Clx LIFE OF BACON. 



Under- The King s great object in summoning a parliament 

 was the hope to obtain supplies ; a hope which was totally 

 defeated by a rumour that several persons, attached to 



In considering the mischiefs, he says, &quot; It is a miserable 

 effect, when young men full of towardness and hope, such 

 as the poets call aurorse filii, sons of the morning, in 

 whom the expectation and comfort of their friends con- 

 sisteth, shall be cast away and destroyed in such a vain 

 manner.&quot; 



In considering the causes, he says, &quot; The first motive, 

 no doubt, is a false and erroneous imagination of honour ; 

 by which the spirits of young men, that bear great minds 

 are deluded and carried away by a stream of vulgar opi 

 nion, to which men of value feel a necessity to conform. 



He then shews that this invention of modern times origi 

 nated in France, and was unknown to the ancients in 

 Greece and Rome the most valiant and generous nations 

 of the world ; and when, amongst the Turks, there was a 

 combat of this kind performed by two persons of quality, 

 wherein one of them was slain ; the other party was con 

 vened before the Bashaw, by whom the reprehension was 

 in these words : &quot; How durst you undertake to fight one 

 with the other? Are there not Christians enough to 

 kill?&quot; 



He then says, &quot; For this apprehension of a disgrace, that 

 a fillip to the person should be a mortal wound to the repu 

 tation, it were good that men did hearken unto the saying 

 of Gonsalvo, the great and famous commander, that was 

 wont to say a gentleman s honour should be &quot; de tela 

 crassiore,&quot; of a good strong warp or web, that every little 

 thing should not catch in it; when, as now, it sems they 

 are but of cobweb lawn or such light stuff, which cer 

 tainly is weakness, and not true greatness of mind, but 

 like a sick man s body that is so tender that it feels every 

 thing.&quot; 



