King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 3
CHAP. 3.
Iehoſophat and the other Princes and Lords call to mind & report in order what they hauehave noted and obſerued in Solomons geſture behauiour and wordes, as arguments of his troubled mind and miſery.
THe former wordes being ſpoken, the praier ended & a pauze againe taken whiles the Lordes looked one on another with heauy hearts & ſad faces, muſing much of the kings woful caſe: at lēgth, Iehoſophat the Recorder opened his mouth and ſaide: Ah las I hauehave knowne (and that not long ſithence) when at any time the kinges grace ſat at his table to eate and to drinke among his Princes and Lords, he would wonderfully be ſolaced and delighted with ſwéet harmonies of Men-ſingers and Women-ſingers, (whereof he had right many in his Courte) and would be excéeding merry and glad in the middeſt of them all: ſaying, A merrie heart is the life of the body, prouer. 14.30.but envie conſumeth away the bones: But now, ſitting at his table (in whatſoeuer company, and howſoeuer he be ſerued and attended on) he ſéemeth meruelous ſad and wofull, he muſeth, he ſtudieth, he looketh heuelie, he diſtaſteth all thinges, and giueth not ſo much as any ſparkle or ſhew of a merry conceit, yea, he is wholly ouercome with deepe diſpleaſure, which argueth an vnmeaſurable griefe of heart and a ſtrange affection of the ſoule: for the face and externall behauiour of a man (which is not hypocriticall) doth commonly expreſſe and declare the thought and heart. And although the King well knoweth, that he which being diſeaſed in the body and diſtempred in his health, when he ſhal be recreated with the ioy of his minde doth eaſely recouer, if his ſicknes be not incurable, and that the moſt naturall cure of the diſeaſed is to procure or occaſion him ſome ioy or mirth of the minde, for often times the ſick man by the comfort of gladnes is eaſed, yet to them which now laugh and would aſſay to prouoke the king to laughter, for the ſame cauſe he ſayeth, ye are meere mad perſons;Eccleſ. 2.1. The true vnderſtanding of theſe the kings words is afterward declared by Zadok in his Apologie for Solomon. and to them which proffer him mirth to recreate his mind, he ſaieth Sirs what is it which ye do? When any man willing to put him out of this conceit inuiteth him to a feaſt or banquet, he denieth to come, being vnwilling to enter into ſuch houſes: ſaying It is better to goe into the houſe of mourning then into the houſe of feaſting. Moreouer of all thoſe pleaſant paſtimes and delightes of the ſonnes of men, the which ſometimes hee ſo much affected, and of all their pleaſures, counſelles, ſtudies, laboures, deuiſes, policies, workes, and wiſedome, vnderunder the Sunne, (ſeeme they neuer ſo laudable in the eyes and eſtimation of worldly men) he ſaieth:Eccleſ. Cap. 1.2.3. Vanitie, vanitie of vanities, and all is meere vanitie: For what els doeth a man get profitable for himſelfe of all thoſe trauails which he taketh vnderunder the Sunne? wherefore trauaile men in the wynd? and what good thing is there to be found or enioyed or taſted of by men vnderunder the Sunne? *This being ſaid, Azariah roſe vp,Azariah ſtoode foorth and ſpake againe. The ſame thing (ſaid he) hauehave I alſo lately noted in my Lord the King. Hee was wont to walke foorth into his garding,Eccl. 2.4.5.6. to view his Orchardes, his Pondes, and his fiſhing pooles: to beholde with delight his faire houſes and beautifull buildings, and to take great pleaſure in all the delights of the ſonnes of men at all times: but now (alas) hee rather conteyneth himſelfe ſolitarilie within his Chamber penſiue & ſad: & now all the works which his hand hath made, and all the things vnderunder the Sunne (wherin heretofore he tooke ſuch paſſing great pleaſure, to the wonder of all his Princes) ſéeme vain and loathſome vntounto his ſoule.Solomon loatheth his labors and delights. And as I ſawe him of late to paſſe by, and to behold them all I heard him (with theſe eares) ſodainly to ſigh moſt grieuouſly, and pointing at them to ſay with a very wofull voyce: Yet Loe! all this is but vanitie, and vexation of the ſpirit. And there commeth no profit at all of all theſe thinges vntounto him that hath labored therein: whereby I am weary not onelyonly of thoſe my labours, but alſo of my life: neither can I digeſt any thing that is vnderunder the Sunne. I much muſed thereon, as alſo what ſhould be the cauſe of ſuch the kings condition, and of his ſo ſodaine metamorphoſis. Truely ſithence that time I heard and perceiued thus, I hauehave much pondered therof in my meſtiue mind, and hauehave been, and yet continue right ſory for the kings trouble. *Then anſwered Helioreph the Secretarie,Helioreph. and ſaid, that hee had likewiſe not onelyonly ſeene and obſerued ſuch an alteration in the kings maieſtie, and heard many ſuch tragecall geſtures & pathetical words of the king himſelfe: but alſo that he had ſome times enquired of him wherefore he ſo did and had ſo ſaid? to whom, his maieſty anſwered becauſe that there is not any thing of valew vnderunder the Sunne:The vanity of worldly things Eccles, 1.4. and that a man by his owne labours findeth nothing els. And therwith he ſpake much of the generations: as that One paſſeth and another ſucceeded, and that Earth onelyonly remaineth. Beſides theſe, I hauehave heard him to vtter many thinges ſtrange & wonderfull: yea, ſuch as without a good interpreter are able to aſtoniſh and confounde both the reaſon and iudgement of any man.Ahiah. * It is very true (ſaid Ahiah the other ſecretarie) and as I hauehave ſeene and heard: ſo hauehave I noted much of the kings behauiour and wordes. And here I remember that hee ſaide of late, that All things are ſo hard that a mā is not able to expres them A ſaying which much daunteth the wiſe men of the world,All things are too hard for mans witte. Cap. 1.8. that vndertake, in the ſearch of Nature and her workes, to find out and to declare not onelyonly the things, but alſo the cauſes of al naturall things with the euents: yea, he hath ſaid alſo, that The thing which is now in action, hath beene done heretofore, There is nothing new vnderunder the Sunne.& the thing that hath beene done, and is now in action, ſhalbe done againe hereafter, and that there is no new thing wrought or to be done vnderunder the Sunne. Howbeit, we ſee and know well that many new things are wrought and done in the world eueryevery day: and yet notwithſtāding, he ſaid alſo, that The thing which is paſt is out of remē brance, and that the things to come ſhall no more bee thought on: and conſidering all the things which are done vnderunder the Sunne. He found them all vanitie and vexation of the ſpirit. Strange wordes yea, high miſteries! howbeit I doubt not but that the King is well able to giuegive reaſon of thoſe his words, and to confirme the ſame with ſufficient arguments, howſoeuer the wiſdome of eueryevery man can neither reconcile them, nor on a ſodaine comprehend or conceiue the kings meaning. And I alſo (ſaide Abiather the prieſt) hauehave both hearde and ſeene the ſame in my Lorde King Solomon. Moreouer I heard him ſay,Abiather. that (though manye thinges bee bowed and by mans arte, cunning and induſtrye perfected and framed to requeſt.) The crooked cannot bee made ſtreight, nor the imperfection of things can bee numbred: and that whereas hee endeuoured to attaine to the perfection of wiſedome and knowledge, hee founde in the end, that All was but vaine, and where much wiſedome was, there was alſo much trauayle and diſquietnes and The more knowledge a man hath the more is his care. Benaiah.* After this Benaiah Captaine of the Kinges Hoaſt, ſtanding foorth, ſaide, that hee alſo had hearde the ſame wordes vttered, and that beſides, hee hearde the King to ſaye, that whereas hee had ſought to content his Soule with the pleaſures and delights of the ſonnes of men, hee in the ende (afer long ſearch and ſtudy) found therein nothing of habilitie to content his minde: but this hee found, that all thoſe his ſtudies and endeuours were meere vaine and grieuous to his ſoule: and ſo much the ſooner for that hee conſidered▪ that the wiſe ſhalbe no more in remembrance then the foole: & that it hapneth to the wiſe as to the foole:The wiſe man is forgotten in the world. therefore what encouragement hath a man to ſeeke for wiſedome? Moreouer I perceiue him to waxe weary of his labours: and the rather (as hee ſayth) becauſe he ſhalbe fayne to leaue all to one, whom hee knoweth not whether he wilbe a wiſeman or a foole, yea, to him which neuer ſweat for them in his life.No mā knoweth who ſhall enioy his labors after him. And that ſeeing a man getteth no profit of all the trauails he taketh vnderunder the Sunne, he holdeth it beſt, for a man, to eate and to drinke and to refreſh himſelfe in his labours which yet a man cannot doe, and ſo neither be pleaſed in his labours, without the grace of God whoſe guift it is: and therefore he ſometimes expoſtuleth thereof thus And is it then good for a man to eate and drinke, & to ſeek to refreſh him ſelfe in thoſe his labours? as if he ſhould anſwere, No: But being comforted by them that ſtoode before him and heard his words and by them wiſhed to preuent tymes and ſeaſons: he anſwered,A time for eueryevery perſon and to eueryevery thing. Eccles. 3.1. that he could not, nor would aſſay to do it, although hee ſhould redeeme the time ſeeing the iniquitie of thoſe dayes: for why, as men hauehave their appointed time and times in this world and as eueryevery thing hath his proper opportunitye in the ſame: ſo alſo hath hee had his time, and the time which hee hath ouerpaſſed hee cannot recall, nor the times to him alotted bee they good or euill, is hee able to preuent: nor may thoſe thinges in any other time bee effected which are to this time by the diuine prouidence properly appoynted. Men may labour without the conſideration of this time, but what gaine they? nothing beſides wearines and trouble, which are the common rewardes of mens toyles in this life, for God hath framed his workes in ſuch order and meaſure, as they are not to bee altered nor corrected by man, not able to comprehend them. The King complaineth of this alſo, that Vngodlineſſe is found in the place of Iudgement, and iniquitie in the place of Righteouſneſſe. Yea,The iniuſtice and impiety of Magiſtrates euen in this time of his happy gouernment, notwithſtanding the core and regard not onelyonly of his grace: but of all vsus his Lords and chiefe counſaylors, who (I am aſſured) hauehave takē as great heede with diligence, as any Prince in the world with his nobles could poſſibly take for the rule of the realme and ordering of the Common-wealth. But (ah las) men are diuerſly affected, of ſundry opinions, and variable diſpoſitions, in all ages, the which to meete with in all points, it is for any prince or magiſtrate impoſſible: the which therefore may be lamented, but neuer throughly corrected or amended. Howbeit hee thought (as he ſaith) that the cure of this malady being beyond mans power and wiſedome, God would in the due time take on himſelfe and ſeparate the righteous from the vngodly, and then ſhall be the time and iudgement of all counſels and workes. Hee alſo much muſeth, how God (though he had choſen of the children of men) ſhoulde neuer the leſſe permitte them to appeare,God ſuffereth men to appear as the beaſts. as though they were but Beaſtes: and as ſomewhat doubtfull of the eternall beeing of mans ſoule (which is that ſpirituall ſubſtance, which God hath made afer his owne likeneſſe, and powred into the humane body, and ioyned to the body doeth animate & guide it, but being ſeparated frō the body, dieth not,The fleſhly mans iudgement of the ſoule. but liueth immortall for euer) he ſaith: Who is he which knoweth the ſpirit of man that goeth vpwarde: and the breath of a beaſt that goeth downe to the earth? And is not this the iudgement of worldely and carnall men, which perceiue not the thinges which are of the holy ſpirit? Indeed (being as the beaſts in their nature) they conſider nothing more. And albeit the King hath ſaid, that it is beſt for a man to be ioyfull in his labour,No man knoweth what will com on him or his poſteritie after him. which is his portion in this life: yet to daunt him againe, who (ſaith he) will bring him to behold what ſhal come (on him or his poſterity) after him? And truely, this may eaſily diſcourage any man to prouide for his wife, his children, his familie, and for the times to come, when as without hope of future proſperities, hee ſhall trauaile for them in the wind. * Theſe and ſuch like paſſions of minde I hauehave perceiued in the king.The great oppreſſion in the world. But yet beyond many others, hee complayned of all the wrong that is done vnderunder the Sunne, the which (as appeareth by his wordes and lamentation) is both vnmeſurable and vnſpeakable: and the more for that the poore oppreſſed perſons hauehave wept and ſhed aboundance of teares, and yet hauehave not founde any in place ready to comfort them or to deliuer them from the violence of their oppreſſors. And here as in regard thereof He much commended the dead before the living, The dead cō mēded before the living.(becauſe they are fréed from thoſe miſeries) yea, He commendeth him which is not yet borne, to be happier then any of thoſe becauſe he ſéeth not (nor hath had experience of) thoſe wretched toyles of men vnderunder the Sunne. *Here he likewiſe complaineth of the Envy, Idleneſſe, Envy, idlenes, couetouſnes, ſolitarines.and covetous minds of men in this world, he diſliketh ſingularitie and ſolitarineſſe of life, in the which hauing too much preſumed, he hath béene wonderfully deceiued & much annoyed in his life, wherein hee ſoroweth for the abuſe of his owne eſtate, to the which (inlieu thereof) he preferreth the condition of A poore child that is wiſe. A fooliſh king a poore child.*Further, in his wiſedome he prognoſticateth the fooliſhnes & future miſery of Rhehoboam his Sonne and heyre apparante: and yet he hath both well nurtoured him,Rhehoboam. & vnderſtandeth that moſt men hauehave their eies fixed on him with great delight, and hope of his happy ſucceſſe and proſperity in time to come: and ſome what the more hee is troubled, becauſe that men in regard of his young prince and his ſucceſſion, do ſomewhat neglect the preſent care and reuerence they ſhould hauehave of his maieſtie: For they looke after the ſecond man. And (indeede) ſuch is mans folly: hee looketh alwaies further, and affecteth the times, perſons and thinges either paſt or future before thoſe which be preſent. Some ſay the times and perſons which hauehave beene of yore hauehave beene better then theſe which be preſent: others ſay, the beſt are not yet come, but we hope for them to be hereafter: the whiles, they eſteeme not, yea, they loath and contemne the good thinges which they hauehave and may vſe at their pleaſure: and ſo in regard thereof do often loſſe both the commodity of th'one and comfort of th'other to their remedileſſe miſerie, and continuall griefe, And this (ſaith he) is a vaine thing and vexation of the minde. Cap. 4.17.Moreouer the king hath highly reprehended and blamed many of them which enter into the holy houſe, which he hath made for the ſeruice of God: ſaying: that their offerings are the offerings of fooles, and they know not what euill they doe therein. The which wordes (being not well vnderſtood) will occaſion the ignorant eyther to contemne the ſaid houſe, and the ſeruice of God therein, or to forbeare to come into the ſame to ſhew their deuotion, and religion to God, as they are bound to doe.