holding my selfe aloofe of from these extraordinary greatnesses, have found, that for the most part, they are but men as others be:

Rarus enim fermè sensus communis in illa
Fortuna.-JUVEN. Sat. viii. 73.

For common sense is seldome found

In fortunes that so much abound.

They are peradventure esteemed and discerned lesse then
they bee, forsomuch as they undertake more, and so shew
themselves; they answer not the charge they have taken.
There must necessarily be more vigour and strength in
the bearer, then in the burden. He who is not growne to
his full strength, leaves you to ghesse, whether he have
any left him beyond that, or have beene tried to the utmost
of his power.
He who fainteth under his burden, be-
wrayeth his measure and the weaknesse of his shoulders.
Thats the reason, why amongst the wiser sort, there are
so many foolish and unapt minds seene, and more then of
others. They might happily have beene made good hus-
bandmen, thriving merchants, and plodding artificers.
Their naturall vigour was cut out to this proportion.
Learning is a matter of great consequence: they faint
under it. To enstall and distribute, so rich and so power-
full a matter, and availefully to employ the same, their
wit hath neither sufficient vigour, nor conduct enough to
manage it.
It hath no prevailing vertue but in a strong
nature; and they are very rare and such as are but weake
(saith Socrates) corrupt and spoilingly deface the dignity
of Philosophy, in handling the same. She seemeth faulty
and unprofitable, being ill placed and unorderly disposed.
Loe how they spoyle and entangle themselves.

Humani qualis simulator simius oris,
Quem puer arridens, pretioso stamine serum
Velavit, nudasque nates ac terga reliquit,
Ludibrium mensis.-CLAUD. Eutrop. i. 303.
Such counterfets as Apes are of mans face,
Whom children sporting at, featly incase
In costly coates, but leave his backeside bare
For men to laugh at, when they feasting are.

To those likewise, who sway and command us, and have the world in their owne hands, 'tis not sufficient to have a common understanding, and to be able to doe, what we

can effect. They are farre beneath us, if they be not much above us. As they promise more, so owe they more. And therefore silence is in them, not onely a countenance of respect and gravitie, but often of thrift and profit: Megabysus going to visite Apelles in his worke-house, stood still a good while without speaking one word, and then began to discourse of his workes. Of whom he received this rude and nipping check: So long as thou heldest thy peace, by reason of thy garish clothes, goodly chaines and stately pompe, thou seemedst to be some worthy gallant: but now thou hast spoken, there is not the simplest boy of my shop, but scorneth and contemns thee. That great state of his, those rich habilliments, and goodly traine, did not permit him to be ignorant with a popular ignorance, and to speake impertinently of painting. He should have kept mute, and concealed his externall and presuming sufficiency. Unto how many fond and shallow minds, hath in my dayes, a sullen, cold and silent countenance, served as a title of wisedome and capacity? Dignities, charges and places, are necessarily given, more by fortune then by merit and they are often to blame, that for it lay the blame on Kings. Contrariwise it is a wonder, that being so untoward, they should therein have so good lucke: Principis est virtus maxima, nosse suos. Chiefe vertue it is knowne, In Kings to know their owne. For Nature hath not given them so perfect a sight, that it might extend it selfe and overlooke so many people, to discerne their pre-excellency; and enter their breasts, where lodgeth the knowledge of our will and better worth. is by conjectures, and as it were groping they must try us by our race, alliances, dependences, riches, learning, and the peoples voice: all overweake arguments. He that could devise a meane, how men might be judged by law, chosen by reason, and advanced by desert, should establish a perfect forme of a commonwealth. Yea but hee hath

It

brought that great businesse unto a good passe. It is to say something: but not to say sufficiently. For, this sentence is justly received, That counsels ought not to be judged by the events. The Carthaginians were wont to punish the ill counsels of their Captaines, although corrected by some fortunate successe. And the Roman people hath often refused trumphes to famous, succesfull,

and most profitable victories, forsomuch as the Generals conduct, answeared not his good fortune. It is commonly perceived by the worlds actions, that fortune, to teach us, how farre hir power extendeth unto all things; and who taketh pleasure to abate our presumption, having not beene able to make silly men wise, she hath made them fortunate, in envy of vertue: And commonly gives hir selfe to favour executions, when as their complot and devise is meerly hirs. Whence we dayly see, that the simplest amongst us, compasse divers great and important affaires, both publike and private. And as Sirannez the Persian Prince, answered those, who seemed to wonder how his negotiations succeeded so ill, his discourses being so wise: That he was onely maister of his discourses, but fortune mistris of his affaires successe. These may answer the like; but with a contrary bias. Most things of the world are made by themselves.

Fata viam inveniunt.-VIR. Æn. iii. 356.

Fates finde and know, which way to goe.

Our

The issue doth often aucthorize a simple conduct. interposition is in a manner nothing els but an experience, and more commonly a consideration of use and example then of reason. And as one amazed at the greatnesse of some businesse, I have sometimes understood by those who had atchieved them, both their motives and addresses: wherein I have found but vulgar advises: and the most vulgar and used, are peradventure the surest and most commodious for the practise, if not for the shew. And what if the plainest reasons are the best seated: the meanest, basest and most beaten, are best applied unto affaires? To maintaine the authority of our Kings counsell, it is not requisite, that prophane persons should be partakers of it, and looke further into it, then from the first barre. Το uphold it's reputation, it should be reverenced upon credit, and at full. My consultation doth somewhat roughly hew the matter, and by it's first shew, lightly consider the same: the maine and chiefe point of the worke, I am wont to resigne to heaven.

Permitte divis cætera.-HOR. i. Od. ix. 9.

How all the [rest] shall goe,

Give leave to Gods to know.

Good and bad fortune, are in my conceit two soveraigne
powers. 'Tis folly to thinke, that humane wisedome may
act the full part of fortune. And vaine is his enterprise,
that presumeth to embrace both causes and consequences,
and lead the progresse of his fact by the hand. And above
all, vainest in military deliberations. There was never
more circumspection and military wisedome, then is some-
times seene amongst us: May it be that man feareth to lose
himselfe by the way, reserving himselfe to the catastrophe
of that play? I say moreover, that even our wisedome
and consultation for the most part followeth the conduct
of hazard. My will and my discourse, is sometimes
mooved by one ayre, and sometimes by another and there
be many of these motions, that are governed without me.
My reason hath dayly impulsions and casuall agitations:
Vertuntur species animorum, et pectora motus
Nunc alios, alios dum nubila ventus agebat,
Concipiunt.-VIR. Georg. iv. 20.

The showes of mindes are chang'd, and brests conceave
At one time motions, which anon they leave,

And others take againe, As winds drive clouds amaine.

Let but a man looke who are the mightiest in Cities and who thrive best in their businesse: he shall commonly find, they are the siliest and poorest in wit. It hath hapned to simple women, to weake children, and to mad men, to command great states, as well as the most sufficient Princes. And the gullish or shallow-pated (saith Thucidides) doe more ordinarily come unto them, then the wisest and subtilest. We ascribe their good fortunes effects, unto their prudence.

-ut quisque fortuna utitur,
Ita præcellit: atque exinde sapere illum omnes dicimus.
PLAU. Pse. act. v. sc. 4.

As men their fortune use, so they excell,

And so we say, they are wise and doe well.

Wherefore I say well, that howsoever, events are but weake testimonies of our worth and capacity. I was now upon this point, that we need but looke upon a man advanced to dignity; had we but three daies before knowne him to bee of little or no worth at all: an image of greatnesse, and an Idea of sufficiency, doth insensibly glide and creepe into our opinions; and we perswade our selves,

that increasing in state, and credit, and followers, hee is also increased in merit. We judge of him, not according to his worth; but after the maner of casting-counters, according to the prerogative of his ranke. But let fortune turne her wheele, let him againe decline and come down amongst the vulgar multitude; every one with admiration enquireth of the cause, and how he was raised so high. Good Lord is that he? will some say. What? knew he no more? had he no other skill when he was so aloft? Are Princes pleased with so little? Now in good sooth we were in very good hands, will others say. It is a thing my selfe have often seene in my dayes. Yea the very maske of greatnesse, or habit of Majesty, represented in Tragedies, doth in some sort touch and beguile us. The thing I adore in Kings, is the throng of their adorators. All inclination and submission is due unto them, except the mindes. My reason is not framed to bend or stoope: my knees are. Melanthius being demanded, what he thought of Dionysius his tragedy, answered I have not seene it, so much was it over-clouded with language. So should those say, that judge of great mens discourses: I have not understood his discourse, so was it overdarkned with gravity, with greatnes and with Majesty. Antisthenes one day perswaded the Athenians, to command that their asses should as well be employed about the manuring of grounds, as were their horses: who answered him that the asse was not borne for such service: That's all one (quoth he) there needs but your allowance for it: for the most ignorant and incapable men you imploy about the directing of your warres, leave not to become out of hand most worthy, onely because you employ them. Whereupon depends the custome of so many men, who canonize the King, whom they have made amongst them, and are not contented to honor him, unlesse they also adore him. Those of Mexico, after the ceremonies of his consecration are finished, dare no more looke him in the face: but as if by his Royalty, they had deified him, they afterward deeme him to bee a God: amongst the oathes, they make him sweare to maintaine their Religion, to keepe their Lawes, to defend their liberties, to be valiant, just and debonaire; he is also sworne to make the Sun march in his accustomed light: in time of need to cause the clouds