the misery of adversity, but takes the one as the day, the other as the night.  He knows no fortune, but builds all upon providence, and through the hope of faith hath a fair aim at heaven.  His words are weighed with judgment, and his actions are the examples of honour.  He is fit for the seat of authority, and deserves the reverence of subjection.  He is precious in the counsel of a king, and mighty in the sway of a kingdom.  In sum, he is God’s servant and the world’s master, a stranger upon earth, and a citizen in heaven.

A FOOL.

A fool is the abortive of wit, where nature had more power than reason in bringing forth the fruit of imperfection.  His actions are most in extremes, and the scope of his brain is but ignorance.  Only nature hath taught him to feed, and use to labour without knowledge.  He is a kind of a shadow of a better substance, or like the vision of a dream that yields nothing awake.  He is commonly known by one or two special names, derived from their qualities, as from wilful Will-fool, and Hodge from hodge-podge; all meats are alike, all are one to a fool.  His exercises are commonly divided into four parts, eating and drinking, sleeping and laughing; four things are his chief loves, a bauble and a bell, a coxcomb and a pied-coat.  He was begotten in unhappiness, born to no goodness, lives but in beastliness, and dies but in forgetfulness.  In sum, he is the shame of nature, the trouble of wit, the charge of charity, and the loss of liberality.

AN HONEST MAN.

An honest man is like a plain coat, which, without welt or guard, keepeth the body from wind and weather, and being well made, fits him best that wears it; and where the stuff is more regarded than the fashion, there is not much ado in the putting of it on.  So the mind of an honest man, without trick or compliments, keeps the credit of a good conscience from the scandal of the world and the worm of iniquity, which, being wrought by the workman of heaven, fits him best that wears it to his service; and where virtue is more esteemed than vanity, it is put on and worn with that ease that shows the excellency of the workman.  His study is virtue, his word truth, his life the passage of patience, and his death the rest of his spirit.  His travail is a pilgrimage, his way is plainness, his pleasure peace, and his delight is love.  His care is his conscience, his wealth is his credit, his charge is his chanty, and his content is his kingdom.  In sum, he is a diamond among jewels, a phrenix among birds, an unicorn among beasts, and a saint among men.

A KNAVE.