ESSAYS CIVIL AND MORAL 



will. Whereas those that be strongest by land are many times, never 

 theless, in great straits. Surely, at this clay, with us of Europe, the 

 vantage of strength at sea, which is one of the principal dowries of 

 this kingdom of Great Britain, is great : both because most of the 

 kingdoms of Europe are not merely inland, but girt with the sea, most 

 part of their compass; and because the wealth of both Indies seems 

 in great part but an accessary to the command of the seas. 



The wars of latter ages seem to be made in the dark, in respect ot 

 the glory and honour which reflected upon men from the wars in 

 ancient time. There be now, for martial encouragement, some degrees 

 and orders of chivalry, which nevertheless are conferred promiscuously 

 upon soldiers and no soldiers : and some remembrance perhaps upon 

 the escutcheon, and some hospitals for maimed soldiers, and such like 

 things. But in ancient times the trophies erected upon the place of 

 the victory ; the funeral laudatives and monuments for those that died 

 in the wars ; the crowns and garlands personal ; the stile of emperor, 

 which the great kings of the world after borrowed ; the triumphs of 

 the generals upon their return ; the great donatives and largesses upon 

 the disbanding of the armies, were things able to inflame all men s 

 courages : but above all, that of the triumph, among the Romans, was 

 not pageants or gaudery, but one of the wisest and noblest institutions 

 that ever was. For it contained three things ; honour to the general ; 

 riches to the treasury out of the spoils ; and donatives to the army. 

 But that honour, perhaps, were not tit for monarchies ; except it be in 

 the person of the monarch himself, or his sons ; as it came to pass in 

 the times of the Roman emperors, who did impropriatc the actual 

 triumphs to themselves and their sons, for such wars as they did 

 achieve in person ; and left only, for wars achieved by subjects, some 

 triumphal garments and ensigns to the general. 



To conclude : no man can, by care taking, as the Scripture saith, 

 add a cubit to his stature, in this little model of a man s body : but in 

 the great frame of kingdoms and commonwealths, it is in the power of 

 princes or estates, to add amplitude and greatness to their kingdoms, 

 r or by introducing such ordinances, constitutions, and customs, as we 

 have now touched, they may sow greatness to their posterity and 

 succession. But these tilings arc commonly not observed, but left to 

 take their chance. 



XXX. OF RKG1MKNT OK HKAI.TU. 



There is a wisdom in this beyond the rules of physic : a man s own 

 observation, what he finds good of, and what he finds hurt of, is the 

 best physic to preserve health. But it is a safer conclusion to say this: 

 &quot; I Ins agreeth not well with me, therefore I will not continue it ; than 

 this, &quot; 1 find no offence of this, therefore I may use it.&quot; For strength 

 of nature in youth passcth over m;iny excesses, which are owing a man 

 till his age. Discern of the coming on of years, and think not to do 

 the s.unc still . for age will not be defied. He ware of suciden change 

 in any great point of lict, and if necessity enforce it, tit the rest to it. 



