TO THE READER.IIF there had not beene someBookesconceitedly composed, and sutable to meane capacities, I am doubtfull, whether I had ever beene so delighted in reading, as thereby to attaine to the little Knowledge I have: For, I doe yet remember, that, thingshonestly pleasant, brought mee by degrees, to love that which istruely profitable. And asDavidsaid, HisHeart shewed him the wickednesse of the Vngodly; (meaning perhaps, that hee felt in himselfe, someExperiments, of the same naturall Corruption, by which they are overcome, who resist not evill suggestions at their first motions:) Even so, I may truly acknowledge, that mine owneExperiencehath showne mee so much of the commonIgnoranceandInfirmitiein mine owne person, that it hath taught mee, how those things may be wrought upon in others, to their best advantage.Therefore, though I can say no more to disswade fromVice, or to incourage men toVertue, than hath already beene said in many learnedAuthors; yet I may be an occasion by theseEndeavours, to bring that, the oftner into remembrance, which they have, more learnedly, expressed; and perhaps, by such circumstances, as they would not descend unto, may insinuate further also with some Capacities, than more applaudedMeanes.Viniger,Salt, or commonWater, (which are very meaneIngredients) make Sawces more pleasing to some tastes, thanSugar, andSpices. In like manner, plaine and vulgar notions, seasoned with a littlePleasantnesse, and relished with a moderateSharpnesse, worke that, otherwhile, which the most admiredCompositionscould never effect in manyReaders; yea, wee have had frequent proofes, that a bluntIesthath moved to more consideration, than a judiciousDiscourse.I take little pleasures inRymes,Fictions, or conceitedCompositions, for their owne sakes; neither could I ever take so much paines, as to spend time to put my meanings into other words than such as flowed forth, withoutStudie; partly because I delight more in Matter, than inWordy Flourishes, But, chiefely, because thoseVerball Conceites, which by some, are accounted mostElegant, are not onely (for the greater part)Emptie Soundsand ImpertinentClinches, in themselves; but, suchInventions, as do sometime, also, obscure theSense, to commonReaders; and, serve to little other purpose, but forWittie mento shewTricksone to another: For, theIgnorantunderstand them not; and theWiseneed them not.So much of them, as (without darkning the matter, to them who most need instruction) may be made use of, to stirre up theAffections, winneAttention, or help theMemory, I approve and make use of, to those good purposes, according as my leisure, and the measure of myFacultiewill permit; that,Vanitiemight not, to worse ends, get them wholly into herPossession. For, I know that the meanest of such conceites are as pertinent to some, asRattles, andHobby-horsesto Children; or as theA. B. C.andSpelling, were at first to thoseReaders, who are now past them. And, indeed, to despiseMeane Inventions,Pleasant Compositions, andVerball Elegancies, (being qualified as is aforesaid) or to banish them out of the world, because there be other things of more excellencie, were as absurd, as to neglect and root out allHerbes, which will not makePottage; Or, to destroy allFlowers, which are lesse beautifull than theTulip, or lesse sweet than theRose.I (that was never so sullenly wise) have alwaies intermingledSportswithSeriousnessein myInventions; and, taken inVerball-conceites, as they came to hand, withoutAffectation; But, having, ever aymed, rather to profit myReaders, than to gaine their praise, I never pumpe for those things; and am, otherwhile, contented to seemeFoolish, (yea, and perhaps, more foolish than I am) to theOverweening-Wise; that, I may make othersWiser than they were: And, (as I now doe) am not ashamed to set forth aGame at Lots, or (as it were) aPuppet-playinPictures, to allure men to the more serious observation of the profitableMorals, couched in theseEmblems. Neverthelesse, (if some have sayd, and thought truly) myPoemshave instructed, and rectified many People in the Course ofHonest-living, (which is the bestWisedome) much more than theAusterer Volumesof some criticallAuthors; who, are by theCommon-sort, therefore onely, judged Wise, because they composedBooks, which few understand, save they who need them not.In theseLotsandEmblems, I have the same ayme which I had in my otherWritings: and, though I have not dressed them sutably to curiousFancies, yet, they yield wholsome nourishment to strengthen the constitution of aGood-life; and, have solidity enough for aPlay game, which was but Accidentally composed; and, by thisOccasion.TheseEmblems, graven in Copper byCrispinus Passæus(with aMottoin Greeke, Latine, or Italian, round about everyFigure; and with twoLines(orVerses) in one of the sameLanguages, periphrasing thoseMotto's) came to my hands, almost twentie yeares past. TheVerseswere so meane, that, they were afterward cut off from thePlates; And, theCollectorof the said Emblems, (whether hee were theVersifieror theGraver, was neither so well advised in theChoiceof them, nor so exact in observing the trueProprietiesbelonging to everyFigure, as hee might have beene.Yet, theWorkman-shipbeing judged very good, for the most part; and the rest excusable; some of my Friends were so much delighted in theGraversart, and, in thoseIllustrations, which for mine owne pleasure, I had made upon some few of them, that, they requested mee toMoralizethe rest. Which I condiscended unto: And, they had beene brought to view many yeares agoe, but that theCopper Prints(which are now gotten) could not be procured out ofHolland, upon any reasonable Conditions.If they were worthy of theGraversandPrinterscost, being onely dumbeFigures, little usefull to any but to youngGraversorPainters, and as little delightfull, except, toChildren, andChildish-gazers: they may now be much more worthy; seeing the life ofSpeachbeing added unto them, may make themTeachersandRemembrancersof profitable things.I doe not arrogate so much unto myIllustrations, as to thinke, they will be able to teach any thing to theLearned; yet if they cast their eyes upon them, perhaps, theseEmblems, and theirMorals, may remember them, either of someDutie, which they might else forget, or minde them to beware of someDanger, which they might otherwise be unheedfull to prevent. But, sure I am, theVulgar Capacities, may from them, be many waies bothInstructed, andRemembred; yea, they that have most need to beInstructed, andRemembred, (and they who are most backward to listen toInstructions, andRemembrances, by the common Course ofTeaching, andAdmonishing) shall be, hereby, informed of theirDangers, orDuties, by the way of an honestRecreation, before they be aware.For, when levitie, or a childish delight in trifling Objects, hath allured them to looke on thePictures; Curiositie may urge them to peepe further, that they might seeke out also theirMeanings, in our annexedIllustrations; In which, may lurke someSentence, orExpression, so evidently pertinent to theirEstates,Persons, orAffections, as will (at that instant or afterward) make way for thoseConsiderations, which will, at last, wholly change them, or much better them, in theirConversation.To seeke out theAuthorof every particularEmblem, were a labour without profit; and, I have beene so far from endeavouring it, that, I have not so much as cared to find out their meanings in any of theseFigures; but, applied them, rather, to such purposes, as I could thinke of, at first sight; which, upon a second view, I found might have beene much betterd, if I could have spared time from other imployments. Something, also, I wasConfined, by obliging my selfe to observe the same number oflinesin everyIllustration; and, otherwhile, I was thereby constrained to conclude, when my bestMeditationswere but new begunne: which (though it hath pleased Some, by the more comely Vniformitie, in the Pages) yet, it hath much injured the libertie of myMuse.There be, no doubt, some faults committed by thePrinter, both Literall and Materiall, and some Errors of theGraversin theFigures, (as in theTetragrammaton; in the Figure ofArîon; and in theProprietiesdue to some otherHieroglyphicks); but, for the most part, they are such, asCommon-Readerswill never perceive; and I thinke, that they who areJudiciouswill so plainly finde them to be no faults of mine; that, leaving them to be amended by those, to whom they appertaine; and,You, to accept of thesePlay-gamesas you please: I bid youFarewell.
I
IF there had not beene someBookesconceitedly composed, and sutable to meane capacities, I am doubtfull, whether I had ever beene so delighted in reading, as thereby to attaine to the little Knowledge I have: For, I doe yet remember, that, thingshonestly pleasant, brought mee by degrees, to love that which istruely profitable. And asDavidsaid, HisHeart shewed him the wickednesse of the Vngodly; (meaning perhaps, that hee felt in himselfe, someExperiments, of the same naturall Corruption, by which they are overcome, who resist not evill suggestions at their first motions:) Even so, I may truly acknowledge, that mine owneExperiencehath showne mee so much of the commonIgnoranceandInfirmitiein mine owne person, that it hath taught mee, how those things may be wrought upon in others, to their best advantage.
Therefore, though I can say no more to disswade fromVice, or to incourage men toVertue, than hath already beene said in many learnedAuthors; yet I may be an occasion by theseEndeavours, to bring that, the oftner into remembrance, which they have, more learnedly, expressed; and perhaps, by such circumstances, as they would not descend unto, may insinuate further also with some Capacities, than more applaudedMeanes.Viniger,Salt, or commonWater, (which are very meaneIngredients) make Sawces more pleasing to some tastes, thanSugar, andSpices. In like manner, plaine and vulgar notions, seasoned with a littlePleasantnesse, and relished with a moderateSharpnesse, worke that, otherwhile, which the most admiredCompositionscould never effect in manyReaders; yea, wee have had frequent proofes, that a bluntIesthath moved to more consideration, than a judiciousDiscourse.
I take little pleasures inRymes,Fictions, or conceitedCompositions, for their owne sakes; neither could I ever take so much paines, as to spend time to put my meanings into other words than such as flowed forth, withoutStudie; partly because I delight more in Matter, than inWordy Flourishes, But, chiefely, because thoseVerball Conceites, which by some, are accounted mostElegant, are not onely (for the greater part)Emptie Soundsand ImpertinentClinches, in themselves; but, suchInventions, as do sometime, also, obscure theSense, to commonReaders; and, serve to little other purpose, but forWittie mento shewTricksone to another: For, theIgnorantunderstand them not; and theWiseneed them not.
So much of them, as (without darkning the matter, to them who most need instruction) may be made use of, to stirre up theAffections, winneAttention, or help theMemory, I approve and make use of, to those good purposes, according as my leisure, and the measure of myFacultiewill permit; that,Vanitiemight not, to worse ends, get them wholly into herPossession. For, I know that the meanest of such conceites are as pertinent to some, asRattles, andHobby-horsesto Children; or as theA. B. C.andSpelling, were at first to thoseReaders, who are now past them. And, indeed, to despiseMeane Inventions,Pleasant Compositions, andVerball Elegancies, (being qualified as is aforesaid) or to banish them out of the world, because there be other things of more excellencie, were as absurd, as to neglect and root out allHerbes, which will not makePottage; Or, to destroy allFlowers, which are lesse beautifull than theTulip, or lesse sweet than theRose.
I (that was never so sullenly wise) have alwaies intermingledSportswithSeriousnessein myInventions; and, taken inVerball-conceites, as they came to hand, withoutAffectation; But, having, ever aymed, rather to profit myReaders, than to gaine their praise, I never pumpe for those things; and am, otherwhile, contented to seemeFoolish, (yea, and perhaps, more foolish than I am) to theOverweening-Wise; that, I may make othersWiser than they were: And, (as I now doe) am not ashamed to set forth aGame at Lots, or (as it were) aPuppet-playinPictures, to allure men to the more serious observation of the profitableMorals, couched in theseEmblems. Neverthelesse, (if some have sayd, and thought truly) myPoemshave instructed, and rectified many People in the Course ofHonest-living, (which is the bestWisedome) much more than theAusterer Volumesof some criticallAuthors; who, are by theCommon-sort, therefore onely, judged Wise, because they composedBooks, which few understand, save they who need them not.
In theseLotsandEmblems, I have the same ayme which I had in my otherWritings: and, though I have not dressed them sutably to curiousFancies, yet, they yield wholsome nourishment to strengthen the constitution of aGood-life; and, have solidity enough for aPlay game, which was but Accidentally composed; and, by thisOccasion.
TheseEmblems, graven in Copper byCrispinus Passæus(with aMottoin Greeke, Latine, or Italian, round about everyFigure; and with twoLines(orVerses) in one of the sameLanguages, periphrasing thoseMotto's) came to my hands, almost twentie yeares past. TheVerseswere so meane, that, they were afterward cut off from thePlates; And, theCollectorof the said Emblems, (whether hee were theVersifieror theGraver, was neither so well advised in theChoiceof them, nor so exact in observing the trueProprietiesbelonging to everyFigure, as hee might have beene.
Yet, theWorkman-shipbeing judged very good, for the most part; and the rest excusable; some of my Friends were so much delighted in theGraversart, and, in thoseIllustrations, which for mine owne pleasure, I had made upon some few of them, that, they requested mee toMoralizethe rest. Which I condiscended unto: And, they had beene brought to view many yeares agoe, but that theCopper Prints(which are now gotten) could not be procured out ofHolland, upon any reasonable Conditions.
If they were worthy of theGraversandPrinterscost, being onely dumbeFigures, little usefull to any but to youngGraversorPainters, and as little delightfull, except, toChildren, andChildish-gazers: they may now be much more worthy; seeing the life ofSpeachbeing added unto them, may make themTeachersandRemembrancersof profitable things.
I doe not arrogate so much unto myIllustrations, as to thinke, they will be able to teach any thing to theLearned; yet if they cast their eyes upon them, perhaps, theseEmblems, and theirMorals, may remember them, either of someDutie, which they might else forget, or minde them to beware of someDanger, which they might otherwise be unheedfull to prevent. But, sure I am, theVulgar Capacities, may from them, be many waies bothInstructed, andRemembred; yea, they that have most need to beInstructed, andRemembred, (and they who are most backward to listen toInstructions, andRemembrances, by the common Course ofTeaching, andAdmonishing) shall be, hereby, informed of theirDangers, orDuties, by the way of an honestRecreation, before they be aware.
For, when levitie, or a childish delight in trifling Objects, hath allured them to looke on thePictures; Curiositie may urge them to peepe further, that they might seeke out also theirMeanings, in our annexedIllustrations; In which, may lurke someSentence, orExpression, so evidently pertinent to theirEstates,Persons, orAffections, as will (at that instant or afterward) make way for thoseConsiderations, which will, at last, wholly change them, or much better them, in theirConversation.
To seeke out theAuthorof every particularEmblem, were a labour without profit; and, I have beene so far from endeavouring it, that, I have not so much as cared to find out their meanings in any of theseFigures; but, applied them, rather, to such purposes, as I could thinke of, at first sight; which, upon a second view, I found might have beene much betterd, if I could have spared time from other imployments. Something, also, I wasConfined, by obliging my selfe to observe the same number oflinesin everyIllustration; and, otherwhile, I was thereby constrained to conclude, when my bestMeditationswere but new begunne: which (though it hath pleased Some, by the more comely Vniformitie, in the Pages) yet, it hath much injured the libertie of myMuse.
There be, no doubt, some faults committed by thePrinter, both Literall and Materiall, and some Errors of theGraversin theFigures, (as in theTetragrammaton; in the Figure ofArîon; and in theProprietiesdue to some otherHieroglyphicks); but, for the most part, they are such, asCommon-Readerswill never perceive; and I thinke, that they who areJudiciouswill so plainly finde them to be no faults of mine; that, leaving them to be amended by those, to whom they appertaine; and,You, to accept of thesePlay-gamesas you please: I bid youFarewell.