1 coins, more in number and value, but less in weight and goodness, with finer stamps, cuts, or outsides than of old; yet if he retain those ancient characters of true gentry, he will be more affable, courteous, gently disposed, of fairer carriage, better temper, or a more magnanimous, heroical, and generous spirit, than that vulgus hominum, those ordinary boors and peasants, qui adeo improbi, agrestes, et inculti plerumque sunt, ne dicam malitiosi, ut nemini ullum humanitatis officium præstent, ne ipsi Deo si advenerit, as one observes of them, a rude, brutish, uncivil, wild, a currish generation, cruel and malicious incapable of discipline, and such as have scarce common sense. And it may be generally spoken of all, which Lemnius the physician said of his travel into England, the common people were silly, sullen, dogged clowns, sed mitior nobilitas, ad omne humanitatis officium paratissima, the gentlemen were courteous and civil. If it so fall out (as often it doth) that such peasants are preferred by reason of their wealth, chance, error, &c., or otherwise, yet as the cat in the fable, when she was turned to a fair maid, would play with mice; a cur will be a cur, a clown will be a clown, he will likely savour of the stock whence he came, and that innate rusticity can hardly be shaken off. 2 8" Licet superbus ambulet pecuniâ, And though by their education such men may be better qualified, and more refined; yet there be many symptoms by which they may likely be descried, an affected fantastical carriage, a tailor-like spruceness, a peculiar garb in all their proceedings; choicer than ordinary in his diet, and as Hierome well describes such a one to his Nepotian: "An upstart born in a base cottage, that scarce at first had coarse bread to fill his hungry guts, must now feed on kickshaws 1 Sabinus, in 6 Ovid. Met. fab. 4. 2 Lib. 1, de 4 Complexionibus. 3 Hor. ep. Od. 2. "And although he boast of his wealth, Fortune has not changed his nature." 4 Lib. 2, ep. 15. Natus sordide tuguriolo et paupere domo, qui vix milio rugientem ventrem, &c. and made dishes, will have all variety of flesh and fish, the best oysters," &c. A beggar's brat will be commonly more scornful, imperious, insulting, insolent, than another man of his rank; "Nothing so intolerable as a fortunate fool," as 1 1 Tully found out long since out of his experience; Asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum, set a beggar on horseback, and he will ride a gallop, a gallop, &c., 2" desævit in omnes Dum se posse putat, nec bellua sævior ulla est, he forgets what he was, domineers, &c., and many such other symptoms he hath, by which you may know him from a true gentleman. Many errors and obliquities are on both sides, noble, ignoble, factis, natis; yet still in all callings, as some degenerate, some are well deserving, and most worthy of their honours. And as Bosbequius said of Solyman the Magnificent, he was tanto dignus imperio, worthy of that great empire: Many meanly descended are most worthy of their honour, politicè nobiles, and well deserve it. Many of our nobility so born (which one said of Hephaestion, Ptolemeus, Seleucus, Antigonus, &c., and the rest of Alexander's followers, they were all worthy to be monarchs and generals of armies) deserve to be princes. And I am so far forth of 8 Sesellius's mind, that they ought to be preferred (if capable) before others, "as being nobly born, ingenuously brought up, and from their infancy trained to all manner of civility." For learning and virtue in a nobleman is more eminent, and, as a jewel set in gold is more precious, and much to be respected, such a man deserves better than others, and is as great an honour to his family as his noble family to him. In a word, many noblemen are an ornament to their order; many poor men's sons are singularly well endowed, most eminent, and well deserving for their worth, wisdom, learning, virtue, valour, integrity; excellent members and pillars 1 Nihil fortunato insipiente intolerabilius. 2 Claud. 1. 9, in Eutrop. 3 Lib. 1, de Rep. Gal. Quoniam et commodiore utuntur conditione, et honestiore loco nati, jam inde à parvulis ad morum civilitatem educati sunt, et assuefacti. of a commonwealth. And therefore to conclude that which I first intended, to be base by birth, meanly born, is no such disparagement. Et sic demonstratur, quod erat demonstrandum. MEMB. III. Against Poverty and Want, with such other Adversities. ONE of the greatest miseries that can befall a man, in the world's esteem, is poverty or want, which makes men steal, bear false witness, swear, forswear, contend, murder and rebel, which breaketh sleep, and causeth death itself. οὐδὲν Tεvías ẞapúτepóv koтi popríov, no burden, (saith Menander) so intolerable as poverty; it makes men desperate, it erects and dejects, census honores, census amicitias; money makes, but poverty mars, &c., and all this in the world's esteem; yet if considered aright, it is a great blessing in itself, a happy estate, and yields no cause of discontent, or that men should therefore account themselves vile, hated of God, forsaken, miserable, unfortunate. Christ himself was poor, born in a manger, and had not a house to hide his head in all his life, 2"lest any man should make poverty a judgment of God, or an odious estate." And as he was himself, so he informed his Apostles and Disciples, they were all poor, Prophets poor, Apostles poor, (Acts iii. "Silver and gold have I none.") "As sorrowing (saith Paul) and yet always rejoicing; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things," 1 Cor. vi. 10. Your great Philosophers have been voluntarily poor, not only Christians, but many others. Crates Thebanus was adored for a god in Athens, 3“ a nobleman by birth, many servants he had, an honourable attendance, much wealth, many manors, fine apparel; but when he saw this, that all the 1 Nullum paupertate gravius onus. 2 Ne quis iræ divinæ judicium putaret, aut paupertas exosa foret. Gault. in cap. 2, ver. 18 Lucæ. 3 Inter proceres Thebanos numeratus, lectum habuit genus, frequens famulitium, domus amplas, &c. Apuleius Florid. 1. 4. wealth of the world was but brittle, uncertain and no whit availing to live well, he flung his burden into the sea, and renounced his estate." Those Curii and Fabricii will be ever renowned for contempt of these fopperies, wherewith the world is so much affected. Amongst Christians I could reckon up many kings and queens, that have forsaken their crowns and fortunes, and wilfully abdicated themselves from these so much esteemed toys; 1many that have refused honours, titles, and all this vain pomp and happiness, which others so ambitiously seek, and carefully study to compass and attain. Riches I deny not are God's good gifts and blessings; and honor est in honorante, honours are from God; both rewards of virtue, and fit to be sought after, sued for, and may well be possessed; yet no such great happiness in having, or misery in wanting of them. Dantur quidem bonis, saith Austin, ne quis mala æstimet: malis autem ne quis nimis bona, good men have wealth that we should not think it evil; and bad men that they should not rely on or hold it so good; as the rain falls on both sorts, so are riches given to good and bad, sed bonis in bonum, but they are good only to the godly. But 2 compare both estates, for natural parts they are not unlike; and a beggar's child, as Cardan well observes, "is no whit inferior to a prince's, most part better;" and for those accidents of fortune, it will easily appear there is no such odds, no such extraordinary happiness in the one, or misery in the other. He is rich, wealthy, fat; what gets he by it? pride, insolency, lust, ambition, cares, fears, suspicion, trouble, anger, emulation, and many filthy diseases of body and mind. He hath indeed variety of dishes, better fare, sweet wine, pleasant sauce, dainty music, gay clothes, lords it bravely out, &c., and all that which Misillus admired in Lucian; but with them he hath the gout, dropsies, apoplexies, 1 P. Blesensis, ep. 72 et 232, oblatos respui honores ex onere metiens; motus ambitiosos rogatus non ivi, &c. 2 Sudat pauper foras in opere, dives in cogitatione; hic os aperit oscitatione, ille ructatione; gravius ille fastidio, quam 4 palsies, stone, pox, rheums, catarrhs, crudities, oppilations, 1 melancholy, &c., lust enters in, anger, ambition, according to 2 Chrysostom," the sequel of riches is pride, riot, intemperance, arrogancy, fury, and all irrational courses.” 566 8" turpi fregerunt sæcula luxu Divitiæ molles," with their variety of dishes, many such maladies of body and mind get in, which the poor man knows not of. As Saturn in Lucian answered the discontented commonalty (which, because of their neglected Saturnal feasts in Rome, made a grievous complaint and exclamation against rich men), that they were much mistaken in supposing such happiness in riches; you see the best (said he) but you know not their several gripings and discontents;" they are like painted walls, fair without, rotten within; diseased, filthy, crazy, full of intemperance's effects; "and who can reckon half? if you but knew their fears, cares, anguish of mind and vexation, to which they are subject, you would hereafter renounce all riches." 7" O si pateant pectora divitum, Quantos intus sublimis agit Pulsante fretum mitior unda est." "O that their breasts were but conspicuous, The narrow seas are not so boisterous." Yea, but he hath the world at will that is rich, the good things of the earth: suave est de magno tollere acervo (it is sweet to draw from a great heap), he is a happy man, * adored like a god, a prince, every man seeks to him, ap 1 Et è contubernio foedi atque olidi ventris mors tandem educit. Seneca, ep. 103. 2 Divitiarum sequela, luxus, intemperies, arrogantia, superbia, furor injustus, omnisque irrationabilis motus. 3 Juven. Sat. 6. "Effeminate riches have destroyed the age by the introduction of shameful luxury." 4 Saturn. Epist. 5 Vos quidem divites putatis felices, sed |