The Book of Proverbs Paraphrased, Preface – Errata
THE PREFACE.
I. NExt to the Pſalms of David, which are an admirable Collection of Devotion, follow the Proverbs of Solomon, which contain moſt excellent Rules of life. They are commonly called his Ethicks; correcting mens errours, and teaching them how to conduct themſelves in all relations: but may as well be called his Politicks alſo, comprehending under that word, Rules for the Government of Families, Cities and Kingdoms as well as of particular Perſons. For, as S. Baſil ſpeaks, this Book is foreign, an univerſal inſtruction and direction for all men, and for the whole life: containing frequent documents, of what is to be done on all occaſions.
II. And there being two ways of teaching; one by brief Sentences, and Aphoriſms, which are delivered alſo promiſcuouſly without any great care about the order of them; the other by methodical Diſcourſe, according to the Rules of Logick, proceeding orderly from one thing to another, till all that belongs to the matter in hand, be reduced to one body, and make as it were an intire building: Solomon hath choſen the firſt way, which was the moſt ancient; as it would be very eaſie to ſhew, were there any neceſſity of it; and were not the great Antiquity of this ſententious way of ſpeaking, apparent enough from that paſſage of David's 1 Sam. XXIV. 13. As ſaith the Proverb of the Ancients; wickedneſs proceedeth from the wicked: which is much like that Greek Adage foreign. For it was very uſual with the Wiſe men of old (as the Lord Bacon obſerves in his Eighth Book of the Advancement of Learning) when their obſervation light upon any thing, that might prove beneficial unto common life, to reduce it immediately and contract it, either into ſome ſhort ſentence or parable; or elſe into a Fable. As for Fables they were onelyonly the ſubſtitutes, and ſupplements of Examples; to ſerve inſtead of them, while they were wanting, and no longer: when the world abounded with Hiſtories, they became unneceſſary, becauſe the ſhadows of things are uſefull onelyonly where the ſubſtance cannot be had; and becauſe the aim is more exact, and more pleaſant, when the mark is alive. Then thoſe Fables were to give place to this Sententious way of Inſtruction, compriſing wiſe obſervations in a few words: which could be illuſtrated and inforced by a multitude of examples.
III. And therefore in the fabulous times, we find thoſe even among the Poets, who forſook Fables and betook themſelves to this more profitable way of Inſtruction: particularly Phocylides and Theognis, whom Julian the Apoſtate is bold not onelyonly to compare with Solomon, but to prefer before him. To whom S. Cyril of Alexandria very judiciouſly anſwers (Lib. VII. adv. Jul.) that as Solomon's Work is of far greater Antiquity; he being contemporary with Homer himſelf, and they living a long time after, with Solon and Thales in the reign of Croeſus: ſo it is infinitely more weighty than theirs. Who ſaid indeed ſome pretty, ſpruce things, but ſo weak and ſhallow in compariſon with the manly and deep ſenſe of Solomon's Proverbs; that they were fit onelyonly for the uſe of Nurſes to prattle to their Babes; or at the moſt for Paedagogues to teach little Boys. There is not, for inſtance, ſuch a wiſe inſtruction to be found in all their Books, as the very firſt of all in Solomon's, which he lays as the ground of all wiſedom (but they alas! did not think of) that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wiſedom. This as S. Baſil obſerves, is that foreign (which their Philoſophers ſo much talkt of, but did not underſtand) the onelyonly thing that can purge the ſoul, and prepare it to be capable of Inſtruction: which it is as improper, ſays he, to give to a man of impure affections, as it is to pour a pretious ointment into a ſordid, filthy Veſſel.
The like I might ſay of another moſt admirable Precept in this Book, to diſpoſe the ſoul for wiſedom, viz. truſt in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own underſtanding. There is no ſuch word in all their Writings; nor in Iſocrates neither (whom that Apoſtate Prince vainly magnified likewiſe above Solomon) who may be praiſed for ſome profitable leſſons he gave to youth, but muſt ſtoop, as S. Cyrill ſpeaks, to this great perſon; who as he wrote long before him, ſo far outwent him in all ſort of wiſedom, for the inſtruction both of young and old. Nor doth he onelyonly give precepts of manners, but many excellent admonitions about rewards and puniſhments: together with lively deſcriptions of the events of humane actions; which ſerve much for our information. Many things alſo he diſcovers of mens moſt ſecret affections; of the cauſes and grounds of the greateſt changes in humane affairs; of the principal things, that are of greateſt moment in Government; of the way to avoid all manner of dangers, and to preſerve our ſelves, our fame, our eſtates: with ſo many other things of like nature, that the Son of Syrack juſtly ſaid of him XLVII. Ecclus. 14, 15. He was as a floud filled with underſtanding. His Soul covered the whole earth, and he filled it with dark Parables.
IV. By that name ſome call theſe ſhort Sentences, which we call Proverbs: though the word Parable properly ſignifies onelyonly a compariſon or ſimilitude. The original of which name is this (as Grotius hath obſerved in his Prolegomena to Stobaeus) that the moſt ancient Authours delivered their precepts about manners, or about government, by compariſons: either full and at length (which the Rhetoricians properly call foreign, parable) or curtail'd, as we ſpeak, and ſhortned. And theſe taken either from things plainly fabulous (as that of the Fruit-trees and the Bramble in IX. Judges, and that of the Thiſtle and the Cedar, 2 Chron. XXV. 18. of the Hawk and Nightingale in Heſiod; the Wolfs, Dogs and Sheep in Demoſthenes; and the famous parable of Menenius about the Members of our Body) or elſe from things likely and probable, as that of Nathan to David, and moſt of our bleſſed Saviour's.
V. But Solomon's Sentences in this Book are not of this Nature, and therefore the LXX. uſe another word, ſignifying a ſaying as trite and common as the high way; worn, as we ſay, thredbare (to uſe S. Baſil's phraſe) by every bodies conſtant uſe. And ſo doth the Latin and our Engliſh word Proverb, denote ſome ancient common Saying, which every body hath in his mouth. But the word in the Hebrew, denotes onelyonly any acute and excellent Saying; which is as worthy to be known by all, and to be in every ones mouth, as common Proverbs are. And thus it is uſed in the moſt ancient Book of Holy Scripture, for an eloquent ſpeech, much exceeding thoſe that had been made before; in the beginning of the XXVII. and XXIX. of Job. And ſo the Doctours of the Church explain it. A Proverb, ſaith S. Baſil, is a profitable Saying, delivered with a moderate concealment of the ſenſe, &c. or a pithy Sentence; in a few words expreſſing much ſenſe.
This is the firſt ſignification of the word: though in after-times, every Saying that was never ſo little out of the way of vulgar ſpeech, began by the Hebrews to be called Maſhall; as may be ſeen in XX. Ezek. 49. And whether it was figurative, or ſimple and plain, if it did contain any profitable Inſtruction, it was called by the ſame Name; as we learn from the Sentences in this Book.
VI. Which conſiſts of a Preface, and of the Book it ſelf. The Preface is in the nine firſt Chapters: ſeven of which ſeem to be an Admonition what is to be done, and what to be avoided, to make a man capable of Wiſedom: which in the eighth and ninth Chapters ſets forth her own praiſes.
Then begins, as you find in the front of the tenth Chapter, the Proverbs of Solomon: which conſiſt of three Parts, or Books. The firſt Part from the beginning of the Xth Chapter, to the 17th verſe of the XXII. where a new form of ſpeech, any body may diſcern, begins (as I have there noted) and continues to the XXVth Chapter: which may be called the ſecond Part. And then from the XXVth to the XXXth (which is the laſt Part) follow ſuch Sentences as were collected afterwards out of his Writings, or the Writings of thoſe who had recorded them; by ſome perſons whom Hezekiah employed to ſearch the ancient Records. For we are told in 1 King. IV. that he ſpake in all three thouſand Proverbs: which Joſephus ſeems to think were ſo many Books that periſhed in the Captivity; but S. Hierom takes for ſo many Sentences contained in this Book: that is, ſome of them, for there are in all but 800 verſes. And ſome of them are not Solomon's; for in the end of the Book are added certain Sayings of Agur to his Scholars, and the Inſtructions of a pious Mother to her Son Lemuel: of all which I have given an account in their proper places.
VII. And therefore muſt intreat all thoſe that would profit by this Book to reade the Argument of each Chapter, before they proceed to the Paraphraſe: or at leaſt to conſult the References which I have made to ſuch paſſages in it, as will help to make the ſenſe clearer, or to explain difficult places: which ſometimes are capable of more ſenſes than one; and therefore if I have not repreſented them all in the Paraphraſe, I doe it in the Argument: deſigning all along this alone, to give the fulleſt and propereſt explication of every phraſe; upon which as I have not dilated, ſo I have expreſſed the meaning in the plaineſt words, I could find. For as Saint Hierom ſpeaks concerning his own Commentaries upon Ezekiel (in the Preface to the Vth Book) my buſineſs was not to ſtudy the Art of Rhetorick, nor of exact compoſition, and gracefull language; but to uſe a carefull diligence to hit the ſenſe: reſting content with this praiſe alone, if the Wiſe-man's words be underſtood by my means. And indeed it ought to be the deſign of every good man, in ſuch Works as theſe, that the Holy Books (as he ſpeaks in another place) may be made more intelligible and acceptable by his endeavours; and not that his own Writings may be commended, by occaſion of thoſe Books.
VIII. And in his time nothing was commended, he ſaith, but onelyonly that which men fancied to be Eloquence. In this the Latins were then altogether delighted; but nauſeated the underſtanding of the Holy Scriptures. Which provoked God, in his juſt judgments, to deliver them into the hands of thoſe rough Nations, who, in his days, broke in like a floud upon them; and turned their vain affectation of neatneſs and elegance of ſpeech, into rudeneſs and Barbariſm: which ought to be a caution unto us, not to give up our ſelves, to the admiration onelyonly of the language and of the wit of the Stage; leſt our minds thereby be ſo depraved, that we have no reliſh of the moſt ſerious, no not of the ſacred Writings, but reject them as inſipid things: with which diſeaſe if any be infected, they might, by God's Grace, be cured; if they would be pleaſed to apply their mind, with due attention to the ſtudy of this one Holy Book: which wants nothing to entertain the minds of all men, though of the wideſt capacity, with the greateſt variety of pleaſure; if they have not perfectly loſt their taſte, of that which will doe them good, and make them truly happy.
IX. It is recorded by Suetonius of Caeſar Auguſtus, that in his reading all ſort of Greek, as well as Latin Authours, he chiefly obſerved, and tranſſcribed ſuch wholſome precepts or examples, as might ſerve him either for publick or private uſe: which upon occaſion he produced, for the Inſtruction of his own domeſticks, or of the Commanders of his Armies, or the Governours of Provinces, or the Magiſtrates in his ſeveral Cities; according as he thought every one had need of Admonition: whom if any man have the heart to imitate, Solomon hath ſaved him the labour, which that great Perſon underwent. He need not turn over many Volumes, to ſearch for all manner of wiſe inſtructions; but be furniſhed here (and that at an eaſie rate) out of the vaſt treaſure of Learning, he hath left us in this ſmall Book, with the beſt Advices that can be given, either to Princes, Counſellours, Judges, and other publick Miniſters; or to all ſorts of Subjects in their ſeveral relations, and in every condition: to make them both pious and politick: to direct them in the choice of their Conſorts; in the education of their Children; in the management of domeſtick affairs, and in their tranſactions with other men; in contracting or conducting their Friendſhips; in giving or taking good counſel and reproof; in making or preſerving peace; in judging of men, and of the event of their deſigns; and in ſhort (for it would be a new Book to mention every thing particularly) to inſtruct every one in all ſorts of vertue; eſpecially in the Government of the Tongue: wherein men offend, and whereby they ſuffer ſo much, that there is no part of prudence more neceſſary than that, and therefore none more inſiſted on in this Book.
X. Which contains the Wiſedom of that excellent Prince, who could readily reſolve all Queſtions and doubts; penetrate into the nature of all things; and had his own Family and Kingdom, in ſuch admirable order, that it aſtoniſhed her who came from the ends of the earth, to diſcourſe with him. And it was compoſed, if we may rely upon the judgment of the Jewiſh Writers, in his beſt and moſt judicious years; when his Kingdom alſo was in perfect peace, and there was no diſturbance in his affairs.
For the Book of Canticles, ſay they, was wrote in his youth; the Proverbs, when he was of riper years; the Eccleſiaſtes when he was old, and repented of the ſins he had been drawn into by the ſnares of Women: who had made this Admirable perſon, as great an example of folly, as he had been before of wiſedom: whence that common ſaying of theirs; men compoſe Songs, when they are young, Parables, when they are grown to be perfect men; and Diſcourſes of the vanity of things when they are old.
XI. But the time of his writing theſe Books is not ſo material as the deſign: which is excellently expreſſed by S. Baſil, in a diſcourſe of his upon the Beginning of this Book. (Tom. I. Hom. XII.) "The Book of Proverbs, ſaith he, is an Inſtruction of manners, and a Correction of the paſſions; and an intire direction of the whole life, containing abundance of precepts about well-doing. The Eccleſiaſtes touches upon the Nature of things; and evidently ſhews the vanity of every thing in this world: that ſo we may not think it worth our pains, to be ſo ſolicitous as we are about things that ſwiftly paſs away from us; nor waſte the thoughts and cares of our mind about empty and vaniſhing enjoyments. The Song of Songs ſhews the manner of perfecting Souls. For it contains the happy concord of the Bridegroom and the Spouſe: that is, the familiarity of the Soul, with God the WORD."
XII. I conclude this Preface, as that Great man doth that diſcourſe. "He is wiſe, not onelyonly who hath arrived at a compleat habit of Wiſedom but, who hath made ſome progreſs towards it; nay who doth as yet but love it, or deſire it, and liſten to it. Such as theſe, by the reading of this Book, ſhall be made wiſer; for they ſhall be inſtructed in much Divine, and in no leſs Humane learning: it expelling Vice divers ways; and, with as great variety, introducing all manner of Vertues. It bridles the injurious tongue; corrects the wanton eye; and ties the unjuſt hands in chains. It perſecutes ſloth; chaſtiſes all abſurd deſires; teaches Prudence; raiſes mens Courage; and repreſents Temperance and Chaſtity after ſuch a faſhion, that one cannot but have them in veneration."
Let a man but conſent to one thing, which this Book deſires, to make theſe Precepts familiar to his mind, ſaying unto wiſedom (as you find the words VII. 4.) thou art my ſiſter, and calling underſtanding his kinſwoman: and he will not fail to be happy. For this is the ſum of all, in a few words, Love her, and ſhe ſhall preſerve thee.
ERRATA.
PAge 116. line 4. add [a] 159. 27. r. inculcated. 172. 2. kindly affected. 198. 26. he who hath. 247. 13. The beſt way to. 275. 2. all company. 293. 29. d. his. 297. 11. foreign. 372. 3. conſidered with. 400. 10. deliver them, &c. 442. pen. houſe of correction. 444. 22. Margema. 464. 20. look like a reproach. 476. penult. d. he before cannot. 477. 28. for natural r. mutual.