Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

No guards did then his passage stay,
He pafs'd with eafe; gold was the word;
Subtle as lightning, bright, and quick, and fierce,
Gold through doors and walls did pierce.
The prudent Macedonian king,

To blow up towns, a golden mine did spring.
He broke through gates with his petar;
'Tis the great art of peace, the engine 'tis of war
And fleets and armies follow it afar :

The enfign 'tis at land, and 'tis the feaman's ftar.
Let all the world slave to this tyrant be,
Creature to this disguised deity,

Yet it shall never conquer me.

A guard of virtues will not let it pass,
And wisdom is a tower of ftronger brafs.
The Mufes' laurel, round my temples spread,
Does from this lightning's force fecure my
Nor will I lift it up fo high,

As in the violent meteor's way to He.

head:

Wealth for its power do we honour and adore?
The things we hate, ill-fate, and death, have more.
From towns and.courts, camps of the rich and great,
The vaft Xerxean army, I retreat,

And to the fmall Laconic forces fly,
Which hold the ftraits of poverty.
Cellars and granaries in vain we fill,
With all the bounteous fummer's ftore,
If the mind thirft and hunger fill:
The poor rich man's emphatically poor.
Slaves to the things we too much prizė,
We mafters grow of all that we defpife.

A field of corn, a fountain, and a wood,
Is all the wealth by nature understood.
The monarch, on whom fertile Nile bestows
All which that grateful earth can bear,
Deceives himself, if he fuppofe

That more than this falls to his share.
Whatever an eftate does beyond this afford,
Is not a rent paid to the lord;
But is a tax illegal and unjust,
Exacted from it by the tyrant luft.

Much will always wanting be,

To him who much defires. Thrice happy he

To whom the wife indulgency of Heaven,

With fparing hand, but juft enough has given.

VIII.

THE DANGERS OF AN HONEST MAN IN MUCH COMPANY.

F twenty thousand naked Americans were not able to refift the affaults of but

[ocr errors]

Itwenty yelhammed Spaniards, I fee little poffibility for one hit the

himself against twenty thousand knaves who are all furnished cap à pé, with the de

fenfive arms of worldly prudence, and the offenfive too of craft and malice. He will find no less odds than this against him, if he have much to do in human affairs. The only advice therefore which I can give him is, to be fure not to venture his person any longer in the open campaign, to retreat and entrench himself, to ftop up all avenues, and draw up all bridges against fo numerous an enemy.

The truth of it is, that a man in much business must either make himfelf a knave, or elfe the world will make him a fool: and, if the injury went no farther than the being laught at, a wife man would content himself with the revenge of retaliation; but the cafe is much worse, for these civil cannibals too, as well as the wild ones, not only dance about fuch a taken stranger, but at laft devour him. A fober man cannot get too foon out of drunken company, though they be never fo kind and merry among themselves; it is not unpleasant only, but dangerous, to him.

Do ye wonder that a virtuous man should love to be alone? It is hard for him to be other. wife; he is fo, when he is among ten thoufand neither is the folitude fo uncomfortable to be alone without any other creature, as it is to be alone in the midst of wild beafts. Man is to man all kind of beafts; a fawning dog, a roaring lion, a thieving fox, a robbing wolf, a diffembling crocodile, a treacherous decoy, and a rapacious vulture. The civileft, inethinks, of all nations, are thofe whom we account the most barbarous; there is some moderation and good-nature in the Toupinambaltians, who eat no men but their enemies, whilit we learned and polite and Chriftian Europeans, like fo many pikes and fharks, prey upon every thing that we can fwallow. It is the great boaft of eloquence and philofophy, that they first congregated men difperfed, united them into focieties, and built up the houfes and the walls of cities. I wish they could unravel all they had woven; that we might have our woods and our innocence again, instead of our castles and our policies. They have affembled many thousands of scattered people into one body it is true, they have done fo; they have brought them together into cities to cozen, and into armies to murder, one another: they found them hunters and fifhers of wild creatures; they have made them hunters and fishers of their brethren: they boaft to have reduced them to a fate of peace, when the truth is, they have only taught them an art of war: they have framed, I must confefs, wholesome laws for the restraint of vice, but they raised firft that devil, which now they conjure and cannot bind: though there were before punishments for wickedness, yet there was lefs committed, because there were no rewards for it.

But the men, who praife philofophy from this topic, are much deceived; let oratory asfwer for itself, the tinkling perhaps of that may unite a swarm; it never was the work of philofophy, to affemble multitudes, but to regulate only, and govern them, when they were affembled; to make the belt of an evil, and bring them, as much as is poffible, to unity again. Avarice and ambition only were the firit builders of towns, and founders of empire; they faid, "Go to, let us build us a city and a tower whofe top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, left we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth." What was the beginning of Rome, the metropolis of all the world? What was it, but a concourfe of thieves, and a fanctuary of criminals? It was juftly named by the augury of no lefs than twelve vultures, and the founder cemented his walls with the blood of his brother. Not unlike to this was the beginning even of the first town 400 in the world, and fuch is the original fin of moft cities: their actual increase daily with their age and growth; the more people, the more wicked all of them; every one brings in his part to enflame the contagion; which becomes at laft fo univerfal and fo Arong, that no precepts can be fufficient prefervatives, nor any thing fecure our safety, bat fight from among the infected.

But

We ought, in the choice of a fituation, to regard above all things the healthfulness of the place, and the healthfulness of it for the mind, rather than for the body. suppofe (which is hardly to be supposed) we had antidote enough against this poifon; ay, fuppofe further, we were always and at all points armed and provided, both

Gen. xi. 4.

against the affaults of hoftility, and the mines of treachery, it will yet be but an uncomfortable life to be ever in alarms; though we were compassed round with fire, to defend ourselves from wild beafts, the lodging would be unpleafant, because we must always be obliged to watch that fire, and to fear no lefs the defects of our guard, than the diligences of our enemy. The fum of this is, that a virtuous man is in danger to be trod upon and deftroyed in the crowd of his contraries, nay, which is worfe, to be changed and corrupted by them; and that it is impoffible to escape both the inconveniencies, without fo much caution as will take away the whole quiet, that is the happiness, of his life.

Ye fee then, what he may lofe; but, I pray, what can he get there?

Quid Romæ faciam? Mentiri nefcio *.

What should a man of truth and honefty do at Rome? he can neither understand nor fpeak the language of the place; a naked man may swim in the fea, but it is not the way to catch fish there; they are likelier to devour him, than he them, if he bring no nets, and use no deceits. I think therefore it was wife and friendly advice, which Mar tial gave to Fabian, when he met him newly arrived at Rome :

Honeft and poor, faithful in word and thought;
What has thee, Fabian, to the city brought?
Thou neither the buffoon nor bawd canft play,
Nor with falle whispers th' innocent betray:
Nor corrupt wives, nor from rich beldams get
A living by thy industry and sweat ;
Nor with vain promises and projects cheat,
Nor bribe or flatter any of the great.

But you're a man of learning, prudent, just ;
A man of courage, firm, and fit for trust.
Why you may ftay and live unenvied here;

But (faith) go back, and keep you where you were:

Nay, if nothing of all these were in the cafe, yet the very fight of uncleannefs is loathfome to the cleanly; the fight of folly and impiety, vexatious to the wife and pious.

Lucretius, by his favour, though a good poet, was but an ill-natured man, when he faid, it was delightful to fee other men in a great ftorm: and no lefs ill-natured fhould I think Democritus, who laughed at all the world, but that he retired himself so much out of it, that we may perceive he took no great pleasure in that kind of mirth. I have been drawn twice or thrice by company to go to Bedlam, and have feen others very much delighted with the fantaftical extravagancy of fo many various maḍneffes; which upon me wrought fo contrary an effect, that I always returned, not only melancholy, but even fick with the fight. My compaffion there was perhaps too tender, for I meet a thousand madmen abroad, without any perturbation; though, to weigh the matter justly, the total lofs of reafon is lefs deplorable than the total depravation of it. An exact judge of human bleffings, of riches, honours, beauty, even of wit itself, should pity the abuse of them, more than the want.

Briefly, though a wife man could pafs never fo fecurely through the great roads of human life, yet he will meet perpetually with fo many objects and occafions of compaffion, grief, fhame, anger, hatred, indignation, and all paffions but envy (for he will find nothing to deserve that), that he had better strike into fome private path; nay, go fo far, if he could, out of the common way, "ut nec facta audiat Pelopidarum;" that he might not fo much as hear of the actions of the fons of Adam. But, whither fhall we fly then? into the deferts, like the ancient Hermits?

-Quà terra patet, fera regnat Erinnys,
In facinus jurâffe putes-‡

* Juv. Sat. iii, 41. + Lucr. lib. ii.

‡ Ovid. Metam. i. 241.

One would think that all mankind had bound themselves by an oath to do all the wickednefs they can; that they had all (as the scripture speaks) "fold themselves to "fin:" the difference only is, that fome are a little more crafty (and but a little, God knows) in making of the bargain. I thought, when I first went to dwell in the country, that without doubt I fhould have met there with the fimplicity of the old poetical golden age; I thought to have found no inhabitants there, but fuch as the hepherds of Sir Phil. Sydney in Arcadia, or of Monfieur d'Urfé upon the banks of Lignon; and began to confider with myself, which way I might recommend no less to pofterity the happinefs and innocence of the men of Chertfea: but, to confefs the truth, I perceived quickly, by infallible demonftrations, that I was still in Old England, and not in Arcadia or La Forrest; that, if I could not content myself with any thing lefs than exact fidelity in human conversation, I had almost as good go back and feek for it in the Court, or the Exchange, or Westminster-hall. I ask again, then, whither fhall we fly, or what fhall we do? The world may fo come in a man's way, that he cannot choose but falute it; he must take heed, though, not to go a whoring after it. If, by any lawful vocation, or juft neceffity, men happen to be married to it, I can only give them St. Paul's advice: "Brethren, the time is fhort; it remains, that they, that "have wives, be as though they had none.-But I would that all men were even as I myself *."

In all cafes, they must be fure, that they do mundum ducere, and not mundo nubere. They must retain the fuperiority and headship over it: happy are they, who can get out of the fight of this deceitful beauty, that they may not be led fo much as into temptation; who have not only quitted the metropolis, but can abstain from ever seeing the next market-town in their country.

CLAUDIAN'S OLD MAN OF VERONA.

DE SENE VERONENSI, QUI SUBURBIUM NUNQUAM EGRESSUS EST.

"FELIX, qui patriis, &c."

HAPPY the man, who his whole time doth bound

Within th' inclofure of his little ground.

Happy the man, whom the fame humble place

(Th' hereditary cottage of his race)

From his firft rifing infancy has known,

And by degrees fees gently bending down,
With natural propenfion, to that earth

Which both preferv'd his life, and gave him birth.
Him no falfe diftant lights, by fortune fet,
Could ever into foolish wanderings get.
He never dangers either faw or fear'd:
The dreadful ftorms at fea he never heard.
He never heard the fhrill alarms of war,
Or the worse noises of the lawyers' bar.
No change of confuls marks to him the year,
The change of feafons is his calendar.
The cold and heat, winter and fummer shows;
Autumn by fruits, and fpring by flowers, he knows.
He measures time by land-marks, and has found
For the whole day the dial of his ground.
A neighbouring wood, born with himself, he fees,
And loves his pld contemporary trees.

2 Cor. vii, 29. 7.

He 'as only heard of near Verona's name,
And knows it, like the Indies, but by fame.
Does with a like concernment notice take
Of the Red-fea, and of Benacus' lake.

Thus health and ftrength he to a third age enjoys,
And fees a long pofterity of boys.

About the fpacious world let others roam,

The voyage, life, is longeft made at home.

IX.

THE SHORTNESS OF LIFE, AND UNCERTAINTY OF RICHES.

I'

F you should fee a man, who were to cross from Dover to Calais, run about very busy and folicitous, and trouble himself many weeks before in making provifions for his voyage, would you commend him for a cautious and difcreet perfon, or laugh at him for a timorous and impertinent coxcomb? A man, who is exceffive in his pains and diligence, and who confumes the greatest part of his time in furnishing the remainder with all conveniences and even fuperfluities, is to angels and wife men no lefs ridiculous; he does as little confider the fhortness of his paffage, that he might proportion his cares accordingly. It is, alas, fo narrow a ftrait betwixt the womb and the grave, that it might be called the Pas de Vie, as well as that the Pas de Calais.

We are all hugo (as Pindar calls us), creatures of a day, and therefore our Saviour bounds our defires to that little space; as if it were very probable that every day should be our last, we are taught to demand even bread for no longer a time. The fun ought not to fet upon our covetoufnefs, no more than upon our anger; but, as to God Almighty a thousand years are as one day, fo, in direct oppofition, one day to the co vetous man is as a thousand years; tam brevi fortis jaculatur ævo multa," so far he fhoots beyond his butt: one would think, he were of the opinion of the Millenaries, and hoped for fo long a reign upon earth. The patriarchs before the flood, who enjoyed almost fuch a life, made, we are fure, lefs ftores for the maintaining of it; they, who lived nine hundred years, fcarcely provided for a few days; we, who live but a few days, provide at least for nine hundred years. What a strange alteration is this of human life and manners! and yet we fee an imitation of it in every man's particular experience; for we begin not the cares of life, till it be half spent, and ftill increase them, as that decreases.

What is there among the actions of beats fo illogical and repugnant to reafon? When they do any thing, which feems to proceed from that which we call reason, we difdain to allow them that perfection, and attribute it only to a natural instinct: and are not we fools, too, by the fame kind of instinct? If we could but learn to "number our days" (as we are taught to pray that we might), we fhould adjuít much better our other accounts; but, whilft we never confider an end of them, it is no wonder if our cares for them be without end, too. Horace advifes very wifely, and in excellent good words, -Spatio brezi

Spem longam reseces—*

from a fhort life cut off all hopes that grow too long. They must be pruned away like fuckers, that choak the mother-plant, and hinder it from bearing fruit. And in another place, to the fame sense,

Vite fumma brevis fpem nos vetat inchoare longam †;

I Carm. xi. 6. † Ibid. iv. 15.

« AnteriorContinuar »