L. i. de ymeeti

amor.
Ovid expreffeth the fame fentence thus*
Tofave thy body thou canfi well endure , Fire and Sword, hunger and thirft, to cure Thy mind to J'ujjer ought thou wilt deny ,
Tet is the mind of greater dignity.
Chrift alfo fpeaks of the fame argument, ahd (liarpneth our In- mth.
dnftry, ftirring up each man to keep watch, taking a Parable from Luk° lh unjuft and falfe ftewards, and from thieves that dig through hou- fes in the night, and take all occafions to rob and fteal, and take away what other men have: jfo it is fit that every man fhould watch, and becarefullofhis own Salvation, and not to let flip the opportunity, that he may in time feafonably provide filch things that are good for him, and fafe for his Soul.
Ccc
chap:
i
We mufl cheofe w friends.
A Proverb ta¬ ken from dan~ ting.
We mufl not iiufl everybody
mins. *.
Iriendfblp Jhould be \m* aortal.
Id. 1%.
(
let enmity he mortal.
IV e mufl not trttfl every body .
Chap,40„
CHAP. XL.
We muff; make a choice and difference of our friends, and familiar
companions.
DO not rafhly make choice of all to be thy familiar friends, without choofingor making any difference, but choofc thofe who are of atryed vertue,and known honefty and integrity of life. The Proverb warns us of it, That we do not give the right hand to every man. Which the Dutch render thus, Siet me ghy bijden hand neempt , See whom you take by the hand, the fimilitude be¬ ing taken from dancing, and leaping together.. For young men when they goto dance will not take every one by the hand, but they ufe to confider amongft maids who are rufticks, and who of a gentile bloud $ which alfo is chiefly to be obferved in the fociety of our lives, and in contra&ing of friendfhip. Forfome that are unskilful! inhumane affairs, and cannot difeem falfe friends from true, admit all men even thofe they never had trial of, into their moll fecrctfamililiarity, which afterwards they find to be falfe impoftors, and deceivers. Wherefore as you ought to lhew your felt faithfull to all ; fo you mufl rafhly truft none, unlefie as the Proverb goes, you have eaten a Bufhel of Salt with him, that is, you have known him long, and had great converfation with him, and whofe manners and conditions are well tried, and linderftood by thee. To which may be applyed that of the Wife Hebrew, Commitnotthyfecretstoa firanger, for you know not what he may bring forth, thatis, what monftrous mind he hath in him. Difcover not thy intents to every man, left he return thee evil for good, and fhall afterwards reproach thee. But the levity and inconftancy of men is the caufc, that the covenants of friendfhip cannot be perpetual; and many for thisreafon are perfwaded that friends mufl be fo con vetfed with, as if fometime they might be¬ come our enemies: alfo we muft foexercife quarrels and hatreds toward our enemies, as if in time all enmity being laid afide, they might be made our friends. So Martial deters men from too much familiarity with any.
If thou wouldefl avoid great care.
And griefs of mind that biting are ,
Be not too much a friend with any ,
Thy joy es and griefs won9 1 be fo many. ' ,
~ X •' .1
Yet their opinion is not contrary to reafon or to mans nature, who think that quarrels and enmities ought to be mortal; bUt friendfhip which confifls in a faithful confent of mind and will ought to be immortal. For they cannot avoid the crime of le¬ vity and inconftancy, who rafhly fuffer the bands of friendfhip to be diflolved. Wherefore Cicero is of opinion that fuch friend-
fhips
Chap-4I342«
Flatterers muft be avoided ,
3*3
{hips as are not to our minds, ought by degrees to be unloofed, and not to be cut aflundcr violently.
CHAP. XL I.
Vo not rafhly become furety for any man,
T'"'\ O not inconfideratelyand fuddtnly become furety for any | J man* For there is danger in furetifhip : he that puts him- ieif in truft for another, expofeth himfelf to hazard. For if the other fail, the lurety mu 1 ftand good, and he muft pay what he pro¬ moted for the other. Wherefore Solomon deters his Son «from be¬ ing eafily entreated to be any mans furety. CMy Son , if thou haft promtfed for thy friend , thou haft ftricken hands with a ftranger , thou art enfnared and taken in the words of thy lips , and art held by thy own fpeeches ; wherefore make hafte to be delivered from the hand of thy neigh¬ bour. Yet that muft not be obferved too rigidly, fince in moft urgent caufes we muft pleafure our friends, and fuch as we are bound toby the law of nature, and them we muft gratify, and fometimes expofe our goods and credit* and our lives aifo to de¬ fend them ; yet fo that no man forfake what is right for their fake, nor do any thing contrary to hone Ay, even as the Proverb admo- nifheth. We muft obferve our friend, but that is onely as far as to the Altar, that is, we muft not paffe the laws of Religion, for it is not lawfull to obferve our friend to the damage of our own Con¬ science, or wrong done to Religion.
CHAP. XL 1 1.
It is danger Ski to be a furety.
P rov. 6. Solomon for¬ bids fnretijbif.
How far we mft obferve our friend.
Flatterersfzhicb the cDutch commonly call Pluymftrijckers,w#Jf
be avoided *
Since the Art of cogging and flattering, or rather craftinefle a flatterer is which confifts in an artificial enticing by words, may eafily dangerous. catch a fimple man : I give thee warning that thou let not thy Ears be open to flatterers, and not to fuffer thy felf ro be deluded by his enchanting and fair fpeeches. By thefe marks lhall you difeern between a true and faithfull friend, and a wicked and counterfeit diflcmbler. For he freely and gravely will tell a man frhndauda of his duty, to whom he wifheth well, which Solomon placeth in flatterer. the chiefeft feat of friendfhip : but this will cunningly flatter and Fr0VA7- daub you over with gallant words, approves all you do; and ap¬ plauds you in your errours, and fits all things for. your Ears, fo that his words are not onely agreeing to your will, but he ob- ferves even your looks, and countenance. Gnatho in Terence doth accurately deferibe men of this condition, and by thefe Verfes he Munich. Art.*: {hews the manner how they ufe to endear men unco them* seen,
... Ccc 2 There •
Precepts bow to live well and happily.
Chap.43;
The Condition There is a fort of men that fain the chief would tie,
of a Varafite. \yfndyet they are not J T ?, they [ball not laugh at me.
But I dopleafe them (till, and wonder at their wit , what they affirm I praife, and if they deny it,
J praife that alfo , I fay and unfay again, what ere they fay, or unf ay, novo thegreatejl gain ,
Is flattering which I uf e, all other arts are vain.
| nA s*i • J ' ’ ; t
v.^ . Wherefore flnee flattery is detcftable to ailment though1 thy * ' eftate be very mean , never become a flatterer or Parafite to any
man ; It is true chat to tickle the Ears procures the favour of feme* The friendship mc^ but jt js unconftant-and will not laft.' Sometimes men get unfiddfulh" great gainby it, but it is bafeand infamous, and when the craft is detected, it proves hurtful! to the Author of ir,fo that no ingenious man who is free bred would endure this character to be faftned upon him. Next of kin to flatterers are deceivers, and crafty jheArtofde* beguilers, whoare as fubtile as Foxes to circumvent and deceive cdvini. finipie men by many cunning wiles and deluding wayes, and they civility that is like to Hyenaes,&nd Crocodiles', lye in wait to entrap mens eftates, dcccit/itd. and wives alfo : thefe are at firft fight and appearance very fair in words and deeds, but afterwards they will do a man hurt and work his deftruaion. Thefe are very cunning and crafty, but wondertull officibus, and ready at every beck, who for that end ♦ and purpofe infinuate themfelves into mens familiarity and ac¬
quaintance, that tfley may cheat and defraud them of fomething. for fofoon as they can catch any opportunity to defraud you of any thing, they have both their eyes and hands ready for it. Where¬ fore a man mu A not eafily and lightly truft to any man, unleffe he hath firft well known him by his Juft a&ions and Integrity of
life. v .
*>. * • C r- ^ vr* . ■ «. *• ? e, . *» * **. v »
U what things confftsbappi- nefi of life.
t. to.
CHAP. XL1II.
Some commodious Precepts to teach a CM an how to live well and
happily.
Ince there are many rules laid down by learned men how a Man may live well and happily, amongft the reft Martial hath writ fome Verfes wherein he comprehends things that agree with ho .efty, and points at, as it were with his finger, the way wnere-
by a Man may lead a commodious life, and enjoy the health of his body, and tranquillity of mind alfo. He profecutes the mat¬ ter thus y
Thefe are the things that make a happy life. Goods by Inheritance, not got by ftrif ?.
Ground
Chap.44* *
The Benefit of Exercife.
3*5
Ground that if fruitfully and a confiant fire>
No fats, few liifitSy snd a fet defire .
Fffe, bqr,/i , a body from dif jaf ?sfree.
Friends that are equal , prudent honefiy.
An epfie diet , a Table where if no ^Art,
. . . ^ Themght not drunk) but free from cares of heart,
A fed [pot f^d) but chafie^a fixed mind)
Content with what thou art m every kind.
Neither to fear ) nor yet defire death.
- ' -
If thou can ft not wholly obtain all thefe commodities of life ac¬ cording to thy will and defire : thou muft not torment and vex thy fell, but thou muft refer all things to Gods providence and will, which is the moderatour ofali humane affairs, for lo David did in all things that befell him, whether they were profperous or unfortunate, for he fubmitted all to the power of God, not re¬ garding chance or fortune. So when he afcribes to God the whole courfe of his life^ he faith. My time is in thy hands $ that is, all our affairs run according to thy will and pleafure.
UVm .rt A