296 Ofrhevanitie ofworldlyglorie. the world,but a fmoakeor vapour, which is totted toand fro with the breachofeueryones mouth?What is it but a cloud or fhadow, which whilefl aman thinketh tocatch and hold fall, it vanifheth away and commeth to nothing? And what do worldlymen doting vpon this vanitie,and feeking to im. brace ir, that they may.commitfpirituall whoredotnewith it,butlxie -like in !lead oftheir goddeffe catch a cloud, on which they beget the monfIrous Centaures ofmanymiffha- pen andvgly finnes? What do theybut like wanton andfoo. lifhboyesrun after afopie bubble,rayfed with the breath of their companions mouches, becaufe it feemeth beautiful! through varieti'eofcolours,although it commonly vanifh in the purfuing, or at leaf}breakeas Toone asit is buttouched ? And yet though this gloríe beneuerfo vaine, and theppur- fuitethereofmofl childifh and ridiculous, notwichl{anding thewife menofthe world fall into this abfurd dotage, Cha- meleon-like gaping after this common aire, and feeding themfeluesfat onelywith the conceit ofthisvulgar breath. And as they kettle tohaue their life, or thatwhich is the life oftheir life,alltheir ioy and comfort, from the breathing in ofthis ayre; fo alto it is the fleme which ruleth them in all their courfes, turning them to and fro at the prayfers plea- Pure: neither is there any meaneswherebyaman may better carrie there earthly and brittle pitchers, then by holding them by thecares, and tying them faffvnto himby thisgol. den firing ofpraifeand commendations: for if they be extol- ledand magnified, what defperate difficulties will they not undertake ? What dangerous enterprifes will they not at- tempt ? What toilefome labourwill they refufe to take? or what excefliuecoil will they not beflow,that theymay con- tinue or encreafe their fameand vaineglorie?Againe,ifthere bee no man that feeth them, or thatfeeiagwill commend them, how fluggifhand flothfull are they inattempting any vertuousa1ions, where the leafl difficultie or danger doch appeare?Herein notvnfitly tobe compared voto fhips,which falle merrily forward whilefl they haueagood galeofwind, Rand f4í11 when they are becalmed, and turne backe againe when the gull blowethhard againfl thcm:fo theft go cheer- fully
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