jaylors soule stands not upon those two pillars that support heaven, (justice and mercy:) it rather sits upon those two foot-stooles of hell, wrong and cruelty. Hee is a judges slave, a prisoner 's his. In this they differ, he is a voluntary one, the other compeld. Hee is the hang-man of the law (with a lame hand) and if the law gave him all his limbs perfect, he would strike those, on whom he is glad to fawne. In fighting against a debtor, hee is a creditors second; but observes not the lawes of the duello, for his play is foule, and on all base advantages. His conscience and his shackles hang up together, and are made very neere of the same mettle, saving that the one is harder then the other, and hath one property above iron, for that never melts. He distils money out of poore mens teares, and growes fat by their curses. No man comming to the practicall part of hell, can discharge it better, because here he do's nothing but study the theoricke of it. His house is the picture of hell in little, and the originall of the letters patents of his office, stands exemplified there. A chamber of lowsie beds, is better worth to him than the best acre of corne-land in England. Two things are hard to him (nay almost impossible) viz: to save all his prisoners that none ever escape, and to be saved himselfe. His eares are stopt to the cries of others, and Gods to his: and good reason, for lay the life of a man in

one scale, and his fees on the other, hee will loose the first, to find the second. He must looke for no mercy (if hee desires justice to be done to him) for he shewes none, and I thinke he cares the lesse, because he knowes heaven hath no need of such tenants, the doores there want no porters, for they stand ever open. If it were possible for all creatures in the world to sleepe every night, he onely and a tyrant cannot. That blessing is taken from them, and this curse comes in the stead, to be ever in feare, and ever hated: what estate can be worse?

What a Character is,

F I must speake the schoole-masters language, I will confesse that character

comes of this infinitive moode χαράξω which signifieth to ingrave, or make a deepe impression. And for that cause, a letter (as A. B.) is called a character.

Those elements which wee learne first, leaving a strong seale in our memories.

Character is also taken for an Egyptian hieroglyphicke, for an imprese, or short embleme; in little comprehending much.

To square out a character by our English levell,

it is a picture (reall or personall) quaintly drawne, in various colours, all of them heightned by one shadowing.

It is a quicke and soft touch of many strings, all shutting up in one musicall close: it is wits descant on any plaine song.

NEWES FROM ANY WHENCE.

OR, OLD TRUTH, UNDER A SUPPOSALL OF NOVELTIE.

Occasioned by divers Essaies, and private passages of Wit, betweene sundrie Gentlemen upon that subject.

Newes from Court.

T is thought heere that there are as great miseries beyond happinesse, as a this side it, as being in love. That truth is every mans by assenting.

That time makes every thing aged, and yet it selfe was never but a minute old. That, next sleep, the greatest devourer of time is businesse: the greatest stretcher of it, passion: the truest measure of it, contemplation. To be saved, alwayes is the best. plot and vertue alwayes cleares her way as she goes. Vice is ever behind-hand with it selfe. That wit and a woman are two fraile things, and both the