Without fome image of th' affected merit.

Shakespear's Troilus and Creffida.

Better to leave undone, than by our deed

Acquire too high a fame, when he, we ferve's away.

Shakespear's Antony and Cleopatra.

'Tis the curfe of fervice,

Preferment goes by letter and affection,

And not by old gradation; where each fecond
Stood heir to the first.

Shakespear's Othello.

I follow, him to ferve my turn upon him.
We cannot all be mafters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obfequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his mafter's afs,
For nought, but provender; and when he's old, ca-
fhier'd:

Whip me fuch honeft knaves others there are,
Who, trimm'd in form and vifages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but fhews of fervice on their lords,
Well thrive by them; and when they've lin'd their
coats,

Do themselves homage: Thefe folks have fome foul,
And fuch a one do I profefs myfelf.

There be fome sports are painful, but their labour
Delight in them fets off: Some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone, and moft poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task
Would be as heavy to me, as 'tis odious: But
The miftrefs which I ferve, quickens what's dead,
And makes my labours, pleafures.

Ibid.

Shakespear's Tempest.

'That fuch a flave as this fhould wear a fword,

Who wears no honefly; fuch fmiling rogues as thefe, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords in twain,

Too

Too intrinficate t' unloofe: Sooth ev'ry paffion,
That in the nature of their lords rebels;
Bring oil to fire; fnow to their colder moods;
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcion beaks
With ev'ry gale and vary of their masters;
As knowing nought, like dogs, but following.

Shakespear's King Lear. Methinks, thou art more honeft now, than wife, For, by oppreffing and betraying me, Thou might't have fooner got another service: For many fo arrive at fecond mafters, Upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true, For I must ever doubt, though ne'er fo fure, Is not thy kindnefs fubtle; covetous, An us'ring kindness, as rich men deal gifts, Expecting in return twenty for one?

2. No, my moft worthy mafter; in whole breast Doubt and fufpect, alas are plac'd too late;

You should have fear'd falfe times, when you did feaft; Sufpect ftill comes, where an estate is least.

Shakespear's Timon

Their fervices are, clock-like, to be fet,
Backward and forward, at their lord's command.

Johnfon's Cafe is alter'd

The Turk, in this divine difcipline, is
Admirable, exceeding all the potentates

Of the earth; ftill waited on by mutes; and all
His commands fo executed: Yea ev'n in the war,
As I have heard, and in his marches, most
Of his charges and directions giv'n by
Signs and with filence: An exquifite art!
And I'm heartily afham'd and angry
Oftentimes, that the princes of Christendom,
Should fuffer a barbarian to tranfcend
Them in fo high a point of felicity.

Johnfen's Silent Woman.

O more than happy ten times were that king,
Who were unhappy but a little space,
So that it did not utter ruin bring,

But made him prove a profitable thing!

Who of his train did beft deferve his grace, Then could, and would of these the best embrace; Such vultures fled as follow but for prey,

That faithful fervants might poffefs their place: All gallant minds it muft with anguifh fting, Whilft wanting means, their virtue to display; This is the grief which burfts a generous heart, When favour comes by chance, not by defert.

E. of Sterline's Darius.

Then men are men, when they are all their own;
Not when, by others badges, but made known.
E of Sterline's Julius Cæfar.

Oh fear a fervant's tongue!

Like fuch as only for their gain do serve,
Within the vaft capacity of place;

I know no vileness so moft truly base:

Their lord's, their gain: And he that most will give, With him they will not die, but they will live: Traytors and these are one: Such flaves once trust, Whet fwords to make thine own blood lick the duft. Marfton's Sophonisba.

1. I'll double thy reward.

For I confefs what you will foon believe,

We serve them best, that are most apt to give.

Beaumont and Fletcher's Cuftom of the Country. 1. Is all our train

Shrunk to this poor remainder? 2. These are poor men,
Which have got little in your fervice, vow

To take your fortune: But your wifer buntings,
Now they are fledg'd, are gone.

1. They have done wifely :

This puts me in mind of death; physicians, thus
With their hands full of money, use to give o'er

Their patients. 2. Right, the fashion of the world!
From decay'd fortunes, ev'ry flatt'rer shrinks;
Men cease to build, when the foundation finks,

Webster's Dutchess of Malfy.

O the inconftant

And rotten ground of fervice! You may fee,
'Tis ev'n like him, that in a winter's night
Takes a long flumber o'er a dying fire,

As loath to part from't: Yet parts thence more cold,
Than when he first fate down.

The crocodile which lives in the river

Nilus, hath a worm breeds i'th' teeth of it,
Which puts it to extreme anguish: A little
Bird, no bigger than a wren, is barber
Surgeon to this crocodile; flies into

The jaws of it, picks out the worm, and brings
Prefent remedy. The fifh, glad of

Eafe, but ingrateful to her that did it;
That the bird may not talk largely of her
Abroad for non-payment, closeth her chaps,
Intending to fwallow her, and fo put
Her to perpetual filence: But nature,
Loathing fuch ingratitude, hath arm'd this
Bird with a quill, or prick on the head-top,

Which wounds the crocodile i'the mouth, forceth
Open her bloody prison, and away

Flies the pretty tooth-picker from her cruel patient.
2. Your application is, I have not rewarded

The service you have done me.

As in virtuous actions,

Ibid.

Webfter's White Devil.

'The undertaker finds a full reward,

Although conferr'd upon unthankful men :
So, any service done to fo much sweetness,
However dangerous, and fubject to

Anill conftruction, in your favour finds
A wifh'd, and glorious end.

Malfinger's Duke of Milan.

1

Shall I then

For a foolish whipping leave to honour him

That holds the wheel of fortune? No, that favours
Too much of th' ancient freedom: Since great men
Receive difgraces, and give thanks, poor knaves
Must have nor fpleen, nor anger. Though I love
My limbs as well as any man, if you had now
A humour to kick me lame into an office,
Where I might fit in ftate and undo others,

Should not I be bound to kifs the foot that did it? Though it seem strange, there have been fuch things. feen

In the memory of man.

Maffinger's Duke of Milan.

Equal nature fafhion'd us

All in one mould: The bear ferves not the bear; Nor the wolf, the wolf: 'Twas odds of ftrength in tyrants,

That pluck'd the firft link from the golden chain With which that thing of things bound in the world. Why then, fince we are taught by their examples, To love our liberty, if not command;

Should the ftrong ferve the weak, the fair, deform'd ones ?

Or fuch as know the caufe of things, pay tribute
To ignorant fools? All's but the outward glofs
And politick form, that does diftinguish us?

Mafinger's Bondman.

Happy thofe times,

When lords were ftil'd fathers of families,
And not imperious mafters! when they number'd
Their fervants almost equal with their fons,
Or one degree beneath them! When their labours
Were cherish'd, and rewarded, and a period
Set to their fuff'rings! when they did not prefs
Their duties or their wills beyond the pow'r
And Arength of their performance! all things order'd
With fuch decorum, as wife law-makers,

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