Proteus redivivus, or, The art of wheedling or insinuation obtain'd by general conversation and extracted from the several humours, inclinations, and passions of both sexes, respecting their several ages, and suiting each profession or occupation / collected and methodized by the author of the first part of the English rogue.

Of Choler.

WEre it pertinent to my Subject, I might here give you a description of Choler, and how many sorts there are of it, which the Latins call Bilis, but I shall only name them, because they have been so much discourst al∣ready; there is bilis vitellina, of a pale yellow, Porracea, greenish; caerulea, azure, or blewish, and aeruginosa, of a rusty colour.

The Signs whereby a man may discern a man of this Cholerick Complexion, are a yellowish countenance, or swarthy, red-hair'd, or of a brownish colour, very meagre and thin, are soon angry, and soon pleas'd, like the Sanguine, but differs from him in this, that he is all fire, in a moment inflamed, and violent in the pro∣secution of his Revenge, and no man obligeth him more, than he that will any way assist him in it,

He then that will insinuate into his affections, must flatter him in his unjust Wrath, prompt him to Revenge, inculcating the sweetness thereof; thus when he hath engaged him in a Quarrel, as the Rat and the Frog in the Fable, he, like the Eagle, may hover aloft out of harms way, and safely make a prey of them both. How easily may such a thing be guld, since his rash

actions, for the most part, put a leg before his Judgment, and most commonly out-run it; for his Passion or hot Fancy is the Signal that sets him forward, whilst his Reason comes lag∣ging in the Rear; by all men that are wise, he is accounted indiscreet, because he is so chang∣able and inconstant in his determinations, ever disliking what he before approved; now, none will deny that mutableness, and inconstancy are the intimates and badges whereby Fools are known, and every one knows, that Fools are the constant Food which Knaves do feed upon, which made a crafty Knavish Broker (whom I knew) say, I will not part with my Fools for an Annuity of two hundred pounds.

But this the Knave must do, if he intend to fit his humour to a hair, to be as precipitate as he, in all attempts or enterprizes: for when any thing comes into his head, which he would have effected, he hates all considerate delays, and will not stay the leisure of a second thought; for the first is his Resolution, and never consi∣ders what the event may be. Have a care Mr. Wheedle how deeply you engage, or con∣cern your self with this Hot-spur, or Furioso; for since the ground he goes on, is, hap what may, something may happen by the way, in which no∣thing shall stop you, till you come to Tyburn: and thus as an obstinate, I will, was his Prologue,

so I would I had not, may be your Epilogue. To conclude, this advantage may be made of him, in a humour of quarrelling, he will grosly abuse a man, and in another humour undo himself to make him amends.