Microcosmography: or, a Piece of the World Discovered; in Essays and CharactersEarle, John
General
Microcosmography: or, a Piece of the World Discovered; in Essays and Characters
Earle, John
Character sketches
A worthy priuie counceller is the pillar of a realme, in whose wisedome
and care, vnder God and the king, stands the safety of a kingdome; he is
the watch-towre to giue warning of the enemy, and a hand of prouision for
the preseruation of the state: hee is an oracle in the king's eare, and a
sword in the king's hand, an euen weight in the ballance of justice, and a
light of grace in the loue of truth: he is an eye of care in the course of
lawe, a heart of loue in the seruice of his soueraigne, a mind of honour
in the order of his seruice, and a braine of inuention for the good of the
common-wealth; his place is powerful, while his seruice is faithfull, and
his honour due in the desert of his employment. In summe, he is as a fixed
planet mong the starres of the firmament, which through the clouds in the
ayre, shewes the nature of his light.
AN VNWORTHIE COUNCELLER.
An vnworthie counceller is the hurt of a king, and the danger of a state,
when the weaknes of judgement may commit an error, or the lacke of care
may give way to vnhappinesse: he is a wicked charme in the king's eare, a
sword of terror in the aduice of tyranny: his power is perillous in the
partiality of will, and his heart full of hollownesse in the protestation
of loue: hypocrisie is the couer of his counterfaite religion, and
traiterous inu[=e]tion is the agent of his ambition: he is the cloud of
darknesse, that threatneth foule weather, and if it growe to a storme, it
is feareful where it falls: hee is an enemy to God in the hate of grace,
and worthie of death in disloyalty to his soueraigne. In summe, he is an
vnfit person for the place of a counceller, and an vnworthy subject to
looke a king in the face.
AN EFFEMINATE FOOL.
An effeminate foole is the figure of a baby: he loues nothing but gay, to
look in a glasse, to keepe among wenches, and to play with trifles; to
feed on sweet meats, and to be daunced in laps, to be inbraced in armes,
and to be kissed on the cheeke: to talke idlely, to looke demurely, to goe
nicely, and to laugh continually: to be his mistresse' servant, and her
mayd's master, his father's love, and his mother's none-child: to play on
a fiddle, and sing a loue-song, to weare sweet gloues, and look on fine
things: to make purposes and write verses, deuise riddles, and tell lies:
to follow plaies, and study daunces, to heare newes, and buy trifles: to
sigh for loue, and weepe for kindnesse, and mourne for company, and bee
sicke for fashion: to ride in a coach, and gallop a hackney, to watch all
night, and sleepe out the morning: to lie on a bed, and take tobacco, and
to send his page of an idle message to his mistresse; to go vpon gigges,
to haue his ruffes set in print, to picke his teeth, and play with a
puppet. In summe, hee is a man-childe, and a woman's man, a gaze of
folly, and wisedome's griefe[CW].
"THE CHESSE PLAY."
Very aptly deuised by N. B. Gent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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