38 in MS. (30 in Bliss). "Say nothing." "It is their as it is at skirmishes the first man doth much, and no victory without a good leader." "It is, etc." After the first sentence comes in MS. "fortune is never pox't louder nor the Deuill oftener sent about errands; he is the companion that goes with every bowle, and with him the bowlers."
A SHE PRECISE HYPOCRITE.
(The Shee Puritane in the MS.)
36 in MS. (34 in Bliss). "Owne Parish." "And if her husband be so profaine that he will not carrie her on horsebacke to heare another preach shee will goe as far on foote to heare her selfe pray." "She doubts, etc." "Scruples." "Shee dareth not give a penny to a beggar for feare he be a reprobate, but shee thinkes usury lawfull upon strangers that be not her brethren." "Shee is more fierce, etc." "Shee is discovered though shee weare a vaile," after "Geneva Print." "Reads that shee hath noted, and applauds herselfe for a noble woman of Berea," after "comes home." After "gossippings," "unlesse to exercises." After "sampler," "save that once a year she workes a black-wrought night-cap for some reverend good man to weare, because it is against the cannon, and then she thinkes him a bishop's fellow." After "weapons" (weapon), "is the Practice of Piety, or else shee is armed with the sixt to the Ephesians." For "the Brownist" read "thinks that Amsterdam is erroneous."
THE WEAK MAN.
In the Bright MS. there are some important additions and variations in "The Weak Man." After the words "his brain stays behind," it goes on "He is for wit as your young travellers for languages, as much as will call for necessities and hardly that. He is not crafty enough to be a knave, nor wise enough to be honest, but the midway betwixt; a kind of harmless man. His whole vice is his indiscretion, and yet this makes him seem guilty of all." After the word "reserved" in Bliss, the MS. goes on: "He will part with anything in a humour, but in a good cause with nothing, and you may better entice him than persuade him. He is often perverse, never resolute and inexorable to nothing so much as reason. He loves wits and scholars to his cost, for he never has their company but invited. His friendships commonly are begun in a supper and lost in lending money. The way to gain his regard is to neglect him, for if he once be in good estimation, he grows proud upon it and contemns you." After the words "laid to his charge." "He puts in his verdict at all discourses, and whatsoever reason you urge, he holds his conclusion." Again, after the words "breaks forth with all." "His fear is his most violent persuader, which makes him do more upon the authority of one he hates, than the suit of his friend. He is one not to live in this world, for each man is his ambush, and his friend to abuse him. He has been long in contempt, and at last out of money, and then men cry 'alas!' and forget him."
A SCEPTICK IN RELIGION.
P. 99. This Character also is so varied from the printed copies in the Bright MS. that it is given from the latter entire. "He is defined by a genus without a difference; for he is a Christian at large, and no more. He uses the land's religion because it is next him; yet he sees not why he may not take the other yet he chooses this not as better, but because there is not a pin to choose. He is wondrous loth to hazard his credulity, and whilst he fears to believe amiss, believes nothing. The opinion of an over judgment wrongs him, which makes him too wise for the truth. He finds doubts and scruples better than resolves them, and has always some argument to nonplus himself. The least religion is enough to perplex him, and the best will not satisfy him. He hammers too much in general upon our opinion's incertainty, and the possibility of erring makes him not venture on what is true. He cannot drive into his fancy the circumscription of religion into our corner, and yet, the absurdity of Popery staggers him again. He could like the Protestant better were it not for the puritan, and the papist but for the Jesuit. He thinks we are more rational, and likes the life of the other. He thinks so many wise men would not believe but on good ground, and so many honest men cannot be on the wrong side; yet he sees not their reason notwithstanding, nor assents to their honesty without it. He is taken with their miracles yet doubts an imposture; he conceives of our doctrine better, yet it seems too empty and naked. He prefers their charity, and commends our zeal, yet suspects that for blindness, and this but humour. He sees rather what to fly than to follow, and wishes there were no sides that he might take one. He will sometimes propend to us upon the reading a good writer, and at Bellarmine recoils as far back again; and the fathers justle him from one side to another. His conscience interposes itself betwixt two duellers, and whilst it would part both, is by both wounded. He hates authority as the tyrant of reason, and you cannot anger him worse than with a Luther or Calvin's dixit, yet that wise men are not persuaded with reason, shall authorize his doubt. In sum, his whole life is a question, and his salvation a greater, wherein he is so long a disputing, till death make the conclusion, and then he is resolved."
[From Bliss's annotated copy of Earle's Microcosmography.]
A GALLANT.