AN ANTIQUARY.

He is a man strangely thrifty of time past, and an enemy indeed to his maw, whence he fetches out many things when they are now all rotten and stinking.  He is one that hath that unnatural disease to be enamoured of old age and wrinkles, and loves all things (as Dutchmen do cheese), the better for being mouldy and worm-eaten.  He is of our religion, because we say it is most antient; and yet a broken statue would almost make him an idolater.  A great admirer he is of the rust of old monuments, and reads only those characters, where time hath eaten out the letters.  He will go you forty miles to see a saint’s well or a ruined abbey; an there be but a cross or stone foot-stool in the way, he’ll be considering it so long, till he forget his journey.  His estate consists much in shekels, and Roman coins; and he hath more pictures of Caesar, than James or Elizabeth.  Beggars cozen him with musty things which they have raked from dung-hills, and he preserves their rags for precious relics.  He loves no library, but where there are more spiders’ volumes than authors’, and looks with great admiration on the antique work of cobwebs.  Printed books he contemns, as a novelty of this latter age, but a manuscript he pores on everlastingly, especially if the cover be all moth-eaten, and the dust make a parenthesis between every syllable.  He would give all the books in his study (which are rarities all), for one of the old Roman binding, or six-lines of Tully in his own hand.  His chamber is hung commonly with strange beasts’ skins, and is a kind of charnel-house of bones extraordinary; and his discourse upon them, if you will hear him, shall last longer.  His very attire is that which is the eldest out of fashion, [[17] and you may pick a criticism out of his breeches.] He never looks upon himself till he is grey-haired, and then he is pleased with his own antiquity.  His grave does not fright him, for he has been used to sepulchres, and he likes death the better, because it gathers him to his fathers.

A YOUNGER BROTHER.

His elder brother was the Esau, that came out first and left him like Jacob at his heels.  His father has done with him as Pharaoh to the children of Israel, that would have them make brick and give them no straw, so he tasks him to be a gentleman, and leaves him nothing to maintain it.  The pride of his house has undone him, which the elder’s knighthood must sustain, and his beggary that knighthood.  His birth and bringing up will not suffer him to descend to the means to get wealth; but he stands at the mercy of the world, and which is worse, of his brother.  He is something better than the serving-men; yet they more saucy with him than he bold with the master, who beholds him with a countenance of stern awe, and checks him oftener than his liveries.  His brother’s old suits and he are much alike in request, and cast off now