Life of the Duke 177 



X 



I observe, that as it would be a grief to covetous 

 and miserable persons, to be rewarded with honour, 

 rather then with wealth, because they love wealth, 

 before honour and fame; so on the other side, noble, 

 heroick and meritorious persons, prefer honour and 

 fame before wealth; well knowing, that as infamy 

 is the greatest punishment of unworthiness, so fame 

 and honour is the best reward of worth and merit. 



XI 



I observe, that spleen and malice, especially in this 

 age, is grown to that height, that none will endure 

 the praise of any body besides themselves; nay, 

 theyl rather praise the wicked then the good; the 

 coward rather then the vaHant; the miserable then 

 the generous; the traytor, then the loyal: which 

 makes wise men meddle as little with the affairs of 

 the world as ever they can. 



XII 



I have observed, as well as former ages have done, 

 that meritorious persons, for their noble actions, most 

 commonly get envy and reproach, instead of praise 

 and reward; unless their fortunes be above envy 

 as Caesar's and Alexander's were ; but had these two 

 worthies been as unfortunate as they were fortunate, 

 they would have been as much vilified, as they are 

 glorified. 



XIII 



I have observed, that it is more easie to talk, then 

 to act; to forget, then to remember; to punish, then 

 to reward ; and more common to prefer flattery before 

 truth, interest before justice, and present service 

 before past. 



