CENTURY X. 135 



941. There are conceits that some men, that are of 

 an ill and melancholy nature, do incline the company 

 into which they come to be sad and ill-disposed ; and 

 contrariwise, that others, that are of a jovial nature, 

 do dispose the company to be merry and cheerful. 

 And again, that some men are lucky to be kept com 

 pany with and employed ; and others unlucky. Cer 

 tainly it is agreeable to reason, that there are at the 

 least some light effluxions from spirit to spirit, when 

 men afe in presence one with another, as well as 

 from body to body. 



942. It hath been observed that old men who have 

 loved young company and been conversant continually 

 with them, have been of long life ; their spirits (as it 

 seemeth) being recreated by such company. Such 

 were the ancient sophists and rhetoricians ; which 

 ever had young auditors and disciples ; as Gorgias, 

 Protagoras, Isocrates, &c., who lived till they were 

 an hundred years old. And so likewise did many 

 of the grammarians and school-masters ; such as was 

 Orbilius, 1 &c. 



943. Audacity and confidence doth, in civil busi 

 ness, so great effects, as a man may reasonably doubt 

 that, besides the very daring and earnestness and per 

 sisting and importunity, there should be some secret 

 binding and stooping of other men s spirits to such 

 persons. 



944. The affections (no doubt) do make the spirits 

 more powerful and active ; and especially those affec 

 tions which draw the spirits into the eyes : which are 

 two: love, and envy, which is called oculus mains. As 

 for love, the Platonists (some of them) go so far as to 



1 Sueton. De Illust. Grammat. c. 9. 



