CHARACTER WRITINGS
OF THE
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
EDITED BY
HENRY MORLEY, LL.D.
EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON
1891
CONTENTS.
CHARACTER WRITING BEFORE THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
THEOPHRASTUS.
Stupidity
THOMAS HARMAN'S "Caveat for Cursitors"
A Ruffler
BEN JONSON'S "Every Man out of his Humour" and "Cynthia's Revels"
A Traveller
The True Critic.
The Character of the Persons in "Every Man out of his Humour"
CHARACTER WRITINGS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
Sir THOMAS OVERBURY
A Good Woman
A Very Woman
Her Next Part
A Dissembler
A Courtier
A Golden Ass
A Flatterer
An Ignorant Glory-Hunter
A Timist
An Amorist
An Affected Traveller
A Wise Man
A Noble Spirit
An Old Man
A Country Gentleman
A Fine Gentleman
An Elder Brother
A Braggadocio Welshman
A Pedant
A Serving-Man
An Host
An Ostler
The True Character of a Dunce
A Good Wife
A Melancholy Man
A Sailor
A Soldier
A Tailor
A Puritan
A Mere Common Lawyer
A Mere Scholar
A Tinker
An Apparitor
An Almanac-Maker
A Hypocrite
A Chambermaid
A Precisian
An Inns of Court Man
A Mere Fellow of a House
A Worthy Commander in the Wars
A Vainglorious Coward in Command
A Pirate
An Ordinary Fence
A Puny Clerk
A Footman
A Noble and Retired Housekeeper
An Intruder into Favour
A Fair and Happy Milkmaid
An Arrant Horse-Courser
A Roaring Boy
A Drunken Dutchman resident in England
A Phantastique: An Improvident Young Gallant
A Button-Maker of Amsterdam
A Distaster of the Time
A Mere Fellow of a House
A Mere Pettifogger
An Ingrosser of Corn
A Devilish Usurer
A Waterman
A Reverend Judge
A Virtuous Widow
An Ordinary Widow
A Quack-Salver
A Canting Rogue
A French Cook
A Sexton
A Jesuit
An Excellent Actor
A Franklin
A Rhymer
A Covetous Man
The Proud Man
A Prison
A Prisoner
A Creditor
A Sergeant
His Yeoman
A Common Cruel Jailer
What a Character is
The Character of a Happy Life
An Essay on Valour
JOSEPH HALL
HIS SATIRES--
A Domestic Chaplain
The Witless Gallant
HIS CHARACTERS OF VIRTUES AND VICES
I.
Virtues
--
Character of the Wise Man
Of an Honest Man
Of the Faithful Man
Of the Humble Man
Of a Valiant Man
Of a Patient Man
Of the True Friend
Of the Truly Noble
Of the Good Magistrate
Of the Penitent
The Happy Man
II.
Vices
--
Character of the Hypocrite
Of the Busybody
Of the Superstitious
Of the Profane
Of the Malcontent
Of the Inconstant
Of the Flatterer
Of the Slothful
Of the Covetous
Of the Vainglorious
Of the Presumptuous
Of the Distrustful
Of the Ambitious
Of the Unthrift
Of the Envious
JOHN STEPHENS
JOHN EARLE
MICROCOSMOGRAPHY----
A Child
A Young Raw Preacher
A Grave Divine
A Mere Dull Physician
An Alderman
A Discontented Man
An Antiquary
A Younger Brother
A Mere Formal Man
A Church-Papist
A Self-Conceited Man
A Too Idly Reserved Man
A Tavern
A Shark
A Carrier
A Young Man
An Old College Butler
An Upstart Country Knight
An Idle Gallant
A Constable
A Downright Scholar
A Plain Country Fellow
A Player
A Detractor
A Young Gentleman of the University
A Weak Man
A Tobacco-Seller
A Pot Poet
A Plausible Man
A Bowl-Alley
The World's Wise Man
A Surgeon
A Contemplative Man
A She Precise Hypocrite
A Sceptic in Religion
An Attorney
A Partial Man
A Trumpeter
A Vulgar-Spirited Man
A Plodding Student
Paul's Walk
A Cook
A Bold Forward Man
A Baker
A Pretender to Learning
A Herald
The Common Singing-Men in Cathedral Churches
A Shopkeeper
A Blunt Man
A Handsome Hostess
A Critic
A Sergeant or Catchpole
A University Dun
A Staid Man
A Modest Man
A Mere Empty Wit
A Drunkard
A Prison
A Serving-Man
An Insolent Man
Acquaintance
A Mere Complimental Man
A Poor Fiddler
A Meddling Man
A Good Old Man
A Flatterer
A High-Spirited Man
A Mere Gull Citizen
A Lascivious Man
A Rash Man
An Affected Man
A Profane Man
A Coward
A Sordid Rich Man
A Mere Great Man
A Poor Man
An Ordinary Honest Man
A Suspicious or Jealous Man
NICHOLAS BRETON
CHARACTERS UPON ESSAYS, MORAL AND DIVINE
Wisdom
Learning
Knowledge
Practice
Patience
Love
Peace
War
Valour
Resolution
Honour
Truth
Time
Death
Faith
Fear
THE GOOD AND THE BAD.
A Worthy King
An Unworthy King
A Worthy Queen
A Worthy Prince
An Unworthy Prince
A Worthy Privy Councillor
An Unworthy Councillor
A Nobleman
An Unnoble Man
A Worthy Bishop
An Unworthy Bishop
A Worthy Judge
An Unworthy Judge
A Worthy Knight
An Unworthy Knight
A Worthy Gentleman
An Unworthy Gentleman
A Worthy Lawyer
An Unworthy Lawyer
A Worthy Soldier
An Untrained Soldier
A Worthy Physician
An Unworthy Physician
A Worthy Merchant
An Unworthy Merchant
A Good Man
An Atheist or Most Bad Man
A Wise Man
A Fool
An Honest Man.
A Knave
An Usurer
A Beggar
A Virgin
A Wanton Woman
A Quiet Woman
An Unquiet Woman
A Good Wife
An Effeminate Fool
A Parasite
A Drunkard
A Coward
An Honest Poor Man
A Just Man
A Repentant Sinner
A Reprobate
An Old Man
A Young Man
A Holy Man
GEOFFREY MINSHULL
ESSAYS AND CHARACTERS OF A PRISON AND PRISONERS
A Character of a Prisoner
HENRY PARROTT [?]
A Scold
A Good Wife
MICROLOGIA, by R. M.
A Player
WHIMZIES, OR A NEW CAST OF CHARACTERS
A Corranto-Coiner
JOHN MILTON
On the University Carrier
WYE SALTONSTALL
PICTURÆ LOQUENTES, OR PICTURES DRAWN FORTH IN CHARACTERS
The Term
DONALD LUPTON
LONDON AND COUNTRY CARBONADOED AND QUARTERED INTO SEVERAL CHARACTERS
The Horse
CHARACTERS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1642 AND 1646, BY SIR FRANCIS WORTLEY, T. FORD, AND OTHERS
T. Ford's Character of Pamphlets
JOHN CLEVELAND
The Character of a Country Committee-Man, with the Earmark of a Sequestrator
The Character of a Diurnal-Maker
The Character of a London Diurnal
CHARACTERS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1647 AND 1665
RICHARD FLECKNOE
FIFTY-FIVE ENIGMATICAL CHARACTERS
The Valiant Man
CHARACTERS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1673 AND 1689
SAMUEL BUTLER
CHARACTERS--
Degenerate Noble, or One that is Proud of his Birth
A Huffing Courtier
A Court Beggar
A Bumpkin or Country
Squire
An Antiquary
A Proud Man
A Small Poet
A Philosopher
A Melancholy Man
A Curious Man
A Herald
A Virtuoso
An Intelligencer
A Quibbler
A Time-Server
A Prater
A Disputant
A Projector
A Complimenter
A Cheat
A Tedious Man
A Pretender
A Newsmonger
A Modern Critic
A Busy Man
A Pedant
A Hunter
An Affected Man
A Medicine-Taker
The Miser
A Swearer
The Luxurious
An Ungrateful Man
A Squire of Dames
An Hypocrite
An Opinionater
A Choleric Man
A Superstitious Man
A Droll
The Obstinate Man
A Zealot
The Overdoer
The Rash Man
The Affected or Formal
A Flatterer
A Prodigal
The Inconstant
A Glutton
A Ribald
A Modern Politician
A Modern Statesman
A Duke of Bucks
A Fantastic
An Haranguer
A Ranter
An Amorist
An Astrologer
A Lawyer
An Epigrammatist
A Fanatic
A Proselyte
A Clown
A Wooer
An Impudent Man
An Imitator
A Sot
A Juggler
A Romance-Writer
A Libeller
A Factious Member
A Play-Writer
A Mountebank
A Wittol
A Litigious Man
A Humourist
A Leader of a Faction
A Debauched Man
The Seditious Man
The Rude Man
A Rabble
A Knight of the Post
An Undeserving Favourite
A Malicious Man
A Knave
CHARACTER WRITING AFTER THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
Character of the Happy Warrior
CHARACTER WRITINGS
OF THE
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
Character writing, as a distinct form of Literature, had its origin more than two thousand years ago in the [Greek: aethichoi Chadaaedes]---Ethic Characters--of Tyrtamus of Lesbos, a disciple of Plato, who gave him for his eloquence the name of Divine Speaker--Theophrastus. Aristotle left him his library and all his MSS., and named him his successor in the schools of the Lyceum. Nicomachus, the son of Aristotle, was among his pupils. He followed in the steps of Aristotle. Diogenes Laertius ascribed to Theophrastus two hundred and twenty books. He founded, by a History of Plants, the science of Botany; and he is now best known by the little contribution to Moral Philosophy, in which he gave twenty-eight short chapters to concise description of twenty-eight differing qualities in men. The description in each chapter was not of a man, but of a quality. The method of Theophrastus, as Casaubon said, was between the philosophical and the poetical. He described a quality, but he described it by personification, and his aim was the amending of men's manners. The twenty-eight chapters that have come down to us are probably no more than a fragment of a larger work. They describe vices, and not all of them. Another part, now lost, may have described the virtues. In a short proem the writer speaks of himself as ninety-nine years old. Probably those two nines were only a poetical suggestion of long experience from which these pictures of the constituents of human life and action had been drawn. He had wondered, he said, before he thought of writing such a book, at the diversities of manners among Greeks all born under one sky and trained alike. For many years he had considered and compared the ways of men; he had lived to be ninety-nine. Our children may be the better for a knowledge of our ways of daily life, that they may grow into the best. Observe and see whether I describe them rightly. I will begin, he says, with Dissimulation. I will first define the vice, and then describe the quality and manners of the man who dissembles. After that I will endeavour to describe also the other qualities of mind, each in its kind. Then follow the Characters of these twenty-eight qualities: Dissimulation, Adulation, Garrulity, Rusticity, Blandishment, Senselessness, Loquacity, Newsmongering, Impudence, Sordid Parsimony, Impurity, Ill-timed Approach, Inept Sedulity, Stupidity, Contumacy, Superstition, Querulousness, Distrust, Dirtiness, Tediousness, Sordid or Frivolous Desire for Praise, Illiberality, Ostentation, Pride, Timidity, Oligarchy, or the vehement desire for honour, without greed for money, Insolence, and Evil Speaking. One of these Characters may serve as an example of their method, and show their place in the ancestry of Characters as they were written in England in the Seventeenth Century.