Selected Works. George Herbert

which would endure a shake.

      Wisdome picks friends; civilitie playes the rest.

      A toy shunn’d cleanly passeth with the best.

      Laugh not too much: the wittie man laughs least:

      For wit is newes only to ignorance.

      Lesse at thine own things laugh; lest in the jest

      Thy person share, and the conceit advance.

      Make not thy sport, abuses: for the fly,

      That feeds on dung, is coloured thereby.

      Pick out of mirth, like stones out of thy ground,

      Profanenesse, fiithinesse, abusivenesse.

      These are the scumme, with which course wits abound

      The fine may spare these well, yet not go lesse.

      All things are bigge with jest: nothing that’s plain

      But may be wittie, if thou hast the vein.

      Wit’s an unruly engine, wildly striking

      Sometimes a friend, sometimes the engineer:

      Hast thou the knack? pamper it not with liking:

      But if thou want it, buy it not too deere.

      Many affecting wit beyond their power,

      Have got to be a deare fool for an houre.

      A sad wise valour is the brave complexion,

      That leads the van, and swallows up the cities.

      The gigler is a milk-maid, whom infection,

      Or a fir’d beacon frighteth from his ditties.

      Then he’s the sport: the mirth then in him rests,

      And the sad man is cock of all his jests.

      Towards great persons use respective boldnesse:

      That temper gives them theirs, and yet doth take

      Nothing from thine: in service, care, or coldnesse

      Doth ratably thy fortunes marre or make.

      Feed no man in his sinnes: for adulation

      Doth make thee parcell-devil in damnation.

      Envie not greatnesse: for thou mak’st thereby

      Thyself the worse, and so the distance greater.

      Be not thine own worm: yet such jealousie,

      As hurts not others, but may make thee better.

      Is a good spurre. Correct thy passion’s spite;

      Then may the beasts draw thee to happy light.

      When basenesse is exalted, do not bate

      The place its honour, for the person’s sake.

      The shrine is that which thou dost venerate;

      And not the beast, that bears it on his back.

      I care not though the cloth of state should be

      Not of rich arras, but mean tapestrie.

      Thy friend put in thy bosome: wear his eies

      Still in thy heart, that he may see what’s there.

      If cause require, thou art his sacrifice;

      Thy drops of bloud must pay down all his fear;

      But love is lost; the way of friendship’s gone;

      Though David had his Jonathan, Christ his John.

      Yet be not surety, if thou be a father.

      Love is a personall debt. I cannot give

      My children’s right, nor ought be take it; rather

      Both friends should die, than hinder them to live.

      Fathers first enter bonds to nature’s ends;

      And are her sureties, ere they are a friend’s.

      If thou be single, all thy goods and ground

      Submit to love; but yet not more then all.

      Give one estate, as one life. None is bound

      To work for two, who brought himself to thrall.

      God made me one man; love makes me no more,

      Till labour come, and make my weaknesse score.

      In thy discourse, if thou desire to please:

      All such is courteous, usefull, new, or wittie:

      Usefulnesse comes by labour, wit by ease;

      Courtesie grows in court; news in the citie.

      Get a good stock of these, then draw the card;

      That suites him best, of whom thy speech is heard.

      Entice all neatly to what they know best;

      For so thou dost thy self and him a pleasure:

      (But a proud ignorance will lose his rest,

      Rather than shew his cards) steal from his treasure

      What to ask further. Doubts well-rais’d do lock

      The speaker to thee, and preserve thy stock.

      If thou be Master-gunner, spend not all

      That thou canst speak, at once but husband it,

      And give men turns of speech: do not forestall

      By lavishnesse thine own, and others wit,

      As if thou mad’st thy will. A civil guest

      Will no more talk all, than eat all the feast.

      Be calm in arguing: for fiercenesse makes

      Errour a fault and truth discourtesie.

      Why should I feel another man’s mistakes

      More, than his sicknesses or povertie?

      In love I should: but anger is not love,

      Nor wisdome neither; therefore gently move.

      Calmnesse is great advantage: he that lets

      Another chafe, may warm him at his fire:

      Mark all his wandrings, and enjoy his frets;

      As cunningfencers suffer heat to tire.

      Truth dwels not in the clouds: the bow that’s there

      Doth often aim at, never hit the sphere.

      Mark what another sayes: for many are

      Full of themselves, and answer their own notion.

      Take all into thee; then with equall care

      Ballance each dramme of reason, like a potion.

      If truth be with thy friend, be with them both

      Share in the conquest, and confesse a troth.

      Be useful where thou livest, that they may

      Both want, and wish thy pleasing presence still.

      Kindnesse, good parts, great places are the way

      To compasse this. Finde out men’s wants and will,

      And meet them there. All worldly joyes go lesse

      To