Works of Joseph Hall, Section 19 – Section 20
SECT. XIX.
The ſecond enemy on the right hand, Honour.HOnour, perhaps, is yet better; ſuch is the confuſed opinion of thoſe that know little: but a diſtinct and curious head ſhall finde an hard taske, to define in what point the goodneſſe thereof conſiſteth. Is it in high deſcent of bloud? I would thinke ſo, if nature were tied by any law to produce children like qualitied to their Parents. But, although in the brute creatures ſhee be euer thus regular, that yee ſhall neuer finde a young Pigeon hatched in an Eagles neſt; neither can I thinke that true, (or if true, it was monſtrous) that Nicippus his ſheepe ſhould yeane a Lion: yet in the beſt creature (which hath his forme, and her attending qualities from aboue) with a likeneſſe of face and features, is commonly found an vnlikeneſſe of diſpoſition: onelyonly the earthly part followes the ſeed; wiſdome, valour, vertue, are of another beginning. Shall I bow to a molten Calfe, becauſe it was made of golden eare rings? Shall I condemne all honor of the firſt head (though vponupon neuer ſo noble deſeruing) becauſe it can ſhew nothing, before it ſelfe, but a white ſhield? If Caeſar, or Agathocles, bee a Potters ſonne, ſhall I contemne him? Or if wiſe Bion be the ſonne of an infamous Curtizan, ſhall the cenſorious Lawyer race him out of the Catalogue,Olympia. Diog. L…ert. with Partus ſequitur ventrem? Laſtly, ſhall I account that good, which is incident to the worſt? Either therefore greatneſſe muſt ſhew ſome Charter, wherein it is priuileged with ſucceſſion of vertue; or elſe the goodneſſe of honour cannot conſiſt in bloud. Is it then in the admiration and high opinion that others hauehave conceiued of thee, which drawes all dutifull reſpect, and humble offices from them, to thee? O fickle good, that is euer in the keeping of others! eſpecially of the vnſtable vulgar, that beaſt of many heads: whoſe diuided tongues, as they neuer agree with each other; ſo ſeldome (when euer) agree long with themſelues. Doe we not ſee the ſuperſtitious Liſtrians, that ere-while would needs make Paul a God, againſt his will; and in deuout zeale, drew crowned Bulls to the Altars of their new Iupiter and Mercury? violence can ſcarce hold them from ſacrificing to him: now not many houres after, gather vp ſtones againſt him; hauing in their conceits, turned him, from a God, into a malefactor; and are ready to kill him, in ſtead of killing a ſacrifice to him. Such as the multitude; and ſuch the ſtedfaſtneſſe of their honour. There then onelyonly is true honour, where bloud and vertue meet together: the greatneſſe whereof is from bloud; the goodneſſe from vertue. Reioyce, yee great men, that your bloud is ennobled with the vertues and deſerts of your Anceſtors. This onelyonly is yours: this onelyonly challengeth all vnfained reſpect of your inferiours. Count it praiſe-worthy, not that you hauehave, but that you deſerue honour. Bloud may bee tainted; the opinion of the vulgar cannot be conſtant; onelyonly vertue is euer like it ſelfe, and onelyonly winnes reuerence, euen of thoſe that hate it. Without which, greatneſſe is as a Beacon of vice, to draw mens eies the more to behold it: and thoſe that ſee it, dare lothe it; though they dare not cenſure it. So, while the knee bendeth, the minde abhorreth; and telleth the body, it honours an vnworthy ſubiect: within it ſelfe, ſecretly comparing that vicious great man (on whom his ſubmiſſe courteſie is caſt away) to ſome goodly faire bound Senecaes Tragedies, that is curiouſly gilded without; which if a man open, he ſhall finde Thyeſtes the tombe of his owne children; or Oedipus the husband of his owne mother, or ſome ſuch monſtrous part: which he (at once) reades, and hates.
SECT. XX.
LEt him thinke, that not onelyonly theſe outward things are not in themſelues good,The ſecond remedy of ouer-ioyed proſperitie. but that they expoſe their owners to miſery. For, beſides that God vſually puniſhes our ouer-louing them, with their loſſe, (becauſe he thinkes them vnworthy Riuals to himſelfe, who challengeth all height of louelove, as his onelyonly right) ſo that the way to loſe, is to louelove much; the largeneſſe moreouer either of affection, or eſtate, makes an open way to ruine: while a man walkes on plaine ground, he falls not; or, if he fall, he doth but meaſure his length on the ground, and riſe againe without harme: but he that climbeth high, is in danger of falling; and if he fall, of killing. All the ſailes hoiſed, giuegive vantage to a tempeſt; which (through the Mariners foreſight giuing timely roome thereto) by their fall, deliuer the Veſſell from the danger of that guſt, whoſe rage now paſſeth ouer with onelyonly beating her with waues for anger that he was preuented. So the larger our eſtate is, the fairer marke hath Miſchiefe giuen to hit; and (which is worſe) that which makes vsus ſo eaſie to hit, makes our wound more deepe and grieuous. If poore Codrus his houſe burne, he ſtands by and warmes him with the flame, becauſe he knowes it is but the loſſe of an out-ſide; which (by gathering ſome few ſticks, ſtraw, and clay) may with little labour, and no coſt, be repaired. But, when the many lofts of the rich man doe one giuegive fire to another; he cries out one while of his Counting houſe, another while of his Wardrobe: then of ſome noted Cheſt; and ſtraight of ſome rich Cabinet: and lamenting both the frame and the furniture, is therefore impatient, becauſe he had ſomething.