is strict in to a hair, even to their very negligences, which he cons as rules.  He will not carry a knife with him to wound reputation, and pay double a reckoning, rather than ignobly question it:  and he is full of this—­ignobly—­and nobly—­and genteely; and this mere fear to trespass against the genteel way puts him out most of all.  It is a humour runs through many things besides, but is an ill-favoured ostentation in all, and thrives not:—­and the best use of such men is, they are good parts in a play.

A PROFANE MAN

Is one that denies God as far as the law gives him leave; that is, only does not say so in downright terms, for so far he may go.  A man that does the greatest sins calmly, and as the ordinary actions of life, and as calmly discourses of it again.  He will tell you his business is to break such a commandment, and the breaking of the commandment shall tempt him to it.  His words are but so many vomitings cast up to the loathsomeness of the hearers, only those of his company[91] loath it not.  He will take upon him with oaths to pelt some tenderer man out of his company, and makes good sport at his conquest over the puritan fool.  The Scripture supplies him for jests, and he reads it on purpose to be thus merry:  he will prove you his sin out of the Bible, and then ask if you will not take that authority.  He never sees the church but of purpose to sleep in it, or when some silly man preaches, with whom he means to make sport, and is most jocund in the church.  One that nick-names clergymen with all the terms of reproach, as “rat, black-coat” and the like; which he will be sure to keep up, and never calls them by other:  that sings psalms when he is drunk, and cries “God mercy” in mockery, for he must do it.  He is one seems to dare God in all his actions, but indeed would out-dare the opinion of Him, which would else turn him desperate; for atheism is the refuge of such sinners, whose repentance would be only to hang themselves.

A COWARD

Is the man that is commonly most fierce against the coward, and labouring to take off this suspicion from himself; for the opinion of valour is a good protection to those that dare not use it.  No man is valianter than he is in civil company, and where he thinks no danger may come on it, and is the readiest man to fall upon a drawer and those that must not strike again:  wonderful exceptious and cholerick where he sees men are loth to give him occasion, and you cannot pacify him better than by quarrelling with him.  The hotter you grow, the more temperate man is he; he protests he always honoured you, and the more you rail upon him, the more he honours you, and you threaten him at last into a very honest quiet man.  The sight of a sword wounds him more sensibly than the stroke, for before that come he is dead already.  Every man is his master that dare beat him, and every