Cent. I. Medit~ti~nl ~nt/. /!.~f1S. 9 A the one is hard th~refore,and thed<fce~t ~o.the ?ther calicand headlo?.: and fo a~ if ---- ~veoncc beginne to fall, the recovery tsms>!l dlllic,ult: ~dnotonc; (o qtany) ftatcs till he comes to the bottom<:! will ~c con~tnf to P.aqttan .bio\y,anq fl)'cat in climbing up to beaver.: as, contran~y,, [ wt!l be w~cy,?t fetpogthe fir~ q~~qo\V~l'l!aJdl?; wards the pit. For , as there 1s a lAcDbs La9qer totp,l:u;aycn,fo t ere; are bhndc, ~jurs that goe winding down intd dcath,w~~rcof each ma~c.s. 111ay for.qtl}e~ FrotD;thc ~i jeet is raifcd an ill fuggclhon: fugge!lton.<jpwcs on dehght, dehght confcnt, con!<nt endevour, endevour praaice, pratticc cuftomc, cuftomc excufe, <XRUfe defeoce,dc. I fence obftinacy, obainacyboaClingoffin, boafting, a,rcpro!J~tF r,~r~ I ~Yill wa,cq I over my waies: anddoe thou Lord ~arch qvcr.me,that I may avoid t efirftdc;gr!'es i of fin. And ifthofe overtakemy fratlty, yetkecp me that prcfumptuous fin~ pr<;v,J,!l B not over~. Beginnings,arc with more eafe and f~fety qc;dined , w,hen we a~e fr.qc 1 \ then proceedings,when we have begun. · 61 It is fitter for youth to learn,thenrea~h; and fo~age to teach, then lc;¥n: aqd_yet litter for an oldman to learn then to be ~nor,ant.Iknow I !hall nc;vcrknowfu mqch, that I cannot l<arn more; and I hope I all never live fo long, as till Iqe too ol,l.ro learn. 6z 1never loved thofe Salamanders, that are never well but when th~y a(ein the fire ofcontention. I will rather fuffer a thoufand wrongs, then offerope: I wi11fuffer an hundred, rather then returnone: I will luffer maqy ere I will camplait) ofone,a!ld eodevour to right it by contending. I haveever found, thattll ftrive with my fuperic our, is furious;with my eq~all,doubtfull;'with my inferiour, fordi.d and bafc; w_ir);l any,full ofunquietnclfc. The prai!e ofagood fpeech ftandcth : !ords & matter: Matter,which is as a fair an:! wdl-featm'd body;Ekganceofwords,wl}ich is as aDl'3t an~ \fd fa!hio9edtgarmcnt.Good matter,fiubber,c,d up in ruq"'~nd ~arcleffe wor9~,is m~de Io1hfom,to the hearer; as a good body miS-!hapeo,with un.h'!fldfqope clotbes. Elegancywithout fouodneffe,is no better then a nice '{:uJity. ~lth(l,u~h tbyrefore the moft bearers are hke Bees, that goe all to the flowers, ne.~crregar iog the good herbs (thatare ofas wholefome ufe, as theother offair lhew : ) yet let my fpeech ftriveto beprofitable; plauliblc,as it happcns:bcrt;rrhecoat be 'l'}s-!hap.cn,r\1~1} rlje body. D 64 I fec,that as black and white colours tothe eyes,fo is the vice anq vertueofothers to the judgment ofmen.Vice gathers the beamsofthe light in one;thattbe eye m1y fee it and be intent upon ii'Ycrtuefcatterstherq abroad;and therefore hardly admits ofaperfeCt appreheofion.Whence it comes to palfe, thot (as judgement is according to fenfe) we do fo foon efpy,and fo euneftly cenfure ~man for one vict;lettiog pa!Te many laudable qualities uodifcerned,orat leaft unocknow. ledged.Yea,wheras every man isonce a foolo,and dotb that(perhaps)inone fit ofbis folly,wqich be!hall at Id fure repent of(as N .. !J, inone houres drunkcnneffe, uncovered thofe fecrets, which were hid li<hundred ycers before)the world is hereupon ready to ea!! in queftion all his former integrity, and to exclude him from the hqpc ofany future amendment. E SinceG?d bath gi~en me tw~ eyes_;the onf! !ha! be buy~d _;lbout the prefen~ fault,that I fee, wttha deteCIJ~g commtferauo!'; the other about the commepdabl.c;g~dities of the offender; not wuhout an uqparuall a,pprobation of rh~ m. So !halJ I doe God n<;> wrong, in robbing him ofthe glory ofhi~. gifrs, mixed with infirmities: nor yer,in the meantime,encourage Vice; while {,doedillinllly referye it for adne proponion ofhatred. 65 . God is above man;thc brute creatur<s unper him;he fer in the midft.Left he !hould be proud thot he bath infinite ~rcatures under him, t)!at One isinfinitedegrees above ~tm. I doetherefore owcawcumo God , mercy to the infer~our creatur<s; ~nowmg,tl~at they arc my fellowes, in rclpcd: of creation ; whereas there is no proportion betwtxt me andmy Maker. 660ne
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