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If Fortune smile upon him, and be indeed such as he dare call her Good, he makes it his businesse to be altogether as good as she; and will be sure as well to deserve as to wear her Livery. His care is that her good usage of him may be rather deem'd the just re∣ward of his own Moderation and Good-Hus∣bandry; then the unmerited Bounty of so
blind a Mistresse. He makes his Prosperity a motive to his Piety, not (as others) the opportunity of displaying his Vanity. He proves by his example, that he most happily enjoyes the World, that Glories lest in the en∣joyment of it. He looks upon his present flourishing Condition, rather as that which is not without ingratitude to be refused, then with egernesse to be desired; and upon what he now possesses, as that which he knowes not how soone he may lose; and therefore he makes himselfe now so carelesse an owner, that (if the wind chance to turne) ••e may prove a cheerfull and Contented loser. He dares not Phancy himselfe one jot the neerer Heaven, for being thus mounted on the Deceitfull wings of Fortune, lest when the contrary wind of adversity dismounts him, and his unexpected fall awakes him from his pleasant dreame, he should find himselfe to be really as low, as he was be∣fore but seemingly high. If Fortune be con∣tent to lodge with him as his ghest, she is wel∣come; But he cannot be so dotingly ena∣mour'd of her, as to entertain her, either as his wife, or his Harlot; lest either an un∣timely divorce should break his heart, or she
should bring a Bastard for a Son, and so at length shame and disgrace him. He can nei∣ther so farre flatter her as to call her God∣desse, which he knowes of her selfe to be no more but a name; nor so farre Honour her as to aske her blessing, because he knowes that whatsoever Goodnesse men are apt to as∣cribe unto her, is but one of the meanest blessings of a Greater then she. Laugh she never so heartily, her pleasantnesse shall never overjoy him, seeing (for ought he knowes) she either does or may ere long laugh at him; and if she Frown, he can frown as fast as she, and that for her kindnesse. He never relies upon her, because he knowes she is naturally so unconstant: nor can he see any reason why he should be proud of beeing her favourite, because he may every where behold many of the most undeser∣ving altogether as much in her Favour as himselfe.
To speak the whole, the true Gentleman hath so slight an esteem of Fortune, that he cannot vouchsafe her the Honour of a Bee∣ing, but leaves that to those poor Heathens who were indeed as blind as they supposed her to be. Whatsoever blessings he enjoyes
he received them, as indeed they are, as the bounties of an indulgent father, with thanks and love; and he useth them to that end, for which he supposes so Good and Prudent a father would bestow them on a Beloved Son; so that he may make them as much Instru∣ments of his own Good, as they are testimo∣nies of his father's affection. He looks up∣on his Prosperity, not so much as a reward for doing well, as an encouragement to do more, and an opportunity of doing better: Much lesse can he think his flourishing con∣dition, as many seem to doe, a piece of Hea∣ven's flattering Courtship, where no more is intended, then the affording him an op∣portunity of pampering up his lusts, and ma∣king himselfe a Glorious sinner. Seeing he has already received so bountifull a reward for doing so little, he accounts it a shame for the future not to make himselfe a fit ob∣ject for a greater, by doing both more and better. Such an Ingenuous Spirit hath the Gentleman, that he thinks every reward for what's past, an obligation to future good ser∣vices; and he had rather wait with patience for all his arreares together, then ever be thought to have received the last payment here.
If it be his lot to groan out his daies un∣der the heavy pressures of affliction: he is not like the Inconsiderate Drunkard, who in the morning after his double Intempe∣rance in drinking and sleeping, complaineth that his head akes, and begins to Curse his Pillow, and his Bed-maker, for his want of ease; forgetting to turne that sinne out of dores which occasion'd all this the day be∣fore: Nor like a Wretched and Impenitent Malefactor, who when he is hurried away to a just Execution, does nothing but cry out upon the hard-heart of his Iudg, and the Rigour of the Lawes; Cursing the Exe∣cutioner, but forgetting to repent him of the Murther or the Robbery which brought his Body into the hands of this executioner, and will, unrepented of, deliver his Soul into the farre lesse mercifull of another hereafter: But like a Naturall and hopefull child▪ he seriously Considers his own Errors, which provoked his father thus to Chastise him; and so by stroking the hand, and kissing the Rod, and humbly begging pardon for his offence, he sets his father's affections, which before he had turn'd aside, not lost, into their own proper Channel again.
He looks upon his Afflictions with one eye, as Corrections, and so blames himselfe for the Occasion, but blesseth God for the Charity; with the other, as Tryals, and so makes it his care that he come not all Drosse out of the Furnace. The same Fire which Consumes others, doth but refine his soul, and separating from it, the more grosse and Terrene Mixtures, makes it the fitter for Heaven. He grudges not to undergoe the Winnowing, so he may be sure to loose the Chaffe, and be made all wheat, such as his Lord may think fit to receive into his Garner. He is ashamed to think that God should lose his paines, and the more he thrashes, find onely more straw but lesse Corne: rather, like good grain from the Mill, he comes forth from the grinding, more in measure, purer in Colour, and readier for use and service. Though a Bryar or a Thorne, may scratch or prick his heel a little, in his way to Heaven, and draw a little uselesse blood; though he may sometimes be so intangled in the Brambles, that he may be forced to part with something of his fleece, and perhaps so much of the skin too, as may make it smart a while; Yet has he
too high a soul, to fall so much within the reach of these Creeping brambles, as to re∣ceive from them the least Scratch in his face. He alwaies carries an head as erect as his hopes are high; and takes great care that neither his Religion, his Honesty, nor his Ho∣nour be made to suffer by it.
He dares not make either a Base Compli∣ance with the vices of his persecutors, the re∣fuge of his Cowardice; or the wings of the Potent, by bribing their Ambition with Flat∣tery and Dissimulation, his Sanctuary of pro∣tection. He will not attempt the light••ning of his sufferings by a voluntary casting any part of his estate into the devouring Trea∣sury of the Churche's Enemy; nor hope to appease the wrath of a displeased God, by bringing an oblation to the Avarice of his oppressors; neither doth he essay to drown his sorrowes in the Bottome of his Cup: But he flies, and takes Sanctuary at the Hornes of the Altar: and by a Magnanimity which becomes a Gentleman, showes that true Ho∣nour, is a Iewel indeed, such as will not break with the Hammer: His Religion, like the Flint, never so much discovers those Holy fires of zeale and devotion, which were
not before so apparent, as when it most ex∣periences the violence of the hardest steel: And his Innocence is so perfectly Malliable, that the more you beat it, the broader it growes. In short, the Gentleman carries himselfe ••o evenly betwixt these Contrary windes, that he is neither shaken by the one, nor puff'd up with the other: He is such in prosperity, that he does not fear Adversity; and such in adversity, that he needs not to wish for Prosperity; such indeed in both, that it shall never repent him, that he hath tasted either.