The optick glasse of humors. Or The touchstone of a golden temperature, or the Philosophers stone to make a golden temper wherein the foure complections sanguine, cholericke, phlegmaticke, melancholicke are succinctly painted forth, and their externall intimates laide open to the purblind eye of ignorance it selfe, by which euery one may iudge of what complection he is, and answerably learne what is most sutable to his nature. Lately pend by T.W. Master of Artes.

To the right worshipful wise and learned Knight, Sir IVSTINIAN LEVVIN, T. W. wisheth euent of all FELICITIE.

PRiuate study wee may not vnfitly say replenisheth the vessell, wise parly and com∣munication giues the vent and easie flow, and secretariship the sale: the one loads the memorie, the other lends the smooth deliuery; the last perfects the judgement and wins chiefest glory; so that studious dili∣gence without writing and conference

is the dull picture of Harpocrates the God of silence, who is fained to weare a Wolues skin, full of eares and eyes, but sealing vp his lips with his forefin∣ger, as mute as a marble Niobe: and so writing without both, is the picture of jangling Thersites, whose words (as the Poet saith) were without measure and wit without weight, as lauish in tongue as Battus. The Hieroglyphicke of a true Scholer is the Hare, that sleepes* 1.1 waking with her eyes open, and wakes sleeping with her eyes shut; that is who seemes to meditate when he is in action, and to practise when hee is in meditatiō: or as other Emblemists haue limd forth a right student, euer to haue one eye shutte and an other open, ha∣uing in his right hand Phospohr••s with his motto in one word—vigilo, and Hes perus in the other hand with this word—Dormio; to intimate that he should deuide the day & night for practise and speculation, to equalize the ••mes of

both at his fitter oportunity; neither to act Democritus (who so might worthi∣ly haue laught at his owne folly) that puld out his owne eyes to become a continuall contemplatour; nor to bee like Nicias, who as AElian records, for∣got* 1.2 his meate by being too intent on his painting; as swift torrents oft runne themselues drie by too much motion, so standing pooles do putrifie by no mo tion. There is a faire tract betweene Scilla and Charybdis for wisedom to tra∣uers in; a happy orbe betwixt Sa∣turne and Luna for Phaeton to guide his choach in, so betweene all action and altogether contemplation for a student to conuerse in. For conferring I do passe it ouer, as that whereto I seldome haue beene beholden, yet much af∣fecting it, and knowing that it brings a great accrument vnto wisedome and learning: as concerning my study and reading it hath bin but meane I must needs confesse, and my writing very

penurious in regard of theirs, whoe haue inriched whole reames of pa∣per with the Indian mine, and golden chaffai••e of their inuention: yet for that module of these habiliments i•• me I haue euer bent my judgement so far as in it lay to limit al these vnto their pe∣culiar times, obiects, & places, & haue tenderd my endeauour to haue especi∣cially two, the one correspondent vn∣to the other, neither to act Democritus nor Nicias, but by intercourse to mixe my sweeter meditation, with bitter, yet profitable and better action. And as in other things of greater or lesse mo∣ment, so in this also the abortiue issue of my wit begot of that aboundance of loue I owe vnto your good self, whose manifold kindnesses, if I should bury in obliuion, I might worthily seeme in∣grateful, if remembring I should not in some sort requite, I might seeme o∣dious and respectlesse, both of mine owne good name, and your better de∣sert,

the latter whereof is much, yet the first much more, a delicious fruite that growes from the tree of gratitude. The Eleans, therefore sayth Pausanias* 1.3 did paint forth the three Graces, hold∣ing these three things in their hand—Rosam, Myrrhum, Talum: to intimate that from thankfulnesse proceed three fruites. First the sweetnesse of a good name, shadowed out by the sweete∣smelling Rose: 2. the profit redoun∣ding from it insinnuated by the Mirhe branch, and lastly chiefe comfort and hilarity vnclowded by the coccal bone which especially is competent to yong age, which three comprise all Aristo∣tles three goods. Howsoeuer I may seeme to aime at the first, as may be in∣ferd by precedent speach, alway high∣ly prizing a good name as of a pre∣cious ointment, vapring forth a fra∣grant smell and dilicious odure in all mens nostrils; and at the last as desirous of mine own delight some contentmēt

and comfort issuing from my thankful∣nesse, yet for the other more, agreeing to Sycophants & crum-catching parasites, it moues not once within the Zodiacke of my expectation, I onely satis••ying my selfe with the former. Nether did I in the waine of my iudgment attempt this as desirous to drawe in the per••uming breath of vaine glory, to puff vp my self with self cōceit like the Camaeleō which is—nil praeter pulmones, nothing but lungs: but only thinking to break the ice, hap∣pely to wade farther, and to imploy my selfe in greater taskes, as fitter opor tunity shall obiect her selfe vnto me, if the prefinit tear me and limit of my life permit, and withall in lue of gratitude, to presēt your self▪ with this little which seems much in regard of my wants, and labour, as much seems little in respect of of your euer kind fauour. For this as also your other endowments, my penne might worthily fill whole pages: but your splendent vertues can easily b••e

their owne Herauldes to l••mme forth their owne armory, and to extoll in presence, is more glauering and poeti∣call, then true-louing and patheticall. This onely my affection cannot con∣ceale, your gratious demeanour, gene∣rous cariage, curtuous nature, studious endeauour, and wisedome for mana∣ging your selfe each where, (when you happely were a flourishing braunche, engrafted in the fruitfull Oliue tree of this our Athenes, that thrise famous v∣niuersity of Cambridge) were first the sympathizing adamants of my affection: your continuance after in all studious actions, constancy in your fauours and kind disposition (for I must needs say as hee of Augustus—Rarus tu quidem* 1.4 ad recipiendas amicitias, ad retinendas vero constantissimus) these incited mee to cause that which as a sparke lay shrow∣ded in embers in my breast, to exhi∣bit it selfe more apparantly in this little flame.

Take this my endeauour I pray you in worth, cheerish and foster this defor∣med brood of my braine, in the lap (if I may so tearme it) of your good li•• king, and in loue esteeme it faire thogh badly penzeld ouer, to wish as Daphnis said to Dam.

—〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

Qu•• minime sunt pulchra, en pulchra videntur amāt••.

* 1.5

If the happie Daemon of Vlisses direct not the wandering planet of my witte within the decent orbe of wisedome, my stammering pen seeming far ouer∣gon with superfluitie of phrase, yet wanting matter I answer with the poet one only word inuerted:

Qui non est hodie, cras magis aptus erit.

He that is Homers Irus for facultie to day, may bee a rich Craesus for iuenti∣on to morrow, as it is with cogitations

so with actions, the second relish more of wisedome: perfection requires tract of time; Romes Capitoll was not built the first day; nor was Zeuxis his Helena sudddenly lim'd forth with one pencill. Looke not on these rapsodi∣zed lines, I pray you with a pittying ••ie: I had rather far bee enuied then pi∣tied.

—〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.* 1.6

Melior est inuidentia commiseratione

better by much is a case hatefull then wofull. Now will I humbly take my leaue committing you to the tuition of that heauenly Tutour, whose pupils we are all: from my study in Saint Iohns X. Calend. March.

Euer most deuoted vnto you in all faithfulnesse. T. W.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pi••rius.
• * 1.2

  AElianus lib. 3. cap. 31.
• * 1.3

  Pausanias in Eliria.
• * 1.4

  Sextus Au∣reliu•• Vi∣ctor▪
• * 1.5

  Theocrit. Eidyll. 6.
• * 1.6

  Pindar. Pyth. od. 1.