to have, but not to want riches, non habere, sed non indigere, vera abundantia:  ’tis more glory to contemn, than to possess; et nihil agere, est deorum, “and to want nothing is divine.”  How many deaf, dumb, halt, lame, blind, miserable persons could I reckon up that are poor, and withal distressed, in imprisonment, banishment, galley slaves, condemned to the mines, quarries, to gyves, in dungeons, perpetual thraldom, than all which thou art richer, thou art more happy, to whom thou art able to give an alms, a lord, in respect, a petty prince:  [3782]be contented then I say, repine and mutter no more, “for thou art not poor indeed but in opinion.”

Yea, but this is very good counsel, and rightly applied to such as have it, and will not use it, that have a competency, that are able to work and get their living by the sweat of their brows, by their trade, that have something yet; he that hath birds, may catch birds; but what shall we do that are slaves by nature, impotent, and unable to help ourselves, mere beggars, that languish and pine away, that have no means at all, no hope of means, no trust of delivery, or of better success? as those old Britons complained to their lords and masters the Romans oppressed by the Picts. mare ad barbaros, barbari ad mare, the barbarians drove them to the sea, the sea drove them back to the barbarians:  our present misery compels us to cry out and howl, to make our moan to rich men:  they turn us back with a scornful answer to our misfortune again, and will take no pity of us; they commonly overlook their poor friends in adversity; if they chance to meet them, they voluntarily forget and will take no notice of them; they will not, they cannot help us.  Instead of comfort they threaten us, miscall, scoff at us, to aggravate our misery, give us bad language, or if they do give good words, what’s that to relieve us?  According to that of Thales, Facile est alios monere; who cannot give good counsel? ’tis cheap, it costs them nothing.  It is an easy matter when one’s belly is full to declaim against fasting, Qui satur est pleno laudat jejunia ventre; “Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass, or loweth the ox when he hath fodder?” Job vi. 5. [3783]_Neque enim populo Romano quidquam potest esse laetius_, no man living so jocund, so merry as the people of Rome when they had plenty; but when they came to want, to be hunger-starved, “neither shame, nor laws, nor arms, nor magistrates could keep them in obedience.”  Seneca pleadeth hard for poverty, and so did those lazy philosophers:  but in the meantime [3784]he was rich, they had wherewithal to maintain themselves; but doth any poor man extol it?  “There are those” (saith [3785] Bernard) “that approve of a mean estate, but on that condition they never want themselves:  and some again are meek so long as they may say or do what they list; but if occasion be offered, how far are they from all patience?” I would to God (as he said) [3786]"No man should commend poverty, but he that is poor,” or he that so much admires it, would relieve, help, or ease others.