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But then, you will say, they may be of use to buy men out of dangers or troubles; as Solomon saith, "Riches are as a stronghold in the imagination of the rich man;" but this is excel5 lently expressed, that it is in imagination, and not always in fact; for, certainly great riches have sold more men than they have bought out. Seek not proud riches, but such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute

and corrupt servants, which set a bias3 upon their bowl, of their own petty ends and envies, to the overthrow of their master's great and important affairs. And for the most part, the good such servants receive is after the model of their own fortune, but the hurt they sell for that good is after the model of their master's fortune. And certainly it is the nature of extreme self-lovers, as they will set a house on fire and it were but to roast their eggs; and 10 cheerfully, and leave contentedly: yet have no yet these men many times hold credit with their masters, because their study is but to please them, and profit themselves; and for either respect they will abandon the good of their affairs.

abstract or friarly contempt of them, but distinguish, as Cicero saith well of Rabirius Posthumus, "In studio rei amplificandæ, apparebat, non avaritiæ prædam, sed instrumentum 15 bonitati quæri." Hearken also to Solomon, and beware of hasty gathering of riches: "Qui festinat ad divitias, non erit insons.' The poets feign that when Plutus (which is riches) is sent from Jupiter, he limps, and goes

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runs, and is swift of foot; meaning, that riches gotten by good means and just labour pace slowly, but when they come by the death of others (as by the course of inheritance, testa

Wisdom for a man's self is, in many branches thereof, a depraved thing: it is the wisdom of rats, that will be sure to leave a house some time before its fall: it is the wisdom of the fox, that thrusts out the badger, who digged and 20 slowly, but when he is sent from Pluto, he made room for him: it is the wisdom of crocodiles, that shed tears when they would devour. But that which is specially to be noted is, that those which (as Cicero says of Pompey) are "sui amantes sine rivali" are many times un- 25 ments, and the like) they come tumbling upon fortunate: and whereas they have all their time sacrificed to themselves, they become in the end themselves sacrifices to the inconstancy of fortune, whose wings they thought by their self-wisdom to have pinioned.

OF RICHES

(From the same)

a man: but it might be applied likewise to Pluto taking him for the devil: for when riches come from the Devil (as by fraud, and oppression, and unjust means) they come upon speed. 30 The ways to enrich are many, and most of them foul: parsimony is one of the best, and yet it is not innocent, for it withholdeth men from works of liberality and charity. The improvement of the ground is the most natural

I cannot call riches better than the baggage 35 obtaining of riches, for it is our great mother's of virtue: the Roman word is better-impedimenta; for as the baggage is to an army, so is riches to virtue-it cannot be spared nor left behind, but it hindereth the march; yea, and the care of it sometimes loseth or disturbeth the 40 victory. Of great riches there is no real use, except it be in the distribution; the rest is but conceit; so saith Solomon, "Where much is, there are many to consume it; and what hath the owner but the sight of it with his eyes?" The personal fruition in any man cannot reach to feel great riches: there is a custody of them, or a power of dole, and a donative of them, or a fame of them, but no solid use to the owner. Do you not see what feigned prices are set upon 50 he can expect the prime of markets," and overlittle stones or rarities-and what works of ostentation are undertaken, because there might seem to be some use of great riches?

blessing, the earth; but it is slow: and yet, where men of great wealth do stoop to husbandry, it multiplieth riches exceedingly. I knew a nobleman of England that had the greatest audits of any man in my time,—a great grazier, a great sheep master, a great timber man, a great collier, a great corn master, a great lead man, and so of iron, and a number of the like points of husbandry; so 45 as the earth seemed a sea to him in respect of the perpetual importation. It was truly observed by one, "that himself came very hardly to little riches, and very easily to great riches:" for when a man's stock is come to that, that

In the game of bowls, the bowl (or ball) was not perfectly round, but disproportionately swelled out on one side to prevent it from running in a straight course; this irregularity in shape was called the bias. Sometimes the same end was gained by weighting one side of the bowl.

Lovers of themselves without rivals. 1 Eccles. v., 11.

2 Prov. x., 15.

In his zeal to increase his fortune, it was evident that not the gain of avarice was sought, but the means of beneficence.

"He that maketh haste to be rich, shall not be innocent.' Prov. xxviii., 20.

i. e., Money receipts as shown by his accounts.

i. e., afford to wait until the market-price has risen to its highest point before he sells. By this means he can, through his wealth, capture (overcome) those bargains, which few men can afford to take advantage of and thus share in the industries of younger men.

Believe not much them that seem to despise riches, for they despise them that despair of them; and none worse when they come to them. Be not penny-wise; riches have wings, and 5 sometimes they fly away of themselves, sometimes they must be set flying to bring in more. Men leave their riches either to their kindred, or to the Public; and moderate portions prosper best in both. A great estate left to an heir,

come those bargains, which for their greatness are few men's money, and the partner in the industries of younger men, he cannot but increase mainly. The gains of ordinary trades and vocations are honest, and furthered by two things, chiefly, by diligence, and by a good name for good and fair dealing; but the gains of bargains are of a more doubtful nature, when men shall wait upon others' necessity;8 broke by servants, and instruments to draw 10 is as a lure to all the birds of prey round about

to seize on him, if he be not the better established in years and judgment: likewise, glorious gifts and foundations are like sacrifices without salt; 15 and but the painted sepulchres of

them on; put off others cunningly that would be better chapmen, 10 and the like practices, which are crafty and naughty. As for the chopping of bargains, 11 when a man buys not to hold, but to sell over again, that commonly 15 alms, which soon will putrify and corrupt in

grindeth double, both upon the seller and upon the buyer. Sharings do greatly enrich, if the hands be well chosen that are trusted. Usury12 is the certainest means of gain, though

wardly. Therefore measure not thine advancements 16 by quantity, but frame them by measure: and defer not charities till death: for, certainly, if a man weigh it rightly, he

one of the worst, as that whereby a man doth 20 that doth so is rather liberal of another man's

than his own.

OF STUDIES

(From the same)

Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness, and retiring; for ornament, is in

eat his bread, "in sudore vultus alieni,"13 and besides, doth plough upon Sundays; but yet certain though it be, it hath flaws; for that the scriveners and brokers do value unsound men to serve their own turn. The fortune in 25 being the first in an invention, or in a privilege, doth cause sometimes a wonderful overgrowth in riches; as it was with the first sugar man in the Canaries: therefore, if a man can play the true logician, to have as well judgment 30 discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment as invention, he may do great matters, espe cially if the times be fit. He that resteth upon gains certain, shall hardly grow to great riches; and he that puts all upon adventures, doth oftentimes break and come to poverty: it is 35 good, therefore, to guard adventures with certainties that may uphold losses. Monopolies, and coemption of wares for re-sale, where they are not restrained, are great means to enrich; especially if the party have intelligence what things are like to come into request, and so store himself beforehand. Riches gotten by service, though it be of the best, rise; yet when they are gotten by flattery, feeding humours, and other servile conditions, they may be placed 45 among the worst. As for "fishing for testaments and executorships," (as Tacitus saith of Seneca, "Testamenta et orbos tanquam indagine capi,")14 it is yet worse, by how much men submit themselves to meaner persons 50 for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, than in service.

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and disposition of business; for expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies, is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar; they perfect nature, and are per40 fected by experience-for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them, for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take

but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be

15 Among the Greeks, Romans, and other ancient peo ples, salt was an indispensable element in the sacrificial offering, at least when it was partly or wholly cereal. is Here, probably, gifts, whether by will or otherwise. The weakness peculiar to the scholastic tempera

ment.

read, but not curiously;2 and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are, like common distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man;

honour to Shakespeare, that in his writing, whatsoever he penned, he never blotted out a line. My answer hath been, "Would he had blotted a thousand," which they thought a 5 malevolent speech. I had not told posterity this but for their ignorance, who chose that circumstance to commend their friend by wherein he most faulted; and to justify mine own candour, for I loved the man, and do

and, therefore, if a man write little, he had 10 honour his memory on this side idolatry as

much as any. He was, indeed, honest, and of an open and free nature; had an excellent fancy, brave notions, and gentle expressions, wherein he flowed with that facility that sometime it was necessary he should be stopped. "Sufflaminadus erat,"s as Augustus said of Haterius. His wit was in his own power; would the rule of it had been so too. Many times he fell into those things, could not escape

need have a great memory; if he confer little,
he had need have a present wit; and if he read
little, he had need have much cunning, to seem
to know that he doth not. Histories make
men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; 15
natural philosophy deep; moral, grave; logic
and rhetoric, able to contend: "Abeunt studia
in mores"-nay, there is no stond nor impedi-
ment in the wit, but may be wrought out by
fit studies, like as diseases of the body may 20 laughter, as when he said in the person of
have appropriate exercises-bowling is good
for the stone and reins, shooting for the lungs
and breast, gentle walking for the stomach,
riding for the head, and the like; so, if a man's
wits be wandering, let him study the mathe- 25 his vices with his virtues. There was ever

matics, for in demonstrations, if his wit be
called away never so little, he must begin
again; if his wit be not apt to distinguish or
find differences, let him study the schoolmen,
for they are "cymini sectores;" if he be not 30
apt to beat over matters, and to call upon
one thing to prove and illustrate another, let
him study the lawyers' cases-so every defect
of the mind may have a special receipt.

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Cæsar, one speaking to him: "Cæsar, thou
dost me wrong." He replied: "Cæsar did
never wrong but with just cause;'
."4 and such
like, which were ridiculous. But he redeemed

more in him to be praised than to be pardoned.

De piis et probis.5-Good men are the stars, the planets of the ages wherein they live and illustrate the times. God never let them be wanting to the world: as Abel, for an example of innocency, Enoch of purity, Noah of trust in God's mercies, Abraham of faith, and so of the rest. These, sensual men thought mad because they would not be partakers or prac35 tisers of their madness. But they, placed high on the top of all virtue, looked down on the stage of the world and contemned the play of fortune. For though the most be players, some must be spectators.

40

Amor nummi.-Money never made any man rich, but his mind. He that can order himself to the law of Nature is not only without the sense but the fear of poverty. O, but to strike blind the people with our wealth and 45 pomp is the thing! What a wretchedness is this, to thrust all our riches outward, and be beggars within; to contemplate nothing but the little, vile, and sordid things of the world; not the great, noble, and precious! We serve our avarice, and, not content with the good of the earth that is offered us, we search, and dig for the evil that is hidden. God offered us those things, and placed them at hand, and near us, that He knew were profitable for us,

The character and scope of this work of Jonson, is indicated in its title: Timber, or Discoveries made upon Men or Matter, as they have flowed out of his daily reading; or had their reflux to his peculiar notions of the time. The book, in other words, is a reflection upon men and things, 50 suggested by Jonson's "daily reading." It is similar to Bacon's Essays, but Jonson's thoughts are jotted down as they occur to him, with little regard to logical order or grouping. The unsystematic, miscellaneous character of the book is indicated by its main title,Timber. Jonson uses Timber (i. e. a forest) as the English equivalent of the Latin word Silva (a wood, a crowded mass), which as Jonson explains, was applied by the ancients "to those of their books in which were collected random articles upon diverse and various topics." Timber, the crude wood of the forest is thus "the raw material of facts and thoughts:" the "promiscuous" growth, undeveloped by art.

*Of Shakespeare, our fellow-countryman.

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all away in a day? And shall that which could not fill the expectation of few hours, entertain and take up our whole lives, when even it appeared as superfluous to the possessors as to 5 me that was a spectator? The bravery was shown, it was not possessed; while it boasted itself it perished. It is vile, and a poor thing to place our happiness on these desires. Say we wanted them all, famine ends famine.

but the hurtful He laid deep and hid. Yet
do we seek only the things whereby we may
perish, and bring them forth, when God and
Nature hath buried them. We covet super-
fluous things, when it were more honour for
us if we could contemn necessary. What need
hath Nature of silver dishes, multitudes of
waiters, delicate pages, perfumed napkins?
She requires meat only, and hunger is not
ambitious. Can we think no wealth enough 10
but such a state for which a man may be
brought into a præmunire, begged, proscribed,
or poisoned? O! if a man could restrain the
fury of his gullet and groin, and think how

De stultitia.12--What petty things they are we wonder at, like children that esteem every trifle, and prefer a fairing13 before their fathers! What difference is between us and them but that we are dearer fools, coxcombs at a higher

whistles, hobbyhorses, and such like; we with statues, marble pillars, pictures, gilded roofs, where underneath is lath and lime, perhaps loam. Yet we take pleasure in the lie, and

many fires, how many kitchens, cooks, pastures, 15 rate? They are pleased with cockleshells, and ploughed lands; what orchards, stews,10 ponds and parks, coops and garners, he could spare; what velvets, tissues, 11 embroideries, laces, he could lack; and then how short and uncertain his life is; he were in a better way 20 are glad we can cozen ourselves. Nor is it to happiness than to live the emperor of these delights, and be the dictator of fashions. But we make ourselves slaves to our pleasures, and we serve fame and ambition, which is an equal slavery. Have not I seen the pomp of a whole 25 kingdom, and what a foreign king could bring hither also to make himself gazed and wondered at, laid forth, as it were, to the show, and vanish

only in our walls and ceilings, but all that we call happiness is mere painting and gilt, and all for money. What a thin membrane14 of honour that is, and how hath all true reputation fallen, since money began to have any! Yet the great herd, the multitude, that in all other things are divided, in this alone conspire and agree to love money. They wish for it, they embrace it, they adore it, while yet it is pos

is gotten.

i. e., to incur the penalty (viz. loss of the protection of the Crown, forfeiture of goods, etc.) provided in one 30 sessed with greater stir and torment than it or more of the laws known as the Statutes of Praemunire. These statutes obtained their name from the first words of a writ issued under them; Praemunire facias A. B., etc.-you shall cause A. B. to be forewarned that he appear before us etc.

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12 Of Folly.

13 An article purchased at a fair, a present brought from a fair.

14 Covering, tissue. The deceitful outward show, the (lath and lime, the painting and gill) is but a thin and superficial layer of honor.

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Let others trust the seas, dare death and Hell, Search either Ind', vaunt of their scars and wounds:

Let others their dear breath (nay, silence) sell To fools, and (swol'n, not rich) stretch out their bounds,

160

By spoiling those that live, and wronging dead;

That they may drink in pearl, and couch their head

In soft, but sleepless down; in rich, but restless bed.

O, let them in their gold quaff dropsies down! O, let them surfeits feast in silver bright! 165 Whilst sugar hires the taste the brain to drown, And bribes of sauce corrupt false appetite,

His master's rest, health, heart, life, soul, to sell;

Thus plenty, fulness, sickness, ring their knell.

Death weds, and beds them; first in grave, and then in Hell.

170

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My lovely mate shall tend my sparing stock, And nurse my little ones with pleasing care;

Whose love, and look, shall speak their father plain.

Health be my feast, Heaven hope, content my gain;

185

So in my little house my lesser heart shall reign. The beech shall yield a cool safe canopy, While down I sit, and chant to th' echoing wood:

Ah, singing might I live, and singing die!

So by fair Thames, or silver Medway's flood, 1 The Roman god, the doors of whose temple at Rome were shut only in a time of universal peace. In 1642, Less than ten years after this tribute was written, the Civil War began, and in 1649, Charles I, the "great Augustus," was beheaded.

The dying swan, when years her temples pierce,

190

In music's strains breathes out her life and verse, And chanting her own dirge tides on her wat❜ry hearse.

What, shall I then need seek a patron out;
Or beg a favour from a mistress' eyes,

To fence my song against the vulgar rout:
Or shine upon me with her geminies??

What care I, if they praise my slender
song?

196

Or reck I, if they do me right or wrong? A shepherd's bliss nor stands, nor falls, to every tongue.

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Draw out their silken lives:-nor silken pride!

His lambs' warm fleece well fits his little need, Not in that proud Sidonian tincture dy'd: No empty hopes, no courtly fears him fright;

Nor begging wants his middle fortune

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But sweet content exiles both misery and spite.

Instead of music, and base flattering tongues, Which wait to first salute my lord's uprise; The cheerful lark wakes him with early songs, And birds' sweet whistling notes unlock his eyes.

25

In country plays is all the strife he uses; Or sing, or dance, unto the rural Muses; And but in music's sports, all differences refuses.

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