Books, Authors. HE giving a Bookseller his Price for his Books has this Advantage; he that will do so, shall have the refusal of whatsoever comes to his hand, and so by that means get many things, which otherwise he never should have seen. So 'tis in giving a Bawd her Price. 2. In buying Books or other Commodities, 'tis not always the best way to bid half so much as the seller asks: witness the Country fellow that went to buy two [shove-] groat Shillings, they ask'd him three Shillings, and he bade them Eighteen pence. * 3. They counted the Price of the Books (Acts xix. 19.) and found Fifty Thousand Pieces of Silver; that is so many Sestertii, or so many Three-half-pence of our Money, about Three Hundred pound Sterling. 4. Popish Books teach and inform; what we know we *The word shove is wanting in the Original Edition, but one MS. copy has it shore, an evident mistake. The broad, flat, thin shillings of Edward VI. were anciently much in request for the game of shove-groat or shuffle board. They were placed on the edge of the table or board projecting over it, and struck with the palm of the hand to certain chalk marks progressively numbered. The game was originally played with silver groats, then nearly as large as modern shillings. The reader will recollect Falstaff's "Quoit him down, Bardolph, like a shovegroat Shilling." Master Slender's Edward shovel boards cost him "two shillings and twopence a piece." See Douce's Illustrations of Shakespeare, vol. ii. p. 454, and Nares's Glossary in v." Shovegroat." know much out of them. The Fathers, Church Story, School-men, all may pass for Popish Books; and if you take away them, what Learning will you leave? Besides who must be Judge? The Customer or the Waiter? If he disallows a Book, it must not be brought into the Kingdom; then Lord have mercy upon all Scholars. These Puritan Preachers, if they have any things good, they have it out of Popish Books, tho' they will not acknowledge it, for fear of displeasing the People. He is a poor Divine that cannot sever the good from the bad. 5. 'Tis good to have Translations, because they serve as a Comment, so far as the Judgement of the Man goes. 6. In answering a Book, 'tis best to be short; otherwise he that I write against will suspect I intend to weary him, not to satisfy him. Besides in being long I shall give my Adversary a huge advantage; somewhere or other he will pick a hole. 7. In quoting of Books, quote such Authors as are usually read; others you may read for your own Satisfac tion, but not name them.† * Customer, i. e. The officer of the Customs. The importation of Popish Books was contraband; it was one of the charges against Laud that he had suffered the customs to let pass many Popish Books. We are told in the Walpoliana that Bentley would not even allow that a book was worthy to be read that could not be quoted. "Having found his son reading a novel, he said, Why read a book that you cannot quote ?" Selden's own conduct was at variance with his dictum, for in his own works he freely quotes from all sources, many of them the most recondite, and certainly not such as are usually read." 66 8. Quoting of Authors is most for matter of Fact, and then I cite them as I would produce a Witness; sometimes for a free Expression; and then I give the Author his due, and gain myself praise by reading him. 9. To quote a Modern Dutchman, where I may use a Classic Author, is as if I were to justify my Reputation, and I neglect all Persons of Note and Quality that know me, and bring the Testimonial of the Scullion in the Kitchen. Canon Law. F I would study the Canon Law as it is used in use, then go to the Practisers in those Courts where that Law is practised, and know their Customs. So for all the Study in the World. Ceremony. EREMONY keeps up all things: 'Tis like a Penny-Glass to a rich Spirit, or some excellent Water; without it the Water were spilt, the Spirit lost. 2. Of all people Ladies have no reason to cry down Ceremony, for they take themselves slighted without it. And were they not used with Ceremony, with Compliments and Addresses, with Legs and Kissing of Hands, they were the pitifullest Creatures in the World. But *The first and second editions have write. Evidently an error. yet methinks to kiss their Hands after their Lips, as some do, is like little Boys, that after they eat the Apple, fall to the Paring out of a Love they have to the Apple. Chancellor. HE Bishop is not to sit with a Chancellor in his Court, (as being a thing either beneath him or beside him,) no more than the King is to sit in the King's-Bench when he has made a LordChief-Justice. : * 2. The Chancellor govern'd in the Church, who was a Lay-man and therefore 'tis false which they charge the Bishops with, that they challenge sole Jurisdiction; for the Bishop can no more put out the Chancellor than the Chancellor the Bishop. They were many of them made Chancellors for their Lives; and he is the fittest Man to govern, because Divinity so overwhelms the rest. Changing Sides. IS the Trial of a Man to see if he will change his side; and if he be so weak as to change once, he will change again. Your Country Fellows have a way to try if a Man be weak in the Hams, The Chancellors of Dioceses are still several of them laymen, generally civilians. It is probable that, as Dr. Irving suggests, we should read they were many of them made chancellors for their knowledge of the laws." by coming behind him and giving him a Blow unawares; if he bend once, he will bend again. 2. The Lords that fall from the King after they have got Estates by base Flattery at Court, and now pretend Conscience, do as a Vintner, that when he first sets up, you may bring your Wench to his House, and do your things there; but when he grows Rich, he turns conscientious, and will sell no Wine upon the Sabbath-day. 3. Colonel Goring* serving first the one side and then the other, did like a good Miller that knows how to grind which way soever the Wind sits. 4. After Luther had made a Combustion in Germany about Religion, he was sent to by the Pope, to be taken off, and offer'd any Preferment in the Church, that he would make choice of: Luther answered, if he had offer'd half as much at first, he would have accepted it; but now he had gone so far, he could not come back. In Truth he had made himself a greater thing than they could make him; the German Princes courted him, he was become the Author of a Sect ever after to be called Lutherans. So have our Preachers done that are against the Bishops; they have made themselves greater with the people than they can be made the other way; and therefore there is the less probability + in bringing them off. *Col. Goring. He was first sworn to the King's secret orders; confessed to the House; was entrusted by them with Portsmouth, which he surrendered to Charles in 1642, &c. "He would (says Clarendon) without hesitation have broken any trust or done any act of treachery, to have satisfied any ordinary passion or appetite." † The Original Edition misprints this," charity probably.” |