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Hora Vaciva, or, Essays. Some occasionall Considerations. By John Hall.

Vitiis nemo caret, optimus ille

Qui minimis urgetur.

London, printed by E. G. for J. Rothwell, at the Sun and Fountain in Paul's Church Yard, 1646.

12mo. pp. 201.

Has the Author's portrait, æt. 19, 1646. W. Marshall, sculp.

"To the Reverend Mr. John Arrowsmith, Master of St. John's Colledge in Cambridge.

BUT that (worthy Sir) you know as well how to pardon as judge, I might justly suspect your entertainment of these pieces. Faint breathings of a mind burthened with other literary employments, neither brought forth with care, nor ripened with age, yet such as if they be not now blasted, may be the first fruits of a larger harvest; let them, Sir, receive the honour and shelter of your name, since born under your government, and cherished by your candour, that if they chance to survive their father, they may testify he was,

Sir,

Your most humble Servant,

J. HALL.

To the Reader.

When thou shalt peruse these Essays, and compare them with the Author's years, I suppose thou wilt wonder to see

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one, whose pulse beats short of nineteen, take such long strides in matters of this nature; and be ready to suspect, whether he walks upon his own legs, or be stilted up by what he hath borrowed from others; the truth is, he might be indebted to many, and yet few discover it, in regard of his acquaintance. with the French, Spanish, and Italian: but yet I dare assure thee, what this Gentleman presents thee with, is as free from any such engagement as his father's lands are from mortgage. For the language, 'tis continued every where so like itself, any may perceive he hath nowhere stretched his own meaning to make way for another's fancy: and for the matter, know this, they who are well acquainted in the closest shops, where wares of this kind lie, say that he is a true man, and hath not robbed any author; the whole web, (such as it is) is his own, if thou wilt believe him who (alone and only) saw it woven; 'tis but a little one; it is in thy power to make it bigger; for he hath more of it upon the loom, and only stays to know of thee whether he shall go forward in the work. Most of these subjects were not of his own chusing, but (after discovery of his genius this way) imposed upon him as tasks, though he was pleased then to call, and after make them, recreations: his recreations they were; and if thou please to make them thine, it may encourage him to begin, complete, and publish what he hath either designed, begun, or perfected. Be entreated to accept of these, and he is resolved (being already provided) to acknowledge thy candour by some POEMS. As I hope thou wilt find him not altogether left-handed in prose, so I dare promise thee he will be far more dextrous in verse.

JOHN PAWSON.

John's in Camb.
June 12, 1646.

To my dear friend, Mr. J. Hall, on his Essays.

Wits, that, matur'd by time, have courted praise,
Shall see their works outdone in these essays;
And blush to know thy early years display
A dawning clearer than their brightest day.

THO. STANLEY.

To his worthy friend, the Author, on his Essays.

Thy youth these lessons learned hath, and more
Than were set out to any of threescore.
Thus thou outstrippest life, and dost beguile
The fatal sisters of a longer file;

And like the youthful planet of the light,
Art ever climbing, and yet still at height.

W. HAMMOND.

To the deserving Author upon his Essays.

"Tis common to commend; but to deserve
Is for some few, that march in a reserve
With thee. Thy Essays, rich in native worth,
Need not our trimming praise to set them forth;
But while judicious men the readers be,
Are monuments of judgment, wit, and thee.

JA. SHIRLEY.

To the Author.

I nor intend with some ambitious verse

To court applause, nor yet thy praise rehearse ;

I hence no fame affect; thou none dost want
That we can give, whose larger worth our scant
And narrow thoughts scarce comprehend; thy praise
Thine own works best relate; thy first Essays
Shame other master pieces; thy nineteen

Makes five and forty blush, that scarce hath seen
What thou hast read, digested, and canst teach:
What we in other singly praise, thy reach
Together grasps; thou studies canst direct,
Make choice of friends, opinions false detect;
Thou'st read both men and books, thou hast a key
To each man's breast, which is thy library.
In short, no single knowledge can confine
Thy larger soul; but as the sun doth shine
On the whole globe of earth, and banish night
From its usurp'd dominion, yielding light
To eyes without it useless; thou like him
Shin'st every where, enlightnest every dim
And heavy eye; dark matters clear'st, turn'st night
To brightest day. I know of whom I write ;
Light wits, by every breath of vulgar praise,
As empty ships, when the wind kindly plays
With their large sails, do proudly ride, as past

All thought, all fear of wreck, till some cross blast
O'erturn and sink them; but thy nobler soul,
Whose ballast's judgment, is beyond controul
Of popular censure; thou thine own worth,
Parts, skill, hast better weigh'd, and sent them forth
Of doors to seek a censor, who at home

Hast one severe as he, so by old Rome

Surnam'd. Go on, then, happy youth, and be

Thy fruits as great as we can hope to see.

A. HOLDEN,

Col. St. Joh. Soc.

To my worthy friend, the Author, concerning his Essays.

Are these the bloomings of thy greener age?
Sure they some monstrous Summer fruits presage.
Nature doth seem to antidate thy years,

And ere thy seed-time's past, harvest appears.
Well hast thou writ Essays; and well he may,
Whom Nature hath set forth as Her Essay.
If for thy morning's draught thou drank'st thus deep,
Poor Helicon will grudge thee long to keep.
And if each meal thou dost thus heart'ly feed,
Nine Muses must go supperless to bed.
Yet take thy fill: long mayst thou live, and be
Their patron ; they retainers unto thee.

T. GOODWIN,

Fellow of John's Col. Camb.

ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟ ΕΥΦΥΕςατον νεανίσκον γραφαντα μεν καλῶς και παρ' ἡλικίαν, ἅμα και την άμφι Πυθαγοραν διασκώψανία.

Τοια

Εξασιχον.

γράφειν δύνασαι παὶς ών, φιλε, μηκότι δοιας

Ειν χθονὶ ἀντλήσας των ἐτέων δεκάδας

Ουματὸν — ἀλλὰ πάλαι προμαθών πότε και προβίωσας,

Πολλὰ τε και καλ' έρεις ὡς ἀναμνησαμενος.

Ἐι και σὺ καὶ τὰ σὰ ἔργα παλαίτερα εσι σεαυτ8,
Τιπίε σοφὸν σκωπτεις, φίλτατε, Πυθαγοραν.*

* Essay ii. 31.

Ερρικος ὁ Μορέ
ἐκ το Χρισά.

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