CRUMMS FAL'N FROM KING JAMES'S TABLE. OR HIS TABLE TALK, PRINCIPALLY RELATING TO RELIGION, EMBASSYES, STATE-POLICY &c. TAKEN BY SIR THOMAS OVERBURY, The Originall being his own hand writing. CRUMMS FAL'N FROM KING JAMES'S TABLE. OD made one part of man of earth, the basest element, to teach him humility. His soule proceeded from the bosome of himselfe, to teach him goodness, and that if he cast his eyes downwards nothing is viler, but if he look up to heaven, he is of a matter more excellent than the angells: the former part was a type of Adam, the second of Christ, which gives life to that which was dead in it selfe. 2. Words are not the difference of good men and bad, for every man speakes honestly; therefore how noble a thing is vertue, when the worst men dare not profess any thing but that: very wise men and very fooles do little harm: it is the mediocrity of wisdome that troubleth all the world. 3. Some men never spake a wise word, yet doe wisely; some on the other side do never a wise deed, and yet speake wisely. 4. Charles the Fifth Emperor, is said to be a wise Prince, because he seldome spake in his affaires words but of a double construction: but I think such speech becomes a King noe more than glide-eyes does his face, when I think he looks on me, he sees me not. It is the intention makes the lye not the words. 5. Vertue is easier than vice, for the essentiall difference betwixt vertue and vice is truth and falshood; and 'tis easier and less pains to tell truth, then a lye and for vices of the sences, custome is all in all; for to one that hath lived honestly, 'tis as much pain to committ sinn, as for another to abstaine from it. : 6. Knowledge is a great stepp to goodness. There is noe wisdome without honesty, all else is but art and cunning, which only makes good the present, but lookes to the farthest end. Truth hath but one way and one face. 7. A nobleman of Scotland coming to him, making a petition in the behalfe of a poore servant of his in that country for a protection: My Lord, said he, I came not to the crown of Scotland by conquest, to give it what laws I list, but by descent, and if I do not governe it accordingly, I should be a tyrant. I found noe such thing there as a protection, and surely I will grant none; I would to God there had never been any in England alsoe, and therefore I |