THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 83 



manded by his father that he should fly neither too 

 high nor too low, for his wings being joined with 

 wax, if he should mount too high, it was to be feared 

 lest the wax would melt by the heat of the sun, and 

 if too low, lest misty vapours of the sea would make 

 it less tenacious : but he in a youthful jollity soaring 

 too high, fell down headlong and perished in the 

 water. 



The parable is easy and vulgar : for the way of 

 virtue lies in a direct path between excess and defect. 

 Neither is it a wonder that Icarus perished by 

 excess, seeing that excess for the most part is the 

 peculiar fault of youth, as defect is of age ; and yet 

 of two evil and hurtful ways youth commonly makes 

 choice of the better, defect being always accounted 

 worst : for whereas excess contains some sparks of 

 magnanimity, and, like a bird, claims kindred of 

 the heavens, defect only like a base worm crawls 

 upon the earth. Excellently therefore said Hera- 

 clitus, &quot; Lumen siccum, optima anima ;&quot; a dry light 

 is the best soul ; for if the soul contract moisture 

 from the earth it becomes degenerate altogether. 

 Again, on the other side, there must be moderation 

 used, that this light be subtilized by this laudable 

 siccity, and not destroyed by too much fervency : 

 and thus much every man for the most part knows. 



Now they that would sail between Scylla and 

 Charybdis must be furnished as well with the skill 

 as prosperous success in navigation : for if their ships 

 fall into Scylla they are split on the rocks ; if into 

 Charybdis they are swallowed up of a gulf. 



