Abuses Stripped and Whipped, Book · Satire 12
OF HOPE.
SATY. 12.
THrice welcome Hope the diuel keep home the tother
(Dispaire & feare ar sitting for no other)
This is the Passion that of all the rest,
We hauehave most reason to esteme of best:
For if it be with good aduise applide,
A salue it is God did himselfe prouide
To ease not onelyonly eueryevery outward greife,
But when the very soule doth want releefe,
It wil redresse her paine, although it were
The shaking of that hideous monster feare:
Oh precious Balme! Yea, if that man had power,
To take it to himselfe at such an hower,
When black Dispaire doth pinch him, that indeed
Would quite expell it; and he should not need
Apothecary drugs. But what can wee,
Apply aright and not instructed be,
By Gods good inspiration? Nay, 'tis true;
We are so farre vnlike for to pursue
The way we should, that we do follow still,
The crooked'st path to loose our selues in ill:
This needing Hope, we either neuer vse it,
Or else for want of knowledge do abuse it:
Yea this that of all Passions was the best,
Is now as much corrupted as the rest;
We must consider then, Mans hope is double,
One true and certaine: th' other ful of trouble,
And most vnconstant: the first hope attends
Things more immortall, and alone depends,
On th' expectation of the certain'st things,
And such perfection of true ioy, as brings
No trouble with it, This through faith we gaine,
And 'tis sufficient to make any paine
Seeme short and easy; yea it cheares a man,
And tis a help, without the which none can
Endure to liue: but now great store there be,
Who for because of their infirmity,
Together through the bad and weake foundation,
They build this hope on, make it in some fashion
To be blame-worthy: It, cannot indure,
Nor wil it (without doubting) make them sure
Of what they looke for. Now the other kind
Of hope, which I amongst vsus men do find,
Is of vncertaine earthly things, and this
Of no continuance and oft frustrate is;
For the best likeli-hoods that may be showne,
And the strong'st humane reasons that are knowne,
Are nothing for to ground a hope vponupon;
(Since in the turning of a hand tis gone)
Were all the men on earth procured to
Some easie thing that's in ones power to doe;
And all were well resolu'd to see it done;
Yea, wer't but one daies work, and that begun,
We may wel hope indeed thei'l bring to passe,
So smal a thing as that; but yet, alas!
None can assure it, for because they know,
No warrant from aboue it should be so:
And therefore I could wish that eueryevery man,
Should take vntounto him the best hope he can,
In all his outward actions; but foresee,
At least on honest grounds it builded be,
And therewith be so well prepared still,
That if these doubtfull hopes doe fall out ill,
He ne're repine, but tak't as if the same
Had beene expected long before it came;
And since that fickle trust did nought auaile him,
Depend on the true hope that shall nere faile him.
For that indeed that's plac'd on wit or strength
Is vaine, and most vncertaine; cause at length,
How ere it may seeme sure, it will deceiue him,
And when he hath most need of comfort, leaue him.
Besides there's many to this hope are led,
By sundry Passions within them bred:
As LoueLove, Ambition, Auarice, and such,
'Tis true that these will make a man hope much;
But many thereby into errors run
So blindly on, that they are quite vndone,
Cause in their mindes, they hopefully expect,
A thousand things which they shall nere effect;
For they giuegive their desires too large a scope,
And doe abuse themselues through fained hope,
Not hauing plac'd it on a certaine ground
(For then it neuer could be frustrate found.)
But Louers hopes, and such as theirs, are bold,
On eueryevery paltry trifle to lay hold.
And whatsoe're the Ambitious doe intend,
The hopes they hauehave to bring their plots to end
Are drawne frō n' other grounds but their affections
Which for the most part giuegive such blind directions,
That they, as we may by experience see
Together with their hopes oft ruin'd be;
But as this passion is now much abus'd,
The next that followes is as hardly vs'd.