THE SECOND BOOK. 141 



(12) Lastly, it censureth the tenderness and want of appli 

 cation in some of the most ancient and reverend philosophers 

 and philosophical men, that did retire too easily from civil 

 business, for avoiding of indignities and perturbations ; whereas 

 the resolution of men truly moral ought to be such as the same 

 Consalvo said the honour of a soldier should be, e teld crassiore, 

 and not so fine as that everything should catch in it and 

 endanger it. 



XXI. (1) To resume private or particular good, it falleth 

 into the division of good active and passive ; for this difference 

 of good (not unlike to that which amongst the Romans was 

 expressed in the familiar or household terms of promus and 

 condus) is formed also in all things, and is best disclosed in the 

 two several appetites in creatures ; the one to preserve or 

 continue themselves, and the other to dilate or multiply them 

 selves, whereof the latter seemeth to be the worthier ; for in 

 nature the heavens, which are the more worthy, are the agent, 

 and the earth, which is the less worthy, is the patient. In the 

 pleasures of living creatures, that of generation is greater than 

 that of food. In divine doctrine, beatius est dare quam acci- 

 pere. And in life, there is no man s spirit so soft, but es- 

 teemeth the effecting of somewhat that he hath fixed in his 

 desire, more than sensuality, which priority of the active good 

 is much upheld by the consideration of our estate to be 

 mortal and exposed to fortune. For if we might have a per 

 petuity and certainty in our pleasures, the state of them would 

 advance their price. But when we see it is but magni cesti- 

 mamus mori tardius, and ne glorieris de crastino, nescis partum 

 diei, it maketh \is to desire to have somewhat secured and 

 exempted from time, which are only our deeds and works ; as 

 it is said, Opera eorum sequuntur eos. The pre-eminence like 

 wise of this active good is upheld by the affection which is 

 natural in man towards variety and proceeding, which in the 

 pleasures of the sense, which is the principal part of passive 

 good, can have no great latitude. Cogita quamdiu eadem 

 feceris ; cibus, somnus, Indus per hunc circuhim curritur ; 

 mori velle non tantum fortis, aut miser, aut prudens, sed etiam 

 fastidiosus potest. But in enterprises, pursuits, and purposes 

 of life, there is much variety ; whereof men are sensible with 

 pleasure in their inceptions, progressions, recoils, reintegra- 

 tions, approaches and attainings to their ends. So as it was 

 well said, Vita sine proposito languida ct xaga est. Neither 

 hath this active good an identity with the good of society, 

 though in some cases it hath an incidence into it. For al 

 though it do many times bring forth acts of beneficence, yet it 



