SUBSECT. 6. Poverty and want, causes of Melancholy.

Poverty and want, are so violent oppugners, so unwelcome guests, so much abhorred of all men, that I may not omit to speak of them apart. Poverty, although (if considered aright, to a wise, understanding, truly regenerate, & contented man) it be donum Dei, a blessed estate, the way to Heaven, as Chrysostome cals it, Gods gift, the mother of modesty, & much to be preferred before riches (as shall be shewed in his place) yet as it is esteemed in the worlds censure, it is a most odious calling, vile and base, a severe torture, summum scelus, a most intolerable burthen;

we shun it all, cane pejus & angue, we abhor the name of it, Paupertas fugitur, totoque arcessitur orbe, as being the fountain of all other miseries, cares, woes, labours, and grievances whatsoever.

To avoid which, we will take any pains, — extremos currit mercator ad Indos, we will leave no haven, no coast, no creek of the world unsearched, though it be to the hazard of our lives, we will dive to the bottome of the sea, to the bowels of the earth, five, six, seven, eight, nine hundred fathome deep, through all five Zones, and both extremes of heat and cold: we will turn parasites and slaves, prostitute our selves, swear and lye, damn our bodies and souls, forsake God, abjure Religion, steal, rob, murder, rather then endure this unsufferable yoke of Poverty, which doth so tyrannize, crucifie, and generally depress us.

For look into the world, and you shall see men most part esteemed according to their means, and happy as they are rich: Ubique tanti quisque, quantum habuit fuit. If he be likely to thrive, & in the way of preferment, who but he?

In the vulgar opinion, if a man be wealthy, no matter how he gets it, of what parentage, how qualified, how vertuously endowed, or villanously inclined; let him be a bawd, a gripe, an usurer, a villain, a Pagan, a Barbarian, a wretch, Lucians tyrant, on whom you may look with lesse security, then on the Sun: so that he be rich (and liberall withall) he shall be honoured, admired, adored, reverenced, and highly magnified.

The rich is had in reputation because of his goods, Eccl. 10.31. He shall be befriended: for, riches gather many friends, Prov. 19.4. — multos numerabit amicos; all happinesse ebbs and flows with his mony. He shall be accounted a gratious Lord, a Mecænas, a benefactor, a wise, discreet, a proper, a valiant, a fortunate man, of a generous spirit, Pullus Jovis, & gallinæ filius albæ: a hopeful, a good man, a vertuous, honest man.

Quando ego te Junonium puerum, & matris partum verè aureum, as Tully said of Octavianus, while he was adopted Cæsar, & an heir apparent of so great a Monarchy, he was a golden child. All honor, offices, applause, grand titles, and turgent Epithets are put upon him, omnes omnia bona dicere; all mens eyes are upon him, God bless his good worship, his honour; every man speaks well of him, every man presents him, seeks and sues to him for his love, favour & protection, to serve him, belong unto him, every man riseth to him, as to Themistocles in the Olympicks, if he speak, as of Herod, Vox Dei, non hominis, the voyce of God, not of man.

All the graces, Veneres, pleasures, elegances attend him, golden Fortune accompanies and lodgeth with him; and as to those Roman Emperours, is placed in his chamber.

— Securâ naviget aurâ, Fortunamque suo temperet arbitrio:

he may sayl as he will himself, and temper his estate at his pleasure, Joviall dayes, splendor and magnificence, sweet Musick, dainty fare, the good things, and fat of the land, fine clothes, rich attires, soft beds, down pillows are at his command, all the world labours for him, thousands of Artificers are his slaves to drudge for him, run, ride, and post for him:

Divines (for Pythia Philippisat) Lawyers, Physicians, Philosophers, Scholars are his, wholly devote to his service. Every man seeks his acquaintance, his kindred, to match with him, though he be an aufe, a ninny, a monster, a goos-cap, uxorem ducat Danaen, when, and whom he will, hunc optant generum Rex & Regina — he is an excellent match for my son, my daughter, my niece, &c.

Quicquid calcaverit hic, Rosa fiet, let him go whither he will, Trumpets sound, Bels ring, &c. all happinesse attends him, every man is willing to entertain him, he sups in Apollo wheresoever he comes; what preparation is made for his entertainment? fish & fowl, spices and perfumes, all that sea and land affords. What cookery, masking, mirth to exhilarate his person?

Da Trebio, pone ad Trebium, vis frater ab illis Ilibus? — What dish will your good worship eat of?

dulcia poma, Et quoscunque feret cultus tibi fundus honores, Ante Larem, gustet venerabilior Lare dives.

Sweet apples, and what e’re thy fields afford, Before thy Gods be serv’d, let serve thy Lord.

What sport will your honour have? hawking, hunting, fishing, fowling, buls, bears, cards, dice, cocks, players, tumblers, fidlers, jesters, &c. they are at your good worships command. Fair houses, gardens, orchards, tarrasses, galleries, cabinets, pleasant walks, delightsom places, they are at hand;

in aureis lac, vinum in argenteis, adolescentulæ ad nutum speciosæ, wine, wenches, &c. a Turkie Paradise, an heaven upon earth. Though he be a silly soft fellow, and scarce have common sense, yet if he be born to fortunes (as I have said) jure hæreditario sapere jubetur, he must have honor and office in his course: Nemo nisi dives honore dignus (Ambros. offic. 21.) none so worthy as himself: He shall have it, atque esto quicquid Servius aut Labeo.

Get mony enough, & command Kingdoms, Provinces, Armies, Hearts, Hands, and Affections; thou shalt have Popes, Patriarks to be thy Chaplains and Parasites; thou shalt have (Tamberlin-like) Kings to draw thy Coach, Queens to be thy Landresses, Emperours thy foot-stools, build more Towns and Cities then great Alexander, Babel Towers, Pyramides & Mausolean Tombs, &c. command heaven and earth, and tell the world it is thy vassal, auro emitur diadema, argento cœlum panditur, denarius Philosophum conducit, nummus jus cogit, obolus literatum pascit, metallum sanitatem conciliat, æs amicos conglutinat.

And therefore not without good cause, John Medices that rich Florentine, when he lay upon his death bed, calling his sons, Cosmus & Laurence before him, amongst other sober sayings, repeated this, Animo quieto digredior, quod vos sanos & divites post me relinquam, It doth me good to think yet, though I be dying, that I shall leave you my children, Sound and Rich: For wealth sways all.

It is not with us, as amongst those Lacedemonian Senators of Lycurgus in Plutarch, He preferred that deserved best, was most vertuous and worthy of the place; not swiftness, or strength, or wealth, or friends carryed it in those days; but inter optimos optimus, inter temperantes temperantissimus, the most temperate & best. We have no Aristocracies but in contemplation, all oligarchies, wherein a few rich men domineer, do what they list and are priviledged by their greatness.

They may freely trespasse, and do as they please, no man dare accuse them, no not so much as mutter against them, there is no notice taken of it, they may securely do it, live after their own lawes; and for their mony get pardons, indulgences, redeem their souls from Purgatory and Hell it self, — clausum possidet arca Jovem. Let them be Epicures, or Atheists, Libertines, Machiavilians, (as often they are)