MEMB. 3. Against poverty and want, with such other adversities.

One of the greatest miseries that can befal a man, in the worlds esteem, is poverty or want, which makes men steal, bear false witness, swear, forswear, contend, murder and rebel, which breaketh sleep, & causeth death it self. οὐδὲν πενίας βαρύτερόν ἐστι φορτίον, no burden (saith Menander) so intolerable as poverty: it makes men desperate, it erects and dejects, census honores, census amicitias; mony makes, but poverty mars, &c. and all this in the worlds esteem:

yet if considered aright, it is a great blessing in it self, an happy estate, and yields no such cause of discontent, or that men should therefore account themselves vile, hated of God, forsaken, miserable, unfortunate. Christ himself was poor, born in a manger, and had not a house to hide his head in all his life, lest any man should make poverty a judgement of God, or an odious estate.

And as he was himself, so he informed his Apostles and Disciples, they were all poor, Prophets poor, Apostles poor (Act. 3. Silver and gold have I none) As sorrowing (saith Paul) and yet alway rejoycing, as having nothing, and yet possessing all things, 1 Cor. 6.10.

Your great Philosophers have been voluntarily poor, not only Christians, but many others. Crates Thebanus was adored for a god in Athens, a noble man by birth, many servants he had, an honourable attendance, much wealth, many Manors, fine apparel; but when he saw this, that all the wealth of the world was but brittle, uncertain, and no whit availing to live well, he flung his burden into the sea, and renounced his estate.

Those Curii and Fabritii will be ever renowned for contempt of these fopperies, wherewith the world is so much affected. Amongst Christians I could reckon up many Kings and Queens, that have forsaken their crowns and fortunes, and wilfully abdicated themselves from these so much esteemed toyes, many that have refused honours, titles, and all this vain pomp and happiness, which others so ambitiously seek, and carefully study to compass and attain.

Riches I deny not are Gods good gifts, and blessings, and honor est in honorante, honours are from God; both rewards of vertue, and fit to be sought after, sued for, and may well be possessed; yet no such great happiness in having, or misery in wanting of them.

Dantur quidem bonis, saith Austin, ne quis mala æstimet: malis autem ne quis nimis bona, good men have wealth that we should not think it evil; and bad men that they should not rely on or hold it so good; as the rain fals on both sorts, so are riches given to good and bad, sed bonis in bonum, but they are good only to the godly.

But conferre both estates, for natural parts they are not unlike; and a beggars child, as Cardan well observes, is no whit inferior to a Princes, most part better; and for those accidents of fortune, it will easily appear there is no such odds, no such extraordinary happiness in the one, or misery in the other.

He is rich, wealthy, fat, what gets he by it? pride, insolency, lust, ambition, cares, feares, suspicion, trouble, anger, emulation, and many filthy diseases of body and minde. He hath indeed variety of dishes, better fare, sweet wine, pleasant sawce, dainty musick, gay clothes, Lords it bravely out, &c. and all that which Micillus admired in Lucian, but with them he hath the gout, dropsies, apoplexies, palsies, stone, pox, rheumes, chatarres, crudities, oppilations, Melancholy, &c. lust enters in, anger, ambition, according to Chrysostome, the sequel of riches is pride, riot, intemperance, arrogancy, fury, and all irrational courses.

—— turpi fregerunt sæcula luxu Divitiæ molles ——

with their variety of dishes, many such maladies of body and mind get in, which the poor man knowes not of. As Saturn in Lucian, answered the discontented commonalty, (which because of their neglected Saturnal feasts in Rome, made a grievous complaint and exclamation against rich men) that they were much mistaken in supposing such happiness in riches;

you see the best (said he) but you know not their several gripings and discontents: they are like painted wals, fair without, rotten within: diseased, filthy, crasie, full of intemperances effects; And who can reckon half? if you but knew their fears, cares, anguish of mind and vexation, to which they are subject, you would hereafter renounce all riches.

O si pateant pectora divitum, Quantos intus sublimis agit Fortuna metus? Brutia Coro Pulsante fretum mitior unda est.

O that their breasts were but conspicuous, How full of fear within, how furious? The narrow Seas are not so boisterous.

Yea, but he hath the world at will that is rich, the good things of the earth: suave est de magno tollere acervo, he is a happy man, adored like a God, a Prince, every man seeks to him, applauds, honours, admires him.

He hath honours indeed, abundance of all things: but (as I said) withal pride, lust, anger, faction, emulation, fears, cares, suspicion enter with his wealth; for his intemperance he hath aches, crudities, gowts, and as fruits of his idleness, and fulness, lust, surfeiting and drunkenness, all manner of diseases: pecuniis augetur improbitas, the wealthier, the more dishonest.

He is exposed to hatred, envy, peril and treason, fear of death, of degradation, &c. ’tis lubrica statio & proxima præcipitio, and the higher he climbs, the greater is his fall.

—— celsæ graviora casu Decidunt turres, feriuntque summos Fulgura montes,

the lightning commonly sets on fire the highest towers; in the more eminent place he is, the more subject to fall.

Rumpitur innumeris arbos uberrima pomis, Et subito nimiæ præcipitantur opes.