fo. 7. Matt. 12. Envie and mallice will barke though it be so musselled that it cannot bite. When wee censure other men wee should imitate that good imitator of nature Apelles, whoe being to drawe a face of an great person1 which wanted an eye, drewe that syde only which was perfect. The malicious man is like the vultur, which passeth ouer manie sweete gardens and never rests but vpon some carrion or garbage, soe he neuer takes notice of anie thing but vices. Libellers are the divels herauldes. Invidus alienum bonum suum facit peccando malum. Envy, though in all other respectes it be a thing most execrable, yet in this it is in some sort commendable, that it is a vexacion to it selfe. It is like gunpowder, which consumes itselfe before it burnes the house. Or the fly pyrausta, which would put out the candle, but burns itselfe. Honor is like a buble, which is raysed with one winde and broken with an other. fo. 7b. MR. DOWNES.2 The love of the world is the divels eldest sonne. Honour, riches, and pleasure are the worldly mans trynitie, wherewith he committs spirituall idolatry. Thankefullnes is like the reflex of the sunne beame from a bright bodie. After a full tyde of prosperitie cometh a lowe ebbe of adversitie. After a day of pleasure a night of sorrowe. Honour is like a spiders webbe, long in doinge, but soone vndone, blowne downe with every blast. It is like a craggy steepe rocke, which a man is longe getting vpon, and being vp, yf his foote but slip, he breakes his necke. Soe the Jewes dealt with Christ; one day they would have him a king, an other day none; one day cryed Hosanna to him, an other nothing but crucifie him. 66 Originally written "Emperour" and afterwards "great person." When the word Emperour was altered, the writer omitted to correct the preceding article. 2 The celebrated Andrew Downes, appointed Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge in 1595. (Hardy's Le Neve, iii. 660.) The world is like an host; when a man hath spent all, body, goodes, and soule with it, it will not vouchsafe to knowe him. Laban chose rather to loose his daughters than his idols, and the riche man had rather forsake his soule then his riches. If a citizen of Rome made him selfe a citizen of anie other place, he lost his priviledge at Rome; yf a man wilbe a citizen of this world, he cannot be a citizen of heaven. Ambitious men are like little children which take great paynes in runninge vp and downe to catch butterflyes, which are nothing but painted winges, and either perishe in takinge or fly away from them. Covetous man like a child, which cryes more for the losse of a trifle then his inheritance; he laments more for losse of wealth then soule. A covetous man proud of his riches is like a theife that is proud of his halter. MR. PHILLIPS. (A The proverbe is that building is a theife, because it makes us lay out more money then wee thought on; but pride is a theife and a whore too, for it robbes the maister of his wealth, and the mistress of her honesty. The drunkard makes his belly noe better then a bucking tubb, a vessell fo. 8. to poure into, and put out at. Bona opera habent mercedem, non ratione facti, sed ratione pacti. Synn is Adams legacy bequeathed to all his posteritie: nothing more common then to committ synn, and being committed to conceale it. A concealed synn is tanquam serpens in sinu, gladius in corde, venenum in stommacho; it is like a soare of the body, the closer it is kept the more it festers. Scelera quandoque possunt esse secreta, nunquam secura. Confession must be festina, vera, et amara. Confession of synne onely at the hour of death, is like a theifes confession at the gallowes, or a traytors at the racke, when they cannot choose. Sine confessione justus est ingratus, et peccator mortuus. The mercy of God is never to be despayred of, but still to be expected, even inter pontem et fontem, jugulum et gladium. fo. 8b. Dissembled righteousnes is like smoake, which seemes to mount up to heaven, but never comes neare it. Prayse is a kinde of paynt which makes every thing seeme better then it is. (Cha. Dauers.) To prayse an unworthy man is as bad as to paint the face of an old woman. (Idem.) Sorrowe is the punishment and remedy for synn; sic Deus quod pœnam dedit, medicinam fecit. (Augustine.) MR. MUNOES' OF PETERHOUSE IN CAMBRIDGE. Primum querite regnum Dei, et omnia adjicientur vobis. Tullies brother, in a sort reprehending or discouraging his suit for the consulship, tells him that he must remember that he is novus, consulatum petit, and Roma est; the Devill, perhaps least any should attempt to put this precept in practise, will terrifie us by shewinge vs our weakenes, and that greatnes. Terræ filius es; regnum quæris? Cælum est, &c. Sit modus amoris sine modo. Beatus est, Domine, qui te amat propter te, amicum in te, et inimicum propter te. Quere 3. (1.) Quere Deum et non aliud tanquam illum. (2.) non aliud præter illum. (3.) non aliud post illum. Diuitiæ non sunt bonæ, quæ te faciant bonum, sed unde tu facias bonum. Beda interpreted those letters, S. P. Q. R.written upon a gate in Rome, Stultus Populus Quærit Romam, intimating they were but fooles that went thither for true relligion. Yf Christ had thought well of wealth he would not have bin soe poore himselfe. He was pauper in ingressu, borne in a manger; in progressu, not a hole to hide his head in; in egressu, not a sheet of his owne to shroude him in. The covetous persons like the seven leane kine that eate up the seven fatt, and yet remaine as ill favoured as before. 1 Monoux or Munoux? Yf thou carest not to liue in such a house as hell is, yett feare to dwell with such a companion as the Divel is. SERCHEFEILD OF ST. JOHNS IN OXFORD.1 Cursus celerimus, sæpe pessimus. Sit opus in publico, intentio in occulto. A dissembled Christian, like an intemperate patient, which can gladly heare his physicion discourse of his dyet and remedy, but will not endure to obserue them. Minus prospere, qui nimis propere. MR. SCOTT, TRINIT. CANT'br. Dum sumus in corpore peregrinamur a Domino. Non contemnenda sunt parva, sine quibus non consistunt magna. The soules of the just men are like Noahs doue sent out of the arke; could finde noe resting place upon the earth. He that hath put on rich apparrail will be carefull he stayne it not; he that hath put on Christ as a garment must take heede he soile not himself with vices. An high calling is noe priviledge for an impious action. All our new corne comes out of old feilds, and all our newe learning is gathered out of old bookes. (Chaucer.) Words spoken without consideracion are like a messenger without an errand. Our owne righteousnes at the best is but like a beggars cloke, the substance old and rotten, and the best but patches. 1 Dr. Rowland Searchfield, Bishop of Bristol from 1619 to 1622. (Wood's Athenæ, ii. 861.) fo. 9. fo. 9b. AT BRADBORNE WITH MY COSEN THIS CHRISMAS. 1601. My cosen told me that Mr. Richers would give his cosen Cartwright 8,000l. for his leas of the abbey of towne Mallinges, the Reversion whereof the L. Cobham hath purchased of hir Majestie. An old child sucks hard; i.[e.] children when they growe to age proue chargeable. Peter Courthope said it would be more beneficiall yf our woll and cloth were not to be transported but in colours; but my cosen 2 said we may as well make it into clokes and garmentes, as dye it in colours before we carry it ouer; for both variable, and as much change in colour as fashion. JANUARY. To furnishe a shipp requireth much trouble, (My cosens wife said.) The priviledge of enfranchising anie for London is graunted to every alderman at his first creation for one: to every sherif for 2: to every maior for 4. (Cosen.) And almost any man for some 401. may buy his freedome, and these are called free by redemption. If a man prentice in London marry, he shall be forced to serve of his time, and yet loose his freedome. But yf a woman prentice marry, shee shall onely forfayte hir libertie, but shall not be forced to serve. (Cosen.) The cousin alluded to, and frequently vouched as an authority by the Diarist, was Richard Manningham, esq. of Bradbourne in East Malling, Kent. He survived his wife, who is mentioned in this page, and died 25th April 1611, æt. 72. 2 Cousin Richard Manningham had been a successful merchant in London. Hence the importance evidently attached to his remarks on subjects connected with commerce and foreign countries. |