XII Phisiognomy steele our selves with these labouring-efforts of CHAPTER learning? Let us diligently survay the surface of the earth, and there consider so many seely-poore of people as we see toyling, sweltring and drooping about their businesse, which never heard of Aristotle, nor of Plato, nor ever knew what exemples or precepts are. From those doth nature dayly draw and affoord us effects of constancy and patternes of patience, more pure and forcible, then are those, we so curiously study-for in schooles. How many do I ordinarily see, that misacknowledge poverty; how many that wish for death, or that passe it without any alaram or affliction? A fellow that dungeth my garden, hath happily this morning buried his father or his childe. The very names whereby they call diseases, doe somewhat mylden and diminish the sharpnes of them. With them a Phthysique or consumption of the lungs, is but an ordinary cough: A dysentery or bloody flix, but a distemper of the stomacke: A pleurisie but a cold or murre and as they gently name them, so they easily endure them. Grievous are they indeed, when they hinder their ordinary labour or break their usuall rest: They will not take their beds but when they shall dy. Simplex illa et aperta virtus in obscuram et solertem scientiam_versa est. That plaine and cleare vertue is turned into obscure and cunning knowledge. I was writing this about a time that a boistrous storme of our tumultuous broiles and bloody troubles, did for many months space, with all it's might and horrour, hang full over my head. On the one side, I had the enemies at my gates; on the other, the Picoreurs or free-booters, farre worse foes. Non armis sed vitiis certatur. We contend not with armour, but with vices. And at one time felt and endured all manner of harme-bringing military injuries : CHAPTER Of Phisiognomy Hostis adest dextra læváque à parte timendus, -OVID, Pont. i. El. iv. 55. A fearefull foe on left hand and on right, Doth with his neighbour harmes both sides afright. Oh monstrous Warre: Others worke without; this inwardly and against hir selfe: And with her owne venome gnaweth and consumes her selfe. It is of so ruinous and maligne a Nature; that together with all things els, she ruineth her selfe and with spitefull rage, doth rent, deface and massacre it selfe. We doe more often see it, by and through hir selfe, to wast, to desolate and dissolve hir selfe, then by or through want of any necessary thing, or by enemies force. All manner of discipline doth shunne and flie it. She commeth to cure sedition, and hir selfe is throughly therewith infected: She goeth about to chastize disobedience, and sheweth the example of it: and being employed for the defence of Lawes, entreth into actuall rebellion against her owne ordinances. Aye me, where are we? Phisicke bringeth infection. Our Have turn'd from us the Gods just minde offended. In these popular diseases, one may in the beginning distinguish the sound from the sicke: but if XII Phisiognomy they chance to continue any time, as ours hath done CHAPTER Hunc saltem everso juvenem succurrere seclo, Forbid not yet this youth at least, To aide this age more then opprest. CHAPTER What is become of that ancient precept; That Of XII Phisiognomy Souldiers ought more to feare their Generall than their enemy? And of that wonderfull examplelesse example: That the Romane army having upon occasion enclosed within her trenches, and roundbeset an apple-orchard; so obedient was she to her Captaines, that the next morning, it rose and marched away without entring the same or touching one apple, although they were full-ripe and very delicious: So that when the owner came, he found the full number of his apples? I should be glad, that our Youths, in steade of the time they employ about lesse profitable peregrinations, and lesse honourable apprentiships, would bestow one moity, in seeing and observing the warres that happen on the sea, under some good Captaine or excellent commander of Malta; the other moity in learning and surveying the discipline of the Turkish armies. For it hath many differences and advantages over ours. This ensueth, that here our Souldiers become more licentious in expeditions, there they prove more circumspect and fearfully wary. For, small offences and petty larcenies, which in times of peace, are in the common people punished with whipping and bastonadoes, in times of warre are capitall crimes. For an egge taken by a Turke without paying, he is by their law to have the full number of fifty stripes with a cudgell. For every other thing, how sleight soever, not necessary for mans feeding, even for very trifles, they are either thrust through with a sharpe stake, which they call Empaling, or presently beheaded. I have been amazed, reading the story of Selim, the cruellest Conqueror that ever was, to see, at what time he subdued the Country of Egypt, the beauteous gardens round about Damasco, all open and in a conquered country; his maine army lying encamped round about, those gardens were XII left untouched and unspoyled by the hands of his CHAPTER Souldiers, onely because they were commanded to spoyle nothing, and had not the watch-word of pillage. of But, is there any malady in a Common-weale, that Phisiognomy deserveth to be combated by so mortall drugge? No saide Favonius, not so much as the usurpation of the tyranicall possession of a Common-wealth. Plato likewise is not willing one should offer violence to the quiet repose of his Countrey, no not to reforme or cure the same; and alloweth not that reformation, which disturbeth or hazardeth the whole estate; and which is purchased with the blood and ruine of the Citizens. Establishing the office of an honest man, in these causes, to leave all there: But onely to pray God, to lend his extraordinary assisting hand unto it. And seemeth to be offended with Dyon his great friend, to have therein proceeded somewhat otherwise. I was a Platonist on that side before ever I knew there had beene a Plato in the world. And if such a man ought absolutely be banished our commerce, and refused our society: (he who for the sincerity of his conscience, deserved by meane of divine favour, athwart the publique darknesse, and through the generall ignorance of the world wherein he lived, so farre to enter and so deepely to penetrate into christian light) I doe not thinke, that it befitteth us, to be instructed by a Pagan. Oh what impiety is it, to expect from God no succour simply his, and without our cooperation. I often doubt, whether amongst so many men, that meddle with such a matter, any hath beene found of so weake an understanding, that hath earnestly beene perswaded, he proceeded toward reformation, by the utmost of deformations; that he drew toward his salvation, by the most expresse causes, that we have of undoubted damnation: that overthrowing policy, disgracing magistrates, abusing lawes, under whose tuition God VOL. III. 2 A 869 |