Orations of divers sorts accommodated to divers places written by the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

A Peasants, or Clowns Oration Spoken in the Field of Peace, concerning Husbandry.

Fellow Peasants,

I Must tell you, we Live in a Happy Age, where Peace Sows, and Plenty Reaps, for whereas VVarrs Destroy our Increase, now Peace Increases our Stores; also I would have you Know, that our Profession which is Hus∣bandry, is one of the Noblest and Generousest Professions, which is, to Imploy our Selves like as the Gods and Nature; for though we cannot Create Creatures, as Nature doth, yet we by our Industry Increase Nature's Creatures, not only Vegetables, that we Produce in our Fields, and Store in our Barns, but Animals, which we Breed in our Farms, and Feed in our Fields; But as Nature Commits Errors and Defects in Producing her Creatures, so we for want of Knowledge have not the Good effect of our La∣bours;

for though we are Bred up to Husban∣dry, yet we are not all so Knowing in Husban∣dry, as to Thrive and Grow Rich by our La∣bours; for as all Scholars are not Learned, that have Lived and Spent most of their time in Studies in Universities, but are meer Dunces; or as Artisans, are not all Excellent VVork∣men, although they have been Bound to their Trade, and have Wrought long in it, yet are but Bunglers: So for Husbandry, all Husbandmen are not so Knowing in their Profession as to Thrive, but they Labour at Randome, without Judgement or Observation, and like those that Learn to Read by Rote, may Understand the VVords or Letters, but not the Sense and Meaning: So we may be brought up to Labour, but not Understand to make a Profitable In∣crease, not Knowing the Nature of the several Soils, as what for Pasture, or Meddow, or Til∣lage; nor to Fore-see the Change of VVeather, nor to Take the most Seasonable Times, nor to Observe the Course of the Planets, all which is very Requisite for the Breed of our Animals, and Increase of our Vegetables. VVherefore, in my Opinion, it were very Necessary for us, to Choose the most Observing and Experienced men amongst us, that Understand Husbandry best, to be our Publick and General Teachers, Instructers, Informers, and Reformers in our Profession of Husbandry: For as there are Di∣vine Teachers for the Souls of Men, Moral Teachers for the Manners of Men, Human

Teachers for the Bodies of Men, and Physicians for the Lives of Men, so there should be Na∣tural Teachers and Informers for the Profitable Increase for Men, such as have not only Expe∣rience by Practice, and Judgement by Obser∣vation, but have both Learning and Concepti∣ons of Natural Philosophy, as to Learn and Search into the Causes and Effects of Natures VVorks, and to Know and Observe the Influ∣ences of the Heavens on Earth, and on the Di∣verse and Sundry Creatures In and On the Earth; also the Sympathies and Antipathies of the several Creatures to Each other, as also the Natures and Proprieties of every Kind and Sort of Creature; so shall we know how to In∣crease our Breed of Animals, and our Stores of Vegetables, and to find out the Minerals for our Use; for as Learning without Practice is of No Effect, so Practice without Knowledge is of Small Profit; yet many will Take upon them to Instruct Others, that want Instructions Themselves, but such Instructers Instructions are more in Words than for Use, as Plutarch's Common-wealth, or Virgilius Georgics, two Fa∣mous Men, the One a Moral Philosopher, the Other a Poet; the One did Form such a Com∣mon-wealth, as Men would nor could not Live in it, and so not fit for Use; the Other could better set his Wit to VVork than his Hands, for if Virgil had left his Husbandary in Verse, to Practise it in Prose, he had Lived Poorly, and Died Obscurely, as having more VVit and

Fancy to VVrite of Husbandry in his Georgics, than Knowledge or Experience to Practise it in his Farms; Thus Poets get Fame, and Farmers VVealth, the One by their VVit, the Other by their Experience, the One by Imagination, the Other by Practice, for a Clown or Peasant Gains more Knowledge by his Practice, than a Poet by his Contemplations; but when Practice and VVit are joyned together, they beget Wis∣dome and Wealth, the One being Adorned with Gold, the Other Inthroned with Fame, for Emperours have Ascended from the Plough, and Kings from the Sheep-coats, Converting their Plough-sherds to Thrones, their Sickles to Crowns, and their Sheep-hooks to Scepters. Thus Clowns, Boors, or Peasants by Name, are become Princes in Power, and Princes in Power are become Beasts by Name and Nature, witness Nebuchadnezzar.