\ 17']., I . The Mafe,conte~tt. L 1 B. I I. r---.; fc:rcheth excufes ofhiswickedneffe.TheinevitableneceflityofGods counfcll makes A him defperatcly carclelfe: fo with good food he poyfons himfclfe.Goodndft is his Minllrell;neither is any mirth fo cordiall to him as his fporr with Gods fooles. Evo:- ry venue bath his fland<r, and his jell tolaugh it out of falhien: every vice his eolour. Hi! ufuatlell rheame is the boall of his young linnes, which he can I! ill joy in, though he cannot commit; and (ifir may be)his fpeech makes him worfc then he is. He cannot rhink ofdeath \vith patienco, without rerrour, which he therefore fcares worfe then hell, becauf<'this he is fur< of, the other he but doubts of. He cemes to Church as to theTheater, faving that not fo willingly ; for company, for cu!lome, tor recreation,perhaps for fleep; or to feed his eyes or his eares : as for his foule, he cares nemore then it he had gone. He loves none but himfelfe, and that nor enough rofeekhis true good; neither cares he onwhom .he tre>dsthat he may rife. His life B is full of licence,and his pratHce ofoutrage. Heis hat<d of God, as much as he hateth goodnelfe,and differs little from a Dovill, bur that he bath a body. Of the Male-content. ....-/ HEis neither well full nor falling 1 and though he abound wirh complaints, yetnothing diflikes him but the prefenr : for what hecondemned,while ir was,once pa!l he magnifies, andllrives to recall it ourofrhe jawes ofTime. ' What he hath,he f<es nor, his eyes are fo taken up with what he wants; and what he c fees he cares nor for,becaufe he cares fo much for that which is not.When his friend carves him the be!l morfe!l, he murmures that it is an happy fcall wherein each one may cur for himfelfe, When aprefenr is fent him,hc askcs,ls thiJ aU 1 and, Wh~t, no hmer? and fo accepts it, as ifhe would have his friend know howmuch he is bound to him for vouchfafing toreceive it. Iris hard to enrertaine him with a proporriona. blegift. Ifnothing,he cries outofunthankfulnelfe;if little,rhat he is bafdy regarded; if much,he exclaimesof llatrery,and expetlatioo ofa large requirall. Every bl:fliog bath fomewhat to difparage and di!la!le it: Children bring cares , fingle life is wilde and folirary1emineocy isenvious; retirednelfe obfcure; fa!liog painfull; faciery un. weildy; Religion nicdy fevere1Jiberry is lawleffe1 wealth burrhenfome ; mediocrity conremptible:Everyrhingfaulrerh,eitherinroomuch, or too little. This man is D ever head.!lrong,and fdfe-willed,neirher is he alwaies tied to elleemeor pronounce according to reafon; fome things he mull·diflike he knowes nor wherefore, but he likes themnor:and orher.\vhcre ratherthen nor cenfure, he will accufe a man ofvcr· rue.Every thing hemedlerh wirh,heeirher findeth imperfetl, or makerh fo: neither is there any thing that foundeth fo harlh in his eare,as the commendation ofanother, wherro yet perhaps he falhionably and coldlyaffenteth,burwith fuch an after-claufe ofexceprion,as dorh more rhen marre his former allowance;and ifhe li!l not to give averball difgrace,yer he lhakes his head and finiles,as if his filence lhould fay,I could AndwiUnot, And when himfclfis praifed wirhoutexcelfe, he complaines that fuch impcrfetl kindneJfe bath nor done him right. It bur an unfeafonable lhowre crolfehis recreation, he is ready to fall our with heaven, and thinks he is wronged, ifGod will E nor take his times when toraine, when to lhine. He is a Oave to en"J:, and lofeth lldh with fretring;not fo much ar his own infelicity, as at others goo 1 neither bath heleifureto joy in his owne bleflings while(! another profpereth. Faine \vould he fee fome murinies,but dares nor raife them1 and fuffers his lawlelfe tongue to walke thorow the dao~erous paths ofconceitedalterations; bur lo, as ingood manners he had rather thru every man before him when itcomes to aCling. Nothing bur feare keepeshim from confpiracies, and no man ismorecruell when he is nor manicled with danger.He fpeaks nothing bur SAIJrs and Libels, and Iodgetb no gue!ls in his heart but Rebels. Theinconllanrand heagree ,well in their felicity, which both place inchange: but herein they differ; theincon!lant man affeCls that which will be, themale-content commonly that which was• .finally, heisaquerulous curre, whom
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