deign to spend upon us-" Mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me."

Pleasantness of True Wisdom.

"HAPPY is the man that findeth wisdom: and whoso findeth her, findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord." These are the words of wise Solomon, in the Book of Proverbs. God loveth her, as most agreeable to his nature; as resembling him; as an offspring, beam, and efflux of that wisdom which founded the earth and established the heavens; as that which begetteth honour, love, and obedience to his commands, and truly glorifies him; and as that which promotes the good of his creatures, which he earnestly desires. And the paths she leads in are such as directly tend to the promised inheritance of joy and bliss.

It remains that we endeavour to obtain this excellent endowment of soul, by the faithful exercise of our reason, careful observation of things, diligent study of the Divine law, watchful reflection upon ourselves, virtuous and religious practice; but especially by imploring the Divine influence, the original spring of light, and fountain of all true knowledge, following St James's advice, "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth freely."

Therefore, O everlasting Wisdom, the Maker, Redeemer, and Governor of all things, let some com

fortable beams from thy great body of heavenly light descend upon us, to illuminate our dark minds and quicken our dead hearts; to inflame us with ardent love unto thee, and to direct our steps in obedience to thy laws, through the gloomy shades of this world, into that region of eternal light and bliss, where thou reignest in perfect glory and majesty, one God ever blessed, world without end. Amen.

Wit Defined.

BUT first it may be demanded what the thing we speak of is, or what this facetiousness doth import? Το which question I might reply, as Democritus did to him that asked the definition of a man: "'Tis that which we all see and know." Any one better apprehends what it is by acquaintance than I can inform him by description. It is indeed a thing so versatile and multiform, appearing in so many shapes, so many postures, so many garbs, so variously apprehended by several eyes and judgments, that it seemeth no less hard to settle a clear and certain notion thereof than to make a portrait of Proteus, or to define the figure of the fleeting air. Sometimes it lieth in pat allusion to a known story, or in seasonable application of a trivial saying, or in forging an apposite tale; sometimes it playeth in words and phrases, taking advantage from the ambiguity of their sense or the affinity of their sound; sometimes it is wrapped in a dress of humorous expression; sometimes it lurketh under an

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odd similitude; sometimes it is lodged in a sly question, in a smart answer, in a quirkish reason, in a shrewd intimation, in cunningly diverting or cleverly retorting an objection; sometimes it is couched in a bold scheme of speech, in a tart irony, in a lusty hyperbole, in a startling metaphor, in a plausible reconciling of contradictions, or in acute nonsense; sometimes a scenical representation of persons or things, a counterfeit speech, a mimical look or gesture, passeth for it; sometimes an affected simplicity, sometimes a presumptuous bluntness giveth it being; sometimes it riseth only from a lucky hitting upon what is strange, sometimes from a crafty wresting obvious matter to the purpose; often it consisteth in one knows not what, and springeth up one can hardly tell how. Its ways are unaccountable and inexplicable, being answerable to the numberless rovings of fancy and windings of language. It is, in short, a manner of speaking out of the simple and plain way (such as reason teacheth and proveth things by), which by a pretty surprising uncouthness in conceit or expression doth affect and amuse the fancy, stirring in it some wonder, and breeding some delight thereto. It raiseth admiration, as signifying a nimble sagacity of apprehension, a special felicity of invention, a vivacity of spirit, and reach of wit more than vulgar; it seeming to argue a rare quickness of parts, that one can fetch in remote conceits applicable; a notable skill, that he can dexterously accommodate them to the purpose before him; together with a lively briskness of humour, not apt to

damp those sportful flashes of imagination. It also procureth delight, by gratifying curiosity with its rareness or semblance of difficulty (as monsters, not for their beauty, but their rarity; as juggling tricks, not for their use, but their abstruseness, are beheld with pleasure), by diverting the mind from its road of serious thoughts, by instilling gaiety and airiness of spirit, by provoking to such dispositions of spirit in way of emulation or complaisance; and by seasoning matters, otherwise distasteful or insipid, with an unusual and thence grateful tang.

The Poor Man.

HE whose need moves our bounty, whose misery demands our mercy, what is he? He is not truly so mean and sorry a thing as the disguise of his fortune under which he appears doth represent him. He who looks so deformedly and dismally, who to outward sight is so ill bestead and so pitifully accoutred, hath latent in him much of admirable beauty and glory. He within himself containeth a nature very excellent; an immortal soul and intelligent mind, by which he nearly resembleth God himself, and is comparable to angels; he invisibly is owner of endowments rendering him capable of the greatest and best things. What are money and lands? what are silks and fine linen? what are horses and hounds, in comparison to reason, to wisdom, to virtue, to religion, which he hath, or, in despite of all misfortune, he have if he please? He whom you behold

may

so dejectedly sneaking, in so despicable a garb, so destitute of all heaven's ease and comfort, he comes of a most high and heavenly extraction; he was born a prince, the son of the greatest King eternal; he can truly call the sovereign Lord of all the world his Father, having derived his soul from the mouth, having had his body formed by the hands of God himself. That same forlorn wretch, whom we are so apt to despise and trample on, was formed and constituted lord of the visible world, had all the goodly brightnesses of heaven and all the costly furniture of earth created to serve him.

Vile and contemptible as he looks, God hath so regarded and prized him, as for his sake to descend from heaven, to clothe himself with flesh, to assume the form of a servant; for his good to undertake and undergo the most grievous troubles and most sharp pains incident to mortal nature. God hath adopted him to be his child; the Son of God hath deigned to call him brother; he is a member of Christ, a temple of the Holy Ghost, a free denizen of the heavenly city, an heir of salvation, and candidate of eternal glory. The greatest and richest peerage is not capable of better privileges than God hath granted him, or of higher preferments than God hath designed him to. He, equally with the mightiest prince, is the object of God's especial providence and grace, of his continual regard and care, of his fatherly love and affection.

In fine, this poor creature whom thou seest is a man and a Christian, thy equal, whoever thou art,in nature, and