152 OF THE COLOURS OF GOOD AND EVIL 



The fallax of this colour is somewhat subtle, though the 

 answer to the example be ready ; for virtue is not chosen 

 propter auram popularem ; but contrariwise, maxime omnium 

 teipsum reverere : so as a virtuous man will be virtuous 

 in solitudine^ and not only in theatre, though percase it 

 will be more strong by glory and fame, as an heat which 

 is doubled by reflexion. But that denieth the supposition, 

 it doth not reprehend the fallax, whereof the reprehension 

 is : Allow that virtue (such as is joined with labour and 

 conflict) would not be chosen but for fame and opinion, yet 

 it followeth not that the chief motive of the election should 

 not be real and for itself; for fame may be only causa im- 

 pulsiva, and not causa constituent or efficiens. As if there 

 were two horses, and the one would do better without the 

 spur than the other : but again, the other with the spur 

 would far exceed the doing of the former, giving him the 

 spur also ; yet the latter will be judged to be the better 

 horse. And the form as to say, ' Tush, the life of this 

 horse is but in the spur/ will not serve as to a wise judg- 

 ment : for since the ordinary instrument of horsemanship 

 is the spur, and that it is no manner of impediment nor 

 burden, the horse is not to be accounted the less of which 

 will not do well without the spur, but rather the other is 

 to be reckoned a delicacy than a virtue : so glory and 

 honour are as spurs to virtue ; and although virtue would 

 languish without them, yet since they be always at hand 

 to attend virtue, virtue is not to be said the less chosen for 

 itself because it needeth the spur of fame and reputation : 

 and therefore that position, nota ejus rei quod propter 

 opinionem et non propter veritatem eligitur, haec est, quod 

 quis si clam putaret fore facturus non esset, is reprehended. 



IV 



duod rem integram servat bonum, quod sine receptu est malum. 

 Nam se recipere non posse impotentiae genus est, potentia 

 autem bonum. 



Hereof Aesop framed the fable of the two frogs, that 

 consulted together in the time of drought, (when many 



