Constancie
The Portrait of the Honest Man
The honest man is defined as one who is steadfastly true to God, neighbor, and self, unmoved by external forces.
Who is the honest man? The one who steadily and strongly pursues the good, most true to God, his neighbor, and himself—whom neither force nor flattery can loosen or wrench from giving each of them their due.1 Whose honesty is not so loose or easy that a blustering wind can blow it away, or a glittering look can blind it: who keeps his sure and even pace, while the world now races past, now lags behind.
Steadfast in Trials and Temptations
The honest man faces great trials with calm deliberation, rejects all deceit, and remains virtuous even in darkness.
When great trials come, he neither goes looking for them nor avoids them, but stays calm until he has weighed the matter and the example; once everything is added up, he gives what the situation or person calls for. No one can pressure or coax him into using a trick or underhanded move in anything; for above all things he hates deceit: his words and deeds and manner too are all of one piece, and all are clear and straight. He who never melts or thaws when temptations are close: when the day is done, his goodness doesn't set, but can keep running in the dark. The sun writes laws for others and is their virtue; Virtue is his sun.
Constancy in a Crooked World
The honest man keeps his course despite others' faults and the world's crookedness, concluding with a prayerful aspiration to remain upright.
Who, when he has to deal with the sick, with women, with people ruled by their passions, makes allowance for that and keeps his steady course: whom other people's faults don't throw off; but though people fail him, he still plays his part. Whom nothing can induce, when the wide world runs crooked, to leave his purpose, twist his limbs, and share in the wrong rather than mend it.2 This is the marksman, safe and sure, who stays on the right path and prays to remain that way.3
Read the original English
WHo is the honest man? He that doth still and strongly good pursue, To God, his neighbour, and himself most true: Whom neither force nor fawning can Unpinne, or wrench from giving all their due.
Whose honestie is not So loose or easie, that a ruffling winde Can blow away, or glittering look it blinde: Who rides his sure and even trot, While the world now rides by, now lags behinde.
Who, when great trialls come, Nor seeks, nor shunnes them; but doth calmly stay, Till he the thing and the example weigh: All being brought into a summe, What place or person calls for, he doth pay.
Whom none can work or wooe To use in any thing a trick or sleight; For above all things he abhorres deceit: His words and works and fashion too All of a piece, and all are cleare and straight.
Who never melts or thaws At close tentations: when the day is done, His goodnesse sets not, but in dark can runne: The sunne to others writeth laws, And is their vertue; Vertue is his Sunne.
Who, when he is to treat With sick folks, women, those whom passions sway, Allows for that, and keeps his constant way: Whom others faults do not defeat; But though men fail him, yet his part doth play.
Whom nothing can procure, When the wide world runnes bias, from his will To writhe his limbes, and share, not mend the ill. This is the Mark-man, safe and sure, Who still is right, and prayes to be so still.
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'still' here means continually/constantly (not quietly); rendered as 'steadily' to keep the sense of unbroken pursuit. 'Unpinne' is the image of unfastening a fixed pin—kept as 'loosen' with the parallel 'wrench'.
- 2 ↩Early modern bowling term: a biased bowl curves off the straight line. Herbert means the world runs off course, not true.
- 3 ↩Herbert's compound: both a marksman who aims true and the man who keeps the mark (the fixed target), continuing the bias/aim metaphor.
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