there shall I learne how to liue how to die for my Creator while she how to loue how to dye her colour different from what was giuen her by her Maker Hee that seeks to preuent that which cannot be auoyded flies into Adams groue to sconce himselfe from Gods iudgment I finde this approued when I labour to be exempted from the stroke of Death which can by no meanes be preuented whose doome as it is certaine so is his date vncertaine knocke he will but at what time I know not I will therefore so set all things in order before he come that he may finde me prouided when he comes I would be loth to be taken napping I will therefore so addresse my selfe euery houre that I may cheerfully embrace death in my last houre receiuing him not with feare as a guest that will be of necessitie harboured but with a friendly wellcome as one by whom I shall be to a secure harbour conducted Death as he is importunate so is he iminent fearefull to the rich but cheerefull to the poore for affliction breeds a loathing in liuing an accomplished content in dying knowing that there is an end of miserie apportioned by Death which was not granted to man during life I wish so to liue that my life may be an argument that I did liue sith life without employment the essence of mans life hath more affinitie with death than life As my God is Alpha and Omega being my Alpha begun in the kingdome of grace so he will be my Omega accomplished in the kingdom of glory the last day of my liuing the first day of my raigning the houre of my bodies discention into earth the houre of my soules ascention into heauen FINIS The heauenly Exercise of the fiue Sences couched in a diuine Poem LEt eye eare touch tast smell let euery Sence Employ it selfe to praise his prouidence Who gaue an eye to see but why was 't giuen To guide our feet on earth our soules to heauen An Eare to heare but what not iests o' th' time Vaine or prophane but melodie diuine A touch to feele but what griefes of our brother And t' haue a fellow feeling one of other A tast to relish what mans soueraigne blisse Come taste and see the Lord how sweet he is A smell to breath and what flowers that afford All choice content the odours of his word If our fiue Sences thus employed be We may our Sauiour smell tast touch heare see Vpon his Resolues MAy I resolue so my resolues expresse That th' world may see I am what I profess May Earth be my least care my heart on him Whose crosse's my crowne whose Sonne did salue my sin THE AVTHORS OPINION OF MARRIAGE Deliuered in a satisfying Character to his friend SIR as I am no Timon so am I no marriage-affecting Libertine I will labour therefore to satisfie your demands exactly making experience my directresse whose late familiaritie hath instructed me in this positiue Doctrine As it repenteth me not to know it now so it litle repenteth me not to haue knowne it before now for as the present estate adds to my content so my former want perhaps kept me from discontent I perceiue no such thing as bondage in marriage onely a restraint from Batchler-sensualitie which merits not the name of seruitude but libertie Vpon consideration had of two estates I account mariage concurring neerer with perfection and I ground my opinion vpon no worse probabilitie than the Arithmeticians maxime Numbers haue their beginning but not perfection from vnities yet exclude I not these two indiuidually vnited from that incomparable effect of marriage vnitie Content I finde more accomplished where mindes are consorting for singlenesse includes rather the condition of an Anchorite than of one affecting societie This better for procreation That for contemplation There is no felicitie if earth may be said to enioy it like a fellow-helper no fellow-helper equall to a faithfull bosom-friend I am neither for committing secrets nor concealing them till I finde an aptnesse to conceale or faith to reserue I finde Mysogenes opinion grosse and erroneous touching the secrecie of a woman a faithfull wife cannot chuse but be a good Secretarie Shee makes her husbands reputation her principall subiect and chuseth rather to dye than it should dye Her acquaintance is not popular nor craues shee rather to be seene what she weares than to be knowne what shee is Vertue is her best habit and her garnish is beholden more to Nature than Art shee affects no colours doing well without pretence of glory affecting what is good without desire of applause I haue bin in a strange error and it much repents me of it where imagination suggested to me wedlocke could not be without some aspersion of lust for I perceiue the sanctitie and puritie of the rite adds more to content than the outward delight it relisheth more of the Spirit than the flesh he that feeles an other effect in marriage he is more brutish than reasonable The best purchase is a good wife and the worst is her contrary I haue commended Arminius opinion and haue long embraced it whose conceit was so much remoued from the affection of marriage as he censured him dead to earths-comforts that tooke himselfe to any other bed-fellow than his owne minde to converse with but I exclaime now vpon that heresie I finde my minde strengthned by conference and that proceeds with best grace and consonance from a faithfull mate I will not trust her with my bodie whom I dare not make partner of my minde and though the excellencie of the one surpasse the frailtie of the other yet will I not commend the one where I dare not commit the other For frailtie of Sexes I conceiue how apt man is to iudge sinisterly of the weaker vessell and I impute it either to a want of Braines in that they cannot diue into the excellencie of so pure and exquisite a composition or some hard hap they haue had in making choice of such infirme creatures I haue found one though weake by condition yet firme in her affection making her resolues so vndoubtedly approued by him she loues as she hath vowed to engrosse her loue to none saue him she onely loues her content is so setled as she scornes to haue it diuided for she knowes that a heart diuided cānot liue She professeth her selfe to be not where shee liues but where she loues and the Adamant which drawes her to affection is the perswaded ground she intertaines of her husbands disposition which is too choice to be popular and too relenting not to be wonne as meere protestations were not of force to winne her so flatterie was too palpable a suter to woe her Content is worth a kingdome and my kingdome is my owne familie where I make euery day my account casting vp in the euening what I did in the day I thinke my day well bestowed if employed in the seruice of
ESSAIES VPON THE FIVE SENSES with a pithie one vpon DETRACTION Continued VVith sundry Christian Resolues full of passion and deuotion purposely composed for the zealously-disposed By RICH BRATHWAYT Esquire Mallem me esse quà m viuere mortuum LONDON Printed by E G for Richard Whittaker and are to be sold at his shop at the Kings head in Paules Church-yard 1620. TO THE RIGHT EMINENT FAVOVRER and furtherer of all noble and free-borne studies Sr HENRY YELUERTON Atturney Generall accomplished happinesse SIR I Haue long sought the expressioÌ„ of my thoughts which haue euer with all sinceritie tendred them yours but how infirme is conceit without further demonstration Loue is a deepe effect of the soule which vndiscouer'd struggles yea strangles herselfe till shee be deliuer'd I haue many times purposed to offer some vowes next to him whose diurnall prouidence if nought else should induce and his Maiestie whose Halcyon-raigne makes vs happy vnto your Selfe to giue argument of my loue the exquisite Idea of humane life and now haue I seconded what I intended though not in that perfection as my intirest wishes aymed It is a great defect and I haue noted it not in will but worke nor in purpose but power to see so many extended desires limit their issue to leane effects which fareth vsually to best-affected dispositions where affectionatest thoughts are buried in silence for want of a tongue to discouer them I will say nothing for much speech rather argues affectation than intimacie of affection here be certaine Essaies or Obseruations or what you will dilating vpon the fiue Senses whereto as to their proper Obiects and Subiects they are limited where you shall finde as questionlesse you haue found in your selfe the eares choicest harmonie to be Gods glory the eyes cleerest vision his contemplation the noses sweetest posie the odours of his mercy the tastes delightfull'st fullnes meditation of his goodnesse the Touches mouingst action the feeling of his Passion Many subiects I confesse excellently composed whose Title deriues their essence from Essaies but few restrained to these Obiects which the devout Father termes those windowes which open to all vnbounded libertie organs of weale or woe happy if rightly tempered sinister if without limit For in what erre wee and take not the occasion as primitiue source from one of these The fable of the Syrens had allusion to the eare of Ixion to the eye of Atalanta to the taste of Mirrha to the smell of Semele to the touch where the eare not temperately restrained was soone inchanted the eye lightly affected was to misery exposed the taste for want of due relishing foyled her that was vanquishing the smell too rankly breathing brought it selfe to perishing the touch too highly aspiring through her ambition fell to ruine These were excellent types and not vnbeseeming the purest and piercingst eye now it rests that I draw in my sailes least my gate be too great for my worke onely thus much I may confidently say If my Presumption err my thoughts replie It is my loue that errs it is not I. may I euer so direct my subiect as to render you content whose deseruing parts make me honour you more then that title of honour which is conferred on you vowing to rest Yours in duest obseruance Rich Brathwaite An aduertisement to the devout Reader vpon the vse of the fiue SENSES LEnd here thine eare of zealous attenâ—ion fixe here thine eye of inward contemplation that following the sauour of thy Sauiours oyntments and tasting how sweet he is in goodnes thou may vnfainedly be touched with remorse of conscience Farewell THESES OR Generall rules drawne by Art from the line of Nature tried by the touchstone of infallible experience and applied as obseruances to these present times hauing reference to the fiue Sences proper subiects to which they are restrained Of Seeing 1. ESSAY THough the eye of my bodie allude to the eye of my soule yet is the eye of my soule darkned by the eye of my bodie where sence inclines to concupiscence affection to affectation and that part the curious modell of the eye which ought of it selfe to be a directrice to all other Sences becomes the principall organ of error to the affections there is a motiue of thankfulnes in the eye of man more than in the eye of any other creature a muscle which lifteth the eye vpward whereas others be more depressed bending downeward Why should man then fix the eye of his delight on the creature hauing his eye made to looke vp to his Creator The eye of our bodie is like the orbe of the world it moueth in the head as the Sunne in the firmament take away the Sunne and there is darknes by the depriuation of the eye there ensueth blindnes Conceits by nature ripest are euer wandringst and the eye of all parts most eminent is to obiects of all kindes most extended though I gaze till mine eye be dazled yet is the desire of mine eye neuer satisfied as the eye of all other Sences is most needfull so of all others it is most hurtfull it findes an obiect of affection pretending Loue when her ayme is cleane contrary peruerted by lust there is no passage more easie for the entry of vice than by the cranie of the eye there shee hath first acceptance facilest entrance and assuredst continuance She hath first acceptance because by the eye first entertained facilest entrance because of all others easiest to be induced and assuredst continuance because once perswaded not to be by any motiue afterwards restrained There is nothing so litle that hath such diuersitie of operations attending it being moued by the obiect that it lookes vpon to loue or hate Passions of the minde receiue their greatest impression by the eye of the bodie and soonest are they allayed when the eye is most temperate If the eye chance to be restrained and want an obiect outwardly it makes it self a mirror represented inwardly and sometimes Narcissus-like doates for want of a substance on an imaginarie shadow it is iealous and that is the cause it is euer prying into others secrets He is a wise man that carries his eyes in his head making them his Sentinels but he is foolish that sends them out like spies to betray his soule to the obiects of vanitie I haue heard some wish that some space before their death they might be depriued of their sight inferring that the motions of the Soule were aptest for inward contemplation when the eye of the bodie was least conuersant in outward delectations It is true but why should the principallst motiue and organ of thanks-giuing be an occasion to the minde of erring I haue eyes to direct me by obiects outwardly mouing to the affections of the soule inwardly working It is against reason that the greater light should be extinguished by the lesser the eye of the soule by the eye of the bodie A candle burnes the darkest when the Sun beames shut out the brightest so
thoughts from such an vngenerous condition meane time as the intentions of my soule are grounded on a more setled foundation than the opinion of that monster-multitude so shall my studies euer be directed for the satisfactorie delight and profit of the generous I am now drawing from the world heauens forbid that I should proue such a seruile obseruer of the world as to prize her Fauours before my fortunes in an other world In briefe as I am now learning how to number my dayes so will I take a strict account of the expence of my howres that my dayes well numbred may bring me to the length of dayes neuer to be summed that my howres well expended may bring me to ioyes in that last howre neuer to be ended so shall those vertues which I haue in others admired moue me to imitation those vices which I haue obserued in others enforce in me a detestation Male de me loquuntur sed mali mouerer si de me M. Cato si Lelius sapiens si duo Scipiones ista loquerentur nunc malis displicere laudari est Seneca ad Galion de remed fortuit FINIS RESOLVES I Offered before the sacrifice of my teares now remaines the prosecution of my Resolues that as the first were symbols and signalls of my conuersion and contrition so the latter might be persuasiue motiues of my firmer resolution Dry be those teares of repentance which are not seconded by a zealous continuance sith the perfection of vertue is perseuerance and fruitlesse is that zeale which like the seede in the parable is either by the thornie cares of the world choaked by the heat of persecution parched or by stonie impenitencie and obduracie withered I will therefore by the power of him that made me so forme my Resolution that I may finde a comfortable friend in the day of my dissolution so shall the howre of my death be my convoy to life my Exit a conduct to a more glorious intrat my farewell on earth to my welfare in heauen reaping for what I sowed in teares in a plenteous haruest of ioyes Thus therefore I addresse my Resolues which I wish may be with like feruor receiued as they were composed ministring no lesse matter of consolation to the devout Reader then they did of mortification to the penitent Author I resolue to fix mine eye more intentiuely vpon my image that my forme may put me in minde of my former I haue conversed too long with the world I will fall from discourse to contemplation from talking with the world to contemplate him that made the world I will no longer put my candle vnder a bushell shrowding my soules lustre with my bodies couer but will display the eminence of the one by the basenes of the other Since it is not granted to man to loue and to be wise willingly will I incurre the opinion of vnwise to gaine the loue of him that is solely wise The most precious things haue euer the most pernicious keepers which I found too true when I made my bodie my soules guardian I will henceforth esteeme more highly of such a treasure than to commit it to the trust of a Traytor I haue obserued two Solstices in the Sunnes motion but none in times revolution I will redeeme therefore my time while opportunitie is offred for being past shee is not to be recalled I haue seene young mens loue end in lust old mens in dotage if ere I plant my affection I will so waine my selfe from the first that my chast youth may exempt me from the latter Elegantly expressed was that conceit of the Emperor Fortune hath somewhat of the nature of a woman that if she be too much wooed shee is the farther of I will thinke it therefore the best of fortune neither to be allured by her fawne nor deiected by her frowne for our indifferencie towards fortune makes vs most fortunate Excellent was that soueraigntie or regencie of Fortune attributed by Liuie to Cato Maior In whom saith he there appeared such abilitie both for constancie of minde and maturitie of wit as in what place soeuer he bore himselfe he seemed to be the moulder and maker of his owne fortune but I desire no such transcendencie more haue fallen through the height of successe than for the want of meanes This is my wish to enioy no other meanes than my Sauiour who makes meanes for me to his Father I haue wondred at the strict accounts betwixt man and man while Man the image of his Creator forgets his accounts due to God by man I resolue therefore to make the Euening the summer vp of the day and morning that my daily Memorandums may direct me in my reckning when I shall come to be accomptant for my dispensing In my childhood I wished time after time to please my waggish fancie now is my wish extended to the length of time resoluing to liue to my fathers glory It grieues mee when I call to minde how those many howres of vanitie which did once delight me shall be produced as so many witnesses to condemne me yet am I cheered with this Resolue that He who moued me to this remorce for my sin will not suffer me to make relapse into sin nor will pronounce the iudgment of death on me for my former sin Grieuous sinnes require grieuous sighes I will passe therefore the remainder of my time in lamenting as I spent the prime of my time in transgressing so shall my teares witnesse my contrition my retire from the world my conuersion that in both I may adde to my soules glory by wayning my bodie from the conceit of her beauty Ech thing we see in her kinde and nature yet man by sin a priuitiue degenerates from his nature primitiue opposing himselfe by transgressing his law that made him for himselfe I haue heard many call this life a Pilgrimage yet did they liue in it as if it had bin the sole hope of their inheritance I resolue therefore to take in hand the actiue part and leaue the discursiue doe before I speake practise mortification before I prattle of it so shall my discourse be powerfull subsisting in the worke not word not externall or for fashion but in essence and operation I haue oftentimes entred into discourse with my selfe making the scope thereof venite abite I contemplated withall the happinesse of those fiue Virgins receiued the miserie of those fiue reiected reasoning with my selfe what this should meane and I found that no entry was admitted where the oyle of grace was not infused and that the heauenly Bridegroome will be by vs watchfully attended ere we be by him gloriously receiued I resolued therefore to prepare a Wedding garment to adorne me a Lampe full of oyle to lighten me and a trustie friend to direct me the garment of humilitie the oyle of charitie and my friendly conscience within me I haue wondred at some mens humors whose chiefest discourse was euer bent on their owne commendations
my Creator and my conclusion is this I will be none of that familie which is not carefull of promoting Gods glory Marriage-melodie should haue no concurrence with diuisions though Musique be graced by it marriage distasts it I haue wondred how two distinct bodies can be so inseparably vnited and I perceiue the strange and indeed vnsearchable effects of marriage which consists not so much in the ioyning hands as hearts There is a sympathie equally working equally mouing in the parties louing nor is it beauty or any externall motiue so much enchaineth as a sacred-secret infusion conceiued by an holy and heauenly influence induceth I haue heard how that When the Hawthorne springs and the Cuckow sings Actaeons head with hornets rings it is true indeed ielousie is such a self-consuming vermin as it neuer rests day nor night from feeding her suspitious head with fruitlesse and friuolous doubts but I would not haue one subiect to this miserable phrensie betake himselfe to such fuell of Ielousie as a woman for my part as I was neuer capable of such vaine suspect so conclude I euer I had rather be one and thinke me none than be none and thinke me one contenting my selfe with a generall fate rather than incurre disquiet by my owne default which that glory of Graece the euer-liuing Homer seemes wittily to glance at in the person of Telemachus Babe saith my Dade but he may say amisse For ought that I know I am none of his Yet I reply with Dade but that 's all one I may mistake my Syre and he his Sonne There is no order so ancient nor more maligned honour hath many times correspondence with her and forraine Marchants may be confident their Pinnace is entitled to many Factors Stratta Iulia had neuer more Brothels in her then shee hath clamorous Suters attending on her yet what cannot resolued patience beare my Aduice is to him whose suspition hath already pronounced him horne-mad to make vse of Ithacus counsell to Andromache in behalfe of her tender infant Astyanax Conceale him that 's the best meanes to saue him Oft-times iealousie publisheth mans shame more then the occasion of his shame A wise-man will rather conceaue and conceale then disclose his conceit to others report The best of reputation is grounded on opinion free from Suspition and he is an egregious Wittall that loues to watch oportunity to adde to his discontent my eyes are no such Sentinalls charity bids me iudge the best and I wil rather expound my Wiues secret parly some instructiōs of huswifery then motiues of peruerted Liberty I haue somtimes wondred at the folly of Hans Caruiles dreame applying to my selfe the vse that I might better auoyde the end where euery fained and imagainarie conceit argues an Apparancie of act but I doubt not such Bugbeares they are terrors to Suspicious heads Scarcrowes to addle Braines Beautie shall neuer be such an Idoll as to enforce my Adoration or so bewitching a Hagge as to enthrall me to Suspicion As a safe conscience is a perpetuall friend to sticke neere vs a continuall feast to cheare vs and a Brasen wall to shield vs so is a faithfull Bosome-friend the Louingst companion the dearest minion and the indiuidualst Vnion a Companion to refresh vs a Minion to delight vs and such an Vnion as will inseparably ioyne vs. I little weigh the Woman-haters of our Age whose subiect is euer in dispraise of woman they shew the vnworthinesse of their Nature in Satyrizing vpon the weaker As chastity is rare and incomparable Marriage-state hath beene euer deemed honourable He that will not marrie will not withdraw his eyes from vanity let him burne Such obiects are either Subiects of loue or lust if of Loue then happy is the Louer if of lust miserable is the beholder I remember that noble Matrons Motto Where thou art Caius I am Caia and I make no question of the like choyce I haue read of diuers women who as they were delightfull to their Husbands in bed boord so added they delight to the labouring Inuentions of their braine Such a one enioyed Cato in his Portia Seneca in his Paulina Mar. Antonie in his Octauia yea the best labours haue beene illustrated if not originally composed by married women witnesse those diuine Poems reduced to Centons by Theodosia daughter to the Emperour Theodosius the royall compositions of Lucane the sententious measures of Ennius the tragicke odes of Aristobulus which labours though they retaine the names of these Authors were reuised and refined by Women I perceiue the wisest may erre and Salomon himselfe may faile in his iudgement making this Interrogation But as for a good women where is she to be found but his question imported rather a difficulty then an Impossibility which hee had some cause to speake seeing women were the cause of his Idolatry A Goodman must of necessity make his wife of like quality She is casten in his mould let him blame himselfe then if she be not good Beautie is one of the least motiues to fancy who more admires a smooth skin than a sound minde may gaine content in his wiues prime but shall loose it in her age I care not how poore her outside be so her inside be pure I neuer set my affection on Marriage to strengthen me with friendship my ayme was the woman and the grounds of my loue were her minds indowments I sought not in her what the Gallant seeks in his a minc'd speech a ginger pace or a drawing eye I found her speech able to deliuer her meaning her pace quicke enough in her employing and her eye too modest to loue gadding A good wife is the best portion nor consists this her goodnesse onely in proportion she that is onely outward faire deserues more to be loathed than loued despised than preased A case beautifies the instrument but adds nothing to her accent and goodnesse is more continuate than beauty I could neuer approue of that shape which deriues her beauty from the shop there is an innate decencie that better becomes vs and aboue all comparison doth better grace vs It is not toyes tyres dressings but a personall comelinesse adds honor to our clothing I haue much admired at mans follie whose commendations onely extend to what they weare not what they are I will neuer tye my selfe to such impertinences nor can with iudgement esteeme the rinde for comely where the pith relisheth corruptly It is not worth our praise to say such an one is faire that is no qualitie but an adiunct giue me one good I much weigh not any other attribute for Good is a better attribute than Faire As I haue chosen so I repent me not of my choice I haue planted my resolution thus nor hope I to alter it The strange woman shall not allure me nor the Courts-idol a painted face inveagle me I am now for one and that one is all me thinks Marriage as it is a type betwixt Christ