dayly runne into the Sea. The Sea againe by certaine secrete conduites and vaines in the mountaines soketh droppeth as it were into springes Riuers and the earth is a very strainer through the which the water is clarified Thus we sée that Salomon in fewe wordes comprehendeth the meruelous disposition and motion of the fower elementes within themselues naming the earth the Sunne the wâ—â—de flouds I suppose Salomon meaneth by the allegory of these naturall alterations to bring vs to the matter that he treateth of and frameth this similitude vnto vs As if he shoulde say Euen as all these thinges abide in their chaungeable courses so doe all our affayres likewise The sunne is neuer wearied notwithstaÌ„ding his continuall course the waters runne into the Sea and yet are not spent and consumed c. EueÌ„ so fareth it wyth meÌ„ They still doe as their elders haue done which gaue themselues vnto vanitie EueÌ„ as they nothing preuailed no more doe we No man amendeth by an others example or taketh euer the more héede by an others dainger Iulius was most vainely occupyed Cicero sought to bee eloquent But what was the end of their trauell most vaine because they atteyned not to that they desired If he had vsed his eloquence not after his owne deuise but as tyme and place had serued him doubtles he shoulde haue béene a most happy man These mens examples doe we follow c. Therefore all mens deuises rise fall goe forward come backeward and continue as they alway haue done So there is in these wordes not onely a description of the kingdome of vanitie but also a similitude and comparison of mans deuises All thinges are hard to be knowen neither is any man able to expresse them THis text the Sophisters haue corrupted while they thinke the study of Philosophie is here repreheÌ„ded whereby meÌ„ search out the nature causes of things as though this were an euill thyng not able to be declared But it is not euill to search out the nature and properties of thynges Moreouer the causes of all things are most manifest so farre of is it that they be hard and difficult This therfore he meaneth that he wil speake of the vanitie of maÌ„ but that the same is so much and so great that he thinketh he can not sufficiently expresse the same It can not be vttered he sayth how great the vanitie of man is which thyng Persius the Poete declareth saying O what great vanitie is in the world And an other writer sayth No man lyueth content with his estate And euery man ought to lyue within his boundes and coÌ„passe vanitie stretcheth farther than can be rekoned in all mens affaires Therfore it is but litle that I can say of vanitie if a man consider the greatnes therof It is to grosse and to much For so great is this worldes vanity that I can not with any wordes expresse it The thyng is greater then either men can conceaue or I am able to vtter It is an hard matter to declare the varietie of mens deuises and desires what it is that Iulius coueteth what AlexaÌ„der what Salomon what Cato what Scipio what Pompey The affections of men are alwayes more then the toung of man can expresse And now he prooueth that he sayd by an example The eye is not satisfied with seyng nor the eare with hearyng THat is to say mans eyes and senses haue neuer any rest If I should goe about to declare but onely the pleasures we conceaue by seeyng and hearyng I should take an endles labour in hand If the eye be not satisfied with seyng how shall I be able to vtter all the vanitie of man To be short naught and vnsearcheable is the hart of maÌ„ Such is the diuersitie of mans affections and desires that that the eyes haue neuer seene ynough Now they desire to sée one thyng now an other wheÌ„ they haue their wish yet is not their mynde contented The hart is a gulfe alwayes gaping it coueteth all things and though it haue all it desireth yet stil séeketh it for more CoÌ„sider Alexander Magnus who being Lord almost of the whole world yet wheÌ„ he heard there were innumerable worldes sighed saying and I haue not yet vanquished one world Thus in his hart hee coueted infinite worldes What man is so eloquent that he can expresse this most vayne affectioÌ„ of the hart This vanitie and gréedynes of mans hart can not be expressed That whiche hee hath doth not like hym and wisheth for that which hee hath not The eye is not satisfied with seeing vnderstand this generally not as they haue expounded it It is not satisfied with beholdyng of heauen What thing is that that hath been euen the same that is to come What is that that hath been done euen the same that shall be done And there is no new thyng vnder the sonne Is there any thyng wherof it may be sayd Loe this is new for the lyke hath been in the times that haue been before vs There is no remembraunce of thinges past no more shall there be any remembraunce of thynges to come hereafter HEre do the Sophisters trifle agayne vnderstandyng these wordes of the Creatures their selues where Salomon playnely signifieth he speaketh of mens affections and desires saying The eye is not satisfied c. Bycause hearyng and seyng are such senses as soonest perceaue things are most delighted with them And thus he meaneth What is that that hath been THat is to say after thou hast prepared that thou desirest yet is not thy mynde quyeted the same affection abydeth still after thy desire that thou haddest before The mynde is neuer contented Alexander when he had ouercome the world had no more then he had before For his mynde was neuer the more satisfied Iulius thought to establish a common weale so thought Brutus too but neither of them brought it to effect This is it that hee sayth What is that that hath been Verely euen the same that hath been downe afore that is to say the same affection still remaineth which will neuer bee satisfied That that hee desireth or studyeth to haue or bryng to passe is euen the same hee hath all ready To bee short What a man hath to day of the same will he couet more to morow For here is signified the restles and insatiable appetite and vanitie of mans hart that caÌ„ not be satisfied with things present whatsoeuer they bee That I haue done this day is nothing although I haue had my purpose I am not content I will still prooue other wayes Thus doe all meÌ„ so did Iulius so Pompey so Alexander And euen as they did doe all other They desier things to come and lothe thinges present RemeÌ„ber therfore that SalomoÌ„ speaketh here of mans doings and not of Gods either already done or to be done For he speaketh alway of the thynges which are done vnder the sunne in this kingdome of the
and vexe themselues with in vayne For it is a most miserable labour to be so busily occupyed to bring our deuises and enterprises to passe and yet nothing to preuaile He saith therefore What getteth a man c. that is to say in that he taketh so great paines to bring his deuises to passe What hath he or getteth he with all this labour and study of his but mere vanitie Vnder the Sunne HEre he meaneth to describe the kingdome of vanitie and the place where this kyngdome is callyng this whole kyngdome of vanitie a toyle or trauell vnder the sunne by a kynde of singular phrase such as we read is not vsed els where in the Scripture bycause he will hereby exclude the workes of God which either he worketh hym selfe or worketh in vs or cōmaundeth vs to worke which workes are aboue the sunne and beyond mans deuise For the sunne riseth to the end that mē may go forth to their worke Psal. 103. that it may giue light to the world to serue vs in our bodily affaires vnder this sunne I say are these vayne deuises taken in hād wherwith men afflicte them selues This is to be noted agayne to take away that vayne cogitatiō of mē that haue interpreted these things of the vanitie of Gods creatures In deed all Creatures are subiect to vanity as Paule testifieth Rom. 8. but yet the creatures them selues are good Otherwise he would haue sayd the sunne had been a vayne thyng but he excepteth the sunne bycause hee sayth vnder the sunne He speaketh not therfore of Gods workes which are all good and true and aboue the sunne but of those workes which are vnder the sunne which we doe in this bodyly lyfe of ours in the earth One generation passeth away and an other commeth but the earth abydeth or indureth still THou séest he reciteth not the workes vnder the sunne but the very Creatures of God them selues such as is the generatiō of men the sunne the water and the lād comprising almost the foure Elements herein For the Philosophers haue so deuised the foure elemēts wherin all thynges lyue that are in the world They haue placed the sier aboue ouer the three other elements And Salomon seemeth to take the sonne for this fiery element so that in these wordes he expoundeth what he would haue vnderstanded by these wordes vnder the sunne so that the summe of his meanyng is this The creatures of this world the sunne the ayer the water c. Wherein men haue there beyng abyde in the rule and law appointed them they go forth they runne backe agayne they are caryed c. euen as they are ordeined they haue their prefixed courses they chaunge not they go not out of them but do that they ought to do as the sunne goeth his way and certeine course c. But men which haue their beyng in these foure elementes creatures of such constācy and stabilitie can not do the like bicause they wauer and stagger beyng most inconstant by reason of the varietie of their diuers entreprises and desires not content within their owne boundes businesses and vocations c. Wherfore they expounde not the matter which vnderstād the generation that passeth to be the Iewes and the generation to come to be the Christians bicause Salomon speaketh here of the perpetuall successe of generations and ages The sunne riseth and goeth down and returneth to hys place agayne breathyng that hee may rise vp agayn The wynde goeth toward the South and turneth to the North fetcheth his compasse whyrleth about goeth forth and returneth againe to his circuites from whence he dyd come SAlomon continueth in describyng of this kyngdome place of vanitie prouing the stabilitie of the sunne by his perpetuall and constant rising sittyng and course Farthermore he signifieth that the wynde and the ayer foloweth the force and course of the sunne For he maketh the sunne the Lord and ruler as it were of the elementes This sunne I say hath the winde at his pleasure and gouerneth all things by his administration tempering the ayer the water and the wynde by his race and course c. When he ariseth he maketh as we sée one ayer whē he setteth an other And euen after a like sorte he worketh an other tyme in alteryng the water c. For when the sunne setteth the earth becommeth moyst the water cold the ayer dankish c. Yea almost all creatures are diuersly disposed according to the rysing and settyng of the sunne And breathing againe to his place THe word Saaph For the which our interpreter hath naughtely put returned signifieth drawyng of the breath He meaneth therfore that the sunne by reason of his violent force wherewith hee is caryed is as it were the cause of all wyndes blastes as when one runneth he moueth the ayer causeth a breath To breathe therfore is with a most swift force to be caryed from the East vnto the West and thē to the East agayne which commeth to passe euery day and euery moneth The wynde whyrleth and turneth about THat is to say the sunne when he turneth to the East agayne there to rise caryeth the wynde with hym and hath the wynde in his power All this is Salomons peculiare copiousnes whereby briefly he meaneth nothyng els but that the sunne riseth and setteth euery day and that the wynde is raysed wyth the force and violence therof All flouds runne into the sea and yet the sea runneth not ouer The flouds returne to the place from whence they flowed that they may from thence flow out agayne ARistotle disputeth from whence the fountaines and wyndes doe come and is meruelously troubled in finding out the same and diuers other with him but yet none of them could finde out that that Salomon here sayth that all riuers come from the sea and runne into the sea agayne making the sea to be the origine and beginning of all riuers from whēce by certaine secret drayninges vnder the earth they swell vp breake out where notwithstanding diuerse of the Philosophers imagine that the springes and beginninges of all Riuers come from vnder the earth Howbeit Salomons saying is the trueth namely that all fountaynes Riuers flow frō the sea ebbe into it agayne These are very great wonders First in the course moouing of that huge light wherof we haue spokē already Then in that the Riuers runne into the sea and yet the sea is not filled therewith For els if the Riuer Albis had flowed still from the beginning of the worlde it might haue risen so high to haue filled the ayre euen vp to the Moone And now although it hath runne more then fiue thousand yeares that it still abideth within the bankes and runneth not ouer He saith therfore that all things continue in their order and perpetuall motion as the Sunne runneth about euery day and neuer ceasseth so the ayre continueth still in his motion so the flouds
captayne preuayleth among fooles and a foolishe prince heareth a foolishe Counsellers words because he speaketh that which pleaseth him Thys I say that thou must consider as is sayd in the prouerbes The foole wyll not heare vnles thou speake that he phāsieth in his harte because affections rule all in the fooles hart therefore he regardeth not what thou sayest vnles thou say that he desireth For they which thus are led with their owne affections wysdome will heare nothing els Therefore thou shalt not preuaile thou shalt not be heard where myndes are not quyeted that is to say blinded with affections So now a dayes it is in vayne to write agaynst the Sectaries and heretikes for thou shalt doe no good Which thing Paule affirmeth also A man that is an heretike after once or twise warnyng auoyde c. And it falleth not thus out in matters of religion onely but also in ciuile affayres Thus it fareth in worldly affayres if thou geue good counsell thou shalt not preuayle nor be heard but with Neutrals whose myndes are setled and will take parte wyth none But setled myndes at quyet can truely iudge that the crying of a Captayne is but foolishe We must abyde therfore till the affections be appeased for then shall he heare Euen as troubled-troubled-water is not cleare but if thou wilt sée the bottome thou must tarry till the water be setteled so all men that haue conceaued any perswasion in their mynde will not be disswaded agayne vnles that conceit of theirs wherwith they be as it were bewitched be put away This Salomon in an other place expresseth in thys wyse It is better to meete a Beare or a Lyon robbed of her whelpes then a man trusting in his owne foolyshenes Better is wisdome then weapons of warre but one sinner destroyeth much good THis sentence he hath proued with the ensample gone before And at thys day all that follow warres prooue the same namely that warlyke engines are naught worth without wisdome counsell and that wysedome is of more force and auayle in warre then is strength For there are many suddaine and diuers chaunces and awaytes c. Thus the Romanes boast that they ouercame the world not by strength but by wysdome Wisedome therfore beareth the stroke in thys worlde but shée is not heard or cōsidered For one Synner destroyeth much good FOr both in peace and warre there are such vnthriftes and naughty persons as disturbe all thinges There is a counseller stādeth vp and speaketh for peace straight way a thrasonicall mate lubber dasheth all whom thou shalt resiste but in vayne because men are led wyth their owne affections and will geue no eare to such as geue contrary aduise so that as Homere sayth the greater parts most tyme preuaileth agaynst the better Dead flyes cause the most precious oyntment to stinke THis is a prouerbiall sentence against fooles howbeit Salomon hath very hard translations The translatiō would haue béene more comely if he had added according to the prouerbe It is as men say The prouerbe is taken from things in vse among this people which accompt and estéeme oyntmentes among their most precious thinges It séemeth to vs the similitude is the more vnpleasaunt and straunge because we haue litle vse of such thinges as that nation had Lyke therfore as flyes destroy a most precious oyntment so some vnthrift and naughtipacke destroyeth the best counsell in a common weale in the Parliamēt chamber and in warre Therefore as we are constrayned to beare with such noysome flyes so are we compelled to beare with such pestilent counsellers Therefore a lytle folly sometyme is better then wisdome and glory THis is a consolatiō against such chaūses and naughtye Counsellers He calleth it lytle folly besause of the litle tyme it endureth as the Poetes vse to say To seeme foolish in place where is holden for high wisedome Therefore when thou séest a naughty man preuaile in the Counsell or in the Parlament house c. let thy counsell geue place and leaue of thy wisedome because thou séest it is not lyked and vexe not thy selfe It is better thou séeme a foole for a season and let them go on in their foolishnes because they wil giue no eare to thée For by force thou canst not preuaile For a foole will be led by no counsell vnlesse thou speake according to his mynde Therefore thou must let them alone whē thou hast shewwed thy counsell and donne what thou cāst For if thou wilte goe through wyth thy purpose thou shalt wrath these waspes and méete with an angry Beare and endaūger thy self without necessitie These counsels be very good for vs which dwell in this ingratefull worlde which harkeneth not to our good counsell whatsoeuer we saye or threaten Glory signifieth not onely fame but pompe ornamentes riches which are cause of fame So Math. 6. God so clotheth the lylyes of the feelde that Salomon in all his glory that is to say in all his ryches and pompe was not so arayed ¶ The harte of a wise man is as his right hande but the hart of a foole is at his left THis also is a kinde of Prouerbe that is a wise man hath his harte in hys owne rule and power If he perceaueth that they are foolish and wil geue no eare vnto him he can for a tyme holde his peace He cā vse his wisedome according to the place and persons and as he shall perceaue his counsell is lyke well or euil to succéede But a foole is not master of his owne hart but according to his affection will runne through with them It is a great matter to rule and moderate the harte which no man doth or can doe but he that is wel acquainted with the world and hath an eye to Gods iudgementes A foole walking in the way and being him selfe neuer so much a foole thynketh yet that all other are fooles THat is he is not content that himselfe preuaileth with his naughty counsel so that thou must yelde to him but also thou shalt be cōpelled to beare with him in being glorifyed for his foolishnes and naughty counsell and in shaming the wisedome of other men For if thou geue good counsell he will straight way be vpon thy back and reprooue thy wise saying and counselling But aūswere thou thus I haue shewed my counsell I compell no man but haue said that I thinke good First therefore a foole will not heare thée nexte he will throng with his owne imagination and last of all whatsoeuer thou sayst to the contrary as thou art bound but not to follow it if thou thinke it will not preuaile he will deride it reproche it as foolishe and wicked This we sée in our dayes and finde true by our selues Therefore if the spirit of thy superiour haue his purpose against thy mynde be not thou discontented for to giue place pacifieth great euill THis we thus expresse in