Category: CLASP I-II

¹

When I did write this book I took great pains,
For I did walk, and think, and break my brains.
My thoughts run out of breath, then down did² lie,
And panted³ with short wind, like those that die.
When time had given ease and lent them⁴ strength,             5
Then up they’ll⁵ get and run another length.
Sometimes I kept my thoughts with a strict diet,⁶
And made them fast with ease, and rest, and quiet,
That they might run again with swifter speed,
And by this course new fancies they could⁷ breed.               10
But I do fear they’re not so good to please;
Yet⁸ now they’re out, my brain is more at ease.

A circle round divided in four parts
Hath been great¹ study amongst² men of arts;
Since Archimede’s or Euclid’s time, each brain³
Hath on a line been stretched, yet all in vain,⁴
And every thought hath been a figure set;                           5
Doubts cyphers were, hopes as triangles met;⁵
There was⁶ division and subtraction made,
And lines drawn out, and points exactly laid.
But none hath yet by demonstration found⁷
The way by which to square a circle round.⁸                      10
Thus⁹ while the brain is round, no squares¹⁰ will be:
While thoughts are in divisions,¹¹ no figures will agree.

¹
And others did,² upon the same account,
Doubling the cube, to a great number³ mount.
But some the triangles did⁴ cut so small,
’Till into equal atoms they did fall.⁵
For such is man’s curiosity and mind,                   5
To seek for that which hardest is to find.

¹

Within the head of man’s a circle round
Of Honesty, in which no end² is found.
Some think it fit this circle should be squared,³
Though to make Honesty take sides is hard.⁴
Prudence and Temperance as two lines⁵ take;                 5
With Fortitude and Justice, four will⁶ make.
If Temperance do prove too short a line,⁷
Then do the figure of Discretion join;⁸
Let⁹ Wisdom’s point draw up Discretion’s figure,¹⁰
That make two equal lines joined both together.¹¹         10
Betwixt the line Temperance and Justice,¹² Truth must point;
Justice’s line draw down to Fortitude,¹³ that corner joint.
Of Fortitude, which line do make agree¹⁴
With Prudence; Temperance must also be¹⁵
Of equal length with Justice; both must stand¹⁶               15
’Twixt Fortitude and Prudence on each hand.¹⁷
At every corner must a point be laid,
Where every line that meets, an angle’s made.¹⁸
And when those¹⁹ points too high or low do fall,
Then must the lines be stretched, to make them²⁰ all      20
Even. And²¹ thus the circle round, you’ll find,
Is squared with the four virtues of the mind.

^{1  2}
A circle is a line without ends, and a square hath³ four equal sides, not one longer or shorter than another. To square the circle is to make the square figure⁴ to be equal with the round figure. Honesty is the⁵ circle without ends, that is,⁶ by-respects, for an honest man is honest⁷ for honesty’s sake. But⁸ to square this circle is⁹ very difficult, for it is hard¹⁰ for Honesty to take part with four sides without Faction. For where there is siding there is¹¹ Faction; and where Faction is,¹² there is Partiality; and where Partiality is, there is Injustice; and where Injustice is, there is Wrong;¹³ and where Wrong is, Truth is not; and where Truth is not, Honesty cares not to live.

But let us see how we can square this circle of Honesty. First, draw four lines: Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, and Justice. These four lines, let them be cross parallels,¹⁴ to make a square,¹⁵ and at each end of every line make a point. At¹⁶ the line of Justice, a point of Severity at one end and another of Facility at the other end. And at either¹⁷ end of Fortitude, one of Rashness and another of Timorosity. And at each¹⁸ end of Temperance, Prodigality and Covetousness. At each end of Prudence, Sloth and Stupidity. Then draw out these points and make them angles: as Severity and Timorosity make one¹⁹ angle, Rashness and Stupidity another. Sloth and Prodigality make a third angle;²⁰ Facility and Covetousness make the fourth.²¹

Then exactly in the midst of either line, set on²² either²³ side of the line a figure: as Distributive on the outside of the line of Justice, and Communicative within the line. So on the line²⁴ of Fortitude, Despair on the outside and Love within. On Prudence line, Experience on the outside²⁵ and Industry within. On Temperance²⁶ line, Observation on the outside and Ease within.

Then draw a line of Charity²⁷ from the point Distribution, and from the point of Observation²⁸ a Line of Discretion, and make an angle of²⁹ Hope. Then from Community³⁰ a line of Clemency,³¹ and from the point of Ease³² a line of Comfort, which make an angle of Peace. Then from Despair a line of Hope, and from Industry a line of Fruition, which make an angle of Tranquility. Then from the point of Love a line of Faith, and from the point of Ease a Line of Pleasure; this makes an angle of Joy. Then set a point at every angle, viz.,³³ Obedience, Humility, Respect, and Reverence. And thus the square measured with truth will³⁴ be equal with the circle of Honesty.

¹

Cut the line of Wisdom into three parts: Prudence, Experience, and Judgment. Then draw a line of Discretion equal to the line of Experience, and a line of Industry equal to the line of Prudence, and a line of Temperance equal to the line of Judgment; and to Temperance an equal line of Tranquility, and to the line Industry a line of Ingenuity, and to the line of Discretion draw an equal line of Obedience. Then all these lines measured with the rule of Reason, you’ll find them² equal to the line of Wisdom. Join these lines³ together, and let Truth make⁴ the angle. This is the Trisection. ⁵

With numeration moralists begin
Upon the passions, putting quotients in,
Numbers divide with figures, and subtract,
And in their definitions are exact.
As for subtracting, take but one from three;¹            5
Add it to four, and it makes² five to be.