OF RICHES 87 



XXXIV 

 OF RICHES 



I CANNOT call Riches better than the baggage of virtue. 

 The Roman word is better, impedimenta. For as the bag- 

 gage is to an army, so is riches to virtue. It cannot be 

 spared nor left behind, but it hindereth the march ; yea 

 and the care of it sometimes loseth or disturbeth the 

 victory. Of great riches there is no real use, except it be 

 in the distribution ; the rest is but conceit. So saith Solo- 

 mon, ' Where much is, there are many to consume it; and 

 what hath the owner but the sight of it with his eyes ? ' 

 The personal fruition in any man cannot reach to feel 

 great riches : there is a custody of them ; or a power of 

 dole and donative of them ; or a fame of them ; but no 

 solid use to the owner. Do you not see what feigned 

 prices are set upon little stones and rarities ? and what 

 works of ostentation are undertaken, because there might 

 seem to be some use of great riches ? But then you will 

 say, they may be of use to buy men out of dangers or 

 troubles. As Solomon saith, ' Riches are as a strong hold, 

 in the imagination of the rich man.' But this is excel- 

 lently expressed, that it is in imagination, and not always 

 in fact. For certainly great riches have sold more men 

 than they have bought out. Seek not proud riches, but 

 such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute 

 cheerfully, and leave contentedly. Yet have no abstract 

 nor friarly contempt of them. But distinguish, as Cicero 

 saith well of Rabirius Posthumus, In studio rei amplificandae 

 apparebat, non avaritiae praedam, sed instrumentum bonitati 

 quaeri. Hearken also to Solomon, and beware of hasty 

 gathering of riches ; Qui festinat ad divitias, non erit insons. 

 The poets feign, that when Plutus (which is Riches) is 

 sent from Jupiter, he limps and goes slowly ; but when he 

 is sent from Pluto, he runs and is swift of foot. Meaning 

 that riches gotten by good means and just labour pace 

 slowly ; but when they come by the death of others (as by 

 the course of inheritance, testaments, and the like), they 



