408. Merit, too often unrewarded. O, that estates, degrees, and offices, Were not derived corruptly! and that clear honour Were purchased by the merit of the wearer! How many then should cover, that stand bare ! How many be commanded, that command ! How much low peasantry would then be glean'd From the true seed of honour! and how much honour Pick'd from the cbaff and ruin of the times, To be new varnish'd!

9-ii. 9. 409. The value of faithful servants.

If I
Had servants true about mek; that bare eyes
To see alike mine honour, as their profits,
Their own particular thrifts,—they would do that,
Which should undo more doing.

13–i. 2. 410. Service seldom duly rewarded.

The merit of service is seldom attributed to the true and exact performer.

11-iü. 6. 411.

Office.

'Tis the curse of service;
Preferment goes by letter', and affection,
Not by the old gradation m, where each second
Stood heir to the first.

37-i. 1. 412.

Fidelity Though all the world should crack their duty to you, And throw it from their soul; though perils did Abound, as thick as thought could make them, and Appear in forms more horrid; yet my duty, As doth a rock against the chiding flood, Should the approach of this wild river break, And stand unshaken yours.

25-iii. 2. "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.”—Eph. vi. 5-7.

By recommendation from powerful friends.

Gradation, or regular progress, established by ancient practice.

1

413.

Fidelity.

We must not stintn
Our necessary actions, in the fear
To copeo malicious censurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow,
That is new trimm'd; but benefit no farther
Than vainly longing.

25-i. 2.

414.

Fidelity in servitude.
Every good servant does not all commands:
No bond, but to do just ones.

31-v. 1. 415.

Tried fidelity.

He that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fallen lord,
Does conquer him that did his master conquer,
And earns a place i' the story.

30—iii. 11.

416.

Honesty.
There is no terror in your threats;
For I am arm’d so strong in honesty,
That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not.

29/iv. 3.

417. Honesty misinterpreted.
If my offence be of such mortal kind,
That neither service past, nor present sorrows,
Nor purposed merit in futurity,
Can ransom me into his love again,
But to know so must be my benefit;
So shall I clothe me in a forced content,
And shut myself up in some other course,
To fortune's alms.

37-iii. 4.

a

Honour.
The due of honour in no point omit P.

419.

Honour.
Mine honour was not yielded,
But conquer'd merely.

30-iii. 11. 420.

The same.
If well-respected honour bid me on,
I hold as little counsel with weak fear,
As
you.

18-iv. 3. 421.

The same.

See, that you come Not to woo honour, but to wed it.

11-ï. 1. 422. Honour dearer than life. Life every man holds dear; but the dear man Holds honour far more precious-dear9 than life.

26-v. 3. 423.

Honour and policy. Honour and policy, like unsevered friends, I'the war do grow together : Grant that, and tell me, In peace, what each of them by th' other lose, That they combine not there.

28-ii. 2. 424.

Honour disinterested.
If you shall cleave to my consent",—when 't is,
It shall make honour for you.-

So I lose none,
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchised, and allegiance clear,
I shall be counsel'd.

15-i. 1.

425. Honour not exempt from detraction.

Can honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath nomskill in surgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in that word, honour? What is that honour? Air. A trim reckoning —Who bath it? He that died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living ? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it.

426. Honourable causes need no oath.

What other oath
Than honesty to honesty engaged ?-

Unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain
The even virtue of our enterprise,
Nor th’insuppressive mettle of our spirits,
To think, that, or our cause, or our performance,
Did need an oath.

29—ii. 1.

427.

The solemnity of oaths.

The truth thou art unsure To swear, swears only not to be forsworn; Else, what a mockery should it be to swear !

16-iii. 1. 428.

Sincere vows.
'T is not the many oaths, that make the truth;
But the plain single vow, that is vow'd true.
What is not holy, that we swear not by,
But take the Highest to witnesst.

11-iv. 2. 429.

Praise to be bestowed seasonably. Praise us as we are tasted, allow us as we prove; our head shall go bare, till merit crown it: no perfection in reversion shall have a praise in present: we will not name desert, before his birth; and, being born, his addition shall be humble. 26-iii. 2.

430.

False praise. When we

for

recompense have praised the vile, It stains the glory in that happy verse Which aptly sings the good.

27-i. 1. 431.

Value of a good name.
Good name, in man, and woman,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls :

• Old copy reads swears. * The sense is, we never swear by what is not holy, but take to witness the Highest—the Divinity. u Title.

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold."— Prov. xxii. 1.

Who steals my purse, steals trash ; 't is something,

nothing; 'Twas mine, 't is his, and has been slave to thousands : But he, that filches from me my good name, Robs me of that, which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.

37-iii. 3. 432. No value in a name alone. What's in a name? that, which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet. 35ii. 2. 433.

Reputation. Reputation, reputation, reputation ! O, I have lost my reputation! I haye lost the immortal part of myself; and what remains is bestial. 37–11.3. 434.

Reputation invaluable.
The purest treasure mortal times afford,
Is-spotless reputation; that away,
Men are but gilded loam, or painted clay.
A jewel in a ten-times-barr'd-up chest
Is-a bold spirit in a loyal breast.

17-i. 1. 435.

Humility. Let me be ignorant, and in nothing good, But graciously to know I am no better. 5-ii. 4. 436.

More will I do: Though all that I can do is nothing worthy; Since that my penitence comes after all, Imploring pardon.

20—iv. 1. 437. Humility recommended.

Love and meekness, Become a churchman better than ambition. 25—7.2. 438.

Humility, feigned. ’T is a common proof, That lowliness is young Ambition's ladder,

Y." So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”—Luke xvii. 10. • Experience.

The same.

a