benefit of that fraught to this Iland where shee was first bred and now arrived Doe yee itch after Fashion Shee is for you yet not that which the vanity of this Age admits but what Modesty onely affects Shee hath observed much in forraine Courts which deserv'd rather Contempt than Imitation this shee would not for a world introduce into a well-govern'd State so tender shee is of her Fame as no place nor person shall derive from her the least staine Whatsoever shee hath commendably seene is no lesse fully than faithfully showne and with that temporate style drawne as in every line some one precept of Vertue seemes to shine Neither in this her strict or serious Observation of Times doth shee resemble those Lamiae who use to take their eyes with them when they goe abroad but lye them aside when they come home No so little doth shee favour her selfe as shee preferres others Censures before her owne and in no one particular so much expresseth her owne true glory as in the constant practise of Humility Hence it is that shee is no curious Pryer into others actions nor too censorious a Reproover of others Directions being indeed a TYRESIAS in the eying or deâ—scrying of others errors an ARGVS in her owne What is good and amiable in the eye of vertue shee embraceth with an affectionate tender making it her highest honour to promote the glory of her Maker But lest by being too serious shee might become tedious shee will not sticke to walke abroad with you into more pleasing groves or pastures of Delight where shee will converse with you of Love and intermixe her Discourse with such time-beguiling Tales as variety shall no lesse sharpen your attention then the modesty of her Method beget admiration Every subject shee treats of you shall find so equally tempered with profit and delight as the one shall no lesse benefit your mind than the other solace your eare Shee can reprove without gall blush without guilt love without guile live without gaine Her gaine is to purchase vertue more followers her guile to deprive the world of her favourers her guilt to defeat all vitious pioners her gall to dis-relish all Voluptuous practisers Shee can discourse of Love without lightnesse converse with Love without loosenesse and consort with those shee loves without lewdnesse She knowes how to reteine a seemely state without pride to expresse her selfe praise-worthy without selfe-praise and in all her actions to make Vertue her highest prize Humility which is the princesse of Vertues the conqueresse of Vices the mirror of Virgins and Crowne of Christians shee so much honours as shee values it above all humane glory whence it is that shee hath ever reapt more spirituall profit by dis-esteeme then selfe-esteeme Day by day shee recreates her selfe in her Garden of good-will and in her recreation shee makes this her soule-solacing Meditation Who bee they that neighbour neare mee and whose weake estates stand in need of mee Concluding with this charitable resolution There is none so poore but to my power I will relieve so long as I live for the honour of his Image whom I love Shee divides her day into houres her houres into holy taskes Employment takes away all occasions of distraction Should shee suffer a light or indisposed thought to worke upon her imagination or give way to any such intruder to disturbe the peace of her inward house shee would endure her selfe worse for many yeares and inflict upon her extravagant affections such a censure as might deterre them thenceforth to wander Shee distates none more than these busie house-wives who are ever running into discourse of others families but forget their owne Neither holds shee it sufficient to bee onely an House-keeper or Snayle-like to bee still under roofe shee partakes therefore of the Pismire in providing of the Sareptan widow in disposing holding ever an absent providence better then an improvident presence Shee is no common Frequenter of publike feasts but if neighbour-hood require it shee will admit of it wherein shee demeanes her selfe so civilly as there is no discreet person but joyes in her society There is nothing must beget in her a distemper having ever a tender eye o're her honour In the report of others praises shee is attentive but deafe to her owne Bee shee in places of publike resort or privately retyr'd shee ever enjoyes her selfe neither can excesse of birth transport her or any crosse occurrent much perplexe her There is nought that aliens her mind more from those with whom shee consorts then an immodest discourse which shee interrupts with a discreet anger Wheresoever shee sets her rest she makes Vertue her guest whom shee entertaines with so sweet an embrace as nothing can divide them so firme and inviolable is the league that is betwixt them Shee conceives no small delight in Educating the young and unexperienced Damsels of your sexe wherein shee reteines an excellent faculty and facility It shall not bee amisse therefore for you who have Daughters to recommend them to her direction whose government is such as neither her too much indulgence shall spoyle them nor restraint dull them Whatsoever shee in many yeares hath learned so desirous is shee to benefit where her Observations may afford profit shee is willing to impart to the end shee may procure Her more servants whom shee religiously hath ever vow'd to serve Long hath shee beene a Learner neither is shee asham'd to bee so still Onely for Vertues honour is shee become a Teacher that the Younger may bee instructed by those that are Elder the undisciplin'd by such as are riper Neither shall you find her show in performing what shee hath so perfectly learned For her very Life is a continued line of Direction being solely dedicated to a vertuous profession Saint Cyprian did sharpely reprove a rich woman for comming into the Lords Temple without her Oblation But this reproofe shee would bee loath justly to incurre therefore shee goes better prepar'd that her portion of Glory may bee sooner shar'd having an Oblation in her hand Devotion in her heart and a Crowne of Consolation in hope You then who love modesty entertaine her for shee will sort well with your humour and through her acquaintance improve your honour For such who sacrifice the Morne to their Glasse the Afternoone to the Stage and Evening to revelling shee holds no correspondence with them These shee holds for no imployments nor the Professors of them worthy her knowledge They must not abuse time that are commended to her trust Shee is not so weary of time neither doth shee so disvalue it as with such impertinences to consume it Those likewise who preferre Fashion before Decency formall Punto'es before reall Formality and will suffer themselves to bee deluded by Vanity they must not bee admitted into her family Shee hath learned better things than to foole her selfe in a painted disguise or to labour of that Vniversall disease which the corruption of a
one straid thought wrong your Maiden-modesty so much as to suggest to you a straine of light-nesse Other Closet-treaties you may entertaine safely and freely without touch of modesty As to thinke of the honour of that State to which you are approaching the mutuall Comfort from that mysterious union arising how griefes will bee attempered by one anothers suffering how joyes will bee augmented by one anothers sharing These thoughts cannot but well become you nor otherwise chuse than with a pure affection inflame you nor receive lesse than free acceptance from you Thus may that Love which seem'd before to have beene as chilled by these modest motives bee cheered That day no blacke Cloud should by right sit on your faire brow no cold dampe seaze on your heart You have got one whom a sacred gage hath made yours with a cheerfull requitall render your selfe his This cannot choose but highly please the pure eye of heaven to see that Mysterie so sweetly solemniz'd which was honoured by Christ with his first Miracle on Earth IN this last branch of our Observation wee are to propose an attemperament of both those indisposed Fancies before mentioned and deservedly taxed First the wildenesse of the one secondly the coolenesse of the other by seasoning them both with an indifferent temper In a Vine wilde and luxurious branches are to bee pruned that such as are free and kindly may bee better cherished In the spirituall field of your heart is never to bee expected any fruitfull increase of vertues till there be weeded out of it all the thornes of vices The difference betwixt a wise and wild Love is this the one ever deliberates before it love the other loves before it deliberate The first question that shee askes who wisely loves Is hee who is here recommended to my choyce of good repute Is hee rich in the endowments of his minde Next question shee askes are of a lower siege May his personage give content Are his fortunes such as may not beget in love a contempt Thus beginnes shee that loves wisely with goods inward and ends with outward whereas shee that loves wildly beginnes with outward and ends or else never remembers the inward Is hee you tender to mee of promising personage Is hee neat in his cloathes Complete in his his dresse Can he Court mee in good words and perfume them with sweet protests Can hee usher me gracefully in the street and in very pace expresse a reserved state Next question shee askes must bee neare the same verge Is hee rich in Manors Hath not fortune made him a younger brother Can hee to buy himselfe honour pawne the Long-acre May his swelling means furnish me of Coach Caroach and daily fit mee for some Exchange trifles I have a moneths mind to see the man Hee cannot but deserve my love Wherein shee sayes well for in very deed hee could deserve little else Now as the former seldome bestowes her selfe but where shee findes content so the latter seldome or never but either shee with her Choyce or her Choyce with her falls into contempt The reason is this wilde Girle never cares for more than to bee married If shee may but see that day it accomplisheth her content though shee have but one Comicall day all her life Yea it is as well as can bee expected from her hands if shee attaine that style without some apparant soile Such as these I could wish to prevent the worst they were married betime lest they marre themselves before time Albeit moderate restraint seasonable advice presupposing some seeds of grace to worke on have wrought singular effects in many of these wilde-ones who afterwards became grave and modest Matrons To you then kind-hearts am I to recommend some necessary cautions which carefully observed may make you wiser than you thought of and cause you have a tender care of that which before you had never mind of Your brests are unlock'd your tongues unty'd you cannot love but you must shew it nor conceive a kinde thought but you must tell it The Index of your hearts you carry both in your tongues and eyes for shame learne silence in the one and secrecy in the other Will you give power to an insulting Lover to triumph over your weakenesse or which is worse to worke on the opportunity of your lightnesse Doe not rather ramme up those portells which betray you to your enemy and prevent his entry by your vigilancy Keepe home and stray not lest by gadding abroad you incurre Dinahs fate You have Consorts of your owne sexe to passe time withall their society will teach you to forget what is better forgot than kept Let not a straid thought betray your innocency Checke your madding Fancy and if it use resistance curbe it with restraint It will doe excellently well if you forbeare to resort to places of publike meeting till you have drawne up and seal'd a Covenant with your eyes to see naught that they may not lawfully covet These when they wander they breed in the heart a dangerous distemper Lastly addresse your imployment ever to something that is good so shall your fantasie finde nought to worke upon that is ill This shall afford you more liberty than the whole worlds freedome can afford you Now to you Coy ones whom either coldnesse of nature hath benummed or coynesse hath made subtill to dissemble it You can looke and like and turne another way where you like most No object of love can take you till it overtake you Bee not wise too much True affection cannot endure such dissimulation Divide not him whom you love into such extremes you may be modest and spare a great deale of this Coynesse It is the rule of Charity to doe as you would bee done to Now would it content you to bee entertained with disdaine where your deserts merit acceptance Rectifie this then in your selves which you would not have done by another to your selves It is an ill requitall to recompence fancy with contempt or constant love with disdaine This were to incurre ingratitude a vice so odious as no age could finde ever ought more uncivilly impious I do not move you to bee too open-hearted or if so not too liberally to expresse it this were no discovery of fancy but folly So conceale and smoothly palliate your love as your lover may not despaire of all hope to obtaine your love Indifferent Curtsies you may shew without lightnesse and receive them too in lieu of thankfulnesse I leave it to your discretion to distinguish times and places for these may either improve or impaire the opportunity of such like Curtsies Doe not immure your beauties as if a jealousie of your owne weaknesse had necessitated this restraint There can bee no Conquest where there is no Contest Converse with love conceit with your selves whom you could like This your cooler temper may admit and still reteine that liberty which is fit Falconers use many meanes to make their Hawks sharpe they
being noble and generous which I have not carefully discharged Were your eyes ever witnesses of any loose or light affection to which I too pliably inclined Or have you at any time observed mee so lightly credulous as constantly to affect what was transitively commended Have you ever knowne me sacrifice my Lampe to the Idoll of an undeserving love Or melted into passion to display the least impression of that love Or flattered that Love with any forced hyperbole or passionate line Or with folded armes past over a tedious houre with an amorous redoubling of A Mees How fares it then you should so rashly conceit what prejudicate report had so lightly dispersed No believe it had it beene my unhappy fate to have engag'd my faith to such a staine or darkened my discretion with such a foile or interchang'd my present happy estate with such a blemish of her Sexe I would have razed out my TITLE and expos'd my selfe a contemptible Subject to all people Besides all this I verily thinke I should have turn'd true Courtier and made it my perpetuall Progresse never to lye with her This did not a little revive me to heare him so constantly expresse himselfe Being therefore thus freed from what I feared I desired nothing more than to search out the occasion of this feare Where I perceived that a Mercenarie Meretrician who had taken upon her the state and stile of Gentlewoman with more impudence than became her sexe had challenged acquaintance of my Gentleman which though his Modesty did distaste his Civility would not altogether reject but permitted her like a thing of Sale to lye apart from him on the open Stall This propinquity of lying or contiguity of lodging begot a groundlesse probability of their Loving But how farre his affection was estranged from her shall appeare by the entertainment hee gave to this Gentlewoman whom wee here tender upon whose arrivall hee expressed the true ground of his affection after this manner With a chast Embrace of true Conjugall love you are welcome Let it not amate you nor lessen my former esteeme with you in that Report hath blaz'd me forgetfull of you by preferring an undeserving Choice before you Fame were not her selfe if all the grounds of her reports were truth Indeed if either Titles could have drawne me or Mercenarie respects seaz'd on me I had bin neither yours nor mine owne for in being lesse than yours I could not possibly have beene mine owne But tell me my vertuous Choice did you ever know me either taken with Titles or deluded with Showes Here is one indeed who intrusively and with lesse modesty than became her Sexe pressed my acquaintance but could her forwardnesse worke upon my affection or leave with it the least retentive impression No should I chuse againe as now my Choice admits no Change I should equally prize the love of a Wench too forward and of one too froward and entertaine them both with that indifferent respect as neither the forwardnesse of the one should beget in mee a desire of winning nor the frowardnesse of the other move me to spin out my time in fruitlesse wooing Indeed I was seated in a warmer clime than where you resided The South was my seate while the North was your nest yet could not that Clime make me discontinue my claime Coole is that love which either ayre can distemper or distance of place dissever or any disastrous occurrent alter You know what pledge I left you nor did I ever since engage it to any but you Never shall you find me any such Paphlagonian Partridge as to have two hearts It is not title but substance I affect Your Vertues were my first motives of affection I did not eye your Descent though nobly eminent nor those outward accomplishments of yours incomparably excellent nor your Fortunes in a worldings eye highly consequent These I confesse might produce rare effects in such whose conceits onely worke on outward objects Mine eye was fixed in an higher Spheere Spheered in a more glorious Orbe What I observed in you did so enamour me as I preferred that inward faire which did so truely grace you farre above those outward ornaments which did superficially adorn you Could you imagine then that a forraine beauty could engage me or a simpring civilized thing whose best habilliments were borrowed and whose very complexion like a Bee in a box preserved should so weane me from what I deservingly fancied as to become affianced to her whose exposed liberty had made her publickly suspected No I never distinguished true merit by any of these Being such weake supports as should any one relye on them they would faile them if not fall under them But mildly tempered shall my construction be of my deare Loves suspect I perswade my selfe it was a surpassing affection that first begot this Conceit which now sweetly allayed and attempered by reason will admit of no such feare seeing discreet fancie cannot dispence with faith nor â—hat faith incline to any separation till enforced by an inevitable fate With these and such like amorous regreets mixt with other variety of choice discourse they entertained time while shee now safely seaz'd of him shee solely lov'd and in whom her desires were fully cloz'd importunatly sought rather out of an apprehension of love than feare as what Creature more impatient of a Corrivall or more solicitous of revenge in the quest of love than a woman to know the true ground of that report which rumor had dispersed that any other should bee interessed in his love whom so constant and continuate an affection had confirmed hers Wherein hee fully resolved her by relating unto her how amongst other impertinent Pasquils usually foisted and wherewith publick Presses are frequently farced which begets in our age such a surfeite as more learned labours become dis-rellished and the surquedry of wit onely affected a young Gentlewoman whose ungenerous parts scarcely deserved that title had by a secret or surreptitious claime made challenge unto him but never durst to that day professe any such thing publikely before him which hee so sleighted as his thoughts never deigned to stoope to so low a lure having long before on a purer Object fixed his love and to her sacred shrine sacrificed the remaines of his life This relation so cleared her from the least thought of suspicion as it added now strength to her already-sufficiently strengthened affection Equally communicated became their joyes sociably attempered became their griefes No sorrow could worke so violently nor breake forth so passionately which the sweet union and communion of their concording mindes could not qualifie No Solace could transport them so highly nor seaze on them so hotly wherein with joynt affections they did not partake mutually and which with a vertuous temper they allayed not mildly Thus were they individually plighted thus are they inseparably placed mutually pleased immutably planted equally solaced and now to the publike view of the world solemnely united
Motto's or Imprezes to imbellish these SECT 4. THeir Continency in assaults Sundry Historicall Emblemes of Beasts and Birds illustrating this Subject How an unaffected reservancy suites best with Conjugall Fancy Age becomes rather an object of pity then fancy to the eye of youth SECT 5. THeir Modesty in Count'nance Habit and Expression of affection Candid thoughts are ever most legible in the eyes Piety receives scandall from the Count'nance and Chastity treason from the Eye by conveighing treacherous thoughts to the heart Imitation of forrain Habits begets in us a dis-esteeme with Forrainers More advantage in dispatch then delay Delay gives way to Corrivals Fancy when it falls remisse in pursuit it produceth cold fruit A Pleasant old prophesie of aged fancy A Presidentall Love-letter SECT 6. THeir violence upon such as were Corrivals in their Choice A parallel betwixt the River Himetus and the disposition of a woman with the reasons of this Allusion A Womans disposition bounds upon two extreames Boundlesse Love Or Endlesse Hate No receit more soveraigne then the one No deceit more subtile then the other One of the best policies in a Christian is to delude a wily wanton and decline the fury of a jealous woman Disparity of Years Fortunes or Descent ever begets in the Parties married most discontent A Similitude suiting well with the temper of a stale Batchler SECT 7. THeir modest Defence Though Cruelty admit no Apology yet when too impressive a fancy occasions this Cruelty it merits rather the title of a distracted phrensy then an affected Cruelty Love when it falls into these Extreames is more apt to expostulate with Passion then Reason A memorable Example in this kind Degenerate and creeping spirits are ever promptest to taxe the weaker sexe of errors Their censorious Objections retorted and with a merry story requited Womens Inventions discover no such lightnesse in their Love-Imprezes and Poesies as more masculine spirits usually doe in their devices An Arabicke resolution to this Question Why a woman might not as properly wooe man as man woman None but proud Pharisees were ever known to winke at the approach of women And these though they had sealed eyes they had seeing and stealing hearts SECT 8. THeir witty Aphorismes Apothegms and Answers Obscene Pasquils detract from the style and state of serious Aphorismes These divine and Morall Aphorismes were not onely delivered by them but personated in them in their Humility Contentment Charity Patience Continency Abstinence and Industry Their excellent Rules delivered unto others for the better regiment of their thoughts words and workes SECT 9. THeir Eminent Labours and how they were Assistants in the exquisitest Workes that have beene formerly composed either for History or Poesie And all this ennobled by memorable patterns and Professors in all ages where zeale of goodnesse was such a glorious Ambition as it could never be too aspiring The discreet Reply of a wife to her husbands assertion How all inferiour blessings were comprised in this three-fold dimension 1. To have a wife of his owne chusing 2. To have an Orchard of his owne planting 3. To have a child of his owne begetting Nuptiall delights are more perpetuate because with goodnesse dignifi'd Whatsoever reteines in it selfe a proclivity to declining cannot conceive much felicity in the enjoying Whereas these On goodnesse not on greatnesse cast their care â—Shee's truly noble that is Vertues heire Consorts inwardly beautifi'd are the choicest Companions for Closet Casket Carpet And this authorized with ancient and moderne instances The ingenious contest of three Gentlemen touching their fruition of happinesse in their choice with answers to each others Imprezes Discreet women sort themselves to their choice in each condition whether they be Old-mens Nurses or Young-mens Mistresses Though they be young Brides they will performe the offices of old Nurses And being young-mens Mistresses they can shew a modest freedome without squeamish precisenesse Their pleasant Love-posies to their loyall Consorts No Learning shewes more lustre then when enshrined in the bosome of a woman No Eloquence leaves a deeper Impressure then when delivered by the tongue of a Woman Their Silence an implying Eloquence Their Defence in the disposition of every Sense to the improvement of their honour against the opposition of every Critick feminine Censor He addresseth his Conclusion to all such worthy women whose vertuous lives promise a glorious Evening And with a recollection of every Subject formerly handled recommends them to their usefull Observance His Labours to their gracefull Acceptance A Sonnet LADIES yee that would be faire I a Cerusse can prepare Will make you clearer then the ayre 'T is such choice and precious ware Hold your purse it costs you nought 'T is in no shop to be bought Worth an Empire seldome sought Being from Elysium brought Have yee rivels in your face Want yee love-spots for a grace Want yee borders edging lace Favour feature posture pace Would yee ever be in fashion Vye inventions with our Nation In your Treaties move compassion Suite your persons to occasion Would yee make Affection flye From your love-attractive eye To intrance the Standers by Wishing there to live and dye Would yee fixe in Fancies Spheare Or enjoy your onely Deare And no sly Corrivall feare Apt to undermine you there Would yee feed on such choice food As enliveneth the blood Purging ill infusing good A rare Conserve for Woman-hood Would yee Courtly measures tread On the flowry-checker'd Mead Would yee no Love-powders need Would yee in your seed succeed Would yee love and feele no heat That may wrong chaste Delia's Seat Would yee in rich language treat Without Envie become great Here is ONE will make you fit Both for Lineament and Wit As yee cannot chuse but hit The Marke that may accomplish it Here is ONE will fancy move And such a Tyre-woman prove In the Discipline of love As ne're was such a Turtle-dove Poore shee is yet is shee pure VERTVE her name her only lure A constant care a carefull cure To make her loyall Lovers sure This 't is will cheere your amorous braines like Nectar And crowne you happy Schollers in Loves-Lecture THE TURTLES TRIVMPH PRESENTED IN A SVPPLEMENT HIGHLY CONDVCING to an usefull Application and gracefull Reconciliation of the two former Subjects Continued by Ri. Brathwait Esquire LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson INTENTISSIMO VIRO PVBLICAE SALVTIS STVDIOSISSIMO IOHANNI BANKS MILITI ATTVRNATO AVGVSTISSIMI REGIS GENERALI R. B. PARNASSIDVM HVMILLIMVS OBSERVANTIAE VESTRAE DEDITISSIMVS HEROINAM HANC CORONIDEM LEGALI IVGO SPONSALI VOTO GENIALI THORO CONJVNCTAM D. D. D. A SVPPLEMENT HIGHLY CONDVCING to an usefull Application and gracefull Reconciliation of the two former Subjects LOng time have these two affectionate Consorts beene divided now at last it is their happinesse to become united To confirme their Loves which they have vowed to remain inviolably firme to their expired Lives wee are to propose such necessary Observances as may prevent all occasion of distrust and
from whence they first came If the Pagan had such a divine conceit of those whose approved life represented a certaine similitude or resemblance of God as he imagined no glory could be wanting to them in regard of their integrity let us embrace the like opinion and expresse such apparent demonstrations of sanctitie that as wee exceed the Pagan in regard of that precious light we enjoy so wee may exceed him in the conversation of the life we lead But how should these painted Sepulchers whose adulterate shape tastes of the shop glorying in a borrowed beauty ever meditate of these things How should their care extend to heaven whose Basiliske eyes are only fixed on the vanities of earth How should that painted blush that Iewish confection blush for her sinne whose impudent face hath out-faced shame Two Loves saith that learned Bishop of Hippo make two Cities Hierusalem is made by the love of God but Babylon by the love of the world And these are they who engaged to wordly love have forsaken their true love they have divided their hearts and estranged their affections from that Supreme or Soveraigne good O then Young men come not neere the gate of this strange woman whose feet goe downe to death and whose steps take hold on hell This is the woman with an Harlots behaviour and subtill in heart This is shee who hath dâ—ckt her bed with ornaments carpets and laces of Aegypts and perfuming her Bed with myrrhe Aloes and Cynamon Take heed thou sing not Lysimachus song The pleasure of fornication is short but the punishement of the fornicator eternall But of this Subject we are more amply to treat hereafter onely my exhortation is to Youth whose illimited desires tend ever to his ruine that if at any time it bee your fortune to encounter with these infectious ulcers these sin-soothing and soule-soiling Lepers and they like that whorish woman in the Proverbs invite you to their lothed daliance saying Come let us take our fill of love untill the morning Come let us take our pleasure in daliance that you shake off these vipers at the first assault and prevent the occasion when it first offers it selfe For know that which a devout and learned Father saith concerning the dangerous Habit of sinne is most true Prima est quasi titillatio delectationis in corde secunda consensio tertium factum quarta consuetudo Sinne begins with an â—ith but ends with a skar The first degree begins with delight the second with consent the third with act and the fourth with custome Thus sinne by degrees in men of all degrees like a broad-spreading tetter runnes over the whole beauty of a precious soule exposing the fruits of the spirit to be corrupted by the suggestion of the flesh But too farre I feare me have I digressed from this last branch whereof I was to discourse to wit of Habit or Attire albeit I have enlarged my selfe in nothing which may seeme altogether impertinent to our present purpose For discoursing of the vanity of women whose phantasticke Habits are daily Theames in publicke Theatres I imagined it a necessary point to insist upon partly to disswade those Shee-painters of this flourishing Iland from so base and prostitute practice Base for Festus Pompeius saith that common and base whores called Schaenicolae used dawbing of themselves though with the vilest stuffe Partly to bring a loathing of them in the conceit of all yong Gentlemen whose best promising parts use often to be corrupted by their inchantmens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. there is one flower to bee loved of women a good red which is shamefastnesse Saint Hierome to Marcella saith that those women are matter of scandall to Christian eyes Quae purpurisso quibusdam fucis ora oculosque depingunt I might here likewise justly tax such effeminate Youths whose womanish disposition hath begot in them a love to this hatefull profession but I will onely use Diogenes speech which hee made to one that had anointed his haires Cave ne capitis suaveolentia vitae maleolentiam adducat Or that saying hee used to a Youth too curiously and effeminately drest If thou goest to men all this is but in vaine if unto women it is wicked So as being asked a question of a Young man very neatly and finely apparelled he said hee would not answer him till he put off his apparell to see whether he were a man or a woman There is another Objection which I imagine Youth will alledge to prove how expedient it is for him to bee choice or curious in respect of apparell It gaines him more acceptance and esteeme with men of eminent place But hearken how the Apostle opposeth himselfe to this reproving such whose judgement consists in the eye rather than in the braine proceeding thus If there come into your company a man with a gold-ring and in goodly apparell and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment and ye have a respect to him that weareth the gay cloathing and say unto him Sit thou here in a goodly place and say unto the poore Stand thou there or sit here under my foot-stoole Are yee not partiall in your selves and are become judges of evill thoughts So as howsoever these diffident wordlings Annulo maegis credunt quam animo It is not the Habit but the heart which God accepts yet most acceptable is that Habit which is not so sumptuous as seemely not so costly as comely True indeed it is that the popular eye which cannot distinguish of the inward beauty but observeth rather what wee weare than what wee are admires nothing more than the outward Habit as wee may reade how much Herod being arrayed in royall apparell was applauded by the people who gave a shout saying The voice of God and not of man But that All-seeing and All-scearching eare of the Divine Majesty seeth not as man seeth Hee prefers Lazarus rags before Dives robes Though the one bee clothed in purple and â—ine linnen and the other seeme despicable in the eye of the world in respect of his Nakednesse yet mortua necessitate peribunt opera necessitatis the one is translated to glory boundlesse the other to misery endlesse for this sorrow which hee here felt ended when he did end but the joy which he obtained exceeded all end Thus farre have I laboured to answer all such objections as might bee proposed in defence of this generall-approved vanity concluding Quod peccata Sericea teterrima sunt vitia No sinnes like to silken sinnes for they ever crave impunity the foster-mother of all impiety I intend yet to proceed in decyphering the lightnesse of Youth by expressing three grand Maladies incident to Youth whereof I purpose to dilate particularly to move the Young man to be more cautelous of his wayes in the mazie Labyrinth of this life These three for all the rest may be
in the world by commerce at home and abroad are excluded from this affinity For there are many as wee are to be charitably perswaded who live in the world and have to doe with the world yet are not of the world that is are not so affected to the world as they could not find in their hearts to forgoe all things they have in the world for the love of him that created the world Yea who would not say and with much comfort affirme Wee will seeke one good wherein consisteth all good and that sufficeth wee will seeke one joy wherein consisteth all joy and this onely joyes us It is Grace and not the Place which saveth the soule For as there may bee a Wolfe in Sheeps cloathing so there may bee a worldly mind in a Hermits dwelling Mans security is the Divels opportunity which may bee found in the Wildernesse as well as in the World neither is the one place lesse subject to temptation then the other The Wildernesse is secret yet Christ was tempted in it The Night is silent yet doth that princely Prophet warne us To lift up our hands in the night watches of temptation For the life of man as it is a continuall temptation so is there neither time place sexe nor condition exempted from temptation The Monks Cell and the Monarchs Court are equally subject to it This devout Bernard seemes to confirme in his description of such as professed a Monastick life saying They were large promisers but slow performers faire tongued flatterers but snarling back-biters simple-seeming dissemblers but malicious betrayers Againe Wee saith hee receive all in our Monasteries in hope to better them whereas in the Court it is more usuall to receive such as are good then to make them good for wee have found by experience that more good men have decreased then profited in it Hence wee may conclude this point that no place is priviledged from temptation neither Cell nor Court but those places are and have beene ever most subject to danger where men were left to themselves to enter lists with temptation Which proceedeth either from the naturall frailty of man in that hee falleth from best to worst or his want of judgement to discerne best from worst whence the Poet most divinely concludeth When want of judgement reignes in humane brest The best is ta'ne for worst the worst for best GOD in his sacred wisdome having created man thought it not good that hee should be alone and therefore made him an helpe meet for him It was an excellent saying of that sage Cynicke who seeing a young man all alone by himselfe and demanding of him what hee was doing I am talking quoth the young man with my selfe Take heed saith he thou talke not with thine Enemy For howsoever Cato might say in respect of the inward delight he tooke in Contemplation I am never lesse alone then when alone wee shall find this true that man is never more ready to give way to temptation then when hee is alone How needfull then is Acquaintance being indeed the life of the living the particular benefits whereof extend to discourse advice and action IT is Experience hath begot wisdome and memory as a mother hath brought it forth Now what experience could wee gaine if we should onely be left to our selves and have none to helpe us in treaties or matters of conference It is said of Demosthenes that hee recovered his speech only by direction long would it be ere wee attained to any perfection of speech either in manner or matter if we wanted these usuall helpes of conference which enable us when where and how we should speake For as the Satyre was affraid at the first sight of fire or that Captaine who looking himselfe in a glasse when hee was angry was affrighted with his owne countenance so should we having never consorted or conversed with men stand amazed when wee approached their company For what is it that ministers boldnesse and audacity to men save their usuall frequenting of assemblies or what is it that so much benefits their knowledge but their acquaintance with such who are professants of knowledge Plutarch reporteth that Plato came forth of Asia into Cilicia for no other cause but onely to see his deare friend Phocion the Philosopher See here the love of good men one to another for amongst evill men can be no true friendship For it is the aime of Acquaintance that makes it good or evill as to insinuate ones selfe into acquaintance for their owne ends to wit to profit by it or worke on others weaknesse this is acquaintance for Machiavels Schollers whose principall aime is to undermine and under pretence of amity shroud their villany These hold concurrency with Frier Clement Ravilliae Iaurequy Baltazar Gerard. They have an open gate but a shut countenance or if an open countenance a close shut heart Aristotle saith that friendship is one soule which ruleth two hearts and one heart which dwelleth in two bodies whereas these men whose acquaintance hath relation to their owne peculiar ends have a heart and a heart a Heart outwardly professing and a Heart secretly practising a Heart outward and a Heart inward outwardly pretending and inwardly plotting These are no Acquaintance for you Gentlemen their Hearts are too farre from their mouthes learning to prosper by others errours Yea by often conversing and practising with others no lesse cunning then themselves they have so farre prevailed as they are not onely able to match them but out-strip them Serpens nisi serpentem comederit non fit Draco These are they who hatch the Cockatrice egges come not therefore neere them for The poyson of Aspes is under their Lips Yea they sucke the gall of Aspes and the Vipers tongue shall slay them Yet to leave you alone without company would make your life as much loathed as choice of Acquaintance makes you love it He is a weak Prince that enjoyes an Empire without people and no lesse desolate or disconsolate in his state who wants not for meanes yet wants a friend to whom hee may impart his mind Lend me your hands therefore Gentlemen and I will direct you in a way how to make choice of Acquaintance in matters of Advice which is the second benefit redounding from the use of Acquaintance IF a man saith Seneca find his friend sad and so leave him sicke without ministring any comfort to him and poore without releeving him wee may thinke such an one goeth to jest rather then visit or comfort Whence we may observe the office or condition of a friend who if his friend be sicke hee will visit him if â—ad hee will cheare him if poore hee will releeve him if afflicted in mind hee will comfort him otherwise his friendship is but dissembling his visiting him a meere mocking of him Iob called his friends Miserable comforters because their discourses were rather afflictions then comforts their counsels rather
wipe their mouthes as if they were innocent but behold this Haman-policy shall make them spectacles of finall misery wishing many times they had been lesse wise in the opinion of the world so they had relished of that divine wisdome which makes man truly happy in another world even that wisdome I say who hath built an everlasting foundation with men and shall continue with their seed neither can this divine wisdome chuse but bee fruitfull standing on so firme a root or the branches dry receiving life and heat from so faire a root Now to describe the beauty of her branches springing from so firme a root with the solidity of her root diffusing pith to her branches The root of wisdome saith the wise Son of Sirach is to feare the Lord and the branches thereof are long life This feare where it takes root suffers no wordly feare to take place Many worldlings become wretched onely through feare lest they should bee wretched and many die onely through feare lest they should dy but with these who are grounded in the feare of the Lord they neither feare death being assured that it imposeth an end to their misery nor the miseries of this present life being ever affied on the trust of GODS mercy How constantly zealously and gloriously many devout men have died and upon the very instant of their dissolution expostulated with their owne soules reproving in themselves their unwillingnesse to die may appeare by the examples of such whose lives as they were to GOD right pleasing so were their soules no lesse precious in their departing upon some whereof though I have formerly insisted yet in respect that such memorable patternes of sanctity cannot be too often represented I thought good purposely as usually I have done in all the Series of this present Discourse where any remarkeable thing was related to have it in divers places repeated to exemplifie this noble resolution or contempt of death in the proofe and practice of some one or two blessed Saints and Servants of God Ierome writeth of Hilarion that being ready to give up the ghost hee said thus to his soule Goe forth my soule why fearest thou Goe forth why tremblest thou Thou hast served Christ almost these threescore ten yeares and doest thou now feare death Saint Ambrose when hee was ready to die speaking to Stillico and others about his bed I have not lived so among you saith hee that I am ashamed to live longer to please God and yet againe I am not afraid to die because wee have a good Lord. The reverend Bede whom wee may more easily admire than sufficiently praise for his profound learning in a most barbarous age when all good literature was in contempt being in the pangs of death said to the standers by I have so lived among you that I am not ashamed of my life neither feare I to die because I have a most gracious Redeemer Hee yeelded up his life with this prayer for the Church O King of glory Lord of Hostes which hast triumphantly ascended into heaven leave us not fatherlesse but send the promised Spirit of thy truth amongst us These last funerall Teares or dying mens Hymnes I have the rather renued to your memory that they might have the longer impression being uttered by dying men at the point of their dissolution And I know right well for experience hath informed me sufficiently therein that the words of dying men are precious even to strangers but when the voice of one wee love and with whom wee did familiarly live cals to us from the Death-bed O what a conflict doe his words raise How strongly do griefe and affection strive to inclose them knowing that in a short space that tongue the organs whereof yet speak and move attention by their friendly accents was to bee eternally tied up in silence nor should the sound of his words salute our cares any more And certainly the resolution of a devout dying man being upon the point of his dissolution cannot but bee an especiall motive to the hearer of Mortification Which was one cause even among the heathens of erecting Statues Obelisks or Monuments upon the Dead that eying the Sepulchers of such noble and heroick men as had their honour laid in the dust they might likewise understand that neither resolution of spirit nor puissance of body could free them from the common verdict of mortality which begot in many of them a wonderfull contempt of the world Albeit it is to bee understood that Christians doe contemne the world much otherwise than Pagans for ambition is a guide to these but the love of God unto them Diogenes trod upon Plato's pride with much greater selfe-pride but the Christian with patience and humility surmounteth and subdueth all wordly pride being of nothing so carefull as lest hee should taste the Lotium of earthly delights and so become forgetfull with Vlysses companions of his native Countrey Meane time he sojournes in the world not as a Citizen but as a Guest yea as an Exile But to returne to our present discourse now in hand in this quest after that soveraigne or supreme end whereto all Actuall Perfection aspireth and wherein it resteth wee are to consider three things 1. What is to bee sought 2. Where it is to be sought 3. When it is to be sought For the first wee are to understand that wee are to seeke onely for that the acquisition whereof is no sooner attained than the minde whose flight is above the pitch of frailty is fully satisfied Now that is a blessed life when what is best is effected and enjoyed for there can bee no true rest to the minde in desiring but partaking what she desireth What is it then that wee seeke To drinke of the water of life where our thirst may bee so satisfied as it never be renued our desires so fulfilled as never higher or further extended Hee that hath once tasted of the fountaine named Clitorius fons and choice is the taste of such a fountaine will never drinke any wine no wine mixed with the dregs of vanity no wine drawne from the lees of vaine-glory the reason is hee reserves his taste for that new wine which hee is to drinke in his Fathers kingdome And what kingdome The Kingdome of heaven a kingdome most happy a kingdome wanting death and without end enjoyng a life that admits no end And what life A life vitall a life sempiternall and sempiternally joyfull And what joy A joy without sorrowing rest without labouring dignity without trembling wealth without losing health without languishing abundance without failing life without dying perpetuity without corrupting blessednesse without afflicting where the sight vision of God is seene face to face And what God God the sole sufficient summary supreme good that good which we require alone that God who is good alone And what good The Trinity of the divine persons is
8. NO Perfection in this life absolute but graduall pag. 209 Two considerations of maine consequence 1 The foe that assaults us 2 The friend that assists us 210 The Christians compleate armour ibid. The first institution of Fasts with the fruit thereof 211 The power of Prayer with examples of such as were most conversant in that holy Exercise ibid. 212 Circumstances observable in workes of charity and devotion ibid. Objections and resolutions upon the ground of Perfection 213. lin 26. c. Of the Contemplative part of Perfection 214 A Corollary betwixt the Heathen and Christian contemplation 215 Examples of a contemplative and râ—tired life 217 A three-fold Meditation of necessary importance 1 Worthinesse of the Soule 2 Vnworthinesse of Earth 3 Thankefulnesse unto God who made man the worthiest creature upon earth 218. c. Of the Active part of Perfection 219 No contagion so mortally dangerous to the body as corrupt company is to the soule 220 Two especiall memorials recommended to our devoutest meditations 1 The Author of our creation ib. 2 The end of our creation ib. A foure-fold Creation 221. lin 3 The fabulous and frivolous opinions of foure Heathen Philosophers ascribing the creation of all things to the foure Elements 222. l. 3 Their arguments evinced by pregnant testimonies both of Scriptures and Fathers ibid. The End of our creation ibid. Singular precepts of Mortification 223 Idlenesse begetteth security properly termed the Soules Lethargy 224 A Christian Ephemeridâ—s or his Evening account ibid. The Active part of Perfection preferr'd before the Contemplative 225 No ARMORIE can more truly deblazon a Gentleman than acts of charity and compassion 226 The Active preferred before the Contemplative for two respects the first whereof hath relation to our selves the second to others 228.229 Ignorance is to be preferred before knowledge loosely perverted with a comparison by way of objection and resolution betwixt the conveniences of Action and Knowledge ibid. Action is the life of man and Example the direction of his life 229. lin 5 Wherein the Active part of Perfection consisteth 229 Active Perfection consisteth in Mortification of Action and Affection Mortification extends it selfe in a three-fold respect to these three distinct Subjects 1 Life 2 Name 3 Goods Illustrated with eminent Examples of Christian resolution during the ten Persecutions 230.231 Not the act of death but the cause of death makes the Martyr 232 No action how glorious soever can bee crowned unlesse it bee on a pure intention grounded ibid. Mortification in respect of name or report is two-fold 1 In turning our eares from such as prayse us 2 In hearing with patience such as revile us 234 Scandals distinguished and which with more patience than others may bee tolerated 237.238 c. Mortification in our contempt of all worldly substance pitching upon two markeable considerations 1 By whom these blessings are conferr'd on us 2 How they are to bee disposed by us 238 Vaine-glory shuts man from the gate of glory 239 An exquisite connection of the precedent Meditations 240 The absolute or supreme end whereto this Actuall Perfection aspireth and wherein it solely resteth 242 Singular Patternes of Mortification in their Contempt of life and embrace of death 243.244 The reason of his frequent repetition of sundry notable occurrences throughout this whole Book Wherein sundry passages throughout this last Edition have suffer'd in the obscurity of their expressions by the omissions of their marginall authorities digits or directions 245 The Heart can no more by circumference of the World be confined than a Triangle by a Circle filled 247. lin 16 Though our feet be on earth our faith must be in heaven 249 A pithy Exhortation a powerfull instruction clozing with a perswasive Conclusion 253.254 A Character intituled A Gentleman THE ENGLISH GENTLEVVOMAN DRAWNE OVT TO the full Body EXPRESSING What Habilliments doe best attire her What Ornaments doe best adorne her What Complements doe best accomplish her The third Edition revised corrected and enlarged By RICHARD BRATHVVAIT Esq. Modestia non Forma LONDON Printed by I. Dawson 1641. TO HER WHOSE TRVE LOVE TO VERTVE HATH HIGHLY ENNOBLED HERSELFE Renowned her sexe Honoured her house The Right Honourable ANNE Countesse of PEMBROKE the only Daughter to a memorable Father GEORGE Lord CLIFFORD Earle of CVMBERLAND The accomplishment of her divinest wishes MADAM SOme moneths are past since I made bold to recommend to my Right Honourable LORD your Husband an ENGLISH GENTLEMAN whom hee was pleased forth of his noble disposition to receive into his Protection Into whose most Honourable service he was no sooner entertained upon due observance of his integrity approved then upon approvement of his more piercive judgement hee became generally received Out of these respects my most Honourable Lady I became so encouraged as I have presumed to preferre unto your service an ENGLISH GENTLEWOMAN one of the same Countrey and Family a deserving sister of so generous a brother Or if you will a pleasing Spouse to so gracious a Lover Whom if your Honour shall be but pleased to entertaine and your noble Candor is such as shee can expect nothing lesse especially seeing her exquisite feature takes life from his hand whose family claimes affinity with your fathers house you shall find excellently graced with sundry singular qualities beautified with many choice endowments and so richly adorned with divers exquisite ornaments as her attendance shall be no derogation to your Honour nor no touch to your unblemish'd Selfe to reteine her in your favour The living memory of your thrice noble and heroick Father may justly exact this addressement of mine to his Daughter of whom my Father sometimes held such neare dependance being ever cheered by his countenance and highly obliged to his goodnesse This Memoriall made mee confident of a Patronesse and so much the rather being to preferre a Maid so complete and richly qualified as shee could not chuse but deserve highly from the hand of so noble a Mistresse Sure I am the sweetnesse of her temper sorts and sutes well with the quality or disposition of your Honour For shee loves without any painted pretences to be really vertuous without any popular applause to be affably gracious without any glorious glosse to bee sincerely zealous Her Education hath so enabled her as shee can converse with you of all places deliver her judgement conceivingly of most persons and discourse most delightfully of all fashions Shee hath beene so well Schooled in the Discipline of this Age as shee onely desires to reteine in memory that forme which is least affected but most comely to consort with such as may improve her Knowledge and Practise of goodnesse by their company to entertaine those for reall and individuate friends who make actions of piety expressivest characters of their amity Diligent you shall ever find her in her imployments serious in her advice temperate in her Discourse discreet in her answers Shee bestowes farre more time in eying the glasse of
of some unbeseeming fashions How few enter into account with their owne hearts or so consecrate their houres to Gods honour as they make Privacy their soules harbour The day they spend in visitations how rare and tedious is one houre reserved for meditation What a serious intercourse or sociable dialogue is betweene an amorous Mistresse and her Looking-glasse The poynt or pendent of her feather wags out of a due posture her Cheeke wants her true tincture her captious Glasse presents to her quicke eye one error or other which drives her into a monstruous distemper Pride leaves no time for prayer This is her CLOSET for LADIES where shee fits and accommodates her selfe to Fashion which is the period of her content while purer objects are had in contempt This is not the way to make Privacy your mindes melody These employments should sooner afflict than affect you because they will sooner distract than direct you Your spirits will bee revived most when these are valued least Let me therefore recommend to your choyce Patternes of more exquisite worth such whose devotion may bee your direction whose direction your instruction Devout mention is made of zealous Anna who made recourse to the Temple offring her incessant prayers a viall of sweet odours that shee might conceive a sonne of whom to her succeeding memory the Scripture recordeth that after her teares so devoutly shed her prayers so sincerely offred her religious vowes so faithfully performed her countenance was no more altred Piety begot in her divine love faith in Gods promise made her beleeve and zeale to Gods house caused her to persevere thus sighing she sought seeking shee obtained and obtaining shee reteined a gratefull memory of what shee received No lesse fervour shewed Ester in preferring the suite of her distressed Israelites what perswasive Oratory what powerfull Rhetoricke what inducing reasons shee used to have their unjust censure reversed their insupportable wrongs redressed their aggrievances relieved the incensed King appeased and them to favour restored Shee wooed with teares in her eyes faith in her heart almes in her hand Gods cause was the progresse of her course shee desired nothing more then how to effect it which was seconded with a successive conclusion because begun continued and ended with devotion The like zeale expressed Iudith for her besiedged Bethulites the love of God had so inflamed her as no feare of the enemy could amate her faith armed her with resolution constancy strengthned her against all opposition Her armour was prayer Bethulia's cure her care holy desires her sole attendants shee enters her enemies pavilion with a zealous confidence implores the Divine assistance in her entrance and discomfits a daring foe with cautelous silence Her sighes and teares were as the first and second raine they brought successe to her thirsty soule and a glorious Conquest to her native soyle No lesse are wee to admire the wonderfull devotion of that teare-swollen Magdalen who with devout love sought her deare Spouse intombed whose body with obsequious Odours shee had embalmed before ever hee was interred Shee when his Disciples were departed left not the Sepulchre of her sweet Master still shee sate sorrowing and sighing weeping long and much rising from her seat of sorrow her grave of griefe Where hee was hee is not and where hee is shee knowes not with pious teares watchfull eyes weary wayes shee re-visits againe and againe the desart caves of his relinquish'd Sepulchre hoping at last to have the happinesse to behold whom with so fervent a desire shee sought Now once and againe had shee entred his desolate Tombe but little was all this to her that lov'd so much The power or efficacy of every good worke consists in Perseverance But observe the comfortable effect of her effectuall love For as much as shee loved more than the rest and loving wept more than the rest and weeping sought more than the rest and seeking persever'd allowing her selfe no rest therefore deserved she to finde behold and speake unto him before the rest And not onely so but to become the very first messenger of his glorious resurrection to his Disciples according as her choyce Spouse had commanded her and by especiall Commission recommended to her Goe tell my Brethren that they goe into Galile there they shall see me Hence note the fruit of a devout heart the incomparable prerogative granted to Divine love Nazianzen in his Epitaph for his sister Gorgonia writeth that shee was so given to prayer that her knees seemed to cleave to the earth and to grow to the very ground by reason of incessancy or continuance in prayer Gregory in his Dialogues writeth that his Aunt Trasilla being dead was found to have her elbowes as hard as horne which hardnesse shee got by leaning to a Deske at which shee used to pray Such as these deserve your imitation for their Vertues like sweet Odours have sent out a pleasant perfume They prayed and obtained what they pray'd for They liv'd and practis'd what they sought for They dy'd and enjoy'd what they so long time sigh'd for You are taught to Enter your Chambers and bee still Still and yet stirring still Still from the clamours and turbulent insults of the World still from the mutinous motions and innovations of the flesh But never still from warring wrastling bickring and embattailing with the Leader of those treacherous associats tyrannous assassinats O should you consider what troopes of furious and implacable Enemies are ever lying in ambuscado for you how many soule-tempting Syrens are warbling notes of ruine to delude you what feares within you what foes without you what furies all about you you would not suffer one graine of sand to drop through the Cruet without a dropping eye not one minute passe undedicated to some good employment to prevent the fury of such desperate assailants Make then your Chamber your private Theatre wherein you may act some devout Scene to Gods honour Bee still from the world but stirring towards God Meditation let it bee your companion It is the perfume of the memory the soules rouzer from sinnes lethargy the sweetest solace in straits of adversity Let it bee your key to open the Morning your locke to close the Evening What an argument of indiscretion were it for one amidst variety of choyce and delicious viands to discourse of vanity and suffer himselfe to famish in the presence of such plenty This is your case if amids so many soule-solacing dainties of spirituall comforts you divert your eye by fixing it on these Objects of earth and repose not your selves in those fragrant borders of Divine Contemplation which by how much they are more frequent by so much they become more sweet and redolent Surely there is nothing that relisheth more sweetly tasteth more daintily with-draweth your mindes from the world more speedily strengtheneth you against the temptations of your enemy excites or exerciseth you in every spirituall duty as the soule-ravishing Contemplation of the Supreme
sollicited the father for the affection of his daughter whereto having at last consented and the Covenants of marriage concluded this indiscreet wooer unseasonably imparts his minde to the daughter who made strange with it saying She never heard of any such matter Yea but replied hee I have made your father herewith acquainted and bee hath already consented And you may marry him too answered shee for you must hold me excused There is no time that exacts more modesty of any woman than in her time of sniting a shamefast red then best commends her and the movingst Orator that speakes for her Like Venus silver Dove shee is ever brouzing on the palme of peace while her cheeke betrayes her love more then her tongue So as Virgil the very Prince of our Latine Poets when hee should bring in King Latinus privately conferring with his wife Amata and Turnus to whom in nuptiall bands hee was to espouse his daughter hee brings in the young maid weeping blushing and silent Whence is implyed that it becomes not a Maid to speake of marriage in her parents presence for that were small argument of modesty or shamefastnesse There is a pretty pleasing kinde of wooing drawne from a conceived but concealed Fancy which in my opinion suits well with these amorous younglins they could wish with all their hearts to bee ever in the presence of those they love so they might not bee seene by those they love Might they chuse they would converse with them freely consort with them friendly and impart their truest thoughts fully yet would they not have their bashfull loves finde discovery They would bee seene yet seeme obscured love but not disclose it see whom they love but not bee eyed This the Poet in the person of a Shepherdesse neatly displayeth Phillis to willowes like a cunning flyer Flyes yet she feares her Shepheard should not spy her Now in this Subject of Fancy as there is nothing more dangerous than entertaining it without due and deliberate advice so there is nothing growes more generally fatall to the indiscreet Lover than by grounding affection on outward respects without relation to that inward faire which onely makes the Object of Fancy full of beauty and presents every day as a Marriage-day to the party by performing the office of a princely combiner of beauty and majesty together Neither affluence of estate potency of friends nor highnesse of descent can attemper the griefe of a loathed bed These may play upon the Fantasy but never give satisfaction to the Fancy Wherefore Gentlewomen to the end you may shew your selves discreetest in that which requires your discretion most discusse with your selves the purity of love the quality of your lover ever reflecting on those best deserving endowments of his which either make him worthy or unworthy your love Affection though it enter in by the narrow cranny of the Eye it shoots at the heart which unlesse it bee seasoned by judgement it can not deserve so faire a title A discreet eye will not bee taken with a smooth skinne it is not the rinde but the minde that is her Adamant Iustina a Roman Maid no lesse nobly descended than notably accomplished being married to one more rich than wise exclaimed against her fate that folly should hale her to so loathed a bed And good reason had shee to repine when his groundlesse jealousie made her a tragick spectacle of misery before her time For seeing her white necke that object begot in him presently an argument of suspect which hee seconded with revenge to vent the fury of his nature and publish to the world the weakness of his temper Let deliberation then bee the Scale wherein you may weigh Love in an equall poize There bee many high and consequent Circumstances which a discreet woman will not onely discourse but discusse before shee entertain so mysterious and honorable estate Disparity in descent fortunes friends with other like respects many times beget distraction of mindes Whence it was that Pittacus of Mitylene being intreated by a young man to afford him his best advice in the Choyce of two wives tendred him whether hee should marry the one whereof was equall to himselfe both in birth and wealth the other surpassing him in both Wish'd him to goe along the streets of the City where children use to play and there observe what they did advise him Truth is inequality in these procures distaste but where there is a difference in the seazure of disposure of the heart which should bee the firmest and strongest Cement to unite affection there ariseth the greatest hazard Thence is it Suspition workes upon every light and frivolous subject while the other party hunts after opportunity to surfet on forbidden fruit and give her suspitious Mate just ground of jealousie Feed hee may his indigested humour in a jealous pasture and vow revenge when hee shall finde an apt subject meane time hee becomes invisibly gull'd while hee deludes himselfe with painted shadowes No Iealousie can ever that prevent Whereas two parties once bee full content Severall I know are the effects of love as are the dispositions of those that love Livia made quicke dispatch of her husband because shee lov'd him too little Lucilia of hers because shee loved him too much Phoedra fancied Theseus lesse than shee should but young Hippolytus more than hee would Which effects are usually produced when either disparity of yeares breed dislike or obscurity of descent begets contempt or inequality of fortunes discontent Deliberate then before you marry and thus expostulate with your selves touching his Condition whom you are to marry Is he young I will beare with his youth till better experience bring him to the knowledge of man My usage shall bee more easie than to weane him from what hee affects by extremity Youth will have his swinge his owne discretion will bring him home at least time will reclaime him hee shall not finde mee put on a cloudy brow or entertaine his freer course with a scowle I must conforme my selfe to him confirme my love in him and so demeane mee towards him that Conjugall duty mixt with all affability many winne him Againe Is hee old His age shall beget in mee more reverence his words shall bee as so many aged and time-improved precepts to informe me his actions as so many directions to guide me his rebukes as so many friendly admonitions to reclaime mee his bed I will honour no unchaste thought shall defile it his Counsell I will keepe no forraine brest shall partake it I will bee a staffe to him in his age to support him an eye to direct him an hand to help him his Substance I will not scatter on a youthfull Lover but serve him still whom I have vow'd to honour Againe Is hee rich Much good may it doe him this shall not make me proud my desire shall bee hee may imploy it for his best advantage I will move him to communicate unto the needy that
their last account with repentance WHen a man bleeds at the nose and through abundance of blood is brought in danger 〈…〉 blood in his arme to turne the course of the blood another way If love issue out in too violent a streame it is to be cooled by a temperate expostulation with Fancy or else by fixing our eye upon some more attractive object divert the course of that madding passion Expostulate with Fancy thus you may safely and freely How is it with me Me thinkes it fares otherwise then it hath done formerly A strange distemper I find in my mind and it might seeme to resemble Love if I knew the nature of it Love Can virgin-modesty returne that accent and not blush Yes why not If the Object I affect be worthy loving And if not what then Is not the Lover ever blinded with affection towards his beloved He who may seeme a Thersites to another may be a Paris in mine eye Were hee poore as Irus Fancy makes him dearer to mee then the wealth of Croesus Yea but a little advice would doe well Art thou perswaded that this Non-parallell thou thus affectest hath dedicated his service onely to thee Yes his protests have confirm'd him mine Besides his continuall presence seconds what hee protests That houre is tedious wherein hee sees me not those pleasures odious which my presence accompanies not His eye is ever fixed on me his sole discourse is to me What I affect he embraceth with delight what I dis-relish hee entertaines with distaste These I must confesse Gentlewoman are promising arguments of unfained love yet may all these erre and consequently leave you in a miserable Error Your True-love may prove a Iason or a Theseus and leave you in the bryers for all your confidence You say his protests have confirm'd him yours hee hath attested heaven to beare record of his love Alas of Credulity Take heed hee play not the part of that ridiculous Actor in Smyrna who pronouncing O heaven pointed with his finger to the ground Or like that namelesse Lover who solliciting a Gentlewomans affection with abundance of amorous Rhetoricke concluded with this Emphaticall protest that shee was the onely Mistresse of his thoughts which conclusion being over-heard by one to whom not long before upon like protests hee had ingag'd his faith shee replied Dâ—â— not beleeve him Gentlewoman the selfe-same Arbour where you now are might witnesse that hee hath made the very like protests unto me many times before Trialls in affaires of this nature have ever a truer touch than protests It is easie for beauty to extort a vow or a temporary protest which many times is as soone forgot as made Let not these then worke on your Credulity There bee I know and so all bee that are truly generous who rather than they would infringe their faith would ingage their life But all are not of that noble temper Others there bee who can tip their glozing tongues with Rhetoricall protests purposely to gull a credulous Creature for the purchase of an unlawfull pleasure which obtain'd they leave them to bemoane their lost honour With more safety therefore may you suspect than too rashly affect It will not bee amisse for you to reade him before you chuse him As thus Hath his faire carriage got him estimation where hee lives Hath hee never inur'd his tongue to play Hypocrite with his heart nor made Ceremoniall protests to purchase a light Mistresse Hath hee kept a faire quarter and beene ever tender of his untainted honour Hath hee never boasted of young Gentlewomans favours nor runne descant on their kindnesse Hath hee kept himselfe on even boord with all the world and preserv'd his patrimony from ingagement Hath hee ever since hee vow'd himselfe your servant solely devoted himselfe yours and not immix'd his affection with forraine beauties Chuse him hee well deserves your choyce in which choyce let this bee your impreze My choyce admits no change To bee short the blessing which Boaz pronounced upon Ruth shall like a honey-dew distill daily from the lips of your husband Blessed bee thou of the Lord my Spouse thou hast shewed more goodnesse in the latter end than at thy beginning in as much as thou followest not young men were they poore or rich Contrariwise where you find no such demeriting respects in him who makes love unto you Checke your wilde Fancy by time lest a remedilesse Checke attend your Choyce Covertly knew that unfortunate Lady how to paint out her griefe the extent whereof her tongue-tide passion could not relate When like a fruitfull vine shee had brought forth many faire and promising branches to a debaucht husband by whose profuser course her hopes which shee had stored in her numerous progeny perished and her selfe through griefe irrecoverably wasted shee wrote these pensive lines with a Diamond in her Chamber Window to give a living shadow to her lasting sorrow Vp to the Window sprung the spreading Vine The dangling Apricocke and Eglantine Since when that vine and branches too were found Shred from their root laid sprawling on the ground It is not so hard to give comfortable counsell to the sorrowfull as to finde a fit season when to give it I would have you whose more noble parts promise much comfort to your families give such attention to seasonable counsell as you may prevent all ensuing occasions of sorrow It is the condition of an inconsiderate person who never foresees his fall to cloze the issue of his misfortunes with this improvident conclusion I would never have thought that this should have thus come to passe I never dream'd of this Event It will bee more usefull and beneficiall to you to checke your wilde Fancy if any such seaze upon you than to give way unto it and consequently undoe you Repentance comes too late at Marriage-night Affaires of such weight and consequence are not to bee entertained without due advice nor seconded with rashnesse In one word have you plaid a little too long with the flame Have you given too free accesse to your desertlesse lover Have you suffered your heart not onely to thinke of him but with more intimate respect to harbour him Lodge him no longer in that roome it deserves a farre better guest I will not heare you if you reply and say This is a Taske of impossibility Continuance of time with discontinuance of his presence will easily effect it Meane time fixe your eye upon some more deserving object Revenge your selfe of that Conceit that shall a-fresh present him to you So shall the wildnesse of your Fancy be checked your halfe-lost liberty regained and your affection afterwards planted where it may bee better acquited there seated where it may bee more sweetly seasoned THere bee Haggards of that wilde Nature as they will by no meanes be reclaim'd Neither Love nor feare will cause them stoop to any Lure Emblemes these are to such wayward Girles whose inflexible natures will neither bee
Family is a Spectacle of more spreading infamy than any subject of inferiour quality I cannot approve of this Apish kinde of formality which many of our better sort use it detracts from their descent to make affectation their Tutresse They were free-borne nothing then that is servile can become them It is nothing to reteine the favour or feature of your Ancestors and to estrange you from that which truly dignifi'd your Ancestors Vertues have more living colours and are seconded with more lasting honours than any outward beauties You deceive your selves if you thinke that honour received her first life from descent no It was demerit that made descent capable of honour A Pedigree argues your Gentility but had not some deserving action beene you had never attained to any noble Pedigree For Gentility is not to bee measured by antiquity of time but precedency in worth If brackish or troubled water seldome come from a pure Spring wilde and unsavory fruit from a good tree whence is it that noble Predecessors whose pure blood was never corrupted with any odious staine should bring forth such degenerating scions Surely this generally proceeds from the too much liberty that is granted to our youth whose inclinations though otherwise good and equally disposed are usually by Custome which becomes a Second nature miserably depraved Society they affect and this infects them repaire to publike places they admit and this corrupts them Those eminent examples which their Noble Progenitors left them become buried with them They comply with the time Vertue they say can hardly subsist where Vice is in highest request What though Plato advise them to make choyce of the best way of living which may bee easily effected by assiduate use and daily custome they have learned to invert his rule by affecting that custome most which tends to the practice of vertue least Besides there is another reason which may bee probably alleaged why generous descents become so much corrupted and vertuous Parents by vitious Children so frequently seconded Our Nobler women though in other respects truly imitable and for their vertuous Conversation admirable come short in one peculiar duty which even Nature exacts of them and which being duely perfom'd would doubtlesly no lesse enable and ennoble them who are descended from them than any particular were it never so powerfull that could informe them These which are mothers by generation are seldome their Nursing-mothers by education No marvell then if they degenerate when they partake of the natures of other women Though their owne mothers blood streame through their veines a strangers milke must feed them which makes them participate of their nature as they are fed with their substance Wheresoever the Nurses milke is received the Nurses manners are likewise reteined Whence it was that Chrysippus expresly commanded that the very best and wisest Nurses should bee made choyce of that what good blood had infused might not by ill milke be infected It was the joynt advice both of Plutarch and Phavorine that a mother should bee her childrens Nurse because commonly with the milke of the Nurse they sucke the quality or condition of her life Yea according to an ancient Decree women were bound to nurse their owne children and not to have any other women unlesse necessity enforc'd them to nurse them Let this then bee rectifi'd yee whose Noble descents have made you eminent in the eye of the world and whom Gods blessing hath made fruitfull Mothers to bring forth a faire and hopefull increase unto the world nurse them with your owne milke this will expresse in you a motherly care to them and beget in them a greater measure of child-like love to you Your care the more it is parentall will exact of them a love more faithfull and filiall Nurse them I say with the milke of your owne brests to feed them with the milke of your owne lives to informe them So shall their actions prove them to bee your Successours when they shall not onely derive their blood from you but on this Theatre of humane frailty shall publish themselves to bee true representers of you For in vaine is your blood to them derived if your memory by their vertues be not revived Give them then that which may make them yours Goodnesse may bee blamed but her succeeding memory can never bee blanched Thus shall you not onely shew your selves worthy of that house from whence you came but after your period on earth bee receiv'd into a more glorious house in time to come IT is not the Nobility of descent but of vertues that makes any one a gracefull and acceptable Servitour in the Court of heaven Houses are distinguished by Coats and Crests but these are dignifi'd by something else In Heraldry those are ever held to be the best Coats that are deblazoned with least charge Consequently then must vertue needs bee the best Coat Shee requires the least charge in her attire shee is not sumptuous in her fare delicious nor in her retinue the more is the pitty numerous Shee confines her desires upon earth within a strait Circumference a very small portion of that metall will content her Her desires are onely there seated where they may bee satisfied Shee sees none so great in the Court as may deserve her envy none so rich in the City as may beget in her an earthly desire none so repos'd in the Countrey as to induce her to change her state Shee is infinitely happy in that shee aymes at no other happinesse than where it is to bee found Ambition may display her Pie-colour'd flagge but shee will never get vertue to bee her follower Her desires are pitcht upon a farre more transcendent honour than these State-corrivals on earth can ere afford her or by their competition take from her Pleasure may cast out her Lure but vertue is so high a flyer as shee scornes to stoupe to ought unworthy of her it pleaseth her to contemplate that on earth which shee is to enjoy in heaven These feathers in the ayre are Objects undeserving her care Profit may seeke to undermine her but all her policy cannot worke on vertues constancy Content is her Crowne Contempt of the world her care what wordlings seeke shee shuns whence it is that her beauty in the darkest Night of adversity shines In a word shee is an absolute Commandresse of her selfe and easie is it to have that Command where no turbulent passions labour to contend Farre otherwise is it with those who be they never so generously descended popularly graced nor powerfully guarded yet being not adorned with this Crest distinguished by this Coat they can neither enjoy freedome within nor safety without Lewis the eleventh had a conceit which no doubt proceeded from his melancholicke and indisposed humour that every thing did stinke about him all the odoriferous perfumes or fragrant savours they could get would not ease him but still hee smelled a silthy stinke So fares it with them whose corrupt
directed her eye to the picture of vertue and pointing thereat with her singer used this Imprezza That picture is my posture Truth is shee that makes vertue her object cannot but make every earthly thing her subject Yea there is nothing shee weares which shee makes not a morall use of to better her selfe Her very attire puts her in minde of what shee was before shee needed it and how breach of obedience necessitated her to weare it Shee will not therefore pride her selfe in her shame nor glorifie her selfe in the cover of sinne Shee cannot eye her selfe with any selfe-love seeing shee lost her selfe by affecting that which shee ought not to love Her head-tyre puts her in minde of the helmet of salvation her stomacher of the brest-plate of righteousnesse her partle of the shield of faith her very shooes of the sandals of peace In this Tabernacle of earth shee is every day nearer her port of rest for her discourse is ever seasoned with discretion winged with devotion and graced by her owne conversation Shee is none of these who are Saints in their tongues but Divels in their lives Shee propounds nought fit to bee done which shee confirmes not with her owne action Againe for her actions shee is free from publike scandall as her whole life is a golden rule of direction a continued precept of instruction In a word shee considers from whence shee came her descent was noble and this shee graceth with noble vertues Her house must receive no dishonor from her but an ample testimony of a deserving successour Let this Idaea Gentlewomen bee your Patterne Pure is the Cloth you weare let no staine of yours blemish it no Moath of deserved detraction eat into it Many of your Sexe though highly borne have so blemished the honour of that house from whence they came and corrupted that noble blood from which they sprung as their memory rots yet their infamy lives Againe others there have beene who though obscurely borne yet by those eminent vertues which did adorne them those Divine parts which did truly ennoble them they became enlightners of their obscurity filling Annals with their glorious memory Imitate these relinquish those Honour is not worth receiving unlesse it bee entertained by one that is deserving yea how many have incurred disgrace by dis-esteeming vertue when they were advanced to highnesse of place Nay how many while they lived obscure lived secure and preserved their good names who afterwards by becomming great lost that private esteeme which before they possest So hard it is to encounter with Honour and every way returne a saver Seeing then no Cloth takes such deepe tincture as the Cloth of Honour let no vicious aspersion spot it no corrupt affection staine it lest by being once blemished it bring that Honour into contempt which before you reteined LAnd-markes are usually erected for direction of the Mariner and Magistrates elected for instruction of the inferiour The keele of mans life being ever more laden with vanity than verity and more chilled with the bitter gusts of affliction then cheered with the soule-solacing drops of true consolation is ever tossed with contrary windes neither without the helpe of some expert Pilot can poore deluded man arrive safely at the Port where he would bee Pride transports him avarice infects him riot corrupts him sensuality secures him anger distempers him envy consumes him idlenesse duls him Thus becomes hee piece-meale divided from himselfe because hee reflects not with a pure and impartiall eye upon himselfe What great need stands hee in then of direction in this maze of misery vale of vanity Hee portraid him well who in the description of him stil'd him a story of calamity a statue of infelicity Hee is fraile in resisting prone to falling slow in rising Examples then were usefull to conduct him in his Iournall And who more fit to bee these Presidents than such whom an honourable descent that ennobled or Princes favour advanced It is not for these to entertaine any servile or degenerate affection nor to harbour one mutinous thought against the soveraignty of reason To bee a Lady of honour is more then titular Shee is onely eminent who makes every action of her life a vertuous president Goodnesse must bee infused in her blood that descent may partake of desert Now there bee three especiall objects upon which they are to reflect Charity Chastity Humility An honourable minde is best showne in her Liberall and compassionate exhibition to such whose necessities require reliefe Yea shee loves those best to whom these arguments of bounty are in highest measure exprest Shee averts not her eare from the needy beggar shee will shew him all favour for his image or feature Shee holds it an unbeseeming state to entertaine a sowre looke where noble pitty should beget in her a compassionate love Shee is so daily and duely inured to workes of mercy as shee joyes in no object more than occasion of bounty Shee considers and this shee Divinely applies unto her selfe how nought but vanity is to bee attributed to them reteine they never so much earthly glory on them who dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the Moath Silken vanity cannot delude her nor any opinionate conceit of her owne estate transport her Her minde is not subject to wavering nor her walke to wandring Bee her life long her goodnesse becomes improved bee it short her desires are crowned Neither reserves shee the gleanings for him that is Master of the Harvest Poverty appeare it never so despicable to her eye it conveyes compassion to her heart Shee gives Almes of the best for his sake whom shee loves best Her piety is such as shee prefers her Almes-basket before her Cabinet A miserable minde shee hates for shee conceives how nothing can bee better worth enjoying than a liberall desire of disposing which shee expresseth with that cheerefull alacrity as it inhanceth the value of her bounty Thus shee lives in a free and absolute command of what shee enjoyes with an hand no lesse open than her heart that action might second her pious intention Neither is the true Nobility of her minde lesse discerned by her love to Chastity Pure bee her thoughts and unstained The Sanctuary of her heart is solely dedicated to her Maker it can find no roome for an inordinate affection to lodge in Shee knowes not how to throw out her loveâ—attracting Lures nor to expose the glorious beauty of her soule to shame A moments staine must not blemish her state Shee will not therefore give her eye leave to wander lest it should betray her Honour to a treacherous intruder How weak prove those assaults which her home-bred enemies prepare against her Her looke must bee set on a purer Object than vanity Shee will not eye it lest shee should bee taken by it Her Discourse must bee of a better subject than vanity Shee will not treat of it lest
they become so habituate as no art can make them adulterate Sempronia was too light in her youth to bee staid in her age Fulvia gave too much way to her passion in her youth to attemper it in her age Zantippe was too shrewd a maid to become a quiet wife What Nature hath not effected in us may by industry bee facilitated in us so wee begin to worke while the waxe is soft O Gentlewomen how many whose excellent endowments deserve admiration either by selfe-opinion have become transported or by giving loose reines to passion have miserably wandred or by inveying against others more deserving parts have wittingly transgressed By which meanes they become spectacles of contempt who otherwise by their conceiving discourse might have given occasion of content It is too true that the liberty of greatnesse is such as it is more apt to finde fewell to feede the humour of vice then to minister any usefull ingredience for the recovery of vertue Great mindes are many times sicke of great maladies which by soothing parasites become insensible and consequently incurable Vice in a poore habit never reteines that majesty which it displayes in a richer robe Is it so Reflect then upon your selves if vice seeme so specious what will vertue do though all your vertues bee but indeed specious vices Beleeve it if you cherish vertue in your minority shee will performe the office of a faithfull guardian The widowes teares shall bee very few for shee will finde justice to redresse her the Orphans cryes shall not bee so loud shee will finde compassion to cheere her The State shall not exclaime of surfeits for temperance shall shield her nor the Church of coldnesse for zeale shall inflame her What a sweet consort is an unison of vertues to the eare of a divine soule All other Musicke is dis-rellishing because it workes not on the affection Now would you know whence it comes that vertue or vice whethersoever takes hold first reteines a deeper impression in Honour than in any lower subject The reason is evident As in their state or condition they are more eminent so is their representative example in others more inherent Doe these honourable personages then love vertue they are vertuous molds unto their followers they shall finde in their shadowes what they expresse in themselves Iulia could not bee loose when Lucretia was so chaste shee saw that in her Mistresse which deserv'd love and to that shee conform'd the line of her life To consort at unseasonable houres with loose lovers or to entertaine light discourse to beguile time was no authenticke doctrine in her Mistresse family no day was without her taske no night without her peculiar employment There is no question but the prime yeeres of this noble Lady were seasoned with such exquisite instructions as what her youth had received were not in her riper yeares to bee abolished First motions have deepe impressions especially when they become seconded by examples of authority whose very persons impose on their Pupils a resistlesse necessity The estimate of Honour with those who are truly honourable is at too high a rate to ingage it selfe to the hazard of disgrace for any temporary profit or delight Their onely profit is to become proficients in the practice of Vertue Their highest delight to subdue their delights to the obedience of reason for the love of vertue Such as these are to bee accounted onely Noble for their desires are so which they ever ennoble with deserving actions For tell me can any one whose judgement is not blinded or inward light not wholly blemished esteeme that Person for honourable whose Outside onely magnifies it selfe in a poakt head a poland sleeve and a Protean body No these are but outward badges of their inward vanity These have too much coare at their heart to bee of sound health If they have no other expressions to deblaze their Honour they are rather objects of Contempt than State bee they never so glorious to the eye of our vulgar It hath beene and I could wish it were not to this day continued an usuall forme of breeding with some more eminent Persons to have their Children practise a kinde of state from their infancy which indeed being truly defined was a phantasticke supercilious garbe which discovered more pride than deserved prayse Neither could these so easily relinquish in their age what was commended to them in their youth For such as commonly attended their persons extolled whatsoever they saw by them or in them expressed such is the misery of greatnesse that if it be not an exact Censor and reprover of her owne vanity They shall finde approvers of it by those odious professors of sycophancy whose glozing condition hath beene the ruine of many a noble family For what may bee the usuall dialect of these Tame-Beasts to their bounteous Benefactors those prodigall disbursers of their fathers providence but this parasiticall parley It would well become you to bee rarely seene reservedly affable to reteine state in your pace awe in your face scorne in your eye a storme in your brow with a gracefull contempt in all your carriage An excellent direction to purchase hate These followers are not for your Honour The way to divert their straine is to affect what they distaste You cannot want vitious Libertines to second you in a sensuall course if your owne disposition stand so affected Calphurnia could not bee good when Messalina was so naught Your lives as they are lines to your selves so should they bee lights unto others Are you modest It will beget a love of modesty through all your family Not one who owes their observance to you but will admire this vertue in you and practise it in themselves because they see it so highly valued by you Againe Lightnesse or any irregularity in you whatsoever will not redound onely to your owne but your whole families dishonour Which opinion once possest your honour receives such a mortall wound as no continuation of time so lasting is the record of infamy may perfectly cure it which seemes confirmed by our moderne Poet Search all thy bookes and thou shalt find therein That Honour is more hard to hold than win How cautelous then ought you to bee of that which preserves your well being Many nobly descended are sufficiently instructed how to reteine their state what place to take by remembring whence they came meane time they forget whence they came first O consider how this Speciosior pulvis this more specious or seemingly precious dust of yours is but dust Vice will but varnish it it is vertue that will richly eâ—ammell it Your birth rather restraines than improves your liberty your sexe should detract from it selfe were it estrang'd from modesty your beauty honour and all are servants to time or worse if bestow'd â—n vanity Let vertue reteine such deepe impression in you as no vicious affection may seize on you Occasions are dangerous perswasions prevent therefore the meane that you
themselves so happy as when their husbands were in presence the other two ever held nuptiall love at such a distance as they were never more discontented then when they were present Darke seem'd the house when their husbands were in it clear'd was that Cloud when their husbands had left it Whereas those two other loyall Dames exprest themselves true Theogena's who so tender'd her Agathocles as shee shewed admirable constancie in her husbands greatest misery professing her selfe most his owne when hee was relinquish'd and forsaken of his owne But this revenge whereon wee insist in this Section proceeds for most part from grounded jealousie or too exuberant fancy which will admit willingly of no Corrivall but if it doe the issue generally becomes tragicall Our Italian Theaters have at all times reeked with these bloody issues which both in those Admirable Histories long since published and in that subject entituled Gods revenge against Murder lately revived and as I conceive from the former partly extracted are copiously handled Ancient times had their hands imbrued in these crimes Their dye was as deepe though their fact seem'd lesse in regard they were not so conscientious of what they did Hippolytus was guiltlesly murdered by a woman Hercules poysoned by a woman Candaules poniarded by meanes of a woman Yet examine these in a direct line and you shall find all these perishing through too much love They could not inflict that torment upon their Lovers which they themselves would not suffer by designing themselves their owne Tormentors Though Phaedra's love to Hippolytus were incestuously grounded and that unlawfull heate so impetuously enforced as it could not be restrained till it was with blood asswaged yet her selfe selfe became the sacrifice to expiate her love-sicke malice And for Deianira how constant she was in her affection how loyall in her love how inviolable her vow the Tragedian will returne you a faire account and acquite her of all suspition by the discovery shee made unto Nessus of her affection That shirt which was given her by treacherous Nessus was intended to increase as shee thought a more vehement love in her Hercules Lastly for Candaules wife her shamefull and too naked discovery unto Gyges justly expos'd his person to those miseries which he suffered for the injury done to her modesty was the onely occasion to hasten his tragedy Now I must confesse wee have had in all ages savage Monsters as well as civill Matrons And these of Messalina's race who would not sticke to quench the heat of their lust in the Actors blood Others no lesse cruell but in their affections more loyall And these had Servants but they could not endure to have them reteiners to many Mistresses This begot teares in their eyes but stings in their hearts Too much love quickned their revenge Wronged Fancie transform'd it selfe into a fury This may confirme that passionate admiration of that Heroick Tragedian How sharpely stings a womans discontent Now there is no inducement more motive to give wings to this passion then matches contracted with diâ—taste proceeding either from dispâ—rity of yeares or descent which many times workes sundry distractions and begets severall beds before their honey moneth bee well ended When Maids are deepe struck in yeares be their fortunes never so promising their alliance strengthning or the beauty of their inward parts deserving they are commonly courted by youthfull fancy with a neglectfull contempt Their rivell'd skin merits not a light amorous touch nor their rugged browes deepe-indented with aged furrowes a gracefull looke And the like may be said of our stale Batchelors who are so long in chusing and so singular in their affecting as their affection fals into a neglect their declining persons into a contempt To these may that Similitude be not altogether improperly applyed One having liberty given him to goe thorow a whole Wood to make choice of the best staffe he could find provided that he chused it in his going on but not in his returning back taking his course and with a curious eye observing where hee might fit himselfe best hee found many faire and streight plants that might serve his turne but these would not content him on hee goes still expecting better till comming to the end of the Wood he found none but crooked ones to supply his choice and of those no great change Then but too late hee repented him of his too-much singularity in neglecting the opportunity of chusing what might give him content and in submitting himselfe to a choice which in respect of those he refused might deserve contempt Thus have wee discovered the grounds of those tragicke straits which unhappy Lovers have falne into either by matching where they did not love or by being jealouse over those whom they did too much love or by conceiving a mortall hate towards those who were Corrivals in their love Which cruelty as it proceeded from jealousie so that jealousie sprung many times from the disloyalty of those inconstant servants to whom they bore such intimate fancy as may appeare more amply in this their ensuing Apology SECTION VII Their modest Defence YOu have heard what cruell creatures those fatall effects of jealousy and Corrivalry have made of the sweetest and softest natures And yet let not these relations lay such deepe tinctures or aspersiâ—ns on that weaker Sexe as if blind affection had so inthralled reason to sense that there were no place left for their modest Defence Cruelty indeed admits no Apology yet when too impressive a fancy occasions this cruelty it merits rather the title of a distracted phrensie then an affected cruelty Many of these were inflamed with such heat of love as the Catastrophe closed as well with the losse of their owne life as the life of their friends Yea could they have forgotten the injury done them by the disloyalty of their Servants they could willingly have dispenced with that breach of faith and expiated their guilt with the haplesse embrace of their owne fate Truth is their impatience was too great to expostulate with reason which drove them into this fury or phrensie of passion And this that noble but unfortunate Crescentia witnessed when after such time as shee had set her affection on a disloyall Servant and by her meanes fortunes and favours had highly advanced him finding her love so meanely requited as a strange Mistresse became entertained where her fancy should have beene solely lodged another and she a light Curtezan harboured where shee should have beene honoured shee burst forth into these extreames the issue whereof sealed the period of her love with the forfeiture of her life O my Demetrius were 't not in restraint and who did inlarge thee Were 't not hopelesse of fortunes and who advanc'd thee Were 't not engag'd to the opposition of a powerfull foe and who atton'd thee Nay were 't not growne contemptible in the eyes of the lowest and who restor'd thee Were not thy dejected fortunes so farre distanced from hope
divert all grounds of future distrust We are then in this usefull Connexion first to treat of Conjugall Offices being inherent as that grave Morall tels us betwixt Husband and Wife Wife and Husband Secondly of Parentall Offices being subsequent as that profound Stagyrite teacheth of Parents to their Children and Children to their Parents Thirdly of Domestick Offices being Concomitant as that sound Stoicke reasoneth being of Masters to their Servants and Servants to their Masters Fourthly of Neighbourly Offices being reciprocally dependent as that excellent Politicke concludeth being mutuall civill Offices or Courtesies betwixt Neighbour and Neighbour In all which distinct Subjects our purpose is with such brevity and perspicuity to deliver our usefull directions that in this very Breviarie may be layd downe the Rules of an entire Oeconomie Which being perused with attention and seconded with retention may not onely prevent all occasion of dissention at home but all division abroad For be the Sea never so troubled there is good hope that the groaning ship may be better secured when Wisedome and Moderation performe the offices of a Pilot and with a vigilant eye steers her against all occurrents Of Conjugall Offices IT was the saying of the Wisest of Kings Hee that findeth a Wife findeth a good thing and receiveth favour of the Lord. And that he might more emphatically expresse the incomparable estimate of a good Wife and how far in the Scale of judgement she is to be preferred before substance riches or any worldly inheritance to render them the more proper and genuine distinction he returnes them not only a distinct gradation but also a different derivation House and riches are the inheritance of the Fathers but a prudâ—nt Wife commeth of the Lord. In what high estimation are you then Gentlemen to hold discreet women And what happinesse may you be said to enjoy in casting your lots in so faire a field so fruitfull a ground Where you are Caius shee will be Caia such is her constancy Where you are Agathocles she will be Theogena yours in prosperity and adversity Fulnesse of fortunes cannot transport her nor any indigence dejâ—ct her Shee cannot endure to admit of that Italian Proverbe for Orthodoxall which they hold for a Tenet so generall When Love wants harbour it drives Love into a fever No so shee may live where she enjoyes her love she is rich enough how soe're she live Now what mutuall offices are required that love so freely tendered may be requited Humanity sayes the Philosopher exacts love for love But love her you cannot if you mixe your love with any or fix it on any wherein shee partakes not Let it then be your care that she only have the Monopoly of your love Let her Bed be undefiled your Vow inviolate remembring ever that divine Maxim To breake a Spoâ—full Vow 's an odious sin To keepe't unstain'd h 'as still an honour bin And to observe this Lesson better conceive with your selfe how ill you should digest her if shee should wrong you in the same sort It is an apparent Argument of honest Wisedome said that ancient Sage to module an other by our owne measure For to impose heavie burdens on others and never to partake of them to injoyne taskes on others and not to share in them argues an indulgency in respect of our selves our inhumanity unto others Entertaine this Fellow-helper then which you have received and to whom by a sacred Nuptiall tye recorded in Heaven solemnized on Earth and confirmed by the mutuall gages of two individually united hearts you stand affianced with an affectionate continence knowing how an heart divided cannot live nor a divided fancy truly love For as there is nothing so precious as a continent soule so is there nothing more odious than a Nuptiall Bed stained with an adulterate soyle That devout Father Saint Ambrose can tell you that it is a Crime detestable to Savages and Barbarians how much more to be excluded from the practise of Christians The very Birds of the ayre can retaine a memory of a dishonour'd love witnesse the Porphyrio who as the Naturall Historian reports no sooner finds another too familiar a sharer in her love then she despaires any longer to live Her Nest she leaves desolate and in her distasted life she becomes so disconsolate as being so injuriously abused by her endearedst friend she chuseth griefe to be her only Associate to accompany her to her Grave How passionately takes the loving Turtle the losse or dereliction of her beloved She will brouze on no greene herbe sit upon no flourishing sprig nor entertaine any new love She frequents the retired Laune where throbs and dis-passionate threnes become her choycest melody sighes griefes and groanes her Widows obsequy Receive these loyall Emblemes of constant fancy in the precious Store-house of your memory ever making use of these morall Readings that if creatures directed onely by sense scorne to be sensuall much more purity should that soule retaine which is rationall How mournfully did that propheticall Dove expresse his pious zeale and devout compassion in the discovery of this sinne a great dishonour to the house of Sion In the morning every one neighs after his Neighbours wife Nay observe how hee seconds it that the brutish nature of this sin might be fuller displayed In the morning they are as fed horses Thus were they sated and surfeited in their sensuall delights making the pleasures of sinne their gaine and the torments of Hell their goale Shall wee close this with the positive Conclusion of that Vessell of Election Marriage is honourable among all and the Bed undefiled but Whore-mongers and Adulterers God will judge Or with that passionate expostulation of the Prophet in the person of God himselfe against this sinne with the numerous Professors of this sinne How should I spare thee for this thy Children have forsaken me and sworne by them that are no gods though I fed them to the full yet they committed Adultery and assembled themselves by companies in the Harlots houses But to use the words of that elegant Morall It is the least of our feare but to find more rich treasure in your Tents more pious graces in your Pavillions your descent promiseth largely to your family that as your Predecessors vertues were as Signals or Land-markes to their posterity so you walking in the same pathes might derive the like streamlings of goodnesse unto yours An ancient Family saith that excellent Ethick retaines ever some beame-lings transcending others And as a genuine modesty is for most part an Attendant to Ingenuity so are generous Graces those constant'st Consorts which hold in equipage with true Gentry That solid Cinick hearing how a young Gallant descending from the order of the Ephori became hatefully debaucht preferred his suite and in it humbly begged this loose Rioters estate The whole Synod wondring much how and on what grounds that
wise Dogge for so they were pleased to stile him preferred his suite seeing the Gentleman was neither distracted nor any way so disabled but hee might well enough manage that estate was left him O conscript Fathers said he know you not how this profuse foole ha's forfeited all that estate he had by his Ancestors by discovering his owne Bastardy in degenerating from his Ancestors vertues Ha's hee not made his Family a Brothell and exposed his Wives honour to a lascivious Duell Hee ha's not only stayned his house in becomming so enormiously ill but in depraving others who might have become had not his example made them ill ingenuously good Strip him then of all without him who ha's already stript himselfe of all graces within him Trust me Fathers wee have none here that will bemoane his losse but those whom even goodnesse loaths to looke upon and whose very lives make Athens a Lâ—th-stow of pollution And such Mourners have all Prodigals nor doe these weepe to lose him but by his losse to lose that estate which did supply them Give me him then good Senators I shall become his trusty faithfull Guardian and keepe him short enough to consort with a Wanton Now to decline the just reproofe of such jeering Cinicks nay the distaste of all good men for men of honest quality can never relish any thing better than actions of Piety be it your highest terrestriall pleasure to tender her whom you ought to honour to estrange from your thoughts those injurious embraces of an usurping Lover And remember ever Lisimachus Song the memory whereof will preserve that pure splendor and beauty of your soule from an eternall staine The pleasure of fornication is short but the punishment of the fornicator is long One dayes dalliance exacts many yeares of repentance Imprint in your retentive memories the excellent interrogation of that choice Mirror of Chastity Patterne of presidentall Piety How shall I doe this wickednes and sin against God He chused rather to lose his Coat than his Honour Opportunity could not tempt him nor Importunity taint him Price prayer power became al weak in power to surprize a disposition so resolutely pure Be his Patterne your President his President the Pattern for you to imitate Nor is this Conjugall Office or Duty restrained only to this limitation As your affection is to be constantly continent to their Bed so are you to be affably pleasant at Board I have observed a strange kind of imperious and domineering soveraignty in some Husbands who held it a great posture of State to insult over their wives Nay to be marvellously discontented with what dishes soever were served to catch at offence and to relish nothing better than to discountenance those whose desires were levelled only to please But this argued in them a perversenesse of disposition resembling that ill-condition'd Aglataidas who was never better pleased then with displeasing others nor ever relished any dish better than what was distasted by others Or like that strangely temper'd Demophon who used to sweat in the shade and shake for cold in the sunne Now I could wish to these if their wives affability cannot in time reclaime them that their lots had beene throwne in more rugged grounds For had these beene match'd with our Zantippe's Iulia's Lucilla's or Faustina's no doubt but they would have addressed the best of their endeavours as much to please as their perverse humours are now to displease Then they would have studied Apologies purposely to divert the furious torrent of their displeasure and for the purchase of one poore smile engaged themselves to an Herculean labour It was a singular Philosophicall use which that wise Socrates made of his wives shrewdeness Whether I go abroad said he or I return home I am fenced with the armour of patience against whatsoever shall come Hee had so freely fed upon the herbe of Patience as nothing could distemper him how violent soever the assault were that encounter'd him yea those bickerings he grapled with at home made him better prepared to entertaine all encounters abroad So as with Mithridates hee had so well fortified his virile spirits with soveraigne Receipts against the invasive power of all poyson as he could performe the part of a true Philosopher in smiling upon affliction and receiving all distastes with so composed a brow as hee wondred much how any motives of anger should in an intellectuall soule beget the least distemper For whosoever he be that in resemblance of this Morall Mirrour of admirable patience can in Prosperity be silent and not transported in Adversity patient and not amated in neither of these distempered in either of these Philosophically composed scornes to ingage his more airy thoughts to an un-manly passion having already sphear'd them in an higher mansion In the very same Scene Gentlemen are you interessed wherein should you fall short or in the least measure defective Most part of all our Spectators eyes are fixed on you whose censure will prove as quick sighted as your errour accounting you unworthy those brave parts bestowed on you because mis-acted by you Entertaine these then to whom you are espoused with a free and no servile affection Waine them from passion if at any time they become ingaged to any rather with a pleasing smile then a daring frowne for the former partakes more of an awfull soveraignty then cheerfull fancy The way to preserve in any family a sweet consorting and concording harmony is never to have the Master and Mistris of the house at one time angry Let the sweetnesse of the one allay the sharpenesse of the other It was an excellent resolution which that Laconian Lady ever reteined My Husbands frowne shall be a Beame to disperse my Cloud which cannot chuse but beget in him a cheerfull reflexe seeing I make discontent a stranger to my heart for his sake Now there is one thing Gentlemen which I am to annex to what I have formerly delivered which being carefully remembred and cautiously practised cannot chuse but highly improve this Conjugall Love without which your unconsociable communion were but an hellish life And it is this Are you conceited that shee whom you have married is endowed with a sufficient measure of discretion to governe a Family and without just exception can propose to her selfe with those recommended to her charge rules of good Huswifery Doe not intermixe your care with her charge The disposall of a Daery is more proper for a Mistris than a Master of a Family Strong and manly Offices become the Man soft and delicate the Woman Nor is there any intrusion lesse beseeming then this nor ought that more exasperates the spirit of a woman then to have her care suspected or her charge interposed by her Husband either through a jealousie of her care neglect of her charge or disability to manage any such charge Those two honest Rurall Lovers though their estates were but meane their quality obscure their place of habitation
time as hee was espoused I thanke God said he that I abandoned my conceit and thus embraced an honourable state As I was long time in chusing I shall bee longer ere my thoughts incline to a changing As increase of Posterity put me upon the one so shall my vowed fidelity divert me from the other Her condition whom I have taken doe's so suite me as I should make my selfe unworthy such a choyce should I ingage my desires to any forraine fancy Vndeserving is he of a worthy one who intangles his affections with more then one This is the way then Gentlewomen to ingratiate your selves in their bosoms with whom you live and whom onely you are entirely to love to make a contract betwixt your eyes and hearts when at any time you goe abroad or are admitted to any necessary visit that your eyes may not become treacherous Tarpeia's to your hearts Nor suffer any intrusive thought to enter that may incroach upon your honour For it is no lesse errour to have a desire to be sought by others then to seeke after others To cast out deluding eyes and like subtile Falconers with light deceiving lures to seaze on amorous fooles which howsoever it imparadise them it cannot chuse but highly disparage you For speaking eyes are such dangerous Orators that though they allure others to folly they ever ingage themselves most to apparent misery But your discreet moderation ha's taught you a better Lesson your thoughts are impatient in giving reines to any such diversion One Sun is but for one Spheare one Diadem for one Head and one Conjugall Embrace for one Bed this best becomes you this crownes you This as it confirmes your loyall love while you are living so will it leave a memory of your goodnesse at your dying For as to love a Wife while she lives is a pleasing fancy so to reteine the memory of a Wife when she dies is an act of Piety Thus having sufficiently treated of this Conjugall Office which deserves preheminence because dignified by a primitive Ordinance wee purpose now to descend to our second Observance wherein wee are briefly to recommend to your candid Iudgements the distinct qualities of Parentall and Filiall Offices Of Parentall Offices PArents as they beare a naturall love to those they get so are they to have an innate care in providing for those they have got Which parentall care properly reflects upon two Objects Internall Externall Internall the better to inable and prepare them for the happy fruition of things eternall Externall to accommodate them in a way of livelihood lest they should become indigent or necessitous in things temporall The former ha's proper relation to nurture the latter to such necessaries as conduce to the conservation of nature For the first it is an excellent Lesson which the Wiseman giveth Teach a Child in the trade of his way and when he is old hee will not depart from it Wee say vessels keepe a savour of their first liquor As cloath dyed in graine reteines his prime tincture How cautious then should Parents be of their Childrens nurture If wee should take a re-view of preceding Ages we might find with what diligence and intentive care the very ancient Pagans provided Schoole-masters for their Children not only to instruct them in Principles of learning but discipline of living Yea even our most ancient and eminent Princes so much was Soveraignty enamoured on Philosophy men of highest quality on morall Piety reteined ever some Philosophers to their Familiars as Alexander Aristotle â—arius Herodetus Augustus â—iso Pompeius Plauto Titus Plâ—niâ— Adrian Secundus Trajan Plutarch Anthonius Apollonius Theodosius Clandinus Sâ—vâ—rus Fabatus And there were not onely imployed in their owne conference but in composing and delivering Precepts or rules of Instruction to their Children you then Parents who reteine in you better grounded hopes then airy thoughts of Elysian fields you I say who treasure great hopes in your Posterity and with a provident eye labour to improve their estates by advancing them to places of dignity Be it your primary care to enrich them inwardly that they may know how to manage an estate before they come to be Masters of an estate Many have lept into faire and full fortunes conferred on them by their Parents Providence who as they knâ—w little how their too carefull Fathers got it so with as much indifference they dispatcht themselves of it Education which is a second nature had given them no better nurture then to follow feathers in the ayre their best of Philosophy was Hunting or Falconry And more excusable had it beene if they had to closed But corruption of manners stript them of all their Mannors forty entertaining those Consorts of death loose Pandars or light Parasites they exhaulted those streaming treasures and exuberant fortunes in one yeare which many yeares acâ—ompanied with watchfull â—ares had to â—â—liciâ—ously gathered Nor is it indeed a thing possible that young Gentlemen who are mounted to high eâ—â—stes attended by numerous Reteiners supplyed with variety of pleasures but indigent in these mentall treasures should devote themselves without some miraculous inspiration to any studious employments Learning as it was a stranger to them in their youthfull minority so the very thought of it begets a fastidious aversenesse to their memory Bookes are for retired spirits but soone tired would their spirits be to be so retired Divine fancies they hold I remiticall frenzies Such Studies must never make them leane for they professe themselves Aliens to all Stories but Legends of Love O what a word of disgrace in these Novices eares is the title of a Scholler And to estrange themselves the better from such pedanticall Consorts they have resolv'd already never to entertaine any such for their Follower or Retâ—iner that holds least correspondence with a Philosopher The reason is as their Parents indulgence would not suffer them to lâ—arne when they were young so now they hold themselves too old to learne To prevent this malady too Epidemicall in most places be it your principall care to prepare such Tutors for them as may instruct them in the Principles of divine and humane Learning And by their incessant diligence so enable them as they may taste a sweetnesse in those Sciences they have learned For the onely reason of his neglect or remissenesse in Arguments of Knowledge is their deficience in Knowledge For did they but understand the sweetnesse of Learning they would preferre the incomparable delight of one houres study before a myriad of houres imployed in vanity That brave Picene had arrived no doubt at this port who though his Descent was noble his Revenues ample and his Objects of pleasure many yet hee ingenuously protested that the least graine of Philosophy which either his Tutors industry or his owne sedulity had purchased him was of more weight in his scale than all the revenues that were left him Truth is as youth is most docile
succour or by removing buttals to enlarge your boundiers or by any meanes to surprize others to inhance your injurious Coâ—ers The Partridge saith Ambrose makes her a nest of stolne eggs which she hath not laid but as soone as the birds are hatched the true Mother cals them all away from their thievish Step-dame This may be the proper Embleme of the covetous and cruell man Incubat auro Such incroaching Brooders be all unconscionable Misers who sit hatching those golden egges to use the words of the Apologue which they never lay but to their griefe must be stript by the true owners of what they so immoderately love For the Oppressors wealth is like Achans Wedge Turnus Belt Dagons house broke Dagons neck and all usurping Possessors are to expect the like fate Gnipho the Vsurer as Lucian feigneth lieth in Hell lamenting his miserable estate that one Rodochares an incestuous Prodigal did on earth consume his goods wastfully in the suâ—feits of pleasure which hee with care and unjust meanes had scrap'd together The way to decline these laments and prevent those infernall teares is with discretion to moderate your cares and feares Let not an unjust nor injurious thought seize on you nor a desire to improve your selves by anothers ruine surprize you Let not a Widowes teare nor an Orphans shreeke beare record against you These have shrill voyces and will find an Avenger One who has a Bottle to preserve the teares of the one as a precious Elixir and an Eare to compassionate the cryes of the other like an indulgent Father The way then in these temporall cares to make you happy Parents is with that indifferency to value gold as to make Godlinesse your chiefest gaint To preferre the approvement of equity before the improvement of a posterity To rejoyce more in honest poverty than in those swelling titles of iniquity For beleeve it that little Common-weale of man cannot chuse but enjoy much quietnesse where Conscience becomes Soveraignesse and receives Preheminence Now there is one errour that I have observed in Parents which were well to be rectified it is too generally spreading and consequently exacts the more expedite prevention It shall be our care to prescribe a cure which if it admit a cure it shall amply recompence our care Many too many make it their prime ayme their principall care in preferring their Children to fixe upon Inheritance or Portion Their sonnes must marry with Câ—â—cires and so joyne land to land A survey of their estates with whom they intend to match must precede all inducements of love Grounds of fancy must be rank'd in the second siege Proportion is to veile to Portion Reall affection to a rich Possession It was onely hope of Promotion that preferr'd this loves motion Were those inward Ornaments of this great Inheretrix never so meanly accoutred being thus encountred and with such rare fortunes embellished they must be above their estimate valued there is not so much as the least question made of the young Gentlemans love The Parents choyce must admit no change Meane time what miseries have attended such enforced Marriages every age can afford variety of dolefull Instances Where an vnion of hands begot a dis-union of hearts The reason might be this indirect affections seldome receive a blessing They invert the use of marriage who make Portion Directrice of Affection Fancy subordinate to Fortune Love is not to be made such a Page of Bee it then your office to examine the affection of your Child before you engage their persons to an enforced choyce Though a good fortune be not to be rejected yet is a good liking betwixt the parties to be preferred In a word let vertue be the ayme and the Marriage-day cannot chuse but cloze with a glorious Even In bestowing likewise your younger Children upon Trades you are to be very circumspect in the choyce of their Masters with the quality of their professions Ingenuous natures suite not well with rigid Masters Neither are tender or delicate constitutions for toyling â—or sinnewy professions This was especially observed by the ancient Romans which made them exquisite Artists in those manuall mysteries Wee have here in this our flourishing Iland many Staple Trades wherin as it is no derogation for our Gentry to interesse their younger Children so by Gods blessing and their good endeavour they become many times so well improved as they need not obsequiously ingratiate themselves to any inferiour favour nor rely on a pentionary supply or any necessitated succour being able by a civill remonstrance to render curtesie for curtesie to their elder Brother Neither can I approve the Indulgence of such Parents whose too tender affection towards their Children declines them from all hopes or helpes of preferment in this kind Birds wee see after such time as they have brought forth their young ones will not for ever foster them under their wings They must be sent abroad to provide themselves food to releeve them to build them nests to receive them and fitting mates to consort them And must these be wiser in their generation than those nobler Creatures who partake of Reason These observe the meanes by which they are directed to conserving ends Now would you have these meanes defined they are properly styled the way by which wee are directed to that scope or marke at which we aymed As you are then by nature their parents be it your care to raise them meanes of supportance As they had from you their being let them receive from you grounds of subsistence Let not your delicacy estrange their spirits from Industry lest by too much hugging them with the Ape in the Fable you stifle them Send them then forth into the world that as you have educated them so you may reape the fruit of your provisionall care by their improvement For trust me highly are such parents to be condemned who leave their estates so perplexed as they recommend the lively-hood of the Younger to the remisse consideration or doubtfull commiseration of the Elder For these many times entertaine such profuse Followers as their vast and unbounded ryot begets a neglect in them towards such as were recommended to them by making Servants of their Brothers and Brothers of their Parasites Besides the charge of Annuities as they exhaust the estate of the Elder making him live all his time like an ancient descendible Begger so it begets an irregular course in the Younger who either falling short in receipt of his annuall allowance or exceeding his bounds ingageth his perishing hopes to some desperate action which in the end spins to a full length the threed of his ruine So many fearefull examples both ancient and moderne present themselves daily upon the Stage of our State as they need no further illustration in this kinde That Maxime holds ever authentick Brethren are ever kindest one to another when they are least beholding one to another Assigne then to every one their peculiar portion which
of filiall duty and to performe them with all alacrity Besides doe Children desire a blessing The Honour which they render unto their Parents is confirâ—ed with a promise Nor is any Commandement ratified with a stronger Assumpsit Length of dayes is promised which implyes an abridgement of time to such as neglect it Nay that I may presse this Argument a little further by recounting those benefits which arise from parentall honour wee shall generally observe how that dis-regard to obedience which Children shew towards their Parents â—s fully requited by the Disobedience of their Children when they come to be Parents For what more may you expect from yours then what you tendered unto yours You may collect hence what singular blessings are from Obedience derived Againe what discomforts even to Posterity are from disobedience occasioned The one proposeth a long life the other implyeth a short life The one conferrs a comfort on us in our posterity the other a myriad of afflictions in our progeny Nor can that Child be of â—a ingenuous nature who with a free and uncoacted embrace addresseth not his best endeavours to advance this Honour Let him but respect upon his parents tendernesse and hee cannot chuse but highly taxe himselfe of unthankefulnesse should hee suffer the neglect of one houre in returning the obedientiall sacrifice of a Child to his Father Neither is any time to be exempted from so pious a taske For as their tender and vigilant eye has beene from infancy to yeeres of more maturity ever intentively fixed that their hopes might be improved and their comforts â—n that improvement numerously augmented so ought it to be the delightful'st study to their posterity to crown their Parents white hairs with comfort and in imitation of that veâ—tuous Corinthian to recollect themselves by considering what might give their Parents most content and with all cheerfulnesse to performe that for them even after their death which they conceived could not chuse but content them in their life Alas so indulgent are most Parents and so easily contented as the very least offices of duty performed by their Children transport them above comparison When Children in Obedience play their part They drop young blood into an aged heart Nay I may truly affirme of this precious plant of filiall Obedience what our ancient Poets sometimes wrote of that Aesonian herbe or what the ever living Homer reported of his Moli that it has power to restore nature and beget an amiable complexion in the Professor For a good life attracts to the countenance sayes the Ethick expressive Characters of love Now should you more curiously then necessarily enquire after the extent of this Obedience as wherein it is to be exercised and to what bounds confined take this for a positive Rule that in whatsoever shall not be repugnant to the expresse will of God there is required this Observance yea even in matters of indifference it is farre safer to oppose your owne wils then distaste your Parents It was an excellent saying of Saint Gregory Hee that would not offend in things unlawfull must oft abridge himselfe in things lawfull The way to infuse more native heat in this Obedience is to shew an alacrity of obeying even in Subjects of indifference for a remissenesse in these cannot but argue a probable coolenesse in those of higher consequence And as the command of a discreet Father will injoyne his Child nothing but what may comply equally with piety and reason so will a dutifull Child submit himselfe to his Fathers command without the least unbeseeming debate or expostulation Thus from these Premisses may wee draw this infallible Conclusion Would you enjoy length of dayes glad houres or a succeeding comfort in yours Answer their aged hopes who have treasured their provisionall cares for you bring not their silver haires with sorrow to their Grave but returne them such arguments of proficience in every promising Grace that your sincere and unfeigned Obedience may not be only a surviving comfort to your Parents but a continuall Feast to your owne Conscience Neither are you to performe these offices of Obedience with a regardlesse affection or without due Reverence For as God would have those who are Labourers in his Vineyard to doe their worke with cheerefulnesse so is it his will that naturall Children returne all offices of duty and filiall Obedience with humility and reverence Age is a crowne of glory when it is found in the way of righteousnesse And this closeth well with that saying of the Preacher The crowne of old men is to have much experience and the feare of God is their glory But admit they were such whom native Obedience injoynes you to reverence as the nearer to their Grave the further from knowledge the nearer to earth the more glued to earth yet for all this in lawfull things are you not to alien your thoughts of obedience from them but as you derived your being from them so with a sensible compassion of their infirmities with the veile of piety to cover their nakednesse It is true indeed what that sententious Morall sometimes observed There is no sight more unseemely then an old man who having lived long reteines no other argument of his age then his yeares This moved Curius Dentatus to conclude so positively that he had rather be dead then live as one dead Neither indeed is age to bee measured by yeares but houres Many are old in yeares who are young in houres Many old in houres who are young in yeares For time is of such unvaluable estimate that if it be not imployed to improvement it becomes a detriment to the Accomptant No object more distastefull said that divine Morall then an Elementary Old-man No subject of discourse more hatefull said witty Petrarch then a d dialecticall Old-man A logicall age howsoever it appeare copious in words it seldome becomes plenteous in workes Free discoursers in Philosophy are oft the slowest proficients in the practick part of Philosophy Whereas it is better to be a Truant at Schoole then in the practise of life For as it is better to know little and practise much then to know much and practise little So it is a more usefull knowledge to learne the art of living then of learning For many with their learning have gone into Hell whereas none were they never so simple but by living well have gained Heaven It is an excellent Caution indeed and well deserving our deepe Impression If thou hast gathered nothing in thy youth what canst thou find in thine age Put sufficient it is not to gather but to make use of that experimentall treasure Medicines deposited afford small benefit to the Patient nor are Talents to bee buried nor our Lights under a bushell shrouded Knowledge cannot be usefully active unlesse it be communicative Howsoever then Age in respect of her ancient livery with those aged Emblemes of her antiquity exact
reverence yet deserves it most honour when those gray haires are beautified with knowledge Oh how pleasant a thing is it when gray headed men minister judgement and when the Elders can give good counsell Oh how comely a thing is wisedome unto aged men and understanding anâ— prudency to men of honour This no doubt as it begets them esteeme amongst their Equals so it highly improves their reverence with Inferiours For foolish age though it should be exempted from derision yet such is the levity of time and piercing eye of youthfull observation as age becomes censured by youth whereas youth ought rather to interpret the best then detract in the least from the reverence of age It is too true that every obliquity be it either of higher or lower quality is more incurable in age then youth The reason is Age becomes more insensible of what it has committed and growes more indurate through an accustomed habit whereas though an unconfined heat of youth drive the other into folly an ability of conceipt brings them to an apprehension of what they have done and consequently to a recollection of themselves to reforme what they have mis-done Now the way how to improve this reverence in Parents to their Children and Magistrates to their Inferiours is to expresse such patterns of piety in the whole course of their life as the very shadows reflecting from such Mirrors may produce an awfull reverence zeale and love in their Observers with a zealous desire of imitation in their Successors This no doubt begot a pious emulation in our Predecessors towards those whose actions being of ancient record induced them to trace those steps wherein they had walked and with much constancy to professe those vertues which they had found in them so highly approved Others lives became their lines lines to direct them by their Coppy lights to conduct them to an higher pitch of true Nobility It is a Rule worthy inscription on the ancient Wardrobe of Age Old men by how much they are unto death neerer by so much more ought they to be purer This will attract unto them duty in their life and eternity after death Now Gentlemen that you may better observe this Reverence addressed to those to whom you owe all Obedience be it farre from you to debate or dispute their commands It suites not well with the duty of a Child to expostulate with a Father especially in morall respects where the quality or nature of the command discovers no Opposition to the Law divine Be never in their presence without a pious feare and awfull reverence Interrupt them not in their discourse neither preferre your owne opinion before their advise It tastes of an ill condition to stand upon conditions with a Father upon proposals of meanes or exhibitions But much more distastefull to contest in termes as if the memory of nature were lost in you and all acquaintance with piety estranged from you This it was which moved that dis-passionate Theban to take up his unseasoned Sonne in this manner putting him in mind of his neglect even of civile duty which the better to remember hee layes before him his uncivile demeanour in this severe Character An Ale-house seemes by your Apologie an excellent Receipt for a Male-content I am sory you have lost the Principles of more divine Philosophy You might recall to mind those Attick Studies wherein you were sometimes versed those Academick Colleagues with whom you discoursed A Memoriall of these might have better qualified this humour by reducing your troubled affections to a clearer temper But my hopes now are to be resolv'd into prayers for as yet there can appeare small hope where your Morning Sacrifice is offer'd to Smoake a sweet perfume for an intended Convert You seeme to presse your Father to a performance of promise God blesse you I see plainely your pen must necessarily make that Maxime good Where there is a want in the practise of piety it must needs beget a neglect of Duty nay of Civility I could wish that you would be as ready to reform the errours of your life as I to performe the Offices of a fatherly love So speedily do's love descend so slowly do's it ascend To conclude all in one I must tell you to condition with a Father argues no good condition in a Sonne But let the wisest Consort you consult with advise you and with their Tap-Rhetorick surprize you you shall find that I have power to proportion meanes to every ones merit From which resolution neither shall affection draw me nor power over-awe me So as if you expect from me a Patrimony exercise Piety Be what you seemâ— or prove the same you vow Wee have dissembling practisers enow Thus have you heard the course of a profuse Sonne with the resolution of a dis-consolate Father Collect hence what discontents accompany the one what distractions conscionably may attend the other Children reflect constant cares but uncertaine comforts Cares are proper attributes to Parents Comforts those fruits after a long Seed-plot of cares the sole Harvest they reape It is true Parents are to dispence with discomforts in their Children and receive them as familiar Guests to lodge with them But what heavy fates attend such Children as exemplarily present this condition Welcome Guests you cannot be to your father in heaven who make your inferiour cares such unwelcome Guests to him on earth I have found in some Children a serious inquisition after their Fathers yeares so as if they could possibly have contracted with the Register to inlarge his aged Character hee could not want an ample Fee for so gratefull a labour Such as these would ride in their Fathers saddle before their time But trust me few of these Lap-wing hopes or loose-pinion'd desires but they cloze in a fatall Catastrophe and as their ill-grounded hopes were scean'd in prodigality so they end tragically in an Act of misery Let it be your honour to reverence their gray haires and with wishes of pious zeale to rejoyce in their length of dayes For this it is will bring an happinesse to your age and beget a reverend obedience in yours as you in all piety offer'd like Sacrifice unto yours For take this for a constant position You shall seldome see any Prodigals falling short of these inherent Offices of duty but if they live to have a progeny they receive the like discomforts from their posterity Nay I have knowne very few such Vnnaturalists who desired their Fathers death in hope to enjoy his Land that ever enjoy'd much comfort in possession of that Land For as these murder their Parents in their hearts so they are many times stifled in the fruition of their hopes Tasting more aloes of discontent in their enjoying then ever they did sweetnesse in their expecting Consider then the excellency of that divine Proverbe A foolish Son is a griefe unto his Father and a heavinesse to her that bare him Now lesse then
neighbourly amity is to bee exercised What proper Obiects it reflects upon That knowing how and in what particulars it consisteth you may neither decline from the Object at which it aimeth nor become defective in performing those proper Offices which it requireth Our Ethicks will tell you that these Neighbourly offices whereof wee are here to treat either pitch upon arguments of Discourse and Communication or upon Action and Negotiation or Pastime and Recreation And first for matters of Discourse wherein you are to bee so cautious as nothing proceed from you as may either ingage his Life fame or Substance nor put your selves upon so desperate an hazard as by your too free and inlarged discourse to empaune your freedome under anothers girdle Which obvious perill that you may the better decline beware of these four precipices For many by too securely failing upon the Maine have perished in their too much security and through too much confidence lost themselves irrecoverably First then play not too much the part of an egregious Traveller by telling marvailes nor of too pragmaticall a Sophister by pressing reasonings nor of too tart a Critick by detracting from others merits nor too arrogant an Opinionist by making Comparisons The first may erroneously dictate to your deluded thoughts that you are admired when indeed you shall finde your selves to bee pittifully jeered The second may perswade you that you are scholastically approved when you are in the test of him that heares you pedantically censured The third may hold you in hand that you are with resolution against all opposition armed whereas your too liberall censure makes you hated The Last though it like you best can never bee more by others distasted then when by your selves most relished We usually say we may speake any thing safely under the Rose But this proverbe is to reteine a discreet restriction The Rose is an Embleme of Charity which so long as wee make our Obiect wee may speake safely because our discourse is seasoned with a pious reservancy But no place can secure us be it never so retired unlesse the Subject of our discourse be so seasoned Thinke then before you speake that an irrevocable word beget not in you too untimely a repentance for what you have spoke Many too many will rather loose their friend then their jest But these are dangerous to consort with A jest unseasonably uttered has occasioned too many an indiscreet Buffoun much losse and irreparably divided them from others love There is no greater deliberation then to bee taken in any passage of this life then in our choice of acquaintance Many have perished by being too credulously confident of the privacy or fidelity of those they consorted with Catiline had never been so unexemplarily mischievous had he not so daily consulted and consorted with a Cethegus Now in arguments of Discourse as you are to addresse your Scope according to the quality of the person or necessity of his occasion with whom you converse so three particulars are mainely observable in treaties of this nature verity vtility modesty By the first we are taught to deliver nothing upon trust or fabulous report but what is infallibly true and integrious By the second not to insist upon impertinences but to presse upon that Subject which is usefull and commodious By the third to decline too much vehemency in arguments of discourse for this argues a disposition arrogant and impetuous For these with that daring Epicurean Velleius are so confident and peremptory in matter of argument as not a period must be delivered but they expect it should be for a Maxim received And herein they erre most because they hold themselves secure from erring To bee briefe in Subjects of discourse let it be your care to regulate your speech to the direction of that Ambrosiack father whose advice is that there be weight in our words sense in our speech gravity in our discourse Which observed neither shall your Hearer be tediously cloyed nor any impropriety discovered but by meanes of this communicative discourse become so mutually interessed and improved as the Evening may returne a faire account of whatsoever has beene delivered Secondly as these Neighbourly Offices may pitch vpon Action or Negotiation be it ever your prime ground as I have else-where observed to doe as you would be done vnto you would not have your trust deceived Delude your Neighbour with faire pretences Let your contracts bee just without circumvention your intentions cleare without collusion Suffer with your Neighbour as if it were in your owne particular Comfort him when you shall finde him perplexed relieve him when you shall find any way necessitated Now in directions of comfort it is not so hard to give comfortable counsell to the sorrowfull as to finde a fit season when to give it Make choice then of an opportunate houre wherein the office of an affectionate Neighbour may be performed and the action to which it is addressed cheerefully seconded Tell me Is he brought upon the stage for his Life Performe the part of a constant Damon to your distressed Pitheas Bring him off if it lye in your power especially if his innocence merit your defence Sollicite his cause labour to free him from tyrannizing foes It is a worke of piety and reteines the highest place in those living Annals of amity Againe comfort him in the losse of those he loved Attemper his griefe with seasonable advice So compassionate his teares that they may find a sympathy in your eyes and an antidote in your discourse It was no lesse divinely then wittily said of Epictetus the Philosopher who going forth one day and seeing a woman weeping that had broken her pitcher and the next day meeting another woman weeping for that shee had lost her Sonne Yesterday I saw teares shed over a broken pitcher and to day teares shed over one for paying his debt to nature Sociable and seasonable counsell in these as it effectually workes upon the patient so is it an argument of a pious disposition in the Agent You desire comfort in these cloudy dayes of your affliction Minister the like solace upon every occasion So shall others be stirred up to afford you the like receipt in your greatest strait the like remedy in your pressingst extremity In the second place you are to tender his good name For Fame and Honour is such a precious odour as it survives man and reteines the memory of his actions in a lasting Shrine of glory or shame These are Monuments which cannot perish Touch Ieat Marble Ivorie are all of them materials of Mortality Whereas a precious fame survives such perishing metals and makes perpetuity her Trophey The Righteous shall be ever in remembrance but the memory of the wicked shall rot As it is palpable flattery then to bestow an adulterate beauty upon immeriting actions so is it an act of impiety to detract from the repute of