A PREMONITION O F fHt. TITLE AND USE of Charac1ers. IJ{E A 1J ErJt He Divines of tl1t old Heathens were their MoraO '1'hilo(ophers : Theft received the Aeh ofa11 i11hred law, in the Sinai ofNaturt, and deli'lltrtd them 11>ith many expofitions to the multitude : Thrfe !litre tbe Overfeers ofmauners, [grreEiors of rt~ices, DireElors of lilies, 1>o£1ors of<Vertue, 11>hich yet tauJht their people the bo<(y of their natura/J Divinity, not after one manner: Wl>ile jome /Jmt themftlvtJ i11 deepe difcourfes of humane felicity, and the ll>'!)'tO it in common; others thougl" it bifl to apply the genrraOprecepts ofgtodnejfeor decency , to particular conJitionsand perfons. .A tbirdfortin 11meane courft bet'tllixt tbe two other, and compomzded of them bot!>, bejlo'tled their time in dra'D>mg out the true lineamwts ofe'Very verttle and rvice,fo /ivet,, tl1at 'JI>ho faw tl1emed•ls, might know t~e face: IPbicb Art they (ignifcantly telll'mtd Charaetcry. Their papmwerefo many tables, their writings fo many fptall.in!,piatlres ,or l11>ing images;'ll>hereby the rudtr multittiJe might evw by thrir finft learne tokuoll> "Vtrtue,and d{cet ne 11>bat to dttefl.I am decei11rd if any courft co1Jd be more lill.ely to prt'Vaile; for hmi11 thegroffi conceit is led on with pleafure and informtd'll>hile itfules nothingbvt de/Jght. Aud if piaum ha'Ve bewe accoun~ ted the bookes of Idiot , behold bere the benefit of•n image lllitho~t tht ojfnce.lt i4 noPwntfor w to learnt "!I> it ofHeathws,neither u it mattriaU,in Tl>hojt Schoole we t•fc.eout agood leffon :yea, it u moreJhame not tofoOo'fb theirgood, than n9t tolead lbem better. ..As one thm{ore th•t ill worthy examples holds imitation b.tttr tl>an inl!~ntion, I haw trod iu their paths, but 'fllitb~n higf,trand TPiderjlep; 4udout of tbm Table~s hal!e draTPne tbeje larger portr•ttllres of bothforts. More migbt be foid, I deny n.ot, ofevery Vertue, o{el!ery Vice: 1 defi;ed.not t.o f"J aD, hut enough. If ~hou doe but.reador !•k.e tbe[e, 1bal!eJptntgood houres tU; h11t ifthonfhalt hmce abjure tboft Vtces, 11>ktch before thot4 thoughteft not tU fal!oured ,or fall in lol!e with any oftbefegcodly facts of Vertue; or jhalt bence f•lle T/Jbere tbJu bafl any little touch ofthe!( tl1tls, to' leare thyJetfe or ~~>here any dijea in thrfegraces to j upply it neitbtr of w Jh•O nerJ to rtprnt ofour labokr. ' IJI
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