les, dice, or make a jester
of himself (though he might be far better employed) than do nothing. The
[3212]Egyptians of old, and many flourishing commonwealths since, have
enjoined labour and exercise to all sorts of men, to be of some vocation
and calling, and give an account of their time, to prevent those grievous
mischiefs that come by idleness: "for as fodder, whip, and burthen belong
to the ass: so meat, correction, and work unto the servant," Ecclus.
xxxiii. 23. The Turks enjoin all men whatsoever, of what degree, to be of
some trade or other, the Grand Signior himself is not excused. [3213]"In
our memory" (saith Sabellicus) "Mahomet the Turk, he that conquered Greece,
at that very time when he heard ambassadors of other princes, did either
carve or cut wooden spoons, or frame something upon a table." [3214]This
present sultan makes notches for bows. The Jews are most severe in this
examination of time. All well-governed places, towns, families, and every
discreet person will be a law unto himself. But amongst us the badge of
gentry is idleness: to be of no calling, not to labour, for that's
derogatory to their birth, to be a mere spectator, a drone, _fruges
consumere natus_, to have no necessary employment to busy himself about in
church and commonwealth (some few governors exempted), "but to rise to
eat," &c., to spend his days in hawking, hunting, &c., and such like
disports and recreations ([3215]which our casuists tax), are the sole
exercise almost, and ordinary actions of our nobility, and in which they
are too immoderate. And thence it comes to pass, that in city and country
so many grievances of body and mind, and this feral disease of melancholy
so frequently rageth, and now domineers almost all over Europe amongst our
great ones. They know not how to spend their time (disports excepted, which
are all their business), what to do, or otherwise how to bestow themselves:
like our modern Frenchmen, that had rather lose a pound of blood in a
single combat, than a drop of sweat in any honest labour. Every man almost
hath something or other to employ himself about, some vocation, some trade,
but they do all by ministers and servants, _ad otia duntaxat se natos
existimant, imo ad sui ipsius plerumque et aliorum perniciem_, [3216]as one
freely taxeth such kind of men, they are all for pastimes, 'tis all their
study, all their invention tends to this alone, to drive away time, as if
they were born some of them to no