all neatly to what they know best;
For so thou dost thy self and him a pleasure:
(But a proud ignorance will lose his rest,
Rather than shew his cards) steal from his treasure
What to ask further. Doubts well-rais’d do lock
The speaker to thee, and preserve thy stock.
If thou be Master-gunner, spend not all
That thou canst speak, at once but husband it,
And give men turns of speech: do not forestall
By lavishnesse thine own, and others wit,
As if thou mad’st thy will. A civil guest
Will no more talk all, than eat all the feast.
Be calm in arguing: for fiercenesse makes
Errour a fault and truth discourtesie.
Why should I feel another man’s mistakes
More, than his sicknesses or povertie?
In love I should: but anger is not love,
Nor wisdome neither; therefore gently move.
Calmnesse is great advantage: he that lets
Another chafe, may warm him at his fire:
Mark all his wandrings, and enjoy his frets;
As cunningfencers suffer heat to tire.
Truth dwels not in the clouds: the bow that’s there
Doth often aim at, never hit the sphere.
Mark what another sayes: for many are
Full of themselves, and answer their own notion.
Take all into thee; then with equall care
Ballance each dramme of reason, like a potion.
If truth be with thy friend, be with them both
Share in the conquest, and confesse a troth.
Be useful where thou livest, that they may
Both want, and wish thy pleasing presence still.
Kindnesse, good parts, great places are the way
To compasse this. Finde out men’s wants and will,
And meet them there. All worldly joyes go lesse
To the one joy of doing kindnesses.
Pitch thy behaviour low, thy projects high;
So shalt thou humble and magnanimous be:
Sink not in spirit: who aimeth at the sky
Shoots higher much than he that means a tree.
A grain of glorie mixt with humblenesse
Cures both a fever and lethargicknesse.
Let thy minde still be bent, still plotting where,
And when, and how the businesse may be done.
Slacknesse breeds worms; but the sure traveller,
Though he alight sometimes, still goeth on.
Active and stirring spirits live alone:
Write on the others, Here lies such a one.
Slight not the smallest losse, whether it be
In love or honour; take account of all:
Shine like the sunne in every corner: see
Whether thy stock of credit swell, or fall.
Who say, I care not, those I give for lost;
And to instruct them, ’twill not quit the cost.
Scorn no man’s love, though of a mean degree
(Love is a present for a mightie king,)
Much lesse make any one thine enemie.
As gunnes destroy, so may a little sling.
The cunning workman never doth refuse
The meanest tool, that he may chance to use.
All forrain wisdome doth amount to this,
To take all that is given; whether wealth,
Or love, or language; nothing comes amisse:
A good digestion turneth all to health:
And then as farre as fair behaviour may,
Strike off all scores; none are so cleare as they.
Keep all thy native good, and naturalize
All forrain of that name; but scorn their ill:
Embrace their activenesse, not vanities.
Who follows all things, forfeiteth his will.
If thou observest strangers in each fit,
In time they’l runne thee out of ail thy wit.
Affect in things about thee cleanlinesse,
That all may gladly board thee, as a flowre.
Slovens take up their stock of noisomenesse
Beforehand, and anticipate their last houre.
Let thy mindes sweetness have his operation
Upon thy body, clothes, and habitation.
In Almes regard thy means, and others merit.
Think heav’n a better bargain, then to give
Onely thy single market-money for it.
Joyn hands with God to make a man to live.
Give to all something; to a good poore man,
Till thou change names, and be where he began.
Man
