ESSA YS CIVIL AND MORAL. 65 



of a number of small stars, not seen asunder, but giving light together. 

 So are there a number of little and scarce discerned virtues, or rathei 

 faculties and customs, that make men fortunate. The Italians note 

 some of them, such as a man would little think. When they speak ol 

 one that cannot do amiss, they will throw into his other conditions, 

 that he hath &quot; Poco di matto.&quot; And certainly there be not two more 

 fortunate properties, than to have a little of the fool, and not too much 

 of the honest. Therefore extreme lovers of their country, or masters, 

 were never fortunate, neither can they be. For when a man placcth 

 his thoughts without himself, he goeth not his own way. An hasty 

 fortune maketh an cnterprizer and remover; the French hath it better, 

 tntreprenant) or rcmuant^ but the exercised fortune maketh the able 

 man. Fortune is to be honoured and respected, and it be but for our 

 daughters, Confidence and Reputation. For these two felicity breedeth : 

 the first within a man s self; the latter in others towards him. All wise 

 men, to decline the envy of their own virtues, use to ascribe them to 

 Providence and fortune ; for so they may the better assume them : and 

 besides, it is greatness in a man to be the care of the higher powers. 

 So Caesar said to the pilot in the tempest, &quot; Cacsarem portas, et for- 

 tunam ejus.&quot; So Sylla chose the name of felix, and not of magnus : 

 and it hath been noted, that those that ascribe openly too much to 

 their own wisdom and policy, end unfortunate. It is written, that 

 Timotheus the Athenian, after he had, in the account he gave to the 

 state of his government, often interlaced this speech, &quot;And in this 

 fortune had no part ;&quot; never prospered in anything he undertook 

 afterwards. Certainly there be, whose fortunes are like Homer s 

 verses, that have a slide and easiness more than the verses of other 

 poets : as Plutarch saith of Timoleon s fortune, in respect of that of 

 Agesilaus or Epaminondas. And that this should be, no doubt it is 

 much in a man s self. 



XLI. OF USURY. 



Many have made witty invectives against usury. They say that it 

 is pity the devil should have God s part, which is the tithe. That the 

 usurer is the greatest sabbath-breaker, because his plough goeth every 

 Sunday. That the usurer is the drone that Virgil speakcth of: 



Ignavum furos pccus a prccscpibus arcent. 



That the usurer breaketh the first law that was made for mankind 

 after the fall ; which was, &quot; In sudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum:&quot; 

 not, &quot; In sudore vultus alicni.&quot; That usurers should have orange- 

 tawney bonnets, because they do judaizc. That it is against nature, 

 for money to beget money : and the like. I say this only, that usury 

 is a &quot;conccssum propter duriticm cordis :&quot; for since there must be 

 borrowing and lending, and men are so hard of heart as they will not 

 lend freely, usury must be j&amp;gt;ermittcd. Some others have made sus 

 picious and cunning propositions of banks, discovery of men s estates, 

 and other inventions. Hut few have spoken of usury usefully. It is 

 good to set before us the incommoditics and commodities of usury 



