Lindamor, Eusebius.
Lind.
HEre is indeed a Present, for which I must still think my self this fellow’s Debtor, though he thinks I have over-paid him. ‘Tis pity these Rarities were not more suitably address’d, and worn by some of Natures other Master-pieces, with whom they might exchange a graceful Lustre, and have the Ornament they confer reflected back upon them. But one that had never been a Lover, would perhaps say, that that wish were more civil to the Flowers, than the Ladies, of whom there are few, which these soft polish’d Skins, and Orient Tinctures, would not easilier make Foils, than prove such to them: For (not to name the Rest) this Lovely fragrant Rose here, wears a Blush that needs not do so, at any Colour the Spring it self can, amongst all her Charming Rarities, shew. Yes, here are Flowers above the flattery of those of Rhetorick; and besides, two or three unmingled Liveries, whose single Colours are bright, and taking enough to exclude the wish of a diversity; here is a variety of Flowers, whose Dyes are so dexterously blended, and fitly checquer’d, that every single Flower is a variety. I envy not Arabia’s Odours, whil’st that of this fresh Blusher charms my sense, and find my Nose and Eyes so ravishingly entertain’d here, that the Bee extracts less sweetness out of Flowers; which were they but less frail, I fear would make me more so (than yet I am.) Surely this Gard’ner leads a happy Life! He inherits nothing of Adam, but that Primitive profession that imploy’d and recompenc’d his Innocence, and such a Gay and priviledg’d Plot of his Eden, as seems exempted from the general Curse, and instead of the Thorns and Thistles that are the unthankful Earths wonted productions, brings him forth Lillies and Tulips, and gratefully crowns his Culture (for Toil I cannot think it) with chaplets of Flowers.
Euseb.
I perceive, (Lindamor) that you judge of the Delightfulness of this Man’s calling, onely by these Lovely and Fragrant productions of it. And you see these curious Flowers in their prime, without seeing by what practices, and degrees, they have been brought from despicable seeds to this perfection and lustre. And perhaps, if you consider’d, that a Gardener must be digging in the violent heats of the Summer, and must be afraid of the bitter cold of the Winter, and must be watchful against surprising frosts in the Spring, and must not onely prune, and water, and weed his Ground, but must, to obtain these gawdy and odoriferous Flowers, submit to deal with homely and stinking Dung; If (Lindamor) you would take notice of these and of some other Toils and Hardships that attend a Gardener’s Trade, you would (I doubt not) confess, that his Imployments, like his Bushes, bring him Thorns as well as Roses.
And now give me leave (Lindamor) to tell you, that this may be appli’d to the condition of some studious persons, that you and I know. For when we hear a Learned or Eloquent Sermon, or read some Book of Devotion, or perhaps some Occasional Discourse handsomely written, we are apt to envy the Preacher or the Writer, for being able to say some things thar instruct or please us so much. But alas, (Lindamor) though we see not these Productions of the Brain till they are finish’d, and consequently fitted to appear with their full Advantages abroad, yet to bring them to that pass, the Author may perhaps undergoe many a trouble that we dream not of. For he that has to do with difficult or weighty Subjects cannot present us a good Book, or a Fine Discourse, with the same ease that a rich man can present us a fine pair of Gloves, or a fine Collation, which may be had at an hour’s warning from the next Milleners or Confectioners. For to be able to write one good Book on some Subjects, a man must have been at the trouble to read an hundred: To grow capable to give a better rendring of a Greek Text, he must perchance have perus’d Suidas, Stephanus, Hesychius, and I know not how many Lexicographers and Scholiasts: To be qualifi’d to make a Translation of an Hebrew Word or Phrase, that shall illustrate a dark Text, or clear a Difficulty, or more fitly agree with his notion, or accommodation of a place in Scripture, a man must have not onely like a School-Boy learn’d an Hebrew Grammar, and turn’d over Buxtorf’s Schindler’s, and other Dictionaries, but (which is worse) he must in many cases hazard his eyes and his patience in conversing with such Jewish Writings, not onely as Elias his Tishbi, and Kimchi’s Michlol; but to gain a little Rabbinical Learning, and find out some unobvious signification of a Word or Phrase, he must devour the tedious and voluminous Rhapsodies that make up the Talmud, in many of which he can scarce learn any thing but the Art of saying nothing in a multitude of words; and in others, which are not so useless, the most he will find in I know not how many dull pages, (written with as little Wit as Truth) will perhaps be an Account of some wild Opinion, or some obsolete Custom, or some superstitious Rite of a generation of people, whose Fancies and Manners scarce any thing makes worth our inquiring after, but their having liv’d many Ages since. And even when a man sets himself to write those smooth Composures, where Eloquence is conspicuous, and seems to be chiefly design’d, the Author seldom comes by his Contentment on as easie terms as the Readers come by theirs. For, not to mention, that sometimes Periods that in a well printed Book look very handsomely, and run very evenly, were not in the written Copy without interlining and Transcriptions. Those that are Schollars themselves can hardly write without having an ambition, or at least a care, to approve their Discourses to them that are so too. And in the judgment of such Perusers, to be able to write well, one must not onely have skill in the Subject, but be well skill’d in the way of writing, lest the Matter be blemish’d by the manner of Handling it. And although to shew ones self a Master in treating of variety of Themes with a florid style, and even in those Composures that are design’d chiefly to express Wit and move Affections, one may think that Nature may be well let alone to supply any she has been kind to, with all they need, yet even in these cases there are some Toils and uneasinesses that are scarce to be avoided; since a discreet man, though never so rich in Natures’s gifts, will think himself oblig’d to study Rhetorick, that he may be sure he does not transgress the Laws of It. For though an Author’s Natural parts may make his Book abound with Wit, yet without the help of Art he will scarce make it free from faults. And to be well stock’d with Comparisons, which when skilfully manag’d make the most taking passages of fine Pieces, one must sometimes survey and range through the works of Nature and Art, which are the chief Ware-houses, where variety and choice of Similitudes is to be had, and to obtain those pleasing Ornaments there is oftentimes requir’d no less pains than to devise useful Notions. As one must search the Ditches amongst Briars and Weeds, not onely to find Medicinable Herbs, but to gather Prim-roses and Violets. So that (Lindamor) to conclude, if we consider the trouble that applauded Composures do oftentimes cost their Authors, we should be sensible we owe more than most men think we do to those to whom we owe good Books. But then unless they find some Recompence for their Labours, in the satisfaction of promoting piety, or in the well-natur’d Pleasure they feel themselves in pleasing others, I should scarce doubt but that some of the Writers, we think so happy, may rather deserve our Esteem than our Envy.
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