Places all enjoyment in spending, as a covetous man does in getting, and both are treated at a witch’s feast, where nothing feeds but only the imagination, and like two madmen, that believe themselves to be the same prince, laugh at one another.  He values his pleasures as they do honour, by the difficulty and dearness of the purchase, not the worth of the thing; and the more he pays the better he believes he ought to be pleased, as women are fondest of those children which they have groaned most for.  His tongue is like a great practiser’s in law, for as the one will not stir, so the other will not taste without a great fee.  He never reckons what a thing costs by what it is worth, but what it is worth by what it costs.  All his senses are like corrupt judges, that will understand nothing until they are thoroughly informed and satisfied with a convincing bribe.  He relishes no meat but by the rate, and a high price is like sauce to it, that gives it a high taste and renders it savoury to his palate.  He believes there is nothing dear, nor ought to be so, that does not cost much, and that the dearest bought is always the cheapest.  He tastes all wines by the smallness of the bottles and the greatness of the price, and when he is over-reckoned takes it as an extraordinary value set upon him, as Dutchmen always reckon by the dignity of the person, not the charge of the entertainment he receives, put his quality and titles into the bill of fare, and make him pay for feeding upon his own honour and right-worship, which he brought along with him.  He debauches his gluttony with an unnatural appetite to things never intended for food, like preposterous venery or the unnatural mixtures of beasts of several kinds.  He is as curious of his pleasures as an antiquary of his rarities, and cares for none but such as are very choice and difficult to be gotten, disdains anything that is common, unless it be his women, which he esteems a common good, and therefore the more communicative the better.  All his vices are, like children that have been nicely bred, a great charge to him, and it costs him dear to maintain them like themselves, according to their birth and breeding; but he, like a tender parent, had rather suffer want himself than they should, for he considers a man’s vices are his own flesh and blood, and though they are but by-blows, he is bound to provide for them, out of natural affection, as well as if they were lawfully begotten.

AN UNGRATEFUL MAN

Is like dust in the highway, that flies in the face of those that raise it.  He that is ungrateful is all things that are amiss.  He is like the devil, that seeks the destruction of those most of all that do him the best service, or an unhealthful sinner that receives pleasure and returns nothing but diseases.  He receives obligations from all that he can, but they presently become void and of none effect, for good offices fare with him like death,