England that had the greatest Audits of any Man in my Time: a great Grazier, a great Sheep-Mafter, a great Timber-Man, a great Collier, a great Corn-Mafter, a great Lead-Man, and fo of Iron, and a Number of the like Points of Husbandry: fo as the Earth seemed a Sea to him, in respect of the perpetual Importation. It was truly obferved by one, "That himself came very hardly to a little Riches, and very eafily to great Riches." For when a Man's Stock is come to that, that he can expect the Prime of Markets, and overcome those Bargains which for their Greatness are few Men's Money, and be Partner in the Industries of Younger Men, he cannot but increase mainly. The Gains of ordinary Trades and Vocations are honeft; and furthered by two things, chiefly, by Diligence; and by a good Name for good and fair dealing. But the Gains of Bargains are of a more doubtful Nature ; when Men shall wait upon others' Neceffity, Broke by Servants and Inftruments to draw them on; put off others cunningly that would be better Chapmen, and the like Practices, which are crafty and naught. As for the chopping of Bargains, when a Man buys not to hold, but to sell over again, that commonly grindeth double, both upon the Seller and upon the Buyer. Sharings do greatly enrich, if the Hands be well chosen that 7 The obfolete verb to broke is not often met with. It fignifies of course to deal by an agent. Shakespeare once uses it in All's Well that Ends Well, act iii. fc. 5. And here is another inftance from Fanshawe's tranflation of the Lufiad : "But we do want a certain neceffary Woman to broke between them, Cupid faid." are trufted. Ufury is the certainest Means of Gain, though one of the worst, as that, whereby a Man doth eat his Bread, In fudore vultûs alieni: and, befides, doth Plough upon Sundays. But yet certain though it be, it hath Flaws; for that the Scriveners and Brokers do value unfound Men, to ferve their own Turn. The Fortune in being the First in an Invention, or in a Privilege, doth cause fometimes a wonderful Overgrowth in Riches; as it was with the first Sugar Man in the Canaries: therefore, if a Man can play the true Logician, to have as well Judgement as Invention, he may do great Matters, especially if the Times be fit. He that refteth upon Gains certain fhall hardly grow to great Riches: and he that puts all upon Adventures, doth often times break and come to Poverty: it is good, therefore, to guard Adventures with Certainties that may uphold loffes. Monopolies and Coemption of Wares for Refale, where they are not restrained, are great means to enrich; especially if the Party have intelligence what Things are like to come into Request, and fo ftore himself beforehand. Riches gotten by Service, though it be of the best Rife, yet when they are gotten by Flattery, feeding Humours, and other fervile Conditions, they may be placed amongst the Worst. As for Fishing for Teftaments and Executorships (as Tacitus faith of Seneca, Teftamenta et Orbos, tanquam indagine capi) it is yet worse but how much Men fubmit themselves to Meaner Perfons than in Service. Believe not much them that seem to defpife Riches; 8 Tacit. Ann. xiii. 42. for they despise them that despair of them; and none worse when they come to them. Be not Pennywife; Riches have wings; and fometimes they fly away of themselves, fometimes they must be fet flying to bring in more. Men leave their Riches either to their Kindred or to the Publick: and moderate Portions profper best in both. A great State left to an Heir, is as a Lure to all the Birds of Prey round about to seize on him, if he be not the better stablished in Years and Judgement. Likewife, glorious Gifts and Foundations are like Sacrifices without Salt; and but the painted Sepulchres of Alms, which foon will putrify and corrupt inwardly. Therefore, Measure not thine Advancements by Quantity, but Frame them by Measure, and defer not Charities till Death: for certainly, if a Man weigh it rightly, he that doth so, is rather liberal of another Man's than of his Own. xxxv. Of Prophecies. MEAN not to speak of Divine Prophecies, nor of Heathen Oracles, nor of natural Predictions; but only of Prophecies that have been of certain Memory, and from hidden Caufes. Saith the Pythoniffa to Saul; To-morrow thou and thy son shall be with me.1 Homer hath these Verses.2 1 1 Sam. xxviii. 19. 2 Thus the author's own edition. It has been usual to alter it to "Virgil has these verfes from Homer." The lines are in Æn. ii. 97. This Effay is not in the Latin translation. At Domus Enea cunctis dominabitur Oris, Et Nati Natorum, et qui nafcentur ab illis : A Prophecy, as it seems, of the Roman Empire. Seneca the Tragedian hath these Verses. Venient Annis Secula feris, quibus Oceanus A Prophecy of the Discovery of America. The Daughter of Polycrates dreamed that Jupiter bathed her Father, and Apollo anointed him and it came to pass that he was crucified in an open Place, where the Sun made his Body run with Sweat, and the Rain washed it. Philip of Macedon dreamed he fealed up his Wife's Belly; whereby he did expound it, that his Wife should be barren; but Ariftander the Soothfayer, told him his Wife was with Child, because Men do not use to Seal Veffels that are empty.5 A Phantafm that appeared to M. Brutus in his Tent, faid to him, Philippis iterùm me videbis.6 Tiberius faid to Galba; Tu quoque, Galba, deguftabis Imperium. In Vefpafian's Time, there went a Prophecy in the Eaft; That those that should come forth of Judea, should reign 8 Sen. Med. ii. 385. The received reading is now Tethyfque, which was firft fubftituted by Florentius Chriftianus, who says, "Tethyfque novos detegit orbes non Tiphyfque." 4 Herodot. iii. 124. 5 Plut. Vit. Alex. 2. 6 Appian, Bell. Civil. iv. 134. • Thus Ed. 1625, Mr. Markby inadvertently prints "Judas." over the World: which though it may be was meant of our Saviour, yet Tacitus expounds it of Vefpafian. Domitian dreamed, the Night before he was flain, that a Golden Head was growing out of the Nape of his Neck; 10 and indeed, the Succeffion that followed him for many years made Golden Times. Henry the Sixth of England faid of Henry the Seventh, when he was a Lad, and gave him Water, This is the Lad that shall enjoy the Crown for which we ftrive. When I was in France, I heard from one Dr. Pena, that the Queen Mother, who was given to curious Arts, caused the King her Husband's Nativity to be calculated under a falfe Name; and the Aftrologer gave a Judgement, that he should be killed in a Duel; at which the Queen laughed, thinking her Husband to be above Challenges and Duels: but he was flain, upon a Course at Tilt, the Splinters of the Staff of Montgomery going in at his Beaver. The trivial Prophecy, which I heard when I was a Child, and Queen Elizabeth was in the Flower of her Years, was; When Hempe is sponne 12 Whereby, it was generally conceived, that after the Princes had reigned which had the principal Letters of that Word Hempe, (which were Henry, Edward, Mary, Philip, and Elizabeth), England 10 Suet. Vit. Domit. 25. 9 Tacit. Hift. v. 13. 11 Catherine de Medicis, wife of Henry II. 12 Mr. Montagu, following others, in altering the orthography of this old verse, ruined the allufion. |