539

Sorrow not to be courted.

In wooing sorrow let's be brief, Since, wedding it, there is such length in grief.

17-v.1. 540

The solemnity of oaths.

The truth thou art unsure To swear, swear* only not to be forsworn; Else, what a mockery should it be to swear!

16-iii. 1. 541

Resignation to the will of God.

Heaven me such usage send,
Not to pick bad from bad; but, by bad, mend !

37-iy. 3. 542

Knowledge to govern ourselves. Let's teach ourselves. Ah, honourable stop, Not to outsport discretion.

37-ii. 3. 543 Anger to be controlled by reason. Let your reason with your choler question What 'tis you go about: To climb steep hills Requires slow pace at first: Anger is like A full hot horse ; who being allow'd his way, Self-mettle tires him.

25-i. I.

544

Sufferance.
Upon the heat and flame of thy distemper
Sprinkle cool patience.

36-iii. 4. 545

Virtuous conflict.

O virtuous fight, When right with right wars, who shall be most right!

26-iii. 2. 546

The sin of suicide.

Against self-slaughter
There is a prohibition so divine,
That cravens my weak hand.

31-iii. 4. 547

The danger of delay.
Let's take the instant by the forward top;
For we are old, and on our quick'st decrees
The inaudible and noiseless foot of time
Steals, ere we can effect them.

548

The encouragement to hope.

What! we have many goodly days to see:
The liquid drops of tears that you have shed,
Shall come again, transform'd to orient pearl;
Advantaging their loan with interest,

Of ten-times-double gain of happiness.

24-iv. 4.

9-ii. 7.

6-iv. 1.

Will fashion the event in better shape
Than I can lay it down in likelihood.

Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty :
For in my youth I never did apply

Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood;
Nor did not with unbashful forehead woo
The means of weakness and debility;
Therefore my age is as a lusty winter,
Frosty, but kindly.

552

10-ii. 3.

The effects of anger.

Is your blood

So madly hot, that no discourse of reason,
Nor fear of bad success in a bad cause,

Can qualify the same?

26-ii. 2.

You should account me the more virtuous, that I have not been common in my love.

28-ii. 3.

How long

Shall tender duty make me suffer wrong? 17-ii. 1.

555

556

The evil of duelling. You undergo too strict a paradox, Striving to make an ugly deed look fair : Your words have took such pains, as if they labour'd To bring manslaughter into form, set quarrelling Upon the head of valour; which, indeed, Is valour misbegot, and came into the world When sects and factions were newly born: He's truly valiant, that can wisely suffer The worst that man can breathe ; and make his wrongs His outsides; wear them like his raiment, carelessly; And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart, To bring it into danger. If wrongs be evils, and enforce us kill, What folly 'tis, to hazard life for ill? 27-iii. 5. 557

Consideration.

Stop the rage betime,
Before the wound do grow incurable :
For, being green, there is great hope of help.

22-iii. 1. Compassion recommended to the proud.

Take physic, Pomp;
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel,
That thou may'st shake the superflux* to them,
And show the heavens more just.

34-iii. 4. 559 The duty owing to ourselves and others.

Love all, trust a few,
Do wrong to none; be able for thine enemy
Rather in power, than use; and keep thy friend
Under thy own life's key ; be check'd for silence,
But never tax'd for speech.

11-i. 1. 560

Self-knowledge. I will chide no breather in the world, but myself; against whom I know most faults.

10—iji. 2. 561 Imperfections belong to the best. Thou art noble; yet, I see,

I
Thy honourable metal may be wrought

558

From that it is disposed :* Therefore 'tis meet
That noblè minds keep ever with their likes :
For who so firm that cannot be seduced ? 29—i. 2.
562
Honourable causes need no oath.

What other oath,
Than honesty to honesty engaged ?-

Unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain
The even virtue of our enterprise,
Nor th' insuppressive mettle of our spirits,
To think, that, or our cause, or our performance,
Did need an oath.

29-ii. 1.

563

News, good and bad.
Though it be honest, it is never good
To bring bad news: Give to a gracious message
An host of tongues : but let ill tidings tell
Themselves, when they be felt.

30-ii. 5. 564

Submission. Ask God for temperance ; that's the appliance only, Which your disease requires.

25-i. 1. 565

Humility recommended.

Love and meekness, Become a churchman better than ambition.

25-v. 2. 566

Forethought.

Determine on some course,
More than a wild exposure to each chance
That starts i' the way before thee. 28-iv. 1.
567

The same.
Since the affairs of men rest still uncertain,
Let's reason with the worst that may befall.

29-v. 1. 568

The sin of ambition.
I charge thee fling away ambition;
By that sin fell the angels, how can man then,
The image of his Maker, hope to win by't ?

Love thyself last; cherish those hearts that hate thee;
Corruption wins not more than honesty.
Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,
To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear not !
Let all the ends, thou aim'st at, be thy country's,
Thy God's, and truth's.

25-iii. 2. 569

Jests unbecoming to age.
How ill white hairs become a fool, and jester !

19-v. 5. 570

The danger of false accusation.

Take good heed,
You charge not in your spleen a noble person,
And spoil your nobler soul !

25-i. 3. 571

The same.
Be certain what you do; lest your justice
Prove violence.

13-ii. 2. 572

Frivolity.
Out, idle words, servants to shallow fools !
Unprofitable sounds, weak arbitrators!

Poems. 573

The advantage of sincerity.

Taunt my faults With such full license, as both truth and malice Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds, When our quick winds* lie still; and our ills told us, Is as our earing.t

30–i. 2. 574 Things unavoidable not to be deplored. Be you not troubled with the time, which drives O'er your content these strong necessities; But let determined things to destiny Hold unbewail'd their way.

30-iii. 6. 575

Suicide.

You ever-gentle gods Let not my worser spirits tempt me again To die before you please!