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age may perchance purchase a long standing 66 upon the stage."

"Contrariewife, a witte in youth that is not ❝ over dulle, heavie, knottie, and lumpishe, but "hard, tough, and though fomewhat staffishe (as "Tullie wifheth, otium quietum non languidum, "et negotium cum labore, non cum periculo); such 66 a witte, I fay, if it be at the firft well handled "by the mother, and rightlie smoothed and "wrought as it fhould, not overwartlie, and "against the wood, by the fcholemaster, both "for learning and hole course of living, proveth "alwaies the beft. In woode and stone, not the "fofteft but hardest be alwaies apteft for por"traiture, both faireft for pleasure, and most "durable for profit. Hard wittes be hard to "receive, but fure to keepe; painful without "wearieneffe, heedfull without wavering, conftant without newfangleneffe; bearing heavy

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thinges, though not lightlie yet willinglie; entring hard thinges, though not eafilie yet deeplie; and fo come to that perfectneffe of "learning in the end, that quick wittes seem in "hope, but do not in dede, or else verie seldome, 66 ever attaine unto. Alfo, for manners and ❝lyfe, hard wittes commonlie are hardlie carried

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either to defire everie newe thinge, or elfe to "marvel

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"marvel at everie ftrange thinge; and therefore they be carefull and diligent in their own mat"ters, not curious and bufey in other men's affaires, and so they become wise themselves, "and also are counted honeft by others. They "be grave, ftedfaft, filent of tongue, fecret of "hart: not hastie in making, but constant in

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keepinge any promife: not rashe in uttering, "but ware (wary) in confidering every matter: "and thereby not quicke in speaking, but deepe "of judgement, whether they write or give "counfell in all weightie affaires. And theis be "the men that become in the ende both most happie for themselves, and alwaies best esteemed "abrode in the world."

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MR. PAGE.

In the golden days of good Queen Bess, those halcyon days to which every Englishman affects to look up with rapture, the punishment for a libel was fometimes ftriking off the hand of the unfortunate offender. Mr. Page, who had written a pamphlet upon the Queen's marriage with the Duke of Anjou, fuffered that punishment; and, according to that very elegant miscellany the "Nuga Antiqua," made the following manly

and

and spirited speech upon the fcaffold before his hand was chopped off.

"Fellow-countrymen, I am come hither to "receive the law according to my judgment, and "thanke the God of all; and of this I take "God to witness, (who knoweth the hartes of "all men,) that as I am forrie I have offended "her Majeftie, fo did I never meane harme to "her Majeftie's perfon, crown or dignity, but "have been as true à subject as any was in England to the best of my abilitie, except "none. Then holding up his right hand, he

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faid, This hand did I put to the plough, and

got my living by it many years. If it would "have pleased her Highness to have taken my "left hand, or my life, she had dealt more fa' vourably with me; for now I have no means "to live; but God (which is the Father of us all) will provide for me. I beseech you all, "good people, to pray for me, that I may take

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my punishment patiently. And fo he laid "his right hand upon the block, and prayed the "executioner to dispatch him quickly. At two

blows his hand was taken off. So lifting up

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"the bleeding stump, and pointing to the block, "he faid to the by-ftanders, See, I have left "there a true Englishman's hand. And fo he "went from the scaffold very ftoutly, and with great courage.'

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With

With what indignation muft the unnecessary cruelty of the punishment, and the noble intre, pidity of the sufferer, have affected the spectators of this disgrace to justice and humanity!

JAMES THE FIRST.
[1603-1625.]

On the devolution of the kingdom of England to this Monarch, Henry the Fourth of France faid, "En verité, c'est un trop beau morceau pour un " pedant."

The entrance of this Prince into England is thus defcribed by Wilfon:

"But our King coming through the North, "(banqueting and feasting by the way,) the "applause of the people in fo obfequious and

fubmiffive a manner (ftil admiring change) "was checkt by an honeft plain Scotfman (u " used to hear such humble acclamations) with "a prophetical expreffion: This people will spoyl

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a gude King. The King as unused, so tired "with multitudes, efpecially in his hunting, " (which he did as he went), caused an inhibi "tion to be published, to reftrain the people from

"hunting

"hunting him. Happily being fearfull of fo

great a concourse as this novelty produced, "the old hatred betwixt the Borderers, not yet ❝ forgotten, might make him apprehend it to "be of a greater extent; though it was generally imputed to a defire of enjoying his recreations "without interruption,"

James was extremely fond of hunting, and very fevere against those who disturbed him in the pursuit of that amusement. "I dare boldly fay," fays Ofborn with fome fpleen," that one man "in his reign might with more fafety have killed "another than a rascal deer; but if a stag had "been known to have miscarried, and the author

fled, a proclamation, with the description of "the party, had been presently penned by the "Attorney-General, and the penalty of his Ma

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jefty's high difpleasure (by which was under"ftood the Star-chamber) threatened against all "that did abet, comfort, or relieve him: thus fatyrical, or, if you please, tragical, was this fylvan Prince against deer-killers, and indulgent to man-flayers. But, left this expreffion "should be thought too poetical for an historian, “I shall leave his Majesty dreffed to posterity in "the colours I faw him in the next progrefs "after his inauguration, which was as green as "the grafs he trod on, with a feather in his cap,

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