was but brittle, uncertain and no whit availing to live well, he flung his burden into the sea, and renounced his estate.”  Those Curii and Fabricii will be ever renowned for contempt of these fopperies, wherewith the world is so much affected.  Amongst Christians I could reckon up many kings and queens, that have forsaken their crowns and fortunes, and wilfully abdicated themselves from these so much esteemed toys; [3680]many that have refused honours, titles, and all this vain pomp and happiness, which others so ambitiously seek, and carefully study to compass and attain.  Riches I deny not are God’s good gifts, and blessings; and honor est in honorante, honours are from God; both rewards of virtue, and fit to be sought after, sued for, and may well be possessed:  yet no such great happiness in having, or misery in wanting of them. Dantur quidem bonis, saith Austin, ne quis mala aestimet:  mails autem ne quis nimis bona, good men have wealth that we should not think, it evil; and bad men that they should not rely on or hold it so good; as the rain falls on both sorts, so are riches given to good and bad, sed bonis in bonum, but they are good only to the godly.  But [3681]compare both estates, for natural parts they are not unlike; and a beggar’s child, as [3682]Cardan well observes, “is no whit inferior to a prince’s, most part better;” and for those accidents of fortune, it will easily appear there is no such odds, no such extraordinary happiness in the one, or misery in the other.  He is rich, wealthy, fat; what gets he by it? pride, insolency, lust, ambition, cares, fears, suspicion, trouble, anger, emulation, and many filthy diseases of body and mind.  He hath indeed variety of dishes, better fare, sweet wine, pleasant sauce, dainty music, gay clothes, lords it bravely out, &c., and all that which Misillus admired in [3683]Lucian; but with them he hath the gout, dropsies, apoplexies, palsies, stone, pox, rheums, catarrhs, crudities, oppilations, [3684]melancholy, &c., lust enters in, anger, ambition, according to [3685]Chrysostom, “the sequel of riches is pride, riot, intemperance, arrogancy, fury, and all irrational courses.”

[3686]  ------“turpi fregerunt saecula luxu
Divitiae molles”------

with their variety of dishes, many such maladies of body and mind get in, which the poor man knows not of.  As Saturn in [3687]Lucian answered the discontented commonalty, (which because of their neglected Saturnal feasts in Rome, made a grievous complaint and exclamation against rich men) that they were much mistaken in supposing such happiness in riches; [3688]"you see the best” (said he) “but you know not their several gripings and discontents:”  they are like painted walls, fair without, rotten within:  diseased, filthy, crazy, full of intemperance’s effects; [3689]"and who can reckon half? if you but knew their fears, cares, anguish of mind and vexation, to which they are subject, you would hereafter renounce all riches.”