Bel-vedére, or, The Garden of the muses

Of Feare, &c.

Feare is defect of manly fortitude, Continually by dread and doubt pursude.

A Hell-tormenting feare, no faith can mooue. Safetie (most safe) when she is fenc'd with feare.

Better first f••are, than after still to feare. Daunger deui••eth shifts, wit waits on feare. Abhorre sinne past, preuent what i•• to come, These two are things feare not the day of doome. The bait in sight, the hooke much lesse is fear'd. Who euer feares, is better neuer feare. To loue for feare, is secretly to hate. Feare is companion of a guil••ie ••ind. Faint feare and doub•• still taketh their delight In ••erile, which exceed all perill might. F••delitie doth flye where feare is hatcht. Feares vrge despaires, ruth breeds a hopelesse rage. By needlesse feare, none euer vantage got. The benefit of feare, is to be wise. Wh•• would not die, to kill all murdering griefes? Or who would liue in neuer-dying feares? Feare giueth wings, and need doth courage teach. Fond is the feare that finds no remedie The d••ead of dying, payes death seruile breath. Who liue•••• c••ntent, need feare no f••owning fate. To feare the foe, when feare oppresseth strength, Giues in our weaknesse, strengthning to the foe. Feare finds out shi••ts, timiditie is s••b••ill. No greater hell than be a slaue to feare. Birds feare no bushes that were neuer lim'd. The guilt being great, the feare doth more exceed. Feare, and be slaine, no worse can come to fight: And fight and dye, is death destroying death. Loue thriues not in the heart that shadowes feare. Against loues fire, feares frost can haue no power. The Lyons roaring, lesser beasts doe feare. Doubt takes sure footing oft in slipperie wayes. Huge rockes, high windes, strong pyrats, shelues and sands, The ••erchant feares, ere rich at home he lands.

Delay breeds doubt, and doubt brings on dismay. A fearefull thing to tumble from a crowne. Giue no beginning to a doubtfull end. It's fearefull sleeping in a serpents bed. Extreamest feare can neither fight nor flye, But coward-like, with trembling terrour die. Our owne examples makes vs feare the more. Feare that is wiser than the truth, doth ill. Greatnesse that standeth high, stands still in feare, Feare casts too deepe, and euer is too wise. Who feares a sentence, or an old mans saw, May by a painted cloth be kept in awe. The doubtfull can no vsuall plots endure. A moderate feare fore-casts the worst of ill. It's vaine to feare the thing we cannot shun. Better to feare thy choice, than rue thy chaunce. He rightly may be tearm'd a val••ant man, Whome honest death doth not affright with feare. Distracted terrour knowes not what is best. No feare of death should force vs to doe ill Dread of vnknowne things breeds a greater dread. Feare not the things must come, be thinke faults past. In vaine with terrour is he sortifide, That is not guarded with ••i••me loue beside. The loue vnseene, is neuer knowne to feare. A seru••le feare, doth make a drooping mind. Least we presume, we must goe backe with feare. Delay doth much torment a doubtfull mind. It much offendeth to be old with feares, When youth saith, thereof thou want'st many yeeres. Hardly we credit what imports our ill. Men feare not them whose feeble strength they know. Feare commonly doth breed and nourish hate. Small ease hath he that feared is of all.

Cold doubt cauills with honour, scorneth fame, And in the end, feare weighes downe faith with shame. Dissention euer more breeds greater doubt. We soone beleeue the case we would haue so. A fearefull looke bewrayes a guiltie heart. Death is farre sweeter than the feare of death. It's better much, to suffer that we feare, Than still by feare, to liue in martyrdome. Continuall griefe, is feare beyond all feare. Basenesse aduanced, purchaseth but feare. Who walke in feare, suspect the pathes they tread. Death being assur'd to come, deserues no feare. Whiles timerous knowledge stands considering, Audacious ignorance performes the deed. He that knowes most, the more he hath to doubt. Better mistrust too soone, than rue too late. We deeme things doubtfull, breed not contentation. Where men least feare, there harme they soonest find. Wicked men commonly are void of feare, And therefore daunger alwaies with them beare. Loue neuer was without both feare and teares. Feare lendeth wings for aged folke to flie.

Similies on the same subiect.

AS suddaine bleeding, argues ill ensuing, So suddaine ceasing is fell feares renewing. As leaking vessels cannot long endure, So fearefull minds haue slender permanence. As nettles haue no prickes, and yet doe sting, So feares haue little motion, yet oft kill. As salt ta'ne moderately doth ••ellish meat, So discreet feares doe often benefite. As in calamitie good friends auaile, So sound aduise aduantageth in feare.

As wrong suspitions are but mens disgrace, So needlesse feares declare but want of wit.

Examples likewise on the same.

CLaudius being giuen to feare, his mother said, Nature begun, but had not finisht him. Midas grew desperate by his fearefull dreames, That to be rid of them, he slew him-selfe. Aristodemus fear'd with howling dogges, Tooke such conceit, that soone he ended life. Nicias th'Athenian, through cowardly feare, Lost many famous opportunities. Tully saith, Much more euill is in feare, Than in the thing that doth procure the feare. Solon gaue instance to his country-men, That shame did euermore attend on feare.