condemned to dye so the Suns face was couered when Christ was condemned to dye As Dauid rent his garment when he heard of Ionathans death so the Temple rent his vaile when it heard of Christs death As the King of Niâ—iuy threw vp dust vpon his head when he and his subiects were appointed to dye so the Graues opened and threw vp dust vpon their Heads when Christ was appointed to dye As Iob cut his haire when he heard of his Childrens death so the stones were cutt in peeces and cloue asunder when they heard of Christs death As there were foure riuers in the terrestriall Paradise which watered the whole earth so in Christ who is our Paradice there are found foure fountains The first fountaine is mercy to wash away our sinnes with the water of remission The second is of wisdomc to asswage our thirst with the water of discretion The third of grace to water the plants of good works with the dew of deuotion And the fourth fouutaine is to season our affections with the waters of emulation Bernar dus sermone prima de natiuitate Christi As the Sunne exceedeth all celestiall lights in quantity brightnesse dignity and power so Christ excelleth all the Saints in goodnesse wisedome honour and might F. Ioannes à S. Geminio lib. 1. de câ—lo elemâ—ntis cap. 91. Olimpus a mountaine of Macedonia is so hye that the clouds are said to be vnder it for it is of such an altitude that neuer any wind toucheth the top of it neither any grosnesse of ayre ascendeth to it which the Phylosophers ascending that they might view the courses and motions of the stars could not liue there vnlesse they caried with them spunges full of water that so by the atâ—raction of water they might draw grosserayre as it is reported in history so Christ hath so farre exceeded all the Saints in excellencie of life all the whirle-winds of passions and tribulations in the altitude of patience and all men in the height of wisedome so that the Phylosophers could not reach vnto the height of his diuinity but by spunges that is by creatures full of the water of celestiall wisdome Ibidem As the hearbe Dracontea hath the similitude of a Serpent but is without venim yea it is most contrary to Serpents and especially to vipers so Christ had the shape of sinfull flesh but he was altogether without sin yea he is most opposit to it and especially to the Deuill Idem lib 3. de vegetabilibus plantis cap. 85. As the flower is the Medium betweene the branch and the fruit so Christ is the mediatour betweene man and God Ibidem As a Hen doth gather her chickens vnder her wings doth defend them against the Kite and doth feed them with the meate shee findeth so Christ doth gather his elect vnder the wings of his protection in one faith and vnity of the Church doth defend them against the raging of the world and doth feed them not onely with materiall bread but with the spirituall food of his heauenly Doctrine Idem lib. 4. de natalibus volatilibus cap. 98. The Holy GHOST AS Iron cast into the fire doth participate of the nature of fire his owne substance still remayning so man by the working of the holy Ghost is transformed into God yet still remaining man being a partaker of the diuine purity and noblenesse as he was a partaker who said I doe not now liue but Christ liueth in me Ludov. Granat lib I. duc peecat As oyle among all liquid substances is the fittest too preserue light and to cure wounds so the diuine vnction of the holy Ghost doth cure the wounds of our will and doth illuminate the darknesse of our vnderstanding Ibidem As hee that is ouercome with much wine looseth the vse of his fences neither differeth much from a dead man by reason of the strength of the wine so when any one is full of the heauenly wine of the holy Ghost he dyeth to the world and hath all his sences with alâ— their desires shackled and fettred ibid As water set ouer a fire when it doth wax hot as if it had forgot the own proper nature swelleth aloft imitating the nature and lightnesse of the fire so also the soule being inflamed with the heauenly fire of the holy Ghost is exalted aboue it selfe and caried vp to heauen whence that fire is sent ibidem As the Sun shineth of his owne accord the day is enlightned a fountaine streameth and a showre falleth so the heauenly Spirit infuseth it selfe Cyprian As the soule infused into the body is sufficient to make all the members liuing and to moue and direct them vnto their senerall offices and functions which are many and diuers so the grace of the holy Ghost which is a forme supernaturall and diuine when it once hath entâ—ed into the soule is sufficient to moue and direct it to the acting and executing of all the duties of a spirituall life Lod. Gran. in lib. de deuotione As it is not possible that the earth should fructifie onely by raine except the wind doth blow vpon it so it is not possible that onely doctrine should correct a man except the holy Ghost worke together in his heart Chrysost hom 20. oper imperf As the figures of things are not seene in a blemished glasse so a man cannot receiue illumination from the holy Ghost except he cast away sin and the lusts of the flesh Basilius de spiritu sanctâ— As fire is not diminished albeit many candels be lighted at it and as Science is not impaired although it maketh many men skilfullâ— so the holy Ghost is neuer a whit impouerished although they bâ— innumerable that participate of his graces Philo Iudaeus lib. de gigantibus As one and the same showre discending vpon the world appeareth white vpon thornes red vpon roses purple vpon the hyacinth and of other colours falling vpon diuers and sundry coloured things so the holy Ghost being one and not any way diuisible doth diuide his grace to euery one as he pleaseth iâ— in one he is wisdome an other sanctification in an other prophecy c. and yet the same Spirit Cyrillus Ierosoly râ—â—t catechesi 16. As the body of the flesh is none other thing but flesh so the gift of holy Ghost 〈◊〉 none other thing but the holy Ghost â—ug lib. 15. de trinitate cap. 19. As the soule doth giue life to all the arts and members of mans body â—â—aking the eye to see the eare to heare â—nd so in the rest so the holy Ghost â—oth giue life to the members of Christs â—ody which is his Church Idem lib. de â—ratia noui testamenti As heate commeth from fire so the â—oly Spirit proceedeth from the Father â—aschasius de Spiritu sancto As Aaron is called Christ and Dauidâ—nd â—nd Saule and others also and yet â—â—ere is but one true Christ so an Angell â— called a Spirit and our soule is called 〈◊〉 Spirit and
pars simil ex lib. 25. Plin. cap. 4. As Christs coate was without wem so his life was without crime As without the Sunne there should be continuall night so without Christ there should bee euerlasting destruction Clemens Alexandrinus ad Gentes As an Husband-man doth cast his seede not in this corner and in that corner of his land but casteth it euery where throughout his whole land to Christ commendeth the doctrine of piety to rich and poore learned and ignorant to the strong and weake albeit hee knoweth what successe it shall haue Chrysostom Hom. 45. inâ— Matthew As the soule is the life of the bodie so Christ is the life of the soule Petrus Chrysologus sermone 19. As at the comming of the Diuell all Nations mourned so at the comming of the Lord Iesus all people reioyced Arnobius in Psal. 46. As an aduocate pleading for an offender taketh vpon himselfe the cause and faults of him whom hee patronizeth as if they were his owne when notwithstanding hee is guiltlesse so Christ being without sinne tooke vpâ—n him our transgressions and suffered â—r them as if they had beene his owne Chrysostome Sermone aduersus haeretiâ—s tom 5. As in a red hote sword there are â—ctions and perfections of two natures â—e yron cuts and the fire burnes so 〈◊〉 Christ there is two Natures his Diâ—nity and Humanitie and both haue â—eir actions and perfections Damasâ—â—â— lib. 3. cap. 15. de fide As the Vnicorne by touching poyâ—ned water with his Horne maketh 〈◊〉 wholesome whereupon Naturalists â—y that before hee drinkes he putâ—eth his Horne into the water so Christâ—y â—y his Humanitie hath made the poyâ—ned waters wholesome and hath â—urified our soules from infection Iaâ—obus de Valentia in Psalmum 42. As Gold and a Pearle make one Ring 〈◊〉 God and man make one Christ. Themistocles hauing offended Philipâ—he â—he King of Macedonia and could no â—ay appease his anger meeting his â—oung Sonne Alexander tooke him in â—is armes and met Philip in the face Philip seeing the smyling countenaunâ—â— of the childe was well pleased witâ— Themistocles euen so if through thâ— manifold sinnes and heynous offencesâ— thou prouoke the heauy displeasure 〈◊〉 thy God insomuch as thou shalt trembâ— for horrour take his only begotten anâ— wel beloued Sonne Iesus in thine armesâ— and then hee neither can nor williâ— angry with thee It is written that the blood of â— Lambe doth appease the cruell rage 〈◊〉 a fierce Lyon so the blood of the inâ— maculate Lambe Christ doth pacifie thâ— wrath of God When the Brethren of Ioseph hâ—â— sold him to the Ismaelites to pacifie theâ— Father Iacob they brought his Coate 〈◊〉 to bee bloudyed so if wee will appeaâ—â— God our Father wee must bring vâ—â— him the bloody Garment of his Sonâ—â— The Adamant though it be so haâ—â— that nothing can bruse it yet if tâ—â— warme blood of a Goate be powred vpâ— on it it bursteth so although the heaâ— of the Atheisâ— and vnbeleeuer bee 〈◊〉 hard that neither reward nor reuengâ— can mollifie it so stoute that no perswâ—sion can breake it yet if the grace of God purchased by the blood of Christ doe but once touch it it renteth in sunder and is conforced to a acknoledge an omnipotent and euerlasting Iehouah Astrologers say that the Sun passeth through these three signes Leo Virgo and Libra so the Sonne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus in the Law came as a Lyon threatning and destroying in the time of grace hee came into the lap of a Virgine in great humilitie and at the day of iudgemene he will come in Libra to giue to euery one according as hee hath deserued As Theseus being giuded by Ariadnes threed which shee tyed at the entrance into Dedalus Labyrinth escaped all the danger and errour of it euen so wee must make Christ the doore by which wee must enter into the Labyrinth of all our affaires and tye Raâ—abs threed at this entrance and follow it all the way that so we may bee safe and goe in and out and find pasture As the life of Christ is the life of life so the death of Christ is the death death It is reported that the Lybard vseth a strange kind of policie to the Ape He lyeth down vpon the ground as though he were starke dead which the Apes seeing come altogether and in despight skip vpon him This the Libard beareth patiently till he thinks they haue wearied themselues with their sporting Then sodainly he likewise leapes vp catckes one in his mouth and in each foote one which immediately he killeth and denoureth so Christ being laid in the dust the Diuell insulted ouer him and trampled vpon him but hee like a liuely Libard started vp on Easter day astonished the Souldiours set to keepe him which were the Diuels Apes and made them lyelike dead men As blind Sampson by his death killed the Phlistins when they were playing the Apes in mocking and mowing at him so Christ by his death destroyed the Diuell Scaliger writeth that the Chamelion when hee espies a Serpent taking shade vnder a tree climes vp into that tree and le ts downe a thread breathed out of his mouth as small as a Spiders threed at the end whereof there is a little drop as â—leare as any pearle which falling vpon â—he Sâ—rpents head kils him so Christâ—liming â—liming vp into the tree of his Crosse â—ets downe a threed of blood issuing out â—f his side like Rahabs red threed hangâ—â—g out of her window the least drop â—hereof being so pretious and so peereâ—â—sse falling vpon the Serpent head kils â—im The wild Bull of all things cannot â—â—ide any red colour therefore the hunâ—â—r for the nonce standing before a Tree â—uts on a red garment whom when the â—ull sees hee runnes hard at him as â—ard as he can driue but the Hunter â—â—ipping aside the Buls hornes sticke â—st in the Tree as when Dauid slipped â—side Sauls speare stucke fast in the wal◠〈◊〉 Christ standing before the Tree of his â—rosse puts on a red garment dipt and â—yed in his own blood as one that comâ—eth with red garments from Bozrâ— â—erefore the Diuell and his Angels like â—ild Bulles of Bazan runne at him but â—ee shifting for himselfe their Hornes â—â—cke fast in his Crosse as Abrahamâ—â—am â—am by his Hornes strucke fast in the briers thus is the Diuell caught and killed A Dragon indeed kils an Elephant yet so as the Elephant falling downe kils the Dragon with him an Elephant kils Eliazar yet so as Eliazar falling down kils the Elephant with him so the Deuil killing Christ was killed of him When Mahomet the second of that name besieged Belgrade in Sâ—ruia one of his Captaines at length got vp vpoÌ„ the wall of the Citie with Banner displaied A noble Bohemian espying this ran to the Captaine and clasping him falâ—â— about the middle asked one Capifâ—ranâ—â— standing beneath whether it would be any danger of damnation to his soule if he should
seauen principall vertues Faith Hope Charitie Prudenâ—e Iustice Fortitude and Temrance which vertues Helâ—uicus Theâ—tonicus particularly compares vnto the seauen Planets in his first booke de coelo elementis cap. 84. As there bee seauen principals mettals Qâ—ick siluer Brasse Gold Siluer Tin Iron and Lead so there be seauen chiefe vertues vt suprà which the same Heluâ—icus particularly compareth to these mettals in his second Booke dâ— metallis lâ—pidibus cap. 40. As Garlicke hath seauen medicinable qualities in it so haue the seauen principall vertues which the same Authour setteth downe in his third Book de vegetabilus plantâ—s cap. 8â— As there be fiue outward senses the sight hearing smelling tast and touching so there bee fiue inward vertues Faith Obedience Hope Charitie and Humilitie which the same writer compareth together in his sixt booke de homine eius membris cap. 77. As the bones are the strength of the body so vertues are the strength of the Soule F. Ioannes a S. Geminiano lib. 6. de homine membris eius cap. 77. As the bones are boâ—nd together by certaine ligaments so all vertues are so combined and linked together that one cannot bee had without another ibid. As the bones are nourished by the inward marrow so vertues are nourished by diuine grace As the best Wine is in the middest of the Barrell so vertue doth consist in a meane Idem lib. 9. de artificibus rebus artisicialibus cap. 82. It is to no purpose to light a lampe to burne if oyle be not powred in so it is to no purpose to teach that vertue is to be embraced if the way and manner bee not deliuered how to attaine vnto it Plutarch Euen as a ditcher that by chaunce findeth a precious stone doth little esteeme it because hee knoweth not the price of it so ignoraunt infidels and prophane worldly men make little reckoning of vertue and vertuous men because they neither know the dignity of vertue nor the estimation of her followers Lodouicus Granat lib. 1. Ducis peccatorum The Images called Sileni were vnpolished without but curiously and with great Art wrought within so vertue out wardly seemeth rough when inwardly it is full of beautie ibidem As blood releiueth a distressed heart so vertue comforteth an afflicted soule ibidem Euen as God is a goodnesse so vniâ—ersall that in him alone are found all the perfections of all good so after a certaine manner the same are found in Vertue ibidem Euen as of the conueniencie and proportion of the members and lineaments and of the humours of the naturall body a certaine beautie a riseth which is acceptable to the eyes of men so of the order and vertuous frame of the life laudably led and formed so great a beautie proceedeth that not onely it is most acceptable to the eye of God and Angels but it is also beloued of peruerse and froward men ibidem If a noble and beautifull Woman worthy of a Kings bed should be married to a foule Collier it would moue all men to compassion that beheld her so much more effectually shall he bee moued that seeth vertues worthy of God and diuine reward to be made vassals to compasse the drosse and dung of this world ibidem He that selleth precious 〈…〉 rich Gemmesâ—ought very well to 〈◊〉 them that he be not deceiued in the price and the ouerseer and gouernour of a Princes house ought to know the deserts of euery one in the house that he may dispose of euery one according to his dignitie for otherwise hee shall â—omit many errours and offer great inequality so a man that dealeth with the worth and value of vertues is to knowe the price and dignitie of them that comparing them betweene themselues he may see which is to bee preferred before others and render and tender to euery one her due honour ibidem Euen as wee make greater account of an heape of Gold then of Siluer and doe more esteeme an eye then a finger so also it is meete and requisite that with greater endeauour and diligence we should apply our selues to the worthier vertues and with the lesser to the lesse worthy lest we disturbe the spirituall businesse Ibidem lib. 2. Ducis peccatorum As in all things as well artificiall as naturall there are found some true and some seeming appearing so but are not so in deed and as there is both true Gold and that which is false lawfull money and counterfeit coyne true Gemmes and false Gemmes so also among Vertues some are true and some that appeare to be so but are not so in truth ibidem As the foule Toade hath a faire stone in his Head the fine Gold is found in the filthy earth the sweete Kernell lyeth in the hard shell so Vertue is many timeâ— harboured in the heart of him that most men esteemed mishapen As the precious stone Sandastra hath nothing in outward appearance but that which seemeth blacke but being broken powreth forth beames like the Sunne so Vertue sheweth but bare to the outward eye but being pierced with inward desire shineth like Christall FAITH AS a Child that learneth his first elements ought to beleeue that his Master teacheth him and not to aske the reason why this Letter is called A and that B so in the misteries of Faith we must not aske the reason how this may be and that may be but we must giue credite to the Scriptures Lodoâ—icus Granat in lib. de deuotione As he that hauing neuer seene glasse before seeing a curious and an excellent vessell made of it and set before his eyes can not be induced to beleeue that it was made of a certaine kind of straw and sand and that onely by the breath of man so is it in matters of Faith being considered of by the light of reason Ibidem As we cannot imitate nor well vnderstand the Arte of Bees in making their Hony Combes and tempering their Honie nor the Arte of Spiders in weauing their Wibbes nor the Arte of Silke wormes in spinning their Silke so much lesse can we imitate the diuine workes or comprehend in our reasonable vnderstanding the misteries of Faith ibidem If thou hast life thou hast heate so if thou hast a liuely Faith thou hast good workes Nazianzene As fire cannot be without heate nor the Sunne without light so a iustifying Faith cannot bee without iustifying workes As a riuer commeth from a fountaine so faith commeth from the Lord. As water maketh the earth fruitfull so faith enricheth the soule with good workes As the Carbuncle shineth in the night and in darknesse casteth light vnto the eyes so faith shineth in the darknesse of herisie and in the night of persecusion neither can it be ouercome or extinguished of either As there are twelue kinds of a Carbuncles so there are twelue Articles of our Faith Isidorus As a garment touched with the stone Amiathon doth resist fire and if you hang it ouer the fire it will not
he giueth it Idem homil 13. operis imperf As worldly men by Vsury encrease their pelfe to their damnation so spirituall men by almes deeds encrease and multiplie the loue of God towards them to their saluation Chrysost. hom 7 in Epist. ad Rom. As no man sorroweth to receiue a Kingdome grieueth to haue remission of his sinnes so let no man sorrow to lay out his money vpon maintenance for the poore because he shall receiue great gaines by it Idem Homil. 21 in Epist ad Rom. As rich mens sonnes for an ornament doe weare Gold Chaines about their neckes as a signe of their greatnesse and Nobility so we ought alwayes to bee arrayed in the roabes of bounty that we may shew our selues to be the Sons of him who is mercifull who causeth his Sunne to arise both vpon the good and bad Idâ—â—â— hom 1. ad Philippen As in physicall confections one herbe is predominant so in spirituall matters almes deeds are in especiall account with God idom hom 9. ad Hebraeos As Iudges hauing receiued gifts doe not suddenly proceed to pronounce sentence but endeuour to agree the parties so the Lord dealeth with them whose gifts are giuen to the poore August ser. 146. As we are not once to doe well but alwayes so wee are not once to giue almes but alwayes Chrysoft hom 1. in Epist. ad Philippen A lumpe of vnmolten Lead put into a vessell full of holes doth rest in one side of the vessell but if it be melted with fire it filleth all the holes so an heape of money being frozen with the cold of auarice lieth in the chest profitable to no man but if it be melted with the fire of diuine loue and powred out it floweth to all parts of the poore and relieuing the needy it filleth all the holes and crannies of pouertie Hector Pintusin cap. 5. Ezech. 37. As the Sea is fed by land Riuers which hath no neede of them when as the land is left dry so many bestow their largesse of bountie vpon them that haue no need and let the needle and distressed perish idem in cap. 18. As sheepe and oxen are not eaten except they bee dead and dressed so many Churles giue no almes but when they are dead and buried idem in ca. 16 As mount Oliuet according to Augustine was a mountaine of oyntment and vnction of fatnesse and refection of medicine and cure by reason of the abundance of oyle there growing so a mercifull man may be fitly resembled to this mountaine by reason of his almes which are the oyle of mercy and pitie As that seed is the best which is white within so are those almes deeds the best which come from a pure intent F. Ioannes à S. Geminiano lib. 3. de vegetabilibus Plant. cap. 20. As one Torch borne before doth giue more light then soure borne behind so one good deed done in life time is more acceptable vnto God then fortie after death Polancus in Methodo adiuâ—andi eos qui moriuntur Deuotion HEe that would haue Iron alwayes to glow and shine redde hot it is necessary that hee alwayes applie it to the fire for if hee take in from the fire forthwith it returneth to his naturall coldnesse so the most noble affection of Deuotion so dependeth of that that man bee continually vnited vnto God by actual loue and contemplation that if hee turne himselfe but a little from him forthwith hee slideth backe to the bosome of his mother that is to the old disposition which before hee had Ladouic Granat lib. de deuotione As a furnace if it bee well heated in the morning is kept hot all the day after with a little fire but if it grow cold againe it requires a great deale of fire before it bee thorowly heated againe so Deuotion being well heated by prayer preserues heate a long time but through dissuetude of pâ—ayer it growes cold and requires much prayer to heate it throrowly againe ibidem As sweete water standing in an open vessell hauing no couer doth foâ—â—hwith lose the sweetnesse and grace of the sent so the sweete and precious oyntment of Deuotion doth loose all the vertue and efficacy when the mouth is loosed and dissolute that is when the tongue doth lauish and supers bound in too much talke and prattle ibidem As fire cannot be kindled not kept in wet and moist matter so nether can Deuotion in the delights and pleasures of the body ibidem As in a harpe we are to obserue that the strings bee neither stretched too streight nor loosened too slacke for then they are either broken or yeeld an vntuned and an vnpleasant sound so in the celestiall exercise of deuotion it is meet that the body by neither macerated by too much hunger nor fatted by too much plentie for both of them bring very much hurt to this exercise Ibidem Euen as fire or any odoriferous or fragrant smell the more it is couered and kept close the more longer it preserueth the sent and keepth the heat so also the loue of God and deuotion ibidem As nature is not content with the deaw that in the night time falleth vpon the earth but also now and then it raineth and that plentifully not for a weeke but oftentimes louger for so it is necessary that the heauens should be now and then more liberall towards the earth and should so glut it that neither the Sunne nor the wind may make it dry so also our soule besides the common and daily deaw ought to haue certaine peculiar times in which our eyes may doe none other thing then showre downe most plentifull teares of deuotion by which our soule may bee so filled with the vertues of iuyce of the holy Ghost that all the tribulations and all the winds of this world may not dry it ibidem The feare of the Lord. EVen as a ship is not safe without ballace or lastage for it is easily tossed with euery wind now on this side and now on that to the great danger of the ship so is the soule endangered which lacketh the burthen and ballace of the diuine feare which poyseth the soule that the winds of worldly-fauour or of diuine graces doe not tosse and puffe it vp and so ouerthrow it Lodon Granat lib. 1. Ducis Peccatorum As Fennell hath an opening vertue as Plato saith so the feare of God openeth the way vnto loue As the needle leadeth the threed so feare introduceth loue August As Serpents by the tast of Fennell put off old age so the feare of God putteth away inueterate sinne F. Ioannes à S. Geminiano lib. 3. de vegetabilib phâ—nt cap 77. As among the kinds of precious stones called Berylli that is the best which is the palest so among men hee is the best that feareth the Lord. Idem lib. 2. de Metallis lapid cap. 37. As the precious stone Beryllus being opposed to the sunne beames doth burne the hand of the holder so the
except we humâ—ly bend downe our selues for it is written God resisteth the proud Caeâ—rius hom 30. As spices smell sweetest when they â—re pound so when the good things that man hath in him are as it werâ— pouned by humility they are more acceptable vnto God Peroaldus in summa virtutum As ignorance bringeth forth presumption and presumption ruine 〈◊〉 knowledge bringeth forth humilitieâ— and humilitie grace it encreaseth lightâ— perseuerance in goodnesse blisfull ioy in hope a desire to be perfect a tasâ— of wisdome constancy in faith loue in patience ioyfulnesse of spirit vprightnesse of minde zeale of Iustice and aâ— thirsting desire of vertue Laurentiuâ— Iustinianus de institutione regiminâ— praelatorum A bough of a tree the fuller of Appleâ— it is the heauier it is and the morâ— loden with fruit it is the more lowly iâ— hangeth so the wiser a man is the more humble he is and the more hee iâ— loden with the fruits of wisdome the more submisse and lowly he is but a proud man like a barren branch mounteth aloft not seeking the profit of his soule but vanity Hector Pintus in cap. 2 Ezech. As a raine floud is low in Summer and as it were creepeth on the ground but in the Winter and Spring-time doth flow and abound so also humility in prosperity is very small but in aduersitie is very great and strong Berâ—ardus Iustinianus in vita Laâ—rentij Iustiniani As Christ was humble and meeke so must Christians bee As Abell is commended for innocency Noah for righteousnesse Abraham for faith Isaac for matrimoniall loue and Iacob for simplicitie and painefull labour so Moses is commended for meekenesse the Scripture saith of him in the twelfe of Numbers the third verse Moses was a very meeke man aboue all the men that were vpon the earth As salt seasoneth all meates so humility seasoneth all vertues As a wilde Bull tyed to a figge tree becommeth tame so a proud man keeping company with an humble man becommeth more lowly F. Ioannes à S. Geminiano libro 3. de vegetabilibus plantis cap. 29. As Serpents cannot abide the shadow of an Ash tree so the Diuels cannoâ— abide humility ibidem As the gumme of the Tree Bdelliuâ— cureth both inward and outward impostumes so humilitie healeth both thâ— sinnes of the heart and the vices of thâ— flesh ibidem As Cinnamon groweth in watry places so humility groweth in thoâ— hearts that are watered with true wise dome ibidem As Hysope boiled in wine with drâ—â— figs doth purge the lungs and the breâ— of all diseases growing of cold causes so humilitie mingled with the Wine 〈◊〉 charity and the sweete Figge of man suetude doth purge and cure the inflamations of wrath and the swelling of pride ibidem As the herbe Dill expelleth winâ—nesse so humility banisheth pride ibiaâ— Patience AS much raine weares out thâ— toughest Marble and with conâ—â—â—tinuance of strokes the hardest steele iâ— pierced euen so the greatest patiencâ— by extremities may be peruerted and the kindest heart made cruell by intollerable torturing As hee that hath an adam antine body is not subiect to the wounds of darts so he that is armed with patience taketh no harme by the wounds of reproches Chrysostomus homil 2. ad populam Antioch As Ioseph left his coate in the hand of the harlot but fled away with a better coate of Chastitie so also cast thy coate vnto the hands of the calumniatour and flie away with the better couering of righteousnesse least whilest thou chalengest the vesture of thy body thou loosest the precious vestiment of thy soule Idem Homil. 12. operis imperfecti As arrowes shot forcibly against any hard substance doe rebound backe againe but being sent with a milder â—â—ight enter and sticke fast so we more exasperate euill speakers by repugning them when as by patiently yeelding wee easily appease them and mitigate their fury Idem hom 14. in Ioan. If a rich man bee called poore hee laugheth at it because he knoweth it to bee false so if wee with patience would smile at iniuries done vnto vs it would be a great argument that we are falsely reprehended Idem hom 48. As Merchants sustaine the dangers of the Sea for earthly lucre so let vs with patience vndergoe all extremities and all hard measure that the world offers vnto vs for the kingdome of Heauen and the presence of God Idem hom 76. As water quenched fire so patience extinguisheth anger Idem hom 22. ad Hebraeâ—â—s A dogge biteth the stone that is cast at him neuer respecting him that cast it so they that are impatient looke alwayes to the second meanes and neuer to God that sendeth tribulations Dorotheus de accusatione sui ipsius doctrina 7. As physicke repaireth health in bodies so tribulation begetteth patâ—ence in soules Laurentius Iustinianus in ligno vitae de patientia cap. 3. As it is a cruell thing to deny water to him that is thirsty so it is an euill thing to passe ouer in silence the praises of the excellent vertue patience Idem cap. 21. As Dauid is commended for his holy zeale and Cornelius for his almes deeds so is Iob for his patience As Gold is not diminished in the fire but made brighter so a patient man in aduersitie is not daunted but made more glorious F. Ioannes a S. Geminiano libro 2. de metallis lapidibus cap. 24. As the stone Chrysopassus hideth his brightnesse in the day but sheweth it in the night so patience appeareth not in prosperity but in aduersitie ibidem Obedience AS Clay doth follow the hand of the fashioner so should man bee obedient to the will of God Chrysost. lib. 1. de pronidentia Iustinus de recta confess siue de S. coessentia Trinitatis As it is meete that beasts should obey vs so it requisite that our reason should obey God Procopius in Leuitic As Adam by disobedience became subiect to death so our Sauiour by obedience subdued death Thalassius ad Paulinum presbyt As the Sun Moone Starres and the Sea obey God so much more should man Theodoret sermone 3. graecarum affect curat As victory is not expected without a captaine and as there is no hope of arriuing at the hauen without a Pylot so without obedience it is vnpossible not to bee hazarded in the Sea of this life Laurentius Iustinianus de ligno vitae cap. 3. de obedientia As the Iewes declared their obedience in the shadow so ought Christians much more to performe theirs in the substance seeing that the bright Sonne of righteousnesse hath appeared vnto them Chrysost. hom 60. in Genesin He that bestoweth his study vpon Ischomachus shall proue a husband-man if vpon Lampides a Pylot if vpon Charidemus a Captaine if vpon Simon a skilfull rider if vpon Perâ—ices a â—auerner if vpon Crobylus a cunning cooke if vpon Archilaus a dauncer hee that studieth Homer shall proue a Poet if Pyrrho a contentious wrangler if Demosthenes an oratour if Chrysippâ—â—s a Logitian and
hinder a good mind want doth pinch and aboundance doth suffocate good purposes Plin. lib. 18. cap. 18. As the Birds called Martinets doe â—ither flye or lye vpon the ground because they want feete so some are too vehement in either part either they are too busie or too idle they haue no meane Plin. lib. 10. cap. 39. Nightingals doe kill themselâ—es with singing so doe many with immoderate study Plin. lib. 10. cap. 29. Wine drunke moderately doth help and strengthen both the eyes sinewes but too much being taken hurteth both so by moderate study the life is adorned and beautified but too much labour doth weaken and destroy it Iuie being drunke doth hurt the sinewes which being outwardly applyed doth profit and comfort them so if thou wholy giuest thy selfe vnto Philophy it doth hinder and hurt thy religion but if thou moderately drinkest of it it furthereth much thine erudition Plin. lib. 24. cap. 10. Salt being sparingly sprinkled vpon meate doth giue a grace vnto the tast so if thou minglest a little antiquity or mirth with thy speech it becommeth more beautifull but if more then enough there is nothing more vnpleasant Gallus a riuer of Phrygia being moderatly drunke of doth cure the diseases of the body but being immoderately tasted of bringeth franticknesse of mind so if thou moderately tastest of Philosophy it much profiteth but if thou wholy addictest thy selfe vnto that study it taketh away the health of thy mind and affecteth thee with a fury of vaine glory Pin. lib. 31. cap. 2. Protogenes that excellent Painter is taxed because he knew no time to take his hand from his table so some writers doe offend in immoderate diligence who thinke that they neuer haue mended a thing well enough Plin. lib. 35. cap. 10. A vine except it be pruned doth wax barren through fruitfulnesse and fecundity so forward wits are to bee restrained from immoderate study least they consume themselues As a man is to keepe the way between fire water so that he neither burn nor drowne himselfe so we are neither to decline to the right hand nor to the left but to keepe a meane August Epist. 82. Chastity AS it is better to be in health then to be sicke discourse of health so it is better to be chast and continent then filthy and polluted to discourse and prate of Chastity and continency Clemenâ— Alexaudinus lib. 3. stromat Many among the Gentiles did abstaine from wickednesse either because they could not obtaine their purpose or because they feared men or because they sought after greater pleasures and so let the present slip so in the Faith and among Christians some are chast and continent either for the promise sake or for the feare of God Ibidem lib. 7. As a valiant Champion is knowne by the good habit of his body so a good Christian is discerned by the chastity and continency of his life Basilius iâ— regulis fusius dsputat interrog 17. As the images of Satyres doe moue laughter and as sadder pictures doe procure soberer thoughâ—s so a Virgin the image of chastity and the very shape of the vertue it selfe ought to conuert our affections to the consideration of God Idem de vera virginitate 27. As dogges feede themselues in butâ—hers shambles so Deuils feed themâ—elues in vnchast and incontinent mens â—oules Palladius in vita Mosis Abâ—â—tis As the Bee is laborious chast and â—ontinent so ought Virgins to bee Ambrosius lib. 1. de virginibus As the Bee doth feed vpon the hony dew so a Virgin doth feede vpon the diuine Word Ibidem As a flower doth soone perish by drought and wither with the wind so Chastitie in women is soone corrupâ—ed either through want of wedlocke authority or through the procliuity of age to vice Hieronimus epist. ad Saluâ—â—um de viduitate seruanda As it not safe to commit a litle whyrry to the Seas violence so it is not safe to commit a virgins chastitie to â—utors importunity Idem Epist. ad Gaudentium de Pacatulae educatione As a Ship desireth the hauen so Chastity loueth solitarines Nilus â—raâ—â—one secunda aduersus vitia As incontinency neither eateth drinketh resteth sleepeth nor vseth venerâ— pleasurably by reason of satiety and superfluous ingurgitation so continency truly enioyeth these and giueth thâ— right vse and touch to all pleasures Xenophon lib. 4. de dictis Socratis As an oxe after hee is gelded encreaseth in strength and is made mortame and fit for labour and of a softepace so by Chastitie a man is madâ— more capable of grace more ripe vntâ— repentance fitter for the labour of obedience and more graue and modest F. Ioannes à S. Geminiano lib. 5. de animalib Terrestâ—â—b cap. 17. Isidore Cicero Iunenal Physiologuâ— and Pliny report that the beast called 〈◊〉 Beauer being pursued of hunters for hiâ— testicles which are profitable for medicine doth bite them out and leauâ— them for the hunters and so escapetâ— and saueth himselfe so continent anâ— chast persons doe not carnally buâ— spiritually castrate themselues â—or thâ— Kingdome of Heauen least they shoulâ— be taken by infernall hunters that is of Deuils by the lusts and pleasures 〈◊〉 the flesh ibid. As the low shrub Cinnamomum the rind whereof is that spice we call Cinnamon groweth among briars and brambles and among hard rockes and therefore it is gathered with great difficulty so the chastity and continency of the flesh doth not spring of the daintines of delicate life both doe grow out of the sharpnesse of repentance and out of the austeritie of abstinence Idem lib. 3. de vigetabilib plant cap. 11. As Cinnamon vnlesse it bee dryed yeeldeth no smell as saith Plinie so the flesh except it bee dryed by abstinence from the moisture of luxury doth not yeeld to God the sweete odour of continency Ibidem As the Margarite is engendered of the heauenly dew so continency is possessed by the gift of the heauenly grace Idem lib. 2. de Metallis lapid cap. 7. As Magarites are little in quantitie but great in valour so Virgins and continent persons are little in appearance by reason of humilitie but great in esteeme by reason of vertuous valour Ibidem As steele is of a pure substance then iron so are continent persons of a purer mould then vnchast lollards ibidem As steele is more durable and lasting then iron so a continent man is longer liued then an incontinent man ibid. S. Martin visiting his dioces saw a meddow part of which swine had miserably rooted vp and part stood vntouched beautified with the florishing many faire flowers said hee the part rooted vp of filthy swine resembles the bodies and soules of incontinent persons but that which stands vntouched shewes the glory of Virginity and and continency Sulpitâ—â—â— in vita S. Martini Virginity SNow albeit cold yet it is melted by the fire so Virginitie doth fade and perish by familiarity and conference with women F. Ioaâ—nes a S. Geminiano lib. 1. de caelo
deuouring the fruit neither doe they know whence they come or whither they goe so certaine doe neuer appeaâ—e but when they hâ—ue neede of our helpe neither doe they visit their friends but when some necessity doth vrge them Plin. lib. 10. cap. 27. As thou canst not retaine hurtfull meate without offence nor cast it vp with griefe so if thou retainest an euill friend hee hurteth neither canst thou cast him off without enmity and tumult as if thou shouldst cast forth choler Plut As Creon did nothing helpe his daughter but embracing her did perish with her in the fire so many not enioying happy friends do perish with those that are infortunate ibidem As those that be vnskilfull in swimming whilst they would helpe them that are in danger of drowning doe drowne together with them and doe hurt more then they profit so doe those friends that in aduersitie doe onely lament and sorrow with their friends Idem As flies doe not remaine in those vitling houses where there is no sauors nor smels so the vulgar and popular friends of rich men doe â—arry no longer then profit continueth Idem Mice doe gnaw the meate and doe liue vnder the same roofe with men yet they doe not conuerse with them so â—ome friends sâ—arse current neither doe forsake by reason of commodity neither doe loue or repose affiance As the fish Scolopidus in the floud Araris at the waxing of the moone is as white as the driuen snow and at the waning as blacke as a burnt coale so a fained friend in prosperity is very louing but in aduersity exceeding lowring As all coynes are not good that haue the image of Caesar nor all good that is coyned with the Kings stampe so all is not truth that beareth the shew of godlinesse nor all friends that beare a faire face As the Rauen which Noah sent forth of the Arke made no longer reckoning of him who had saued her from death and maintained her in the Arke one hundred and fiftâ—e dayes then shee stood in need of him so many friends doe now esteeme delight prayse and often visite thee because they would supply some of their present necessities by thee which being compassed they are no longer for thee As a fruitfull tree is so long cared for â—s it brings forth store of fruit but when it failes to bring the wonted encrease no man cares for it so and no otherwise stands the case with thâ—â— while thou hast riches credit and art in prosperity thou shalt bee sure to be beloued honoured and visited but if thy state impaire and need catch thee by the back then the world no longer smiles vpon thee farewell poore forsaken man no more fruit no more friends As there is great conformitie and vâ—ion between Gold and Quicksiluer yea such and so much as when the Gold is purified in the furnace the Quicksâ—lueâ— being conuerted into smoke is sought of the Gold in what part soeuer of the fire it be to vnite it selfe therewith yet notwithstanding all this affection and friendship whensoeuer the Gold is taken forth of the fire it forsakes and leaues the Quicksiluer there behind conuerted into smoke and there ends the kindnesse so at what time thou shalt enter into the fire of tribulation the friendship thou hadst with many will be turned into smoake and so shalt thou bee left in the furnace of affliction As there are many current riuers which in winter time are full of water when as there is no necessitie of water yet in summer following are dried vp when euery one standeth most in need of water which dried vp riuers helpe not the thirsty traueller but when hee comes to drinke and finds none returneth thence deceiued like to such riuers are fained counterfeit friends who in time of prosperity and when no neede is promise much but when time of aduersitie commeth and that there is manifest necessity to be seene performance commeth short all friendship is dried vp and not a drop to bee found As the Marigold opens early in the morning being fresh and faire but at night shuts vp againe as halfe dryed and withered euen so the worlds friendship soone fayles and withereth the Sunnes heate perisheth the flower and afflictions triall putteth downe all loue and friendship As Ixion prosecuting Iuno fell into a cloud so many doe runne into counterfeit and fained friendship Plut. As Choak-weede is an enemy to Ciches and Orobos as Cockle is hurtfull vnto Wheate as wild Otes is noysome vnto Barley as Henbane is mortall vnto Lentilles and all these doe kill by embracing so the friendship of some is more pestilent then their enmitie Plin. lib. 18. cap. 45. The swallow which in Summer creepeth vnder the eues of euery house in winter leaueth nothing but durt behind her the Humble Bee hauing sucked Honie out of the faire flower doth leaue it and loath it so a fained friend hauing got what commodity hee can â—eaueth his friend in the suds The comparison of a friend and a flatterer AS Patroclus going to the battaile tooke all Achilles armour beâ—ides his speare which hee touched not by reason of the waight and bignesse so a flatterer doth take vpon him all the signes and tokens of a true friend besids the libertie of admonishing Plutarchus As a Physitian doth his endeuour to maintaine and encrease health so also doth a friend but a flatterer dealeth superficially and suggesteth that which onely delighteth Ideâ— A flatterer is like that Schoolmaster that chideth his Scholler for his stile and paper and neuer blameth the barbarisâ—es and solaecismes he committeth Idem He is like also to an ill oratour answering nothing to the arguments but â—arping at the voyce and the bookes negligently written idem As if a man seeming a Physitian should cut the haires and nailes of a man diseased with blaines botches and fistulaes so a flatterer vseth libertie in those things in which there is no need Idem As a sweete odour smelleth well and so also doth a medicine but that is profitable for nothing but to delight this besids the odour hath also greater profit so also a flatterer is onely pleasant but a friend is profitable and necessarie Idem As a picture hath pleasant colours and Medicines haue also acceptable colours so a friend doth therefore delight that hee may helpe but a flatterer onely delight Idem Where the body is swelled and puffed vp with corrupt and vicious humours there arise botches and impostumes so what a friend is angriâ— with loueth or hateth that the flaâ—terer inuerteth to a crosse end idem A Medicine applyed to a wrong place doth afflict without fruit so doth admonition being vsed out of due time And the same doth a friend with griefe which the flatterer doth with pleasure for both of them doe hurt idem Mariage AS Chaines and Fetters take strength by being linked together so doth the stare of the family by the consent and agreement of man and wise Plut. in
he that delights to dally with many binds himselfe thereby the more strictly to her loues in deed Leon Baptista Alberto Florentino in his Hecatonphila As the most constant patience being too farre pâ—ouoked conuerteth into furie so a wrathfull louer is more to be feared than a sauage monster that hath no reason As the best wine doth make the sharpest Viniger so the deepest loue turneth to the deadliest hate Bauen though it burne bright is but a blase scalding water if it stand a while turneth almost to Ice Pepper though it bee hote in the mouth is cold in the maw so hote loue is soone cold and that affection that frieth in words commonly freezeth in workes As Iupiter transformed himselfe into the shape of Amphitrio to embrace Alcmaena into the forme of a Swan to enioy Laeda into a Bull to beguile Io into a showre of Gold to winne Danae so Neptune changed himselfe into an Heyfer a Ramme a flood a Dolphin onely for the loue of those he lusted after And Apollo conuerted himselfe into a shephard into a bird into a Lyon for the desire he had to heale his disease As the first draught of wine doth comfort the stomacke the second inflame the liuer the third fume into the head so the first sip of loue is pleasant the second perillous the pestilent The least sparke if it be not quenched will burst into a flame the least moath in time â—aâ—eth the thickest cloath and I haue read that a short space there was a Towne in Spaine vndermined with Conies in Thessalia with Moules with Frogges in France in Africa with Flies so loue which secretly creepeth in to the mind as the rust doth into the iron and is not perceined consumeth the body yea and confounds the soule Iohn Lilly The little graine of Mustard-seed in time becommeth a tree the slender twigge groweth to a stately greatnesse and that which with the hand might easily haue beene pulled vp will hardly with the axe be hewen downe so loue at the first may bee easily eradicated which being growne can hardly be razed As a â—inew being cut though it be healed there will alwayes remaine a scarre or as fine linnen stained with blacke ynke though it be washed neuer so often will haue an iron mowle so the minde once mangled or maymed with loue though it bee neuer so well cured with reason or cooled by wisdome yet there will appeare a scarre by the which one may gesse the mind hath beene pierced and a blemish whereby one may iudge the heart hath beene stained As they that angle for the Tortois hauing once caught him are driuen into such a lithernesse that they loose all their spirits being benummed so they that seeke to obtaine the good will of Ladies hauing once a little hold of their loue are driuen into such a traunce that they let goe the hold of their liberty bewitched like those that view the head of Medusa or the Viper tied to the bough of the Beech tree which keepeth him in a dead sleepe though hee beginne with a sweete slumber New Wine is more pleasant then wholsome and Grapes gathered before they be ripe may set the eyes on lust but they make the teeth on edge so loue desired in the bud not knowing what the blossome will be may delight the conceit of the head but it will destroy the contemplatiue of the heart Apelles was no good Painter the first-day he that will sell Lawne must learne to folde it so he that will make loue must first learne to court it As betweene the similitude of manners there is a friendship in euery respect absolute so the composition of the body there is a certaine loue ingendred by ones lookes where both the bodies resemble each other as wouen both in one loome Euery flower hath his blossome his sauour his sap so euery desire should haue to feed the eye to please the wit to maintaine the estate Poyson will disperse it selfe into euery veine before it pierce the heart so loue maimeth euery part before it â—ill the liuer As by Basill the Scorpion is ingendred and by the meanes of the same hearbe destroyed so loue which by time and fancy is bred in an idle braine is by time and fancy banished from the heart As the Salamander which being a long space nourished in the fire at the last quencheth it so affection hauing taken hold of the fancie and liuing as it were in the minde of the louer in tract of time altereth and changeth the heat and turneth it to chilnesse As the Almond Tree beareth most fruit when it is old so loue hath greatest faith when it groweth in age The yong Vines bring the most wine but the old the best so tender loue maketh greatest shew of blossomes but tryed loue bringeth forth sweetest iuyce As the precious stone Anthracites being throwne into the fire looketh blacke and halfe dead but being cast into the water glistereth like the Sun beames so the precious mind of man once put into the flame of loue is as it were vgly and looseth her vertue but springled with the water of wisdome and detestation of such fond delights it shineth like the glorious rayes of Phoebus As the bâ—st charme for a toothach is to pull out the tooth so the best remedy for loue is to weare it out Fire is to be quenched in the sparke weeds are to be rooted vp in the bud follies in the blossome greene sores are to be dressed roughly least they fester tetters to be drawne in the beginning least they spread Ringwormes to be annointed when they first appeare least they compasse the whole body so the assaults of loue are to be beaten backe at the first siege least they vndermine at the second Hearbs that are the worse for watering are to be rooted out Trees that are lesse fruitfull for the lopping are to be hewen downe Hawkes that waxe haggard by manning are to be cast off so fond louers that increase in their follies when they be reiected are to be despised The Spaniell that fawneth when hee is beaten will neuer forsake his Master so the man that doteth when he is disdained will neuer forgoe his Mistresse Theseus would not go into the Labyâ—inth without a threed that might shew him the way out so neither any wise man will enter into the crooked corners of loue vnlesse he know by what means he might get out Hot fire is not onely quenched by the cleare fountaine so neither is loue only satisfied by the faire face He that hath sore eyes must not behold the Candle so he that would leaue his loue must not fall to remembring of his Lady the one causeth the eye to smart the other the heart to bleed You shall neuer beate the flie from the Candle though shee burne nor the Quaile from the Hemlocke though it bee poyson so neither the louer from the company of his Lady though it be perillous As the hearbe Heliotropium is alwayes
owne vanities scurrilous pamphlets then any other mans graue and learned writings As they that walke in a wrong path the further they goe the worse it is for them so it is for them that goe forwards relying vpon selfe-loue Not as Physitions doe cure choler by bitter things so we must put away anger by anger Plut. If one eye little letters too much they offend the eyes so they that wâ—aâ—thfully and of selfe-will and selfe-loue loue regard small matters are enkendled to greater matters more ragingly Idem As Mares seeing their owne shape in the water are driuen into madnesse as saith Columella so some too much louing themselues and admiring their owne doings through insolency become almost mad The Emmot is an industrious creature and laboureth for no body but herselfe so many mortall men do only care for themselues and regard their owne businesse As euery mans disease seemeth most bitter vnto himselfe so euery mans discommodity doth especially grieue himselfe As the dropsie groweth through too much aboundance of matter and moisture as Auicene writeth so pride and contempt of God commeth through too much selfe-loue F. Ioannes à S. Geminiano lib. 6. de homine membris â—ius cap. 5. Affections AS that tempest is more dangerous which suffereth not to arriue in the hauen them that which forbiddeth to saile so those motions of the mind are more great and grieuous which carry vs away headlong then those that disturbe our reason and hinder our quiet Plut. in Moralibus As by Circes cups men were suddainly trasformed into wild beasts so affections doe make a man suddainly to be another then he is ibidem As in a great storme a ship is not stayed except the anchor be surely fastened so in the great hurly burly of businesse sound reason must season the minde that it be not caryed away of affections Ibidem As the sayles are to be proportioned according to the greatnesse of the ship so our desires are to be moderated according to our abilities Ibidem As the shooe is wrested with the wringing of the the foote so euery mans life is of that sort as the affections of his mind are Ibidem As thou in vaine drawest pure water out of a muddy well so thou canst not be pleasant to others or pliable to thy selfe except thou purgest thy mind of euill affections ibidem As horses well ordered and manned doe of their owne accord goe the right way albeit the Coach-man doth not vse the Rames so the affections being accustomed to reasons managing and moderating doe not assay any filthy or dishonest thing either in dreames or in diseases albeit reason be in an extasie ibidem As he that hath sowre and dead wine can neither make wine nor vineger of it so according to Zenoes opinion the first motions of the minde are neither good nor euill ibidem As an open mossy place doth expell nothing that falleth into it so a minde endued with a vicious bashfulnesse is open vnto nothing but to filthy affections ibidem As they that cannot abide candle light are much lesse able to abide Sunne-shine so they that are troubled with small matters are much more distracted with greater ibidem As those diseases of the body are more grieuous which breake forth into wounds and swellings so are those affections more burdenous which through griefe make the life tediousâ— it is a disease of the mind to beleeue that all things are made of moates in the Sun but yet it doth not plague the mind so much as couetousnesse doth ibidem As childish complaints doe easily vanish away so toyish desires the matter being taken away doth soone fade Ibidem As the changing of the Moone or a sharpe winde or the ebbe of the Sea or any such light change of things doth take life from a sicke and weake man so euery small offence doth disturbe weake minds corrupted by affections when as they that are of a strong heart and a resolute minde doe not feele any such matter As no creature neither â—ame nor wilde doth yeeld to that reason which it wanteth so neither any affection Seneca As many wild weeds springing vp in a field are euill and naught of themselues and yet are signes of a fruitfull ground if it were tilled so the affections of the mind being euill of themselues doe argue no ill wit if it were tilled with wholesome instructions Plut. in Moral As any dogges barke at euery noyse but are quiet when they heare a voyce knowne and familiar vnto them so the diseases of the minde when they rage they cannot be restrained except the speaches be knowne and familiar vnto them which may correct them being moued ibidem As the body is not capable of pleasures except it be well ordered so the minde doth not participate of true pleasure except it be free from feare and other affections ibidem As diseases although but small in the beginning doe still grow worse and worse if they be letten alone so if but once thou admit euill affections although they be but of small moment and validity they will encrease and grow to greater head Seneca As a man hath alwayes remedy at hand against the poyson of Serpents to wit his spittle which they being touched withall or a little hot water being cast vpon them they flye away and if it enter into their moutheâ— they dye so wee alwayes carry a present remedy about with vs against all pestilent desires if wee know how to vse it We must looke for it in our minds As there are Serpents that meete with vs in the woods and some lye lurking at home in our houses so some affections are mannaged by reason and shew themselues reasonable and some lye lurking in our workes and shew themselues vnreasonable Marâ—us heremit a delege spiritualâ— As they are to bee freed from fetters that haue a long iourney to goe so they are to be withheld from immoderate affections that directly would goe vnto God Theodoretus de spirituali animae resâ—rrectione As the foure humours of the body heate coldnes drinesse and moisture are the causes of all welfare and ill fare in the body so the foure principall affections of the mind loue hatred ioy and griefe are the causes of all ioy and annoy in the mind Richardus Victoriâ—us de statu interioris hominis cap. 34. As they that kill the head of a Serpents kill the whole body also so they that cut off the first motions of ill affections kill the whole rabble of them Procopius in Exodum As there is no fire so hot but it is quenched with water so there is no affection so stronge but it is weakened with reason He that hath beene burned knoweth the force of the fire he that hath beene stoung remembreth the smart of the Scorpion so he that hath endured the brunts of fancie knoweth best how to eschew the broyles of affection As thou art wary in thy trauell that thou strick not thy foot against a stone
are knowne to bee Apostolicall if we speake like the Apostles and Angelicall if we speake like Angels Chrysost. hom 26. ad populum Antiocheum Contraritie AS lime is heated by water so contratâ—eties doe moue some As heate is allayed by cold so choller is allayed by phlegme The precious stone Anthracites a kind of carbuncle being cast into the fire lookes as it were dead but being drowned in the water it shineth like sparkes of fire so contrarites doe 〈◊〉 some if thou prickest them frowards they are the more backward if thou diss wadest them they are more enkindled they become enimies to them that deserue well and friends to them that merit ill As wine doth make some dull and some quick-spirited some dumme and others talkatiue according to the disposition of their bodies so the same foolishnesse and ignorance of the truth doth stirre vp some to couetousnesse and others vnto pleasures As the Sunne doth harden clay and soften wax so the same speach spoken of the same man doth worke remorse in one and obstinacy in another As a blacke gound doth best beseeme a white counterfet and Venus according to the iudgement of Mars was then most amiable when she sate close by Vulcane so contraries being opposed one against another doe manifest themselues more euidently As the Lawrell is greenest in the foulest winter so the lime is hotest in the coldest water As the Glo-worme shineth brightest when the night is darkest so the Swan singeth sweetest when his death is neerest As out of one and the selfe-same roote commeth as well the wilde Oliue as the sweete and as the Palme Persian Figge Tree bearth as Apples as Figges so a Mother thrusteth sometimes into the world at one time the blossoms of grauity and lightnesse As the breath of the Lyon ingendereth as well the Serpent as the Ant and as the selfe same dew forceth the carth to yeeld both the Darnell and wheate and as the Easterly winde maketh the blossomes to blast and the buds to grow so one wombe many times nourisheth contrary wits and one milke diuers manners as Amphion and Zetis Titus and Domitian Bolâ—stâ—â—us and Vâ—enceslaus c. As the Vine and the Cabbish the Oake and the Oliue tree so the Serpent and the Ash-tree the Iron and Theamides can by no meanes agree together Counctation THe whelpes of Beares are borne ilâ— fashoned they moue themselues when they are two moneths old but scarcely goe at six moneths so those things that are to become excellent doe grow by leasure and are perfected by little and little Choyse THe water of the Sea is vnprofitable to drinke but it nourisheth fishes and is seruiceable for saylers so wee must excerpe and extract whatsoeuer commodity is in any thing Plut. As it is a goodly thing to haue sayled and trauelled by many Cities but it is expedient to inhabite and dwell iâ— one of the best so many things are 〈◊〉 bee knowne but the best things are to bee followed and kept Idem Glory WHen the Sun-beames are perpendicular ouer a mans head they either altogether take away his shadow or make it very little so exceeding great glory doth quite extinguish enuy Plut. As a smoake great at the first doth soone vanish so doth glory falsely gotten Idem As that fire doth make no smoake that presently breaketh into a flame so neither is that glory subiect to enuy that presently shineth forth but enuy atten ds them that rise by degrees idem As a shadow waiteth vpon vs whether we will or no so glory followeth vertue albeit she flye from it Seneca As they that are distempered by sicknesse doe abhorre the pleasantest meates so filthy fellowes neuer tasting of true glory doe neuer seoke after it Cicero Philip. pr. As it is leuity to hunt after vaine-glory so it is foolishnesse to put from vs true and deserued glory Idem in Pisonem The shadow sometimes goeth before and sometimes commeth behind so sometimes glory commeth before that wee may see it and sometimes it commeth after vs but that is greater which commeth after and then when enuy is husht for whilst Democritus raged Socrates could scarcely be heard of Rome honoured not Cato till she had lost him Rutilius his innocency had beene diuulged if he had not beene iniured Seneca epist. 80. The ancient Sapients called glory a Crocodile For as a Crocodile doeth follow a man flying him and flyeth from him that followes him so glory doth flye from them that desire it and doth follow them that flye it Albertus Nouitampianus As he that is cloathed with silke and purple will not haue a durty cloake put on him so holy men cloathed with excellent vertues should not coueâ— themselues with humane glory Dorâ—theus Dehumilitate doctrina 2. Vaine Glory AS moathes doe â—aâ—e out a garment so vaine-glory hath eaten out many mens possessions Chrysostom homil 42. in Genesin As drunkennesse obscureth reason so vaine-glory corrupteth discretion Idem hom 2. in Ioan. As we despise earthly riches when wee hope for heauenly possessions so wee contemne the vaine-glory of this life when wee perswade our selues of celestiall glory idem hom 28 in Ioan. As a profane woman doth set her selfe â—â— sale to euery body so doe they that are giuen ouer vnto vaine-glory Idem hom 17. in epist. ad Rom. As nights succeed dayes and winters Summers so griefe and heauimes folâ—owes vaine-glory and pleasure either â—n this world or in the world to come Maxiâ—â— lib. â— de charitatâ— As the Pismyâ—e â—ateâ—h the ends of â—he corne shee hath gathered that it may not sproute not grow so vaine-glory nippeth all our good parts in the â—ead Climâ—acus de 〈◊〉 fuga As Iuâ—e embracing a cree withereth â—he roote so vaine-glory corrupteth the â—oote of true vertue if it spring vp by it Nilus or ation 7. 〈◊〉 â—itia S. Isains abb as oratione 16â— As the wind carieth away the print of thy foote-step paced in sand or dust so vaine-glory vtterly taketh away the vertue and reward of an almes deed ibidem As the flower flourisheth to day and to morrow is withered so doth humane glory Isiodrus Clariâ—ts or atione 105. tomo secundo As a shadow hath no footing so neither hath vaine-glory Henricus de Hassâ—â— in Soliloquâ—o animae The tract of a ship is not discerned in the Sea so neither the glory of man hath any biding in the world ibidem As the wind puffes vp the waues so vaine-glory puffes vp vaine men As an Asse is not to be preferred before a horse albeit he be decked with Golden trappings so no man is to beâ— vaine-glorious and proud for externall acontrements outward habiliments seeing that the Elephant excelleth him in hugenesse the Lyon in courage the Nightingale in singing the Peacocke in beautie Bees in cunning the Spider in weauing the Hare in swiftnesse the Eagle in sight thâ— Asse in hearing and the Dogge in sinelling Isidor us â—ratione de humilitate tomâ— priâ—â—o As the little Worme Teredo
of the temple all the stomes were hewed with axes and hammers so the liuely stones that are to build the celestiall Ierusalem must be polished with diuers strokes and beatings ibidem cap. 19. As gold cast into water doth neither loose his colour nor his price but being cast into fire is made more splendent and pure so a righteous man doth not loose his vertue in the water of prosperity but in the fire of calamity is made more glorious and shining when as the wicked are like vnto clay that is dissolued in water and hardned in fire Hector Pintus in cap. 37. Ezechiel As a showre falling into the Sea â—eemeth to adde nothing to it so disâ—sterous fortune doth nothing hurt a wise man Seneca de consolatione â—ap 16. As Peter walked vpon the waters by â—aith so the boly Saints walke through â—he flouds of tribulations by faith F. â—oannes à S. Geminiano lib. 1. de caelo â—lementis cap. 94. As blacke leade is ofâ—en found in the â—aines of the earth with Gold and Siler so grieuous tribulations are often borne of the Saints with great ioy idem lib. 2. de Metallis lapidibus cap. 38. Debt AS wee giue money to haue a hand or a foote cut off if they be putrified and corrupted so house and houshold are to be made away that we may discharge our selues from debt and so become free men Plut. As a horse once broken to carry one rider carieth one after another so they that once fall into debt still fall in further and further ibidem Cholericke men that doe not purge themselues in time doe fall into greater inconueniences so they that suffer their debts to encrease afterwards abide the greater calamitie ibidem The fish Polypus whatsoeuer he catcheth in his clawes he holdeth it fast so many when they haue gotten other mens money into their hands doe very hardly part from it Plin. lib. 9. cap. 29. Defence THe Serpent Amphisbena hath a head at both ends and doth vse both ends as a tayle so some doe defend themselues now this way now that way when they thinke it commodious they flye to the liberty of the Church and when it makes for them they shrowd themselues by the countenances of Princes Custome AS hee that driueth a naile into a post fasteneth it at the first stroake that hee giueth with his mallet but more firmely at the second but so fast at the third that it can hardly be pulled out againe and the oftner that hee knocketh it the faster it sticketh and is pulled out againe with the greater difficulty so custome in sinning doth so deepely driue vice into our soules as it were with a great mallet and there it sticketh so fast that scarcely any thing may bee found by which it may bee haled and pulled out Lodouicus Granatensis lib. 1. Ducis peccatorum As he that in the morning is not able to passe ouer the foord when as yet the water is low shall bee much lesse able to passe ouer it at night when the bankes are full and the riuer swelleth like tâ—e flouds and tides of the Sea so hee that in the beginning is not able to sway the rule of his peruerse affections shall much lesse bee able to came them when they are accustomed in any violent proceeding ibidem As hee that is not able to pull vp a plant newly rooted is lesse able to do it when it hath taken deepe rooting so he that is not able to pull vp the roote of vices lately planted shall be much lesse able when they haue taken profound rooting and through custome sticke faster in the soule Idem lib. 2. Ducis peccatorum As he that is indangered with a long and a pernicious desease seldome so commeth to his former health that not some relicks of the disease remaine in his body so the custome and diâ—turnity of sinne is seldome healed and cured without some relicks remaining ibidem Euen as it is very hard to withdraw a great riuer from his naturall course which by many yeares it hath beene accustomed to to another current so also it were hard that a man should change his life which many yeares he hath led and should assume another Lodo. Gran. lib de deuot As the habit to thinke alwayes euill things doth so bind a man that hee can not thinke of good things so on the other side the vse and custome of good things doth so change a man that hee thinketh not on euill things ibid. As Rachell when she went out of her Countrey tooke away with her the Idols of her Fathers house so they that haue accustomed themselues to any thing albeit they leaue it yet some reliques will remaine with them Stella de contemptâ— mundi As a man speaketh that idiome and dialect of speach which he hath alwayes vsed so it is in the customarie frequentation of any other thing ibid. As fire the more fewell it taketh hold of burneth more extremely so the nature of sin the longer it continueth the further it spreadeth and becommeth more vntamed Chrysost. contra Gentiles hom 22. ad pop Antiochiae As hee that is conuersant among sweete odors doth a good while after smell of them so a minde that hath beene accustomed to honesty doth long after retaine some sparkes of it Plut. They that haue long beene bound in fetters when they are loosed doe yet halt neither can they on a suddaine goe perfectly so they that haue beene long accustomed vnto vices when they forsake them doe retaine certaine reliques of them idem As a blemish that hath beene long growing and taken deepe rooting is hardly taken away so inueterate vices are hardly corrected idem As a Booke diuers times blotted in one place is not easily made cleane so the minde that often relapseth into the same vices As hardened and brawned flesh careth not for the prints of rods so the minde accustomed to sin is not mooued with a sleight correction As Mithridates by customing himselfe to take poyson became incapable to bee poysoned so the euils which thou accustomest thy selfe vnto doe not offend As the entrance into a wee le or bow-net is easie but the getting forth againe very difficult so the way vnto vice is easie but the returne from the customarie frequentation of it is very hard As they that are accustomed to dwell in corrupt and pestilent places doe long indure in them so they that arâ— accustomed to grieuances and discommodities doe little care for them Plin. lib. 18. cap. 6. As the sight of some men doth inâ—hant so there bee some the whole custome of whose life doth infect good manners As thicke skinne and brawned flesâ— in time becomes almost senselesse so the custome of sinne takes away the feeling of sinne Plin. lib. 25. cap. 2. As an inueterate leprosie is not easily cured so that sinne is not easily left which custome imposeth as a necessitie Conuersing and liuing together AS they that walke in the Sunne although they
sooner entreth into the white rose so corruption especially the corruption of couetousnesse doth easily creepe into the white head As he that is tossed this way and that by diuers tempests neither commeth to that place he would hath not sayled much but hath beene tossed much so hee that hath long liued neither hath profited in good manners hath not liued long but hath long beene Seneca de breuitate vitae As a prodigall man soone wasteth a great deale of wealth so a voluptuous intemperate man soone shortens his life and neuer commeth vnto old age ibidem As a ship ful of leaks cannot long hold out so an old man full of infirmities and diseases cannot long liue Idem lib. 2. epist. 30. As our Mothers wombe doth hold vs nine moneths and prepareth not vs for it selfe but for that place we are to goe forth into being now fit to draw breath and looke abroad so through all this space from infancy to old age wee are preparing for another child-birth of nature Idem lib. 2. epist. 103. As not all wine doth sowre through age so not all old age is crabbed Cicero in Catone Maiore vel desenectnte As we prayse a young man in whom there is some grauity so we commend an old man in whom there is some relickes of an honest youth Ibidem As wantonnesse and lust is more proper vnto youth then vnto old men and yet not vnto all young men that is vnto those that are honest so dotage and deliration is not proper vnto all old men but vnto those that are weak-headed and light brain'd ibidem As wise old men are delighted in youth of good towardnesse and their age is more tollerable vnto them that are embraced and reuerenced of youth so young men delight in the preceps of old men by which they are brought vnto the study of vertue Ibidem As hee is not praysed that hath sung much or pleaded much or gouenued much but he that hath done it well so he hath not liued long that hath lasted out many yeaâ—es but he that liued wel Plutarchus in Moral As wine soone sowreth so our life soone endeth Antiphanes apud Stobaeum sermone 113. As to the stomacke quatted with dainties all delicates seeme queasie and as hee that surfetteth with wine vseth afterward to allay it with water so those old men that haue ouer charged their gorges with fancie accompt all honest recreation meere folly and hauing taken a surfet of delight seeme now to sanour it with despight As old men are very suspicious to mistrust euery thing so are they very credulous to beleeue any thing the blind man doth eate many a flye As the hearbe Moly hath a flower as white as snow and a roote as blacke as incke so many times age hath a white head shewing pitty but a blacke heart swelling with mischife Olde mens Counsell IT is reported that the Bird Ibis the older she is the more odoriferously and sweetly shee smelleth so the glory of old men is more calme and their councels more safe Plut. Counsell AS he that is sicke of his liuer doth foolishly if onely he shew his soare nayles vnto the Physition so doth hee foolishly that being troubled and disturbed with great euils and mischiefes doth aske counsell of his friend about trifles Plut. There be some that cannot see things neare vnto them but they can discerne things further off so many are better aduised in other menâ— matters then in those things that pertaine vnto themselues As the hagges called Lamiae are blind at home but see all things abroad so some are too cleare eyed in other meâ—â—â—usinesse but are hood-winked in their owne If among birds one female tread another it begetteth an egge but nothing is bred of it so that counsell which thou conceiuest in thy mind if it bee not seasoned witâ— reason it is friuolous and vnprofitable Aristot. lib. 6. cap. 2. de nat animal Plin. lib. 10. cap. 58. As Apion calling Homer from his graue asked him none other thing then from what parents he was sprung so some a Counsell of graue men being conuerted doe consult of nothing but of toyes and trifles Euill counsell is the worst vnto him that giueth it AS Perillus who gaue the brasen bull vnto Phalaris perished by his owne inuention so many times euill counsell doth fall vpon the head of the authour Plin. lib. 34. cap. 8. As oftentimes the fish Polypus is taken and held whilst hee deuoureth shell fishes so now and then whilst we endeuour to hurt others we bring our selues into danger Plin. lib. 9. cap. 29 As Cybele 〈◊〉 â—saces Chamberlaine and Bawde 〈◊〉 poysoned with the same poyson that shee thought to haue dispatched Cariclia with so Achemenes Cybeles Son being at the point to haue traiterously slaine Oroondales lieutenant of Aegypt before hee had giuen him a deadly wound was stroken thorow himselfe with an arrow of an Aethiopian Heliodorus in the eight and nine Booke of his Aethiopian History As Diomedes King of Thrace cast others as prouender to be eaten of horses so he by Hercules was cast to the same horses and deuoured of them As Busiris King of Aegyt vsed to burne others in sacrifice before his gods so he by Hercules was burnt in sacrifice vpon the same alter As by that thing a man doth plant a man is oftentimes supplanted as Noah in planting a vineyard was supplanted by the wine Gen. 9. so by that a man doeth inuent he is often circumâ—â—ented as Hanian was hanged on the same gallowes that hee had prepared for Mordeca Ester 7. As the Israelites blasphemed God with their flery tongues so God punished them with fiery Serpents As Nadab and Abihu the Sonnes of Aaron offered strange fires before the Lord so they were devoured with fire Levit. 10. As the Princes of Iuda were cruell so cruell beasts tore them in peeces Ieremie 5. As Pharaoh would needs drown the Children of Israel in the Water Exod. 1. so God payed him again with the self-same coyne drowning him afterward in the red Sea Exodus 14. As the woman had eaten of the forbidden fruite so her punishment was appointed by-fruite That the fruit of her wombe should be brought forth in paine and heauinesse Gen. 3. As man sinned eating so God limited his penalty by eating saying Thou shalt eate thy bread in the sweate of â—hy browes As Adoni-bezeke cut off the thumbs of the hands and of the feete of seuenty Kings so Iudah cut off the thumbs of his hands and of his feete Iudges 1. As Cresseida was inconstant to Troylus so King Diomede proved constant to her As Iohn Martin of Brigueras a mile from Angâ— ongue vaunted every where that he would slit the Ministers nose of Angrongue so was he assaulted by a wolfe which bit off his nose so that he died thereof mad Fox in his booke of Acts and Monuments 2. tom pag. 1088. Rash Counsell AS the North wind is boysterous at the beginning but milde
capitall crime to killa Storke for none other cause but because shee killed Serpents and in England Kites are spared by an act of parliament because they purge Cities of garbage and entrals of beasts so honour and dignity is to be bestowed vpon some not that they are worthy of it but because their diligence is necessary for vs. Falling starres are suddainly extinguished so those that fortune hath suddainely aduanced are in a trice cast downe Plut. Meteors soone breed soone vanish so in honors and dignities those that are soone vp are soone downe As that which falleth from an high loft maketh a great noise and is heard of all so hee that falleth from an high estate his ruine is euery where heard of Chrysost. hom 40. operis imperf As hee that presumeth to vsurpe hoâ—our not giuen him of God is worthy of blame so hee that putteth it from him being giuen vnto him is guilty of disobedience Idem 1. in 1. Timoth. As they that climbe vp a rotten adder are in danger of falling so all â—onour power and glory which is contrary to humilitie doth endanger the possessour Climacus de discretionâ— gradu 26. As wise men doe not estimate the valour of horses by their trappings so neither doe they value great personages by their honours and dignities but by their vertues Isidorus de humilitate tomo primo Honour AS he that stands on a high Tower if his foote but slip is in danger of a shrewd fall so hee that sits in honours seat As the Iuy winds about an old dry Tree to make it saplesse so doth honour circle thee to leaue the accountles As there is nothing that flies away more speedily then a shadow so there is not any thing more vnconstant then 〈◊〉 As the Viper being burnt to ashes is good to heale the biting of a Viper so if thou beest beaten with worldly honours and vanities desiring likewise to be healed thereof remember that thou must returne to ashes the very corruptible matter whereof thou wast made As the first Adam lost honor by pursuing and following euill so the second Adam got honour by auoyding and â—schewing it As the Iron must first be well heated in the fire ere it can bee wrought by the hammer and driuen out on the anuile so cannot thy fame and name be honourably enlarged till they haue first suffered the strokes of many temptations and through the fire of piercing trials The purest wine gets soonest into the head which makes a wise Lord or ruler of Seruants when he sees any of his followers seeke to disorder themselues with drinking of the best wine that they shall abate the strength thereof with water euen so is the will of God when fauour of men and worldly regard doe trouble the sences and ouermaster our wits that they should bee qualified with the water of more prouident respect namely those blames and defects which depend vpon them When Aâ—tiochus entred the Temple hee tooke away the lights and the candlestickes euen so worldly fauor no sooner enter into our thoughts but it extingusheth all light of knowledge of our selues As things caried aloft by the winde the wind no sooner ceaseth but they fall to the ground so it fares with them who without desert and by the fauor of men are highlie promoted when fauor slacketh down-fals their dignity in a miserable case is he that hath no better assurance As the snowe in summer and as raine in haruest are not meete so is honor vnseemly for a foole As euery crown doth not become euery conqueror so euery honour doth not become euery man Plut. As a great Collossus and a huge statue ill poysed are easily subuerted so too much honour through enuy doth ouerthrew many Plut. They that heape honours and glory vpon an euill man doe giue wine to one sicke of a feuer honey to one oppressed with choler and meate to one troubled with morbus coeliacus which encrease the disease of his mind that is his foolishnesse Plut. Nobilitie AS faith is very rich but without works quite dead so nobility is good but if not accompanied with vertue most base and infamous Stella de contemptu mundi As of one roote springeth both the Rose and the brier so of one mother may descend both a bad Sonne and a good for a man may be borne of a noble birth and yet himselfe become vile and dishonorable ibidem As in fertill earth growes the Hemlocke which is a venemous and deadly hearbe and in the barren growes the pure Gold so oftentimes out of honorable house issues degenerate minds and out of base Stockes proceeds valorous thoughts ibidem As he is a foole who hauing at all no beauty in him will neuerthelesse extoll his owne beauty and perfection euen so as foolish is hee that beleeues himselfe to bee noble not hauing any part of nobility in him As of a bitter roote many times comes sweete and pleasant fruite so from a poore race may issue some to be famous and noble by the vertuous behauour which afterward shall renowne them Ibidem As grosse clowds couer the Sunne Moone and Starres and robs men of their celestiall splendour so the vices of them that are vertuously descended obscure the worthy actions of their famous forgers ibidem As brickes take their beginning from clay so nobility tooke her beginning from obscure parentage Gregorius Nyssenus apud Antonium monachum in Melissa As it nothing profiteth a muddy â—â—uer to haue sprung from a pure fountaine so it nothing helpeth vicious Children to haue descended from noble houses Hector Pintus cap. 16. Ezechiel As he that is borne a foole is borne a slaue so hee that is borne a wise man is noble borne And therefore Anâ—isthenes said very well that nobility did soly and onely consist in vertue and wisdome whereupon the Stoikes concluded that onely wise men were noble men As estimation many times springs from the foolish opinion of the people and not from desert so doth nobility Lodo Viues in introductione ad Sapientiam cap. 3. As little Crab fishes doe hide themselues in great empty shels that they may bee the more safe so some distrusting their owne strength and vertue doe protect themselues vnder the noble titles of their ancestors Erasmus As no bird can looke against the Sunne but those that bee bred of the Eagle neither any Hawke soare so high as the brood of the Hobby so for the most part none haue true sparks of heroicke maiestie but those that are descended from noble races As the wine that runneth on the lees is not therefore to be accompted neate because it was drawne of the same peece or as the water that springeth from the fountaines head and floweth into the filthy channell is not to bee called cleare because it came of the same streame so neither is hee that descendeth of noble parentage if hee desist from noble deeds to be esteemed a Gentleman in that hee issued from the loynes of a
bringeth disturbance ibidem Corrupt bodies pertaine to the Physitians cure so corrupt conditions belong to the Magistrates office Demosthenes de legibus ac earum laudibus Orat. 2. contra Aristogit Vengeance AS some riuers doe suddainly hide themselues vnder the earth which neuerthelesse are caried thither whether they tend so the vengeance of God although it bee hid yet at the length it bringeth the offenders into great calamities Plut. As Physitions doe meete with some diseases before they appeare so God doth punish some things that they may not bee done Idem As Physitions doe scorch the great toe in the cure of the hyp-gout and when it paineth in one place they remoue the medicine to another place so God sometimes casteth vengeance vpon the Children that he may cure and recall the parents Idem As God is angry at him imitateth his thunder and lightning and casteth him into hell as hee did Salmoneus so hee heapeth vengeance vpon the heads of the proude and arrogant that aemulate his greatnesse but doe not imitate his goodnesse Idem As a father seeing his child willing to cut a thing doth take the knife and cut it himselfe so reason taking vengance out of the hands of wrath doth profitably chastice idem He that taught vs to shoote did not forbid vs to dart but forbad vs to ayme amisse so punishment and vengance is not forbidden but it is to bee done opportunely and in place ibidem Certaine remedies are more grieuous then the disease it selfe that it is easier to dye then so to be cured as to sucke out the bloud from the fresh bleeding wounds of dying sword-players so it is sometimes safer to suffer an iniurie then to reuenge it with a greater discommoditie it is better to haue peace although it be not very iust and equall then to bring vpon vs warre with a thousand calamities Punishment AS they that are pined away with a long consumption doe not escape death but doe dye lingringly so they that are not forthwith punished doe not scape scot-free but are tortured with a long punishment which is bred through a feareful expectation of it Plu. Slothfull saylers doe lye lazely snorting in the hauen in faire weather and afterwards when the winds be aloft are constrained to saile with danger so he that punisheth not when he is quiet in mind somntimes is forced to punish when he is angry idem He that taught vs to shoote did not forbid vs to dart but did forbid vs to erre and wander from the marke so punishment is not forbidden but is conueniently to bee done in time and place As the gall of the Hienâ— and the spawne of a Sea-calfe and other parts of hurtfull beasts are very effectuall in medicine against great diseases so God vseth now and then the wickedest tyrants for the punishment of vices Plut. As of a Viper a Crocodile and other poysonfull beasts Physitions doe make remidies against poyson so punishment doth either driue or recall many from vices For the biting of an Aspe there is no remedy but that the bitten part bee cut off so some vices are onely healed by the punishment of death As a tree lophed of her branches doth spring againe but being plucked vp by the rootes doth no more grow so vice if it bee altogether taken away by punishment doth no more encrease Plinius lib. 22. cap. 13 Storkes when they flye into the field called Pythonis Come a place of Asia doe teare in peeces that commeth Storke that commeth last that being thus punished the rest are at quiet so â—he vices and enormites of a multitude are to bee corrected and cured by a publike and solemne punishment of some few or one As that Physicke is more to be approued which doth heale the corrupted parts of the body then that which doth cut them off so that Magistrate is better which by some moderate punishment doth correct his Citizens then he that cuts them off Banishment THere bee many meates which are sowre in the mouth and sharpe in the Maw but if thou â—ingle them with sweete sauces they yeeld both a pleasant tast and wholesome nourishment diuers colours offend the eyes yet hauing greene among them wheâ— the sight so banishment guided with the rules of Phylosophy becommeth more tolerable He that is cold doth not couer himselfe with care but with cloathes hee that is washed in raine dryeth himselfe by the fire not by his faucy so he that is banished ought not with teares to bewaile his hap but with wisedome to heale his hurt As Socrates would neither call himselfe an Athenian neither a Graecian but a Citizen of the world so Platâ— would neuer accompt him banished that had the Sun fire ayre water and earth that hee had before where hee felt the winters blast and the summers blaze where the same Sunne and the same Moone shined As all the Athenians dwelt not in Collitoâ— nor euery Corinthian in Graecia nor all the Lacedemonians in Pitania so euery man cannot sorgurne in his natiue soyle As he that hauing a faire Orchard seeing one tree blasted recoumpteth the discommodity of that and passeth ouer in silence the fruitfulnesse of the other so hee that is banished doth alwayes lament the losse of his house and the shame of his exile not reioycing at the liberty quietnesse and pleasure he enioyeth by that sweete punishment The Kings of Persia were deemed happy in that they passed their winter in Babylon in Media their Summer and their spring in Susis so certainely the exile in this may be as happy as any King in Persia for he may at his leâ—sure being at his owne pleasure leade his winter in Athens his summer in Naples and his spring in Argos The Pine Tree groweth as soone in Pharao as in Ida the Nightingale singeth as sweetly in the desarts as in the woods of Creete so a wise man liueth as well being exiled into a farre Country as in his owne home The Moone shineth as well at Corinth as at Athens and the Honny that the Bee gathereth at Mantua is as sweete as that shee gathereth in Hybla so a contented Cosmopolite though banished from his owne country may liue as well in an other As M. Furius Camillus was banished of the ingratefull Romanes so Bellisarius that valiaunt Captaine was both banished and his eyes pulled out of Iustinianus As Alcibiades being banished by the Athenians became chiefe Captaine of the arme of the Lacedemonians so Corâ—olaâ—â—â—â—s was more beloned of the Volscians among whom hee liued in exile then of the Romanes with whom he was a Citizen As Cadmus the King of Thebes was driuen out of the selfe same Citie which hee had bulded and dyed old in exile among the Illirians so Thesâ—us whose famous acts are so blazed abroad through all the world was driuen out of Athens by the selfe same Citizens which hee himselfe had placed and died an old baneshed man in Tyrus As Solon who gouerned his Citizens with most
soule by excluding the heate of charity and doeth hold it fast by reason of the vicious lyme of wealth Idem lib. 3. de vegetabilib Plant. cap. 6. An Onyon as saith Dioscorid doth yeeld little nourishment vnto the body so couetousnesse doth yeeld little nourishment to the body but none at all to the soule ibidem Onyons doe prouoke choler so doth couetousnesse prouoke anger ibidem As Henbane bringeth death to the body by bodily sleepe so couetousnesse bringeth death to the soule by spirituall sleepe Ibidem As rauenous birds doe loue to liue alone as saith Aristotle so do couetous men Idem lib. 4. de Natatilib volat cap. 9 Rauenous Birds do driue their yong ones from them so soone as they can flie so doe couetous people put out their children as soone as they can shift and casseir their seruants as soone as they haue serued their turnes ibidem As Griphons keepe Mountaines wherein are precious stones but neither vse them themselues nor suffer others to enioy them so doe couetous men deale in keeping their wealth ibidem ex Isidoro As a Hogge seeketh for his meate in durt and myre so a couetous wretch seeketh for felicitie in Siluer and Gold ibidem As a horse-leach hath a triangular mouth and a trunke in it with which she doth drinke blood and when shee hath drunke enough shee vomiteth it out againe that shee may sucke more as Isidore saith so couetousnesse hath a triangular mouth that is three wayes of ill getting to wit by rapine theft and vsury whose trunke is vnsatiable desire with which it sucketh out the blood of the poore as it manifestly appeareth in vsuries by which when it hath filled the purse then it vomiteth it forth againe that is it putteth that gaine out againe to vsury that it may gaine more Idem lib. 5. de Animalib Terrestrib cap. 10. As a dogge lying vpon hay eateth none himselfe nor suffereth others to eate so doth a couetous man ibidem As certaine Serpents keepe Balsamum but haue no vse of it nor suffer others to vse it so doe couetous men their riches ibidem As Bees gather hony of flowers and die in the dregges so doe couetous men ibidem As a spider in a short time maketâ— her webbe which the wind as soone breaketh so a couetous man soone gathereth a great deale of wealth together which misfortune soone scattereth ibidem As an Ape huggeth her young ones so a couetous miser huggeth his wealth Ibidem As the leaprosie corrupteth all the members so couetousnesse infecteth all the affections Idem lib. 6. de homine â—â—mbris eius cap. 10. As a leaper hath diuers spots so a couetous man hath diuers vices ibidem As the ancient Greeke and Latine Poets made Tantalus a mirrour of couetousnesse who was tormented with hunger and thirst notwithstanding he stood in a riuer vp to the chin and had goodly Apples hanging ouer his nose continually so our English moderne Poets note aboue all others Iustice Randall of London to be infected with the same vice a man passing impotent in body but much more in minde that dying worth many thousands and leauing behind him a thousand pounds of gold in a chest full of old bootes and shooes yet was so miserable that at my Lord Maiors dinner he would put vp a Widgen for his supper and many a good meale did he take of his franke neighbour the widow Penne. As pride is the soules â—impanie and anger the soules phrensie so couetousnesse is the soules dropsie Luxurie AS wood preserueth fire so the thought preserueth and nourisheth desires and concupiscences Like as fire worketh wood altogether into fire so lust wholy alienateth man into lasciuiousnesse As smoake driueth away Bees so luxurie driueth away spirituall graces Basilius hom 1. de ieiunio As fire changeth hard and cold iron and maketh it as fire so lust tameth iron and hardy minds F. Iohannâ—s à S. Geminiâ—no lib. 1. de caelo elementis cap. 47. As out of two flints smitten together there comes out fire so out of the vnchast touch of man and women there comes out the fire of concupiscence and luxurie ibidem As â— wall although not burnt of a candle yet it is blacked so if women cohabitate with men the Diuels Bird-lime shall not be wanting Hieronymus As wee may easily fall into a pit but not so soone get out againe so wee may easily fall into the sinne of luxurie by reason of our naturall corruption but wee can hardly get from it As sulphur is hot and therefore soone fired so is luxurie As God hath giuen eyes vnto vs not to looke for our pleasure but for things necessarie for our life so hath he giuen vnto vs genitors for none other cause but to encrease the world as the name of them may teach vs. Lactantius lib. 7. cap. 25. As drunkards doe spue forth lewd speeches so luxurious persons doe vtter lasciuious and obscene words Chrysostomus oratione 5. aduersus Iudoeos As a Pylot maketh shipwracke in the hauen obtaineth no pardon so pollution of wedlocke-state in marryed persons hath no defence either with God or man Idem hom 3. de Ozia As hee that was possessed of the Diuell liued among the graues and cut himselfe with stones so luxurious persons liue among harlots who are full of stinch and filthinesse and cut themselues with vices which are sharper then any stones idem hom 29. As it is vniust through couetousnesse to encroach vpon any mans liuing so is it vniust through lust to subuert the limits of good manners Augustinus lib. 15. de ciuitate Dei Fire is extinguished two wayes either by withdrawing the fewell or by casting on water so the fire of luxurie is quenched two wayes either by withdrawing the fomentations of the flesh or by casting vpon it the cold water of repentant teares Hugo Victorinus lib. de carnalibus nuptijs vitandâ—â— Enuie AS a worme bred in wood consumeth it so also is enuy bred in the heart and the heart is the first thing that it excruciateth and when it hath corrupted the heart it also taketh away the naturall colour of the countenance The Serpent Porphyriuâ— hath poyson but because hee is without teeth he hath it onely for himselfe so some do enuie and malice but they hurt none but themselues because they want abilitie Take away the fewell and the fire goeth forth so take away the occasion and enuy ceaseth Plut. Dogges barke at the vnknowne but â—e gentler towards them they know 〈◊〉 Heraâ—litus said so enuy doth most â—nnoy men newly aduanced but is not â—o raging against those whom it hath â—â—ene acquainted with Idem As venome doth deuoure Iron so â—â—th enuy consume the possessours of it 〈◊〉 hom de inuidâ—a As Vipers are brought forth by â—â—ring in peeces their dammes belly â—o enuy doth gnaw in sunder the soule â—f the conceiuer Ibidem Vultures and Flies flie ouer sweete Oyntments and pleasant Medowes â—â—d seaze on Carion and vlcers so
the Aegyptian sophister so an hypocrite is all things but a good Christian simple hearted and honest such an hypocrite was Iulianus Apostata Idem orat 1. in Iulinum A sepulcher seemeth beautifull so long as it shut but when it is open it is stincking and horrible so hipocrites so long as they are not knowne seeme iolly fellows but when they are laid open they are abominable Chrysost. hom 45. operis imperfactiâ— As a stage player taketh vpon him another mans person sometimes being a seruant and sometime a Lord so a hypocrite taketh vpon him the person of an honest man when indeed he is a very knaue idem insermone de Ieiunio As he that represents Agamemnon is not Agamemnon so an hypocrite seeming an honest man is no honest man Augustinus lib. 2. de sermone domini in monte The Eâ—trich seemeth as shee would flie yet hath no vse of flying so hypocrisie seemeth to haue the image of sanctity but is ignorant of a sanctified life Gregorius lib. 7. moral cap. 15. Bull-rushes and sedge haue a shew of greennesse but beare no fruit so the life of hypocrites Idem lib. 8. cap. 27. As Symon Cyrenaeus caried Christs crosse of constraint and not willingly so hypocrites doe the worke of Christ vnwillingly executing that openly which they doe not loue inwardly Bernardus sermone de benedict Gregor 8. Morall As a swan hath white feathers and blacke flesh so an hypocrite hath faire words but foule workes Hector Piâ—â—â—s in cap. 40. Ezechiel As merchants sell the skinnes of wilde beasts but doe not meddle with the entralsâ— so hypocrites onely meddle with outward things but doe not deale with inward matters Ibidem As those rockes in the sea are more dangerous which are couered with a little water then those which are eminent and easily discerned which mariners may auoide so hypocrits pretending piety are more dangerous then notorious wicked persons for these being knowne wee may eschew them when wee know not how to auoide the other idem in cap. 9. Esayae Siluer albeit it be white yet it maketh blacke lines as lead so hypocrites shew otherwise then they are As wine mingled with water doth more prouoke vomit then either pure water or pure wine so that wickednesse is more intolerable which is colored with piety then that wickednesse which shewes to be so of it selfe As Apothecaries gild ouer their medicines that they may sell them the better so hypocrites glide their words that they may the better compasse their purpose nay many can tip their tongues with the gold of the Gospell that they may the sooner entrap The Carbuncle hath a shew like fire and yet hath no fire in it so hypocrits haue the shew of piety but in truth are farre from it Plin. lib. 36. cap. 5. The Indians doe so counterfeit the precious stone Opalum that it cannot be discerned but onely in the Sunne so some hypocrites are so cunning in their dissimulation that it is hard for any to descry them but the eyes of wisedome Plin. lib. 37 cap. 6. As the beast Camelopardâ—lis resembleth a horse in his necke an Oxe in his feete and legges a cammell in his head and a Tyger or Leopard in his spottes so hypocrites doe put on diuers shapes of men if thou beholdest their habits they seeme holy if their speach thou wouldest thinke a Champion spake but if thou lookest into their liues thou shalt find them knaues if into their writings clownes and dotards As the Cretian can lye the Grecian shift the Italian court it and as Alexandar can carouse Romulus abstaine the Epicure eate the Stoike fast Endimion sleepe and Chrysippus watch so the hypocrite can fit all companies play the ambodexter in all places and be a pleasing parasite for all times hee can bee precise with the puritant iniunctiue with the protestant and Pope-holy with the Papist As the Camelion though hee hath most guts draweth least breath and as the Elder-tree though hee be fullest of pitch is farthest from strength so hypocrites though outwardly they seeme full of pietie yet inwardly they are swelled with vice The bird Taurâ—s hath a great voyce but a small body the thunder a great clap yet but a little stone the emptie vessell giueth a greater sound then the full barrell so hypocâ—â—â—â— haue plenty of words and promises but scarsity of works and performances In painted pots are hidden the deadliest poyson in the greenest grasse is the greatest Serpent in the clearest water the vgliest Toade and in the most curious Sepulchre are inclosed rotten bones so hypocrites vnder their faire pretences doe shrowd soule intendements As the Estrich carieth faire feathers but ranke flesh and as the Cypers tree beareth a faire leafe but no fruit so hypocrits make faire shewes but haue foule soules When the Fox preacheth the Gâ—eese perish the Crocodile shrowdeth greatest trason vnder most pitifull teares so in a kissing mouth there lyeth a galling minde In the coldest flint there is hot fire the Bee that hath hony in her mouth hath a sting in her taile the tree that beareth the sweetest fruit hath a sowre sap so the words of hypocrites though they seeme smooth as oyle yet their hearts are as crooked as the stalke of Iuie The Spider in the finest web doth hang the fairest flye so an hypocrite with the fairest words doth betray the truest manner As there needeth no more but one pin or prickle to pearce a bladder and to make all the wind therein inclosed incontinently to come forth euen so there needeth no more but one very little temptation to pull the visard from hypocrites and to discouer them to euery man who shall know after that they shall be sifted that there was nothing but a colour and an imagination of all the reputation of righteousnesse and vertue which they had gotten among men As the basest gold though it be raied with some durt is alwayes more precious then the brightest lead that a man can find so the righteousnesse of a Christian man though it be defiled through meny infirmities and imperfections yet notwithstanding is more to bee esteemed then all the righteousnesse of hypocrites and infidels As Barnacles are both fish and flesh as the Israelites spake both Ashdod and Hebrew as Ianus saw both before and behind as Balaam did both blesse and curse and as the Sew-mew or the Gull liues both in the water and vpon the earth so hypocriets are neither flesh nor fish they are holy with the holy and prophane with the wicked as Ehud they are ambo-dexters with the Church of Laodicea they are neither hot no cold with Tullie they are both for Caesar and Pompey and with Tytides they cannot determine whether to ioyne with Achilles or Hector Vserie AS a fish deuoures the baite with the hooke so an Vsurer deuoures the man with his mony Basil. in Psa. 14 Vipers are borne by gnawing asunder the bellies of their dams so Vsurie is bred and nourished by consuming the