o their order: many poor men's sons are singularly well endowed, most
eminent, and well deserving for their worth, wisdom, learning, virtue,
valour, integrity; excellent members and pillars of a commonwealth. And
therefore to conclude that which I first intended, to be base by birth,
meanly born is no such disparagement. _Et sic demonstratur, quod erat
demonstrandum_.

MEMB. III.
_Against Poverty and Want, with such other Adversities_.

One of the greatest miseries that can befall a man, in the world's esteem,
is poverty or want, which makes men steal, bear false witness, swear,
forswear, contend, murder and rebel, which breaketh sleep, and causeth
death itself. [Greek: ouden penias baruteron esti phortion], no burden
(saith [3677]Menander) so intolerable as poverty: it makes men desperate,
it erects and dejects, _census honores, census amicitias_; money makes, but
poverty mars, &c. and all this in the world's esteem: yet if considered
aright, it is a great blessing in itself, a happy estate, and yields no
cause of discontent, or that men should therefore account themselves vile,
hated of God, forsaken, miserable, unfortunate. Christ himself was poor,
born in a manger, and had not a house to hide his head in all his life,
[3678]"lest any man should make poverty a judgment of God, or an odious
estate." And as he was himself, so he informed his Apostles and Disciples,
they were all poor, Prophets poor, Apostles poor, (Act. iii. "Silver and
gold have I none.") "As sorrowing" (saith Paul) "and yet always rejoicing;
as having nothing, and yet possessing all things," 1 Cor. vi. 10. Your
great Philosophers have been voluntarily poor, not only Christians, but
many others. Crates Thebanus was adored for a God in Athens, [3679]"a
nobleman by birth, many servants he had, an honourable attendance, much
wealth, many manors, fine apparel; but when he saw this, that all the
wealth of the world 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