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A CHARACTER UPON A MONSIEUR

43

The Irish quicknes, and the Germaine strength.
The English Valour, and the Polish length.
The Naples temper, and Italian neatnesse,
The Belgique freenes, and the Spanish greatnesse.
All Nations els haue somewhat of the Hen,
Onely the French is Chantic-cleere of Men.

These all are Noble parts, taken asunder
But meeting all in one, they make a wonder.

THOMAS ADAMS (1612-53)

Diseases of the Soule: A Discourse Divine, Morall, and
Physicall.... London,... 1616. 4to.

Mystical Bedlam, or The World of Mad-Men....
London... 1615. 4to.

The Workes of Tho: Adams.... London,... 1629.
fol.

. 1861. 8vo.

The Works... Edinburgh: . . . 1861.

20 characters.

The Diseases of the Soule are divided, each into four sections, The Disease, Cause, Signs and Symptomes, Cure. The characters are found under Signes and Symptomes,' whence are taken the first five pieces in the selection, the sixth from Mystical Bedlam.

'Our bookes may come to bee seene, where our selves shall never be heard,' so Adams writes in one of his prefaces. But in these prefaces, from which we learn the friendly terms on which he stood with his chief contemporaries in church and state, and in his books, where an original-minded and humorous personality discloses itself, he lives for us more truly than do many we see and hear. It is then unimportant that except that he was preacher under St. Paul's and occasionally at Whitehall during the years 1618-23, we know little else about him, for, as we turn the pages of his enormous Workes we feel we know the man himself.

The Braine-sicke Novelist."

opinion

One drunke with

I. LowD speech hee loves not, except from his own lippes. All noise is tedious to him, but his owne and that is most tedious to the companie. Hee loves to heare himselfe talke out of measure.

1 innovator.

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THE BRAINE-SICKE NOVELIST

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He wonders, that the senses of all his hearers doe not get up into their eares, to watch and catch his mysteries with attention and silence; when as yet himselfe is more Non-resident from his theme, then a discontinuer is from his charge.

2. The cleere light he cannot endure, for his braine is too light already. He presumes, that his head containes more knowledge then tenne Bishops; and wonders that the Church was so overseene, as to forget him, when offices were disposing, or places a dealing; and because he can get none, railes at all for Antichristian. He is the only wise man, if he might teach all men to judge him, as he judgeth himselfe and no starre should shine in our Orbe, without borrowing some of his light. Hee offers to reforme that man, that would informe him; and presumes of so much light, that if himselfe were set, our world would be left without a Sunne.

3. Wine he hates, specially when it is poured into his wounds: (as the Fathers interpret the Samaritans wine to the wounded man, to clense and purge him.) Reproofe and he are utter enemies; no man is good enough to chide him: wholesome counsell, which is indeed Wine to a weake soule, he accounts Vineger; nothing so pleaseth him as his owne Lees. Opinion hath brewed him ill, and he is like water scared out of the wits.

4. He must not bee moved, nor removed from what hee holdes: his will is like the Persian law, unalterable. You may move him to choler, not to knowledge: his braine is turned, like a Bell rung too deepe, and cannot be fetcht backe againe. His

owne affectation is his pully, that can move him; no engine else stirres him. A man may like him at first, as one that never heard musicke doth the Tinkers note on his kettle; but after a while they are both alike tedious. There is no helpe for his auditour, by any excuses to shift him off; if he have not the patience to endure an impertinent discourse, hee must venter the censure of his manners, and run away. His discourse is so full of parentheses, as if he were troubled with the rhume, and could not spette. He is ever tying hard knots, and untying them, as if no body had hired him, and therefore he must finde himselfe worke. If hee light on the sacred Writ, he conceitedly allegorizes on the plainest subject, and makes the Scripture no more like it selfe, then Michols image in the bed upon a pillow of Goates haire, was like David. He carries bread at his backe and feedes upon stones. Like a full fedde Dogge, he leaves the soft meate to lye gnawing vpon bones: that wee may say of him, this man hath a strong wit, as wee say, that dogge hath good teeth.

The Feareful Man

He conceives what is good to be done, but fancies difficulties and dangers, like to knots in a bul-rush, or rubbes in a smooth way. Hee would bowle well at the marke of Integrity, if he durst venture it. Hee hath no journey to goe, but either there are bugges, or he imagines them. Had he a pardon for his brother (being in danger of death) and a Hare should crosse him in the way, he would no further, though his brother hang'd for it. He owes God some good will, but he dares not shew

THE FEAREFUL MAN

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it: when a poore plaintiffe cals him for a witnesse, hee dares not reveale the truth, lest he offend the great adversary. He is a new Nicodemus, and would steale to Heaven, if no body might see him. He makes a good motion bad by his fearefulnesse and doubting; and he cals his trembling by the name of conscience. He is like that Collier, that passing thorow Smithfield, and seeing some on the one side hanging, he demaunds the cause; answere was made, for denying the Supremacie to King Henry: on the other side some burning, he askes the cause; answered, for denying the reall presence in the Sacrament: some, quoth he, hang'd for Papistry, and some burn'd for Protestancie? then hoyte on a Gods name: chill bee ne're nother. His Religion is primarily his Princes, subordinately his Land-lords. Neither deliberates he more to take a new religion, to rise by it; then he feares to keepe his old, lest he fall by it. All his care is for a ne noceat. Hee is a busie inquirer of all Parliament acts, and quakes as they are read, lest hee be found guilty. He is sicke, and afraid to dye, yet holds the potion in a trembling hand, and quakes to drinke his recovery. His thoughts are an ill ballance, and will never be equally poysed. Hee is a light vessell, and every great mans puffe is ready to overturne him. Whiles Christ stands on the battlements of heaven, and beckens him thither by his word, his heart answeres, I would faine be there, but that some troubles stand in my way. He would ill with Peter walke to him on the pavement of the Sea, or thrust out his hand with Moses, to take up a crawling Serpent, or hazard the losse of himselfe, to find his Saviour. His minde is ever in

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