He that lives according to nature, cannot be poor, and he that exceeds can never have enough, totus non sufficit orbis, the whole world cannot give him content. A small thing that the righteous hath, is better then the riches of the ungodly, Psal. 37.19. and better is a poor morsell with quietnesse, then abundance with strife, Prov. 17.7.

Be content then, enjoy thy self, and as Chrysostome adviseth, be not angry for what thou hast not, but give God hearty thanks for what thou hast received.

Si dat oluscula Mensa minuscula pace referta, Ne pete grandia, Lautaque prandia lite repleta.

But what wantest thou, to expostulate the matter? or what hast thou not better then a rich man? Health, competent wealth, children, securitie, sleep, friends, libertie, diet, apparell, and what not, or at least maist have (the means being so obvious, easie, and well known) for as he inculcated to himself,

Vitam quæ faciunt beatiorem, Jucundissime Martialis, hæc sunt; Res non parta labore, sed relicta, Lis nunquam, &c.

I say again thou hast, or at least maist have it, if thou wilt thy self, and that which I am sure he wants, a merry heart.

Passing by a village in the territorie of Millan, saith S. Austin, I saw a poor begger that had got belike his belly full of meat, jesting and merry; I sighed and said to some of my friends that were then with me, what a deal of trouble, madnesse, pain and grief do we sustain and exaggerate unto our selves, to get that secure happinesse which this poor begger hath prevented us of, and which we peradventure shall never have? For that which he hath now attained with the begging of some small pieces of silver, a temporall happinesse, and present hearts ease, I cannot compasse with all my carefull windings, and running in and out.

And surely the begger was very merry, but I was heavy: he was secure, but I timorous. And if any man should ask me now, whether I had rather be merry, or still so solicitous and sad, I should say, Merry. If he should ask me again, whether I had rather be as I am, or as this beggar was, I should sure choose to be as I am, tortured still with cares and fears; but out of peevishnesse and not out of truth.

That which S. Austin said of himself here in this place, I may truly say to thee; thou discontented wretch, thou covetous niggard, thou churl, thou ambitious and swelling toad, ’tis not want but peevishnesse which is the cause of thy woes; settle thine affection, thou hast enough.

Denique sit finis quærendi, quoque habeas plus, Pauperiem metuas minus, & finire laborem Incipias; parto, quod avebas, utere.

Make an end of scraping, purchasing this Manor, this field, that house, for this and that child; thou hast enough for thy self and them;

—— Quod petis hic est, Est Ulubris, animus si te non deficit æquus,

’Tis at hand, at home already, which thou so earnestly seekest. But

—— O si angulus ille Proximus accedat, qui nunc denormat agellum,

O that I had but that one nook of ground, that field there, that pasture,

O si venam argenti fors quis mihi monstret ——

O that I could but finde a pot of mony now, to purchase, &c. to build me a new house, to marry my daughter, place my son, &c. O if I might but live a while longer to see all things setled, some two or three year, I would pay my debts, make all my reckonings even; but they are come and past, and thou hast more businesse then before. O madnesse to think to settle that in thine old age when thou hast more, which in thy youth thou canst not now compose having but a little.

Pyrrhus would first conquer Africk, and then Asia, & tum suaviter agere, and then live merrily and take his ease: but when Cyneas the Orator told him he might do that already, id jam posse fieri, rested satisfied, condemning his own folly. Si parva licet componere magnis, thou maist do the like, and therefore be composed in thy fortune.

Thou hast enough; he that is wet in a bath, can be no more wet if he be flung into Tiber, or into the Ocean it self; and if thou hadst all the world, or a solid masse of gold as big as the world, thou canst not have more then enough; enjoy thy self at length, and that which thou hast; the minde is all; be content, thou art not poor, but rich, and so much the richer, as Censorinus well writ to Cerellius, quanto pauciora optas, non quo plura possides, in wishing less, not having more.

I say then Non adjice opes, sed minue cupiditates (’tis Epicurus advice) adde no more wealth, but diminish thy desires; and as Chrysostome well seconds him, Si vis ditari, contemne divitias; that’s true plenty, not to have, but not to want riches, non habere, sed non indigere, vera abundantia; ’tis more glory to contemne, then to possesse; & nihil egere, est deorum.

How many deaf, dumb, halt, lame, blinde, miserable persons could I reckon up that are poor, and withall distressed, in imprisonment, banishment, gally-slaves, condemned to the mines, quarries, to gives, in dungeons, perpetuall thraldome, then all which thou art richer, thou art more happy, to whom thou art able to give an almes, a Lord, in respect, a petty prince: be contented then I say, repine and mutter no more; for thou art not poor indeed but in opinion.