Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.

§. II.

Some Rules whereby to square our discourse, and an expedient offered towards the correction of Medisance.

BY this reformation proposed, I do not intend any defa∣cing of the faire and pleasant frontispiece of sociable conversation, for I do not design the breaking down of all discourse, that hath the image or aspect of civill hostility, that is, all ingenious wrastling and fencing of wits against one another; such formes of speech may be handsomely set, as spi∣rituall Figures and carvings upon the structure of conversati∣on, which may innocently grace and imbellish the whole frame, there are many passages that have an evident character of harm∣lesse mirth and jollity; which although they are piquant, yet are not easily pervertible to any disparagement of our neigh∣bour; so that our speech may be with grace, and seasoned with salt, as Saint Paul adviseth us, wherefore in any such recreative freedoms may well be admitted, with this caution given to the utterers, that they examine not only the candor of their owne thoughts, but likewise the composition of the persons whom such liberties may concerne, as also the humours of the com∣pany where they are vented, for I conceive, these three circum∣stances ought to concur, for the licensing such exercises of our * 1.1 fancy; first, the ingenuous and harmlesse intention of them that minister the mirth, next the probability of a right under∣standing by them who are the subject of it, and lastly, the like∣lihood of an innocent apprehension of our jests in the compa∣ny they are addressed unto, for their pleasure and entertain∣ment; and I conceive one may be very good company, restrain∣ing their wits within these three religious limitations, for while our words are tuned to the Key of charity, Men and Angels

may rejoyce together in the gayety of their aires; this was the tune which the Psalmist set for himselfe, and for us to study, having left it thus noted, I will take heed to my wayes that I sinne not with my tongue, I will keepe my mouth with a bridle. * 1.2

Considering the humour of the world, and how fashions are sooner decryed, by the dislike of such persons, as they are de∣signed to fancy, then by the prohibitions or order of the state, I conceive the best proportioned expedient, to the effect of re∣pealing this licentious custome of pillaging one anothers re∣putation, in these excursions of jest and raillery, is to terrify the receivers of such spoyles, which are those, that take them off from the acting parties with applause and delectation; where∣fore such patrons must be advertised, that they know not how deare they pay for such preyes, when they imagine they give nothing but a cheerefull countenance for them, since indeed they cost them more innocence, then many of them would part with for them, if that price was directly set upon them: let them be admonished then, that as the Psalmist saith of the com∣mitters of such facts, that the poyson of Aspes is under their lips, so that it may be properly said of the receivers of such thefts, in the tearmes of the Holy Spirit, They suck the head of Aspes, & the Vipers tongue shal kil them: Since we are made by God as it were mutual Feoffees in trust for one anothers good name, by this order, which declareth that God hath given every one * 1.3 commandement concerning his neighbour, being therein charged the preservation of our brothers fame, to answer, Am I my bro∣thers keeper? doth indeed savour somewhat of the guilt of the murder.

Let not then those parties unto whose complacency such licentiousnes is addressed, suppose that they may in∣nocently injoy such spoyles, which they pretend not to be∣speake, but only to accept as a present from their familiars; for surely all persons of alluring fortunes, or of other followed qualities, which are noted for entertainers and cherishers of Medisance and bitternesse in conversation, do no better then set up a Shop declaredly to take off plundered goods; which

commodity offered to the violaters, cannot chuse but passe for a contribution to the Fact; and the mischiefe of this traffique is alwayes proportioned, by the eminency of the estate of the per∣son that professeth this commerce; for high encouragements do as it were presse these morall plunderers, which are such li∣centious companies, that those who raise them so easily, as they cost them but their connivance, cannot cashiere them again with their command, for very often as the Wiseman saith, The Char∣mers themselves are stung with the Serpents they play with, and then who shall pity them, when they swell upon such stingings? * 1.4

Let every one then make this good use of the respect and dif∣ference which is given to their persons or conditions; the taking upon them to discredit this so pernitious fashion of receiving (as justifyable Presents from their observers) the desamation of their brother; for when this humour of Medisance springeth in the head of the company, it runnes fluently into the lesse noble parts; but when it riseth first but in the inferior and dependent persons, it requireth a force of wit and ingeniosity to raise and diffuse it upward, which capacity is not very familiar: where∣fore I conceive the most powerful receipt against this mischiefe to be the possessing the most eminent and reverenced persons of Courts, with the irreligiousnesse of this authorised fashion of Medisance, cherished under the disguise of mirth: For if Prin∣ces do ignoble their minds, with this favouring of detraction, they do not only license it, but seem even to impose it, which is such a kind of grievance, as offendeth much, and yet lesseneth their owne meanes, not only in point of their re-obliging, but likewise in their part of commanding, for what is taken from the true value and estimation of every one, by this liberty, is lost to the Prince in all the uses he hath of their service; so that Princes have not only a religious, but a politique duty, that re∣quireth of them severity rather then indulgence towards this toleration, since their simple connivance will introduce detra∣ction, in the fashion called incognito, which alloweth all the same liberties, to the party so received, under this colour of his not professing himselfe to be present in his own quality; such a

kind of admission doth the connivance of Princes give to Me∣disance, treating with her, as if they tooke no notice of her qua∣lity: and when Princes foule their hands actively in this sully∣ing of others, they do as it were publiquely prescribe the fame and reputation of every one, and seeme to set a price upon them, for every one that can bring them into their delight and entertainment; nor is this price limited, but may be said to be as much as every accure malicious wit shall rate his hope at, by becoming agreeable and familiar with the Prince.

Saint Austustine saith, he doth not wonder at the dissolutenes of the Heathen, when their Gods were both Patrons and par∣terns of their vi••iousnesse, whereby their crimes seemed to them rather sacrifices then sins; wherefore it is little wonder to see a Court over-run by any vitious humour, that is let in through this overture of the Princes inclination; for as patterns of mo∣rall liberties, the world looke upon them too much as Gods images, since their considerations do commonly terminate in the images themselves, and do not passe on to the originall or prototipe; that is, we do not examine whether their wills re∣semble that exemplar will they represent, but conforme our affections directly to the similitude of theirs, by reason that our interested thoughts, stay likely at our nearest hopes and feares; and finding Princes the next and immediate rewarders or pu∣nishers of our actions, we square and modell them to such ex∣pectations as their humours minister unto us: Hence it is, that though Princes have many preheminencies over others, yet in this particular of their morall freedoms, they seeme the most limited and restrained of any, by reason of the common de∣rivations from their examples: Whereupon as Subjects do subscribe to Princes in point of their fortunes, so do they seem to prescribe unto Princes, in this regulating their comport∣ments, in respect of the common frailties, because they cannot take off the impositions of their own examples; wherefore they must remember themselves to be the selfe-same persons, which are the most specially menaced by those judgements the Holy Spirit saith are prepared for scorners.

This being so much averred, I humbly present Princes and * 1.5 great persons, with this excellent pre-caution given by the Wiseman, Hedge your eares with thornes, and heare not a wicked * 1.6 tongue, and make doores and locks to your mouth; that is to say, fence your eares so with the points of religion and piety, as they may rather prick, by some sharpe reproofe the obtruders of all offensive Medisance, then leave them open for such receptions; and surely the locks set upon the mouthes of the chiese of the company, doth shut out all such speech, as they intend to de∣bar, for their humours are the Wards, by which the rest frame the Key of their discourse, to open unto themselves acceptati∣on.

All this considered, the best expedient I can administer, to∣wards the repressing of this licentiousness, is the dis-favour and un-concurrence of the Grandees in the world; which opinion is thus supported by the Holy Ghost, The North wind dissipateth raines, and a sad looke the tongue that detracteth; Wherefore I * 1.7 beseech every one whom it may concerne, to put on a serious displicence, upon these occasions, that they may not incurre this menace of Christ, Woe be unto you that laugh now, but ra∣ther entitle themselves to this promise of the Holy Ghost, They * 1.8 shall laugh in the latter day.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What cir∣cumstances are to be ob∣served in jesting.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 39.
• * 1.3

  Ecclesiasti∣cus 17.
• * 1.4

  Ecclestasti∣cus
• * 1.5

  Pro. 19. 29.
• * 1.6

  Ecclus. 28. 28.
• * 1.7

  Pro. 25. 23.
• * 1.8

  Luk. 6. 25. Pro. 31. 25.