A Display of dutie, dect vvith sage sayings, pythie sentences, and proper similies: Pleasant to reade, delightfull to heare, and profitable to practise. By L[eonard] Wright. Good nurture leadeth the way vnto vertue, and discreet behaviour plaineth the path to felicitie. London, printed by Iohn Wolfe. 1589. qto. 24 leaves. [Again] printed by V. S. for Nicholas Lyng. 1602. qto. 22 leaves, The subject of this and the next article are the only performances known by this writer. The present is an early and pleasing specimen of what is now generally approved of as a parlour-window miscellany. By the dedication "to the Right Worshipfull, most valiant, and famous, Thomas Candish, Esquier: L. Wright wisheth all happinesse in this life, and in the world to come, to ioy with Christ in felicitie for cuer." Then follows an address to the reader, telling him the book contains "both profitable rules for the instruction of youth, and sound reasons for reformation of age." In describing. "the property of a faithfull and fained friend," he observes " touching the naturall.inclination of men, hee that is light and toyesh in youth, proueth often teastie and waspish in age. A bold malipart boye, a wilfull seditious man. A grimme crabtree countenance doth com only shew a hard churlish di-position. A smooth glosing toong, a crafty dissembling hart. And a quicke sharpe wit, an vnconstant and wauering condition, neither faithfull to friend, nor fearefull to foe. But especially a proud, furious, or scornfull person, is apt to take di-pleasure and thinke vnkindnesse vpon curry light occasion, and if such a heart, where friendship hath dwelt begin once to hote, it is like a spong which sucketh vp as much matter of malice, as before of fanour and affection; and euen as the best wine, maketh the sharpest veniger; so the deepest loue, turneth to the deadliest hate. "In prayse of Friendship. "Of all the heauenly giftes on earth, VOL. II. What What sweeter solace can befall, As in whose breast thou maiest repose, If flattering Fortune chance to frowne, The golden mines are soone decayde, And cunning art soone ouerthrowne, And all things else their course doth change, But since by proofe they haue beene taught, I will not trust such glosing tongues, More then my open foe. Where fairest face doth harbour foulest hart, "A friendly aduertisement touching marriage. "Though wedlocke be a thing so doubtfull and daungerous to deale withall, as to seeke roses amo gst thorns, honny amongst hornets, or eeles amongst adders. Notwithstanding might my words craue pardon, though more willing to wish well then able to perswade, I would (according to my simple skill) shew my opinion touching the commoditie, and discommoditie of mariage, and the best meane to liue quiet in wedlock chaunsing vpo a shrew. "First, considering the state of mariage in generall, God himselfe hath ordayned it as holy: Nature hath established it as honest: Reason doth counsell it as profitable: and all nations haue allowed it, as necessarie: and therefore, with the apostle, I commend it as honorable amongst all men. Happy is that man (sayth Jesus Syrach) that hath a vertuous vertuous wife. The number of his yeares shall be double. A vertuous woman maketh her husband a joyful man: whether he be rich or poore, he may alwayes haue a merry hart. A woman that is silent of tongue, shamfast in countinance, sober in behauiour, and honest in condition, adorned with vertuous qualities correspondent, is like a goodly pleasant flower, dect with the colours of al other flowers in the field which shall be giuen for a good portion to such a one as feareth God. But he that shall preferre the gifts of nature and fortune, before grace and vertue: hauing more respecte to a cleane hand with a faire smiling countenance: the a cleane hart with good conditions, shall after find that he feareth, and misse that he most desireth. Wanting neyther time to repent nor matter to complaine vpon...... "A quiet man that matcheth himselfe to a shrewe, taketh, vpon him a verie harde aduenture, hee shall finde compackt in a little flesh, a great number of bones too hard to disgest. Yea [with] such saintes are some men matched withall, that if all their demaundes should be graunted, and all that they are agreeued withall, redressed, Sampson's strength, Job's patience, and Salomon's wisedome, were all too little. And therefore some do thinke wedlocke to be that same purgatorie, which learned diuines haue so long contended about, or a sharpe penance to bring sinnefull men to heauen. A merry fellow hearing a preacher say in his sermon, that whosoeuer would be saued, must take vp and beare his cross, ran straight to his wife, & cast her vpon his back...... "Finally, he that will liue quiet in wedlocke, must be courteous in speech, cheareful in countinance, prouident for his house, carefull to traine vp his children in vertue, and patient in bearing the infirmities of his wife. Let all the keyes hang at her girdle, only the purse at his own. He must also be voide of ielosie, which is a vanity to thinke, and more folly to suspect. For eyther it needeth not, or booteth not, and to be ielious without a cause is the next way to haue a cause. This is the only way, to make a woman dum: [mum. *The bird that seelly foule Doth warne men to beware: Who lighteth not on euery bush, For feare of craftie snare. A few passages from contemporary poets were adopted by Wright. In the margin of these lines are the initials E. S. and it is evidently the production of the writer with same signature in the Paradise of Dainty Devices. Though hunger bids him bite, Whereon is hid delight. If birdes and beastes can see, Whereas their danger lyes: " How should a mischiefe scape man's head, The author then gives "certaine necessarie rules both pleasant and profitable for preuenting of sickenesse, and preseruing of health: prescribed by D. Dyet, D. Quiet, and D. Merryman," which appears to have suggested to Samuel Rowlands a versification of a similar nature.† At the end" followeth certaine pretty notes and pleasant conceits, delightfull to many, and hurtfull to none." I shall select two. "The naturali inclination of an English man. "An Englishman by nature is sayde to be firme in friendship, constant in promise, vnpatient in anger, courragions in fight, without feare of death, courteous to his inferiours, pitifull to strangers, faithfull to his friends, and fearefull to his foes. More readie to reuenge an iniurie then proffer any without cause, he can not brooke a stranger to be his equall, nor to be dared of any. Alwayes desirous of nouelties, neuer long content with one state, nor one fashion, greatly delighted in royal brauety, and excesse of dyet, taking more pleasure to heare himselfe commended with lyes, then reproued with truthes. He is sayd to haue long eares, a short tongue, broade eyes, and light fingers; quicke to heare, slow to speake, ready to spye, and apt to strike. Few words and gentle speeches winneth his heart." "A poisie for a glasse penned merrily at the request of a Gentlewoman. "Vewing in this glasse the singular shape wherewith God hath garnished you aboue other creatures to his owne image, it Qu. misprint for "all eyes." + See p. 161 of Vol. I. of the present work. shall shall be requisite with continuall trauell and labour (least so excellent a worke be stayned by your negligence or misdemeanour) that you be answerable as abilitie shall serue, in working his will: which is not in crisping and curling: trisking and frounsing: painting and proining: to better your beauty with strange trim attyre, as not content with his fashion in framing you, but rather as you excell in giftes, seeke to excell in grace, remembring alwayes that as plainnesse putteth on, so painting putteth out the image of Christ which considered your attyre shall not be sluttish, but sober: not drabbish, but decent: not whoorish, but honest: not gawish, but godly as beseemeth Christianitie." J. H. ¶ A Summons for Sleepers. Wherein most grieuous and notorious offenders are cited to bring forth true frutes of repentance, before the day of the Lord now at hand. Hereunto is annexed, a patterne for Pastors, deciphering briefly the dueties pertaining to that function, by Leonard Wright. Woe be to the inhabitants of the earth, and the sea, for the diuel is come downe vnto you, whose wrath is great, because hee knoweth that his time is but short. Apoc. xii. 12. Be sober and watch, &c. Pet. v. 8. Happie are those seruants which the Lord when he commeth shall find waking. Luke xii. 37. 1589. qto. 30 leaves. no printer's name. [Again as] newli corrected and augmented. Imprinted by George Purslowe. 1612. qło. The Epistle to the Reader [commences]: To feede thy fancie with friuolous fables, gentle reader, (as to tell thee of drowsie Endinion, who desired of Iupiter, to sleepe perpetuall: or Epimenides, who in seeking his father's sheepe, tooke a nappe of fortie and seuen yeares long, or those seuen supposed saintes, whom the golden legend reporteth to haue slept two hundreth yeares and odde) is no part of my purpose. But rather as one in griefe of conscience, for the zeale of my God, what in me lyeth, to wake and stirre vp tho-e wicked and sinfull sluggards, whom the cursed serpent in paradice, aboue fiue |