Genorio, Lindamor, Eusebius.
Genor.
HEre is a deceitful Shop of Beauty, where many that come but to wonder, meet with Love, and ev’n when they buy, not what they like, pay their Hearts for it; the Shop being so well furnish’d, that Beauty seems here to have assum’d all the variety of Features, and Complexions, she can be dress’d in, and so exquisitly to have fitted all Gazers, with proportionate and attractive Objects, that nothing but an absolute Incapability of Love, is here able to protect them from that Passion, which, not to resent among so many inspiring Wonders, were one. If in these Faces, the Originals equal the Transcripts, if Art have not flatter’d Nature, and attempted more to instruct than imitate her; and if the Painter have not elected, rather to have his Pieces lik’d, than like, here are Apologies for Love, that can procure it, not onely Pardons, but Proselites. I must (in that case) add, that there are more Suns than one, whose Brightness, ev’n by Reflection, can dazle; here are Princesses more illustrious for the Blood that lightens in their Cheeks, than for that which runs in their Veins, and who, like victorious Monarchs, can conquer at a distance, and captivate by Proxie.
Euseb.
I fear, Genorio· that you are so transported with your Text, that you will quite forget (if ever you intended it) to make a Homily upon it: For you talk at such a rate, as if you were about to lose, to the Pictures of Ladies, the liberty, your Friend Mr. Boyle would be thought to have ever defended against their Originals, and fanci’d, that it might add to the other Resemblances you so admire betwixt them, if both of them were made Enemies to seriousness.
Lind.
I presume, Genorio will willingly allow me, to serve him at this turn; for whether or no he meant us a Reflection, some charms or other he has met with in these Pictures, seem to have so arrested his Thoughts, as well as his Looks, that we shall not have them hastily deliver’d from so pleasing a Captivity; and the Knowledge I alone, of us three, have of the Drawer of these Pictures, supplies me with a Circumstance, without which, I should not, when Eusebius is by, offer at an Occasional Meditation: But upon this advantage, I shall venture to tell you, That the thing I was considering, was, that though the Limner have drawn some Pieces, as handsome as Lovers think, or wish their Mistresses, and some (as they tell me) so like, that an actual Confrontation of the Artist’s works, and Nature’s, would scarce distinguish them, (since the former would appear to differ from the later, but in that silence, which the laters admiration, to see themselves so perfectly represented, would impose) yet is the Painter himself so deformed a Creature, that he might draw a lovelier Face ev’n than any here, by drawing one perfectly unlike his own. Alas, this discloses the difference there may be betwixt the being able to write fine Characters of Virtue, and the possessing of it. How ridiculous should I esteem this Limner, if with all this ugliness, he should esteem himself handsome, because his Pencil can draw Faces that are so! As absurd were it for us, to grow proud of our devout Composures, and fancy Piety ours, because our Discourses can possibly inamour others of it. The Devil sometimes do’s unmolestedly suffer us to write well, if he can but persuade us we need do no more, and that good Pens may dispense us from good Actions. Our Paper-warrs against Vices, are oftentimes like Alexander’s, against the Neighbouring Nations, not out of Hatred, but Glory, not to Extirpate, but to Conquer them, and manifest to the World the sufficiency of our Parts, by a Victory, after which, we often treat the vanquish’d Enemy with greater Courtesie, than those whose Quarrel we undertook. Discourses against Vices, may be as well indited by Vanity, as by Zeal, and meant to express Wit, not persuade Piety. And if (as it chanceth but too frequently) we grow proud of them, we do, like Witches turning Exorcists, onely comply with Satan to cast out the Devil.
Euseb.
To second your pious, Reflection Lindamor, with some thoughts suitable to my Profession, I will add, that in the case you put, it happens to us as it once did to Gideon,1 who, of the spoils of God and Israels conquered Enemies, made an Idol, which prov’d, in the end, his, and his houses Snare. ‘Twas a most instructive Check, and divine admonition, that our Saviour gave his Apostles, when, in the account they brought him of their Embassy, they joyfully related their excercis’d power, of dispossessing Devils; Notwithstanding (answer’d Christ) in this rejoice not, that Spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in Heaven. In effect, though Judas were one of the Persons, invested with this miraculous power of casting Devils out of others, yet we read that Satan afterwards enter’d into Judas, and that it had been good for him, that he had never been born. And though, as Solomon tells us, He that winneth Souls, is wise, yet it is he only that shall do, as well as teach, the Commandments that shall be call’d great in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mat. 5. 19) And the Judge himself informing us, that, at the worlds last day, many will plead their having in his name not only prophesy’d or preach’d, but cast out Devils, and shall yet be disclaim’d by him; sufficiently intimates, (Mat. 7. 22. 23) that ‘tis as possible, as unavailable, to do many wonderful works (for Religion) and to be workers of Iniquity. The true Christian should, Lindamor, be willing to impart any useful Discoveries that God shall please to vouchsafe him; but he will ever consider the taking’st Notions he can frame of vertue, more as Engagments to it, than Arguments of it; and since there is not any thing in which Charity ought more to begin at home than in devout Instructions, he will endeavour to make himself as much Piety’s Votary, as Advocate; to imitate those truly Wisemen, that as they inform’d those of Jerusalem, of the Starr they had seen in the East, did themselves follow it, till it brought them unto Christ; to entitle himself to that of our Saviour, A good man, (Luk. 6. 45) out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things; and (finally) to take his Celebrations of vertue from his Experience, not his Fancy; as Nurse first feed themselves, to nourish their sucking Infants, to whom they give no meat, which they have not in their own Breasts first digested into Milk, lest (like the Carpenters that toyl’d to build the Ark to save Noah from the Deluge, themselves perisht in,) (1 Cor. 9. 27) when he has preach’d to others, himself should prove a Cast-away.
A Continuation of the Discourse
Genor.
SUre, Gentlemen, ‘tis a happy thing to be able to convert the meanest things to the noblest uses, and make whatever one pleases, subservient to Piety, by skilfully imploying ev’n slight and unpromising Occasions, to represent her, which the Advantages of a vary’d and surprizing Dress, whereby you may procure that Vertue lovers, and your selves friends: For her Votary’s are so ingenuous and disintress’d in their Amours, that they have as well as kindness for their Rivals, as their Mistress.
Lind.
I will not deny but that there may be Persons so inflam’d with heavenly Love, that their Devotion is able, like the last fire, that is to refine or destroy the World, to turn all things into Fuel for its victorious flames, and who, when they are once ingag’d in Meditation, can make their pious thoughts excite themselves and flame up higher, and higher, without the assistance of other Incentives, than what their own fervency procures them; as ‘tis observed, that when the fire has seiz’d upon a Town, by how small a spark soever it have been kindl’d, if the flame come to be very great, though the air be very calm, the fire it self will produce a wind, that, without the help of Bellows, shall strongly blow it, and make it blaze the more, and aspire towards Heaven. But, Genorio, when-ever (for I answer but for my self) I shall meet with any such happy Contemplators, I shall have the Justice to be one of their Admirers, without having the vanity to pretend to be one of their number.
Euseb.
And I, for my part, shall tell you, Genorio, that though there may be divers charitable persons, besides your self, that by the Expressions it becomes me to use in some of my Meditations, and other composures of the like Nature, may be apt to fancy that I am my self, as devout as I indeavour to make my Readers, yet you must not imagine that my mind, like one of those Writing’s, has no other thoughts than Religious, or at least moral ones; For those may be the productions, not of a constant frame of mind, but of Occasional Fits of Devotion: And you may read a greater number of such Reflections in an hour than perhaps I have made in a month, not to say, in a year. And I must ingeniously confess to you, that I think it more easie to make ten good Sermons than to practise one, and to declaim against all sins than to relinquish any: There goes much lesse self-denial to conform to the Precepts of Cicero, than to those of Christ, and I find it so much less difficult to excite other mens passions, than to command my own, that if you will not suffer your charity too much to injure your judgment, You must look upon the devouter passages you may have met with among my Composures, as Expressions of what I aim at, rather than of what I practise.
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Footnotes
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Judges 8. 24. 25. 26. &c. ↩