6 4 3 be familiar. He that is too much in any thing, so that he giveth another occasion of satiety, maketh himself cheap. To apply one's self to others is good, so it be with demonstration 2 that a man doth it upon regard 3 and not upon facility. It is a good precept generally in seconding another, yet to add somewhat of one's own: as, if you will grant his opinion, let it be with some distinction; if you will follow his motion,5 let it be with condition; if you allow his counsel, let it be with alleging further reason. Men had need beware how they be too perfect in compliments; for be they never so sufficient otherwise, their enviers will be sure to give them that attribute, to the disadvantage of their greater virtues. It is loss also in business to be too full of respects, or to be too curious 7 in observing times and opportunities. Solomon saith, he that considereth the wind shall not sow, and he that looketh to the clouds shall not reap.8 A wise man will make more oppor tunities than he finds. Men's behaviour should be like their apparel, not too strait or point device, but free for exercise or motion. 1 To apply one's self] To accommodate one's self; to make one's self obsequious. See p. 28, note 2. 2 So it be, &c.] Provided it be done so as to indicate. 3 Upon regard] Lat. Ex comitate et urbanitate. As] Lat. Exempli gratiâ. 5 Motion] Proposition. Allow] Express approval of. 8 He that considereth, &c.] Eccles. xi. 4. 9 Point device] Exact. Point-devise is said to have denoted originally a kind of lace of a very fine pattern or device. Bell, however, is probably right in the opinion expressed in one of his notes to Chaucer's House of Fame. 'Poynt devys,' he says, 'would seem to be a corruption of the French point de vice, without fault.' LIII. OF PRAISE. Praise is the reflection of virtue. body which giveth the reflection. But it is as the glass, or For the common mon people, it is commonly false and naught, and rather followeth vain persons than virtuous. people understand not many excellent virtues: the lowest virtues draw praise from them; the middle virtues work in them astonishment or admiration; 3 but of the highest virtues they have no sense or perceiving at all: but shows and species virtutibus similes serve best with them. Certainly, fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid.5 But if persons of quality and judgment concur, then it is (as the Scripture saith) Nomen bonum instar unguenti fragrantis :7 it filleth all round about, and will not easily away; for the odours of ointments are more durable than those of flowers. There be so many false points of praise that a man may justly hold it a suspect. Some praises proceed merely of 6 flattery; and if he be an ordinary flatterer, he will have certain common attributes which may serve every man; if As the glass, &c.] According to the nature of the glass, &c. 2 Naught] Worthless. is naught, saith the buyer.' In Prov. xx. 14, we have 'It is naught, it Admiration] Wonder. • Species virtutibus similes] Appearances resembling virtues. Fame is like a river, &c.] Compare the Advancement, I., where he says the same of Time: 'Time seemeth to be of the nature of a river or stream, which carrieth down to us that which is light and blown up, and sinketh and drowneth that which is weighty and solid.' 6 Concur] That is, with the common people. "Nomen bonum, &c.] A good name is like sweet-smelling ointThis is derived from Eccles. vii. I. ment. A suspect] A suspected thing; in suspicion. 5 he be a cunning flatterer, he will follow the arch-flatterer, which is a man's self; 2 and wherein a man thinketh best of himself, therein the flatterer will uphold him most; but if he be an impudent flatterer, look,3 wherein a man is conscious to himself that he is most defective, and is most out of countenance in himself, that will the flatterer entitle him to perforce, spretâ conscientiâ. Some praises come of good wishes and respects, which is a form due in civility to Kings and great persons, laudando præcipere; when by telling men what they are, they represent to them what they should be. Some men are praised maliciously to their hurt, thereby to stir envy and jealousy towards them; pessimum genus inimicorum laudantium; 6 insomuch as it was a proverb among the Grecians, that he that was praised to his hurt, should have a push rise upon his nose; as we say, that a blister will rise upon one's tongue that tells a lie. Certainly, moderate praise, used with opportunity, and not vulgar, is that which doth the good. Solomon saith, He that praiseth his friend aloud, rising early, it shall be to him no better than a curse. Too much magnifying of man or matter doth irritate contradiction, and procure envy and scorn. To praise a man's self cannot be decent, except it be in rare cases: but to praise a man's office or profession, he may do it with good grace, and with a kind of magnanimity. The cardinals of Rome which are 2 A man's self] See p. 39, note 2. 1 Follow] Humour. 3 Look] An interjectional use of the verb, to excite attention, as in the Prayer Book (Offertory Sentences), ‘Look, what he layeth out, it shall be paid him again.' ↑ Spretâ conscientia] In spite of that consciousness. Laudando præcipere] By praising to give instructive suggestion. • Pessimum genus, &c.] This is from Tacitus, Agric. 41, 'Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes:' that worst kind of enemies, those that praise. A push] A pimple or pustule. He that praiseth, &c.] Prov. xxvii. 14. theologues, and friars, and schoolmen, have a phrase of notable contempt and scorn towards civil business; for they call all temporal business of wars, embassages, judicature, and other employments, sbirrerie, which is, undersheriffries; as if they were but matters for under-sheriffs and catchpoles; though many times those under-sheriffries do more good than their high speculations. St. Paul, when he boasts of himself, he doth oft interlace, I speak like a fool; but speaking of his calling, he saith, magnificabo apostolatum meum.3 2 4 LIV. OF VAIN-GLORY. It was prettily devised of Æsop, the fly sat upon the axle-tree of the chariot wheel, and said, What a dust do I raise! So are there some vain persons that, whatsoever goeth alone, or moveth upon greater means, if they have never so little hand in it, they think it is they that carry it. They that are glorious 5 must needs be factious; for all bravery stands upon comparisons. They must needs be violent, to make good their own vaunts. Neither can they be secret, and therefore not effectual; but according to the French proverb, beaucoup de bruit peu de fruit,much bruit, little fruit. Yet certainly there is use of this quality in civil affairs. Where there is an opinion and fame to be created, either of virtue or greatness, these men are good trumpeters. Again, as Titus Livius noteth 7 in the case of Antiochus and the Etolians, there are sometimes great effects of cross lies; as if a man that negotiates 1 Sbirrerie] Lat. Hispanico vocabulo, sbirrarias. "I speak like a fool] 2 Cor. xi. 21, 23. 3 Magnificabo, &c.] I will magnify my apostleship. Rom. xi. 13. • Alone] Of itself; of its own accord. 5 Glorious] Boastful. 6 Bravery] Bravado. 7 As Titus Livius noteth] xxxvii, 48. between two Princes, to draw them to join in a war against the third, doth extol the forces of either of them above measure, the one to the other and sometimes he that deals between man and man raiseth his own credit with both, by pretending greater interest than he hath in either. And in these and the like kinds, it often falls out that somewhat is produced of nothing for lies are sufficient to breed opinion,' and opinion brings on substance. In military commanders and soldiers, vain-glory is an essential point; for as iron sharpens iron, so by glory 2 one courage sharpeneth another. In cases of great enterprise upon charge and adventure,3 a composition of glorious natures doth put life into business; and those that are of solid and sober natures, have more of the ballast than of the sail. In fame of learning the flight will be slow without some feathers of ostentation. Qui de contemnendâ gloriâ libros scribunt, nomen suum inscribunt. Socrates, Aristotle, Galen, were men full of ostentation. Certainly, vain-glory helpeth to perpetuate a man's memory; and virtue was never so beholding 5 to human nature, as 6 it received his due at the second hand. Neither had the fame of Cicero, Seneca, Plinius Secundus, borne her age 9 so well, if it had not been joined with some vanity in themselves: like unto varnish, that makes ceilings not only shine but last. But all this while, when I speak of vain-glory, I mean not of that property that Tacitus doth attribute to Mucianus, Omnium, 1 Opinion] Reputation. 2 Glory] Vaunting. 3 Upon charge, &c.] Involving cost and risk. 4 Qui de contemnendâ, &c.] Cicero, Tusc. Disp. i. 15. Those that write books inculcating contempt of glory, inscribe their own names. Beholding] Beholden. See p. 37, note 4. 5 6 As] That. "His] Its. See p. 39, note 5. 8 At the second hand] Through commendation by others. 9 Her age] The feminine here is allusive to Fame as a goddess. |