Part 34

"Who takes thy volume to his vertuous hand, Must be intended still to vnderstand: Who bluntly doth but looke vpon the same, May aske, what author would conceale his name? Who reads may roaue, and call the passage darke, Yet may, as blind men, sometimes hit the marke. Who reads, who roaues, who hopes to vnderstand, May take thy volume to his vertuous hand. Who cannot reade, but onely doth desire To vnderstand, hee may at length admire.

B. I."

These were added to the sixth edition of the Wife, in 1615.

v. Caracters upon Essaies, morall and diuine, written for those good spirits that will take them in good part, and make use of them to good purpose. London: Printed by Edw. Griffin for John Guillim, and are to be sold at his shop in Britaines Burse. 1615. 12mo.

vi. The Good and the Badde, or Descriptions of the Worthies and Vnworthies of this Age. Where the Best may see their Graces, and the Worst discerne their Basenesse. London, Printed by George Purslowe for Iohn Budge, and are to be sold at the great South-dore of Paules, and at Brittaines Bursse. 1616.

The author of these characters was Nicholas Breton, who dedicates them to Sir Gilbert Houghton, of Houghton, Knight. Of Breton no particulars are now known, excepting what may be gained from an epitaph in Norton church, Northamptonshire, by which we learn that he was the son of Captain Breton, of Tamworth, in Staffordshire, and served himself in the Low Countries, under the command of the Earl of Leicester. He married Anne, daughter of Sir Edward Legh, or Leigh, of Rushell, Staffordshire, by whom he had five sons and four daughters, and having purchased the manor of Norton, died there June 22, 1624.

Breton appears to have been a poet of considerable reputation among his contemporaries, as he is noticed with commendation by Puttenhem and Meres: Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges declares that his poetical powers were distinguished by a simplicity, at once easy and elegant. Specimens of his productions in verse, may be found in Percy's Reliques, Ellis's Specimens, Cooper's Muses' Library, Censura Literaria; and an imperfect list of his publications is given by Ritson, in the Bibliographia Poetica, which is augmented by Mr. Park, in the Cens. Lit. ix. 163.

A WORTHIE PRIUIE COUNCELLER.

A worthy priuie counceller is the pillar of a realme, in whose wisedome and care, vnder God and the king, stands the safety of a kingdome; he is the watch-towre to giue warning of the enemy, and a hand of prouision for the preseruation of the state: hee is an oracle in the king's eare, and a sword in the king's hand, an euen weight in the ballance of justice, and a light of grace in the loue of truth: he is an eye of care in the course of lawe, a heart of loue in the seruice of his soueraigne, a mind of honour in the order of his seruice, and a braine of inuention for the good of the common-wealth; his place is powerful, while his seruice is faithfull, and his honour due in the desert of his employment. In summe, he is as a fixed planet mong the starres of the firmament, which through the clouds in the ayre, shewes the nature of his light.

AN VNWORTHIE COUNCELLER.

An vnworthie counceller is the hurt of a king, and the danger of a state, when the weaknes of judgement may commit an error, or the lacke of care may give way to vnhappinesse: he is a wicked charme in the king's eare, a sword of terror in the aduice of tyranny: his power is perillous in the partiality of will, and his heart full of hollownesse in the protestation of loue: hypocrisie is the couer of his counterfaite religion, and traiterous inu[=e]tion is the agent of his ambition: he is the cloud of darknesse, that threatneth foule weather, and if it growe to a storme, it is feareful where it falls: hee is an enemy to God in the hate of grace, and worthie of death in disloyalty to his soueraigne. In summe, he is an vnfit person for the place of a counceller, and an vnworthy subject to looke a king in the face.

AN EFFEMINATE FOOL.

An effeminate foole is the figure of a baby: he loues nothing but gay, to look in a glasse, to keepe among wenches, and to play with trifles; to feed on sweet meats, and to be daunced in laps, to be inbraced in armes, and to be kissed on the cheeke: to talke idlely, to looke demurely, to goe nicely, and to laugh continually: to be his mistresse' servant, and her mayd's master, his father's love, and his mother's none-child: to play on a fiddle, and sing a loue-song, to weare sweet gloues, and look on fine things: to make purposes and write verses, deuise riddles, and tell lies: to follow plaies, and study daunces, to heare newes, and buy trifles: to sigh for loue, and weepe for kindnesse, and mourne for company, and bee sicke for fashion: to ride in a coach, and gallop a hackney, to watch all night, and sleepe out the morning: to lie on a bed, and take tobacco, and to send his page of an idle message to his mistresse; to go vpon gigges, to haue his ruffes set in print, to picke his teeth, and play with a puppet. In summe, hee is a man-childe, and a woman's man, a gaze of folly, and wisedome's griefe.

"THE CHESSE PLAY."

Very aptly deuised by N. B. Gent.

A secret many yeeres vnseene, In play at chesse, who knowes the game, First of the King, and then the Queene, Knight, Bishop, Rooke, and so by name, Of euerie Pawne I will descrie, The nature with the qualitie.

THE KING.

The King himselfe is haughtie care, Which ouerlooketh all his men, And when he seeth how they fare He steps among them now and then, Whom, when his foe presumes to checke, His seruants stand, to giue the necke.

THE QUEENE.

The Queene is queint, and quicke conceit, Which makes hir walke which way she list, And rootes them vp, that lie in wait To worke hir treason, ere she wist: Hir force is such against hir foes That whom she meetes, she ouerthrowes.

THE KNIGHT.

The Knight is knowledge how to fight Against his prince's enimies, He neuer makes his walke outright, But leaps and skips, in wilie wise, To take by sleight a traitrous foe, Might slilie seeke their ouerthrowe.

THE BISHOP.

The Bishop he is wittie braine, That chooseth crossest pathes to pace, And euermore he pries with paine, To see who seekes him most disgrace: Such straglers when he findes astraie He takes them vp, and throwes awaie.

THE ROOKES.

The Rookes are reason on both sides, Which keepe the corner houses still, And warily stand to watch their tides, By secret art to worke their will, To take sometime a theefe vnseene, Might mischiefe meane to King or Queene.

THE PAWNES.

The Pawne before the King, is peace, Which he desires to keepe at home, Practise, the Queene's, which doth not cease Amid the world abroad to roame, To finde, and fall upon each foe, Whereas his mistres meanes to goe.