THE REPLY OF THE SQUIRE. 121 



and stable in itself. It is like a cube, or a die-form, which 

 toss it or throw it any way, it ever lighteth upon a square. 

 Is he denied the hopes of favours to come ? He can resort 

 to the remembrance of contentments past. Destiny cannot 

 repeal that which is past. Doth he find the acknowledg 

 ment of his affection small ? He may find the merit of his 

 affection the greater. Fortune cannot have power over that 

 which is within. Nay, his falls are like the falls of Antaeus ; 

 they renew 7 his strength. His clouds are like the clouds of 

 harvest, which make the sun break forth with greater 

 force. His wanes are changes like the moon s, whose globe 

 is all light towards the sun, when it is all dark towards the 

 world; such is the excellency of her nature, and of his 

 estate. Attend, you beadsman of the muses, you take your 

 pleasure in a wilderness of variety ; but it is but of sha 

 dows. You are as a man rich in pictures, medals, and 

 crystals. Your mind is of the water, which taketh all forms 

 and impressions, but is weak of substance. Will you com 

 pare shadows with bodies, picture with life, variety of many 

 beauties with the peerless excellency of one ? the element 

 of water with the element of fire ? And such is the com 

 parison between knowledge and love. 



Come out, man of war ; you must be ever in noise. You 

 will give laws, and advance force, and trouble nations, and 

 remove landmarks of kingdoms, and hunt men, and pen 

 tragedies in blood ; and that, which is worst of all, make 

 all the virtues accessary to bloodshed. Hath the practice 

 of force so deprived you of the use of reason, as that you 

 will compare the interruption of society with the perfection 

 of society ? the conquest of bodies with the conquest of 

 spirits ? the terrestrial fire, which destroyeth and dissolveth, 

 with the celestial fire, which quickeneth and giveth life ? 

 And such is the comparison between the soldier and the 

 lover. 



And as for you, untrue politique, but truest bondman to 

 Philautia, you, that presume to bind occasion, and to over 

 work fortune, I would ask you but one question. Did ever 

 any lady, hard to please, or disposed to exercise her lover, 

 enjoin him so good tasks and commandments as Philautia 

 exacteth of you ? While your life is nothing but a con 

 tinual acting upon a stage ; and that your mind must serve 

 your humour, and yet your outward person must serve 

 your end ; so as you carry in one person two several ser 

 vitudes to contrary masters. But I will leave you to the 

 scorn of that mistress whom you undertake to govern ; that 

 is, to fortune, to whom Philautia hath bound you. And 



