A Seasonable Lecture: OR A most learned Oration, Disburthened from Henry Walker, a most judicious Quondam Iron-monger, a late Pamphleteere, and now too late, or too soone a double diligent Preacher.

Men and Women, Male or Female, Old and Young, Boyes
and Girles, Lads and Lasses, Babes and Children, Omnium
gatherum; attend to my Text, as you shall find it written in
the fifth Chapter of the Booke of Tobias, and part of the sixteenth
verse.

So they went forth both and departed, and the dog of the young
man went with them.

BEfore I enter upon my Text, Beloved, it
is correspondent, meet, necessario and
convenient, that I do unveile, lay open,
describe, discover, and manifest unto
you, some reasons why, wherefore, upon
what causes, grounds, or reasons, this
Dog is mentioned in my Text.
This portion that I shall administer
unto you at this time, I have divided into six parts; first, the
time when this Dog lived; secondly, whose Dog hee was;
thirdly, whither he went; fourthly, what fashion'd or kind
of Dog hee was; fifthly, his demeanour and carriage; and
lastly, his name: Of all these in order, as 3 houres short
time, and your long patience will permit.
First, the time that this Dog lived, was about the death of
Zenacherib, that blasphemous King of Assyria, as it is in the
first of Tobit, and the one and twentieth verse, where is mention
made, that after he was slaine, Sarchedonus his son raigned
after him. It was then a wicked time, full of oppression,
crueltie, and idolatrie: and at this time lived honest,
old, hospitable Tobias, who being oppressed by tyranny, went
into Media, and left ten Tallents of silver in safe custody with
his kinsman Gabael, who dwelt in a citie called Rages in
Media, as you shall find it in the first Chapter and fourteenth
verse. Beloved, Toby was of the Tribe of Nepthalim, who
were idolatrous, and offered to an Heifer they called Ball,
Chap. 1. 5. in Galilee, and dwelt in a citie called Thisbe
there, from whence hee was carried captive into Assyria by
Salmanazer, as you shall have it in the first and second verses.
Now it followeth that Toby, after much trouble went
home againe, Chap. 2. and vers. 1. This was the time wherein
this Dog lived. I will presently proceed, and go forward,
or speake further, as your patience may permit.
About this time old Tobias was stricken blind, and in some
want of his ten Tallents of silver, which hee left so far off in
Media with Gabael, for which he determined to send his son
young Tobias but he was in great care to have a Guide with
him in so long a journey, and to help him to bring so great a
charge as ten Tallents back with him which is, Ile warrant
you, 40 pounds of our money, or thereabouts and in the third
Chapter and the nineteenth verse, the Angel Raphael came in
the shape of a man, whom old Tobias hired for a groat a day
to go with his son out and home as it is in the 5 of Tobit and
14 verse. And thus much shall suffice for the time when the
Dog lived.

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So they went forth both, and departed, and the dog of the
young man went with them.
Some simple observations might be gathered out of the first
word of my Text, So; but it is a matter of So, so, and therefore
I will passe it over so; yet Beloved as wee are men
all made of one mold, one proportion and shape, our sences
all alike, So it is not lawfull that one man should have any
power or authoritie over another so as they have; but every
man ought to bee a rule and guide to himselfe, So that hee
should not need to be ruled so, and guided so by other men;
for many men desire soveraigntie, superioritie, dignitie, promotion,
advancement, preheminence, domination, sway or
call it what you please but the truth is my Brethren that as
we are all made alike, So wee should equally rule alike, and
live in such a communitie, that all things should be in common,
So that mine is thine, and thine is mine, bee it what it
will, either wife, children, goods, or lands, &c. So that
none shall command, nor any one obey: and so much shall
suffice to be spoken of the word So. So they went forth.
They, what They ? The word is not in the singular number,
He or she went forth, but They, which argueth the pluralitie
of They that went forth; now who were this they?
This they were no other than the Angell Raphael, who was
hired for a groat a day by old Tobit as is before specified in
the first leafe and seventeenth page and the other who was
one of the same they without whom they could not have
beene they was young Tobias the son of old Tobias, who having
taken leave of his father, went to fetch the ten Tallents
of silver from Gabael at Rages in Media. So they went forth
and departed, and the dog of the young man went with them. So
they went.
It is to bee noted, that if they had not beene sent, they
would not have went: Beloved, this is an instruction of reproofe
to such as will do nothing but what they are bidden,
nor go any whither except they be sent or commanded; but
those that are industrious will alwayes bee busie in some
thing, though they have no thanks for their paines, it is no
matter for that, So they went, they were sent in a lawfull errand,
but that is no rule to us, that we should stay till wee be
sent; for when should I have been sent to preach? I think
never. Therefore as many zealous Trades-men before mee,
went and thrust themselves into this holy Calling, without
being sent; so I having tried trade after trade, hard Iron and
Steele, and soft Books and Ballads, have now fallen upon the
only common trade of trades to preach, and indeed my zeale
was so hot that I had no leasure to stay till I was sent forth:
but I as they the rest of my brethren so went forth. So they
went forth both.
Both doth signifie two, twaine, a couple, a paire, a duplicitie,
or the Plurall Number, They went forth both. The Dog
is not yet specified, for then it might have been said, that three
went forth both at once; but they went forth and departed.
This word and standing betwixt forth and departed, hath a
mysticall sense, that a man may goe forth and not depart, that
he may also depart and not goe forth, And that hee may both
goe forth and depart, and likewise he may neither depart or
goe forth. I went forth and departed from one calling to another,
I went forth and departed from an Iron-monger to be
a Book-seller, and I thank the whole Company of Stationers
they took my kind intrusion into their Societie with more
respect than it becomes mee to make boast of; but lately I
went forth and departed from that Function, and am Theologically
qualified, and if that doe not thrive with me, I can
returne to the Book-sellers trade againe, with as much leave
and love as I had before. And thus much shall suffice, satisfie,
or be enough, or sufficient for the explanation, manifestation,
or declaration, for your edification of this part of my Text,
So they went forth both and departed.
And the dog of the young man went with them.
This word And Beloved I have somewhat spoken of
before, yet there is observation worthy to be noted, which is,
that this And is never placed in the end, last word or

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period of a speech; and for your further instruction when
you see this word And in the beginning of any speech or
sentence you must expect that some other thing is mentioned
afterwards, as it is in my Text, And the Dog of the young man
went with them.
The Dog my Brethren was the Dog of the young man,
which by interpretation was the young mans dog, now the
young man was young Tobias, and old Tobias being his father,
out of question young Tobias was his son, and the lawfull
owner and master of the Dog. There is not any mention
made, that this Dog was commanded, or called to goe with
his Master; no sure, he was a loving and a willing Dog, to
attend without compulsion: he was not like Coles dog, that
would neither goe to Church, nor tarry at home, such a Cur
would be hang'd Brethren. I doe not find at what time of
the yeare it was when this Dog went, but it may be it was in
the Dog-dayes, for then the dayes belong, the wayes faire,
and most fit for a long journey: a proverb faith, A dog
hath a day, &c. This Dog was a Dog of extraordinary note,
for he is mentioned for his diligent attendance againe in the
eleventh Chapter and fourth verse, in these words, And the
Dog followed them.
In my text it is said that the Dog went with them, and here
it is said that the Dog followed them; in both places there is
much dutie exprest: In the first here is to be noted Toby, Tobies
Dog, and Tobies Dogs taile: In the second, hee went
with them when they went from home: and in the latter,
he followed them at their returne back. It is said hee followed,
hee went not saucily before his Master. I will not
question what age this Dog was of, or whether hee was
whelp'd in the Dogs dayes, or out of the Dogs dayes, or in
the Cats nights; for there is no Dogs nights, though
the learned write of the beginning of the Dog-dayes, and of
the ending of them also: but surely this was a wise Dog,
not a wag wanton, or a foolish Puppie-dog, but he was a sage
and a wise Dog, and my reason is, because he followed them,
attended upon them, waited upon them, and did not stir
out of the house till they went forth: I cannot say, or any
way prove or find, that he was gelt or libb'd, as I may terme
it, which made this Dog the more observant and dutifull;
but whether hee was or no, I am confident hee was a verie
mannerly Dog, for he did not run before and yelp, and baule,
Waw, waw, waw, no, he went forth with them mildly, gently,
meekly; he was not to look for abroad, or up and downe
the house, or under, or upon the beds, or in some corner or
hole of the house did this honest Dog obscure himselfe. This
shewes he had no bad actions or crimes laid to his charge, either
by the Kitchin-maid, or the Chamber-maid: but this
Dog was of the true kind, mannerly, good conditioned, and
well-favoured, which serves for an exhortation or document
for such unmannerly Serving-men and Foot-boyes, that
are so forward, that they will be in their roast meat before
their Masters are out of their boyl'd. They are called their
Masters followers, and ought to be so in all lawfull things
serving their Mistresses.
There are divers opinions amongst the Learned concerning
this Dog; Quabo the American in his third Book, fol.
900 of his Dogmatists ; and Nimpshag the Gymnosophist,
both these doe agree, that this Dog was no Bob-tail'd Tyke,
Trun le-tail'd Tyke, Wee Tyke, or Muckle Tyke as you
call Dogs in Scotland. Surely my opinion is, that hee was
no Hound though all Dogs are called Hounds in Germany,
and for one man to call another Hounds-foot, it is dangerous
to be spoken. Tobias was no Hunter, therefore it cannot be
gathered that it was a Buck-hound, Blood-hound, Otterhound,
Goose-hound, Grey-hound, Fox-hound, or any kind
of Hound. Nor was his Master addicted to the game of Hawking
or Ducking, so that it may be conjectured that the Dog
was neither Land, or Water Spaniell ; neither was hee a
Canny-catching Tumbler, for no such Shark was to have entertainment
under Tobias his roofe. Hee was not a Foysting
Hound, for Tobias the elder was old and blind, and his wife
Anna was stricken in yeares, and therefore they had no delight
to play with Whelps or Puppies my Brothers of that
or the like Litter; nor was it a Shogh from Ireland, or an
Island Cur; for those are Dogs of small delight to ancient
people, and young Tobias was unmarried, therefore hee had
no wife to play with a Dog. I cannot think this Dog to be a
Mungrell, because he was not variable, but kind and constant
to his Master. Nor was it a Mastiffe, a Bull-dog, or a Beare-dog,
for such sports are for such as can see, for young people,
for Beare-wards, Butchers, and such grave Athenians, and
not for old blind folks. In summe, this Dog is manifestly
and authentiquely supposed to be a Whippet, or prettie handsome
house dog, such as will stay at home with their Masters,
and goe abroad with their Masters, that are watchfull in the
night, to bark and give warning, if the house be in danger
of Theeves to break it open, or of any other noyse or perill,
this Dog would give warning and bark before he bit. From
which vertues of this Apocryphall Dog, many worthy instructions
might be gleaned and gathered: but Beloved
the present time being past, and the time to come cals
us to dinner, I will trouble your patience no
further, but leave these my former
sayings to your over-ripe
considerations.
Vale.

FINIS.