64 ESS A KS CIVIL AND MORAL. 



wood, and so sacrifice themselves by fire. Nay, the wives strive to be 

 burned with the corps of their husbands. The lads of Sparta, of 

 ancient time, were wont to be scourged upon the altar of Diana, with 

 out so much as qucching. I remember in the beginning of queen 

 Elizabeth s time of England, an Irish rebel condemned put up a 

 petition to the deputy that he might be hanged in a with, and not in nn 

 halter, because it had been so used with former rebels. There be 

 monks in Russia, for penance, that will sit a whole night in a vessel ol 

 water, till they be engaged with hard ice. Many examples may be put 

 of the force of custom, both upon mind and body. Therefore, since 

 custom is the principal magistrate of man s life, let men by all means 

 endeavour to obtain good customs. Certainly custom is most perfect, 

 when it beginneth in young years: this we call education, which is, in 

 effect, but an early custom. So we see in languages, the tongue is 

 more pliant to all expressions and sounds, the joints are more supple 

 to all feats of activity and motions, in youth than afterwards. For it 

 is true, that late learners cannot so well take the ply, except it be in 

 some minds that have not suffered themselves to fix, but have kept 

 themselves open and prepared to receive continual amendment, which 

 is exceeding rare. But if the force of custom simple and separate be 

 great, the force of custom copulate and conjoined, and collegiate, is 

 far greater. For there example tcachcth, company conifortcth, emula 

 tion quickcneth, glory raiseth : so as in such places the force of custom 

 is in its exaltation. Certainly the great multiplication of virtues upon 

 human nature rcsteth upon societies well ordained and disciplined. 

 For common-wealths and good governments do nourish virtue grown, 

 but do not much mend the seeds. But the misery is, that the most 

 effectual means are now applied to the ends least to be desired. 



XL. OF FORTUNE. 



It cannot be denied but outward accidents conduce much to fortune: 



favour, opportunity, death of others, occasion fitting virtue. But chiefly* 



the mold of a man s fortune is in his own hands. &quot; Faber quisque 



fortunx suaV saith the poet. And the most frequent of external 



causes is, that the folly of one man is the fortune of another. For no 



man prospers so suddenly as by others errors. &quot; Serpens nisi ser- 



pcntem comederit non fit draco.&quot; Overt and apparent virtues bring 



forth praise ; but there be secret and hidden virtues that brino- forth 



fortune ; certain deliveries of a man s self, which have no name. The 



Spanish name, desemboltura, partly expresscth them : when there be 



stonds, nor restiveness in a man s nature ; but that the wheels of 



s mind keep way with the wheels of his fortune. For so Livy after 



he had described Cato Major in these words : &quot;in illo viro, tantum 



rpbur corpons et aninu fuit, ut quocunque loco natus esset fortunam 



i facturus videretur;&quot; falleth upon that, that he had versatile in- 



jerefore, if a man look sharply and attentively, he shall 



though she be blind, yet she is not invisible. The way 



of fortune is like the milky way in the sky ; which is a meetincr or knot 



