countess Appear'd in, the last mask; and how it drew The young lord's eyes upon her: and this usher Succeeded in the eldest 'prentice's place, To walk before you. Then, as I said, 100 (The reverend hood cast off) your borrow'd hair, Powder'd and curl'd, was by your dresser's art Form'd like a coronet, hang'd with diamonds, And the richest orient pearl: your carkanets, (2) That did adorn your neck, of equal value; Your Hungerland bands, and spanish Quel lio ruffs: Great lords and ladies feasted, to survey Embroider'd petticoats; and sickness feign'd That your nightrails (3) of forty pounds a-piece Might be seen with envy of the visitants: 110 Rich pantables (4) in ostentation shewn, And roses worth a family. You were serv❜d In plate; (1) The ermine; also the gray squirrel, or false er mine. (2) Necklaces. (3) Nightgowns. (4) Slippers adorned with large artificial roses. MASSINGER. Stirr'd not a foot without a coach; and going To church, not for devotion, but to show Heaven save your honour. This idolatry Three several chambers hung: the first And that for waiters; the second, crimson satin, For the meaner sort of guests; the third Of the rich Tyrian dye: a canopy 125 Lady. No more, I pray you. 130 Of your base usage of me; but to fright COMPASSION FOR MISFortune. I hope, shall give offence: nor let it relish Not Be seen and wonder'd at, and in the act As are born only for themselves, and live so, Are but like beasts of rapine, that, by odds 30 In your unquestion'd wisdom, I beseech you, The goods of this poor man sold at an outcry, forc'd His wife turn'd out of doors, his children To beg their bread; this gentleman's estate By wrong extorted, can advantage you! 35 Or that the ruin of this once brave merchant, For such he was esteem'd, though now Will raise your reputation with good men? 40 Your satisfy your anger, and revenge ever 45 Contemn'd, though offer'd; entertain'd by none 5 Is, or should be, contemn'd, it being a blessing strangers Deriv'd from heaven, and by your industry But cowards, base and abject spirits, Pull'd down upon you; but in this, dear sir, You have many equals; such a man's pos- To moral honesty, and never yet Acquainted with religion. sessions Sir John. Shall I be Talk'd out of my money? Extend as far as yours; a second hath 10 And noble difference by which you are As rigid and inexorable. Luke. No, sir, but intreated 50 55 Sir John. How, my good brother? Luke. By making these your beadsmen. When they eat, Their thanks, next heaven, will be paid to your mercy; their prayers When your ships are at sea, will swell The sails with prosperous winds, and guard them from Tempests and pirates; keep your warehouses 60 From fire, or quench them with their tears. SIR II. PROSE-WRITERS. SIR WALTER RALEIGH. IR WALTER RALEIGH, born in Devonshire in 1552, was from his youth a distinguished soldier and navigator. Having attached himself to the court he became a brilliant courtier and great favourite of Queen Elizabeth, to whom he made himself agreeable and useful by his tact and knowledge of navigation. In 1592 Sir Walter was disgraced and forbidden to appear at court. In 1595 he made a journey to Guiana in search of an imaginary Eldorado: he failed in his purpose, but upon his return published a work describing his expedition, and entitled it 'A Discovery of the Large, Rich and Beautiful Empire of Guiana, which for that time was a learned production. Some time after his return, having regained his favour at court, he was appointed OF PROVIDENCE. Providence, which the Greeks call Pronoia, is an intellectual knowledge, both fore-seeing, caring for, and ordering all things, and doth not only behold all past, all present, and all to come, but is the cause of their so being, which prescience, simply taken, is not: and therefore Providence by the Philosophers, saith St. Augustine, is divided into memory, knowledge, and care: memory of the past, knowledge of the present, and care of the future: and we ourselves account such a man for provident, as remembering things past, and observing things present, can by judgment, and comparing the one with the other, provide for the future and times succeeding. That such a thing there is as Providence, the Scriptures every where teach us; Moses in many places, the Prophets in their predictions, Christ himself and his Apostles assure us hereof; and besides the Scriptures, Hermes, Orpheus, Euripides, Pythagoras, Plato, Plotinus, and, in effect, all learned men acknowledge the Providence of God; yea, the Turks themselves are so confident therein, as they refuse not to accompany and visit each other in the most pestilent diseases, nor shun any peril whatsoever, though death therein do manifestly present itself. God therefore, who is every where present, who filleth the heavens and the earth, whose eyes are upon the righteous, and his countenance against commander of one or two naval expeditions, in which he distinguished himself by his bravery and firmness. Upon the accession of James I., Raleigh was accused of high treason and confined in the Tower, where he remained twelve years, during which time he wrote his 'History of the World. After his release he undertook an expedition to South America, and upon its failure was executed in 1618. During his youth, Raleigh was a poet of small repute. Besides the two works abovementioned, he has written several other political and scientific works, of which his 'Maxims of State,' 'Cabinet Council' and 'Sceptic' may be mentioned. His style is clear and graphic, and the substance of his works always the result of sound reflection. them that do evil,' was therefore, by Orpheus, called oculus infinitus, an infinite eye, beholding all things; and cannot therefore be esteemed as an idle looker on, as if he had transferred his power to any other; for it is contrary to his own word, Gloriam meam alteri non dabo; I will not give my glory to another. No man commandeth in the King's presence, but by the King's direction; but God is every where present, and King of Kings. The example of God's universal providence is seen in his creatures. The father provideth for his children; beasts and birds, and all living beings for their young ones. If Providence be found in second fathers, much more in the first and universal: and if there be a natural loving care in men and beasts, much more in God, who hath formed this nature, and whose divine love was the beginning, and is the bond of the universal. God therefore who could only be the cause of all, can only provide for all, and sustain all; so, as to absolute power, to every-where presence, to perfect goodness, to pure and divine love, this attribute transcendent ability of Providence is only proper and belonging. It is not therefore, as aforesaid, by reason of immortality, nor in reason, nor in dominion, nor in any one of these by itself, nor in all these joined, by any of which, or by all which we resemble, or may be called the Shadow of God, though by reason and under standing, with the other faculties of the soul, we are made capable of this print; (1) but chiefly, in respect of the habit of original righteousness, most perfectly infused by God into the mind and soul of man in his first creation. So long therefore, for (2) that resemblance which dominion hath, do those that are powerful retain the image of God, as according to his commandments they exercise the office or magistracy to which they are called, and sincerely walk in the ways of God, which in the Scriptures is called 'walking with God' and all other men so long retain this image, as they fear, love, and serve God truly, that is for the love of God alone, and do not bruise and deface his seal by the weight of manifold and voluntary offences, and obstinate sins. For the unjust mind cannot be after the image of God, seeing God is justice itself; the blood-thirsty hath it not, for God is charity and mercy itself; falsehood, cunning practice, and ambition, are properties of Satan, and therefore cannot dwell in one soul together with God: And, to be short, there is no likelihood between pure light and black darkness, between beauty and deformity, or between righteousness and reprobation. And though nature, according to common understanding, have made us capable by the power of reason, and apt enough to receive this image of God's goodness, which the sensual souls of beasts cannot perceive; yet were that aptitude naturally more inclinable to follow and embrace the false and dureless pleasures of this stage-play world, than to become the shadow of God, by walking after him, had not the exceeding workmanship of God's wisdom, and the liberality of his mercy, formed eyes to our souls as to our bodies; which piercing through the impurity of our flesh, behold the highest heavens, and thence bring knowledge and object to the mind and soul, to contemplate the ever-during glory, and termless joy, prepared for those who retain the image and similitude of their creator. (1) Imprint. (2) By reason of. LETTER TO HIS WIFE. Written in 1603, after sentence of death had been passed on him. You shall now receive, my dear wife, my last words in these my last lines. My love I send you, that you may keep it when I am dead; and my counsel, that you may remember it, when I am no more. I would not, by my will, present you with sorrows, dear Bess: let them go into the grave with me, and be buried in the dust. And, seeing it is not the will of God that ever I shall see you more in this life, bear it patiently, and with a heart (1) like thyself. First, I send you all the thanks which my heart can conceive, or my words can express, for your many travails (2) and care taken for me; which, though they have not taken effect as you wished, yet my debt to you is not the less. But pay it I never shall in this world. Secondly, I beseech you, for the love you bear me living, do not hide yourself many days after my death. But, by your travails, (3) seek to help miserable fortunes, and the right of your poor child. Thy mournings cannot avail me; I am but dust. Thirdly, you shall understand that my land was conveyed bona fide to my child. The writings were drawn at Midsummer. My honest cousin, Brett, can testify so much, and Dalberrie too can remember somewhat therein: and I trust my blood will quench their malice that have thus cruelly murdered me, and that they will not seek also to kill thee and thine with extreme poverty. To what friend to direct thee I know not, for all mine have left me in the true time of trial; and I plainly perceive that my death was determined from the first day. Most sorry I am, God knows, that, being thus surprised with death, I can leave you in no better estate. (4) Teach your son also to love and fear God, while he is yet young, that the fear of God may grow up with him. And then God will be a husband to you, and a father to him; a husband, (1) Courage. (2) Great trouble. (3) Here the word means activity. (4) Position. and a father, which cannot be taken from you. When I am gone, no doubt, you shall be sought to by many; for the world thinks that I was very rich. But take heed of the pretences of men, and their affections. For they last not, but in honest and worthy men; and no greater misery can befall you in this life, than to become a prey, and afterwards to be despised. I speak not this, God knows, to dissuade you from marriage: for it will be best for you, both in respect of the world and of God. As for me, I am no more yours, nor you mine. Death has cut us asunder; and God hath divided me from the world, and you from me. Remember your poor child, for his father's sake, who chose you and loved you in his happiest time. Get those letters, if it be possible, which I writ to the lords, wherein I sued for my life. God is my witness, it was for you and yours that I desired life. But it is true, that I disdain myself for begging it; for know it, dear wife, that your son is the son of a true man, and one who in his own respect despiseth death, and all his misshapen and ugly forms. I cannot write much. God, he knoweth, how hardly I steal this time, while others sleep: and it is also high time that I should separate my thoughts from the world. Beg my dead body, which, living, was denied thee; and either lay it at Sherborne, if the land continue, or in Exeter church, by my father and mother. I can say no more: time and death call me away. The everlasting, powerful, infinite, and omnipotent God, who is goodness itself, the true life and true light, keep thee and thine; have mercy on me, and teach me to forgive my persecutors and accusers; and send us to meet in his glorious kingdom! My dear wife, farewell! Bless my pour boy, pray for me, and let my good God hold you both in his arms! Written with the dying hand of sometime thy husband, but now, alas! overthrown. Yours that was, but now not my own, FRANCIS FRANCIS BACON, a great English philosopher, was born in London in 1561. His father was a distinguished lawyer in Queen Elizabeth's reign. He studied at Cambridge, and upon leaving the university spent some time on the continent, whence he was recalled upon the death of his father in 1579. A valuable essay on the state of Europe appeared soon after, which showed that he had not spent his time there uselessly. Having in vain endeavoured to procure a situation under government, in which he might devote a portion of his time to literature, he studied the law, and during this period published his great work, "The Instauration of the Sciences, divided into six parts. In 1593 he entered parliament, and there showed the weakness of his character by first strongly adhering to one party and then becoming a firm partisan of the opposite one. He wrote many works, but his essays are the principal and the most interesting, and continue to be read with great admiration to the present day. The philosophy of Aristotle had reigned for a long time in all Europe, but it became corrupted in the course of time, and Francis Bacon, perceiving its barren and stationary OF TRUTH. What is truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer. Certainly there be that delight in giddiness; and count it a bondage to fix a BACON. character, formed it, as its name implies, into a search after truth; this he did in so masterly a manner that he has justly obtained the title of father of that science. He has written all his works in a highly finished style; his ideas are so lofty, his figures so beautiful and clearly drawn, that the reader is interested as well as instructed. He wrote, besides, the works entitled, "The Wisdom of the Ancients, "The Felicities of Queen Elizabeth's reign,' 'History of King Henry VII., 'The New Atlantis, a philosophical romance, and many other minor publications. In 1603 he was knighted by James I. and in 1619 he was installed into the office of Lord Chancellor of England. The death of this great man happened in a very singular manner: he was riding one winter day in his carriage, when the thought struck him that flesh might be preserved as well with snow as with salt; he therefore alighted, purchased a fowl, and helped with his own hands to stuff it; after this he felt a chill come upon him; he rode imme diately to the Earl of Arundel's, where his illness was increased by being put into a damp bed, and he died a few days after, aged 65. (1626.) belief; affecting freewill in thinking, as well as in acting. And though the sects of philosophers of that kind be gone, yet there remain certain discoursing wits, which are of the same veins, |