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"There is more weighty bullion sense in this book than I ever found in the same number of pages of any uninspired writer. . . . ) to have been with Selden over his glass of wine, making

every accident an outlet and a vehicle of wisdom." -COLERIDGE: Lit. Remains, ii. 361, 362.

EVIL SPEAKING.

1. He that speaks ill of another, commonly, before he is aware, makes himself such a one as he speaks against; for if he had civility or breeding, he would forbear such kind of language.

bid him kill me. With that I began to be afraid, and thought he was mad. He said treated me to give him something, for he was he knew I could cure him, and therefore enresolved he would go to nobody else. I perceiving what an opinion he had of me, and that it was only melancholy that troubled him, took him in hand, warranted him, if he would follow my directions, to cure him in a short time. I desired him to let me be alone about an hour, and then to come

again; which he was very willing to. In the mean time I got a card, and wrapped it

2. A gallant man is above ill words. An example we have in the old Lord of Salis-up, handsome in a piece of taffeta, and put bury, who was a great wise man. Stone had called some lord about court fool; the lord complains, and has Stone whipped; Stone cries, "I might have called my Lord of Salisbury fool often enough before he would have had me whipped."

3. Speak not ill of a great enemy, but rather give him good words, that he may use you the better, if you chance to fall into his hands. The Spaniard did this when he was dying; his confessor told him, to work him to repentance, how the devil tormented the wicked that went to hell; the Spaniard replying, called the devil my lord: "I hope my lord the devil is not so cruel." His confessor reproved him. "Excuse me," said the don, "for calling him so; I know not into what hands I may fall; and if I happen into his, I hope he will use me the better for giving him good words."

Table-Talk.

IIUMILITY.

1. Humility is a virtue all preach, none practice, and yet everybody is content to hear. The master thinks it good doctrine for his servant, the laity for the clergy, and the clergy for the laity.

2. There is humilitas quædam in vitio. If a man does not take notice of that excellency and perfection that is in himself, how can he be thankful to God, who is the author of all excellency and perfection? Nay, if a man hath too mean an opinion of himself, it will render him unserviceable both to God and man.

3. Pride may be allowed to this or that degree, else a man cannot keep up his dignity. In gluttons there must be eating, in drunkenness there must be drinking; it is not the eating, nor it is not the drinking, that is to be blamed, but the excess. So in pride.

Table-Talk.

DEVILS IN THE HEAD.

A person of quality came to my chamber in the Temple, and told me he had two devils in his head (I wondered what he meant), and just at that time one of them

strings to the taffeta; and when he came, gave it to him to hang about his neck; withal charged him, that he should not disorder himself, neither with eating nor drinking, but eat very little of supper, and say his prayers duly when he went to bed; and I made no question but he would be well in three or four days. Within that time I went to dinner to his house, and asked him how he did. He said he was much better, but not perfectly well; for, in truth, he had not dealt clearly with me; he had four devils in his head, and he perceived two of them were gone, with that which I had given him, but the other two troubled him still. "Well," said I, "I am glad two of them are gone: I make no doubt to get away the other two likewise." So I gave him another thing to hang about his neck. Three days after, he came to me in my chamber, and professed he was now as well as ever he was in his life, and did extremely thank me for the great care I had taken of him. I, fearing lest he might relapse into the like distemper, told him that there was none but myself and one physician more in the whole town that could cure the devils in the head, and that was Dr. Harvey (whom I had prepared), and wished him, if ever he found himself ill in my absence, to go to him, for he could cure his disease as well as myself. The gentleman lived many years, and was never

troubled after. Table-Talk.

THOMAS HOBBES,

born 1588, and died 1679, was the author of Human Nature; or, the Fundamental Principles of Policy concerning the Faculties and Passions of the Human Soul, Lond., 1650, 12mo, Leviathan; or, the Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth, ecclesiasticall and civill, 1651, fol., and other works.

"A permanent foundation of his fame remains in his admirable style, which seems to be the very perfection of didactic language. Short, clear, precise, pithy, his language never has more than one

SIR THOMAS ELYOT.

meaning, which it never requires a second thought to take. By the help of his exact method it takes so firm a hold on the mind, that it will not allow attention to slacken."-SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH: Second Prelim. Dissert, to Encyc. Brit.

LAUGHTER.

There is a passion that hath no name; but the sign of it is that distortion of the countenance which we call laughter, which is always joy; but what joy, what we think, and wherein we triumph when we laugh, is not declared by any. That it consisteth in wit, or, as they call it, in the jest, experience confuteth; for men laugh at mischances and indecencies, wherein there lieth no wit nor jest at all. And forasmuch as the same thing is no more ridiculous when it groweth stale or usual, whatsoever it be that moveth

LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE.

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Forasmuch as all knowledge beginneth from experience, therefore also new experience is the beginning of new knowledge, and the increase of experience the beginning of the increase of knowledge. Whatsoever, therefore, happeneth new to a man, giveth him matter of hope of knowing somewhat that he knew not before. And this hope and expectation of future knowledge from anything that happeneth new and strange, is that passion which we commonly call adtite, is called curiosity, which is appetite of miration; and the same considered as appeknowledge. As in the discerning of faculties, man leaveth all community with beasts doth he surmount their nature at this pasat the faculty of imposing names, so also anything new and strange to him, he consion of curiosity. For when a beast seeth it be likely to serve his turn or hurt him, sidereth it so far only as to discern whether and accordingly approacheth nearer to it, or fleeth from it: whereas man, who in most events remembereth in what manner they were caused and begun, looketh for the cause and beginning of everything that ariseth new unto him. And from this passion of admiration and curiosity have arisen not only the invention of names, but also supposition of such causes of all things as they thought might produce them. And phy: as astronomy from the admiration of from this beginning is derived all philosothe course of heaven; natural philosophy from the strange effects of the elements and

other bodies.

laughter, it must be new and unexpected. Men laugh often (especially such as are greedy of applause from everything they do well) at their own actions performed never so little beyond their own expectations; as also at their own jests: and in this case it is manifest that the passion of laughter proccedeth from a sudden conception of some ability in himself that laugheth. Also, men laugh at the infirmities of others, by comparison wherewith their own abilities are set off and illustrated. Also, men laugh at jests, the wit whereof always consisteth in the elegant discovering and conveying to our ninds some absurdity of another; and in this case also the passion of laughter proceeded from the sudden imagination of our own odds and eminency; for what is else the recommending of ourselves to our own good And from the degrees of curiosity proceed opinion, by comparison with another man's infirmity or absurdity? For when a jest is also the degrees of knowledge amongst men; broken upon ourselves, or friends, of whose for, to a man in the chase of riches or authordishonour we participate, we never laugh ity (which in respect of knowledge are but thereat. I may therefore conclude that the sensuality) it is a diversity of little pleasure passion of laughter is nothing else but sud- whether it be the motion of the sun or the den glory arising from a sudden conception other contemplations of any strange acciearth that maketh the day; or to enter into of some eminency in ourselves, by comparison with the infirmity of others, or with our dent, otherwise than whether it conduce or own formerly; for men laugh at the follies not to the end he pursueth. Because curiof themselves past, when they come sud-osity is delight, therefore also novelty is so; denly to remembrance, except they bring with them any present dishonour. It is no wonder, therefore, that man take heinously to be laughed at or derided; that is, triumphed over. Laughing without offence, must be at absurdities and infirmities abstracted from persons, and when all the company may laugh together: for laughing to one's self putteth all the rest into jealousy, and examination of themselves. Besides, it is vain glory, and an argument of little worth, to think the infirmity of another sufficient matter for his triumph.

Human Nature.

but especially that novelty from which a man conceiveth an opinion, true or false, of bettering his own estate; for in such case they stand affected with the hope that all gamesters have while the cards are shuffling.

Human Nature.

SIR THOMAS ELYOT,

a learned physician, employed by Henry VIII. on several embassies, published, among other works, The Castle of Helthe, Lond., 1533, 16mo.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXERCISE.

The quality of exercise is the diversity thereof, for as much as therein be many differences in moving, and also some exercise moveth more one part of the body, some another. In difference of moving, some is slow or soft, some is swift or fast, some is strong or violent, some be mixed with strength and swiftness. Strong or violent exercises be these: delving (specially in tough clay and heavy), bearing or sustaining of heavy burdens, climbing or walking against a steep, upright hill, holding a rope and climbing up thereby, hanging by the hands on anything above a man's reach, that his feet touch not the ground, standing and holding up or spreading the arms, with the hands fast closed and abiding so a long time. Also, to hold the arms steadfast, causing another man to essay to pull them out, and notwithstanding he keepeth his arm steadfast, enforcing thereunto the sinews and muscles.

Wrestling also, with the arms and legs, if the persons be equal in strength, it doth exercise the one and the other; if the one be stronger, then is [it] to the weaker a more violent exercise. All these kinds of exercise and other like them do augment strength, and therefore they serve only for young men which be inclined or be apt to the wars. Swift exercise without violence is running, playing with weapons, tennis, or throwing of the ball, trotting a space of ground forward and backward, going on the toes and holding up the hands; also, stirring up and down his arms without plummets. Vehement exercise is compound of violent exercise and swift, when they are joined together at one time, as dancing or galiards, throwing of the ball and running after it; foot-ball play may be in the number thereof, throwing of the long dart and continuing it many times, running in harness, and other like. The moderate exercise is long walking or going a journey. The parts of the body have sundry exercises appropried unto them: as running and going is more proper for the legs; moving of the arms up and down, or stretching them out and playing with weapons serveth most for the arms and shoulders; stooping and rising oftentimes, or lifting great weights, taking up plummets or other like poises on the ends of staves, and in likewise lifting up in every hand a spear or morrispike by the ends, specially crossing the hands, and to lay them down again in their places; these do exercise the back and loins. Of the bulk [chest] and lungs the proper exercise is moving of the breath in singing or crying. The entrails, which be underneath the mid

riff, be exercised by blowing either by constraint or playing on shalms or sackbuts, or other like instruments, which do require much wind. The muscles are best exercised with holding of the breath in a long time, so that he which doth exercise hath well digested his meat, and is not troubled with much wind in his body. Finally, loud reading, counterfeit battle, tennis or throwing the ball, running, walking, adde[d] to shooting, which, in mine opinion, exceeds all the other, do exercise the body commodiously. Always remember that the end of violent exercise is difficulty in fetching of the breath; of moderate exercise alteration of breath only, or the beginning of sweat. Moreover, in winter, running and wrestling is convenient; in summer, wrestling a little, but not running; in very cold weather, much walking; in hot weather rest is more expedient. They which seem to have moist bodies, and live in idleness, they have need of violent exercise. They which are lean and choleric must walk softly, and exercise themselves very temperately. The plummets, called of Galen alteres, which are now much used with great men, being of equal weight and according to the strength of him that exerciseth, are very good to be used. The Castle of Helthe.

WILLIAM HARRISON, rector of Radwinter, died 1592(?), wrote a

Historical Description of the Island of Britain, prefixed to The Chronicles of Englande, Scotlande, and Irelande, by Raphaell Holinshed, Lond., 1577, 2 vols. fol. (“Shakspeare edition.")

THE LANGUAGES OF BRITAIN.

The British tongue called Cymric doth yet remain in that part of the island which is now called Wales, whither the Britons were driven after the Saxons had made a full conquest of the other, which we now call England, although the pristine integrity thereof be not a little diminished by mixture of the Latin and Saxon speeches withal. Howbeit, many poesies and writings (in making whereof that nation hath evermore delighted) are yet extant in my time, whereby some difference between the ancient and present language may easily be discerned, notwithstanding that among all these there is nothing to be found which can set down any sound and full testimony of their own original, in remembrance whereof their bards and cunning men have been most slack and negligent. ... Next unto the British speech, the Latin tongue was brought in by the Ro

WILLIAM HARRISON.

mans, and in manner generally planted through the whole region, as the French was after by the Normans. Of this tongue I will not say much, because there are few which be not skilful in the same. Howbeit, as the speech itself is easy and delectable, so hath it perverted the names of the ancient rivers, regions, and cities of Britain, in such wise, that in these our days their old British denominations are quite grown out of memory, and yet those of the new Latin left at most uncertain. This remaineth, also, unto my time, borrowed from the Romans, that all our deeds, evidences, charters, and writings of record are set down in the Latin tongue, though now very barbarous, and thereunto the copies and court-rolls, and processes of courts and leets registered in the same.

The third language apparently known is the Scythian, or High Dutch, induced at the first by the Saxons (which the Britons call Saysonace, as they do the speakers Sayson), a hard and rough kind of speech, God wot, when our nation was brought first into acquaintance withal, but now changed with us into a far more fine and easy kind of utterance, and so polished and helped with new and milder words, that it is to be avouched how there is no one speech under the sun spoken in our time that hath or can have more variety of words, copiousness of phrases, or figures and flowers of eloquence, than hath our English tongue, although some have affirmed us rather to bark as dogs than talk like men, because the most of our words (as they do indeed) incline unto one syllable. This, also, is to be noted as a testimony remaining still of our language, derived from the Saxons, that the general name, for the most part, of every skilful artificer in his trade endeth in here with us, albeit the h be left out and er only inserted, as scrivenhere, writehere, shiphere, &c., for scrivener, writer, and shipper, &c.; besides many other relics of that speech, never to be abolished.

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to speak any English there; which bravery took his hold at the last likewise in the country with every ploughman that even the very carters began to wax weary of their mother-tongue, and laboured to speak French, which as then was counted no small token of gentility. And no marvel; for every French rascal, when he came once hither, was taken for a gentleman, only because he was proud, and could use his own language. And all this (I say) to exile the English and British speeches quite out of the country. But in vain: for in the time of King Edward I., to wit, toward the latter end of his reign, the French itself ceased to be spoken generally, but most of all and by law in the midst of Edward III., and then began the English to recover and grow in more estimation than before; notwithstanding that, among our artificers, the most part of their implements, tools, and words of art retain still their French denominations even to these our days, as the language itself is used likewise in sundry courts, books of record, and matters of law; whereof here is no place to make any particular rehearsal. Afterward, also, by diligent travail of Geoffrey Chaucer and John Gower, in the time of Richard II., and after them of John Scogan and John Lydgate, monk of Bury, our said tongue was brought to an excellent pass, notwithstanding that it never came unto the type of perfection until the time of Queen Elizabeth, wherein John Jewel, bishop of Sarum, John Fox, and sundry learned and excellent writers, have fully accomplished the ornature of the same, to their great praise and immortal commendation; although not a few other do greatly seek to stain the same by fond affectation of foreign and strange words, presuming that to be the best English which is most corrupted with external terms of eloquence and sound of many syllables.

But as this excellency of the English tongue is found in one, and the south part of this island, so in Wales the greatest number (as I said) retain still their own ancient lanAfter the Saxon tongue came the Norman guage, that of the north part of the said or French language over into our country, country being less corrupted than the other, and therein were our laws written for a long and therefore reputed for the better in their time. Our children, also, were, by an espe- own estimation and judgment. This, also, cial decree, taught first to speak the same, is proper to us Englishmen, that since ours and thereunto enforced to learn their con- is a middle or intermediate language, and structions in the French, whensoever they neither too rough nor too smooth in utterwere set to the grammar-school. In like ance, we may with much facility learn sort, few bishops, abbots, or other clergy- any other language, beside Hebrew, Greek, men were admitted unto any ecclesiastical and Latin, and speak it naturally, as if we function here among us, but such as came were home-born in those countries; and yet out of religious houses from beyond the seas, on the other side it falleth out, I wot not by to the end they should not use the English what other means, that few foreign nations tongue in their sermons to the people. In can rightly pronounce ours, without some the court, also, it grew into such contempt, and that great note of imperfection, espethat most men thought it no small dishonour | cially the Frenchmen, who also seldom

write anything that savoureth of English truly. But this of all the rest doth breed most admiration with me, that if any stranger do hit upon some likely pronunciation of our tongue, yet in age he swerveth so much from the same, that he is worse therein than ever he was, and thereto, peradventure, halteth not a little also in his own, as I have seen by experience in Reginald Wolfe, and others, whereof I have justly marvelled.

The Cornish and Devonshire men, whose country the Britons call Cerniw, have a speech in like sort of their own, and such as hath indeed more affinity with the Amorican tongue than I can well discuss of. Yet in mine opinion they are both but a corrupted kind of British, albeit so far degenerating in these days from the old, that if either of them do meet with a Welshman, they are not able at the first to understand one another, except here and there in some odd words, without the help of interpreters. And no marvel, in mine opinion, that the British of Cornwall is thus corrupted, since the Welsh tongue that is spoken in the north and south part of Wales doth differ so much in itself as the English used in Scotland doth from that which is spoken among us here in this side of the island, as I have said already.

The Scottish-English hath been much broader and less pleasant in utterance than ours, because that nation hath not, till of late, endeavoured to bring the same to any perfect order, and yet it was such in manner as Englishmen themselves did speak for the most part beyond the Trent, whither any great amendment of our language had not, as then, extended itself. Howbeit, in our time the Scottish language endeavoureth to come near, if not altogether to match, our tongue in fineness of phrase and copiousness of words, and this may in part appear by a history of the Apocrypha translated into Scottish verse by Hudson, dedicated to the king of that country, and containing six books, except my memory do fail me. Historical Description of the Island of Britain.

IZAAK WALTON,

"The Father of Angling," born at Stafford, 1593, died at Winchester, 1683.

His Complete Angler; or, The Contemplative Man's Recreation, Lond., 1653, 16mo, is an English classic.

"Whether we consider the elegant simplicity of the style, the ease and unaffected humour of the dialogue, the lovely scenes which it delineates, the enchanting pastoral poetry which it contains, or the fine morality it so sweetly inculcates, it has

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Well, scholar, having now taught you to paint your rod, and we having still a mile to Tottenham High Cross, I will as we walk towards it in the cool shade of this sweet honeysuckle hedge, mention to you some of the thoughts and joys that have possessed my soul since we met together. And these thoughts shall be told you, that you also may join with me in thankfulness to the Giver of every good and perfect gift for our happiness. And that our present happiness may appear to be the greater, and we the more thankful for it, I will beg you to consider with me how many do, even at this very time, lie under the torment of the stone, the gout, and toothache; and this we are free from. And every misery that I miss is a new merey; and therefore let us be thankful. There have been, since we met, others that have met disasters of broken limbs; some have been blasted, others thunder-strucken; and we have been freed from these and all those many other miseries that threaten human nature: let us therefore rejoice and be thankful. Nay, which is a far greater mercy, we are free from the insupportable burthen of an accusing tormenting conscience-a misery that none hear; and therefore let us praise Him for his preventing grace, and say, Every misery that I miss is a new mercy. Nay, let me tell you, there be many that have forty times our estates, that would give the greatest part of it to be healthful and cheerful like us, who, with the expense of a little money, have eat, and drank, and laughed, and angled, and sung, and slept securely; and rose next day, and cast away care, and sung, and laughed, and angled again, which are blessings rich men cannot purchase with all their money. Let me tell you, scholar, I have a rich neighbour that is always so busy that he has no leisure to laugh; the whole business of his life is to get money, and more money, that he may still get more and more money: he is still drudging on, and says that Solomon says, "The hand of the diligent maketh rich;" and it is true indeed but he considers not that it is not in the power of riches to make a man happy; for it was wisely said by a man of great observation, "That there be as many mis

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