But it is taught and practiſed among our _Galants_, that rather than our reputations ſuffer any _maime_, or we any _miſery_, wee ſhall offer our _breſts_ to the _Cannons_ mouth, yea to our _ſwords_ points: And this ſeemes a very _brave_ and a very _climbing_ (which is a _Cowardly_, earthly, and indeed a very _groveling_) _ſpirit_. Why doe they _chaine_ theſe ſlaves to the _Gallyes_, but that they thruſt their _deaths_, and would at every looſe leape into the _ſea_? Why doe they take weapons from _condemned_ men, but to barre them of that eaſe which _Cowards_ affect, _a ſpeedy death_. Truely this _life_ is a _tempeſt_, and a _warfare_, and he which _dares dye_, to eſcape the _anguiſh_ of it, ſeems to mee, but ſo _valiant_, as hee which dares _hang_ himſelfe, leſt hee be _preſt_ to the _warres_. I have ſeene one in that extremity of _melancholy_, which was then become _madneſſe_, to make his owne _breath_ an _Inſtrument_ to ſtay his breath, and labour to choake himſelfe, but alas! he was _mad_. And we knew another that languiſhed under the _oppreſſion_ of a poore _diſgrace_ ſo much, that hee tooke more _paines to dye_, then would have ſerved to have nouriſhed _life_ and _ſpirit_ enough to have outlived his _diſgrace_. What _Foole_ will call this _Cowardlineſſe_, _Valour_? or this _Baſeneſſe_, _Humility_? And laſtly, of theſe men which dye the _Allegoricall death_ of entring into _Religion_, how few are found fit for any ſhew of _valiancy_? but onely a _ſoft_ and _ſupple metall_, made onely for _Cowardly_ ſolitarineſſe. [Decoration] 10. _That a Wiſe Man is knowne by much laughing._ _Ride, ſi ſapis, ô puella ride_; If thou beeſt _wiſe_, _laugh_: for ſince the _powers_ of _diſcourſe_, _reaſon_, and _laughter_, bee equally _proper_ unto Man onely, why ſhall not hee be onely moſt _wiſe_, which hath moſt uſe of _laughing_, aſwell as he which hath moſt of _reaſoning_ and _diſcourſing_? I alwaies did, and ſhall underſtand that _Adage_; _Per riſum multum poſſis cognoſcere ſtultum_,