in name having good words not answerable works supposing more of Gods hearing than his seeing But many eat that here which they cannot digest in Hell hereafter If Dives was sent into Hell for not giving his own whither shall they be sent that take that which is anothers The unjust ways of cunning which 〈◊〉 would have my Citizen to shun are many as Flattery Dissimulation Lying c. of which in their order There be some whom Gain will transform into a shapes let the Customer look how â—e will they like a Looking-glass wilâ— have something in them like him The Old Law would not allow the Swan is mans meat his Feathers being white is Body black Neither are those fit 〈◊〉 deal with man whose pretences being fair have soul practices These are the Aves Gaviae of the times which Birds when Alphonsus King of Sicily lanch'd from the Shore flew about the Ship and he causing Meat to be thrown them they had no sooner taken it but they flew away Thus it is with me saith he my Flatterers having received of me what they expected withdraw their obsequiousness and return no more unless
Philistins had put him and his Army to flight Now joyning all together Diligence with the blessing of the Lord crowns the expectation of Man Pro. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord saith Solomon maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it Whereby it is evident that Industry not accompanied with Providence Pro. 16.27 is but Digging up of Evil. Wisdom's advice then is if any dependance to fix and attribute it on and to him who of a Shepherd 1 Samuel and the youngest Son of Jesse raised David to a Throne who thankfully acknowledg'd it and thereby hath left a pattern of gratitude to be imitated by all who have a true sense of their own inabilities and weakness It was the plot of Joseph's Religion to preserve himself honest that he might remain Fortunate Therefore the first profitable thing I advise my Citizen to put in practice is to be constantly and sincerely Religious so he may expect the fruitful influences of him he puts his trust in If a man should at every weeks end consider how he hath spent it how many hours might he reckon up to have been lavish'd and idly thrown away besides eating and drinking How many needless Items would he finde given to sleep Item seven nights Item so many many afternoons besides half hours and quarters at accustomed times Had those men whose Wealth hath made them admired kept eight-a-clock-hours Fame had never had them on Record as indeed Slug-abeds are seldome mentioned but with disparagement The Soul of the Sluggard saith Solomon desireth Pro. 13.4 and hath nothing but the Soul of the diligent man maketh fat Pro. 22.29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business saith the same he shall stand before Kings Adam in the state of Innocency must dress the Garden and after it was denounced against him In the sweat of thy Brows shalt thou eat thy Bread So the indisputable Precept is Labour Labour not saith our Saviour for the meat which perisheth John 6.27 but for that which indureth everlastingly Should we hear onely of Labour and not of Everlasting life we should be discouraged so should we hear of Labour and not of Prosit we could have little comfort in employment But shall we think Providence hath nimble feet if ours be slow Shall we eat and not work shall we think with the Lillies which neither spin nor labour our cloaths will grow upon us No let him that looks for profit take the pains Selymus the first Emperour of the Turks thought Victories unfinish'd if gotten in the Masters absence Just as in Military so it is in Civil affairs and that man may blush for shame who puts off his business to his servants doing nothing himself save by thoughts and verbal directions Julian the Emperour was ashamed any man should see him spit or sweat because he thought continual labour should have concocted and dryed up all such superfluities Caesar of his own accord exempting an Ancient man of ninety years from service the man having been accustomed to exercise and labour and was very lusty at that time supposing it a kinde of disgrace to be deem'd feeble and fearing sloth would shorten his days he counterfetied himself sick and keeping his bed his friends never left lamenting over their fained drooping kinsman till Caesar to satisfie their importunities and to hearten the old man caused him again to be inrolled one of his Souldiers Thus see how Heathens detested Idleness and shall we whom Christianity obliges to be diligent and watchful sit still Labour saith Cicero is a burden that man undergoeth with pleasure As brightness says Thales is to rustiness so excrcise excelleth idleness Eccl. 10.18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through I alledge not this against a mans imploying others in his affairs when their burthen is too heavy for him But I would have a Master Do as well as Direct for nothing doth more diminish his respect than to let his servant be sole Master of his Trade while himself is but Master to a Servant and in the mean while indulging an idle disposition he renders himself less honourable than his Man He must Labour but so forecast his business as to avoid what is too Solicitous or Vntimely For the First Hast makes a bad speed and Force gives all things ill The Lyons roar yet they suffer hunger while the Sheep have a Shepherd to provide for them a too sharp intention hinders the wise conduct of business He that 's hasty stumbles and is staid Nolens Volens To hurry is to be intangled whence it happens hast proves slow An over-ardent way in dealing is never without many indiscreet actions and wrongs Even in Play he that games passionately spoils his judgment and the more he troubles himself he loses He that walks moderately is always with himself and directeth his Concerns with the best advantage Therefore said a Wise Englishman Let 's stay a while that we may end the sooner The deliberate is always ready for a new change his Fair and softly goes quick and far Consideration saith Solon is enemy to all untimely attempts Consideration is the root of all noble things for by her we do attain to the end of all our hopes I would have my Citizen diligent but not passionate They are wofully mistaken who fancy business can never be performed well without clamour and noyse The Prudent man saith Solomon foreseeth the evil and hideth himself Pro. 23.3 but the simple pass on and are punish'd For the second or Vnseasonableness there is a time to eat a time to drink to sleep and to sport as well as labour Labour may be reckoned at Meat which out of time hurteth not nourishes What 's made to chear mans heart if unduly taken in perisheth the body It was the famous saying of Anacharsis the Scythian Philosopher Rule lust Temper the tongue and Bridle the belly Augustus Caesar's manner was to sit down when those who dined with him had half done and to rise up the first Next we must not by Labour commit Sacriledge we must not intrench on the Sabbath and make our Souls Feasts moveables Gods time is measur'd out by Inches ours by Ells since he hath so little allotted him let us not grudge and abridge it Be astonished and reformed at the Judgments which have faln so heavy on those in the memory of man who slighted the Seventh day and made no conscience to act according to their wicked and diabolical opinions How many have been drowned ventring to swim when they should be at Church wherein the secular Officers of the Church have been always to blame for minding no more to scour those places which all Summer long are so notorious for the multitudes of Youth who gather there and meet their deaths untimely and deservedly for trespassing and misimploying their time contrary to the Word and Laws of the Land in the ignorance of their