EPI ST: Ill A we llilllcarnc;othcrs run llill in the fame gyre,to wcarindfe, to fariery;our choyce i~ infinite: other labours require recreations, our very labour recreates our fpons : we can never want; either fomewhat todo,orfomewhatthar 1vewould doe.How numberlelfe are thofe volumes which men have written ofAm, ofTongues ! How cndJe{fe is that volume wbichGod bath written ofthe world ! wherein every creature is a Letter, every day anew page: whoc~n bewearyofeithtr ofthcfe -~ T'? find \\it in Poetry, in ph1lofophy profoundneffe, IDM~the~au~ks 2cuteneOe, ID H11!orywon. dcr ofevems, in Oratory fweet eloquence, ID Dlvlmty fupernaturall hght and holy devotion; as fo many rich metals in their prop« mynes, whom would it notravil11 with delight!After all thefe,let us but open our eyes,we cannot looke befide a kifon, in this univerfall Book ofour Maker worthour lludy, worth rakmg out. What creaB rure bath not his miracle~ what event doth not challenge his obkrvation ~ And if weary of Iorraine imploymenr, we lil! looke home imo our fdv<s, there we find a more private worldofthought!, whichfer us on worke anew, more bufil y, not leffe profitably; now, our filenee is vocall, our folitarineffe popular, and we are Omc up to doe good unto many. And ifonce we be cloyed with our ownc company, the doore ofconference is open; here enrerthange ofdifcourfc (befides_ pi.:afure) b<ncfits us , and he is a weake companion, from whom we rerurne not w1fer. I could envy, if! could bekeve thatvin.chmt, who fecluded from the world, and pent up in his vo· lun~ary prifon-wals,denied that he thought the day long, whilell yet he wanred learning to vary his thoughts. Nor to be cloyed with the f>me concm, is difficult above humanel!rength; butto aman fo furnil11ed with all fortS ofknowkdgc, that accor c ding ro his difpofitions be can change hislludics, I would wonder, thar everthe Sun lhould feeme to paffe flowly. Howmany bufie tongues chafe away good houres in pleafant chat,and complaine ofthe hafle ofnight! Whatingenuous mind can be foo ner w<ary of talking ~>ith learned Authors, the moll harmele!fe and fwoetel! of companions (What an heaven lives a Scholar in, that at once io one clofe root)1e can dailyconverfewith all tfie glorious Martyrs and Fathers! tharcan fingle our, at pleafure, either fenrentiousTtrtoHi•n, orgrave Cypri•n, or refolute•Hi.rome, or flowmg CbrJfoflome,or divine Ambroft,or devome Btrn.,d,or(who alone is all thefe)heavenly A•g•Jiine,and talk \'vith them,and heare their wife and holy counfels,verdit!s, refolutions: yea (to rife higher) with courtly Ef•J, with learned P••l; with all their fdlow-Proph<ts, Apo!llcs: yccmore, like another c.M•{ts, with God himfdf.·, in 0 them both~ Le,t the world contemne us : while we llave thefe delights, we cannot envy them; we cannot wifh ourfelves otherrhenwe ate.BeGdes,the way ro all orher conrcntmenrs is rroublefotne; the onely recompence is in the end. To delve in the mynes, to fc?rch in the lire forthe getting, forthefining ofgold, is a Oavifh toyle; the comfort IS 10 thewedge; to the owner, not the labourers; where onr very fearcb ofknowlcdge is delightfome, Srudy it felfe, is our life: from which we would not be barred fora world.How much fweeter then is the fruit oflludy,rheconfcience of knowledge! In complrifon whereof, the foule that bath once railed ir, eafily contemns all.humane comforts. Goe now ye worldlings, and infult over our palcnelfc, our n~edmdfe, our neglett. Ye could not be fo jocund, ifyouwere not ignorant·: if youdrd nor want knowledge, you could nor over-looke him that hath it: For me l E ~in fo far:e from emulating you,tbat I profeffe, I had as leive be abrute bea!l, as ;n 1gnoranr nch man.How is it then that thofe Gallantswhich have priviledge of blood and birth, and bettereducation, doe lofcorofully rurne offth<fe moll manly, reafo· oable, noble exercifes of fcholarfhip ( An hawke Becomes their lifl bctterthena booke: No dog bat is abetter complnion: Any thing, or nothing, rather then what weought. 0 mtnds ~rutifhly. fcnfuall! Doe they thinke that God made ·rhem for difporr ~who even ID Ius Parad1fe would not allow pleafure, without worke.And iffor bufinelfe; Clr_her of body, or mind :Thofe of the body arecommonly fervile, like it fell<- . !hemmd therefore, the mindondy, that honourable and divine parr, is litt<ll to be 1mploycd oftbofe which would reach rorhe highel! pcrfetlion ofmen, and would be more then the mort. And what worke is there ofthe mind, butthe trade ot a fcholar, tludy ~ Let me therefore fallen this probleme on our Schoolc-gares, and challeng~ 311
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