482 CIVIL CHARACTER OF JULIUS CAESAR. 



reputation amongst the people, who are no valuers 

 of true worth : but amongst the nobility and great 

 men, who were tender of their own honours, it pro 

 cured him no more than this, that he incurred the 

 brand of an ambitious and daring man. 



Neither did they much err from the truth who 

 thought him so ; for he was by nature exceeding 

 bold ; and never did put on any shew of modesty, 

 except it were for some purposes. Yet notwith 

 standing, he so attempered his boldness, that it 

 neither impeached him of rashness, nor was burthen- 

 some to men ; nor rendered his nature suspected, 

 but was conceived to flow out of an innate sincerity 

 and freeness of behaviour ; and the nobility of his 

 birth : and in all other things he passed, not for a 

 crafty and deceitful person ; but for an open-hearted 

 and plain-dealing man, And whereas he was indeed 

 an arch-politician, that could counterfeit and dis 

 semble sufficiently well ; and was wholly com 

 pounded of frauds and deceits ; so that there was 

 nothing sincere in him, but all artificial ; yet he 

 covered, and disguised himself so, that no such vices 

 appeared to the eyes of the world ; but he was ge 

 nerally reputed to proceed plainly and uprightly 

 with all men. Howbeit, he did not stoop to any 

 petty and mean artifices, as they do, which are igno 

 rant in state-employments ; and depend not so much 

 upon the strength of their own wits, as upon the 

 counsels and brains of others, to support their 

 authority ; for he was skilled in the turnings of all 



