Imatges de pàgina
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Nor did his fault'ring hands e'en then forget
To play a foldier's part; appearing yet
Worthy the fear of his affailing foe;
While death attended ev'ry furious blow:
Too late that prowess comes; and he in vain
By pers'nal valour hopes to cure again
That malady, which ill conduct begat:
No foldier's valiant hand can expiate
A gen'ral's folly; nor one private hand
Redeem the errors of a king's command.

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May's Edward III.

GENEROSITY.

He covets lefs
Than mifery itself would give; rewards
His deeds with doing them, and is content
To spend his time to end it.

Shakespear's Coriolanus.

How eafy is a noble fp'rit difcern'd

Out

From harsh and fulph'rous matter, that flies
In contumelies, makes a noise, and stinks!
May we find good and great men, that know how
To ftoop to wants, and mere neceffities,
And will not turn from any equal fuits :
Such men, they do not fuccour more the caufe
They undertake with favour and fuccefs;
Than by it their own judgments they do raise,
In turning just mens needs into their praise.

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Johnson's Catiline. Whose breaft, too narrow for her heart, was ftill Her reafon's throne, and prifon to her will.

Sir William Davenant. Thou can'st not reach the light that I shall find; A gen'rous foul is fun-fhine to the mind.

They that do

Sir Robert Howard's Vital Virgin.

An act that does deserve requital;

Pay first themselves the stock of fuch content :

B 3

Nature

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Nature has giv'n to ev'ry worthy mind,
If others fhould be bankrupt.

Sir Robert Howard's Blind Lady.

It is unnatural a gen'rous mind

Should grieve to be from gen'rous acts confin❜d :
That he in fpite of him ignoble proves,

And cannot act as bravely as he loves?

Crown's Second Part of the Deftruction of Jerusalem.
GENTLEMAN.

He is the card, or çalendar of gentry;

For
you fhall find in him the continent
Of what part a gentleman would fee.

Shakespear's Hamlet.

Nor ftand fo much on your gentility,

Which is an airy, and mere borrow'd thing,

From dead mens duft and bones : And none of your's, Except you make, or hold it.

Johnson's Every Man in his Humour,

For your behaviour, let it be free and
Negligent; not clogg'd with ceremony
Or obfervance give no man honour, but
Upon equal terms; for look how much thou
Giv'ft any man above that, fo much thou
Tak'ft from thyfelf: He that will once give the
Wall, fhall be quickly thruft into the kennel :
Measure not thy carriage by any man's eye;
Thy fpeech by no man's ear; but be refolute
And confident in doing and faying;

And this is the grace of a right gentleman.

Chapman's May-Day.

He that bears himself like a gentleman; is
Worth to have been born a gentleman.

Gentry and bafenefs in all ages jarr,

Chapman's May-Day.

And poverty and wealth are still at war.

Heywood and Rowley's Fortune by Land and Sea.

I am a gentleman; and by my birth

Companion with a king: a king's no more.

I am poffefs'd of many fair revenues,
Sufficient to maintain a gentleman.

Touching my mind, I'm ftudy'd in all arts;
The riches of my thoughts, and of my time,
Have been a good proficient.

Heywood's Woman kill'd with Kindness.

He is a noble gentleman; withal

Happy in's endeavours: The gen'ral voice
Sounds him for courtely, behaviour, language,
And ev'ry fair demeanor, an example :
Titles of honour add not to his worth;

Who is himself an honour to his title.

John Ford's Lady's Trial.

I am
A gentleman free-born; I never wore
The rags of any great man's looks; nor fed
Upon their after-meals: I never crouch'd
To th' offal of an office-promifed

Reward for long attendance, and then mist.
I read no difference between this huge,

This monstrous big word, lord, and gentleman,
More than the title founds; for aught I learn,
The latter is as noble as the firft;

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Win her with gifts, if the refpects not words;
Dumb jewels often in their filent kind,'

More than quick words, do move a woman's mind.
Shakespear's Tavo Gentlemen of Verona.
I. I never gave you aught.

2. My honour'd lord, you know right well, you did;
And with them, words of fo fweet breath compos'd,
As made the things more rich: That perfume loft,
Take these again: For to the noble mind,
Rich gifts wax poor, when givers prove unkind.
Shakespear's Hamlet.
You great benefactors, fprinkle our fociety
With thankfulness: For your own gifts make your

Selves prais'd: But referve ftill to give, left your
Deities be defpifed. Lend to each man enough,
That one need not to lend another: For

Were your godheads to borrow of men, men
Would forfake the gods.

To help the need

Shakespear's Timon.

Of any, is a great and gen'rous deed;

Yea of th'ingrateful: And he forth must tell
Many a pound, and piece, will place one well.

Johnson's Underwoods. They are the nobleft benefits, and fink

Deepest in man; of which when he doth think,
The memory delights him more, from whom,
Than what he hath receiv'd. Gifts ftink from fome,
They are fo long a coming, and fo hard;
Where any deed is forc'd, the grace is marr'd.
Can I owe thanks for courtefies receiv'd

Against his will that does them? That hath weav'd
Excufes or delays? Or done them scant,

That they have more opprefs'd me than my want?
Or if he did it not to fuccour me,

But by mere chance? For int'reft? Or to free
Himself of farther trouble, or the weight
Of preffure; like one taken in a straight?
All this corrupts the thanks; lefs hath he won,
That puts it in his debt-book ere't be done ;
Or that doth found a trumpet, and doth call
His grooms to witnefs; or elfe lets it fall
In that proud manner, as a good fo gain'd,
Must make me fad, for what I have obtain'd.
No, gifts and thanks fhould have one chearful face;
So each that's done, and ta'en, becomes a brace :
He neither gives, or does, that doth delay
A benefit: Or that doth throw't away,
No more than he doth thank, that will receive
Nought but in corners; and is loath to leave,

Leaft

Leaft air, or print, but flies it: Such men would
Run from the conscience of it, if they could.

Jobnfon, Ibid.

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Nor in this will I imitate the world,
Whofe greater part of men think when they give
They purchase bondmen, not make worthy friends."

Beaumont and Fletcher's Queen of Corinth.
In alms regard thy means, and others merit;
Think heav'n a better bargain, than to give
Only thy fingle market-money for it;

Join hands with God to make a man to live:
Give to all fomething; to a good poor man,
Till thou change names, and be where he began.

Free without art, or project; giving ftill
With no more fnare, or hope, than in his will.

Herbert.

Cartwright, A princely gift: But, fir, it comes too late : Like fun beams on the blafted bloffoms, do Your favours fall.

Suckling's Brennoralt
Gripe, to me all, when he is dead, will give ;
Will part with nothing while he is alive:
What thanks is that to gape for dead mens fhoes?
To give them only when you cannot chufe?
Give now; 'tis left then 'gainst your will I know:
It is twice giv'n, what living we beftow.

He leaves a good name, who gives while he lives,
And only carries with him what he gives.

Heath's Claraftella.

Free circumstance

Does oft the value of mean things advance :
Who thus repeats what he bequeath'd before,
Proclaims his bounty richer than his store.

Bishop King

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Jones's Adrafia:

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