nought but Air. With that the Thoughts were very much perplext Then did resolve the Chymists should be next Which they would ask so unto them they go To be resolv'd If they of Souls did know They said unto the Thoughts When Bodies dye Souls are th' Elixir and pure Chymistry For Gold said they can never wasted be Nor can it alter from its purity Eternal 't is and shall for ever last And as pure Gold so Souls do never wast Souls are the Essence and pure Spirits of Gold Which never change but shall for ever hold And as Fire doth the pure from dross divide So Souls in Death are cleans'd and purifi'd From grosser parts of Body and no doubt The Soul as Spirits Death exhaleth out It is the Essence of great Nature's store All Matter hath this Essence less or more After the Thoughts had mused long In fine Said they we think the Soul is more Divine Than from a Metal'd Earth for to proceed Well known it is all Metals Earth doth breed And though of purest Earth the true Gold be Being refin'd by Heat to that degree Of pureness by which it long doth last Yet may long time and labour make it wast To shew 't is not Eternal and perchance Some slight Experience may that work advance Which Man hath not yet found but Time said they May Chymists teach and so they went away But travelling about they weary grew To rest a while they for a time withdrew The search of Truth into a Cottage went Where liv'd an aged Cottage well content A Man and Wife which pious were and old To them the Thoughts their tedious Journeys told And what they went to seek the Truth to find Concerning Souls to tell unto the Mind For we desire said they the truth to know From whence the Soul proceeds or where 't will go When parted from the Body The Old Man said Of such Employment he should be afraid Lest Nature or the Gods should angry be For his Presumption and Curiosity If it be Nature's work there is no doubt But it doth transmigrate all things about And who can follow Nature's steps and pace And all the subtil ways that she doth trace Her various Forms which curious Motion makes Or what Ingredients for those Forms she takes Who knows said he the Cause of any thing Or what the Matter is whence all doth spring Or who at first did Matter make to move So wisely and in order none can prove Nor the Decrease nor Destinies can find VVhich are the Laws that every thing do bind But who can tell that Nature is not VVife To mighty Jove and he begets the life Of every Creature which she breeds and brings Forth several Forms each Figure from her springs Thus Souls and Bodies joined in one Gin Though Bodies mortal be the Soul 's divine As being first begot by Jove and so The purest part of Life 's the Soul we know For th' animated part from Jove proceeds The grosser part from Nature self she breeds And what 's more Animated than Mankind Unless his Soul which is of higher Kind Thus ev'ry Creature to Jove and Nature are As Sons and Daughters and their Off-spring fair And as their Parents of them do take care So they as Children ought not for to fear How they dispose of them but to submit Obediently to all that they think fit Not to dispute on idle Questions still But shew obedience to their Maker's will Man asketh blessing of his Father Jove And Jove doth seem Mankind the best to love And Nature she her blessing doth bestow When she gives Health makes Plenty for to flow The blessings which Jove gives unto Mankind Are peaceful Thoughts and a still quiet Mind And Jove is pleas'd when that we serve his VVife Our Mother Nature with a Virtuous Life For Moral Virtues are the Ground whereon All Jove's Commands and Laws are built upon Thoughts trouble not your selves said he which way The Soul shall go to Jove and Nature pay For Temperance wherein the Life is blest That Temperance doth please the Life the best Intemperance doth torture Life with pain And what 's superfluous to us is vain Therefore return and temper well the Mind For you the truth of Souls shall never find At last came Reason which had been their Guide And brought them Faith in her they did confide Taking their leave away with Faith they ride And Faith e're since doth with the Mind reside A Lady which all Vanities had left Since she of Youth and Beauty was bereft She said That Pride in Youth was a great sin Of which a Tale did tell thus entring in A Description of the Fall of foolish and self-conceited Pride THere was a Lady rich that sate in state And round about her did her Servants wait Where every Tongue did walk still in their turn But in the ways of Flattery they run You are said one the finest drest to day A Heavenly Creature did another say Your Skin is purer far than Lillies white And yet is clear and glassy as the Light And from your Eyes such splendrous rays do spread That they seem like a Glory round your Head Your Wit is such 't is supernatural And all that hear you speak straight Lovers fall The sound but of your Voice charms every Ear And when you speak your breath perfumes the air Thus by these flatteries most proud she grew And scornful looks on every Object threw All Men she scorn'd that did to her address And laugh'd at all did love to her profess Her Senses for to please she was so nice That nothing serv'd but what was of great price Thus did she live in Lux'ry Pride and Ease And all her Thoughts were still her self to please She never pray'd unto the Gods on high For she did think her self a Deity That all Mankind was made her to admire And ought her Favours most for to desire That every knee that bow'd not to her low Or whose demeanors did not reverence show She thought them Beasts that did not Merit know Or that her Frowns should work their overthrow Her Smiles and Frowns she thought such power had As Destiny to work both good and bad At last the Gods that always have an eye Upon the Earth who all things do descry Amongst poor Mortals they this Lady spy'd Whose heart was swell'd and thoughts were big with pride Begot by Pluto's Wealth and Nature's Paint Bred in the Soul which makes it sick and faint But Pride is nurs'd still by the Senses five VVhat from each Sense it sucks it keeps alive But if no Nourishment it gets from those As Touch Taste Sound sweet pleasant scent orshows It faints and pines a way as starv'd so dyes And in a Grave of Melancholy lyes But as I said when Gods poor Mortals view'd They for their sins with Punishment pursu'd Then with this Lady they did first begin Many ill accidents at her they fling First they did set her
so high lived in the Lower Region and by intermixing together as their Parents did produced more of their Kind But after those productions of these Souls they went to the Planets where they found some of their Climates too cold others too moist others too cold and moist others hot and others hot and moist others hot and dry others cold and dry with which they did not agree being not equally temper'd But yet in every Planet these Souls being fruitful they left many of their Issues called Meteors which are shining-lights like Starrs but being produced from the Mortal temper of the Souls are subject to Mortality for Amorous Thoughts are the Bodily-dregs of Mortality which made these Meteors subject to dye as other Generations being the Mortal Effects of their Immortality otherwise they would be Starrs for whatsoever is Mortal may beget their Like or Kind which other things that are Immortal never do But when these two Souls had travelled above the Planets they became one fix'd Starr as being Eternal and not subject to dye And when they were thus they did produce no more Issues for what Mortality the Body left Those Souls to Earth and Planets did resign Which in a Generation of Meteors shine Fancy's Monarchy in the Land of Poetry IN the Land of Poetry Reason was King a Gallant Prince he was and of a Heroick Spirit a Majestical Presence and of a Sober and Grave Countenance He was tall of Stature and strong of Limbs His Queen was the Lady Wit a Lady of a quick Spirit of a pleasant Conversation amiable Countenance free Behaviour and of a sweet Disposition she was neatly shap'd fair Complexion'd and finely but variously attired This King and Queen loved one another with an extraordinary Affection and lived very happily and peaceably for he governed wisely His Kingdom was large and fully populated well manured and of great Traffick He made profitable Laws set strict Rules and kept good Orders both in the Church and State As for the Church Faith and Zeal were the two Arch-bishops who were sworn to consecrate none but Moral Virtues to preach Good Life and leave all Sects Opinions Superstitions Idolatry and the like Neither were they suffered to make Lectures of Learning because it is always about Controversies puzling Belief with nice Distinctions vain Fantasms and empty Words without Sense The Cathedral Church was the Conscience The two Universities were Study and Practice wherein all the Masculine Youth of the Kingdom were bred As for the State there were Superintendent Officers and Magistrates made of all degrees The Sen ces were the five Ports to this Kingdom the Head and the Heart were the two Magazines There were two Governours made to every Port to Command and Rule Judgment and Understanding always sit at the Ports called the Ears to examine all that enter there having a strict Command from the King to let in no Sound but Harmony no Reports but Truth no Discourses but Rational or Witty and that they should shut the Gates against Flattery Falshood Discord harsh loud Strains Scraping Creaking Squealing Noises Love and Skill were the two Commanders to the Port Eyes who were commanded to let none in but Uniformity Cimmetry Beauty Graceful Motions pleasing Aspects light and well-mixt Colours and to shut the Gates against Deformity or Monstrosity rude or cruel Actions glaring Lights illmix'd Colours false Shadows and Darkness and to set up the light of Dreams when they are shut Also to let no Tears pass through the Eyes but those that have a Pass-port from the Governour of the Heart At the Port of the Nostrils sate Like and Dislike who were commanded to let in none but sweet Smells such as refresh the Brain as the scent of sweet Flowers savoury Herbs Earth new-plough'd new-bak'd Bread also sweet Gums sweet Essences and the like but to shut the Gates of the Nostrils against snuffs of Candles stinking Breaths corrupted Flesh stale Fish old Apples strong Cheese spilt Drink foul Gutters especially the Pump or Sink in a Ship also no Smells of Suet or Grease and from many more stinking Scents which would be too tedious to mention But in case of necessity they were to be allowed or at least commanded to let in some sorts of Stinks as Assafoetida and burnt Feathers to cure the Fits of the Mother Then the two Commanders of the Mouth were Truth and Pleasure one was to govern the Words the other the Taste Pleasure was commanded to let nothing into the Mouth that was either too sharp too bitter too salt or too deliciously sweet Truth was commanded to suffer no Lyes Cursing Slandering Railings Flattering nor Amorous Lascivious Factious Discourses Likewise never to let pass an Oath but to confirm a Truth no Threatning but to terrifie or reclaim the Wicked or Cross-natur'd no Pleading but for Right no Commands but for Good no Praises but for Worth Also to let no Sighs nor Groans pass nor no Professions except they have a Pass-port from the Heart Nor no Promises but when they have a Pass-port from the King which is Reason The two Commanders of Touch were Pain and Pleasure who were commanded to keep out all sharp Colds burning Heats Bruises Pinches Smartings Cuttings Prickings Nippings Pressing Razing and to let in none but nourishing Warmth soft Rubbing gentle Scratching refreshing Colds and the like And upon pain of Death or at least high Displeasure these Rules were to be kept Yet sometimes Bribery corrupted the Commanders The Privy-Council-Chamber was the Breast the Privy-Councellors were Secrecy Constancy Fidelity Unity Truth Justice Fortitude Prudence and Temperance These Privy-Councellors helped the King to manage the Affairs of the Kingdom The Secretaries of State were Intelligence and Dispatch The Treasurer was Memory The Lord Keeper was Remembrance The Mayors of every City were Authority The Constables were Care The Judges were Commutative and Distributive Justice Honesty was the Commander of all the Forces of the Actions and Thoughts The Heroick Actions are the chief Commanders as Captains and Colonels and the like The Common-Soldiers are the ordinary and necessary Actions which are employed in Offensive and Defensive Warrs The Merchants are the Imaginations which traffick and trade all over the World The Inventions are the Handicrafts-men and Labourers The Appetites are the Citizens that are so covetous as to engross all Commodities and the Wealth of the Kingdom and are the most Luxurious People in the Land But as I said the King was a Wise Prince and to divert his Subjects from too serious Studies dull Contemplations and laborious Dictatings he had Masques Plays Pastorals and the like being attended by his Nobles the Sciences and the Gentry of the Kingdom which were the several Languages The Queen by the Muses and Graces The Marriage of Life and Death DEATH went a wooing to Life but her grim and terrible Aspect did so affright Life that she ran away and would by no means hearken unto her Suit Then Death sent Age and
Histories I did desire To see my Native Countrey Native Friends That lov'd me well and had no other ends Than harmless mirth to pass away dull time With telling Tales either in Prose or Rime But though Desire did then like a Wind blow The Sails of Wishes on Love's Ship to go Yet Banishment to my dear Lord was then A dangerous Rock made of hard-hearted men And hearing of such dangers in my way I was content in Antwerp for to stay And in the Circle of my Brain to raise The Figures of my Friends crowned with Praise These Figures plac'd in company together All setting by a Fire in cold weather The Fire was of Fancy which I made Within the Glandule of a Chimney laid My Lord and I amongst our Friedns was set In the midst of them that were thither met But afterwards perceiving I could make As many Figures as my Thoughts could take Then I invited all the Learned men And best of Poets that the Age had then The poorest Guess though they no birth inherit To entertain according to their merit Thus was my Mind as busie as a Bee To entertain this Noble Company Then my Imaginations a large Room built Furnish'd most curiously and richly gilt I hired all the Arts for to provide Choice of Provisions and Pastime beside The Wit I had unto the Muses sent With Love's Request which humbly did present My Mind's Desire which was without delay To come and help to pass the time away Wit travell'd far and search'd them all about At last in Nature's Court Wit found them out Then first to Nature Wit did bow down low To Wit Dame Nature did her Favours show And with a pleasing-smile she bid him say Whether be came to fetch her Maids away Wit answered Yes Then Nature bid them take The Helicon Water and with it make The Company all Poets Which they did Although they were but Pictures in my Head Their real persons at great distance were But on my Thoughts that did their Figures bear The marvellous Waters could not work well Which is the cause no better Tales I tell But hope those Friends my Fancy do present VVill take it well and for a good intent For I did trouble much my poor weak Brain This worthy Company to entertain MARGARET NEWCASTLE SEVERAL Feigned Stories IN VERSE The First BOOK READERS my Works do not seem in my Mind So bad as you make them if Faults you find For if you find much Fault you would not spare Your ridgid Censures but their Faults declare For I perceive the World is evil bent Judging the worst of that which was well meant When they a word to Wantonness can wrest They 'l be well-pleas'd and often at it jest When every foolish Tongue with words can play And turn good sense with words an evil way But at my Writings let them do their worst And for their pains with Ignorance be curst IN VVinter cold a Company was met Both Men and VVomen by the Fire were set At last they did agree to pass the time That every one should tell a Tale in Ryme The VVomen said VVe no true Measures know Nor do our Rhymes in even Numbers go Why said the Men All Women's Tongues are free To speak both out of time and follishly And drawing Lots the Chance fell on a Man Who having spit and blown his Nose began Of the Mournful Widow I Travelling it was my chance to spy A little House which to a Tomb stood nigh My Curiosity made me inquire VVho dwelt therein to further my desire I knocked at the door at last came one Which told me 'T was a Lady liv'd alone I pray'd that I the Lady might but see She told me she did shun all Company By her discourse the Lady had been Wife But being a Widow liv'd a lonesome life I told her I did travel all about Only to find a Constant Woman out She answer'd If the world had any where A Constant Woman surely she dwelt there I waited there in hope my Fortune might At length direct me to this Lady's sight And lying underneath a Tomb at night At Curfue-time this Lady with a Light Came forth out of the House all cloth'd in white And to the Tomb her walk she bended right With a Majestick-grace she walk'd along She seem'd to be both beautiful and young And when she came she kneeled down to pray And thus unto her self did softly say Give leave you Gods this Loss for to lament Give my Soul leave to seek which way his went O let my Spirits with his run a Race Not to out-go but to get next in place Amongst the Sons of Men raise up his Fame Let not foul Envy Canker-fret the same And whilst Great Gods I in the world do live Grant I may Honour to my Husband give O grant that all fond Love away may flye But let my Heart amongst his Ashes lye Here do I sacrifice each vainer dress And idle words which my Youth did express Here Dear I cancel all Self-love and make A Bond thy loving Memory to take And in my Soul always adore the same My Thoughts shall build up Altars to thy Name Thy Image in my heart shall fixed be My Tears from thence shall Copies take of thee And on my Cheeks those Tears as Pictures plac't Or like thy Carved Statue ne're shall waste Thy Praise my words though air shall print so deep By Repetition shall for ever keep With that Tears from her Eyes in show'rs did flow Then I rose up to her my self did show She seemed not to be mov'd at my sight Because her Grief was far above her Fright Said I Weep weep no more thou Beauteous Saint Nor over these dull ashes make complaint They feel not thy warm Tears which liquid flow Nor thy deep Sighs which from thy Heart do go They hear thee not nor thank thee for thy love Nor yet his Soul that 's with the God's above Take comfort Saint since Life will not return And bury not thy Joys within this Urn. She Answered I have no Joys in him they did reside They fled away when as his Body dy'd Not that my Love unto his Shape was ty'd But to his Virtues which did in him ' bide He had a Generosity beyond all Merit A Noble Fortitude possest his Spirit Foreseeing-Prudence which his Life did guide And Temperate Thoughts did in his Soul abide His Speech was sweet and gentle to the Eat Delight sate close as listning for to hear His Counsel wise and all his Actions good His Truth and Honesty as Judges stood For to direct and give his Actions Law His Piety to Gods was full of awe Wherefore return your Counsels are in vain For I must grieve whilst I'n the world remain For I have sacrific'd all my Delight Upon my Noble Husband 's Grave and slight All Vanities which Women young do prize Though they entangle them as Webs do Flies Lady said I you being Young and
in secret guise Courting her privately for fear of Spies He strove to win her unto his embraces Muffle the Faults he would and the Disgraces Said he Why may not we our Senses all delight Our Senses and our Souls Heaven unite That we call Honour only Man creates For it was never destin'd by the Fates It is a word Nature ne're taught us nay It is a Precept she forbids t' obey Then follow Nature for that follows God And not the Arts of Men they 're vain and odd Let every Sense lye steep not drown'd in pleasure Let us keep up their height in balanc'd measure First let our Eyes all Beauteous Objects view Our Ears all Sounds which Notes and Times keep true Then Scent all Odours to refresh the Brain With Tastes delicious Palates entertain Touch things most pleasing that all Parts may feel Expansion of the Soul from Head to Heel Thus we shall use what Nature to us gave For by restraint in Life we dig our Grave And in the Grave our Senses useless lye Just so is Life if Pleasures we deny Thus Heav'n that gave us Sense may take it ill If we refuse what 's offered to us still Then let our Sense and Souls take all delight Not to surfeit but feed each Appetite Come Pleasure Circle me within thy Arms Inchant my Soul with thy delightful Charms Said she It is not always in our Power To feed Delight nor Pleasure to devour Man no free Power hath of any thing Only himself can to destruction bring Can kill his Body and his Soul can damn Although he cannot alienate the same Nor can he make them always to remain Nor turn them to what they were first again Thus can we cross and vex our selves with pain But being sick cannot be well again We can Disturb great Nature's work at will But to Restore and Make is past our skill But he did plead so hard such Vows did make Such large Professions and such Oaths did take That he would constant be and that his Bride He would her make when that his Father dy'd She young and innocent knew no deceits Nor thought that Words and Vows were us'd as baits So yeelded she to all he did desire Thinking his Vows as much as Laws require But they so oft did meet till it befell She sick did grow her Body big did swell Which she took care to hide and would not be As she was wont in other Company But to her Parents she would often cry And said she swell'd so with a Tympany They did believe her and did make great moan Their only Child was now so sickly grown His Father old the Marriage to prevent Now in all haste his Son to travel sent Gave him no time nor warning to be gone Nor till he saw him ship'd left him alone But he to ease his Mistress of her fear For to return he only now took care But she no sooner heard that he was gone But in her Chamber lock'd her self alone Complain'd against her Destiny and Fate And all her Love to him was turn'd to Hate You Gods said she my Fault 's no wilful sin For I did think his Vows had Marriage been But by his stealth so privately to leave me I find my Crime and that he did deceive me For which said she you Gods torment him more Than ever any Man on Earth before With that she rose about her Neck she flung A Silken String and in that String she hung Her Parents to her Chamber did repair Calling her forth to take the fresh sweet air Supposing it might do her Health some good And at her Chamber door long time they stood But when they call'd and knock'd no answer made She being sick they ' gan to be afraid Their Limbs did shake with age Nerves being slack't Those Nervous Strings with fear were now contract At last though much a-do they had to speak They Servants call'd to open or to break The Lock No sooner done but with great fear They entred in and after they were there The horrid sight no sooner struck their Eyes But it congeal'd their Hearts and straight both dyes The Fame of their sad Fates all round was spread The Lover heard his Mistress then was dead His Clothes his Hair he tore his Breast did beat His Spirits issu'd out in a cold Sweat Said he O cursed Death come kill me quick And in my Heart thy Spear or Arrow stick Because my Love in thy cold Arms doth lye I now desire nay am resolv'd to dye But O! Love is a powerless God in vain He strives with 's Flame to melt Death's Icy Chain For though with Love my Heart so hot doth burn Yet cannot melt I fear Death's Icy Urn. Then he all in a rage to the Earth fell And there invoking up the Devils of Hell Saith he Ye Powerful Terrors me assist For to command or force Death when I list That by your help and pow'r my Love may rise From the dark Vault or Grave wherein she lies Or else by Death's cold hand alone Convert me into Marble-stone Then running as distracted in and out By Fancies Visions strange saw all about And crying loud My Mistress she is there He seem'd to catch but grasp'd nought else but air See see her Ghost how it doth slide away Her Soul is pure and shines as glorious Day But my foul Soul which is as black as Night Doth shadows cast upon the Soul that 's bright Which makes her walk as in a gloomy shade Like Shadows which the Silver Moon hath made Hark how my Love sings sweetly in the Skye Her Soul is mounted up to Heavens high And there it shall be made a Deity And I a Devil in Hell tormented lye His spirit being spent fell to the ground And lying there a while as in a swound At last he rose and with a sober pace He bent his steps as to her burying-place And with his Cloak he muffled him about His Hatpull'd o're his Brows his Eyes look't out To guide his way but far he had not gone That straight he saw the Funerals coming on Three Hearses all were born as on a breast Black cover'd two with white the third was drest A Silver Crown upon that Hearse did stand And Myrtle-boughs young Virgins bore in hand The graver sort did Cypress-branches bear The mournful Parents death for to declare With solemn Musick to the Grave them brought With Tears in-urn'd their Ashes in a Vault But he before the People did return Did make great haste to get close to the Urn His Hat pulls off then bows le ts loose his Cloak With dropping Eyes countenance sad thus spoke You charitable Friends whoe're you be To see the Dead thus buri'd solemnly The like to me your Favour I do crave Stay all and see me buri'd in this Grave Giving himself a private wound there fell Into the Grave and dying there did tell Of his sad Love but now said he Our Souls nor
House and Goods on fire Where her rich Furniture did soon expire Then Envy sought all ways to pull her down And tax'd her Land as due unto the Crown And in that Suit great Sums of Money vast Lawyers ingross'd which made those Sums to wast And when those Lawyers got all that she had They cast her Suit as if her Cause was bad By which her Lands she lost then only left Her rich with Beauty but of Lands bereft In which she pleasure took although but poor Of Fortune's Goods of Nature's Giftssh ' had store But when the Gods did see her still content At last they to her Body Sickness sent She patient was her Beauty still did last But when that they their Judgment on that cast Making a Grave to bury Beauty in Which Beauty once did tempt the Saints to sin Because her Face so full of Pock-holes were That none could judg that Beauty once dwelt there Then did she sit and weep turn'd day to Night Asham'd she was to shew her Face the light Time an Ingraver cuts the Seal of Truth And as a Painter draws both age and youth His Colours mix'd with Oyl of Health lays on The plump smooth Youth he pencils thereupon Shadows of Age he placeth with much skill Making the hollow places darkest still But Time is slow and leisure he doth take No price will hasten him his Works to make But accidental Chance who oft doth jarr With aged Time and then some Works doth marr But when her wealth was gon and state was down Then did her Friends and Servants on her frown So far now from professing Slavery As they did use her most uncivilly Would rail against her spightful words throw out Or had she been but guilty would no doubt Betray her life such natures have Mankind That those in Misery no Friends can find For Fortune's Favours only Friendships make But few are Friends only for Virtue 's sake In Fortune's Frowns Man will not only be A Neuter but a deadly Enemy Nay ev'n a Devil to torment the Mind If he no mischief ' gainst the body find But after she had mourn'd Three hundred days Consid'ring Nature's Fortune's various ways She did repent weeping for what was past Imploring Gods to pity her at last Good Gods forgive my Vanity and Pride Let not my Soul with sinful spots be dy'd Let your great Mercies scour those spots off clean That by your Justice no spots may be seen Consider Lord the Works that Nature makes The Matter Motion and the Form she takes The Grounds and Principles on which she builds The Life and Death in all things she distills Is various still in what she doth compose Nothing but wild Inconstancy she shows Nor is it only the substantial part That is compos'd thus by her Curious Art But what we call Immortal as the Soul Doth various passions appetites controul And as all bodies that are young want strength And wait for Time to give them breadth and length So doth the Soul want Understanding too And knows not what is best to think or do Wherefore great Jove I never shall despair Of thy sweet Mercy nor yet Devils fear To punish Ignorance Youth rash ways runs Which Age by long-experienc'd knowledg shuns But Age oft time 's as faulty as Youths be Corrupted with bad Principles we see That length of Time and Custom makes them shew As if in Man they naturally grew But to conclude the time she had to live She heartily unto the Gods did give Though young into a Nunnery she went Her Vows unto the Gods she did present Her Days not being long she soon there dy'd And now her Soul with Angels doth reside For with her Penance Tears and Contrite Spirit She wash'd away her sins and Heav'n did merit The next Tale when you read it will discover The fortunate or the unfortunate Lover A Mock-Tale of the Lord Duke of Newcastle which his Grace was pleased to say out of his great Civility That it would serve for Shadows to set off the rest He loving Truth so well that he was never good at telling Tales A Young and Lusty Cheshire-Lad did move In Venus Sphere and was so fill'd with Love When first he saw a lovely Lass at Chester Whose badg of Christianity was Hester So beautiful and fair she did appear Fresh as the welcome Spring to the New Year And Odoriferous as Flower 's birth As fair as new-born Lillies from the Earth This set the young Man's heart in Love's Flame Fire Struck dumb in Love turn'd all now to admire At last Love found a Tongue which did not fail To burst out violently and thus to rail Cursing now partial Nature that did give More beauty to her than elsewhere doth live Bankrupt in Beauty since her store is gone Mankind condemn'd to foul ones now or none Was Nature lavish or else made the Thest Upon her self since she hath nothing left Of what is handsom so I now do find He enjoys thee enjoys all Womankind For Beauty Favour and what 's height of Pleasure Since thou art Nature's Store-house her Treasure O love me then since all my hopes are crost If I enjoy you not I 'm wholly lost For what I can call Happiness nay worse My Life then to me 's but a fatal Curse But if you yeeld I 'le bless Dame Nature's Gift And Bounty to you since 't was all her drist To make her Master-piece in you and vex The envious Females angring all your Sex And if her bounty to you you give me I shall be Deifi'd in love by thee Here on my knees I beg thy Love thus low Until I have it my Knees here shall grow Therefore be kind She answer'd with sweet Eyes Which spoke not speaking for to bid him rise And then discours'd with modest blushes so As that did tell him all her heart did know Trembling and shaking with Love's Palsi'd Tung With broken Sighs and half Words it was strung Love's Comma's Full-Points and Parenthesis And this Love's Rhetorick Oratory is With Love's pale-difficulty then afraid She softly said O I 'm a tender Maid And never heard such language you 'l deceive me And now I wish I could wish you would leave me Why d' ye inchant a silly Maid alas I never saw such beauty in my Glass And yet I 've heard of flatt'ring Glasses too But nothing flatters like you Men that woo Your Tongue 's Love's Conjuration without doubt Circles me here in Love cannot get out By your Love 's Magick whispering Then did yield And said You 've conquer'd and have won the field Such Joy between them such new Passions rais'd Which made the God of Love himself amaz'd Since by no Tongue or Pen can be exprest Cupid and Hymen ne're hop'd such a Feast But see the Fate of business which doth move So cross For Business hath no sense of Love O thou dull Bus'ness Yet some States-men pry Into Love's Secrets with a glancing Eye But here
sorrowfully departed No sooner were they gone but in came my Play-fellows the Muses who seeing me sit so dejected began to sport with me one pulled me out to Dance another would have me Sing another repeated Love-Verses another described Battels and Warrs another like a Mimmick imitated several Humours and so every one endeavoured to please me in their turns But the Tragedian Muse said That she liked my Humour very well and that I was the only fit Company for her But my Moral Governess chid them away and said She would order me better than to suffer such wanton Wenches and idle Huswives to keep me Company for they were able to spoil and corrupt a whole Nation with their wildness and impoverish a Kingdom with their laziness whereupon some went laughing away but others went weeping So after I had been some time chastised by Virtue the Sciences returned in a Chariot which the Arts had made being finely carved neatly cut and lively painted joined with curious Screws and subtil Engines and the Wheels Mathematically Compassed Which Chariot was drawn by Six new sound strong and well-breath'd Opinions Harnessed with Speculations Shod with Disputations wherewith they often stumble upon the ridg of Ignorance or plunge into holes of Nonsense He that drove the Chariot was Ambition the Postillion was Curiosity the Sciences sat in it and Doubts and Hopes run by as Lacquies which Lacquies did bear me upon their Shoulders and placed me in the midst of the Chariot the Sciences being round about me Where I was no sooner set but Rhetorick presented me with a Posie of sweet Eloquence and the Mathematicks crown'd me with Truth But they all in their turns encouraged me with Promises That they would carry me to Fame's Palace and there I should remain No sooner had Ambition given a Lash to make the Opinions run but the Muses came in another Chariot made by Contemplation cut out of Imagination lined with several-colour'd Fancies embroidered with Rhymes rowling upon the Wheels of Numbers drawn by Distinguishings whose Trappings were Similizing Plumed with Delight Shod with Pleasure which makes them run smooth swift and easie He that did drive the Chariot was Judgment and the Postillion Wit But when the Muses who were therein saw I was in the Chariot of the Sciences they began to quarrel and draw out their Satyrical Swords The Sciences being more Grave and Temperate received their Assaults very civilly as coming from fair Ladies But after some dispute they did agree to take turns to carry me to Fame's Palace After I had travelled some time with the Sciences I was received into the Chariot of the Muses where I was received with great joy and crowned with a Wreath of Flame And thus I am travelling with very wise and pleasant Company though as yet I have no sight of the Palace but howsoever my Mind is so pleased with the Journey so delighted with the Society and so proud of the Favours and Gifts it receives from them every day that it despises the Follies and hates the Falshood of Mankind and scorns the Proffers of Fortune not regarding the Vanities of the World Would you could bring me into that Society said the second Lady The first answered I will do my endeavour So after a short time She pleaded so earnestly in her Friend's behalf that she was received into their Company in their Chariots where each Lady took their turns to ride in each Chariot whereby the Muses and Sciences were both pleased having always one of them with each And when at any time they rested from travelling the Sciences and Muses made Pastimes for those two Ladies like those of the Olympick-Games the Sciences found out new places to play in and took the Height the Longitude and Latitude of them Also by the help of the Arts they fortified and made them strong and built thereon and the Muses invented Masques made Plays and the like for the Sciences Arts and Muses were so proud and did so glory that they had gotten two of the Feminine Sex that they strove with all their Industry to delight them and to entertain them after the best manner The Propagating SOULS THERE was a handsom young Lord and a young beautiful Lady who did love one another so passionately and entirely that their Affections could never be dissolved but their Parents not agreeing to it would by no means be perswaded to let them Marry nor so much as to let them converse like Strangers Setting Spyes to watch them But when they found they would meet in despight of their Spies they enclosed them up from coming at each other Whereat they grew so discontent and melancholy that they both dyed and just at one and the same time to the great grief of their Parents who now wish'd they had not been so cruel But when their Bodies were dead these Lovers Souls leaving their Fleshly Mansions went towards the River of Styx to pass over to the Elyzium-Fields where in the way they met each other At which meeting they were extreamly joyed but knew not how to express it for they had no Lips to kiss nor Arms to embrace being Bodiless and only Spirits But the Passion of Love being always ingenious found out a way that their Souls which are Spirits did mingle and intermix as liquid Essences whereby both their Souls became as one But after these gentle smooth soft Loveexpressions they began to remember each other of their Crosses and Oppositions whilst they lived in their Bodies but at last considering of the place they were moving to the Masculine Soul was unwilling to go to it for since he had his Beloved Soul he cared not to live in the Elyzium Then speaking in the Soul's Language he perswaded his Love not to go thither for said he I desire no other Company but yours nor would I be troubled or disturbed with other Lovers Souls Besides I have heard said he that those that are there do nothing but walk and talk of their past-life which we may desire to forget Then let us said he only enjoy our selves by intermixing thus She answered She did approve of his desire and that her Mind did join and consent But where said she shall be our Habitation He answered He would build a Mansion in the Air of Poets Fancies and Philosophers Imaginations and make Gardens of Oratory Wherein should Flow'rs of Rhetorick grow By which Rivers of Divine Faith should flow That place said she a Paradice would be But I no strong Foundation there can see For it will shake with every puff of Wind No certainty nor surance will you find My Soul said be then we will higher fly And there another Mansion we will try And after they had argued some time at last they did agree to dwell in one of the Planets but before such time as they could arrive to the lowest Planet these two Noble Souls by Conjunction produced several Flames which were called Meteors these being not able to travel
Cure But he that said The Stone in the Mind was Cruelty caused by the sharpness of Envy the bitterness of Hate and greedy Covetousness bid drink a Draught of Prodigality once a week and it would cure him And he that said Cruelty was the Stone that baked the tender and soft Humours into a hard confirmed Body of Stone bid him take an Ounce of Compassion two Ounces of Charity two Ounces of Generosity as much Clemency and bray them all together then divide them into two parts and lay one half to the Heart and another to the Reins of the Mind and those Medicines will soon dissolve the Stone As for Convulsions of the Mind he that said it was Fury bid the Mind take an Ounce of Discretion half an Ounce of Judgment a Scruple of Gravity mix them all together as in an Electuary and take it fasting and it will cure him And he who said That Inconstancy was the Convulsion in the Mind bid him take an Ounce of Temperance and an Ounce of Judgment one Ounce of Understanding two of Resolution mix these into an Electuary and take a good quantity of it every morning and this will cure him As for a Consumption he that said Pity was a Consumption bid the Mind take a Heart and bake it dry and when it was dried to Powder mix it in his ordinary Drink and it will cure him But he that said Forgetfulness was a Consumption bid him only take a Draught of Remembrance every day As for Dropsies he that said Desires were Dropsies bid the Mind take a Bunch of Reason that grows in a well-temper'd Brain and as much Humility that grows in a good Heart boil them in the Water of Content and drink a Draught three times a day this said he will dry up the superfluous matter But he who said That Desire was that Disease which was called the Dog-like-Appetite bid the Mind make a Bisk of Vanity an Oil of Curiosity and a Hodg-podg of Variety and eat so long till he did vomit it up again and if he could surfeit thereof it would prove a Cure otherwise there was no remedy unless the Mind could get some Fruition which is seldom to be had yet sometimes it is found said he But he that said A Dropsie was a Reluctancy that swelled out with an Aversion bid the Mind only use Abstinence and it would cure him And he that said It was Voluptuousness said That the same Medicine was to be prescribed He that said It was Pride that swelled out with Vain-glory bid the Mind take a great quantity of Humility but if you take it from the hand of Misfortunes said he it will make you sick But the Mind perceiving that they agreed not in any one Medicine or Disease desired that they would depart from him for said he Gentlemen it is impossible you should prescribe an effectual Medicine or Remedy since you cannot agree about the Disease So he paid them their Fees and they departed and the Mind became his own Physician Apothecary and Chyrurgeon First He let himself Blood opening the wilful Vein taking out the obstinate Blood Then he did take Pills made of Society and Mirth and those purged all strange and vain Conceits Also the Mind eat every morning a Mess of Broth wherein was Herbs of Grace Fruit of Justice Spice of Prudence Bread of Fortitude these were boiled with the Flesh of Judgment in the Water of Temperance This Breakfast was a Soveraign Remedy against the malignant Passions for it did temper Heat qualifie Sharpness allay Vapours and mollifie obdurate Passions and foolish Affections Likewise he did take to his Service the strongest soundest and quickest Senses which were Five these waited on him and each in their turn gave him intelligence of every thing and brought him all the News in the Countrey which was a Recreation and a Pastime for him And in thus doing he became the healthfullest and jolliest man in the Parish The Thoughts feasted THERE were two men great Companions one of them told the other That he had made a particular search and a strict enquiry for him three days together and could not hear of him insomuch that he had thought some unfortunate Accident or violent Death had befallen him He answered His Senses had been to visit the Soul which was the cause of his Body's retirement The other said I have heard that the Soul did use to visit the Senses but never heard that the Senses did use to visit the Soul He answered That the Sensitive Spirits did as often in some men visit the Rational as the Rational did the Sensitive Well said he and how doth the Soul live He said As a great Prince should do for the Mansion of the Soul is nobly situated upon a high Hill of Ambition which ascends by steps of Desires whereon stands a very curious Castle of Imaginations and all about are solitary Walks of Contemplations and dark Groves of Melancholy wherein run Rivers of Tears The Castle is Walled with Vain-glory and built upon Pillars of Hope Within the Walls are fine Gardens of Eloquence set full with Flowers of Rhetorick and Orchards of Invention wherein grow fruitful Arts. In this Orchard are many Birds of Fancies which flie from Tree to Tree from Branch to Branch from Bough to Bough singing fine Notes of Poetry in a sweet strain of Verse and chirping Rhymes and building their Nests in Arbours of Love wherein they hatch Conceits Likewise said he the Soul hath another House which is a most stately Palace it stands in the midst of a large Plain of good Nature wherein run Rivers of Generosity This Palace is walled about with Fortitude and stands upon Pillars of Justice There are long straight level Walks of Temperance where is fresh Air of Health This Palace is built very convenient for on the out-side are Stables of Discretion wherein are tyed up wild Opinions Phantasms and all skittish Humours and a large Riding-Room of Judgment where all Opinions are managed Also there are Granges of thrifty Contrivance wherein are Cattel of Prudence that give the Milk of Profit Besides there are Kitchins of Appetite Dining-rooms of Luxury Galleries of Memory Cellars of Forgetfulness Chambers of Rest and Closets of Peace But said he after my Senses had viewed every place they took their leave of the Soul who told them That they should stay and feast with her So the Soul invited all his Subjects the Thoughts The first of all were the Generous Thoughts who are the Nobles then the Gentry who are the Obliging and Graceful Thoughts the Heroick Thoughts were Commanders of Warr the Factious Thoughts were the Commons the Mercenary were Trades-men the Plodding-Thoughts were the Yeomantry the Ordinary Thoughts were Labourers and Servants Then there were the Politick Thoughts which were Statists the Proud Thoughts Magistrates and the Pious Thoughts Priests the Censuring Thoughts were the Judges the Wrangling and Pleading Thoughts Lawyers and the Terrifying Thoughts Sergeants the
After which the King and all the People rising up bowed their Heads down low as in humble obedience to the Commands he had receiv'd praying to him as a God to divert the Punishments intended to them and in sorrow lamenting their Fault went home each to his House sealing up their Lips for such a time from receiving Meat or sending forth Words In the mean time the old Man and he had leisure to bethink themselves what to do having at that time the Temple as a Palace to live in none to disturb them nor to hinder their Thoughts from working out their advantage and sitting in Counsel a long time disputing with each other what was best to do at last resolved That the old Man should go to the King as sent from the Gods to bid him send a Command to all his People to eat such Herbs for Sallads and drink their Water without mixture just before they came for else said the old Man their Hunger will make them impatient or so dull as it may stop their Ears by the faintness of their Spirits caused by their empty Stomacks and too much said he makes them furious sending up Malignant Vapours to their Brains which may cause our Ruins But after he had been with the King he returned back to the Temple again and the King obeyed his Desire as a Command from the Gods and brought the People all to the Temple where after they were all gathered together Travelia advanced himself so much higher than rest as they might hear him round about Then thus spake PIOUS Friends for so I may call you being willing to please the Gods though your Ignorance hath led you wrong ways But the Gods seeing your Zeal though through a false Devotion pitying your Ignorance have by their Wisdom found means to appease the Wrath of their Justice for every Attribute of the Gods must have a satisfaction for Right is their Kingdom and Truth is their Scepter wherewith they govern all their Works but the Gods have strowed Lots amongst Mankind of movable things which Chance gathers up and Chance being blind mistakes both in the gathering and distributing Now the Gods made this Chance by their Providence when they made Man for Man hath no more knowledg of the transitory things of the World than what Fortune gives them who is an unjust Distributer for all External Gifts come from her hand and for want of sight she gives oft-times the Beggar 's Lot to the King the Servants to the Master the Master 's to the Servant and for the Internal Gifts which the Gods have bestowed on Men they are different as the External are transitory for some are nearer to perfection some farther off yet none have perfect knowledg for the Gods mix Man's nature with such an aspiring Ambition that if they had a perfect knowledg of the glory of the Gods and a perfect knowledg of the first Cause and of the Effects produced therefrom they would have warr'd with the Gods and have strove to usurp their Authority So busie and vain-glorious hath the Gods made the Minds of Men Wherefore the Gods govern the World by Ignorance and though the goodness of the Gods is great yet it is bound in with their Justice which is attended with Terrors to punish the Crimes of Men and even to punish the innocent Errors that proceed from that Ignorance which they have muzled Man withall But as their Power made the World their Wisdom rules the World their Justice punishes the World so their Mercy keeps the World from destruction and their Love not only saves Man but preferrs Man to a glorious Happiness And some of this Love the Gods have sent to you although by your Ignorance you had almost cast it from you And since the Gods have sent you Knowledg by us take hold of it and do not wilfully fall in your superstitious Errors although it is a difficult pains even for the Gods themselves to perswade Man who is of a cross suspitious inquisitive and murmuring nature accusing the Gods of Partiality saying They prefer or cast out whom they please not as Man deserves Thus they judg of the Gods by their own Passions but the Gods by Variation are pleased to continue the World and by Contradiction to govern it by Sympathy delight it for Delight lives not altogether in the power of Chance being created in the Essence and Soul of Man for though Chance can present those things with Antipathies or Sympathies to the Senses which present them to the Soul yet it hath not the power to rule it for the Soul is a kind of God in it self to direct and guide those things that are inferior to it to perceive and descry into those things that are far above it to create by Invention and to delight in Contemplations and though it hath not an absolute power over it self yet it is a harmonious and absolute thing in it self and though it is not a God from all Eternity yet it is a kind of Deity to all Eternity for it shall never dye and though the Body hath a relation to it yet no otherwise than the Mansion of Jove hath unto Jove The Body is only the residing-place and the Sensitive Spirits are as the Soul's Angels or Messengers and Intelligencers So the Souls of Men are to the Gods as the Sensitive Spirits to the Soul And will you dislodg the Sensitive Spirits of the Gods by destroying and unbuilding each other's Body by violent Deaths before it be the Gods Pleasure to dissolve that Body and so remove the Soul to a new Mansion And though it is not every Creature that hath that Soul but only Man for Beasts have none nor every Man for most Men are Beasts only the Sensitive Spirits and the Shape may be but not the Soul yet none know when the Soul is out or in but the Gods and not only other Bodies may not know it but the same Body is ignorant thereof The Soul is as invisible to the Sensitive Spirits as the Gods to men for though the Soul knows and hath intelligence by the Sensitive Spirits yet the Sensitive have none from the Soul for as Gods know Men but Men know not Gods so the Soul knoweth the Senses but the Senses know not the Soul Wherefore you must seek all the ways to preserve one another as Temples of the Gods not to destroy and pull them down for whosoever doth so commits Sacriledg against the Gods Wherefore none must dye but those that kill or would kill others Death must be repaid with Death saith Jove and only Death is in the power of Man to call when they please but Life is in the power of the Gods and those that displease the Gods shall have a miserable Life not only in the bodily part which is sensible of pain and may be tormented out of one shape into another and be perpetually dying or killing with all manner of Torments and yet never dye in the
be dead So in two or three days all Contracts were confirmed and the Match was concluded with the approbation of all Friends of either side married they were and in a short time after he carried her to his House there made her Mistress of his Estate and whilst he governed his outward Affairs she governed the Family at home where they lived plentifully pleasantly and peaceably not extravagantly vain-gloriously and luxuriously they lived neat and cleanly they loved passionately thrived moderately and happily they lived and piously dyed The She-Anchoret THERE was a Widower who had but one Child and she a Daughter which Daughter he bred with Pious Devotions Moral Instructions and Wise Advertisements but he falling sick to death called his Daugher unto him and thus spake to her Farewell my dearest Child for dye I must My Soul must flye my Body turn to dust My only care is that I leave thee young To wander in the World Mankind among Few of them charitable are or kind Nor bear they in their Breast a Noble Mind To help the Fatherless or pity Youth Protect the Innocent maintain the Truth But all their time 's spent with laborious toil For to pervert to ruin and to spoil Flatter thy Beauty and thy Youth betray To give thy Heart and Virgin-flower away They will profess love vow to be thy Friend Marriage will promise yet they will pretend Their Friends will angry be or else they 'l say Their Land 's engag'd they first their Debts must pay Or else that they during some time of life Have made a Vow Not yet to take a Wife And twenty such Excuses they will find For to deceive the simple Female-Kind And if you marry Troubles you will find Pains Griefs and Cares to vex a quiet Mind But here I charge you lying in Death's Arms That you do stop your Ears against their Charms Live chast and holy serve the Gods above They will protect thee for thy zealous Love Daughter I will obey whatever you command Although you dye your will shall fixed stand Father Next I do charge thee Not to grieve nor mourn Since no redress will from the Grave return Daughter O do not so said she But give Grief leave to flow out of my Eyes For if it be supprest the Body dyes Whilst now you live great wrong y'uld think you have If I should sit and laugh upon your Grave Or with neglect should I your Grave pass by And ne're take notice where your Ashes lye Father You cannot hinder Destiny's Decree Daughter O no! but Nature Nature still will be Nature created Love within the Mind The Object dead the Passion still is kind Had I as many Lives as Nature make I 'de lay them on Death's Altar for your sake That single one I have O Heavens me hear Exchange it for my Father's Life so dear But when her Father found that Death drew on He bid her lay her Hand his Eyes upon Father Close up my Eyes said he and then receive Upon thy Lips my last Breath let me breathe When he was dead sh' amaz'd long time sate still At last bethought her of her Father's Will Then up she rose his Body did entomb And how she spent her Life rehearse I 'le soon The Description of her Life in Prose AFTER she had interred her Father's Corps although she had rich honourable and importunate Suiters yet she resolved to live like a kind of an Anchoret's Life living encloistered by her self alone vowing Chastity and a Single-life but gave leave for any to speak to her through a Grate When she went first into her solitary Habitation she thus spake Virtues are several Pathes which lead to Heaven And they which tread these Pathes have Graces given Repentant tears allay the Dust of Pride And pious Sighs doth blow vain Thoughts aside Sorrow and Grief which in the Heart doth lye Doth cloud the Mind as Thunder doth the Skie But when in Thundring-groans it breaketh out The Mind grows clear the Sun of Joy peeps out This pious Life I now resolve to lead Will in my Soul both Joy and Comfort breed She had not been long enclosed but she grew as famous as Diogenes in his Tub all sorts of people resorted to her to hear her speak and not only to hear her speak but to get knowledg and to learn wisdom for she argued rationally instructed judiciously admonished prudently and perswaded piously applying and directing her Discourse according to the several Studies Professions Grandeurs Ages and Humours of her Auditory The first that came to her were Natural Philosophers who asked her Opinion of Man's Soul of which she discoursed in this manner She said Man hath three different Natures or Faculties A Sensitive Body Animal Spirits and a Soul This Soul is a kind of Deity in it self to direct and guide those things that are far above it and to create by Invention and though it hath not an absolute Power over it self yet it is an harmonious and absolute thing in it self and though the Sensitive Body hath a relation to it yet no other ways than Jove's Mansion hath unto Jove for the Body is only the residing-place and the Animal Spirits are as the Angels of the Soul which are Messengers and Intelligencers All Animal Creatures have not this Soul but only Man for Beasts have none nor every Man for most Men are Beasts and have only a Sensitive Body and Animal Spirits as Beasts have but none know when this Soul is out or in the Body but the Gods and not only other Bodies and Spirits cannot know but the Body where it resides and the attending-spirits are ignorant thereof for this Soul is as invisible to the Body and the Animal Spirits as the Gods to Men for though this kind of Soul knows and hath intelligence by the Senses and by the Animal Spirits yet the Senses nor Animal Spirits have none from the Soul for as Gods know Men but Men know not Gods so this Soul knows the Senses and Animal Spirits but the Senses nor Animal Spirits know not this Soul Then they asked her Whether Souls were Immortal She answered That only the Life was Immortal from whence all Souls are derived Then they asked her What Deities she thought there were She answered She thought but one which was the Father of all Creatures and Nature the Mother he being the Life and Nature the only Matter which Life and Matter produceth Motion and Figure various Successions Creations and Dissolutions Then they asked her What she thought Time was She said Time was only the Variation and Alteration of Nature for Time is only in respect to Creations Alterations and Dissolutions Then they asked her What Eternal was She answered An endless Succession Then they asked her What Infinite was She said A Numberless Succession but said she Eternal is in respect to Infinite as Infinite to Eternal Then they asked her Whether she thought there were fixt Decrees or all were governed by
Fair By Pleasures to the world invited are Bury not all your Youth and Beauty here Which like the Sun may to all Eyes appear O Sir said she the Sun that gave me light Death hath eclips'd and taken from my sight In Melancholy Shades my Soul doth lie And grieves my Body which will not yet die My Spirits long to wander in the air Hoping to find its loving Partner there Though Fates my Life have power to prolong Yet they have none my constant Mind to wrong But when I did perceive no Rhetorick could Perswade her to take comfort grieve she would Then taking my leave for to go away With adoration thus to her did say Farewell thou Angel of a Heavenly Breed For sure thou com'st not from a Mortal Seed Thou art so constant unto Virtue fair Which very few of either Sexes are And after a short time I heard she dy'd Her Tomb was built close by her Husband's side After the Man a Woman did begin To tell her Tale and thus she entred in A Description of Diverted Grief A Man had once a Young and Handsom Wife Whose Virtue was unspotted all her life Her words were smooth which from her Tongue did slide All her Discourse was wittily appli'd Her Actions modest her Behaviour so As when she mov'd the Graces seem'd to go Whatever Ill she chanc'd to see or hear Yet still her Thoughts as pure as Angels were Her Husband 's Love seem'd such as no Delight Nor Joy could take him out of his Wife's sight It chanc'd this virtuous Wife fell sick to death And to her Husband spake with dying-breath Farewell my dearest Husband dye I must Yet do not you forget me in the Dust Because my Soul would grieve if it should see Another in my room your LOVE to be My Ghost would mourn lament that never dyes Though Bodies do pure Loves eternalize You Gods said he that order Death and Life O strike me dead unless you spare my Wife If your Decree be fix'd nor alter can But she must dye O miserable Man Here do I vow Great Gods all witness be That I will have no other Wife but thee No Friendship will I make converse with none But live an Anchoret my self alone Thy Spirits sweet my Thoughts shall entertain And in my Mind thy Memory remain Farewell said she for now my Soul 's at peace And all the Blessings of the Gods encrease Upon thy Soul but I pray do not give Away that Love I had whilst I did live Turning her Head as if to sleep she lay In a soft Sigh her Spirits flew away VVhen she was dead great Mourning he did make VVould neither eat nor drink nor rest could take Kissing her cold pale Lips her Cheeks each Eye Cursing his Fate he lives and cannot dye Tears fell so fast as if his Sorrows meant To lay her in a watry Monument But when her Corps upon the Hearse was laid No Tongue can tell what mournful Cries he made Thus did he pass his time a week or two In sad commplaints and melancholy wo At last he was perswaded for to take Some air abroad ev'n for his own healths sake But first unto the Grave he went to pray Kissing that Earth wherein her Body lay After a Month or two his Grief to ease Some Recreations sought himself to please And calling for his Horses and his Hounds He went to hunt upon the Champian grounds His Thoughts by these Pastimes diverted are Pass'd by the Grave and never dropt a Tear At last he chanc'd a Company to meet Of Virgins young and fresh as Flowers sweet Their Cloathing fine their Humours pleasant gay And with each other they did sport and play Giving his Eyes a liberty to view VVith interchanging Looks in Love he grew One Maid amongst the rest most fair and young VVho had a ready wit and pleasant tongue He Courtship made to her he did address Cast off his Mourning Love for to express Rich Clothes he made and wondrous fine they were He barb'd and curl'd and powder'd sweet his Hair Rich Gifts unto his Mistress did present And every day to visit her he went They like each other well they both agree That in all haste they straight must married be To Church they went for joy the Bells did ring When married were he home the Bride did bring But when he married was some half a year He Curtain-Lectures from his VVife did hear For whatsoe're he did she did with spight And scorn dislike and all his kindness slight Cross every word she would that he did say Seem'd very sick complaining every day Unless she went abroad then she would be In humour good in other Company Then he would sigh and call into his Mind His dear dead Wife that was so wondrous kind He jealous grew and was so discontent And of his later Marriage did repent With Melancholy Thoughts fell sick and dy'd His VVife soon after was another's Bride VVhen she had done the Men aloud did cry Said she had quit her Tale most spitefully Another Man to answer what she told Began to tell and did his Tale unfold The Feminine Description A Man a walking did a Lady spy To her he went and when he came hard by Fair Lady said he why walk you alone Because said she my Thoughts are then my own For in a Company my Thoughts do throng And follow every foolish babling Tongue Your Thoughts said he 't were boldnessfor to ask To tell said she it were too great a task But yet to satisfie your Mind said she I 'le tell you how our Thoughts run commonly Sometimes they mount up to the Heavens high Then straight fall down and on the Earth will lye Then circling run to compass all they may And then sometimes they all in heaps do stay At other times they run from place to place As if they had each other in a Chace Sometimes they run as Phansie doth them guide And then they swim as in a flowing-Tide But if the Mind be discontent they flow Against the Tide their Motion 's dull and slow Said he I travel now to satisfie my Mind Whether I can a Constant VVoman find O Sir said she it 's Labour without end VVe cannot Constant be to any Friend VVe seem to love to death but 't is not so Because our Passions still move to and fro They are not fix'd but do run all about Every new Object thrusts the former out Yet we are fond and for a time so kind As nothing in the world should change our Mind But if Misfortune come we weary grow Then former Fondness we away straight throw Although the Object alter not yet may Time alter our fond Minds another way We love and like and hate and cry VVithout a Cause or Reason why Wherefore go back for you shall never find Any VVoman to have a Constant Mind The best that is shall hold but for a time Wav'ring like wind which Women hold no Crime A Woman
said This Tale I will requite To vindicate our Sex which you did slight A Man in love was with a Lady fair And for her sake would curl perfume his Hair Professions thousands unto her did make And swore for her a Pilgrimage would take I swear said he Truth shall for me be bound Constant to be whilst Life in me is found With all his Rivals he would Quarrels make In Duels fought he often for her sake It chanc'd this Lady sick was like to dye Of the Small Pox Beauty's great Enemy When she was well her Beauty decay'd quite He did forsake her and her Friendship slight Excuses made her did not often see Then asked leave a Traveller to be And thus poor Lady when her Beauty 's gone Without her Lover she may sit alone Then was the third Man's turn his Tale to tell Which to his Company he fitted well A Description of Constancy THere was a Noble Man that had a VVife Young Fair and Virtuous yet of so short life That after she had married been a year A Daughter 's born which Daughter cost her deer No sooner born the Mother laid in bed Before her Lord could come his VVife was dead Where at the sight he did not tear his Hair Nor beat his Breast nor sigh nor shed a Tear Nor buried her in state as many do And with that Funeral-Charge a new Wife wo But silently he laid her in a Tomb Where by her side he meant to have a Room For by no other side he meant to lye In Life and Death to keep her company The whilst he of his Daughter care did take And fond he was ev'n for his dear VVife's sake But Grief upon his Spirits had got hold Consum'd him more than Age that makes Men old His Flesh did waste his Manly Strength grew weak His Face grew pale and faintly did he speak As most that in a deep Consumption are Where Hectick-Fevers do with Life make warr And though he joy'd he had not long to live Yet for to leave his Daughter young did grieve For he no Kindred had to take a care Of his young Child and Strangers he did fear They would neglect their Charge not see her bred According to her Birth when he was dead Or rob her of her Wealth or else would sell Her to a Husband might not use her well Or else by Servants brib'd might her betray With some mean Man and so to run away These cares of his his Mind did much torment And her Ill Fortune to his Thoughts present At last he did conclude If any be True Just and full of Generosity They 're such as are like to the Gods on high As Powerful Princes and Dread Majesty The Soveraign was dead but left to reign His Widowed-Queen whose Prudence did maintain The Government though Forreign Warrs she had Which was a Charge and oft-times made her sad This Noble-man sent to the Queen to crave That she upon his Child would pity have To take her to the Court there to be bred That none might wrong her after he was dead The Queen most willingly his Suit did sign And so in Peace his Soul he did resign This Lady soon did to the Court repair Where she was bred with tender Love and Care And Youth that 's bred in Courts may wisest be Because they more do hear and more do see Than other Children that are bred obscure Because the Senses are best Tutors sure But Nature in this Maid had done her part And in her frame had shew'd her curious Art Compos'd her every way Body and Mind Of best Extracts that were to form Mankind All which she gave to Time for to distill And of the subtil'st Spirits the Soul to fill As Reason Wit and Judgment and to take The solid'st part the Body for to make For though that Nature all her works shapes out Yet Time doth give strength length and breadth about And as her Person grew in stature tall And that her Beauty did encrease withall So did affection in her Heart grow high Which there was planted in her Infancy There was a Subject Prince within the Land Although but young the Army did command He being chose for Birth Wealth Valour Wit And Prudence for to lead and martial it The whilst his Father did the Queen assist To manage State-affairs as knowing best The Kingdom 's Constitutions Natures bad Of Common-People who are sometimes mad And wildly in Distempers Ruins bring For most Rebellions from the Commons spring But he so just and loyally did serve His Queen and Countrey as he did preserve Himself within her Favour and her Love As great Respect and honour'd Praise did prove And in the Warrs his Son such Fame did get That in Fame's Chariot he triumphant set For he was Valiant and of Nature free Courteous and full of Generosity His VVit was quick yet so as to delight Not for to cross or in Disputes to fight For gallant Sword-men that do fight in warr Do never use with Tongues to brawl and jarr He was exact in Body and in Mind For no Defects in either could you find The Queen that had a Neece both young and fair Did strive to match her to this Prince and Heir Of all his Father's VVealth who had such store As all the Nobles else did seem but poor And the young Princess lik'd so well the choice That thoughts of marrying him did her rejoice And through her Eyes such Messages Love sent On smiling-rays and posting-glances went The other Lady did hear the Report For every one did talk of it in Court Besides she saw his Person still attend Upon the Princess and did Presents send And every day to visit her did go As being commanded by his Father so At which she sad and melancholy grew Yet her Disease not thorowly she knew Like as a Plant that from the Earth doth spring Sprouts high before a full-blown Flower it bring So did her Love in Bud obscurely lye Not any one as yet did it descry Nor did the Prince the least affection find She being reserv'd in action and in mind Sober she was and of a bashful look Of but few words yet she good notice took And much observ'd for Love hath a quick Eye And often by her Countenance doth spy The hidden Thoughts that the Tongue dare not tell For in the Mind obscurity doth dwell But yet she did espy something lay cross To his Desires but guess'd not what it was But griev'd that any thing should him displease For those that love do wish their Lov'd much ease Nay so much ease they Torments would endure If these for those they love might good procure But she grew restless and her Thoughts did run About him as about the VVorld the Sun For he was her sole VVorld and wish'd her Love Had influence as Planets from above To order his affections and to bring From several Causes one Effect to spring And the Effect that he might
dead She was my Soul's delight in her I view'd The pure and Celestial Beatitude But were I sure the Soul that never dyes Should never meet nor Bodies never rise By Resurrection yet sure those are blest That pass this life and in the Grave do rest Then said the Duke his Father to his Son What ever comes Son Heaven's will be done But since you are resolv'd and needs will dye I in the Grave will keep you company The young Prince said I cannot you disswade Since none are happy but those Death hath made The Day of Execution drawing nigh Of the young Prince his Father too would dye Then the young Prince askt leave and leave he had That he like to a Soldier might be clad When he was brought to dye and on that day Death he did meet in Soldierly array Instead of Mourning-Garments he had on A Suit of Buff embroidered thick upon And a Rich Scarf that was of Watchet-dye Set thick with Pearls instead of strings to tye It close together were rich Diamonds so As like a Ring or Garter it did show Of but one entire Diamond this did bind The Scarf so firm as an united Mind A Scarlet Coat embroidered thick with Gold And Hangers like to it his Sword did hold And in his Hat a Plume of Feathers were In falling-folds which hung below his Hair He being thus accouter'd Death to meet In Gallantry yet gently friendly sweet He would embrace it and so gladly yeeld Yet would he dye as Soldiers in the Field For gallant valiant men do court Death so As amorous courtly men a wooing go His Father all in Mourning-Garments clad Not griev'd to dye but for his Son was sad Millions of People throng'd about to see This gallant Mourning Prince's Tragedy But in the time these Preparations were The Queen sent to th' young Lady to prepare Her self to dye when she the news did hear Joy in her Countenance did then appear Then she her self did dress like to a Bride And in a Rich and Gilded Coach did ride Thus triumphing as on her Wedding-day To meet her Bridegroom Death but in the way The people all did weep that she should dye And Youth and Beauty in Death's arms should lye But she did smile her Countenance was glad And in her Eyes such lively Spirits had As the quick-darting Rays the Sun out-shin'd And all she look'd on for a time were blind But when the Queen and Nobles all were set And the Condemned on the Scaffold met Where when the Lovers they each other spy'd Their Eye-strings seem'd as if together ty'd So firmly they were fix'd and did so gaze And with each other struck in such a maze As if with wonder they were turn'd to stone And that their feet unto the ground were grown They could not stir but at the last mov'd he In a slow pace amazed went to see That Heav'nly Object for thought he it may An Angel be my Soul to take away Her Limbs did shake like shiv'ring Agues cold For Fear upon her Spirits had got hold When she did see him move for she had thought He was a Statue and by Carvers wrought And by the Queen's Command was thither brought When he came near he kneeled down to pray And thus unto her sofrly he did say My Sense my Spirits surprise thy Spirit my Mind And great disturbance in my Thoughts I find My Reason's misty Understanding blind Tell me whether thou art of Mortal Kind Said she That Question I would ask of you For I do doubt my Senses are not true Intelligencers are you the Prince I see Or are you a Spirit that thus speaks to me With that the Queen did come their doubts to clear It was my Plot said she to bring you here And why I crost your Loves I will forbear To tell you now but afterwards declare Then did she cause a Priest to join their hands Which he devoutly ty'd in Wedlock-bands Then did the Queen unto her Nobles say That she a Debt to Gratitude must pay And to the Prince's Father straight she went Here Sir said she I do my self present To be your Wife for by your Counsel I Have Rul'd and Reign'd in great Felicity He kneeling kist her Hand and both agree That in few days the Wedding kept should be Such joys of acclamation loud of wonder Echo'd the air louder than is Jove's Thunder Her Princely Neece so Noble was that then For joy she modestly threw up her Fan Since to a High-born Prince she well knew she In glorions Nuptials soon should joined be The Marriage-Song WEre all the Joys that ever yet were known Were all those Joys met and put into one They 'd be than these two Lovers Joys far less Our Lovers height of Joys none can express They 've made another Cupid I am told And buri'd the blind Boy that was so old Hymen is proud since Laurel crowns his Brow He never made his Triumphs until now The Marriage-Song for the Old Duke and the Old Queen's Marriage NOW the Old Cupid he is fled Unto the Queen she to her Bed Brought the Old Duke so ends all harms In Love's Embraces in their Arms. This Elder Wedlock more than ripe Was of the Younger but a Type What wants of Cupid Hymen's Cup Ceres and Bacchus make it up A Marriage-Song of the Queen's Neece SEE the Old Queen's Beloved Neece For Beauty Favour such a Piece As Love could feign not hope to see Just such a Miracle was she She doth congratulate and 's eas'd To see these Noble Lovers pleas'd Above repining The Fates since Are just and gave her a brave Prince A SONG HYMEN triumph in joy Since overcom'd Love's Boy Each Age each Sex and Place The Wedlock-Laws embrace The looser sort can bind Monarch of what 's Mankind All things do fall so pat In this Triumvirat Which now in Wedlock mix Now Three though once were Six A Lady said Such Constant Love was dead And all Fidelity to Heaven fled Another Lady said She fain would know When Marri'd if they did continue so O said a Man such Love as this was sure Doth never in a Married Pair endure But Lovers cross'd use not to end so well Which for to shew a Tale I mean to tell The Description of the Violence of Love THere was a Lady Virtuous Young and Fair Unto her Father only Child and Heir In her Behaviour modest sweet and civil So innocent knew only Good from Evil Yet in her Garb had a Majestick Grace And affable and pleasant was her Face Another Gentleman whose House did stand Hard by her Father's and was rich in Land He had a Son whom Beauty did adorn As some might think of Venus he was born His Spirit Noble Generous and Great By Nature Valiant Dispositions sweet His Wit ingenious and his Breeding such That his Sci'nces did not Pedantry t'uch This Noble Gentleman in love did fall With this fair Lady who was pleas'd withall He Courted her
his Service did address His Love by Words and Letters did express Though she seem'd Coy his Love she did not slight But Civil Answers did in Letters write At last so well acquainted they did grow That but one Heart each other's Thoughts did know Mean time their Parents did their Love's descry And sought all ways to break that Unity Forbad each other's company frequent Did all they could Love's Meetings to prevent But Love regards not Parents nor their Threats For Love the more 't is barr'd more Strength begets Thus being cross'd by stealth they both did meet And Privacy did make their Love more sweet Although their Fears did oft affright their Mind Lest that their Parents should their Walks out-find Then in the Kingdom did Rebellion spring Most of the Commons fought against their King And all the Gentry that then Loyal were Did to the Standard of the King repair Amongst the rest this Noble Youth was one Love bade him stay but Honour spurr'd him on When he declar'd his Mind her Heart it rent Rivers of Tears out of her Eyes grief sent And every Tear like Bullets pierc'd his Breast Scatter'd his Thoughts and did his Mind molest Silent long time they stood at last spake he Why doth my Love with Tears so torture me Why do you blame my Eyes said she to weep Since they perceive you Faith nor Promise keep For did you love but half so true as I Rather than part you 'ld chuse to stay and dye But you Excuses make and take delight Like cruel Thieves to rob and spoil by Night Now you have stole my Heart away you run And leave a silly Virgin quite undone If I stay from the Warrs what will Men say They 'l say I make excuse to be away By this Reproach a Coward I am thought And my Disgrace will make you seem in fault To set your Love upon a Man so base Bring Infamy to us and to our Race To sacrifice my Life for your content I would not spare but Dear in this consent 'T is for your sake Honour I strive to win That I some Merit to your Worth may bring She. If you will go let me not stay behind But take such Fortune with you as I find I 'le be your Page attend you in the Field When you are weary I will hold your Shield He. Dear Love that must not be for Women are Of tender Bodies and Minds full of Fear Besides my Mind so full of Care will be For fear a Bullet should once light on thee That I shall never fight but strengthless grow Through feeble Limbs be subject to my Foe When thou art safe my Spirits high shall raise Striving to get a Victory of Praise With sad Laments these Lovers did depart Absence as Arrows sharp doth wound each Heart She spends her time to Heaven-high doth pray That Gods would bless and safe conduct his way The whilst he fights and Fortune's Favour had Fame brings this Honour to his Mistress sad All Cavaliers that in the Army were There was not one could with this Youth compare By Love his Spirits all were set on fire Love gave him Courage made his Foes retire But O ambitious Lovers how they run Without all guidance like Apollo's Son Run out of Moderation's Line so he Did through the thickest of the Army flee Singly alone amongst the Squadrons deep Fighting sent many one with Death to sleep But Numbers with united strength at last This Noble Gallant Man from Horse did cast His Body all so thick of wounds was set Safety it seems in fight he did forget But not his Love who in his Mind still lyes He wish'd her there to close his dying-Eyes Soul said he if thou wandrest in the Air Thy Service to my Mistress by thy care Attend her close with her Soul Friendship make Then she perchance no other Love may take But if thou sink down to the Shades below And being a Lover to Elyzium go Perchance my Mistress Soul you there may meet So walk and talk in Love's Discourses sweet But if thou art like to a Light put out Thy Motion 's ceas'd then all 's forgot no doubt With that a sigh which from his Heart did rise Did mount his Soul up to the Airy Skies The whilst his Mistress being sad with care Her Knees were worn imploring Gods with Prayer A Drowsie Sleep did all her Senses close But in her Dreams Fancy her Lover shows With all his Wounds which made her loud to cry Help help you Gods said she that dwell on high These fearful Dreams her Senses all did wake In a cold sweat with fear each Limb did shake Then came a Messenger as pale as Death With panting sides swoln eyes and shortned breath And by his looks his sadder Tale did tell Which when she saw straight in a swoun she fell At last her stifled Spirits had recourse Unto their usual place but of less force Then lifting up her Eyes her Tongue gave way And thus unto the Gods did mourning say Why do we pray and offer to high Heaven Since what we ask is seldom to us given If their Decrees are fix'd what need we pray Nothing can alter Fates nor cross their way If they leave all to Chance who can apply For every Chance is then a Deity But if a Power they keep to work at will It shews them cruel to torment us still When we are made in Pain we always live Sick Bodies Grieved Minds to us they give With Motions which run cross compos'd we are Which makes our Reason and our Sense to jar When they are weary to torment us must We then return and so dissolve to Dust But if I have my Fate in my own Power I will not breathe nor live another hour Then with the Gods I shall not be at strife If my Decree can take away my Life Then on her feeble Legs she straight did stand And took a Pistol charg'd in either hand Here Dear said she I give my heart to thee And by my Death divulg'd our Loves shall be Then Constant Lovers Mourners be when dead They 'l strew our Graves which is our Marriage-Bed Upon our Hearse a weeping-Poplar set Whose moistning-drops our Death's-dri'd Cheeks may wet Two Cypress Garlands at our Head shall stand That were made up by some fair Virgin 's hand And on our cold pale Corps such Flowers strow As hang their Heads for grief and downward grow Then shall they lay us deep in quiet Grave Wherein our Bones long Rest and Peace may have Let no Friends Marble-Tombs erect upon Our Graves but set young Mirtle-trees thereon Those may in time a shady Grove become Fit for sad Lovers Walks whose Thoughts are dumb For Melancholy Love seeks place obscure No Noise nor Company it can endure And when to ground they cast a dull sad Eye Perhaps they 'l think on us who therein lye Thus though w' are dead our Memory remains And like a Ghost may
walk in moving-Brains And in each Head Love's Altars for us build To sacrifice some Sighs or Tears distill'd Then to her Heart the Pistol set she shot A Bullet in and so her Grief forgot Fame with her Trumpet blew in every Ear The sound of this great Act spread every where Lovers from all parts came by the report Unto her Urn as Pilgrims did resort There offer'd Praises of her Constancy And vow'd the like unto Love's Deity A Woman said That Tale exprest Love well And shew'd that Constancy in Death did dwell Friendship they say a thing is so sublime That with the Gods there 's nothing more Divine With wonder Lovers having but one will Their two Bodies one Soul doth govern still And though they be always dis-joined much Yet all their Senses equally do t'uch For what doth strike the Eye or other part Begets in all like Pleasure or like smart So though in Substance Form divided be Yet Soul and Senses join'd in one agree A Man that to the Lady plac'd was nigh Said He would tell another Tragedy Humanity Despair and Jealousie express'd in three Persons WAlking along close by a River's side The Waters smooth ran with a flowing-tide The Sun thereon did dart such shining-light As made it than a Diamond-Chain more bright The purling-streams invited me to swim Pull'd my Clothes off then enter'd every Limb. But envious Cold alas did me oppress And darting-arrows sharp me backwards press The River to embrace me made great haste Her moist soft arms incircled round my waste Streams coming fast strove there to force me stay But that my arms did make my body way My hands did strike the soft smooth Waters face As flatt'ring them to give my body place But when I found them apt higher to rise Striving to stop my breath and blind my eyes Then did I spread my arms and Circles make And the united-streams asunder brake My Legs did kick away those Waters clear To keep them back lest they should croud too near And as I broke those Streams they run away Yet fresh suppli'd their place to make me stay Long did I struggle and my strength did try At last got hold upon a Bank near by On whose side was a Hill where Trees were plac'd Which on the Waters did a shadow cast Thither I went and when I came close by I saw a Woman there a weeping lye VVhich seeing I began to slack my pace Straight did my Eyes view there a lovely Face Under a Tree close by the Root she sate VVhich with her Tears as falling-show'rs she wet At last she spake and humbly thus did pray You Gods said she my Life soon take away No slander on my Innocency throw Let my pure Soul into Elyzium go If I drown here within this watry Lake O let my Tears a murmuring River make Give it both Voice and VVords my Grief to tell My Innocence and why therein I fell Then straight she rose the River leapt she in VVhich when I saw I after her did swim My Hands as Oars did well my Body row Though panting-breath made waters rough to grow Yet was my Breast a Keel for to divide And by that help my Body swift did glide My Eyes the Needle to direct the way VVhich from the North of Grief did not estray She as the Load-stone drew me to her aid Though Storms within did make my Mind afraid Her Garments loose did on the Waters flow Which were puft up like Sails when winds do blow I catch'd thereat to draw her to the brink But when I went to pull she down did sink Yet did not I my hold thereof let go But drew her to the Shore with much ado I panting with short breath as out of wind My Spirits spent my Eyes were dimly blind My strength so weak forc'd me to lye down straight did fill Because alas my Life was over-fraight VVhen life got strength my mind with thoughts Then to the Lady us'd all art and skill Bowing her forwardsth ' waters to let out VVhich from her Nose Mouth gusht like a spout At last her breath before restrain'd out-broke And thus to me she passionately spoke O who are you that do my Soul molest Not giving leave in Death to take my rest Is there no Peace in Nature to be found Must Misery and Fear attend us round O Gods said she here grant me my desire Here end my life and let my breath expire I Answered Thus you with Nature set your self at odds And by this wish you do displease the Gods By violence you cut off their Decree No violence in Nature ought to be But what makes you thus strive for to destroy That Life which God did give you to enjoy She Answered O Sir If you did know the torments I do feel My Soul is rackt upon Ill Fortune's Wheel My Innocency by aspersion whipt And my pure Chastity of Fame is stript My Love 's neglected and forsaken quite Banisht from that my Soul took most delight My Heart was plac'd upon a Valiant Man Who in the Warrs much Honour bravely wan His actions all by wisdom placed were And his discourse delighted every Ear His Bounty like the Sun gave life and light To those whom Misery had eclipsed quite This Man my Person seem'd for to admire My Love before the World he did desire Told me the Gods might sooner Heaven leave Than he forsake my love or truth deceive But O vile Jealousie a Lover's Devil Tormenting Thoughts with Suspitions evil Frighting the Mind with false Imaginations Burying all Joys in deepest Contemplations Long lay it smuther'd but at last out-broke VVith Hate in Rage and Spleen base words it spoke Slander and Infamy in Circles round My innocent Youth with sharpest Tongues do wound But his Inconstancy did wound me more Than Slander Spite or Malice did before For he another married and left me Clouded in dark Disgrace black Infamy VVith that she fetch'd a Sigh Heav'n bless said she This cruel unkind Man who e're he be I faint Death digs my Grave O lay me in This watry Monument then may the Spring In murmures soft with blubbering words relate And dropping weep at my Ill Fortune's Fate Then on a Groan her Soul with wings did flie Up to the Heavens and the Gods on high VVhich when I saw my Eyes with grief did flow Although her Soul I thought to Heaven did go And musing long at last I chanc'd to see A Gentleman which handsome seem'd to be He coming near ask'd me who there did lie I said 'T was one for Love and Grief did die Hearing my words he started back Brows bent VVith trembling legs he to the Body went VVhich when he view'd his blood fell from his face His Eyes were fix'd and standing in one place At last kneel'd down and thus did say No hope is left Life 's fled away Thou wandring Soul where e're thou art Hear my Confession from my heart I lov'd thee better far
Bodies ne're shall parted be With that he sighs and breathing out his last About his Mistress Corps his Arms he cast The Urn seal'd up his Friends a Tomb did build Famous it was such Love therein it held Most Parents do rejoyce and Offerings bring Of thankful Hearts or Pray'rs for their Off-spring These thought their Age was blest but they were blind With Ignorance and great affections kind More than with Age but who knows Destiny Or thinks that Joy can prove a Misery Some Parents love their Wealth more than their Breeds Hoording up more than Love or Nature needs And rather than poor Virtue they will take By crossing Love Childless themselves will make A sober Man who had a thinking-Brain Of Vice and Vanity did thus complain 'T IS strange to see the Follies of Mankind How they for useless things do vex their Mind For what superfluous is serves them for nought And more than necessary is a fault Yet Man is not content with a just measure Unless he surfeits with Delight and Pleasure As if true Pleasure only liv'd in Pain For in Excess Pain only doth remain Riches bring Care to keep Trouble to spend Beggars and Borrowers have ne're a Friend And Hospitality is oft diseased And seldom any of their Guests are pleased In Feasts much Company disturbs the rest And with much noise it doth the Life molest Much Wine and Women makes the Body sick And Doting-Lovers they grow Lunatick Playing at Cards and Dice Men Bankrupts grow And with the Dice away their Time they throw Their Manly Strength their Reason and their Wit Which might in Warrs be spent or Letters writ All Generosity seems buried here Gamesters seem Covetous as doth appear But when they spend most prodigally wast As if their Treasures were the Indies vast Or else their Purse an endless Myne of Gold But they 'l soon find it doth a bottom hold Titles of Honour Offices of State Bring Trouble Envy and Malicious Hate Ceremony restrains our Freedom and State-Offices Commands Men tott'ring stand And Vanities Inchanters of the Mind That muffle Reason and the Judgment blind Do lead the life in strange fantastick ways To seek that Pleasure which doth live in Praise Praise is no real thing an empty Name Only a Sound which we do call a Fame Yet for this Sound Men always are at strife Do spend their Fortunes and do hazzard Life They give their Thoughts no rest but hunt about And never leave until the Life goes out That Man that seeks in Life for more than Health For Rest and Peace within his Commonwealth Which is his Family sure is not wise And know not where true Happiness still lies Nor doth he guess that Temperance doth give The truest Pleasure makes it longest live You Gods said he give me a Temperate Mind An Humble Cottage a Chast Wife and Kind To keep me Company to bear a part Of all the Joys or Sorrows of my Heart And let our Labours Recreations be To pass our Time and not a Misery Banish all Cares you Gods let them not lye As heavy burthens and when we must dye Let 's leave the World as in a quiet Sleep Draw gently out our Souls our Ashes keep Safely in Urns not separate our Dust Or mix us so if transmigrate we must That in one Body we may still remain When that 's dissolved make us up new again A Lady said She his Discourse would fit A Story tell that should his Humour hit THere was a Man and Woman married were They liv'd just so as should a Married Pair Though their Bodies divided were in twain Their Souls agreed as one they did remain They did so mutually agree in all This Man and Wife we only One may call They were not rich nor were they very poor Not pinch'd with want nor troubled with great store They did not labour for the Bread they eat Nor had they various or delicious Meat Nor many Servants had to vex their Mind Only one Maid that faithful was and kind Whose VVork was just so much as to employ Her so as Idleness might not her annoy Thus decently and cleanly did they live And something had for Charity to give Her Pastime was to spin in Winter cold The whilst he read and to her Stories told And in the pleasant Spring fresh air to take To Neighbouring-Villages short Journeys make In Summer-Evenings they the Fields did round Or sit on Flow'ry-banks upon the ground And so in Autumn they their walks did keep To see Men gather Grapes or sheer their Sheep Nor did they miss Jove's Temple once a day Both kneeling down unto the Gods to pray For gracious Mercy their poor Souls to save A healthful Life an easie Death to have Thus did they live full forty years and more At last Death comes and knocketh at the dore And with his Dart he struck the Man full sick For which the Wife was almost Lunatick But she with care did watch great pains did take Broths Julips Jellies she with skill did make She most industrious was his pains to ease Studying always his Humour for to please For oft the sick are peevish froward cross And with their pains do tumble groan and toss On their sad Couches quietly he lay And softly to himself to Heaven did pray Yet was he melancholy at the heart For nothing else but from his VVife to part But when she did perceive his Life decay Close by his side upon a Bed she lay Embrac'd and kist him oft until his Breath And Soul did part drawn forth by powerful Death Art gone said she then I will follow straight For why my Soul upon thy Soul shall wait Then turn'd her self upon the other side In breathing-sighs and show'ring-tears she dy'd A Single-Life best A Man said He liv'd a most happy Life Because he was not ty'd unto a Wife Said he Marriage at best obstructs the Mind With too much Love or Wives that are unkind Besides a Man is still ty'd by the heel Unto the Cradle Bed Table and Wheel And cannot stir but like a Bird in string May hop a space but cannot use his wing But those who 're free and not to Wedlock bound They have the liberty the World to round And in their Thoughts much Heav'nly Peace doth dwell When Marriage makes their Thoughts like pains of Hell And when they die no Care doth grieve their Mind For any thing that they shall leave behind A Lady said If Women had but Wit Men neither Wives nor Mistresses should get No cause should have to murmure and complain If Women their kind Freedom would restrain But Marriage is to Women far more worse Than 't is to Men and proves the greater Curse And I said she for proof a Tale will tell What to a Virtuous Married Wife befell THere once a Lord and Lady married were And for Sev'n years did live a Happy Pair He seem d to love his Wife as well he might For she was Modest
play In th' Evening with the Bats doth dance the Hay Or at the setting of the Sun doth flye With Swallows swift to keep them Company But if she 's cross'd she straight malicious grows And in a fury Plagues on Men she throws Or other Sickness and makes Beasts to dye And cause the Marrow in the bones to fry But Creatures that with long time are grown old Or such as are of Constitution cold She nourishes and Life she doth restore In Flyes Bats Swallows many Creatures more For some do say these Birds in Winter dye And in Summer revive again to flye Of all the Four Seasons of the Year This Season doth most full and fat appear Her blood is hot and flowing as full Tide She 's only fit to be Apollo's Bride But she as all young Ladies in their prime Doth fade and wither with old Father Time And all their beauty which they much admire Doth vanish soon and quickly doth expire Just so the Summer dries withers away No powerful Art can make sweet Beauty stay The Autumn though she 's in her fading years And sober yet she pleasantly appears Her Garments are not deck'd with Flowers gay Nor are they green like to the Month of May But of the colour are of dapple Deer Or Hares that to a sandy ground appear Yet she is rich with Plenty doth abound All the encrease of Earth is with her found Most Creatures Nourishment to them doth give And by her bounty Men Beasts Birds do live Besides the grieved Heart with Joy doth fill When from the plump Grapes Wine she doth distill And gathers Fruits which lasting are and sound Her brows about with Sheaves of Corn are crown'd In those are Seeds whereof Man makes some Bread With which the Poor and Rich are nourished Yet 't is not Bounty can hinder Nature's course For constantly she change in one source For though the Matter may be still the same Yet she doth change the Figure and the Frame And though in Principles she constant be And keeps to certain Rules which well agree To a wise Government yet doth not stay But as one comes another glides away So doth the Autumn leave our Hemisphere To Winter cold at which Trees shake for fear And in that Passion all their Leaves do shed And all their Sap back to the Root is fled Like to the Blood which from the Face doth run To keep the Heart lest Death should seize thereon Then comes the Winter with a lowring brow No pleasant Recreations doth allow Her skin is wrinkled and her blood is cold Her Flesh is numb her Hands can nothing hold Her Face is swarthy and her Eyes are red Her Lips are blew with Palsie shakes her Head She often coughs and 's very rheumatick Her Nose doth drop and often doth she spit Her Humour 's Melancholy as Cold and Dry Yet often she in show'ring Rain doth cry And blustring Storms as in a Passion sent Which on the Earth and on the Water vent As Rheums congeal to Flegm the Waters so By thickning Cold congeal to Ice Hail Snow Which she spits forth upon the Earth they lye In lumps and heaps which makes the Plants to dye She 's poor and barren little hath to give For in this Season all things hardly live But often those who 're at the worst estate By change of Times do grow more fortunate So when the Winter 's past then comes the Spring And Plenty doth restore to every thing A Poet in the Company Said to his Lady YOur Fingers are Minerva's Loom with which Your Sense in Letters weave No knots or snarls you leave Work Fancy's Thread in Golden Numbers rich Your Breasts are Helicon which Poets fits For though they do not drink If thereon they do think Their Brains are fill'd with high and sparkling Wits Your Tongue 's Parnassus Hill on high it stands Her Muses sit and sing Or dance in Fayrie's Ring Crown'd with your Rosie Lips and sweet Garlands Your Eyes Diana's Arrows and no doubt Your arched Brow her Bow Like Ebony black doth show From whence sweet gentle Modesty shoots out Your Hairs are fatal Threads Lovers hang by Your Brain is Vulcan's Net Fine Fancies for to get Which like to winged Birds aspiring flye The next a Man of Scholarship profest He in his turn this Tale told to the rest An Expression of the Doubts and Curiosity of Man's Mind THere was a Man which much desir'd to know When he was dead whither his Soul should go Whether to Heaven high or down to Hell Or the Elyzium Fields where Lovers dwell Or whether in the air to flie about Or whether it like to a Light goes out At last the Thoughts the Servants to the Mind Which dwell in Contemplation to find The truth they said No pains that they would spare To travel every where and thus prepare Each Thought did clothe it self with Language fit For to enquire and to dispute for it And Reason they did take to be their Guide Then straight unto a Colledg they did ride Where Scholars dwell and learned Books are read The living Works of the most Wise who 're dead There they enquired the truth for to know And every one was ready for to show Though every sev'ral Work and sev'ral Head And sev'ral Tongue a sev'ral path still lead Where the Thoughts were scattering several ways Some tedious long others like short Essays But Reason which they took to be their Guide With rest and silence quietly did ' bide Till their return who ragged and all torn Came back as naked as when they were born For in their travels hard disputes had past Yet all were forc'd for to return at last But when Reason saw their poor condition Naked of Sense their Words and Expedition And Expectation too and seeming sad But some were frantick and despairing mad She told them They might wander all about But she did fear the Truth would ne're find out Which when they heard with rage they angry grew And straight from Reason they themselves withdrew Then all agreed they to the Court would go In hopes the Courtiers then the truth might know The Courtiers laugh'd and said they could not tell They thought the Soul in Sensual Pleasures dwell And that it had no other Heaven or Hell The Soul they slight but wish the Body well This answer made the Thoughts not long to stay Among the Courtiers but soon went their way Then to the Army straight they did repair Hoping the Truth of Souls they should find there And of the Chief Commander they enquire Who willing was to answer their desire They said for certain that all Souls did dye But those that liv'd in Fame or Infamy Those that Infamous were without all doubt Were damn'd and from reproach should ne'r get out But such whose Fame their Noble Deeds did raise Their Souls were blest with an Eternal Praise And those that dy'd and never mention'd were They thought their Souls breath'd out to
on Yet they are Curious built with Art and Care Like Lovers who build Castles in the Air Which ev'ry puff of Wind is apt to break As Imaginations when Reason's weak They said His Tale was short He Answer made I 'le piece it out And thus he said THE Silk-worm digs her Grave as she doth spin And makes her Winding-sheet to lap her in And from her Bowels takes a heap of Silk Which on her Body as a Tomb is built Out of her ashes do her young ones rise Having bequeath'd her Life to them she dyes They only take that Life to spin a Death For as they wind up Silk they wind out Breath Thus rather than do nought or idle be They 'l work and spin out Life's small Thread we see When all their work is done ready to dye Their Wings are grown for Life away to flye The Silk-worm is first a small Seed then turneth into a Worm at last grows to have Wings like a Flye but lives not to make use of them As soon as she is big enough she spins a Ball of Silk all about her self wherein being grown to be a Fly she makes a hole to come out to leave Seed for the generation of her young ones After which she immediately dyes The Women said the Men made quick dispatch In telling Tales like Dogs that Bones do snatch But howsoe're a Woman did begin To tell a Tale and thus she entred in A Description of the Passion of Love misplaced A Lady on the Ground a mourning lay Complaining to the Gods and thus did say You Gods said she why do you me torment Why give you Life without the Mind's content Why do you Passions in a Mind create Then leave it all to Destiny and Fate With knot and snarls they spin the Thread of Life Then weave it cross and make a Web of strife Come Death though Fates are cross yet thou' rt a Friend And in the Grave dost peace quiet send It chanc'd a Gentleman that way came by And seeing there a weeping Beauty lye Alas dear Lady why do you so weep Unless your Tears you mean the Gods shall keep Jove will present those Tears to Juno fair For Pendants and for Neck-laces to wear And so present that Breath to Juno fair That she may always move in perfum'd air Forbear forbear make not the World so poor Send not such Riches for the Gods have store I 'm one said she to whom Fortune's a Foe Crossing my Love working my overthrow A Man which to Narcissus might compare For Youth and Beauty and the Graces fair Do him adorn on him my love is plac'd But his neglect doth make my life to wast My Soul doth mourn my Thoughts no rest can take He by his scorn doth me unhappy make With that she cry'd O Death said she come quick And in my heart thy Leaden Arrow stick Take comfort Lady grieve and weep no more For Nature handsome Men hath more in store Besides dear Lady Beauty will decay And with that Beauty love will flee away If you take time this heat of Love will wast Because 't is only on a Beauty plac'd But if your Love did from his Virtue spring You might have lov'd though not so fond have been The love of Virtue is for to admire The Soul and not the Body to desire That 's a gross Love which only dull Beasts use But Noble Man to love the Soul will chuse Because the Soul is like a Deity Therein pure Love will live eternally O Sir but Nature hath the Soul so fix'd Unto the Body and such Passions mix'd That nothing can divide or dis-unite Unless that Death will separate them quite For when the Senses in Delights agree They bind the Soul make it a Slave to be He Answered If that the Soul in Man should give consent In every thing the Senses to content No Peace but War amongst Mankind would be And Desolation would have Victory No Man could tell or challenge what 's his own He would be Master that is strongest grown Lady love Virtue and let Beauty dye And in the Grave of Ruins let it lye With that she rose and with great joy said she Farewell fond Love and foolish Vanity The Men condemn'd the Tale because said they None but a Fool would preach so Wise men pray But Ladies hear me did another say TO love but one is a great fault For Nature otherwise is taught She caus'd Varieties for us to taste And other Appetites in us she plac'd And caus'd dislike in us to rise To surfeit when we gormandise For of one Dish we glut our Palat Although it be but of a Salat When Solomon the Wise did try Of all things underneath the Sky Although he found it Vanitie Yet by it Nature made us free For by the change her Works do live By several Forms that she doth give So that Inconstancy is Nature's play And we her various Works must her obey A Woman said that Men were foolish Lovers And whining Passions Love oft discovers They 're full of Thoughts said she yet never pleas'd Always complaining and yet never eas'd They 'l sigh they mourn they groan they make great moan They 'l sit cross-legg'd with folded arms alone Sometimes their Dress is careless with despair With hopes rais'd up 't is costly rich and rare Setting their Looks and Faces in a frame Their Garb's affected by their Mistress Name Flattering their Loves forswearing then each boasts What Valiant Deedsh ' has done in Forreign Coasts Through what great dangers his adventures run Such acts as Hercules had never done That every one that hears doth fear his Name And every Tongue that speaks sounds forth his fame And thus their Tongues extravagantly move Caus'd by vain-glorious foolish amorous Love Which only those of his own Sex approve But when their Rallery was past The Tale upon a Man was cast Then crying peace to all that talking were They were bid hold their Tongues and lend an Ear. The Man more than the rest was somewhat old They said to him Your Tale you have not told Alas said he my Memory is bad And I have none so good as you have had He musing a short time thus did begin I hope said he my Tale may credit win A Description of Civil-Warrs A Kingdom which long time had liv'd in Peace Her People rich with Plenty fat with Ease With Pride were haughty grown Pride Envy bred From Envy Factions grew then Mischief spread And Libels every where were strew'd about Which after into Civil-Warr broke out Some for the Commons fought some for the King And great Disorder was in ev'ry thing Battels were won and lost on either side Where Fortune ebb'd and flow'd like to a Tide At last the Commons won and then astride Fierce Tyranny on Noble Necks did ride All Monuments pull'd down that stood long time And Ornaments were then thought a great Crime No Law was pleaded but the Martial Law The
Sword did rule and keep them all in aw No Prayers offer'd to the Gods on high All Ceremony in the Dust did lye Nothing was done in Order Truth and Right Nought govern'd then but Malice Spleen Spight But mark how justly Gods do punish Men To make them humble and to bow to them Though they had Plenty and thereof did eat They relish'd not that good and savoury Meat Because their Conscience did them so torment For all their Plenty they were discontent They took no rest Cares so oppress'd their Mind No Joy nor Comfort in the World could find When drowsie sleep upon their Eyes did set Then fearful Visions in their Dreams they met In Life no pleasure take yet fear to dye No Mercy can they hope from Gods on high O serve the Gods and then the Mind will be Always in peace and sweet tranquillity A Woman said A Tale I mean to tell That in those Warrs unto a Cross befell AN ancient Cross liv'd in our Father's time With as much Fame as did the Worthies nine No harm it did or injury to none But dwelt in peace and quietly alone On Times or Government did not complain But stood Stone-still not stirr'd in no King's Reign Both Winter's Snow and Summer's scorching Sun It did endure and Urin'd was upon Yet peaceful Nature nor yet humble Mind Shall not avoid rude Ignorance that 's blind That superstitiously beats down all things Which smell but of Antiquity or springs From Noble Deeds nor love nor take delight In Laws or Justice hating Truth and Right But Innovations love for that seems fine And what is new adore they as Divine That makes them so neglect the Gods above For Time doth waste both their respect and love And so this Cross poor Cross all in a rage They pull'd down quite the fault was only Age. Had it been gilded gloriously and brave They Vanity for an excuse might have But it was poor its Mortar all off worn Which Time had eaten as when Dogs have torn The Flesh from Bones of Hares or harmless Sheep Or like to Skeletons that Scholars keep If they had pious been it might have stood To mollifie the Minds of Men to good But they were wicked hating every thing That by example might to goodness bring Then down they pull'd it leaving not one stone Upon another for it to be known To after-ages for the Ground lies bare And none can know that once the Cross stood there Then said a Man I can this Tale well fit For I a Tale can tell that 's like to it IN old times when Devotion false did reign A Church was built although to use prophane Was Consecrated as Diana's right Who was their Goddess of the Moon-shine bright But afterwards when Truth with Zeal did flame It Christned was and bore Jove's mighty Name And dedicated to the Sun above Then married was became his Spouse and Love Long did she live in Duty Peace and Zeal Became an Honour to the Commonweal Was curiously adorn'd within without The Quoire all hung with Hangings rich about With Marble Tombs and Statues carv'd and cut Wherein the Bodies of good Saints were put There polish'd Pillars long the Iles did stand And Arched Roofs built by a skilful hand With Painted Windows plac'd on either side At every end were Gates large open wide And all the inside was most bravely gilt As all the outside with Free-stone were built There Choristers did sing each several Note And Organs loud did answer ev'ry throat And Priests there taught Men how to pray and live Rewards and Punishments which Jove did give But mark this Temple was destroy'd by sin Since they did leave to worship Jove therein Because this Church profan'd by sinful Men Was made a Stable and for Thieves a Den. No surer mark of Wrath when Gods do frown Then to give leave to pull their Temples down A Lady said these VVarrs her Soul did shake And the remembrance made her heart to ake My Brother then was murther'd in cold-blood Incircled round with Enemies he stood Where he like to a fixed Starr shin'd bright They like to black and pitchy Clouds of Night He like the Sun his Courage like that Heat Their Envy like bad Vapours strove to beat His Light of Honour out but pow'rful Fame Did throw their spight back on their heads with shame And though they struck his Body not his Mind For that in Death through all their Malice shin'd He valiant was his Spirits knew no fear They never chill'd when they in Battel were And strove to give more blows than safety sought His Limbs most vigour had when most he fought He spoke not loud nor sung his fear to hide With silence march'd and quietly did ride Viewing the Armies with a watchful Eye And careful was advantages to spye If that his Soldiers chanc'd to run away He ran not after them to make them stay As some Commanders which will call and run After the Soldiers when the Flight's begun But when once gone seldom return again But with their Soldiers they will safe remain But he amongst his Foes like Earth was fix'd Or like to Fire himself was intermix'd And their great solid Bodies did divide Pulling their Fabrick down on either side Until his Mercy did for Favour pray Unto his Courage so to run away He made them know he was a Soldier good Train'd up in Warrs which Art he understood Besides his Genius was prompt thereunto Wit Skill Invention knew what best to do Which made the Foe more fierce his Life to take For fear that he their ruin soon would make For they so soon as he was in their pow'r Like greedy Vulturs did his Life devour He stood their Rage his Courage knew no fear Nor on grim Death with terror did he stare But did embrace her with a Generous Mind VVith Noble Thoughts and Kisses that were kind Vollies of Shot did all his Body tear VVhere his blood 's spilt the Earth no Grass will abear As if for to revenge his Death the Earth VVas curs'd with barrenness ev'n from her birth And though his Body in the Grave doth lye His Fame doth live and will eternally His Soul 's Immortal and so is his Fame His Soul in Heav'n doth live and here his Name The next time had a Man his turn to speak Who said That Civil-Warrs made Rich men break Populous Kingdoms that do flourish well In Peace and Plenty then to ruin fell WHen I with grief unto remembrance bring The blessed time men liv'd with a goodKing To think at first how happy such do raign And in what Peace such Kingdoms do remain VVhere Magistrates do sit in Justice Throne Few Crimes committed Punishments scarce known The Nobles liv'd in state and high degree All happy even to the Peasantry Where easie Laws no Tax to make them poor All live Plenty full is every Store They Customs have to recreate the Mind Not barbarous but civil gentle kind
are not Men more Perfumed Curled and Powdred than VVomen And have they not greater Quantities of Ribbons of several Colours ti'd and set upon their Hats Clothes Gloves Boots Shooes and Belts than VVomen on their Heads and Gowns Have not Men richer and more gaye Clothes than Women have And where Women make Clothes once Men make Clothes three times yet Men exclaim against the Vanities of Women when they are a hundred times vainer and are more unnecessarily expensive than Women are Women may be allowed by the severest Judgments to be a little vain as being Women when it ought to be condemned in Men as an Effeminacy which is a great Vice The last is their Idleness for Do not Men spend their time far more idly not to say wickedly than Women Do not Men run visiting from House to House for no other purpose but to twattle spending their time in idle and fruitless discourse Do not Men meet every day in Taverns and Ordinaries to sit and gossip over a Cup of Wine When Women are condemned for gossiping once in a quarter of a year at a Labour or a Christning or at the Up-sitting of a Child-bed Woman And do not Men run and hunt about for News and then meet to gossip on it with their Censuring-Verdicts Besides they are so greedy of twattle that rather than want idle matter to prate of they will invent News and then falsly report it and such are accounted Wits that can make the most probable Lyes which they call Gulling Have not Men also more foolish Quarrels than VVomen have Are not Men more apt to take exceptions at each other than Women are Will not Men dissemble lye and flatter with each other more than Women do Will not Men rail and back-bite each other more than VVomen will Are not Men more spightful envious and malicious at each other than VVomen VVill not Men imitate each other 's fantastical Garb Dress and the like more than VVomen VVill not Men ride from place to place to no purpose more than Women And do not Men take more delight in idle pastimes and foolish sports than VVomen And in all this time of their Visiting Club Gossipping News-travelling News-venting News-making Vain-spending Mode-fashioning Foolish-quarrelling and Unprofitable-journeying what advantage do they bring to the Commonwealth or honour to their Posterity or profit to themselves None at all but they are like Flyes bred out of a Dunghill buzzing idly about and then dye when VVomen are like industrious Ants and prudent Bees always employed to the benefit of their Families Therefore unless I can have a Husband that is so wise that he can entertain himself with his own thoughts to dwell quietly in his own House governing prudently his own Family also to behave himself civilly to speak rationally to accoutre himself manfully to defend himself and maintain his Honour valiantly to do nobly to judg charitably to live honestly to temper his Appetites rule his Passions and be very industrious I will never marry for it is not only a Good Husband but a VVise Man that makes a VVoman happy in Marriage Of Three TRAVELLERS THERE were three Travellers that enquired of each other about their Travels and after they had recounted their tedious Journeys dangerous Passages and their many Inconveniences they discoursed of the Climates of each Countrey they had been in their Scituations Commodities Trade and Traffick the Customs Fashions and Humours of the People the Laws and Government of their Princes the Peace and VVarrs of Neighbour-Nations at last they became to question one another VVho had seen the greatest VVonders in their Travels Said one I have seen the greatest VVonder for I have seen a Mean Man become an Emperor Pish said the Second that is nothing for I have seen a Mean Fellow without Merit a Powerful Emperor's Bosome-Friend and Chief Ruler for though the Power of Fortune can enthrone Slaves and unthrone Kings yet Fortune hath no Power over the Souls of Kings for although Fortune hath Power over the Body she hath none over the Mind VVhy said the third that is no more VVonder for Nature to put a Subject's Soul fill'd with mean Thoughts into an Emperor's Body than for Fortune to set an Emperor's Crown on a Slave's Head But I can tell you said he a VVonder indeed which is That where I travelled there was an Emperor the wisest Man in the world That is no wonder answered the other for all great Monarchs and Emperors ought to be the wisest because they rule all others But though they ought to be so said the other yet they are not always so for were not many of the Roman Emperors called The Foolish Emperors And when there are so few wise Men in the world that there is scarce a wise Man to be found in an Age it is a VVonder when VVisdom lights in the right Line I mean in a Royal Line No answered the Third it is no Wonder for the Gods take a particular care to endue a Royal Head with Understanding and a Royal Heart with Justice for Hereditary Royalty is Sacred since the Gods annoint those Lines to that Dignity But those that have not a Right by Inheritance the Gods take no care of nay many times the Gods punish with Plagues and other Miseries those People that make a King of their own chusing and justly since Kings are God's Vicegerents or Deputies on Earth for as the Gods are chief in Heaven and rule the Works of Nature as they will so Kings are chief on Earth and rule the rest of Mankind as they please But said the other If they rule not well they are to give an account Yes answered the other but not unto those Men they rule but to the Gods that placed them in their Thrones The Loving-Cuckold THERE was a Gentleman that had married a Wife Beautiful Modest Chast and of a mild and sweet Disposition and after he had been married some time he began to neglect her and make Courtship to other Women which she perceiving grew very melancholy and sitting one day very pensive alone in comes one of her Husband's Acquaintance to see him whom this Lady told Her Husband was abroad He said I have been to visit him many times and still he is gone abroad She said My Husband finds better Company abroad than he hath at home or at least thinks so which makes him go so often forth So he discoursing with the Lady told her He thought she was of a very melancholy Disposition She said She was not naturally so but what her Misfortunes caused He said Can Fortune be cruel to a Beautiful Lady 'T is a sign said she I am not Beautiful that she would match me to an unkind Husband He said To my thinking it is as impossible for your Husband to be unkind as for Fortune to be cruel She said You shall be Judg whether he be not so for first said she I have been an Obedient Wife observed his
So he went to a Noble Gentleman who had a fair well-bred virtuous Lady to his Daughter although but a small Portion and having the Father's consent and the Lady's affection at least her good-will married When these three Knights were married each carried his Wife to his Dwelling-House Where the Covetous Knight did spare from his Back and Belly rise early and go to bed late yet his Wife and Servants did agree at least did wink at each other to cozen him let him do what he could to spare they outwitted him with craft to get The Amorous Knight when he had lived at home a little while to himself and his Wive's gay Clothes were faded and she appeared in her natural Complexion and became like her Neighbours he courted others and despised his Wife then she strives to spruce up and to get others to court her which Courtships did cause Expences in Dancing Meetings Revelling and Feasting The Judicious Knight and his Lady lived happily loved dearly governed orderly thrived moderately and became very rich when the other two were Bankrupts the one being cozen'd by his Wife and Servants he not allowing them sufficiently the other being impoverished with Mistresses and Vanities Ambition preferr'd before Love THERE was a Noble Gallant Man made love to a Virtuous Fair Lady and after he had express'd his affection and desired a return and so agree to marry she told him If she would marry and had her liberty to chuse a Husband through all the VVorld it should be him for said she the same of your Worth and praise of your Merits hath planted a Root of Affection in my Infant-years which hath grown up with time but said she there was another Root also planted therein by Encouragement which is Ambition which Ambition says she hath out-grown that so that the Tree of Love is like an Oak to a Cedar for though it may be more lasting yet it will never be so high On this high Tree of Ambition said she my Life is industrious to climb to Fame's high Tower for the top reaches to it which if I marry I shall never do Why said her Lover Marriage can be no hindrance O yes said the Lady Husbands will never suffer their VVives to climb but keep them fast lock'd in their Arms or tye them to Houshold-Employments or through a foolish-obstinacy barr up their Liberty but did they not only give them Liberty but assist them all they could yet the unavoidable Troubles of Marriage would be like great storms which would shake them off or throw them down before they had climbed half the way VVherefore said she I will never marry unless you can assure me that Marriage shall not hinder my climbing nor cause me to fall Her Lover said I will give you all the assurance I can but said he You cannot be ignorant but know That Fortune Fates and Destiny have power in the ways to Fame as much as in the ways to Death and Fates said he do spin the Thread of Fame as unevenly as they do Threads of Life Yes said she but there is a Destiny belongs to Industry and Prudence is a good Decree in Nature VVherefore said she I will be so prudent as not to marry and so industrious that all the actions of my life and studious contemplations shall be busily employed to my Ambitious Designs for I will omit nothing towards the life of my Memory The Matrimonial Agreement A Handsome young Man fell in love with a fair young Lady insomuch that if he had her not he was resolved to dye for live without her he could not So wooing her long at last although she had no great nor good opinion of a married life being afraid to enter into so strict bonds observing the discords therein that trouble a married life being raised by a disagreement of Humours and jealousie of Rivals But considering withall that Marriage gave a respect to Women although Beauty were gone and seeing the Man personable and knowing him to have a good Fortune which would help to counterpoise the Inconveniences and Troubles that go along with Marriage she was resolved to consent to his request The Gentleman coming as he used to do and perswading her to chuse him for her Husband she told him she would but that she found her self of that Humour that she could not endure a Rival in Wedlock and the fear of having one would cause Jealousie which would make her very unhappy and the more because she must be bound to live with her Enemy for so she should account of her Husband when he had broken his Faith and Promise to her He smiling told her She need not fear and that Death was not more certain to Man than he would be constant to her sealing it with many Oaths and solemn Protestations nay said he When I am false I wish you may be so which is the worst of Ills. She told him Words would not serve her turn but that he should be bound in a Bond That not only whensoever she could give a proof but when she had cause of suspition she might depart from him with such an allowance out of his Estate as she thought fit to maintain her He told her He was so confident and knew himself so well that he would unmaster himself of all his Estate and make her only Mistris She answered A part should serve her turn So the Agreement was made and sealed they married and lived together as if they had but one soul for whatsoever the one did or said the other disliked not nor had they reason for their study was only to please each other After two years the Wife had a great Fit of Sickness which made her pale and wan and not so full of lively spirits as she was wont to be but yet as kind and loving to her Husband as she was afore and her Husband at her first sickness wept watched and tormented himself beyond all measure but the continuance made him so dull and heavy that he could take no delight in himself nor in any thing else His occasions calling him abroad he found himself so refreshed that his spirits revived again but returning home and finding not that mirth in the sick as was in the healthy Wife it grew wearisome to him insomuch that he always would have occasions to be abroad and thought Home his only Prison His Wife mourning for his absence complained to him at his return and said she was not only unhappy for her Sickness but miserable in that his occasions were more urgent to call him from her when she had most need of his company to comfort her in the loss of her Health than in all the time they had been married And therefore pray Husband said she what is this unfortunate business that employs you so much and makes me see you so seldom He told her The Worldly Affairs of Men Women did not understand and therefore it were a folly to recite them besides said
Arguing Thoughts were Logicians the Doubting Thoughts Scepticks the Hoping Thoughts Physicians the Inquisitive Thoughts Natural Philosophers the Humble Thoughts Moral Philosophers the Phantastical Thoughts Poets the Modest Thoughts Virgins the Jealous Thoughts Wives the Incontinent Thoughts Courtesans the Amorous Thoughts Lovers the Vain Thoughts Courtiers and the Bragging or Lying Thoughts Travellers And when all these Thoughts were met the Soul feasted them with Delight and the Senses with Pleasure presenting them with Reason and Truth The Travelling Spirits THERE was a Man went to a Witch whom he entreated to aid his Desires for said he I have a curiosity to travel but I would go into such Countreys which without your power to assist me I cannot do The Witch asked him What those Countreys were He said He would go to the Moon Why said she the Natural Philosophers are the only men for that Journey for they travel all the Planets over and indeed study Nature so much and are so diligent and devout in her Services that they despise our great Master the Devil and would hinder us in our ways very much but that they travel most by Speculation Then said he I would go to Heaven Truly said she I cannot carry you thither for I am as unpractised in those ways and have as little acquaintance there as the Natural Philosophers have for they believe that there is no such Kingdom But if you desire to travel to that Kingdom you must go to the Divines who are the only Guides yet you must have a care in the choice for some will carry you a great way about and through very troublesome and painful places others a shorter but a very strait narrow way others through ways that are pleasant and easie and you will find not only in Natural Philosophers but also in Divines such Combats and Dissentions amongst them that it is both a great hindrance and a trouble to the Passengers which shews they are not very perfect themselves in their ways for many Travellers go some a quarter and some half and some three parts of the way and then are forced to turn back again and take another Guide and so from Guide to Guide until they have run them all over or are out of breath and yet be as far to seek of their way as when they first set out Why then said the Man carry me to Hell Truly said the Witch I am but a Servant extraordinary and have no power to go to my Master's Kingdom until I dye although the Way be broad and plain and the Guides sure yet being the Devil's Factor to do him service on the Earth I can call forth any from thence although it were the King himself Well then said he carry me I beseech you to the Center of the Earth That I can do said she and so obscurely that the Natural Philosophers shall never spye us So she prayed him to come into her House for said she it is a great Journey therefore you must take some repast before you go Besides said she your Body will be too cumbersome wherefore we will leave that behind that you may go the lighter being all Spirit So she went out and came and brought a Dish of Opium and prayed him to eat well thereof So he eat very heartily and when he had done his Senses grew very heavy insomuch as his Body fell down as in a swound remaining without Sense in the mean while his Spirit stole out and left the Body asleep So the Witch and he took their Journey and as they went he found the Climate very intemperate sometimes very hot and sometimes very cold great Varieties they found in the way in some places monstrous great and high Mountains of the Bones of Men and Beasts which lay mixed with one another Then he saw a very large Sea of Blood which had issued from slain Bodies but those Seas seemed very rough whereupon he asked What was the reason She answered Because their Deaths were violent And there were other Seas of Blood which seemed so smooth that there was not a wave to be seen Whereat he ask'd How comes this to be so smooth and calm She said It was the Blood of those that dyed in peace Then he asked her Where was the Blood of other Creatures as Beasts Birds Fish and the like She said Amongst the Blood of Men for said she the Earth knows no difference And as they went along they came through a most pleasant place which she said was the Store-house of Nature where were the shapes and sub stances of all kind of Fruits Flowers Trees or any other Vegetables but all were of a dusky colour There he gathered some Fruit to eat but it had no tast and he gathered some Flowers and they had no smell Of which he asked the reason She said That the Earth gave only the Form and Substance but the Sun was the only cause of the Tast Smell and Colours Going farther they saw great Mines Quarries and Pits but she being vers'd and knowing the way well did avoid them so that they were no hindrance in their journey as otherwise it would have been But going down further it began to grow very dark being far from the face of the Earth insomuch that they could hardly see the plainest way whereupon he told the Witch That the Hill was so hideously steep and the place began to grow so dark that it was very dangerous No said she there is no danger since our Bodies are not here for our Spirits are so light that they bear up themselves So they went a great length until the place grew so strait that it began to be a pain even to their Spirits and so he told the Witch His Spirit was in pain She said He must endure it for the Center of the Earth was but a Point in a Circle So when he came to the Center of the Earth he saw a Light like Moon-shine of which when he came near he saw that the first Circle about the Center was Glow-worms Tails which gave that Light and in the Center was an old Man who did neither stand nor sit for there was nothing to stand or sit on but he hung as it were in the Air nor ever stirr'd out of his place and had been there ever since the World was made for he having never had a Woman to tempt him to sin never dyed And although he could never remove out of his place yet he had the power to call all things on the Earth unto him by degrees and to dispose of them as he would But being near the old Man the Witch excused her coming and prayed him not to be offended with them for there was a Man desired Knowledg and would not spare any pains or industry to obtain it For which he praised the Man and said He was welcome and any thing he could inform him of he would The old Man asked him about the Chymists that lived upon the face of
the Earth The Man answered They made much noise in talk and took great pains and bestowed great costs to find the Philosophers Stone which is to make the Elixir but could never come to any perfection Alas said the old Man they are too unconstant to bring any thing to perfection for they never keep to one certain ground or track but are always trying of new Experiments so that they are always beginning but never go on towards an end Besides said he they live not long enough to find the Philosophers Stone for said he 't is not one nor two Ages will do it but there must be many Ages to bring it to perfection But I said he living long and observing the course of Nature strictly am arrived to the height of that Art and all the Gold that is digged out of the Mines was converted by me for in the beginning of the World there was very little Gold to be found and neither my Brother Adam nor his Posterity after him for many Ages knew any such thing but since I have attained to the perfection of that Art I have made so many Mines that it hath caused all the outward parts of the World to go together by the ears for it but I will not hereafter make so much as to have it despised As for my Stills said he they are the Pores of the Earth and the Waters I distill are the sweet Dews the Oily part is the Ambergreece and the Chymists know not how or from whence or from what it comes for some say from Trees others that it is the Spawn of some kind of Fish so some think it one thing some another The saltness of the Sea comes also from Chymistry and the Vapour that arises from the Earth is the Smoak that steems from my Stills But said he the World is not to continue long as it is for I will by my Art turn it all into Glass that as my Brother Adam transplanted Men from Earth by his sin some to Heaven some to Hell so I will transplant the World from Earth to Glass which is the last act of Chymistry Then the Man observing a great concourse of Waters that went with a violent force close by the Center he asked the old Man How came that Water there He answered It was the Gutter and Sink of the Earth for whatsoever Water the Sun drank from the Sea and spued upon the Earth run through the Veins into the Sea again by the Center all little Pipe-Veins meeting there or else said he the World would be drowned again for at Noah's Flood those Pipe-Veins were commanded by Jove to be stopt and after such a time to be opened again I wonder said the Man that all the weighty Materials in the World do not fall upon your Head and so kill you Why so they would said he if they lay all together on a heap but as every thing hath a several motion so every thing hath a proper place for Gold and Iron never dwell together in the Earth neither are all kinds of Stones found in one Quarry nor do all the Mines or Quarries join together but some are in one place and some in another which poises the weight of the Earth equally and keeps it from falling The Man said You have but a melancholy life being none here but your self O said the old Man the Riches of the Earth and all the Varieties thereof come into my Compass This place is the Heart or Soul of Plenty Here have I sweet Dormice fat Moles nourishing Worms industrious Ants and many other things for Food Here are no Storms to trouble me nor Tempests to disorder me but Warmth to cherish me and Peace and Quiet to comfort and joy me the drilling-Waters are my Musick the Glow-worms my Lights and my Art of Chymistry my Pass-time When he had done speaking they took their leaves craving pardon for their abrupt Visit and giving him thanks for his gentle entertainment But the old Man very kindly prayed them to have a care of themselves as they returned for said he you must go through Cold Crude Aguish and Hot Burning Pestilent places for there are great Damps in the Earth as also a great Heat and Fire in the Earth although it gives not Light like the Sun for the Heat of the Earth said he is like the Fire in a Coal and that of the Sun like that of a Flame which is a thinner part of Substance set on fire and is a weaker or fainter Heat but the Sun said he gives more Heat by his quick Motion than the Heat gives Motion And though said he the Fire be the subtillest of all Elements yet it is made slower or more active by the substance it works upon for Fire is not so active upon solid Bodies as it is upon leighter and thinner Bodies So the Witch and the young Man's Spirit gave him thanks and departed But going back they found not the ways so pleasant as when they went for some ways were deep and dirty others heavy and clayie some boggy and sandy some dry and dusty and great Waters high Mountains Stony and Craggy Hills some of them very Chalky and Limy But at last arriving where they set out he found his Body there and putting it on as a Garment gave thanks to the Witch and then went home to rest his weary Spirits The Tale of the Lady in the Elyzium THERE was a Lord that made love to a Lady upon very honourable terms for the End was Marriage This Lady received his Love with great Affection and it chanced that upon the hearing of a report That he was married to another she fell into a swound for above an hour insomuch that they all thought her to be dead but at last returning to her self again one told her That he thought her Soul had utterly forsaken her Mansion the Body No said she 't was only the sudden and violent Passion which had hurried my Soul to Charon's Boat in a distracted Whirlwind of Sighs where in the Croud I was Ferried over to the Elyzium-Fields They ask'd her What manner of place it was She answered Just such a place as the Poets have described Pleasant green Fields but as dark as a shady Grove or the dawning of the Day or like a sweet Summer's Evening when the Nightingal begins to sing which is at the shutting up of the day But when I was there said she I met with such Company as I expected not Who were those said they Julius Caesar and the Vestal Nunn Nero and his Mother Agrippa and Catiline and his Daughter Cornelia and such as Anthony and Cleopatra Dido and AEneas sans nomber But finding not my chast Lover there said she I went to Charon and told him The Fates had neither spun out my Thread nor cut it in sunder but they being careless in the spinning it was not so hard twisted as it should have been insomuch that the report of my Lover's Marriage
gross Corporeal part As for the People in that Region they are of upright shapes and very slender but their sub stance is of the same of Fish and they swim in the Air as Fishes in the Sea which do not admit of a firm footing so that they swim or ride upon Waves of Clouds every where As for their Houses they are made of the Azure Sky and are so clear that the Inhabitants are seen in them when the Sun shines being only obscured when the Sun is from them These Houses are covered with Flakes of Snow and all their Streets are pitch'd with Hail-stones But when the Chariot of the Sun runs through their Streets in the Winter time their furious Horses being more heady in Winter run then the swifter for in Summer they are lazy and faint with Heat but with the trampling they loosen the stones and then they fall to earth and there melt to Water Neither are their Tiles or Slats safe for the Wheels of the Chariot do so shake their Houses that the flakes of Snow fall many times from their Houses upon the Earth But they being of a nature as industrious as little ants do straight pitch their Streets a new and repair their Houses having enough Materials for there are there great Rocks of Hail stones and huge Mountains of Snow But when the Chariot runs in Summer-time the Streets being dryed and hard or as I may say Crystalined it makes a ratling Noise which we call Thunder and the Horses being very hot great flashes of Fire proceeds out of their Nostrils which we call Lightning and many times their Breath is so exceeding hot and being moist withall that it softens their Streets and melting their Hail-stones cause great overflows which fall down in pouringshowers of Rain as we oft see when it Thunders Now Snow and Hail are as naturally engendered there by Cold as Minerals in the Earth by Heat both being wrought by contraction only the one is more dissolvable than the other because the Matter contracted is different in solidity but they meet at one End at last though by different ways When he had observed the Middle Region he takes the third Glass to view the highest Region There he saw Six moving-Cities which we call Planets every City had a Governing-Prince their Compass was very large their From round and moving in a Circular Motion The midst of those Cities was a Center City as I may say a Metropolitan City which we call the Sun the King thereof and all his People are of the nature of Salamanders for they live always in Fire as Fishes in Water for it is not so hot as is imagined because that which feeds the Flame is not a gross combustible and solid Matter to burn like Coals but a thin voluble and oily substance which makes only a Flame clear and bright having no Dross mix'd in it and whatsoever is wasted by the Flame is supplied by the Six Cities which is the Tribute they pay to the Seventh the Monarchical City whom all the rest are some ways or other subject unto But indeed these Cities are forced by necessity to send Oily Matter or the like or else they should be in perpetual Darkness wanting Light so that this Oily Matter comes into the Metropolitan-City and the Flame goeth out like the Water into the Sea for the Water of the Sea goeth out salt and returns fresh being clarified by the Earth so this Oil when it runs to the Center-City is refined and made more thin and pure and is sent back in Streams and Beams of Light But though the King and People be of the nature of Salamanders yet their shapes are like those we describe Angles to be and flye about through Beams of Light though our grosser Sense cannot see them without the help of some Miraculous Glasses as these were Some of them perceiving this Man saw them went to the King and complained thereof which when he heard he was very angry and rose in great Rage casting a Blaze of Light which dazled his Eyes blinded his Sight and in this Heat melted his Glasses The Body Time and Mind disputed for Preheminency THE Dispute was begun by Time who said If it were not for me the Body would neither have Growth nor Strength nor the Mind Knowledg or Understanding The Mind answered That though the Body had a fix'd time to arrive to a perfect growth and mature strength yet the Mind had not for I said the Mind can never know and understand so much but I might know and understand more nor hath Time such a Tyrannical Power over the Mind to bring it to ruin as it hath over the Body Why said the Body Time hath not an absolute power over me neither for Chance and evil Accidents prevent Time's Ruins and Sickness and evil Diers obstruct and hinder Time's Buildings Neither is it only Time that nourishes the Body but Food for without Food the Body would waste to nothing for the Stomack is as the Pot and the Heart as the Fire to boil the Food to make it fit for Nourishment making a Broth for Blood a Jelly for Sinews a Gravy for Flesh and Oil for Fat from which a Vapour steems forth to make Spirits and the several parts of the Body are the several Vessels wherein and by which the Body is nourished and Life maintained Neither doth Time give the Mind Knowledg and Understanding but the Senses which are the Porters that carry them in and furnish the Mind therewith for the Eyes bring in several Lights Colours Figures and Forms and the Ear several Sounds both Instrumental and Vocal the Nose several Scents the Tongue several Tasts and every part of the Body several Touches without which the Mind would be as an empty poor thatch'd House with bare Walls did not the Senses furnish it Besides said the Body the Mind could have no pleasure nor delight were it not by my Senses But the Mind answered That Delight belonged only to the Soul and Pleasure only to the Body 'T is true says the Mind they often make a Friendship as the Soul and the Body do yet they consist by and of themselves And for Time said the Mind he is only like a Page or Lacquey which brings Messages runs of Errands and presents Necessaries for the Mind's use but said the Mind had Time no Employment or the Senses no Goods to bring in and neither would or could do the Mind any service yet the Mind would not be like a thatch'd House empty and unfurnished for Delight would be there as Queen were it not for Discontent which is begot in the Body but born in the Mind and if he lives becomes a Tyrant unthroning Delight which is the natural Queen thereof as Pleasure is in the Body and if it were not for this Tyrannical Usurper Delight would have more perfect Fruition than Pleasure hath by reason Perfection lives more in the Mind than in the Senses And let me
Betting and the like Ill-natur'd Arts are Bull-baiting Cock-fighting Dog fighting Cudgel-playing Exercising Arts are Bowling Shooting Hunting Wrestling Pitching the Barr and Tennis-Court Play Vain-glorious Arts are Oratory Pleading Disputing Proposing Objecting Magnisicent Entertainments great Revenues Sumptuous Palaces and Costly Furnitures Covetous Arts are Bribery Monopolies Taxes Excises and Compositions Ambitious Arts are Time-serving Observing Insinuating Malicious Arts are Impeachings Back-bitings and Libels Superstitious Arts are Interpretations false Visions Impostures Imprecations Ceremonies Postures Garbs Countenances and Paces and particular Customs Habits and Diets Idolatrous Arts are Groves Altars Images and Sacrifices Dangerous Arts though necessary for the safety of Honour are Fencing Riding Tilting Vaulting Wrestling and Swimming Murthering Arts are Swords Knives Hatchets Saws Sythes Pick-axes Pikes Darts Granadoes Guns Bullets Shot Powder Arts of Safety are Trenches Moats Bridges Walls Arms and Chyrurgery Profitable Arts are Geometry Cosmography Arithmetick Navigation Fortification Architecture Fire-works Water-works Wind-works Cultivating Manuring Distilling Extracting Pounding Mixing Sifting Grinding as Malting Brewing Baking Cooking Granging Carding Spinning Weaving Colouring Tanning Writing Printing Wit Why Learned Sister all these Arts and innumerbale more are produced from the Forge of the Brain being all invented by Wit and the Inventer is to be more valued than the Art the Cause more than the Effect for as without a Cause there would be no Effect so without an Inventive Brain there could be no Ingenuous Art Wis. Dear Witty Sister do not engross more than what is justly your own for there are more Arts produced from Accidents and Experiments than from Ingenious Wit Learn Some Learned Men hold That the Motion of the Sun makes the Heat others that Heat makes Motion Wit Then it is like the Brain for a hot Brain makes a quick Wit and a quick Wit makes the Brain hot Wis. We ought not to spend our time in studying of the Motions and Heat of the Sun but of the Motions and Passions of the Heart Learn Some are of opinion That Light hath no Body others That it hath a Body and that the Light of the Sun enlightens the Air as one Candle doth another Wit Light is like Imagination an Incorporeal thing or an Accidental Proceeding from a Substance and as one Candle doth light another so one Fancy produceth another VVis Pray discourse of Virtues which is the Light of the Soul and Generosity an Effect thereof which distributes to Necessity producing comfortable Relicfs therewith Learn And some say Colours are no Colours in the dark being produced by Light on such and such Bodies Wit VVe may as well say VVit is no Wit or Thoughts no Thoughts in the Brain being produced by such and such Objects nor Passion is no Passion in the Heart being raised by such and such Causes VVis I pray dispute not how Colours are produced whether from the Light or from their own Natures or Natural Substances but consider that Good VVorks are produced from a Soul that is pure and bright Learn The Learned say That Sounds are Numbers and Opticks are Lines of Light VVit VVit sets the Number and Motion draws the Lines VVis There is no Musick so harmonious as Honest Professions nor no Light so pure as Truth Learn And they say Discord in Musick well applied makes the Harmony the delightfuller VVit So Satyr in VVit makes it more quick and pleasant VVis So Truths mix'd with Falshood make Flattery more plausible and acceptable Learn Time which is the Dissolver of all Corporeal Things yet it is the Mother Midwife and Nurse to Knowledg whereby we find all Modern Romancy-VVriters although they seem to laugh and make a scorn of Amadis de Gall yet make him the Original-Table or Ground from whence they draw their Draughts and take out covertly their Copies from thence Indeed Amadis de Gall is the Homer of Romancy-writers Wit Although Wit is not a Dissolver yet 't is a Creator Wit doth descry and divulge more Knowledg than Time for that which Time could never find out Wit will discover Wit is like a Goddess in Nature for though it cannot dissolve yet it can produce not only something out of something but something out of nothing I mean from the Imaginations which are nothing and Wit needs no other Table or Ground to draw its Draughts or take Copy from but it s own Brain which creates and invents similizes and distinguisheth Wis. But Time and Wit would soon produce a Chaos of Disorder if it were not for Wisdom which is composed of Judgment Justice Prudence Fortitude and Temperance for Judgment distinguishes Times and Wits Justice governs Times and Wits Prudence orders Times and Wits Fortitude marshals Times and Wits and Temperance measures Times and Wits Learn Scholars say That one Man can see higher and further when he is set upon another Man's Shoulders than when he stands or sits on the Ground by himself so when one is raised by another Man's Opinion he can descry more in hidden Mysteries Wit But if a Man see a Lark tow'r in the Sky which another Man doth not having weaker Eyes yet he is no wiser than the other that only saw the Lark picking Corn on the Ground But he that sees her not in the Sky knows she is in the Sky as well as the other because he saw from whence she took her flight But if the other that is raised can see a Bird in the Sky that was never seen before it were something to add to his Knowledg Besides a sharp quick Eye will see further on his own Legs than on the Shoulder of another for most grow dizzy if set on high which casts a Mist on the Eyes of the Understanding Wis. Leave the Shoulders of your Neighbours and let your Eye of Faith reach to Heaven As some Meats nourish the Body and some destroy the Body so some Thoughts nourish the Soul and some destroy it The Senses are the working-Labourers to bring Life's Materials in As Nature is the best Tutor to instruct the Mind so the Mind is the best Tutor to instruct the Senses And my Mind instructs my Senses to leave you There are learned Arts and Sciences a Poetical and Satyrical Wit a Comical and Tragical Wit an Historical and Romancical Wit an Ingenious and Inventive Wit a Scholastical Wit a Philosophical Wit There is Moral Human and Divine Wisdom The CONTRACT A NOBLE Gentleman that had been married many years but his Wife being barren did bear him no Children at last she dyed and his Friends did advise him to marry again because his Brother's Children were dead and his Wife was likely to have no more So he took to VVife a virtuous young Lady and after one year she conceived with Child and great Joy there was of all sides but in her Child-bed she dyed leaving only one Daughter to her sorrowful Husband who in a short time oppressed with Melancholy dyed and left his Daughter who was not a year old to the care and breeding of
Miseries and Torments of despairing-Lovers will be my Punishment The old Gentleman was so pleased to see his Neece admired that as he went home he did nothing but sing after a humming way and was so frolick as if he were returned to twenty years of age and after he came home he began to examine his Neece How do you like the Duke said he For that was he that was speaking to you when I came She answered That she saw nothing to be disliked in his Person And how said he do you like the Vice-Roy As well said she as I can like a Thing that Time hath worn out of fashion So said he I perceive you despise Age but let me tell you That what Beauty and Favour Time takes from the Body he gives double proportions of Knowledg and Understanding to the Mind You use to preach to me The outside is not to be regarded and I hope you will not preach that Doctrine to others that you will not follow your self Sir said she I shall be ruled by your Doctrine and not by my own Then said he I take my Text out of Virtue which is divided into four parts Prudence Fortitude Temperance and Justice Prudence is to foresee the worst and provide the best we can for our selves by shunning the dangerous ways and chusing the best And my Application is That you must shun the dangerous ways of Beauty and chuse Riches and Honour as the best for your self Fortitude is to arm our selves against Misfortunes and to strengthen our Forts with Patience and to fight with Industry My Application of this part is You must Barricado your Ears and not suffer by listning the enticing perswasions of Rhetorick to enter for if it once get into the Brain it will easily make a passage to the Heart or blow up the Tower of Reason with the Fire of Foolish Love Temperance is to moderate the Appetites and qualifie the unruly Passions My third Application is you must marry a discreet and sober Man a wise and understanding Man a rich and honourable Man a grave and aged Man and not be led by your Appetites to marry a vain fantastical Man a proud conceited Man a wild debauched Man a foolish Prodigal a poor Shark or a young unconstant Man Fourthly and lastly Is Justice which is to be divided according to Right and Truth to reward and punish according to desert to deal with others as we would be dealt unto And my last Application is That you should take such counsel and follow such advice from your Friends as you would honestly give to a faithful Friend as the best for him without any ends to your self and so Good-night for you cannot chuse but be very sleepy When he was gone Lord said she this Doctrine although it was full of Morality yet in this Melancholy Humour I am in it sounds like a Funeral-Sermon to me I am sure it is a Preamble to some Design he hath pray God it be not to marry me to the Vice-Roy of all the Men I ever saw I could not affect him I should more willingly wed Death than him he is an Antipathy to my Nature Good Jupiter said she deliver me from him So she went to Bed not to sleep for she could take little rest for her Thoughts worked as fast as a Feverish Pulse But the Vice-Roy came the next day and treated with her Unkle desiring her for his Wife Her Unkle told him It would be a great Fortune for his Neece but he could not force her Affection but said he you shall have all the assistance that the Power and Authority of an Unkle and the Perswasions as a Friend can give to get her consent to marry you Pray said the Vice-Roy let me see her and discourse with her He desired to excuse him if he suffered him not to visit her for said he young Women that are disposed by their Friends must wed without wooing But he was very loth to go without a sight of her yet pacifying himself with the hopes of having her to his Wife he presented his Service to her and took his leave Then her Unkle sate in counsel with his Thoughts how he should work her Affection and draw her consent to marry this Vice Roy for he found she had no stomack towards him At last he thought it best to let her alone for a Week or such a time that the smooth Faces of the young Gallants that she saw at the Masque and Ball might be worn out of her Mind In the mean time she grew melancholy her Countenance was sad her Spirits seemed dejected her Colour faded for she could eat no Meat nor take any rest neither could she study nor practise her Exercises Dancing and Musick was laid by and she could do nothing but walk'd from one end of the Room to the other where her Eyes fix'd upon the Ground she would sigh and weep and knew not for what but at last spoke thus to her self Surely an Evil Fate hangs over me for I am so dull as if I were a piece of Earth without sense yet I am not sick I do not find my Body destempered then surely it is in my Mind and what should disturb that My Unkle loves me and is as fond of me as ever he was I live in Plenty I have as much Pleasure and Delight as my Mind can desire O but the Vice-Roy affrights it there is the Cause and yet methinks that cannot be because I do verily believe my Unkle will not force me to marry against my Affections besides the remembrance of him seldom comes into my Mind for my Mind is so full of Thoughts of the Duke that there is no other room left for any other my Fancy orders places and dresses him a thousand several ways And thus have I thousand several Figures of him in my Head Heaven grant I be not in love I dare not ask any one that hath been in love what Humours that Passion hath But why should I be in love with him I have seen as handsome Men as he that I would not take the pains to look on twice and yet when I call him better to mind he is the handsomest I ever saw But what is a handsome Body unless he hath a noble Soul He is perjured and inconstant alas it was the fault of his Father to force him to swear against his Affections Whilst she was reasoning thus to her self in came her Unkle who told her He had provided her a good Husband Sir said she Are you weary of me or Am I become a Burthen you so desire to part with me in giving me to a Husband Nay said he I will never part for I will end the few remainder of my days with thee She said You give your Power Authority and Commands with my Obedience away for if my Husband and your Commands are contrary I can obey but one which must be my Husband Good reason said he and for thy sake I
shape of a Man feels stabs in the Sides in the shape of a Bull knocks on his Head in the shape of a Hart Arrows in the Haunch in the shape of a Fish Hooks tearing the Jaws besides all manner of Diseases and Infirmities it may be Burning Hanging Drowning Smuthering Pressing Freezing Rotting and thousands of these kinds nay more than can be reckoned Thus several Bodies though but one Mind may be troubled in every Shape But those that please the Gods live easie in every Shape and dye quietly and peaceably or when the Gods do change their Shapes or Mansions 't is for the better either for Ease or Newness Thus have the Gods sent us to instruct you and to stay so long amongst you as you can learn and know their Commands and then to return unto them With that the King and People bowed their Faces to the ground adoring him as a God and would have built Altars and offered Sacrifices unto him But he forbad them telling them They must build Altars in their Hearts of Repenting Humbling and Amending-Thoughts and offer Sacrifices of Prayer and Thanksgiving to the great and incomprehensible Jove and not Altars built with hands unto Men nor to offer Inhuman Sacrifices to Gods of their own making Thus Preaching every day for some time forbidding Vain and Barbarous Customs and Inhuman Ceremonies teaching and perswading them to believe The Gods were not to be known nor comprehended and that all that they have discovered of themselves to their Creatures was only by their Works in which they should praise them By which Doctrine they were brought to be a Civilized People and approved of their Teacher so well that they would do nothing concerning Religion or any other Affairs of Government without him and being dismist for that time departed leaving them to themselves in the Temple where at certain and set-times the King and People repaired to hear him Preach who taught them according to his Belief and whensoever they moved out of the Temple all the People flocked about them with Acclamations of Joy and whensoever the King sent for them as he often did for their Counsels all the Princes attended and People waited upon them And thus they lived with great Splendor Love and Admiration amongst them their Persons were thought Divine their Words were Laws and their Actions Examples which the People followed Thus for a while we leave them and return to the old Lady and the Prince The old Lady sending into Affectionata's Chamber as then called for so she named her self there to entreat her Company for therein she took great delight she being witty in her Conversation and pleasing in her Humour But the Messenger miss'd of the Mark for looking about and calling aloud he could neither hear nor see her So returning told the old Lady She was not to be found Whereat she grew into a great Passion not only for her loss which she thought great since her love to her and esteem of her was not small but that she apprehended the Prince would think that she had neglected that Charge he had entrusted her with Whilst she was in this Passion the Prince came in who had been in the young Lady's Chamber but missing her thought she had been there but seeing her not and the old Lady weeping straight asked her for his Mistress but she through Tears and Sobs could not answer Whereupon some about her answered She was gone none could tell where At whose Words the Prince's Countenance and Complexion exprest his grief the one being sad the other pale standing in a fix'd Posture his Body seeming like a Statue without Soul which was gone to seek after her But at last as if it had returned in despair grew frantick with grief tearing himself cursing his Misfortunes at length goeth into her Chamber again looking in every corner even where she could not be as much as where she might be for Lovers leave no place nor means unsought or untried At last he espied a Letter upon the Table directed to the Lady which he opened considering not the Incivility of breaking up the Seal without the Lady's leave for Jealous Lovers break all such Ceremonies and thus read Madam PRAY think me not ungrateful after all your Noble Favours that I go away without your leave or knowledg for could I have staid with security nothing but your Commands could have forced me from you or could my Life have served you I would have offered it as a Sacrifice to Obligation But Madam it is too dangerous for a Lamb to live near a Lion for your Nephew is of so hungry an Appetite that I dare not stay which makes me seek safety in some other place But when my Thoughts forget your Honourable Memory let them cease to think The Gods protect your Virtue and send you Health Fare you well Affectionata When he had read this Letter and went to lay it on the Table again he perceived another Letter directed to him which he opened and read SIR YOU cannot condemn me for going away since my stay might prove my Ruin you having not power over your Passions But had my Life been only in danger I should have ventured it not that I am so fond of Death as to give my Life willingly away but I am so true a Votress to Chastity that I will never forsake her Order but will carry her Habit to my Grave Nor will I give Virtue an occasion to weep over my Follies nor Truth to revile me with Falshood but Honour as a Garland shall crown my Hearse whilst Innocency enshrines my Corps that Fame may build me a Monument in Noble Minds Had you been Master of your Passion or bad the temperance of your Affections been equal to your other Virtues I should have joyed to live near you as Saints do to the Gods and though my hard Fortune have driven me into many Dangers and more I am like to run through by the unknown ways you have forced me into yet the blessing of Jupiter fall upon you whatsoever Chance befalls me Farewell Affectionata When he had read his Letter he sits down musing with himself a long time then rose and without speaking any words departed to his House in the City The old Lady his Princess seeing him so sad asked him what was the Cause He answered He was sick and went to bed The next day calling his Steward he setled his Estate and ordered every thing according to his Mind and bid him provide so much Moneys which done he sent for his Wife telling her She must not take it ill if he left her for a short time for he was resolved to travel for said he I have a quarrel to one that is stoln out of the Kingdom and I cannot 〈◊〉 at quiet until I have found the Party out to be evenged for the Injury done me which he bid her to conceal She with Tears entreated his stay but no Perswasions could prevail to alter his intention
or rather resolution for Love is obstinate and if it finds not a like return but a neglect grows spightful rather wishing evil to what they love than another should enjoy what they would have and hate themselves out of a displeasure in not having what they desire So did he and was impatient until he was shipt and gone who steered his course towards the Kingdom of Riches as believing she was sailed towards her own Countrey and resolved he was to find her out or to end his days in the search his Life being a burthen to him without her company Thus Love sailing in the Ship of Imagination on the Ocean of the Mind toss'd on the troubled Waves of discontented Thoughts whilst his Body sailed in the Ship on the Sea cutting the salt Waves they were set on by Pyrates and taken Prisoners so that he was doubly captivated his Soul before now his Body At first they used him but roughly according to their barbarous natures but by degrees his noble Disposition and affable Behaviour got indifferent entertainment It chanced some time after in the sharing of those Prizes they got with him and some others they had got before they fell out and from rude words they fell to ruder blows The Prince apprehending the danger that might befall to himself strove to pacifie them giving them such Reasons in elegant words that it charmed their Ears and softned their Hearts and ended the strife amongst them and begot from them such love and respect that they made him their Albitrator and Divider of the Spoils which he performed with that Justice and Discretion to each one that they made him their Governour and chief Ruler over them which Power he used with that Clemency and Wisdom that he was 〈◊〉 father as their God than their Captain giving him all Ceremonious Obedience And thus reigning in his Watry Kingdom with his three-forked Trident we leave him for a time and visit the old Man and adopted Son who now began to grow weary of their Divine Honours and like wise Men that seek a retired and secured life from the Pomp of dangerous Glories bethought themselves how they might get away and to return into their own Countreys again for an humble and mean Cottage is better beloved by the Owner than the bravest and stateliest Palace if it be another's Thus putting their Designs in execution they invited the King and People to a solemn Meeting in the Temple where Travelia standing in his usual place thus spake THE Gods said he will have us to return from whence we came and to you Great King their Command is To love your People and to distribute Justice amongst them guarding the Innocent punishing the Offendor and not to use any cruel Ceremony to destroy your own Kind but to instruct them in the Right and to lead them into the ways of Truth as being their High-Priest amongst them Also To make as Warrs against your Neighbouring Kingdoms but as a defence and guard to your own for in Peace lives Happiness when Warrs bring Ruin and Destruction and in doing this Tranquillity shall be as a Bed of Ease for Life to sleep on and Length of Days as a Chariot for Life to ride in to Heaven where your Souls shall dwell in the height of Bliss And in this World Fame shall Crown your Deeds and your Posterity shall glory in your Name And to you beloved People the Gods command Piety in your Devotion Obedience to your King Love to your Neighbour Mercy to your Enemies Constancy to your Friends Liberty to your Slaves Care and Industry for your Children Duty to your Parents and in doing this Plenty shall flow in amongst you Mirth shall dance about you Pleasures shall invite you Delight shall entertain you Peace shall keep you safe till the Gods call you to partake of the Glories of Heaven and my Prayers shall always be That Jove may preserve you all Then going off from the place where he stood they went to the King to take their leaves whereat the King and People wept and wish'd the Gods had given them leave to dwell amongst them But since they could not have their desire therein they travelled to the River-side in attendance on them offering them great Riches to carry with them But they desired nor took they any more with them than they thought would defray their charges in a time of necessity Neither did they build a new Ship to sail in but went in the same Boat they came which had been kept as a Relick safe for the old Man considered with himself that a bigger Vessel would be more dangerous without Sea-men than the small Boat which they could manage themselves And so with great sorrow of either side the one to lose their Angels as they thought them to be the others for the dangers they were to run through And thus they parted from the Kingdom of Fancy putting forth their Boat from the shore the old Man who was very skilful at Sea observing what Angle they came in returned the same way where after six days they were upon the Main Sea the Winds being fair and the Waters smooth the Boat went as swift as an Arrow out of a Parthian's Bow and as even as if it meant to hit a Mark but if by a fresh Gale the Waves did chance to rise the Boat would as nimbly skip each ridg as a young Kid over a green Hillock being as leight as Mercury's winged Heels So Joy filled their Hearts with Hopes as Winds filled their Sails But various Fortune causing several changes in the World did raise such Storms of Fears as drowned all their Joys for a Ship fraughted with Pyrates like a great Whale seized on them Pyrates let nothing escape which they can get to make advantage of so ravenous is their covetous Appetite But finding not such a Prize as they did expect but such as might rather prove a burthen consulted to put the old Man into the Boat again and to keep only the young Youth whom being very handsom they might sell for a Slave and get a Sum of Money But when the old Man was to depart Travelia clasped about him so close that his Tears and the Tears of the old Man mix'd and joined and flowed as Waters through a Channel swell'd with several Brooks But when he was forced to leave his hold down on his kness he fell begging he might go or keep his Father there Pity said he my Father's Age Cast him not out alone to sail on the wide and dangerous Sea for though my Help is weak yet I am a Stay and Staff for his decayed Life to lean upon and I hope the Gods have destin'd me to that end but if no pity can move your Hearts for Him O let it do it for Me Cut me not from the Root though old and dry For then poor Branch I wither shall and dye Nay said he I will dye when I can no longer help him
my Soul is yours there is nothing I can own that is not so And since you must and will go from this place let me go with you to set your Triumphs out and lead me as your Slave Sir answered she I have not been so ill treated nor am I so ungrateful to go away and leave no thanks behind me Wherefore I will stay until there is such a Peace made as you may receive as much Profit and as little Losses thereby as I. Wherefore in order thereunto I desire that the General of my Forces and some of my Council may come hither and so confer both with my self and you The King gave order that the Gates of the City might be set open but the Queen sent a Messenger to the Army that none of the Forces should enter into it but keep themselves where they were without only the General and the Council and some of the chiefest Commanders to come unto her But when they were ready to wait upon the Queen the old Man fell very sick and sent to his Son the young General to come unto him to take his leave of him before he dyed who went with a sorrowful heart and sad countenance and when he came close to his Bed the old Man spake Son said he My Lease of Life is expired and Death the Landlord of my Body knocks at my old and ruinated Cottage sending out my Soul to seek another Habitation which Soul intends to travel through the Airy Skies unto the Mansion of the Gods where it shall pray for your success and happy days on Earth O Father said Travelia Must you go and leave me here behind Why will the Gods so cruelly oppress An innocent Youth to leave it in distress You were my good Angel to guard me from those Evils that Fortune sets about me you were my Guide which did direct my simple Youth to just and honest ways What will become of me when you are gone Or who will rescue me from those that seek my ruin The old Man said The Gods the Gods my Son they will reward your Virtue Farewel farewell then turned his head and dyed After he had lamented and mourned over his lifeless Corps he sent to the Queen to give him leave to interr his Father's ashes The King hearing thereof sent to the General inviting him to bring his Father's Body into the City and there to be interr'd in his chief Temple which Honour he accepted Whereupon all the Army brought the Hearse unto the Gates and then returned unto their Trenches But the Chief Commanders did bear it unto the Grave the young General came into the Temple being clad all in Mourning only his Face seen which appeared like the Sun when it breaks through a dark and spungy Cloud whose Beams did shine on those watry drops that fell upon her Cheeks as Banks where Roses and Lillies grow and standing on a mounted Pillar he said I come not here to flatter or be-lye the dead but to speak the truth as far as my knowledg is informed He was aged in years not old for those are only old whose Memories and Understanding are grown defective by the length of time He was Wise by Experience not led with Self-opinion He was learned in the Art of Navigation and not ignorant of Land-Service or Command although few that dwell on Seas and profess that Art know more of Land than the Ports where they take harbour to shelter themselves from furious storms or to take fresh Victuals in or to be deboist with Wine and Women But he was most temperate not only in moderating his Passions but also his Appetites with Reason Honour and Religion In his Behaviour he was affable and free not formal nor constrain'd by vain and self-conceit His Disposition gentle sweet and kind He was in his Nature compassionate to all that were in distress He was Industrious to all good Effects and had a nimble and ingenious Wit and 〈◊〉 a superfluity of Courage as did not only banish fear in himself but begot spirit in others He was bred in the Schools of Honour where he had learnt Vertuous Principles and Heroick Actions He had all the Ingredients that goeth to the making of an Honest and Gallant Man And he was not only Morally Honest but most Pious and Devout He offered not Sacrifice to the Gods for Worldly Prosperity but out of Pure Love and Adoration to the Gods He was a Pattern for all others to take Example by His Soul was as the Breath of the Gods and his Animal Part as the best of Nature's Extraction But Nature makes nothing to last in one Form long for what she creates she dissolves again With that her Tears fell so fast from her Eyes as stopt her mouth for a time but at last she sighing said Although my Tears are useless to him since it is not in their power to alter the Decrees of Fate nor can perswade the Gods to give perpetual Life here in this World yet Natural Affections are forced through my Eyes Then bowing down her Head over the Corps which was placed underneath said These as satisfaction may asswage my grief to think my new-born Fears the issues of my Love shall be buried and lye intombed with his cold Ashes which is the only way to mingle Souls when Death hath parted Bodies But if Fate had had the power to twist the Thread of of my Life with his then Death had struck me too and so eased my grief But since it is not so his Memory shall lye entombed in my Heart until I dye After he had spoke this Funeral-speech he descended from the Pillar and helping to lay the Corps upon the Funeral-Pile did with a flaming-Torch set the Fuel on fire and gathering up the Ashes put them in the Urn and placed it in a Tomb. Having thus executed those Ceremonies belonging to the dead he changed his Mourning-Robes and clothed himself fit for the Court or Camp again Then he and the Council and the chief Commanders went unto the Palace of the King where after some discourse he was brought to the Queen who joyed more to see her Travelia than for the Victories they had won and after she had condoled with him for the loss of his Father she congratulated with him for the good success he had in the Warrs aud withal told him She must set at liberty his Prisoner the Prince for she had given him back unto the King Whereupon he presently gave order for the Prince to repair to the Court and after she had heard the relations of all their several Actions and Accidents and pleased her self with the variety of other Discourses she told them She would sit in Council to consider what was to be done as concerning the Peace and so dismist them for that time only she stayed Travelia loving his company so well she could not so easily part with him But the King perceiving her Affections as being never pleased but when
Rest lying upon the cold and hard Ground killing those that never did me harm and offering my self to be killed by those that never did me good and this I do to get an honourable Fame whenas ten thousand to one I am cast into the Grave of Oblivion amongst the common Soldiers for alas Fame hath not many Puny-Clarks to record every several Action done by every particular person in a great and numerous Army Besides all the Honour of a Victory redounds to the General and the Losses reflect upon the Common-Soldier and Under-Commanders besides Fortune gives the Triumph and not Merit And what have I gained by all my Travels and Experience Nay what have I not lost Have I not spent a great Sum of Money endangered my Life both by Sea and Land wasted my Youth wearied my Limbs exhausted my Spirits with tedious Journeys my Senses almost choaked with Dust or drowned with Wet lying in Lowsie Inns eating stinking Meat and suffered all the Inconveniences that go along with Travellers and when they return to their own Countrey they are no wiser than when they went out but oft-times become more compleat and absolute Fools bringing vain Fashions fantastical Garbs lying Reports Infectious Diseases rotten Bodies Atheistical Opinions feared Consciences and spotted Souls Well said he I will now return to my Native Soil leaving the flattering and dissembling Courts the deboist Cities the Cruel Warrs and never take up Arms more but when my King and Country calls me to it nor will I travel more but when my King and Countrey sends me forth But I will lead a Countrey-life study Husbandry follow my Plows sell my Cattel and Corn my Butter and Cheese at Markets and Fayres kiss the Countrey Wenches and carry my Neighbour's Wife to a Tavern when Market is done live thriftily and grow rich Then taking his leave of the General he returned to his own Countrey where after he had visited his Friends who were joyed to see him and did welcome him home he put himself into one of his Farm-houses stocking his Grounds taking Men-servants and Maid-servants to follow his Business and he himself clothed in a Frieze Jerkin and a pair of Frieze Breeches a Frieze pair of Mittins and a Frieze Mountier-Cap to keep out sharp-cold in Winter-mornings when the Breath freezes between the Teeth would over-see and direct and was industrious to call up his Servants before day-light and the last a-bed when their VVork was done for in the Summer-time he would be up with the Lark to mow down his Hay to reap down his Harvest and to see his Carts loaded riding from Cart to Cart and at Noon would sit down on his Sheafs of Corn or Hay-cocks eating Bread and Cheese and young Onions with his Regiment of Work-men tossing the black-Leather Bottle drinking the Healths of the Countrey-Lasses and Good-wives that dwelt thereabout and after his Harvest was brought into his Barns and his Sheep-shearing-time done make merry as the custom of the Countrey was with good Cheer although Countrey-fare with Goose-Pyes Pudding-Pyes Furmity Custards Apples and March-Beer dancing to the Horn-Pipe with the lusty Lasses and merry Good-wives who were drest in all their Bravery in their Stammel Petticoats and their gray Cloath-Wastcoats or white wrought Wastcoats with black Woolstead and green Aprons and the Men with Cloath Breeches and Leather Doublets with Pewter Buttons These and the like Recreations the Countrey-people hath mix'd with their hard Labours When their Stomacks were full and their Legs weary with dancing or rather with running and leaping for their Dances have no nice and difficult Measures to tread they disperse every one to their several Houses which are thatch'd and only Holes cut for Windows unless it be the rich Farmers and they most commonly have a chief Room which is glazed yet the poorer sort are seldom without Bacon Cheese and Butter to entertain a Friend at any time Then giving thanks to the Gentleman for their good Cheer and he shaking them every one by the hand they took their leaves and the next day every one followed their own Labours as they used to do nor did the Gentleman omit any pains care and industry in his Affairs but plyed the Markets selling his Corn Straw Hay Cattle Cheese Butter Honey c. And after he had followed this way of Husbandry two or three years casting up his Accounts he found that he was rather behind than before-hand in his Estate and that his Husbandry did not amount so high as the Rents he had from his Tenants when he did let them Alas said he Have I taken all this pains rising early following my business hard all day making my self a Slave to the Muck of the Earth to become poorer than I was It 's hard when those that take my Lands pay me great Rents and not only live themselves and their Families thereon but grow rich into the bargain and I cannot make so much as my Rent when I take as much pains and am as industrious as they are Then being in a cholerick Humour as they are most commonly that thrive not and vexing at the Servants round his House for their carelesness and idleness in a melancholy humour he would walk out into his Fields and going once by a Neighbour's Cottage where only lived an old Man and his old Wife he saw her standing at the door fanning some Corn in a little Basket By your leave Good-wife said he You are fanning your Gleanings God bless you my good Master said she and all that belongs to you Truly said she I am sifting a little Corn from the Husks to boil for my good Man's Supper and mine who will come home weary and hungry from his day's labour We are old Master said she and Labour goeth hard with us now but in our younger days it was like a Recreation when our Bodies were young and strong and our Spirits lively but now our Bodies being weak and our Spirits faint it is a toil and an affliction to us but we must work whilst we live for we have nothing but our Labours to feed us and clothe us God help us said she Well said he I will be charitable and see if that will make me thrive and told her he would allow her a Weekly-stipend Why the blessing of God said she rain down plentifully on your Life and Eternal Joys in Heaven after you are dead But I wonder said he you could not get so much by your Labour in your younger days to serve to maintain you when you were old O Master said she some have too little to thrive on and some have too much but those that have nothing but from hand to mouth can never lay up because they eat up what they get and there can be no store without some savings They that have more than they can manage themselves are destroyed by those that help them for many mouths eat them up and many hands work them out besides they are ever
water as sower Vinegar doth Milk and as curded parts will lye in clods so VVater in flakes of Snow Hail said she is broken water or rather crumbbled water for as a hand which nips a piece of Bread crumbles it by rubbing it between their fingers so doth some sort of cold Motions break and crumble water into a number of small parts and as many crumbs ' of Bread will stick together through the moist clamminess lying in little lumps so doth the broken parts of water which is Hail-stones and though the Body is divided into abundance of little parts yet every part is more compact as being closer contracted with being crusht and nipt together As for Frost said she that is candyed or crusted Vapour which is rarified water for as some sorts of hot Motions candy Sugar so some sorts of cold Motions candy's Vapour Likewise said she as Milk changes not the nature from being Milk with curding nor Bread with crumbling nor Sugar with candying so Water changes not the nature with contractions or dividings into Snow Hail Ice and Frost As for Ice it is made by such a kind of cold Motion as hot Motions make Glass for as fire in a hot Furnace calcines some sorts of Earth and the purest to Glass so doth the strongest of such sorts of cold Motions congeal Water into Ice And as some hot Motions strive to convert Earth into Water as we may see by making Earth into Glass so some sorts of cold Motions do turn Water into Earth as by condensing into Ice Hail Snow and Frost and as Snow and Ice is nothing but condensed Water so Glass is nothing but calcined or rarified Earth for that fine Earth which makes Glass is so rarified by the hot fire in a Furnace which blows and spreads it as thin and clarified it as clear as Water only it makes it not liquid and fluid yet whilst it is in the fire it is in a degree of being fluid for it is soft and clammy Thus Fire makes Earth so near like Water as it is transparent shining and smooth and brings it into the mid-way but it wants the liquid wet and fluid Motions which some will call Parts to make it perfect Water And I suppose that Crystals Diamonds and the like are only the purest part of Earth turn'd by the heat in the Earth or in the Sun to a Glassy substance but stronger as being wrought by a natural Heat and not by an artificial Heat or Fire but as Glass is a rarified Earth so Air is a rarified Water and Smoak a rarified Oyl and Oyl is a fluid Sulphur and Flame is a fluid Fire and Quick-silver is a fluid Metal Then they asked her Whether there were Natural Elements not subject to be Metamorphosed She answered Yes They asked How she would prove it She said She would prove there was a natural Fire by the Sun which never changes his heat or â—â—ffens his light nor alters his natural Properties of attracting contracting and the like and to prove a metamorphosed Fire is Lightning Meteors Fevours and the like and to prove a natural Water is the Sea and to prove a metamorphosed Water is Vapour and to prove a natural Air is the Serene and to prove a metamorphosed Air is Wind and said she the difference of natural Elements and those that are called metamorphosed is that the natural Elements cannot lose their properties as those that are metamorphosed do by changing from one thing to another For say the natural Elements be mixed yet they quit not their natural properties as for example mix Wine or Aqua-vitae or the like and VVater and though they are mixt yet they lose not their natural properties as the VVater to cool and VVine to heat for put a drop of wine to a pint of water or to an ocean and it will be so much more hotter as the quantity of a drop can heat and so for a drop of water to so much wine and it is so much colder as the quantity of a drop can cool for though they mix yet they lose not their properties neither doth their mixture take from their pure nature Then they asked her If a natural or metamorphosed Element might not corrupt a pure Element She said No being not subject to change more than a gross and malignant Vapour can corrupt the Sun but said she natural Elements can and do often-times purifie corruption if they be not obstructed for though they cannot be changed they may be obstructed as we see dark Clouds will obstruct the natural light of the Sun and many times the natural heat yet they can neither quench out the one nor put out the other the like is the continuance of the natural Elements But perchance you will say that you talk of an Element and I speak of a Planet I say that for example But though the Sun is a Planet yet it is an Elementary Fire and though Earth may be called a Planet yet it is an Elementary Earth and for all we can know the Moon may be an Elementary VVater but howsoever there may be a natural Fire which is an unalterable Fire which you may call the Elementary Fire as the Sun and so the rest of the Elements for any thing that Reason can prove against it Then they asked her If Nature did work always exactly She answered No for Nature doth seldom work so exactly as to bring often to perfection not the Bodies of all Animals especially Mankind either in the Body or Mind much less to make them both exactly answerable or answerably exact As for their Bodies for the most part they are neither in proportion nor lineaments answerable to each other for some have well-shap'd Hands Legs and Feet and ill-shap'd Bodies others well-shap'd Bodies and ill-featured Faces and ill-shap'd Legs and Feet also some have one Feature in the Face excellent and all the rest ill-favour'd The like is the Mind for some have good Capacities and Understandings to some things and to others are as dull as sensless Blocks some are witty upon some Subjects and are meer fools to others so some will be good-natured to some things and bad or cruel to others without cause Likewise Nature seldom makes a Body and Mind answerable for some have an ill-favoured Body but a noble Soul and rational Understanding others most beautiful Bodies but base Souls and depraved Understandings which shews as if Nature took so much pains and care in making the one as she became weary before she began the other and sometimes she seems lazy in the beginning of her Work and sometimes as if she were idle in the midst of her Work and sometimes as if she were quite tired at the finishing of her Work as when she makes ill-favoured and weak Bodies imperfect Senses and ill or foolish Minds then she is lazy at the beginning and when she makes some parts exact and some defective then she is idle working by halfs and when she
was easie for it is no great matter to conceive what the Senses present but it is difficult to present to the Senses what the Brain conceives making the Senses the Servants or Scouts to seek and search by industry and experiments and to find the truth of a Rational Opinion but said she the studies of many Physicians in these later times are mixt as partly of one Science and partly of another which makes them learned in neither As if a Physician should study Theology he will neither be a subtil Divine or an Eloquent Preacher nor a knowing Physician one Study confounding the other for though Natural Philosophy proves a God yet it proves no particular Religion Then they asked What was that which was called the Sensitive and Rational Spirits She said They were the highest Extracts of Nature which are the Quintessence and Essence of Nature and the innated parts of Nature which in the knowledg and life are Nature which are the Soul and Actions of Nature Then they asked her Whether those Spirits had several Figures or small Bodies and Whether they were from all Eternity She answered That their Degrees and innated Motions and their Figurings Acuteness and Subtilties were from all Eternity As for the rational innated parts said she they change and re-change into any figures or forms having no particular figure or form inherent but the form of that degree of Matter it is of but as it can put its self into parts so it can unite its self and as it can divide and unite its self so it can dilate and contract its self and all by a self-motion as moving innatedly like Quick-silver from an united body into numbers of parts and from parts to an united body again The Sensitive innated part moves said she after another manner as Aqua-fortis or the like on Metal for it moves not figuring it self but as it figures other parts of Matter that hath no innateness inherent therein but only as a dull lump lies to be moved by the moving-part which is the innated part as Metal doth by Fire or Water by Cold or Heat Thus this different way of moving was from Eternity as their degree was from Eternity for the Rational innated Matter is a degree above the Sensitive innated Matter and though they move not always after one manner yet they move always after one nature Many said they could not conceive what those Spirits were some imagining them little Creatures No said she they are not Creatures but Creators which creating-brains may easily understand and those that cannot conceive have a scarcity thereof But said she because the Philosophy is new therefore they do obstruct it with idle Questions ignorant Objections but said she the Philosophy is good in despight of their ignorance I desire very much to know said she how the Learned describe that which they name Vital and Animal Spirits Whether they think them little Creatures or no To which they made no answer Then they asked her What caused sleep in Animal Figures She said The tiredness or weariness of the Sensitive innated Matter called the Sensitive Spirits which weariness causeth them to retire from the outward parts of Animal Figures for though the Sensitive spirits do not desist from moving in any part as to the consistence or dissolution of the Figure yet all the Sensitive spirits do not work one and the same way or after the same manner nor the same part of Innated Matter or Sensitive Spirits work not always one and the same way or after the same manner nor in the same parts but as some of that Innated Matter or Spirits work in several parts of a Figure on the dull part of Matter to the consistence or dissolution of the Figure so others and sometimes one and the same degree work to the use convenience or necessity of the Figure and those that work to the use of the Figure in the several senses although they do not desist from moving as being against Nature being a perpetual Motion yet they often desist from labouring as I may say for it is a greater labour to take patterns as they do from outward Objects than to work by roat or as they please which they do in sleep But it is not always their labour as being over-pow'rd with work but sometimes their want of work as many will sleep through idleness having no outward objects presented to them to print or paint other times it is their appetite to freedom and liberty from those outward labours or employments for though they may and are oft-times as active when they work as in sleep yet it is easier being voluntary for the spirits work more easie at least more freely when they are not taskt than when they are like Apprentices or Journey-men and will be many times more active when they take or have liberty to play or to follow their own Appetites than when they work as I said by constraint and for necessity but many times the Sensitive spirits retire when they work not to sleep as being perswaded or disswaded then from either by the Rational innated Matter which is called the Rational Spirits in the Figure or by the Rational Spirits in another Figure to desist from the outward labour as one would perswade another to rest and to retire and shut up the Shop-windows and Doors of the Sensitive Houses for the Eyes Ears Nostrils Mouth or the pores of the Skin are but the Working-houses or Rooms of the Sensitive spirits To prove it Doth not our Mind which is the Rational part perswade the Body which is the Sensitive part and that wherein works the Sensitive Matter or Spirits to lye to rest or to withdraw from outward Employments because it would not be disturbed with the labour of the Sensitive spirits For the Rational which is the Mind said she are not only the servants to view and take notice of all the works and workings of the Sensitive but are oftentimes in many things the Directors Advisers and sometimes Rulers and Opposers as when the Mind forces the Body to danger or trouble But this Rational part or the Rational spirits are for the most part busily employed in figuring themselves by the Sensitive prints which is the knowledg they take of the works and workings being the more busie and exact when the Sensitive spirits work outward works I will not say they move always after the Sensitive prints which is to view them for sometimes they move after their own inventions for many times the Mind views not what the Body doth and many times they move partly after their own invention and partly after the Sensitive prints But when the Sensitive spirits do retire or when the Rational spirits perswade them to retire then the Rational spirits move after their own appetites or inventions which are Conceptions Imaginations Opinions Fancies or the like But said she it is to be taken notice that as the Rational spirits for the most part move after
to the creation of the Mind or Soul the Sensitive to the Body But said she Opinion creates one way and Nature another way which Opinions except there be sense and reason in them are the false Conceptions in Nature But the learned Students study so much the Parts that they never consider the Parties that work therein The Authoress of these Opinions of the Rational and Sensitive spirits says she brings Sense and Reason to dispute for their truth which no other Opinions do and they that will not believe Sense and Reason will believe nothing but express by their incredulity that they have but a small quantity of that innated Matter in their Brains Whatsoever treats of innated Matter as the Sensitive and Rational spirits is to be compared to my Philosophical Opinions Then they asked her Whether she thought there could be Repetitions in Nature She said Yes for said she if anything in Nature cannot be so dissolved as to be annihilated it may be repeated for if the same Matter and same Motions are in being the same Figures may be repeated and if there can be in Creations said she a repetition it is probable there are repetitions of one and the same Creature only the time and changes of time makes a difference and obscurity in which obscurity the Creature is ignorant of it self and its former Being whereby one and the same Creature may come to envy his own Renown which was kept alive by Records from Age to Age as if Homer should be created again and envy his own Works or at least strive to out-work them or that Alexander and Caesar should be created again and should envy their own Actions Victories and Powers or at least grieve and repine they cannot do the like for if they were created again they might miss of the same Occasions Opportunities or Powers Birth or Fortunes for though the Body and Soul may be the same as also the Appetites and the Desires yet the outward concurrence may not be the same that was in the former Being for though the Concurrents as well as the Creature may be repeated yet perchance not repeated in one and the same Age or Time but if they should fall out to be repeated in one Age the same Actions would fall out to be as Caesar's or Alexander's were to conquer the World again as they did before and there would be the same Warr betwixt the Grecians and Trojans if the same Occasions were but Homer would not write the same Poems if they were on record for though it be an honour to conquer what was conquered although after the same manner yet it is no honour to Wit to write what was writ before upon the same Subject nor indeed upon any other Subject for both the Wit and the Subject must be new at least the Wit to gain as great and lasting Renown Then they asked her What Fire was She said That Fire was not only the quickest motion but it is a perpetual quick motion that hath no intermission by which it hath a strange power over every thing so that it hath a stronger power by the continuance than by the quickness The Third sort that visited her were Moral Philosophers The Moral Philosophers asked her If it were possible to alter or abate the Passions No said she you may pacifie or imprison them and enforce them to conceal themselves in the heart not only from outward appearance but from the very understanding in the head but never alter or change their natures to weaken their natural strength or abate their natural vigour for Passions said she are like the Sun they may be eclipsed or clouded but never can be alter'd and as the Sun saith she draws forth Vapour from the Earth so do the Imaginations draw forth Passions from the Heart and as a Bucket draws up Water from the bottom of a Well so do outward Objects draw up Passions from the Heart Then they asked What was the difference betwixt the Passions and the Appetites She said The Appetites were the Passions of the Body and the Passions the Appetites of the Mind and the Mind is as apt to surfeit of the one as the Body of the other Likewise saith she the Mind is as seldom pleased as the Body is seldom at ease being both restless and never satisfied for the height of sensitive Pleasure is the beginning of Pain and the height of Passion is the beginning of Desire and Desire hath no Period no Pleasure no Center Then they asked her What sort of Love was the perfectest She said That Love that descended for Love that descends is more solid than that which ascends and draws more towards perfection as being most contracted for that which ascends is airy and disperses soon like smoak but that which descends is like falling showers of Rain that join into a River or Sea of Love running with force to perfection This is the reason Parents love their Children better than Children can love their Parents This is the reason Nature loves her Creatures better than the Creatures can love Nature This is the reason The Gods love Mankind better and more perfectly than Mankind loves the Gods Thus the perfectest Love is from the Gods to Men for the greater the descent is the more force there is The like said she is Hate for that Hate which descends is more inveterate and malignant than that which ascends for we are easily perswaded to pardon the Injuries or Wrongs we receive from our Superiors but seldom are pacified without a high revenge for the Wrongs we have received from Inferiors I mean not only the Inferiors of Birth or Fortunes but Merit This is the reason Noah could not forgive his Son Cham for the disgrace which he received for no Hate is like to that of Dishonour This is the reason that Heaven hates Hell more than Hell can hate Heaven Then they asked her Why the Passions forced the Body to weep to sigh to groan to laugh to sing to complain to rail to curse to commend to extoll to implore to profess to protest to look pale to look red to shake to tremble to strike to embrace She said That the causes in the mind did work their Effects upon the Bodies as the Causes in Jove did work their Effects upon Nature Or in a lower Comparison said she the Mind is as the Sun and the Body like the Earth the Sun having several Faculties as the Mind several Passions it gives life and light strength and growth it comforts and warms it weakens corrupts withers and decays it burns and destroys it dilatates and contracts it doth digest and expel it sucks it draws and confirms so doth the Mind it gives the Light of Knowledg and the Life of Understanding it comforteth and warmeth by Invention it strengthens by Judicious Advice it encreases by Temperance it weakens withers and decayes by unsatiable Intemperance it drys and parches it by grief inflames it by anger burns it
by rage confirms it by melancholy destroys it by desperate fury as self-murther Likewise as the Sun doth not only contract and dilatate it self but contracts and dilatates the several Creatures on and in the Earth the same doth the Mind the several parts of the Body it dilatates the Body into several actions postures and behaviours to strike to kick to stretch out the Body to spread out the Arms to fling out the Legs to stare to call or cry out to hoop to hollow and it will contract the Body into a silent musing close the lips shut up the eyes fold in the arms bow or bend in the legs and as it were wind up the Body by fear grief anger melancholy joy wonder admiration and the like and as the Sun doth suck and draw from the Earth and dissolve and expel the Creatures therein so do the Passions the Humours of the Body for as some Sun-beams suck moisture from the several Springs that rise in the Earth so divers Passions suck out moisture from the several Veins that run in the Body or as such Beams which pierce the Earth make the face thereof wither and pale so will some sorts of Passions and as some other sorts of Sunny-beams for all work not the like effect draw Sulphureous Vapours from the Bowels of the Earth towards the Middle-Region which flash out in Lightning so do the Passions draw from the Heart a flushing-colour to the Face which flushes in hot blushes And as the Sun-beams draw Salt Vapours from the Sea which fall in pouring showers so do the Passions draw Salt Vapours from the Bowels which fall in trickling tears for the Passions are the beams of the Mind and have as great an influence and power over the Body as the Sun-beams have upon the Earth and as the Sun 's bright Rays cause the Elements to appear clear and light so doth the Mind's tranquility cause the countenance to look cheerful and fair Then they asked her of the Four Cardinal Virtues She said That Prudence and Temperance were two Virtues which belonged more to the Wise than the Heroick Men for Prudence barrs Generosity and Magnanimity and doth not only forewarn dangers but restrains from dangerous actions when Heroick Honour is got in Danger more than Safety and Courage is made known thereby likewise Temperance forbids Magnificence but Fortitude and Justice belongs most to Heroick Men. Then they asked her If she thought Beasts had a Rational Soul She answered That if there could be no Sense without some Reason nor Reason without the Sense Beasts were as Rational as Men unless said she Reason be a particular Gift either from Nature or the God of Nature to Man and not to other Creatures if so said she Nature or the God of Nature would prove partial or finite As for Nature in her self she seems unconfined and for the God of Nature he can have no Biass he ruling every thing by the straight Line of Justice and what Justice nay what Injustice would it not be for Mankind to be supream over all other Animal-Kind or some Animal-Kind over any other Kind Then they asked her Why no Creature was so shiftless at his birth as Man She answered There were other Creatures as shiftless as Man as for example Birds are as shiftless before their Wings are fledged For as Infants want strength in Arms to feed themselves and Legs to go so Birds want strength of Bills to feed themselves and Feathers in Wings to flye Then they asked her Whether she thought there were a Heaven and a Hell She answered That in Nature there was a Hell and a Heaven a God and a Devil good Angels and bad Salvation and Damnation for said she Pain and Trouble is a Hell the one to torment the Body the other the Mind Likewise said she Health and Pleasure is a Heaven which gives the body rest and the mind Tranquility also said she the natural God is Truth the natural Devil Falshood the one seeks to save the other to deceive the good Angels are Peace and Plenty the evil are Warrs and Famine Light is the Beatifical Vision Darkness the natural Dungeon Death is the Damnation Life the Salvation and Moral Virtue is the natural Religion and Moral Philosophers are Nature's Priests which preach and seem to practise a good life Then they asked What Government for a Commonwealth was best She answered Monarchical for as one Sun is sufficient to give Light and Heat to all the several Creatures in the World so one Governour is sufficient to give Laws and Rules to the several Members of a Commonwealth Besides said she no good Government can be without Union and Union is in Singularity not in Plurality for Union is drawn to a Point when Numbers make Division Extraction Substraction which often-times brings Distraction and Distraction Confusions Then they asked her Whether she was of that Opinion That those that had good Understandings had weak Imaginations She said She was not of that Opinion for said she from the pureness and cleerness of the Understanding proceeds the subtilty and the variety of their Imaginations and the Understanding is the foundation of Imagination for as Faith is built upon Reason so is Imagination upon Understanding Then they asked her If the Faculties of the Mind or Soul had their uses or proceeded from the temper of the Brain and Heart She answered That the uses and faculties of the Mind proceeded from the Motions of the Vital and Animal Spirits which I call said she the Sensitive and Rational Spirits which is the Life and Soul and from the regular motions and full quantity thereof proceeds a perfect Memory a clear Understanding and a sound Judgment from the quick motions proceed a ready Wit and from the various and regular motions proceed probable Imaginations or Opinions from the scarcity proceeds dulness and stupidity or insensibility from the irregularity proceeds Extravagancies or Madness and where the Scarcity and Irregularity meets it produceth a stupid dull Madness The Fourth sort that visited her were Scholars that studied Theology and they asked her Whether she was of opinion that Man hath Free will She answered That she was not so proud nor so presumptuous as to think that Man had Free-will for said she if Jove had given Men Free-will he had given the use of one of his Attributes to Man as free Power which said she Jove cannot do for that were to lessen himself To let any Creature have free power to do what he will for Free-will is an Absolute Power although of the narrowest limits and to have an Absolute Power is to be a God and to think Man had it only and no other Creature were to think Jove partial but said she Man's Ambition hath bred this and the like Opinions But said they Jove might permit Man or suffer Man to do some things She said That was as ill or a worse Opinion for to think Jove permits Man to cross his
by Nature are bred therein or root out the Vices the World has sown thereon for if we do not leave out the World the Flesh and the Devil in our humble Petitions and earnest Desires we offer to Heaven it may be said we rather talk than pray for it is not bended knees or a sad countenance can make our Prayers authentical or effectual nor words nor groans nor sighs nor tears that can pierce Heaven but a zealous Flame raised from a holy Fire kindled by a spark of Grace in a devout heart which fills the soul with admiration and astonishment at Jove's incomprehensible Deity for nothing can enter Heaven but Purity and Truth all the gross and drossie parts fall back with greater force upon our Lives and instead of Blessings prove Curses to us and the Ignorant not conceiving the difference may be lost for want of instruction therein being most commonly taught the varieties of Opinions the Sayings and Sentences of the Fathers of the Church or exclaimed against natural Imperfections or threatned for slight Vanities and many by giving warning against Vices raises those that have been dead and buried with former Ages unaccustomed and utterly unknown to the present Auditory But one good Prayer that is directly sent to Heaven buries a multitude of Errors and Imperfections and blots out many a Sin I speak not this to tax any one here for I believe you are all Holy Men and Reverend and Grave Fathers of the Church who are blessed Messengers and Eloquent Orators for Heaven the true Guides to Souls and the Example of a good Life Then they asked How they ought to pray Whereupon in a Zealous Passion thus she said O Gods O Gods Mankind is much too blame He commits faults when be but names his Name This Name saith she that Deity hath none His Works sussicient are to make him known His wondrous Glory is so great how dare Man similize but to himself compare Or how durst Men their Tongues or Lips to move In argument his mighty Power to prove As if Men's Words his Power could circle in Or trace his ways from whence he did begin His mighty Works to make or to what end As proudly placing Man to be his Friend Yet poor proud ign'rant Man knows not the cause Of any Creature made much less his Laws Man's knowledg so obscure not so much light As to perceive the glimmering of his Might Strive not this Deity to comprehend He no beginning had nor can have end Nor can Mankind his Will or Pleasure know It strives to draw Him to expression low Let Words desist let 's strive our Souls to raise Let our Astonishments be Glory's praise Let trembling thoughts of fear as prayers be sent And not leight words which are by Men invent Let Tongues be silent Adoration pray And Love and Justice lead us the right way The Sixth sort that visited her were Judges who asked her about Justice I will divide Justice said she into three parts Human Moral and Natural These three into six Punishing Deciding Distributing Censuring Trafficking and Suffering In Punishing Justice there is Divine Piety and Human Pity and if a Judg leave out those two it is no more Justice but Cruelty for Temporal Judges ought to have as great a care of the Soul of the accused as of executing Justice on the Body For if a Judg threaten terribly a timorous nature or cruelly torture a tender Body the fear of Pain may make them be lye forswear or falsly accuse themselves which endangers the Soul not only by their Oaths Lyes and false Accusations but by self-murther for those that falsly accuse themselves commit wilful-murther As for the punishing of the Body they ought not to be condemned before they can positively prove them Criminals for Probabilities although they appear plain yet are often-times deceitful The second is Dividual Justice or Common Justice in deciding of Causes and what is Right and Truth as put the case two Men claim equal right to one piece of ground which piece of ground but one can have right to The Judg not knowing how to distinguish the truth from the falshood divides the ground giving one half to the one and the other half to the other which is unjust for he that hath right to all hath as much injustice done unto him in that part that is given from him as if he had lost all the whole nay one grain of dust wrongfully taken or given away makes the injustice the same for it is not the weight of the Cause makes Justice more or less but the truth of the Cause But Judges will say It is not to be helped by reason Truth lyes many times so obscure that neither Industry Ingenuity Subtilty long Experience nor solid Judgment can find it out So they think that by dividing they do cut off some Branches of Injustice although the Root will lye obscurely do what they can But I say Injustice hath no Branches but is all Root The last Act of Justice is in distributing Reward according to Worth or Merit wherein there may be as much Injustice to deal beyond or above Worth or Merit as to fall short of Worth and Merit and though the Actions are the visible Objects of Merit yet Merit is often-times buried for want of opportunity and many times good Fortune is mistaken and taken for Merit Now it is as great Injustice to give Rewards to Fortune as unfortunate for Merit not to be made known by some act for though Merit dwells in the actions yet it was born in the Soul and bred in the Thoughts The fourth is Censuring-Justice which lives meerly in Opinion for Who knows the heart of another since no Man can give a true or a right account of his own And though Misdemeanors ought to be punished in a Commonwealth lest they should cause the ruin thereof yet to judg the heart and condemn it for faults by the Actions Words or Countenance were very unjust for many evil Actions are done through a good Intention for the Design might be honest though the Effect prove evil nay the Design or Intention may not only be morally honest but divinely pious yet the Effect prove wicked Likewise many evil actions are produced by Chance or Misfortune and it were an injustice to accuse the heart of dishonesty for Fortune's malice and Chance's carelesness Again there are many evil actions produced from some infirmity of Nature or from the ignorance of Practice or want of Experience not from a dishonest nature and though Infirmities ought to be corrected by Admonitions and Ignorance rectified by Instruction yet it were an injustice to condemn Honesty for Infirmities Faults or ignorant Errors Also for Words although there is an old saying The Mouth speaketh what the Heart thinketh yet Antiquity cannot verifie it for a truth but most commonly the Tongue runs by rote and custom without the consent of the Heart or knowledg of the Thoughts for the Tongue doth
Throat into the Stomack to feed the Body to maintain the life thereof and the natural Capacities digest those several Objects and Subjects into Knowledg and Understanding as the natural heat into Flesh and Blood And the Brain is like the Body sometimes more strong and sometimes more weak which makes the Understanding sometimes more sick and sometimes more healthy and sometimes also the Brain will be stuft with Fancy as the Body with Humours But some Brains are like an unhealthy Body that will never thrive and others like Stomacks that are nourish'd but with some particular sort of Meat when Variety will corrupt but never digest And others are like Stomacks that the more Varieties are received the better Concoction where particulars would cause a Surfeit Likewise said she young Brains are like tender Slips not grown to bear Fruit but length of time brings them to maturity And some Brains are like barren Grounds that will not bring Seed or Fruit forth unless it be well manured with the Wit which is rak'd from other Writers or Speakers Others are like unplowed ground for the Senses which are as the Husband-man either neglect through laziness or are so poor that they have not a sufficient stock of Objects or Subjects or Matter or Form to work with or sow in the Brain Others are like foolish Husband-men that either sow or reap too soon or too late that know not how to sett and graft to prune or to cherish which makes the Brain unprofitable Others like ill Husbands run wandring about unconstantly and never regard their Affairs but let the Brain run to Weeds which with good Husbandry might bear fruitful Corps And some are so rich and fertil that if they be not plowed nor sett yet they will be fat Meadows and rich Pasture wherein grow wild Cowslips Prim-roses Violets Dazies and sweet Thyme Marjoram Succory and the like Then they asked her How they should govern their Servants She answered With Employment for said she idle Servants like idle Subjects grow factious and so rebellious for want of good Employments to busie their heads with Then they asked her How Masters ought to use Servants She answered As good Princes do their Subjects with a Fatherly care for their well-being well-doing and subsisting they must have a Protector 's regard for their safety be just Judges for their Rights and Priviledges for their Condemnations and Punishments honest Friends to advise them wise Tutors to instruct them prudent Governours to order them powerful Generals to command them bountiful Gods to reward their painful Labours their dutiful Obediences their honest Services their faithful Trust and their constant Fidelity Then the Wives asked her If it might not be as lawful for Wives to receive and entertain Love's Courtships as for Husbands to make Love-Courtships She said No for said she unconstant Women are the ruin of a Commonwealth For first It decays Breed for though many be barren by Nature yet there are more become barren through Wildness Secondly It corrupts Breed mingling the Issues of several Men. Thirdly It decays Industry for a Man that doubts the Children be none of his will never take pains to provide for them or at least not to enrich them Fourthly It makes dangerous and deadly quarrels for the Cuckold and the Cuckold-maker can never agree Then they asked her What they should do in case their Husbands did kiss their Maids or their Neighbour's Maids Daughters or Wives She said To take as little notice of it as they could to give them as much liberty as they would have to praise their Mistresses more than they deserved and to cause them to be as jealous of them as they could be First said she To take no notice makes them to live quiet and makes their Husbands to be more shye lest they should perceive it otherwise said she there will not only be quarrels but she will receive often affronts and disgraces by himself and Whores Secondly said she To give them liberty will glut their Appetites surfeit the Humour and quench their Affections Thirdly said she A superlative Praise will abate the Truth and out-reach the Admiration Lastly said she To make them jealous by discoursing That no Woman is to be trusted or relied upon for their constancies in Love when they have forsaken their own Honour their Modest Nature their Honest Birth their Lawful Rites their Civil Customs and their Pious Zeal to Heaven for Jealousie saith she turns Love into Hate Then they asked her What they should do if their Husbands Whores did enslave them by being as Mistresses to command and they as Drudges and Slaves to obey making them as Bawds or Witnesses to their Lascivious Acts She said There was nothing for that but parting for said she a Noble Mind cannot play the Bawd nor live with impudent Vices But said they if the Wife have Children how shall they part then 'T is better said she to part with the Goods of the Body than the Goods of the Soul wherefore it were better to part from Children or Life than with Honour and Virtue for though Virtue said she may wink at an Infirmity and Honour may excuse a Fault yet not be made as a Party or brought to the publick view or be made a Slave thereto Then they asked her What was the best way to keep their Husband's Love and cause them to be constant She said The best way to keep their Husband's love was to be honestly modest cleanly patient prudent and discreet but said she a man may love dearly and tenderly his Wife and yet desire to kiss his Maid wherefore to keep him constant said she a Wife must act the Arts of a Courtizan to him which is very lawful since it is to an honest End for the Arts honest and lawful but the Design and End is wicked but said she to learn those Arts you must be instructed by such as have practised or seen them for I have not nor cannot guess or devise Arts. The Twelfth sort were Nurses with their Nurse-Children And they asked her How Children should be ordered She said Young Children should be handled gently watched carefully used kindly and attended prudently The gentle handling said she is most requisite for Children have rather Grissles than Bones more Jelly than Flesh whereby the least oppression or wrenching or turning may deform them causing some Members to be deformed that otherwise would be in perfection and by reason Nurses handle not Children tenderly there is so many lame and crooked as they are Likewise Nurses should give their Limbs liberty not swaddle nor tye them too hard or to suffer their Coats to be too little or their Shooes or Stockings too short nor to pin too many Pins about them lest they should prick them Likewise not to toss nor tumble them nor to dance nor rock them too violently for a weak motion may displace an unknit Grissle-Joint and what Pains soever they feel or Hurts they get