Sayings of Wise and Learned Men, Part 7
Choice Examples, Apothegms, and Sayings of very Wiſe men.
A Lexander the Great, when Antipater made great Complaints to him of his Mother, replyed, knoweſt thou not that ſhe with one Tear will blot out all thy Complaints? Much more available with God are the Tears of his Servants, which, as precious Liquor, he preſerveth in his Bottles.
Agis King of Sparta thus anſwered a wicked man, that ask'd him, Quis Spartanorum eſt Optimus? Who of the Spartans is the beſt? Qui tui diſſimilimus: Even he that is moſt unlike unto thee.
Lyſander's ſaying was, Ʋbi Leonina pellis non ſufficit, aſſumenda Vulpina. Where a Lyon's skin will not ſerve, a Foxes skin muſt eke it out.
When the Grecians boaſted of their ſeven liberal Arts, the Romans told them that they had two Arts worth all their ſeven, namely the Arts of Commanding and Obeying. Tacitus tells us that theſe are ſomewhat difficult at the Firſt, but being ſtudied and Practiſed they become as eaſie as they are ſafe and uſeful.
Two Parthian Ambaſſadors were ſent to Rome, whereof the one was troubled with the Megrim, and the other with the Gout, whereupon Cato ſaid, That that Ambaſſy had neither Head nor Foot.
Alexander the Great uſed to ſay, that his hungry Dinner was his Suppers Sawce.
Pythagoras ſaid, That in two things we reſemble God, 1. In telling the Truth: 2. In beſtowing Benefits.
It was the prayer of an Heathen, that God would give what he knew would be good for him, tho not asked in particular, and keep Evil from him tho deſired.
In Mr. Farrel's time (who had been ſo much oppofed and threat'ned in reforming Geneva, and ſome other Cities) they coyned Medals with this Poſie on the one ſide, Lux poſt tenebras: Light after long Darkneſs: And on the other ſide, Deus noſter pugnat pro nobis: Our God fights for us.
Mr. Hooper, when he was B B. of Worceſter, took for his Arms, a Lamb in a flaming Buſh, incircled with the Raies of the Sun beams, which may thus be Blazoned. The Lamb ſignified an innocent Chriſtian, and the burning Buſh, the Fire of Perſecution; And the Sunbeams, the Glory and Beauty of the innocent Chriſtian in thoſe ſufferings.
Duarenus ſaith of ſuch as come to the Univerſity, That the firſt Year they are Doctors, in their own conceit at leaſt. The next Year they come to be Maſters. The third Year they are content to be Bachelors: And the fourth Schollars.
Horace, the Poet had blear and Watry Eyes, and Virgil uſed to ſigh much, whereupon Auguſtus Caeſar ſitting between them ſaid, that he ſat inter Suſpiria & Lachrymas: Between Sighs and Tears. Sabellic.
Diogenes being asked, why men uſed to give to the Blind and Lame, but not unto Philoſophers? Anſwered, becauſe they think that themſelves may one day come to be Blind or Lame: But never hope to be Philoſophers: So mens Affections being Blind and Lame, and their Phantaſies vainly bent, muſt needs delight in vain and frothy Pamphlets which feed their Humours, but cannot brook ſuch as would Purge them out.
One of Terence his Comedies called Eunuchus was valued at eight Thouſand pieces of Silver, which made two Hundred Crowns: This was more than all Tullie's Orations, and all his learned works were prized at (Ex Aelii Donati praef. in Terentium) But (ſaid a Wiſe man) the choice of Books ſhould be as the choice of Phyſicians: Medicus non jucundior, ſed utilior eligitur. A man will have a Phyſician rather for his Profit that can do him good, than for his Pleaſure, that will feed him with fine Words.
It was wiſe Counſel which Crates gave unto the Thebans. If he which hath wronged thee be Weaker than thy ſelf, pardon him: For it's no Honour for a man to ſtrive againſt a Child; Nor for a Rich man to go to Law with a Beggar. If he be more Mighty than thou art, pardon thy ſelf: For thou ſhalt never gain any thing, by going to Law with a Mighty man. And if he be thine Equal, pardon both thy ſelf and him: For you ſhall both live by the loſs, and ſhall hardly know who is the Gainer. And therefore ſtrive with no Man: But if it be Poſſible as much as in you is, Live peaceably with all men, Heb. 12. 14.
I once ſaw painted on a Table (ſaith Beza) where a Noble man had this Poſie: By my Sword I defend you all: The Clergy-man: By my Prayers I preſerve you all: The Country-man, by my Labour I feed you all: Laſtly, the Lawyer: By my Policy I devour you all.
Daniel Heinſius, Hiſtory-Profeſſor at Leiden, Secretary, and Library-Keeper of that Univerſity, and appointed Notary in the Synod of Dort, ſaid at laſt. Alas! As to humane Learning, I may uſe Solomon's Expreſſions, that which is crooked cannot be made ſtrait. Me thinks (ſaid he) I could bid the World farewel, and immure my ſelf among my Books, and look forth no more (if this were a Lawful Courſe) but ſhut the Doors upon me, and (as in the lap of Eternity) among thoſe Divine Souls imploy my ſelf with ſweet Content, and Pitty the Rich, and great ones that know not this Happineſs. Sure then it is a high delight indeed, which is enjoyed in the true lap of Eternity.
Sr. Chriſtopher Hatton, a little before his Death, adviſed his Relations to be ſerious in the ſearch after the Will of God in his Holy word. For (ſaid he) it is deſervedly accounted a Piece of excellent knowledge for a Man to underſtand the Law of the Land, and the Cuſtoms of his own Country: How much more to know the Statutes of Heaven, and the Laws of Eternity: Thoſe immutable and eternal Laws of Juſtice, and Righteouſneſs! To know the Will and Pleaſure of the great Monarch, and univerſal King of the World! I have ſeen an end of all Perfection: But thy Commandments, O God, are exceeding broad.
Could a man by a vaſt, and imperious Mind, and a Heart as large as the Sand upon the Sea-ſhore, command all the knowledge of Art, and Nature, of Words and Things, could he attain to be a Maſter in all Languages, and ſound the depth of all Arts and Sciences: Could he Diſcourſe the Intereſt of all States, the Intrigues of Courts, the Reaſons of all Civil Laws, and Conſtitutions, and give an account of all Hiſtories; and yet not know the Author of his Being, and the Preſerver of his Life, his Soveraign, and his Judg: His ſureſt Refuge in troubles; His beſt Friend, and worſt Enemy; the Support of his Life, and the Hope of his Death; his future Happineſs, and his Portion for ever, he doth but Sapienter deſcendere in Infernum; with a great deal of Wiſdom go down into Hell.
Robert, Earl of Leiceſter, the great Favorite in Queen Elizabeths days, tho he allowed himſelf in ſome things that were very inconſiſtent with Religon, yet came at laſt to this reſolution; That Man differs not from Beaſts ſo much in Reaſon as in Religion: And that Religion was the higheſt Reaſon, nothing being more Rational than for the ſupream Truth to be belivered, the higheſt Good to be embraced, the firſt Cauſe, and almighty Maker of all things to be owned and feared: and for thoſe who were made by God and live wholly upon him, to improve all for him, and to live wholly to him, as Rom. 12. 1. Give up your Souls and Bodies to him, &c.
It was the Obſervation of a learned Man, That however men may for a time offer violence to their Reaſon and Conſcience, ſubduing their underſtanding to their Wills and Appetites; Yet when theſe Faculties get but a little Liberty to examine themſelves, or to view the World, or are alarumed with Thunder, Earth-quakes, or ſome violent Sickneſs, they feel a ſenſe of a Deity brought back upon them, with greater force and Power, than before they ſhook it off with. Theſe and ſuch like Conſiderations wrought upon Functius, the learned Chronologer, who reflecting upon his deſerting the Calling of a Divine, to imbrace the Honour of a privy Counſellor, he left this warning to Poſterity.
Diſce mei Exemplo mandato munere fungi,
Et fuge ceu Poſtem, foreign.
Juſtus Jonas, Left this Legacy to all that came after him.
Quid juvatinnumeros ſcire, & evolvere caſus,
Si facienda fugis, ſi fugienda facis.
Sr. Philip Sidney when he lay upon his Death-bed left this Farewel among his Friends: Love my memory, Cheriſh my Friends; their Faith to me may aſſure you that they are honeſt: But above all govern your Wills and Affections by the Will, and Word of your Creator. In me behold the end of this World, and all it's Vanities.
Sr. John Maſon, Privy Counſellor to King Henry the 8th, and King Edward the 6th, upon his Death-bed, called for his Clerk, and his Steward, and delivered himſelf to this Purpoſe. "I have ſeen five Princes, and have been Privy Counſellor to four: I have ſeen the moſt remarkable obſervables in forraign Parts, and been preſent at moſt State-Tranſactions for Thirty years together, and I have learned this after ſo many years Experience, that ſeriouſneſs is the greateſt Wiſdom, Temperance is the beſt Phyſick, a good Conſcience is the beſt Eſtate; and were I to live again I would change the Court for a Cloiſter, my Privy Counſellors buſtles for an Hermits retirement, and the whole Life I lived in the Pallace, for one hours Enjoyment of God in the Chappel. Now all things forſake me beſides my God, my Duty, and my Prayer."