556

The evil of duelling. You undergo too strict a paradox, Striving to make an ugly deed look fair : Your words have took such pains, as if they labour'd To bring manslaughter into form, set quarrelling Upon the head of valour; which, indeed, Is valour misbegot, and came into the world When sects and factions were newly born: He's truly valiant, that can wisely suffer The worst that man can breathe ; and make his wrongs His outsides; wear them like his raiment, carelessly; And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart, To bring it into danger. If wrongs be evils, and enforce us kill, What folly 'tis, to hazard life for ill? 27-iii. 5. 557

Consideration.

Stop the rage betime,
Before the wound do grow incurable :
For, being green, there is great hope of help.

22-iii. 1. 558 Compassion recommended to the proud.

Take physic, Pomp;
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel,
That thou may'st shake the superflux* to them,
And show the heavens more just.

34-iii. 4. 559 The duty owing to ourselves and others.

Love all, trust a few,
Do wrong to none; be able for thine enemy
Rather in power, than use; and keep thy friend
Under thy own life's key ; be check'd for silence,
But never tax'd for speech.

11-i. 1. 560

Self-knowledge. I will chide no breather in the world, but myself; against whom I know most faults.

10-ij. 2. 561

Imperfections belong to the best.

Thou art noble; yet, I see, Thy honourable metal may be wrought

From that it is disposed :* Therefore 'tis meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes :
For who so firm that cannot be seduced ? 29_i. 2.
562
Honourable causes need no oath.

What other oath,
Than honesty to honesty engaged ?-

Unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain
The even virtue of our enterprise,
Nor th' insuppressive mettle of our spirits,
To think, that, or our cause, or our performance,
Did need an oath.

29—ii. 1. 563

News, good and bad.
Though it be honest, it is never good
To bring bad news: Give to a gracious message
An host of tongues : but let ill tidings tell
Themselves, when they be felt.

-ii. 5. 564

Submission. Ask God for temperance ; that's the appliance only, Which your disease requires.

25-i. 1. 565

Humility recommended.

Love and meekness, Become a churchman better than ambition.

25V. 2. 566

Forethought.

Determine on some course, More than a wild exposure to each chance That starts i’ the way before thee.

28-iv. 1. 567

The same.
Since the affairs of men rest still uncertain,
Let's reason with the worst that may befall.

29-v. 1.
The sin of ambition.
I charge thee fling away ambition;
By that sin fell the angels, how can man then,
The image of his Maker, hope to win by't ?

568

do ;

your justice

Love thyself last; cherish those hearts that hate thee;
Corruption wins not more than honesty.
Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,
To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear not !
Let all the ends, thou aim'st at, be thy country's,
Thy God's, and truth's.

25-iii. 2. 569

Jests unbecoming to age.
How ill white hairs become a fool, and jester!

19-v. 5. 570

The danger of false accusation.

Take good heed,
You charge not in your spleen a noble person,
And spoil
your nobler soul !

25-i. 3. 571

The same. Be certain what

you

lest Prove violence.

13_ii. 2. 572

Frivolity.
Out, idle words, servants to shallow fools !
Unprofitable sounds, weak arbitrators!

Poems. 573

The advantage of sincerity.

Taunt my faults With such full license, as both truth and malice Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds, When our quick winds* lie still; and our ills told us, Is as our earing."

30-i. 2. 574 Things unavoidable not to be deplored. Be you not troubled with the time, which drives O’er your content these strong necessities; But let determined things to destiny Hold unbewail'd their way.

30-iii. 6. 575

Suicide.

You ever-gentle gods Let not my worser spirits tempt me again To die before you please!

576

Perseverance.

If we shall stand still,
In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we sit, or sit
State statues only.

25-i. 2.
577 Mildness to be used in differences.
That which combined us was most great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,
May it be gently heard: When we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do comunit
Murder in healing wounds: Then,
Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,
Nor curstness* grow to the matter.

30%ii. 2 578

The same. Now, for the love of Love, and her soft hours, Let's not confoundt the time with conference harsh : There's not a minute of our lives should stretch Without some pleasure now.

30-i. 1. 579

Persuasion. May'st thou have the spirit of persuasion, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest may move, and what he hears may be believed.

18-i. 2. 580

Ingratitude, how extinguished. We sent to thee; to give thy rages balm, To wipe out our ingratitude with loves Above their quantity.

27-v. 5. 581

Kindness.
Let your best love draw to that point, which seeks
Best to preserve it.

30-i. 4. 582

Reason to be regarded.

Do not banish reason
For inequality : but let your reason serve
To make the truth appear, where it seems hid;
And hide the false, seems true.

586

583 Praise to be bestowed seasonably.

Praise us as we are tasted, allow us as we prove; our head shall go bare, till merit crown it: no perfection in reversion shall have a praise in present: we will not name desert, before his birth; and, being born, his addition* shall be humble. 26-iii. 2. 584

Injuries. We thought not good to bruise an injury, till it were full ripe.

20_iii. 6.
585
Passion allayed by reason.

Be advised :
I say again, there is no English soul
More stronger to direct you than yourself,
If with the sap of reason you would quench,
Or but allay, the fire of passion.

25-i. 1. Suspicion.

If I mistake
In those foundations which I build upon,
The centret is not big enough to bear
A schoolboy's top.

13-ii. 1. 587

The exuberance of lenity.

This too much lenity
And harmful pity, must be laid aside.
To whom do lions cast their gentle looks ?
Not to the beast that would usurp their den.
Whose hand is that the forest bear doth lick?
Not his, that spoils her young before her face.
Who 'scapes the lurking serpent's mortal sting?
Not he, that sets his foot upon her back.
The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on;
And doves will peck, in safeguard of their brood.

23-ji. 2.
Humanity.
I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharged,
And duty in his service perishing.

7-v. 1.

588

Title. fi.c. If the proofs which I can offer will not support the opinion I have formed, no foundation can be trusted.