is good parts lye dead upon
his hands, for want of matter to employ them, and at the best are not
commended but pitied, as virtues ill placed, and we may say of him, "Tis
an honest man, but tis pity;" and yet those that call him so will trust a
knave before him. He is a man that has the truest speculation of the
world, because all men shew to him in their plainest and worst, as a man
they have no plot on, by appearing good to; whereas rich men are
entertained with a more holy-day behaviour, and see only the best we can
dissemble. He is the only he that tries the true strength of wisdom, what
it can do of itself without the help of fortune; that with a great deal of
virtue conquers extremities, and with a great deal more his own
impatience, and obtains of himself not to hate men.

LXXVII.

AN ORDINARY HONEST MAN

Is one whom it concerns to be called honest, for if he were not this, he
were nothing: and yet he is not this neither, but a good dull vicious
fellow, that complies well with the deboshments[97] of the time, and is
fit for it. One that has no good part in him to offend his company, or
make him to be suspected a proud fellow; but is sociably a dunce, and
sociably a drinker. That does it fair and above-board without legermain,
and neither sharks[98] for a cup or a reckoning: that is kind over his
beer, and protests he loves you, and begins to you again, and loves you
again. One that quarrels with no man, but for not pledging him, but takes
all absurdities and commits as many, and is no tell-tale next morning,
though he remember it. One that will fight for his friend if he hear him
abused, and his friend commonly is he that is most likely, and he lifts up
many a jug in his defence. He rails against none but censurers, against
whom he thinks he rails lawfully, and censurers are all those that are
better than himself. These good properties qualify him for honesty enough,
and raise him high in the ale-house commendation, who, if he had any other
good quality, would be named by that. But now for refuge he is an honest
man, and hereafter a sot: only those that commend him think him not so,
and those that commend him are honest fellows.

FOOTNOTES:

[97] Minshew interprets the verb _deboshe_, "to corrupt, make lewde,
vitiate." When the word was first adopted from the French language, (says
Mr. Steevens, in a note to the _Tempest_,) it appears to have been spelt
according to the pronunciation, and therefore w