Prouerbia HN. The prouerbes of HN. which hee; in the dayes of his olde-age; hath set-fourth as similitudes and mysticall sayinges. Translated out of Base-almayne.

The VI. Chapiter.

THe Worlde with her Children and [ A] Wyse, haue among them Three deceaue•…•… able Thinges / vnto the which they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or stande-addicted exceedinglie: and yet notwithstanding, they fall ther-through often∣times, into great Miserie and Heauynes-of-minde / and are greeuouslie seduced therby:

2. The One is / that they beleeue vnnatural•…•… Thinges / or som Natural-thing to com-to-passe without y^e right Course or Ordinaunce of Nature•…•… or which is not in the power of the Elementes or o•…•… the Nature for to doo. And those manifolde vayn•…•… Foythes, cause such Variaunce & Diuision among the People / and do breede also with Many, a false Opinion and great Errour.

3. An Other is / that they indeuour them to ob∣taine / and hunt or labour after somthing, which seemeth-good to themselues / and that also is not {reversed ;}in their Goodthinking or Opinion; a 1.1 to be attayned∣vnto of them. And thats•…•…me breedeth among the People, manifolde Heauynes-of-minde and Dis∣paire. as also manifolde Entraunces of Errours.

4. The Thirde is / that they afflict themselues with sorrowe aboue-measure / for that they are not able to get those Thinges, which they {reversed ;}out of their Goodthinking; hunt-after or labour-for / but must misse or go-without thesame. This is assuredlie, a deceitfull Thing / that Men {reversed ;}for those vayne Thinges cause; bring themselues into great Hea∣uynes-of-minde and into much Miserie. And that∣same worketh at the last {reversed ;}through b 1.2 Infidelitie and

Doubtfulnes; a greeuous State-of-confusion / and •…•…n Estraying of Mindes, among many People.

5. I Haue seene vpon thissame Earth, that [ B] ther were wicked Men / which bruted or defamed the good and singlemynded Men / as like∣wise the godded or illuminated Elders in the Ser∣uice of Loue, with c 1.3 al-maner of Wickednes: and made vnto themselues ther-withall, a Pretence or Shewe of Iustice. Thatsame is surelie a great and haynous Falshod vpon the Earth.

6. I haue also seene that wicked Men made-vp themselues {reversed ;}with false Matiers; against y^e d 1.4 Righ∣teous and their iust Matiers or Causes: and haue euenso {reversed ;}with false Matiers; pleaded their cause in the Lawe, against the Righteous and their iust Matiers: and e 1.5 oppressed euenso iniuriouslie {reversed ;}with subtill Prudentie, in y^e Lawe; the righteous Men / and their iust Matiers. And I sawe that the Iudges themselues did not perceoue so-much / ne∣ther-yet tooke they the Matiers to heart. And thatsame is among the Children of Men, a detest∣able Abhomination.

7. Ther are likewise to be found vpon the Earth, many Wrooters / which haue y^e nature of Swyne / and do alwayes {reversed ;}resembling the Swyne; go-on∣fourth with their vnwashed Srowtes, wrooting or moyning ouer the Earth / and couet very gladlie, euery-wheare, whersoeuer they can finde or sent a∣ny Dirt or Filthynes; to wallowe in the Dirt and Filthynes: yea and generallie, they also desire to continew them very-gladlie in thesame Nature.

For although they should be washed or that one desired to wash them / yet regarde they not {reversed ;}for-al∣that; the Fairnes / but f 1.6 wallowe euen alike-well a∣gaine in the Dirt and Filthines. For their Lust standeth not to any other thing.

8. Ther are also found vpon the Earth, High∣flyers / [ C] which {reversed ;}resembling the Eagle; will g 1.7 flie-vpp euen to the Skye: and so {reversed ;}through their high Fly∣ing; they gather many deadlie Windes: and bring euenso {reversed ;}with their Winges; thesam•…•… noysom and deadlie Windes, on the Earth / wherout manye Men are brought to death / and so dye therof in their Sinnes / and perrish with the Vngodlie of the wicked Worlde. And yet those Flyers perceaue it not: nether do they likewise vnderstand what is most requisite or needfull for the Children of Men {reversed ;}vpon the Earth; for to liue-by.

9. I haue seene moreouer, that the Feathers of many of those High-flyers, grew-about cleene-con∣trary {reversed ;}as from their T•…•…yle vpward towardes their Head; / and that they forthatcause-sake, could not {reversed ;}with their Winges; laue or make anye-more Winde, wherwith to flie on-high: but whiuered or fluttered heere- & -theare nigh vnto the Ground / and were {reversed ;}in their Flying and Gathering of Winde; al∣together without might: and remained euenso crea∣ping and flapping with their Winges, vpon the Earth. Wherthrough many lost their Great-repu∣tation, on the Earth / h 1.8 and could not preiudice or indamage the Men anymore, with their deadlie Windes.

10. Ther is a i 1.9 vehement and blustering Winde fallen-downe from Heauen, euen vnto the Earth / wherthrough all such as dwell vpon the Earth, are greatlie k 1.10 striken with Feare. Yea the Lyons in the Wildernes are ouer-taken therthrough with excee∣ding great Feare: so that by that occasion, all their Might and Stout-courage faileth them / and they haue not any-more Lust, l 1.11 to deuour any liuing Beastes: but they m 1.12 feede much-rather with the Oxen / and eate Strawe.

11. THe Wisdom and the Loue {reversed ;}which haue [ D] the smallest Estimation and are lest-of-all regarded on the Earth; practised their Skyll, vpon the Earth / and prepared against the last Tyme {reversed ;}wherin all Destruction and Falshod maketh-vpp itself; an vncorruptible Arke vpon the Earth / to an euerlasting Preseruation of y^e Generation of Man∣kinde [namelie / for the Remnant, the Righteous∣ons] in the Perrishing of the last wicked Worlde / which is n 1.13 full of Iniquitie / and shall be o 1.14 consumed with Fyre.

12. Which vncorruptible Arke, is not made of Wood / nor-yet laide-ouer with Pitch, for that it mought therby fleete or swymme on the Waters / like-as was the Arke {reversed ;}in the time of Noe; p 1.15 when the former wicked World perrished: but it is made and prepared of the most-syne q 1.16 Golde / for to as∣semble and keepe-safe there-in, all Soules of pure Heartes / and to reserue them to a Remnant vp∣on the Earth, in the Perrishing or Going-vnder of the last wicked World / r 1.17 which shall be consumed

or burnt with the Fyre.

13. For that cause now (namelie / to the Preser∣uation [ E] of all vpright Heartes, in the Perrishing of the peruerse Worlde) hath the Wisdom and the Loue, very cunninglie made or prepared thissame Arke, of the s 1.18 most-syne Golde / To thend that the∣same and all Such as enter or are comprehended therin, may {reversed ;}without damage; remaine-ouer from the Burning of the Fyers Vehementie, t 1.19 whertho∣rough the last wicked Worlde shall perrish.

14. THe North Windes arose with a great and boysterous Tempest / and fell with great Force into the Sea / and vpon the Earth: in such-sort / that the Sea was {reversed ;}aboue measure; excee∣dinglie troubled, with thesame Windes: Yea so troubled and chafed, that the Waues of the Sea arose and beate so mightelie against each-other / that all the Ship-maisters on the Sea, f•…•…ead {reversed ;}with their Shippes; to the Lande / for to sucker or preserue their Lyues on the Earth.

15. Howbeit, with thesame North Windes and great boysterous Tempest / ther became Seuen hel∣lish Dragons {reversed ;}with great Might and Dominion; soring or whiuering euery-wheare ouer the Earth / and spetfourth ouer all Landes, much terrible Fyre / with many cruell Fyre-flames / to the Destroying of the Men which dwelt vpon Earth.

16. This terrible Fyre with his cruell Fyre∣flames, [ F] made such a dreedfull Burning / and a ter∣rible Cracking of burning. and all Men / Foules / and Beastes, made so great a Chritch and horrible

Crye / that many Ship-maisters on the Sea, were so exceedinglie astonyed and striken with feare / that they durst not approch to any Countrie of the whole Worlde: but chose much-rather to suffer Ship∣wrack in the Sea / and so to perrish / then to turne∣them to that great Calamitie and Miserie of the Earth / and so to be swallowed-vp through the ter∣rible Fyre of the hellish Dragons.

17. This is {reversed ;}doubtles; the extreamest v 1.20 Woe {reversed ;}in the Sea and vpon the Earth; of all the Woes that shall fall ouer the Vngodlie / in the dreedfull great x 1.21 Daye of the Lorde and of his righteous Iudgment.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Pro. 33. •…•….
• b 1.2

  Luk. 21. c.
• c 1.3

  Math. 5. •…•…. 1. Pet. 2. c. 3. b
• d 1.4

  Sap. 2. b. c.
• e 1.5

  Esa. 1. •…•…. Ier. 5. 22. b. Ezech. 22. b.
• f 1.6

  Pro. 26. b. 2. Pet. 2. b.
• g 1.7

  Pro. 23. a.
• h 1.8

  Ier. 4•…•…. d. e. Soph. 3. b.
• i 1.9

  Dan. 2. •…•….
• k 1.10

  Ier. 50. 51. b.
• l 1.11

  Ezech. 22. c.
• m 1.12

  Esa. 11. 65. d
• n 1.13

  1. Iohn. 5. •…•….
• o 1.14

  2. Pet. 3. b.
• p 1.15

  Gen. 6. •…•….
• q 1.16

  Apo. 21. b.
• r 1.17

  2. Pet. 3. b.
• s 1.18

  Cant. 1. c.
• t 1.19

  2. Pet. 3. b. Heb. 10. c.
• v 1.20

  Apo. 8. 9. b.
• x 1.21

  Esa. 13. a. Ioel. 2. a. b. Soph. 1. b. Mal. 4. a. Apo. 6. b.