The Holy State, Book 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. 9. Of Expecting Preferment.
THere are as many severall tenures of Expectation as of Possession, some nearer, some more remote, some grounded on strong, others on weaker reasons. (As for a groundlesse Expectation, it is a wilfull self-delusion. (We come to instructions how men should manage their hopes herein.
Hope not for impossibilities. Maxime 1.For though the object of hope be Futurum possibile, yet some are so mad as to feed their Expectation on things, though not in themselves, yet to them impossible, if we consider the weaknesse of the means whereby they seek to attain them. He needs to stand on tiptoes that hopes to touch the moon; and those who expect what in reason they cannot expect, may expect.
Carefully survey what proportion the means thou hast bear to the end thou expectest. 2Count not a Courtiers promise of course a specialty that he is bound to preferre thee: Seeing Complements oftentimes die in the speaking, why should thy hopes (grounded on them) live longer then the hearing? perchance the text of his promise intended but common courtesies, which thy apprehension expounds speedy and speciall favours. Others make up the weaknesse of their means with conceit of the strength of their deserts, foolishly thinking that their own merits will be the undoubted Patrons to present them to all void Benefices.
The heir apparent to the next preferment may be disinherited by an unexpected accident. 3A Gentleman, servant to the Lord Admirall Howard, was suiter to a Lady above his deserts, grounding the confidence of his successe on his relation to so honourable a Lord; which Lord gave the Anchor as badge of his office, and therefore this suiter wrote in a window,
If I be bold,
The anchor is my hold.
But his corrivall to the same Mistris coming into the same room wrote under,
Yet fear the worst:
What if the Cable burst?
Thus uselesse is the Anchor of hope (good for nothing but to deceive those that relie on it) if the cable or small cords of means and causes whereon it depends fail and miscarry. Daily experience tenders too many examples. A Gentleman who gave a Basilisk for his Arms or Crest promised to make a young kinsman of his his heir, which kinsman to ingratiate himself painted a Basilisk in his study, and beneath it these verses,
Falleris asspectu Basiliscum occidere, Plini,
Nam vitae nostrae spem Basiliscus alit.
The Basilisk's the onelyonly stay,
My life preserving still;
Pliny, thou li'dst when thou didst say
The Basilisk doth kill.
But this rich Gentleman dying frustrated his expectation, and bequeathed all his estate to another, whereupon the Epigram was thus altered,
Certe aluit, sed spe vana, spes vana venenum:
Ignoscas, Plini, verus es Historicus.
Indeed vain hopes to me he gave,
Whence I my poison drew:
Pliny, thy pardon now I crave,
Thy writings are too true.
4Proportion thy expences to what thou hast in possession, not to thy expectancies. Otherwise he that feeds on wind must needs be griped with the Collick at last. And if the Ceremoniall law forbad the Jews to seeth a kid in the mothers milk, the law of good husbandry forbids us to eat a kid in the mothers belly, spending our pregnant hopes before they be delivered.
Imbrue not thy soul in bloudy wishes of his death who parts thee and thy preferment. 5A murther the more common, because one cannot be arraigned for it on earth. But those are charitable murtherers which wish them in heaven, not so much that they may have ease a… their journeys end, but because they must needs take death in the way.
In earthly matters expectation takes up more joy on trust, 6then the fruition of the thing is able to discharge. The Lion is not so fierce as painted; nor are matters so fair as the pencill of the expectant limmes them out in his hopes. They forecount their wives fair, fruitfull, and rich, without any fault; their children witty, beautifull, and dutifull, without any frowardnesse: and as S. Basil held that roses in paradise before mans fall grew without prickles, they abstract the pleasures of things from the troubles annexed to them, which when they come to enjoy, they must take both together. Surely a good unlook'd for is a virgin happinesse; whereas tho…e who obtain what long they have gazed on in expectation, onelyonly marry what themselves have defloured before.
When our hopes break let our patience hold:7 relying on Gods providence without murmuring, who often provides for men above what we can think or desire. When Robert *Godwin in his Catal. of Archbishops of York.Holgate could not peaceably enjoy his small living in Lincolneshire, because of the litigiousnesse of a neighbouring Knight, coming to London to right himself he came into the favour of King Henrie the eighth, and got by degrees the Archbishoprick of York. Thus God sometimes defeats our hopes, or disturbs our possession of lesser favours, thereby to bestow on his servants better blessings, if not here, hereafter.