Aurea Legenda, or Apothegms, sentences, and sayings of many wise and learned men, useful for all sorts of persons Collected out of many authors by Sa. Clark, sometimes pastor in B.F.

The Character of a happy Life.

HOw happy is he born and taught That serveth not another's Will, Whose Armour is his honest thought And simple Truth his utmost skill?

Whose Passions not his Masters are, Whose Soul is still prepar'd for Death; Ʋnty'd unto the World by care Of Publick Fame, or private breath.

Who envies none whom Chance doth raise: Nor Vice hath ever understood. How deepest Wounds are given by Praise; Nor Rules of State, but Rules of Good.

Who hath his Life from Rumours freed; Whose Conscience is his strong Retreat: Whose State can neither Flatterers feed, Nor ruin make Oppressors great.

Who God doth late, and early pray, More of his Grace, than Gifts to lend; And entertains the harmless Day With a Religious Book, or Friend.

This Man is freed from servile bands Of hope to rise, or fear to fall; Lord of himself tho not of Lands; And having nothing, yet hath all.

Sr. Henry Wotton.

It was an excellent Saying of Sr. John Packinton, in Queen Eli∣zabeth's days, that a sound Faith was the best Divinity: A good Con∣science the best Law: And Tempe∣rance the best Physick.

Upon the fall of the Earl of Somerset.

DAzled still with heigth of place, Whilst our Hopes our Wits beguile, No Man marks the narrow space 'Twixt a Prison, and a smile.

Then since Fortunes favours fade, You that in her Arms do sleep, Learn to swim, and not to Wade; For the Hearts of Kings are deep.

But if Greatness be so blind As to trust in Towers of Air, Let it be with Goodness lin'd, That at least the fall be fair.

Then tho darkned, you shall say, When Friends fail, and Princes frown, Virtue is the roughest way, But proves at Night a Bed of Down.

Sr. Henry Wotton.

It's one of Machiavel's rules: : That they which rise very high, should de∣scend timely, and quit the Envy, lest they lose the Honour of their greatness.

When Charles the 5th presented Secre∣tary Eraso to his Son, Philip the 2d. he said: He gave him somewhat greater than his Estate, and more Royal than his Empire.

I understand not (saith mine Author speaking of James Hay, Earl of Carlisle) the reason of his Ante-Suppers, the man∣ner of which was, to have the Table co∣verd at the first entrance of the Guests, with Dishes as high as a tall Man could well reach, filled with the choicest, and dearest Viands Sea or Land could afford.

And all this once seen, and having feasted the Eyes of the invited, was removed, and fresh was set on to the same heigth, hav∣ing only this advantage of the others, that it was hot: At one of these Meals, an Attendant did Eat to his single share a whole Pye, reckoned to the Earl at Twenty pound, being composed of Amber-Greece, Magisterial Pearl, Musk, &c. And another went away with Forty pounds of Sweet-meats in his Cloak-bag.

When the most able Physicians, and his own Weakness had passed a Judgment upon this Earl, that he could not live many days, he did not forbear his En∣tertainments, but made divers brave Cloths (as he said) to Out-face naked, and despicable Death, adding withal: That Nature wanted Wisdom, Power, or Love, in making Man mortal, and subject to Di∣seases.

Sr. Thomas Lake was a Man of such dixterity, and dispatch, that he would indite, Write, and Discourse at the same time, more exactly than most Men could severally perform them; for which he was then called the swift-sure.

Of Sr. Edward Cook it is recorded, that

he would never be perswaded privately to retract that, which he had Publickly adjudged, Professing, That he was a Judg in a Court, not in a Chamber. He was wont to say; No wise man would do that in Prospe∣rity, whereof he should repent in Adversity. His Motto was: Prudens qui patiens.

It's a sure Principle of rising, that great Persons esteem better of such as they have done great Courtesies to, than those they have received great Civilities from; looking upon this as their Disparage∣ment, the other as their Glory.

It's an excellent Rule, that no man should let what is unjustifiable, or Dan∣gerous to appear under his Hand, there∣by to give Envy a steady aim at his Place, or Person: Nor mingle interests with great Men made desperate by Debts, or Court injuries, whose falls have been ruinous to their wisest Followers: Nor pry any farther into secrecy than rather to secure than shew himself: Nor to impart that to a Friend, that may im∣power him to be an Enemy.

It was the Saying of a great Man among us, that a through-paced Papist could not be a true-hearted Subject.

It's an excellent Character of great

Men: In honore sine tumore: To be lift∣ed up with Honour, but not to be puffed up with Pride.

Sr. Henry Wotton directed that this only should be written on his plain Mar∣ble: Hic jacet hujus sententiae Primus Au∣ctor: Disputandi Pruritus fit Ecclesiarum Scabies—Nomen aliàs Quaere.