not acknowledge or retract them; Like an vnready Horse, that will neither Stop, nor Turne. Men of Age, Obiect too much, Confult too long, Aduenture too little,1o Repent too foone,11 and feldome driue Bufineffe home to the full Period; But content themfelues with a Mediocrity of Succeffe. Certainly, it is good to compound Employments of both; For that will be Good12 for the Prefent, because the Vertues of either Age, may correct the defects of both :13 And good for Succeffion,14 that Young Men may be Learners, while Men in Age are Actours :15 And laftly, Good for Externe Accidents, because Authority followeth16 Old Men, And Fauour and Popularity Youth. But for the Morall Part, perhaps Youth will haue the preheminence, as Age hath for the Politique. A certaine Rab æt. 65. 13 Both. Et Senum, et Juvenum, 'both of old and young men.' 14 Succession. Futuro, 'for the future.' 15 Are Actours. Moderentur, 'govern.' 16 Followeth. Senes Auctoritate, Juvenes Gratia et Popularitate, por lent, old men are strong in authority, young men in favour and popularity.' III. 1607-12. æt. 47-52. IV. 1612. æt. 52. by vpon the Text, Your Young men shall fee visions, and your Old men fhall dreame Dreames: inferreth, that young men are admitted neerer to God then old, because vision is a cleerer reuelation, then a And certainlie, by vponn the Text, your the more a Man drinketh the more a man drinketh of the world, the more it intoxicateth; and age doth profit rather in the powers of vnderstanding, then in the vertues of the will and affections. 17 Clearer. Clarior et manifestior, ' clearer and more manifest.' 18 Yeares. Juventute, youth.' 19 Fadeth betimes. Sed currentibus annis cito marcescunt; et deveniunt evanidi, 'but as years pass on, soon wither and become weak.' 20 Becomes. In Juvene laudatur, 'is praised in a young man.' 21 Tract of yeares. Etas provectior, more advanced age.' bine, vpon the Text; Your Young Men fhall fee vifions, and your Old Men fhall dreamedreamesa Inferreth, that Young Men are admitted nearer to God then Old; Because Vision is a clearer17 Reuelation, then a Dreame. And certainly, the more a Man drinketh of the World, the more it intoxicateth; And Agedoth profit rather in the Powers of Vnderstanding, then in the Vertues of the Will æt. 65. and Affections. There be fome haue an Ouer-early Ripeneffe in their yeares,18 which fadeth betimes :19 Thefe are firft, Such as haue Brittle Wits, the Edge whereof is foone turned; Such as was Hermogenes the Rhetorician, whofe Books are exceeding Subtill; Who afterwards waxed Stupid. A Second Sort is of those, that haue fome naturall difpofitions, which haue better Grace in Youth, then in Age: Such as is a fluent and Luxuriant Speech; which becomes20 Youth well, but not Age: So Tully faith of Hortentius; Idem manebat, neque idem decebat. The third is of fuch, as take too high a Straine at the First; And are Magnanimous, more then Tract of yeares21 can vphold. As was Scipio Affricanus, of whom Liuy faith in effect; Vltima primis cedebant.d ex Joel. ii. 28. He remained the same, but it did not equally become him. Cic. Brutrs. 95. The last things fell short of the first. Ovid. Heroides. ix. 23. 24. bath given hot 1612. æt. 52. 5. Of Marriage and single life. EE that hath wife hath giuen hof tages to fortune. for they are impedimentes For they are impediments to great enterprises, either to great enterprises, either of verze, or of mitchelf of vertue or mischief. Certainly the bed werkes. Certainly the best works, and of greated meritt for and of greatest merit; for the publique, hate procee the publike haue proceeded 20 vnmarrved, ded from the vnmarried, or &iclete Men which or childleffe men; which Sre fought eternity haue fought eternity in Memory and not in in memory, and not in Poderitve, and which pofterity; and which affection and both in affeccion and both in meanes have marryed, and means, haue married and endowed the publique. endowed the publike. Yet fome there are that Yet fome there are, that leade a fingle whole thoughtes life lead a single whofe thoughts doe end with themfelves, doe ende with themselues, FE. Fariations in posthumous Latin Edition of 1638. 1 Bisher of Vertue. Sive ad Virtutem tendat quis, 'whether a man inches to virtue." * Best workes (U ́t alibi diximus) *as we have said elsewhere.' [This clause was added to the Latin version in 1625. It probably refers to the passage led in the last English edition of the next Essay, see p. 273. Mr W. A. Wright quotes also the following like passage from In felicem memoriam Bisadvene, translated in the Resuscitatio, p. 186, Ed. 1657. "Childlesse she was, and lett no one behind Her; which was the Case of many, of the food fortunate Princes; Alexander the Great, Julius Cæsar, Trajan, and both in Affection, and Meanes, haue married and endowed the Publike. Yet it were great Reason, that those that haue Chil dren, fhould haue greatest care of future times; vnto which, they know, they must transmit, their deareft pledges. Some there are, who though they lead a Single Life, yet their Thoughts doe end with themfelues, others. And this is a Case, that hath been often controverted, and argued, on both sides; Whilest some hold, the want of Children, to be a Diminution, of our Happinesse; As if it should be an Estate, more then Human, to be happy, both in our own Persons, and in our Descendants: But others, do account, the want of Children, as an Addition to Earthly Happinesse; In as much, as that Happinesse, may be said, to be compleat, over which Fortune hath no Power, when we are gone: Which, if we leaue Children, can- not be."] 3 Vnmarried. Omitted in the Latin. After Single Life. Tamen Memoriæ suæ incuriosi sunt, yet are care. less of their memory." |