The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral
commendatory, to have good forms. To attain them, it almost sufficeth
not to despise them; for so shall a man observe them in others; and let
him trust himself with the rest. For if he labor too much to express
them, he shall lose their grace; which is to be natural and unaffected.
Some men's behavior is like a verse, wherein every syllable is measured;
how can a man comprehend great matters, that breaketh his mind too much,
to small observations? Not to use ceremonies at all, is to teach others
not to use them again; and so diminisheth respect to himself; especially
they be not to be omitted, to strangers and formal natures; but the
dwelling upon them, and exalting them above the moon, is not only
tedious, but doth diminish the faith and credit of him that speaks. And
certainly, there is a kind of conveying, of effectual and imprinting
passages amongst compliments, which is of singular use, if a man can hit
upon it. Amongst a man's peers, a man shall be sure of familiarity; and
therefore it is good, a little to keep state. Amongst a man's inferiors
one shall be sure of reverence; and therefore it is good, a little to
be familiar. He that is too much in anything, 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, that a man doth it upon
regard, 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, 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 curious, 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. A wise man will make more
opportunities, than he finds. Men's behavior should be, like their
apparel, not too strait or point device, but free for exercise or
motion.
Of Praise
PRAISE is the reflection of virtue; but it is as the glass or body,
which giveth the reflection. If it be from the common people, it is
commonly false and naught; and rather followeth vain persons, than
virtuous. For the common people understand not many excellent virtues.
The lowest virtues draw praise from them; the middle virtues work in
them astonishment or admiration; but of the highest virtues, they
have no sense of 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 swoln, and drowns things weighty and solid.
But if persons of quality and judgment concur, then it is (as the
Scripture saith) nomen bonum instar unguenti fragrantis. It fireth all
round about, and will not easily away. For the odors 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 flattery; and if he be an ordinary flatterer, he will have
certain common attributes, which may serve every man; if he be a cunning
flatterer, he will follow the archflatterer, which is a man's self;
and wherein a man thinketh best of himself, therein the flatterer will
uphold him most: but if he be an impudent flatterer, look 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,
spreta conscientia. Some praises come of good wishes and respects,
which is a form due, in civility, to kings and great persons, laudando
praecipere, 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; insomuch as it was a proverb, amongst 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 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
under-sheriffries; 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.
Of Vain-glory
IT WAS prettily devised of AEsop, 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, 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, in the case of Antiochus and the AEtolians, There are
sometimes great effects, of cross lies; as if a man, that negotiates
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 militar commanders and soldiers,
vain-glory is an essential point; for as iron sharpens iron, so by
glory, one courage sharpeneth another. In cases of great enterprise upon
charge and adventure, 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 contemnenda gloria
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 to human nature, as
it received his due at the second hand. Neither had the fame of Cicero,
Seneca, Plinius Secundus, borne her age 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 quae dixerat feceratque arte quadam ostentator: for
that proceeds not of vanity, but of natural magnanimity and discretion;
and in some persons, is not only comely, but gracious. For excusations,
cessions, modesty itself well governed, are but arts of ostentation.
And amongst those arts, there is none better than that which Plinius
Secundus speaketh of, which is to be liberal of praise and commendation
to others, in that, wherein a man's self hath any perfection. For saith
Pliny, very wittily, In commending another, you do yourself right; for
he that you commend, is either superior to you in that you commend, or
inferior. If he be inferior, if he be to be commended, you much more;
if he be superior, if he be not to be commended, you much less. Glorious
men are the scorn of wise men, the admiration of fools, the idols of
parasites, and the slaves of their own vaunts.
Of Honor And Reputation
THE winning of honor, is but the revealing of a man's virtue and worth,
without disadvantage. For some in their actions, do woo and effect honor
and reputation, which sort of men, are commonly much talked of, but
inwardly little admired. And some, contrariwise, darken their virtue in
the show of it; so as they be undervalued in opinion. If a man perform
that, which hath not been attempted before; or attempted and given
over; or hath been achieved, but not with so good circumstance; he shall
purchase more honor, than by effecting a matter of greater difficulty or
virtue, wherein he is but a follower. If a man so temper his actions,
as in some one of them he doth content every faction, or combination
of people, the music will be the fuller. A man is an ill husband of his
honor, that entereth into any action, the failing wherein may disgrace
him, more than the carrying of it through, can honor him. Honor that
is gained and broken upon another, hath the quickest reflection, like
diamonds cut with facets. And therefore, let a man contend to excel any
competitors of his in honor, in outshooting them, if he can, in their
own bow. Discreet followers and servants, help much to reputation. Omnis
fama a domesticis emanat. Envy, which is the canker of honor, is best
extinguished by declaring a man's self in his ends, rather to seek
merit than fame; and by attributing a man's successes, rather to divine
Providence and felicity, than to his own virtue or policy.
The true marshalling of the degrees of sovereign honor, are these:
In the first place are conditores imperiorum, founders of states and
commonwealths; such as were Romulus, Cyrus, Caesar, Ottoman, Ismael.
In the second place are legislatores, lawgivers; which are also called
second founders, or perpetui principes, because they govern by their
ordinances after they are gone; such were Lycurgus, Solon, Justinian,
Eadgar, Alphonsus of Castile, the Wise, that made the Siete Partidas.
In the third place are liberatores, or salvatores, such as compound the
long miseries of civil wars, or deliver their countries from servitude
of strangers or tyrants; as Augustus Caesar, Vespasianus, Aurelianus,
Theodoricus, King Henry the Seventh of England, King Henry the Fourth of
France. In the fourth place are propagatores or propugnatores imperii;
such as in honorable wars enlarge their territories, or make noble
defence against invaders. And in the last place are patres patriae;
which reign justly, and make the times good wherein they live. Both
which last kinds need no examples, they are in such number. Degrees
of honor, in subjects, are, first participes curarum, those upon whom,
princes do discharge the greatest weight of their affairs; their right
hands, as we call them. The next are duces belli, great leaders in war;
such as are princes' lieutenants, and do them notable services in
the wars. The third are gratiosi, favorites; such as exceed not this
scantling, to be solace to the sovereign, and harmless to the people.
And the fourth, negotiis pares; such as have great places under princes,