a pleasure in your employment, some burdens are sweet; you lose the sense of weight by the deceptions of fancy and occasional rests; and in proportion as your journey becomes more agreeable, you are in danger of growing more dilatory. GEORGE DYER. Si tu tombes entre les mains de ceux qui ne voyent rien d'autruy que pour y trouver sujet de s'y desplaire, et qu'ils te reprochent que ton Docteur est ennuyeux; responds leur qu'il est à leur choix de lui voir ou ne lui voir point.-Si tu te trouves parmy ceux qui font profession d'interpreter les songes, et descouvrir les pensées plus secrettes d'autruy, et qu'ils asseurent que **est un tel homme et ** une telle femme; ne leur respond rien; car ils sçavent assez qu'ils ne sçavent pas ce qu'ils disent: mais supplie ceux qui pourroient estre abusez de leurs fictions, de considerer que si ces choses ne m'importent, j'aurois eu bien peu d'esprit de les avoir voulu dissimuler et ne l'avoir sceu faire. Que si en ce qu'ils diront, il n'y a guere d'apparence, il ne les faut pas croire; et s'il y'en a beaucoup, il faut penser que pour couvrir la chose que je voulois tenir cachée et ensevelie, je l'eusse autrement desguisée. ASTRE E-MUTATIS MUTANDIS. I would not be in danger of that law of Moses, that if a man dig a pit and cover it not, he must recompense those which are damnified by it; which is often interpreted of such as shake old opinions, and do not establish new as certain, but leave consciences in a worse danger than they found them in. I believe that law of Moses hath in it some mystery and appliableness; for by that law men are only then bound to that indemnity and compensation, if an ox or an ass, (that is such as are of a strong constitution and accustomed to labour) fall therein; but it is not said so, if a sheep or a goat fall: no more are we if men in a silliness or wantonness will stumble or take a scandal, bound to rectify them at all times. And therefore because I justly presume you strong and watchful enough, I make account that I am not obnoxious to that law; since my meditations are neither too wide nor too deep for you. DONNE'S LETTERS. Such an author consulted in a morning sets the spirits for the vicissitudes of the day, better than the glass does a man's person. SIR RICHARD STEELE. The Load-stone of Attraction I find out, The Card of Observation guides about, The Needle of Discretion points the way. DUTCHESS OF NEWCASTLE. —βροτοὶ παύσασθε μάταιοι. Ρεμβομενοι σκοτίη και ἀφεγγέϊ νυκτὶ μελαίνῃ· SIBYLLINE VERSES. Of things that be strange Who loveth to read In this book let him range His fancy to feed. RICHARD ROBINSON. At ego tibi sermone isto Varias fabulas conseram, auresque tuas Benevolus lepido susurro permulceam. APULEIUS. Whoso doth attempt the Author's works to read Must bring with him a stayed head, and judgement to proceed; For as there be most wholesome hests and precepts to be found, So are there rocks and shallow shelves to run the ship aground. ARTHUR GOLDING. I am studying the art of patience:-to drive six snails before me from this town to Moscow, neither use goad nor whip to them, but let them take their own time. The patientest man i' the world match me for an experiment! WEBSTER. He says and he says not, cares and he cares not, he's king and he's no king; his high-born soul is above this sublunary world; he reigns, he rides in the clouds and keeps his court in the Horizon: he's Emperor of the Superlative Heights, and lives in pleasure among the Gods; he plays at bowls with the Stars, and makes a foot-ball of the Globe; he makes that to fly far, far out of the reach of Thought. HURLOTHRUMBO. Lo libres fo be faitz, e de bos motz complit; E sil voletz entendre, li gran e li petit CANSOS DE LA CROZADA CONTR ELS EREGES DALBREGES. Something oddly The book-man prated; yet he talked it weeping. FORD. 'We content ourselves to present to thinking minds, the original seeds from whence spring vast fields of new theories, that may be further cultivated, beautified and enlarged. Truth however being of a coherent nature, it is impossible to separate one branch from another and see it in all its beauty. I beg therefore my readers not to judge of the work by parcels, but to continue to the end, that so they may see the connection of every part with the whole. Scattered rays do not always enlighten; but when reunited they give a mutual lustre to each other. THE CHEVALIER RAMSAY. I must be allowed my freedom in my studies, for I substitute my writings for a game at the tennis-court or a club at the tavern. I never counted among my honours these opuscula of mine, but merely as harmless amusements. It is my partridge, as with St. John; my Cat, as with Pope St. Gregory; my little dog, as with St. Dominic; my lamb, as with St. Francis; (my pig, he might have said as with St. Antony,) my great black mastiff as with Cornelius Agrippa; and my tame hare, as with Justus Lipsius. CATHERINOT. As quoted and translated by D'ISRAELI. To ignorants obdurde, quhair wilfull errour lyis, Nor zit to curious folks, quhilks carping dois deject thee, Nor zit to learned men, quha thinks thame onelie wyis, But to the docile bairns of knowledge I direct thee. JAMES Ist. Albeit I have studied much and learned little, yet I have learned to glean some handfulls of corn out of the rankest cockle; to make choice of the most fragrant flowers of humanity, the most virtuous herbs of philosophy, the most sovereign fruits of government, and the most heavenly manna of divinity; to be acquainted with the fairest, provided for the foulest, delighted with the temperatest, pleased with the meanest, and contented with all weather-greater men may profess and can achieve greater matters: I thank God I know the length, that is the shortness of my own foot. If it be any man's pleasure to extenuate my sufficiency in other knowledge, or practise to empeach my ability in words or deeds, to debase my fortune, to abridge my commendations, or to annihilate my fame, he shall find a cold adversary of him that hath laid hot passions awatering, and might easily be induced to be the invective of his own non proficiency. GABRIEL HARVEY. |