Practice is the motion of the spirit, where the senses are all set to work in their natures, where, in the fittest employment of time, reason maketh the best use of understanding.  She is the continuance of knowledge in the ease of memory, and the honour of resolution in the effect of judgment.  She plants the spring and reaps the harvest, makes labour sweet and patience comfortable.  She hath a foot on the earth but an eye at heaven, where the prayer of faith finds the felicity of the soul.  In the fruit of charity she shows the nature of devotion, and in the mercy of justice the glory of government.  She gives time honour in the fruit of action, and reason grace in the application of knowledge.  She takes the height of the sun, walks about the world, sounds the depth of the sea, and makes her passage through the waters.  She is ready for all occasions, attendeth all persons, works with all instruments, and finisheth all actions.  She takes invention for her teacher, makes time her servant, method her direction, and place her habitation.  She hath a wakeful eye and a working brain, which fits the members of the body to the service of the spirit.  She is the physician’s agent and the apothecary’s benefactor, the chirurgeon’s wealth and the patient’s patience.  She brings time to labour and care to contentment, learning to knowledge and virtue to honour:  in idleness she hath no pleasure, nor acquaintance with ignorance, but in industry is her delight and in understanding her grace.  She hath a passage through all the predicaments, she hath a hand in all the arts, a property in all professions, and a quality in all conditions.  In brief, so many are the varieties of the manners of her proceedings as makes me fearful to follow her too far in observation, lest being never able to come near the height of her commendation, I be enforced as I am to leave her wholly to admiration.

PATIENCE.

Patience is a kind of heavenly tenure, whereby the soul is held in possession, and a sweet temper in the spirit, which restraineth nature from exceeding reason in passion.  Her hand keeps time in his right course, and her eye passeth into the depth of understanding.  She attendeth wisdom in all her works, and proportioneth time to the necessity of matter.  She is the poison of sorrow in the hope of comfort, and the paradise of conceit in the joy of peace.  Her tongue speaks seldom but to purpose, and her foot goeth slowly but surely.  She is the imitator of the Incomprehensible in His passage to perfection, and a servant of His will in the map of His workmanship:  in confusion she hath no operation, while she only aireth her conceit with the consideration of experience.  She travels far and is never weary, and gives over no work but to better a beginning.  She makes the king merciful and the subject loyal, honour gracious and wisdom glorious.  She pacifieth wrath and puts off revenge, and in the humility of